Odd localized sound / noise in a cave

[Nostromo]

I am not far into a fresh game (only on my 2nd planet: Desolo), after not playing for over a year. (I've never completed a playthru, and recently read some of the update patch notes since I last played. That got my interest to start a new game (particularly to check out the railroads)).


Anyways, my PC is far-into a cave on Desolo, about "two levels" deep.

In this one spot I hear an odd noise, that I haven't yet heard anywhere else; either in caves or on the surface of either Desolo or Sylva (the only planets I've visited thus far).

It's hard to describe - but it sounds sort of like "space interference" with additional "squeaky" noises like a Galastropod might make.

It's very localized. I dig down, around, "platform" up and dig up, etc, but I can't seem to uncover any "object" making the noise before I get out of it's very limited hearing-range (of approx 5-10 feet).

Anyone have an idea what it might be?

Edit: I was wrong about how "localized" it is - it seems to cover a "band" that has a wide "length", but a narrow "width" (hopefully that makes sense).

Edit2: I made a gameplay video illustrating the sound and location:

https://youtu.be/a2V9AOg2ZIs

[Marck]

This is probably the sound emitted by a Curious Item[astroneer.wiki.gg]. They are slotted into abandoned backpacks. You should be able to find them by locating the source of the sound. They can be on the same level as you or at the level above or below you. My estimate for the maximal range is about 50 Astroneer body lengths.

[Nostromo]

Escrito originalmente por Marck:

This is probably the sound emitted by a Curious Item[astroneer.wiki.gg].

Hmmm, could be...

Back on Sylva I have like 2 Medium Storage pallets worth of them (and basically stopped collected them), and I haven't yet found any here on Desolo.

But I can't recall noticing what sound they emitted.

On my next trip back to Sylva I'll check it out and see if those Curious Items emit that sound. (Hopefully they don't "behave" differently on Sylva vs. Desolo).

Thanks!

[Marck]

The sound of the Curious Items is actually like a repeated melodic ping and it stops as soon as you "touch" them, i.e. remove them from their slot in the backpack that you found them in.

On re-reading your description, I now doubt that it is actually a Curious Item. It might be a historical probe which you can locate with a probe scanner. Each planet and moon has a single unique one. But they are normally located on the surface, not underground in caves.

[Nostromo]

I made a game video of it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2V9AOg2ZIs

(My very first game video, so it's "crappy" hehe).

[Marck]

That's the sound of a Material Analysis Transmitter[astroneer.wiki.gg]. You will probably find one on the surface directly above that location. It is part of the missions which reward you with a hoverboard when completed.

[Nostromo]

Cool.

I'll set an underground beacon and go find it on the surface.

Thanks!

[Nostromo]

I found it! Yes - it's the MAT.

The way was treacherous, and my beacon I'd previously set in the cave below - was not shown on the Compass. Turns out, if I move away from the beacon, it will show up on the Compass when I'm far enough away for it to fall onto the outermost "ring". Move any closer and it goes invisible.

Since my starting point (main base) is closer to it than that 3rd ring (and I didn't know about this behavior), I couldn't figure out why the beacon wasn't visible.

Now, I'm not sure, but possibly the MAT itself has some sort of "cloaking" field around it (presumably to make it harder to find when it's a quest - which it is, for me, but I still have to find some other thing/part first,l so I wasn't actively pursuing it; or to make it harder to discover randomly, like I did); and that cloaking field also masks my beacon. It's just a hypothesis...

Anyways, it was a pretty difficult terrain-traversal. So it took me awhile to actually find and sight-it visually. Then I decided I'd build a road to it.

Thanks for your help, Marck!


Here's a video of the journey:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qu7A0-OWnqQ