Perhaps let players configure some number such that the game will never plot a path for your character longer than that without first getting your confirmation.
"The path you've chosen is longer than N steps, are you sure?"
And then I also feel this needs to be very easily toggleable. Like a persistent UI button. I'd have it on when exploring and off when backtracking, and those two activities are back and forth all game.
Relevant screenshot below. The entire level is explored, and this damn piece of grass sent my character haywire then I trapped at the X. This kind of thing has happened to me on much later levels and messed me up good.
In the Depths, I would set this number to something like 2 for safety. I can't count how many times a misstap has gotten me zapped, chased, and then pincer-attacked by some second enemy in the room behind me. But then I'd want to toggle it off to run back to an alchemy pot or whatever.
Toggles are a way to end with cluttered screens and an unpleasant visual experience of the game. It's a lazy solution. I really like your idea that doesn't use the toggle, and works similarly to the continue button. It could be set for a specific distance ratio by default, not bothering new players (eg. without needing more setup).
To the point with enemies I made is solved by ratio of direct distance:planned distance, so I won't bother ๐.
I agree with your points and I get why you would want the system in the game, but nonetheless, I just prefer to suffer ig :D. I view the pathfinding algorithm as a tool that I need to learn how to use ๐คท, and the occasional hurdles are a part of the system. Idk, maybe I'm the only one that is weird in this way.