I had no idea there were fragments in the boxes

[Grennan]

So the first time I tried to play this game, I had severe motion sickness. Years later I learned about field of view so now I can play.

The next time I tried, between my computer's inability to handle the graphics at a high resolution and the fact that the first few crates I examined were the ones that have no opening - and maybe seeing an all-black side on another - I had NO CLUE there were fragments inside the crates. I was 15-20 hours in and had no seaglide (much less anything better), no base, was just trying to brute force my way into the Aurora.

So yeah. The game is completely different when I can see what's happening and when I found out there are tons and tons of fragments around.

[penner3]

Bummer! Yeah, a lot of players don't see the "Start Here" message in the PDA that tells you to scan tech fragments. Or hear the narration when they first build a scanner that that's what it is for.

[serkalk]

I was in the last 5% of the game when I realize the same thing :-)

[snaps]

the wrecks too. They are stuffed full of fragments, moreso than you think sometimes

[Crazy]

Weird...i tried scanning those and nothing happens. am i doing something wrong?

[penner3]

Some things are scannable and some aren't. If they are, a little picture of the scanner will wobble in your lower right corner when you look at them.

[dreamrider]

Tips;
Only crates with one open side can have fragments.

Not all crates with an open side DO have fragments.

IF the crate has a fragment, you can see it through the open side of the crate. Although it may be difficult to see a small fragment, like a laser cutter, until you are close. An MVB fragment, which fills most of the box, you can see from a considerable distance.

The most common fragments in boxes are:
laser cutter
prop cannon
MVB
Seaglide
Cyclops engines (inside the Aurora, in the cargo bay ONLY)
stasis rifle - sometimes in boxes, sometimes loose.
repair tool?

Help me out here, vets. Are there some others I am forgetting?

Any box with a fragment of a blueprint that you have already scanned will yield 2x Titanium lumps instead. (That can really add up, actually.)

[admiral1018]

Repair tool is a native blueprint, so not found in cargo boxes. But you listed all the others.

Also, a little unknown piece of trivia, you can destroy cargo boxes if you want to clean up the area or avoid getting confused when searching for fragments. To do this, you need the Prop Gun and habitat builder. Build a tube until it's about 90% constructed and still partly glowing. Use the prop gun to lift the crate on top of the tube. When you finish the tube, the cargo box will be vaporized and removed from the game.

This little trick also works with most movable wreckage debris as well as with drooping stingers. In fact, that's the only way to legitimately clear the stingers in the game that I'm aware of. Makes for some nice cave clean-up projects.

[dreamrider]

I like to drop stingers into crabsnake Jellyschrooms. As a calling card.

Yeah, I know that mechanics wise it won't really hurt them...but it is the thought that counts.

[dreamrider]

I s'pose that it is worth mentioning that:
-Some stasis rifle fragments can be found lying on their own, outside of boxes, especially around wrecked stuff.
-Cyclops engine parts can, of course, be found lying freely. All the ones found outside, AFAIK. Try the western facing slope of the Crash Zone, carefully.
- I think there are a few laser cutter frags that are just lying free inside wrecks. The outside ones are all in small crates, I believe.
- AFAIK, the Prop Cannon, MVB, and Seaglide frags are always in crates.

Two other items that are often found in the same early areas as the small crate items, but always lying free, are:
-Beacon fragment
-Grav Trap fragment.

Both of these can be hard to recognize, unless you are keeping an eye on your scanner warning icon, lower right of your HUD/display.

[admiral1018]

Originally posted by dreamrider:

- AFAIK, the Prop Cannon, MVB, and Seaglide frags are always in crates.

There's a loose Seaglide fragment on the ground near Lifepod 3. I can't think of any others, though.

MVB parts can be loose within some of the wrecks.

[penner3]

Originally posted by dreamrider:

I think there are a few laser cutter frags that are just lying free inside wrecks.

Yes. The big wreck near Lifepod 17 is a good place to look for them, and in some other wrecks too.