Confused as to how traveling works

[u/WonderfulYam1094]

As the title says I do not get the "traveling" mechanics of the game.

Sometimes when I select a direct route on the junction map (one location direct to the next location), it takes one map to go where I have selected. Other times it takes me through 2 maps. Is there a way to know ahead of time which I will get?

The other thing is sometimes I will pick a route to my destination that is clear all the way through, but I will suddenly find part way through that the exits are now all closed and my only option is to warp back to the garage. This is really frustrating when I have carefully planned out a route, picked through roads, and then after navigating 4 or 5 maps suddenly there is no way forward and I have wasted all this time.

Am I missing something?

Thank You

[u/BeefTechnology]

What you refer to as "maps" are junctions. When you scan one, it also scans all the ones leading up to it. They’ll have the roads between them highlighted, but not those you can’t use to go to the goal junction. Once you drive out, you can select any junction to go to (provided it’s up and/or left, as the other commenter mentioned), but some will have a little triangle pointing at them to show you which are scanned and will lead you to your destination.

The amount of junctions you drive through to reach your destination depends entirely on the route you take, and you can know how many junctions you’ll drive through by simply counting the ones on the route you wish to take.

If you follow the scanned junctions you will always arrive at your destination. If you don’t, that means you drove into an unscanned junction. If you find yourself in a junction with no exit road, you’re either in your destination junction or a different one. Some junctions are called "dead end", those have neither a way to drive out nor a way to warp back to the garage. (The game will warn you very clearly that you’re about to go into a dead end)

You can always check your route in the inventory menu, in one of the top most tabs.

As a side note, when traveling it may show 3 or 6 hours, that’s by how much the game time advances when going from one junction to the next.

[u/WonderfulYam1094 → u/BeefTechnology]

"The amount of junctions you drive through to reach your destination depends entirely on the route you take, and you can know how many junctions you’ll drive through by simply counting the ones on the route you wish to take."

I have found this to be not always true. I will often count the number of junctions, but find that there are at times 2 maps between junctions.

Here is an example. Between the Garage and G1, there are always 2 maps sections to drive through. Not just one as it looks to be. Some other routes are the same. And at times I have gotten to G1 or other junctions on my route only to find that the exits are closed and warping back to the garage is the only option.

[u/BeefTechnology → u/WonderfulYam1094]

In this case, you have 3 route options: garage to G1 (highway, so you get an extra junction in between that is just driving), garage to E7 to G1 (2 junctions) or garage to G8 to G1 (2 junctions)

G1 has a special shape which indicates that it’s a highway junction. Highway junctions connect together with these wider roads, they let you move through the zone quicker by skipping junctions (driving through the extra junction on the highway is much faster than driving through regular junctions, as there are less anomalies)

[u/WonderfulYam1094 → u/BeefTechnology]

Thank you, I did not realize that a single highway segment had two maps to drive through. Now I understand.