Being an old school gamer(pen and paper and computer) I started in the days of making your own maps as you run around. Nowadays many gamers have never played games that don’t automatically map for ya.
I notice a lot of the people I team with in MMORPGs either go with an always right, or always left search of a dungeon. Many go with the always middle first, then right or always middle then left. Me? I go with my gut, I have played enough games that I feel confident in my ability to predict accurately enough where the designers will have put their good stuff. If it’s wrong I go back to what ever intersection turn was highest on my intriguing meter. Back to the days when a brute force left or right search meant you had more crap to map, I try to optimize, but sometimes have to retrace a bit to get to the next try.
What’s your strategy?