What's the trick to getting cave fauna to spawn?

[Derpykat5]

I'm trying to scan all creatures on a bunch of planets as my main source of nanites, but I consistently run into problems with "Underground" creatures.

I've checked shallow caves, deep caves, small caves, huge caves, and no matter whether they are marked as common, uncommon or rare, and even if they are always active I just cannot get them to spawn. What am I doing wrong?

[Despistao]

what I do is use the signal intensifier to locate structures, they usually have caves nearby, I climb on the roof of the structure and scan

[Derpykat5]

Originally posted by Despistao:

what I do is use the signal intensifier to locate structures, they usually have caves nearby, I climb on the roof of the structure and scan

locating the caves isn't the problem though. The problem is actually getting anything to spawn in them.

[Johnny in the Clouds]

Yeah caves near buildings are always the best places to start a search. You do need to wander into the caves a fair distance, sometimes throwing bait. Try not to be tempted to use you lasers or guns as creatures will usually scatter prolonging any searches. Scan as you wander into those caves. Use the signal beacon to find other buildings for more caves and fly some distance to another location to continue the search, often the opposite side of a planet and at different times of the day. Also having chosen a spot to look, start a search and let the game populate the terrain with creatures. Faster CPUs will populate the area a lot quicker. Some creatures might be missed if you move on somewhere else too soon, so yeah wander into a cave system a fair way scanning.

f you spot other caves while in a ship or in an exocar stop to search but it is always a good idea to find a new cave system a long long way away from the last one you searched. The algorithm seems to always reward those prepared to search. Good luck. There are also many other tips in other threads in this forum.

[tkwoods]

It's more a matter of time on ground and movement from my experience. I usually move from build site to building site and explore the area a few minutes.

[Derpykat5]

I gave up the search and went to raid a nearby crashed freighter.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2866997668

I hate this game sometimes.

[Despistao]

Originally posted by derpykat5:

I gave up the search and went to raid a nearby crashed freighter.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2866997668

I hate this game sometimes.

any structure is valid, just specify "rare and underground", and to date (100 planets all fauna), I have found them with the signal intensifier, with the minotaur's emergency signal locator or with the abandoned structures of the pilgrim

[Derpykat5]

Originally posted by Despistao:

Originally posted by derpykat5:

I gave up the search and went to raid a nearby crashed freighter.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2866997668

I hate this game sometimes.

any structure is valid, just specify "rare and underground", and to date (100 planets all fauna), I have found them with the signal intensifier, with the minotaur's emergency signal locator or with the abandoned structures of the pilgrim

That's not "underground" though - literally the only thing above that creature's head is the freighter floor panel.

[Despistao]

an abandoned freighter keeps looking like a cave, try the anomaly planet archive missions, which include fauna, flora and minerals, and if you abandon it you lose it

[Grimmslayer73]

Just gotta keep looking until the game decides to spawn them. You don't even have to be underground. I've seen "underground" fauna spawn on land out in the open.

[tkwoods]

Originally posted by derpykat5:

Originally posted by Despistao:

any structure is valid, just specify "rare and underground", and to date (100 planets all fauna), I have found them with the signal intensifier, with the minotaur's emergency signal locator or with the abandoned structures of the pilgrim

That's not "underground" though - literally the only thing above that creature's head is the freighter floor panel.

The ground they are standing on is the trigger.

[NZ.Zero]

Just skip planets with underground creatures, much quicker to just move to the next one

[Khalunka]

Originally posted by Johnny in the Clouds:

Yeah caves near buildings are always the best places to start a search. You do need to wander into the caves a fair distance, sometimes throwing bait. Try not to be tempted to use you lasers or guns as creatures will usually scatter prolonging any searches. Scan as you wander into those caves. Use the signal beacon to find other buildings for more caves and fly some distance to another location to continue the search, often the opposite side of a planet and at different times of the day. Also having chosen a spot to look, start a search and let the game populate the terrain with creatures. Faster CPUs will populate the area a lot quicker. Some creatures might be missed if you move on somewhere else too soon, so yeah wander into a cave system a fair way scanning.

f you spot other caves while in a ship or in an exocar stop to search but it is always a good idea to find a new cave system a long long way away from the last one you searched. The algorithm seems to always reward those prepared to search. Good luck. There are also many other tips in other threads in this forum.

Throwing bait really does anything? I mean, you 100% sure it does something or its more like: "It feels it does" ?

[Johnny in the Clouds]

Originally posted by Hobklot:

Originally posted by Johnny in the Clouds:

Yeah caves near buildings are always the best places to start a search. You do need to wander into the caves a fair distance, sometimes throwing bait. ....

Throwing bait really does anything? I mean, you 100% sure it does something or its more like: "It feels it does" ?

Some of the rodent like cave dwellers or smaller crab like things can be difficult to spot hidden behind rocks and plants in the dark caves. Throwing bait will bring them out towards the bait, so throw it down near you in a clearing.

In some very rare instances the last creatures have spawned behind the terrain walls due to glitching. Throwing bait helped tease them out or force them to appear long enough to be scanned. The terrain tool can remove obstacles but does not always work as expected when a creature is glitched behind a cave wall. Any gun, laser or terrain tool activated can make them run off prolonging any search.

Creature red dots may pop up seemingly close by, however the creature may be behind the next turn or bend in a tunnel. Throwing bait will attract them to the bait. I am never without a full stack of bait in an exosuit slot and have the Quick menu throw bait set as a hot key (7). Then it is simply striking the key an throwing bait instantly while walking. On a PC keyboard you can also press (K) to walk continuously if you prefer while searching 'hands free'. Hot keys can be set to turn the torch light on and off too if preferred.

Throwing bait does not spawn creatures but will attract creatures that are spawned.

When searching riding a pet also is a good way not to frighten off spawned creatures. Exocars tend to smash into things or kill things.

[Giacomo]

This drives me nuts sometimes too. I have spent hours trying to find that last rare underground creature to get that 2-3k nanite reward and its not worth it.

Sometimes I even struggle to find the caves let alone the creatures and i just end up abandoning it for that planet. There are much faster ways to make nanites

[Khalunka]

Originally posted by Johnny in the Clouds:

Throwing bait does not spawn creatures but will attract creatures that are spawned.

That was the intention of my question. About spawn, throwing bait does nothing at all.