Holy Leaping Artifacts, Batman.

[AhmNee]

I restarted my game just after the new patch and I was really going to try ironman-ing the game. 20+ deaths in and just into Garbage, I'm noticing I die hunting artifacts a lot more. Sometimes it's because I threw a bolt into an anomaly while moving and it still grabs me. Others it's in a frantic bid go get the damned artifact before it jumps away. I don't remember the artifacts jumping so often. When I hear it materialize I barely have time to look around and find it before it's gone again. They're like ruddy jackrabbits now.

[GrenadeMagnet6]

Yeah, after patch 1.2/ 1.2.1 the artifacts move and jump much further than before, and you can't see where they go, if not close enough to make them visible. You will hear a low wooshing sound when they jump.

And with the bolt-throwing still puzzlingly hard-coded to the right-mouse button it makes hunting for artifacts even more annoying.

What's funny though in elevated areas the artifacts will move so far they travel out of the elevated anomaly area, and once you recognize that happened it becomes easy to pick them up below, as they stop moving. Unless there is a pit below, then you are out-of-luck.

[AhmNee]

If they're going to have them jump around this much, they should at least make the distance the artifact becomes visible a bit larger. I've been within 3 with the Echo detector and only saw the artifact when it leapt past me to another area.

[AhmNee]

Correction. Within 2 with the echo and it's still invisible.

[Nite69]

Yep they are much harder to get in 1.2

between that and the NPC's now able to loot bodies that just makes the economy problem even worse in veteran mode....

[m carver]

I don't think the artifacts move on their own, it's the anomaly it hits that moves it. One of the tricks is try to force it to move into a safer area by triggering anomalies with the bolts. Also both mouse buttons throw bolts, one overhand and the other underhand (the same as for grenades).

[Spore]

I like how it is now with them leaping, it's a fair challenge to catch them and how it probably should be or else everyone would be a millionaire in the zone, or it would not make any sense how some stalkers have died while artifact hunting when all it would take is walk around and pick it up. Now the danger is there and it makes perfect sense.

[AhmNee]

Originally posted by m carver:

I don't think the artifacts move on their own, it's the anomaly it hits that moves it. One of the tricks is try to force it to move into a safer area by triggering anomalies with the bolts. Also both mouse buttons throw bolts, one overhand and the other underhand (the same as for grenades).

I don't think that's the case. It seems to be proximity, to me. I can throw bolts at the anomaly that it jumped to all day and it seems to stay put. Not until I get within 15m does it seem to jump. It's not consistent and I can't see it so it makes it really hard to tell.

Oh. I meant the Hilka detector above, not the Echo. The one that tells you distance only.

[AhmNee]

Originally posted by Spore:

I like how it is now with them leaping, it's a fair challenge to catch them and how it probably should be or else everyone would be a millionaire in the zone, or it would not make any sense how some stalkers have died while artifact hunting when all it would take is walk around and pick it up. Now the danger is there and it makes perfect sense.

I don't mind the extra difficulty. I agree that it makes it more interesting. It's the staying invisible even when you're right on top of them that feels a bit unfair. I just went after an artifact in the fire-field by the Brood. I came away with way more damage repair than the artifact was worth. Multiple times was I within 2-4m and still couldn't see the thing. Finally caught it in the "foxhole" out on the edge. Just as it became visible, it tried to jump. If it hadn't been in that depression ...

Have it jump around like a rabbit. I'm fine with that. Have it be super invisible. Fine. I have to stand on top of it for a second before it shows. Don't do both. Especially in the fire field where the fire drowns out the sound of the artifact. Or, after you cause it to show itself, make it so it stays visible for a bit longer. That might work, too. The way it is now... it's not that the hunt isn't fun, but it's inconsistent and frustrating. Frustrating in a way that feels unfair.

[Dr.Abscondus]

If you make them appear enough times they eventually stop jumping and will stay put long enough for you to pick them up.

[Nite69]

Originally posted by Dr.Abscondus:

If you make them appear enough times they eventually stop jumping and will stay put long enough for you to pick them up.

or becareful where ya throw bolts too, the artifact bounces off it when it the anomaly ya hit with the bolt reappears

[Serpiko82]

Well, having to pick them up mid-jump by spamming F makes the grabbing animation redundant and weird looking.

[Deranger]

Veles (especially) or Bear make it easy again, however.

[WhiteSnake76]

Think we could do with a lot less jumping artifacts, or make them move/jump slower.

[Peter - Captain Obvious]

This explains it thing so much better, I thought I was going crazy trying to find certain artefacts, I'd be getting close > within 3 meters > it then increases to 10+ meters again. I didn't consider it was from the last patch

[Deranger]

Originally posted by Peter - Captain Obvious:

This explains it thing so much better, I thought I was going crazy trying to find certain artefacts, I'd be getting close > within 3 meters > it then increases to 10+ meters again. I didn't consider it was from the last patch

Hilka is good for finding the existence of artifacts but bad at pin pointing. Veles or Bear are needed for fine tuning; even more so with artifact bug removed (was always intended to be "jumpy").

On that note, as explained by another, bolts thrown make them move too if you want a better position.