Returning to old locations?

[Kanye Of The West]

Hey gang, just before I get too stuck into resource hunting, are you able to return to previous locations/routes? Or are they one and done deal?

[Nocturne]

didn't try yet. when planing for a location in the shop you can't pick a previous one.
but i just saw after picking my 3rd location that i can click on a previous traveld location after leaving the shop. so i guess you can?!

[DragynDance]

The junctions randomly have all of their stable exists close (the ability to gate out directly from that junction). It seems like the game just picks a small handful of junctions to have stable exits, so it's more noticeable when you have a lot of junctions explored. You can still pass through them on the way to other areas, but if you want to exit early, you can't. Every few drives the map shuffles where the exits are. You can go back to old areas, but the game seems to favor putting the exits in unexplored areas, probably so that you can continue to progress exploration more often.

[ShockedHearts]

pick a location you havent been to and then you can drive through as many junctions as you want in any order.

[Magma]

Let's say you scan one place in the north; you CAN still leave and drive west as long as you want/can. You can leave before last stop if place you are has an ANCHOR.
-Scanning reveals spot's special conditions
-You can drive which way you want
-You should check places you want to go, that they contain ANCHOR spots so you can leave
-You can still drive to placers which doesn't contain anchor point; but if that place is end of the line: Zone will take it's toll on you.

[RustHog]

Yes, you can go wherever you want but it can seem like you can't because of how the scanner works. Since you need to scan before the garage opens it looks like you select your route from the scanner but it just makes you scan somewhere before it lets you leave but you can go wherever you want once you leave the area but it is annoying.

[Nocturne]

Originally posted by DragynDance:

The junctions randomly have all of their stable exists close (the ability to gate out directly from that junction). It seems like the game just picks a small handful of junctions to have stable exits, so it's more noticeable when you have a lot of junctions explored. You can still pass through them on the way to other areas, but if you want to exit early, you can't. Every few drives the map shuffles where the exits are. You can go back to old areas, but the game seems to favor putting the exits in unexplored areas, probably so that you can continue to progress exploration more often.

ah i see how this works now - also thanks to others.
Side-question:
So can i miss anything important? i don't mind spoilers but please format them so others wont see if they dont want to.
In one beginning junction / location there was a blue symbol in the middle of the map (a battery?) couldnt make it there without dying so i went out. is this important or just some better loot?

[ShockedHearts]

Originally posted by Nocturn:

Originally posted by DragynDance:

The junctions randomly have all of their stable exists close (the ability to gate out directly from that junction). It seems like the game just picks a small handful of junctions to have stable exits, so it's more noticeable when you have a lot of junctions explored. You can still pass through them on the way to other areas, but if you want to exit early, you can't. Every few drives the map shuffles where the exits are. You can go back to old areas, but the game seems to favor putting the exits in unexplored areas, probably so that you can continue to progress exploration more often.

ah i see how this works now - also thanks to others.
Side-question:
So can i miss anything important? i don't mind spoilers but please format them so others wont see if they dont want to.
In one beginning junction / location there was a blue symbol in the middle of the map (a battery?) couldnt make it there without dying so i went out. is this important or just some better loot?

I also saw this, it shot across the map like a shooting star and was in the middle of the storm so I left it behind, I wonder if its like super good loot or something.

[Nocturne]

Originally posted by ShockedHearts:

Originally posted by Nocturn:

ah i see how this works now - also thanks to others.
Side-question:
So can i miss anything important? i don't mind spoilers but please format them so others wont see if they dont want to.
In one beginning junction / location there was a blue symbol in the middle of the map (a battery?) couldnt make it there without dying so i went out. is this important or just some better loot?

I also saw this, it shot across the map like a shooting star and was in the middle of the storm so I left it behind, I wonder if its like super good loot or something.

so i finally figured out what it is. spoiler in case anyone want to read -> nothing extraordinary in my opinion:

It is a "rar" collectiable audio - the blue icon is an audiotape - from something that happened in the past. idk if collecting them is useful in any way, but i guess just an achievement and / or lore.

[Ramstar]

Originally posted by Magma:

Let's say you scan one place in the north; you CAN still leave and drive west as long as you want/can. You can leave before last stop if place you are has an ANCHOR.
-Scanning reveals spot's special conditions
-You can drive which way you want
-You should check places you want to go, that they contain ANCHOR spots so you can leave
-You can still drive to placers which doesn't contain anchor point; but if that place is end of the line: Zone will take it's toll on you.

So when you go to first location and you’re there and then you drive to exit - how do you know where you’re at or predict what’s upcoming? Is there some on the road scanner or how does this work?
Guess what I’m saying is in garage I only have 1 scan ‘point’ to spend.
Now thinking about it there’s an upgraded antenna thing is that it?

[Nocturne]

Originally posted by Ramstar:

Originally posted by Magma:

Let's say you scan one place in the north; you CAN still leave and drive west as long as you want/can. You can leave before last stop if place you are has an ANCHOR.
-Scanning reveals spot's special conditions
-You can drive which way you want
-You should check places you want to go, that they contain ANCHOR spots so you can leave
-You can still drive to placers which doesn't contain anchor point; but if that place is end of the line: Zone will take it's toll on you.

So when you go to first location and you’re there and then you drive to exit - how do you know where you’re at or predict what’s upcoming? Is there some on the road scanner or how does this work?
Guess what I’m saying is in garage I only have 1 scan ‘point’ to spend.
Now thinking about it there’s an upgraded antenna thing is that it?

Just overall view also for others reading:
The map in the shop gives you a good overall look and also what first direction you want to take, to get to a specific location.
Each time you go to a new location and after finishing it and anchor from it you will unlock the connected next location(s); therefore on the next run you can drive through the first location towards the new.

Mapwise you pick a direction you want to take. Maybe you want to go to a big city so you will head that direction but it is up to you which of the available connected routes you take. When starting you always have to pick a spot connected to your base, as this is the next available one (if they are available - sometimes there are no portals / exits and they will be not available for this run).
After picking one spot and exiting the shop, you will be send there.
From there one you can drive through the whole location to the exit (arrow exit marker in the end of a road), ignoring all loot.
you can even ignore klim points/anchors. though i loot as much as i can on that route.
when you drive through that exit you get to the next location on that route and so on until you reach the last spot you have discovered, then you must use the portal to exit that location back to the shop.

In addition for anyone wondering: After entering a new location the storm timer gets a reset or rather there is a different storm timer.
This means: You can drive through location 1 looting as much as possible, then proceed through the exit and loot everything in location 2, proceed again through an exit and lets say location 3 is last, you can loot again and must exit through teleport back to shop.
Just make sure how long the timers for storms are as they vary between places - check at the worldmap after exiting a location and / or beforehand in the shop.

There is no real bigger map when in the car.
After driving through an exit you see the worldmap again and can pick the next location.
if the path splits into various locations you can click on any available and you will be transported there.

Tbh there is no problem getting lost. It is mostly s a one way path. You will drive to a specific destination you had in your mind anyway.
Usually you won't drive through the whole map back and forth and need to remember where you are at.

Good Youtube explanation here:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSb6Ftn_ZJk&ab_channel=caracal