How to record locations?

[Maestro Rugosa]

I keep getting halfway through a multi-step project (like unlocking a drop pod)... then losing track of the drop pod's location. I might have to fly off to gather something, but then have no way to find my way back to the pod.

I had a similar situation happen when a korvax guy offered to work for me as a scientist but I couldn't hire him just yet. Now that I might be able to hire him, I have no idea where he was located on the planet.

The only way I could figure out how to keep track of a drop pod previously was to just "build a base" there... but the only purpose of the base was to put down a permanant marker so I could find the drop pod again.

Any suggestions welcome.

I keep feeling like I'm fighting against the game itself. I'm having a frustrating experience failing do things that i don't think are supposed to be challenging.

[YoQuieroPachelbel]

You can build beacons, assuming you have unlocked the blueprint (which you get, I believe, from completing missions for your base's scientist, if you have one). I think there is a limit of 5 beacons per planet.

[Jez Hammond]

Agreed beacons are ideal, especially if you don't forget to pick it back up when you're done!

Also, you can leave your ship there if only gathering local resources. Even temporarily place an exo-craft anywhere you like, that way you get a shelter when on walkabout.

[Maestro Rugosa]

no beacons... no exo craft... no scientist.

I met a korvax at a trading post on the inferno world I seem to spend most of my time and he offered to be my scientist. But I couldn't say yes because I didn't have a computer terminal or something. I had no idea what it was even referring to. Now I have no idea how to find that guy again.

If frustration and befuddlement for days on end are the goals of this game than it has succeeded.

For pity's sake, my entire goal for a night's gaming was to attempt to add 1 paltry inventory box to my exo-suit and I couldn't even achieve that.

Happy to report that the game seems bug-free, though!

[Jez Hammond]

Oh it will soon open up for you then.

Can you warp to a Korvax system? If so then you will find one in the space-station with a friedly waypoint hovering over. Failing that, there might just be one sat in the lounge up there!

[tha grumbie]

Really, all those posts that you can activate along the way should become waypoints you can ping through the discovery tab (if not permanently pinged on map after discovery).

It would defintiely aid in planetary navigation. I don't see the point of grabbing the waypoints otherwise.

[Maestro Rugosa]

Originally posted by tha grumbie:

Really, all those posts that you can activate along the way should become waypoints you can ping through the discovery tab (if not permanently pinged on map after discovery).

It would defintiely aid in planetary navigation. I don't see the point of grabbing the waypoints otherwise.

Are you referring to the save points? I'm sure I have tons of them recorded on this planet. But how does that help me find anything, especially a particular drop pod that's half unlocked? I found it the first time because I bought the coordinates for like 100,000 units.

Am I supposed to write down the name of important save points? Is there a note-taking feature in the game, or do smart players jot down important notes by hand?

[YoQuieroPachelbel]

As far as getting a scientist, you should be able to get one by following these steps:

a) Build a cylindrical metal room (you unlock this by unlocking a bunch of blue prints in the blue print analyzer until that one shows up an option; then, you can unlock the room itself)

b) Once you have a cylindrical room, you should be able to build a construction station. Upon building this, you will be tasked with finding a base overseer.

c) Follow the base overseer's requests, and eventually he will tell you to recruit a scientist. (assuming you have the proper mission checked in the log, this will tell you where to find said scientist)

Once you have the scientist, follow his requests and you should be able to get the beacon in short order.

[OldSarge]

if you dont have a beacon yet, scan with yoiur visor and you will notice there are coordinates, write those down and you can navigate back to the drop pod.

[Uma~Uma]

Press F(Analysis Visor), it shows your current coordinate for planet on the right side. Write that down on paper.

if you want to visit it again do like below.

=> Land on that planet and open your visor again
=> Compare the first values of current and target coordinates:
- If target x > current x, travel west.
- If target x < current x, travel east.
=> Compare the second values of current and target coordinates:
- If target y > current y, travel south.
- If target y < current y, travel north.

If the difference between the numbers is larger than mere decimals, it's more efficient to fly than to walk.

https://nomanssky.gamepedia.com/Planetary_coordinates

[Maestro Rugosa]

Thanks for that valuable advice, friends!!

I will build a cylindrical metal room and start that process!

And will will starting recording important data the way real hardcore, serious space explorers do: they write it down like Neal Armstrong & Buzz Aldrin would, dammit!

[Adarynin]

Originally posted by nuyu:

Press F(Analysis Visor), it shows your current coordinate for planet on the right side. Write that down on paper.
https://nomanssky.gamepedia.com/Planetary_coordinates

Hah! I wrote that page and you guys already found it and use it. My work here is done. :D

[Dadster]

I suppose you could build a base station beside the drop pod then claim base. It should then be on visor no matter where you are in system. Give it a handy mnemonic name to remember it by.
Once unlocking station teleport, you could easily pop back to base then recall ship.

[JavaGawd]

As a helpful hint (topic related only loosly) every time you warp to a new system go to the space station and hit the side that has all of the tech venders (passenger side of station?) the one that has the exosuit graphics that looks like the Drop Pods graphics (not the vender but the actual exosuit hologram) click on it and you can get an upgrade to a suit system cheap. The cost will increase each time you gain a slot but the cost is specific to the area of the suit thats upgraded.

only one slot can be added per Space station so in the begining parts of the game this is a much more efficient than the drop pods BUT the cost esculates so there will be a point where its less expensive to use the drop pods.

If anyone can elaborate on this better or give more detailed info, please do so, this is a drunk post :)

[sh3llshΩck]

Here's the thing I do specifically with drop pods. I have a shuttle equipped with all the supplies needed for opening a drop pod on it: Oxygen, sodium nitrate, ionized cobalt, antimatter and condensed carbon. I also have materials to make fuel and also extra drop pod coordinates. Once I find a drop pod I just summon that ship next to it and fix it up lickity split. Drop a long range and search for structures nearby, which generally finds another drop pod. I Fly to the next one and repeat the process until I arrive at a drop pod Ive already been to.

Using this method is so fast and I don't have to hunt around for stuff because I planned ahead and built what I needed to ahead of time.

Yesterday I got 5 cargo slots within 10 minutes. I probably could have found more if flew to the other side of the planet.

Edit:

I should add that the maximum benefit from
Using this method is to upgrade the extended category of slots. The one located on the right side of the backpack. Those slots are super expensive to buy. Use the stations to upgrade the tech and normal slots.

[Maestro Rugosa]

Originally posted by sh3llsh0ck:

Here's the thing I do specifically with drop pods. I have a shuttle equipped with all the supplies needed for opening a drop pod on it...

Very organized approach! Do you go on long gathering missions to prep such a shuttle?

What is a shuttle, by the way? Just as second spaceship, or something else?