How does difficulty increase?

[Sanchez]

I've seen discussions about difficulty scaling with every day but no one has a definitive answer to it. I want to more focus on difficulty increase within a singular day. Does the difficulty increase as the time moves closer to midnight? Does taking loot increase it? Maybe the more you explore inside the facility? Any answers in regards to this topic would be helpful.

[Hook Master]

Monsters spawn more as the day goes on, especially outside. The first 6 moons are all pretty equal in difficulty and the last 3 (the ones that you need to pay to travel to) are near impossible if you're not kitted up with top of the line company gear and equipped with a winning mindset.

[Trauma Loop]

Originally posted by Sanchez:

I've seen discussions about difficulty scaling with every day but no one has a definitive answer to it. I want to more focus on difficulty increase within a singular day. Does the difficulty increase as the time moves closer to midnight? Does taking loot increase it? Maybe the more you explore inside the facility? Any answers in regards to this topic would be helpful.

Risk ratings. D to S+ lower the rating the lower the "quality" of the monsters and the amount higher the rating higher "quality" monsters and amounts. This goes for the outside as well.

[CPT Chthonbeard the Pirate]

Amount of light definitely affects spawn rate outside, making eclipse deadly for running things to and from the ship. I don't think it affects spawn rate of monsters inside the base though.

Inside the base, you can hear vents open from time to time. That's monsters spawning. Keep your ears peeled for those metal pings, and your eyes open for any vents you pass. If you hear a vent open, immediately check to see if it's a vent in your vicinity. The threat you know is less likely to kill you than the one you don't know.

If things get too hairy, don't be afraid to bug out. Often times with my friends we have one or two people inside just moving cargo out of the place. One person is transporting it back to the ship, and the last is on the ship monitoring for enemies and managing bunkers and turrets as needed. Just knowing that there is a threat coming for you and from where can save your life pretty often.

A good operator can also tell you what kind of threat as well if they learn size of threat dot, speed of movement, and pattern of movement all together. For example, most small dots that move quickly in a line are thumpers or hoarders. The players inside can tell the two apart. Slightly slower can be a sporeworm or bracken, and they take a more zig zag approach. A large dot is usually the blob monster. A medium sized dot that moves jerkily in straight lines, but takes corners suddenly is a coil head. Once it sees a player though it will beeline towards the player unless someone looks at it or the path is blocked.