Using ZOC, Notepad+ and Microsoft Excel, it is possible to create a complete list of every dead end sector in the entire game in an “semi-automated” way.
The slow part is to log your communication session in the game (ZOC: logging, set log filename) and travel to every single sector in the entire game. This will take a lot of effort because of black holes, fighters, and running out of turns. To do this, use the Zoc script 3000, or in Yankee Trader 3.2, 1000.
When you have a log from traveling to every sector 2 through 3000, load this log file into Notepad+ and perform the following steps:
- Change the type of file from “Windows (CR LF)” to “Unix (LF)” by clicking on this on the bottom taskbar
- Turn wordwrap off (View – uncheck wordwrap if it is currently checked)
- Macro record:
- edit/(begin/edit & select),
- search (regular expression mode) “Warps lead to: \d+$”,
- search backwards (extended mode) “\nSector:”,
- close,
- use the home key to move to the beginning of the line,
- edit/end edit and select,
- delete,
- search (regular expression mode) “Warps lead to: \d+$”,
- close,
- use down arrow and home to move to the beginning of the next line,
- macro/stop recording
- Run this macro manually by holding down ctrl-sft-P until it finishes. May corrupt the log if the wraparound search is turned on
- Search-and-replace (regular expression mode) “Warps lead to: \d+$” with nothing
- Search-and-replace (regular expression mode) “Port: .$” with “”
- Replace “Sector: ” with nothing
- Replace “Fighters in .$” with nothing
- Replace “Planet: .$” with nothing
- Replace (extended mode) “\n” with “”
- Replace “\n\n” with “\n” multiple times
Save file and exit Notepad++, load the log file in Microsoft Excel
- Under data, sort column A
- Under data, remove duplicates
The result will be a sorted list of all dead end sectors that do not have ports, followed by a sorted list of all data end sectors containing a port (these will be marked with an *)
After you have this list, you can then use it to create a script (for YT no-missile games) to travel to all dead end sectors in the entire game:
c;3;1;y;s;c;3;14;y;c;3;15;y;c;3;22;y;c;3;29;y;c;3;43;y;c;3;60;y;c;3;62;y;c;3;65;y;c;3;69;y;c;3;82;y;c;3;83;y;c;3;99;y;c;3;112;y;c;3;120;y;c;3;130;y;c;3;131;y;c;3;137;y;c;3;138;y;c;3;139;y;c;3;140;y;c;3;145;y;c;3;164;y;c;3;168;y;c;3;170;y;c;3;187;y;c;3;205;y …
This is more effective in covering the entire universe than blind scouting every five sectors for example:
c;3;5;y;s;c;3;10;y;s;c;3;15;y;s;c;3;20;y;s;c;3;25;y;s;c;3;30;y;s;c;3;35;y;s;c;3;40;y;s;c;3;45;y;s;c;3;50;y;s;c;3;55;y;s;c;3;60;y;s;c;3;65;y;s;c;3;70;y;s;c;3;75;y;s;c;3;80;y;s;c;3;85;y;s;c;3;90;y;s;c;3;95;y;s;c;3;100;y;s;c;3;105;y;s;c;3;110;y;s;c;3;115;y;s;c;3;120;y …
or in YT games with missiles, sending a missile to every single sector:
!;19;1;!;47;1;!;61;1;!;63;1;!;69;1;!;71;1;!;72;1;!;83;1;!;85;1;!;79;1;!;89;1;!;97;1;!;106;1;!;108;1;!;120;1;!;123;1;!;136;1;!;1251;1;!;133;1;!;135;1;!;136;1;!;141;1;!;157;1;!;166;1;!;167;1;!;168;1;!;177;1;!;183;1;!;185;1;!;192;1 …
or in YT 3.2 with sensor robots:
Dead ends without ports:
R;15;R;19;R;42;R;45;R;81;R;96;R;125;R;126;R;127;R;130;R;141;R;145;R;163;R;166;R;173;R;177;R;180;R;196;R;205;R;221;R;226;R;253;R;258;R;271;R;277;R;287;R;307;R;311;R;327;R;331;R;333;R;349;R;350;R;387;R;389;R;419;R;436;R;439;R;444;R;466;R;468;R;476;R;493;R;519;R;523;R;532;R;539;R;556;R;563;R;564;R;588;R;592;R;599;R;601;R;603;R;606;R;607;R;617;R;636;R;638;R;654;R;676;R;677;R;693;R;714;R;715;R;717;R;736;R;740;R;741;R;753;R;769;R;783;R;806;R;812;R;819;R;829;R;856;R;861;R;864;R;870;R;894;R;922;R;958;R;961;R;964;R;966;R;973;R;982;R;997
Dead ends with ports:
R;3;R;68;R;85;R;105;R;164;R;165;R;167;R;178;R;215;R;230;R;244;R;275;R;297;R;313;R;325;R;328;R;335;R;358;R;376;R;391;R;397;R;404;R;443;R;459;R;490;R;496;R;514;R;528;R;547;R;558;R;559;R;576;R;604;R;633;R;637;R;678;R;697;R;712;R;726;R;728;R;749;R;779;R;780;R;791;R;840;R;845;R;930;R;998