The Routing Engine determines the algorithm used to compute the jump path between two star systems. Each engine makes different trade-offs between speed and route quality.

Greedy — Decent route, fast pathfinding.

The Greedy engine picks the nearest eligible system at every step, always moving as directly as possible toward the destination. It is extremely fast and works well for most routes, but may occasionally miss a slightly shorter or more efficient path because it never backtracks or reconsiders earlier choices.

Weighted A* — Optimal route, very slow pathfinding.

The A* (A-Star) engine uses a heuristic search that weighs the cost of jumps already taken against an estimate of the remaining distance. This guarantees a more optimal route — fewer jumps or less fuel — but requires significantly more computation time, especially over very long distances. Recommended for precision planning where fuel or jump count is critical.

For most journeys, Greedy is the recommended default. Switch to Weighted A* when you need the most efficient route possible and are willing to wait longer for the result.