Finding the Monsters

[SledgePainter]

I am extremely directionally challenged. I know to follow the largest amount to green bugs, but they vanish A LOT when any other monster is around, even the herbivores. Also, they don't help to find a monster until you find a footprint or some marking from the monster you currently want to hunt. Is there a way to make finding the monster easier? Should I just pick up as many tracks as I can to boost research points for every monster? Should I capture one of everything? I took half the hunt of Pink Rathian just running around trying to find her and a big part of this game for me is frustratingly getting lost or just not finding the monsters I need to find.

As soon as I DO find the monster I usually tag it on the map so I won't lose it and the bugs will seek it when they are actually around. But is there a better way than this other than really learn the maps inside and out?

I only have base World, not Iceborne. I have seen hunters ride on critters to get directly to monsters but I am just not yet sold enough on World to buy Iceborne just to get that feature, but IF that truly is the best way for me to find a monster without running simulator every hunt, I will...just be honest with me.

I started MH with Rise on Switch, and never had an issue, obviously, finding the monsters because they were all marked on the map, and the maps were fast and easy to traverse so I never got lost and never had issues...now, half my game-time is just spent literally running around. People who have watched me stream get frustrated with my inability to just get into the dang hunt.

[Suzaku]

Picking up tracks certainly helps. I'd say the best thing is simple knowledge/experience. The monsters always frequent the same places, so once you learn where those places are, you'll rarely spend more than a minute finding them. Like "Hunting a rathalos? They hang out at their roost near camp 17 in the forest", run there, find rathalos, begin hunt.

[ᴛᴀʟᴜ 🐦]

Originally posted by SledgePainter:

I am extremely directionally challenged. I know to follow the largest amount to green bugs, but they vanish A LOT when any other monster is around, even the herbivores. Also, they don't help to find a monster until you find a footprint or some marking from the monster you currently want to hunt. Is there a way to make finding the monster easier? Should I just pick up as many tracks as I can to boost research points for every monster? Should I capture one of everything? I took half the hunt of Pink Rathian just running around trying to find her and a big part of this game for me is frustratingly getting lost or just not finding the monsters I need to find.

As soon as I DO find the monster I usually tag it on the map so I won't lose it and the bugs will seek it when they are actually around. But is there a better way than this other than really learn the maps inside and out?

I only have base World, not Iceborne. I have seen hunters ride on critters to get directly to monsters but I am just not yet sold enough on World to buy Iceborne just to get that feature, but IF that truly is the best way for me to find a monster without running simulator every hunt, I will...just be honest with me.

I started MH with Rise on Switch, and never had an issue, obviously, finding the monsters because they were all marked on the map, and the maps were fast and easy to traverse so I never got lost and never had issues...now, half my game-time is just spent literally running around. People who have watched me stream get frustrated with my inability to just get into the dang hunt.

You don't need Iceborne to ride on mounts, all you need is to unlock Felyne tribes. https://monsterhunterworld.wiki.fextralife.com/Grimalkyne+Tribes

[ᔑᓭ∴ᔑリ⊣]

raider rides don't do anything different except the same things you need to do to find the monster but with less button pressing, they still need to run to the tracks that you need to collect to start finding the monster, and they can still be interrupted by enemies and stuff that can attack you on them

in some maps, if you look in the sky, there will be birds circling above where a large monster is, you might also spot flying monsters such as rath as they change areas

mainly though is to just figure out the pattern of what monster hangs out in what areas. it doesn't need knowledge on the maps 'inside and out' as they tend to hang out in the same main areas, but yeah it might be difficult if you aren't familiar with the monsters/maps at all

picking up the tracks whenever you find them will help, you will be able to see the monster on the map faster if you level up the main research level so you'll only need 1 footprint instead of 5 etc.

if you enter an area with another large monster or other enemies, just try to stay out of sight and leave the area ASAP to avoid them aggro'ing on you, most monsters you can just run past fine if you don't dawdle, and if they aren't enraged (they won't be) then they won't ever chase you outside the area. the flies only disappear if something is aggro on you i believe

IIRC monsters will be found usually in the same areas where they're first introduced to you so that might help, and monsters introduced in similar areas to one another will also hang out in similar areas (such as great jagrass and anjanath both running around the bottom level of the forest, though jagras sticks near his pack more often and anjanath travels further away. another example is pink rathian and legiana both hanging out in the mountainous areas as you may have noticed, though legiana likes to go higher)

also, you should still capture one of everything, it gives more rewards in general and it will unlock an optional quest for the monster in the special arena, those special arena quests + event quests are good ways to farm for specific materials if you don't want to traverse the maps every time. the special arenas are also required if you ever have plans to 100% the quest list
investigations are still best for monster materials with the special reward boxes but they're always in the bigger maps :(

[A]

You mentioned being directionally challenged... have you tried the other maps yet? The maps I hate the most in this game are Ancient Forest, Hoarfrost Reach, and a bit of Coral Highlands. They can get confusing af. Ancient Forest being the worst offender for being a starting area.

I forget. But I think you unlock this at Master Rank: The game has a proto-palamute feature where you ride small monsters. You DO NOT control them as they do the running for you. They should track the monster's tracks or the monster itself.

I just came back to World for the "Return to World" Capcom thing, and I continued my fairly early MR save, so I can't say if this is a late HR or early MR feature.

[Caramel_Clown]

Getting research up will eventually make scoutflies just track the monster from the start. But by that point you would've moved on to others. But getting earlier tier of research is easy. It will point you to a track, and scanning one track will reveal a monster. Hunting monsters and breaking body parts also contributes to research. But collecting tracks is best, and it gives you research points that's useful as currency. Especially later on. When you run around just pick up all tracks that you run over. Doesn't matter who they belong to. Just pick them up.

[Caramel_Clown]

Originally posted by A:

You mentioned being directionally challenged... have you tried the other maps yet? The maps I hate the most in this game are Ancient Forest, Hoarfrost Reach, and a bit of Coral Highlands. They can get confusing af. Ancient Forest being the worst offender for being a starting area.

I forget. But I think you unlock this at Master Rank: The game has a proto-palamute feature where you ride small monsters. You DO NOT control them as they do the running for you. They should track the monster's tracks or the monster itself.

I just came back to World for the "Return to World" Capcom thing, and I continued my fairly early MR save, so I can't say if this is a late HR or early MR feature.

Mounts is a matter of getting your tailraider unity up and doing some quest for the tribe. You can grind unity levels in a matter of 15 minutes by going into expedition of a biome you want mount for, finding a tailraider(they are marked on a map), run up to them - your palico befriends them. Then you use any aoe buff or heal item. Healing powder works. Doesn't matter they're at full health. You did a good deed. Now just leave the expedition. Repeat a few times - you got to lvl6 in no time, as you will go up like half a level of unity each time. I believe lvl4 is needed for mounts, but at 6 all features with the tribe unlock. Like treasure hunting.

[saber_avalon]

When you first unlock an area, you are given a quest to check the place out. These quests don't have the usual timer and you can freely move about the place. If I recall, they are also free of large monsters. These quests are to allow you to explore the area, gather from all the gathering points, and get yourself used to the map itself and where things are. They tend to have an easy objective of collect X amount of this item or kill X amount of small monsters in the area. So most people just rush through that objective, to get to the next mission, not noticing that they have unlimited time and can freely explore the new area and get used to it, before taking on it's large monsters.

You can also go on expeditions, which also don't have a time limit, but then you're dealing with random large monsters on the map that come and go. Sometimes leaving you with a Deviljho or Bazel to deal with while trying to explore. Not as ideal, but an option.

Once you level up a monster's research to level 3 (remember to talk to the research guy, sitting on the pile of books or it doesn't upgrade the level after hunts), you'll start in quests already knowing where the monster is. At level 2 you only need one track to have the monster show on the map. So collect every track you see until that bar fills up in a quest, and then stops showing. Talk to the research guy after the quest, then do it again. Killing and capturing monsters also improves the research level, as always, capturing is better. Capturing also unlocks arena optional quests for that specific monster.

You'll eventually learn what zones a monster frequents and they rarely if ever stray from their set zones. The only times I've seen them inhabit other zones is if two of the same monster are on a map.

Some maps are just confusing as well, like Ancient forest. I still get lost in the big tree every now and again, even though I have over 1500 hours in the game on Xbox and 80 some hours on PC. That's when the raider ride skill comes in handy, but you still have to have that research level up. If you see the monster on the map, the mount will run you straight to it, if you select it in the map. If you don't see it, it'll take you tracks that you can collect until the monster is revealed and then it will go to the monster. You won't be attacked once you are on the mount, but if you are attacked before hoping on the thing, it will prevent you from jumping on. Someone else mentioned needing level 6 for mounts, that's wrong. My PC character has level 1 with the gajalaka's and I can ride the mounts in elder's recess. My other levels are 3 at the most and I can ride them all. You just have to talk to your cat a couple times after doing the map's quest for the lynians in that area.

[Cathulhu]

Small tip if you lose sight of the bugs: Open the map and then close it. That will refresh the bugs and show you the way.
Only works if they already have the scent of the monster though.

[DeadMan]

Originally posted by Suzaku:

Picking up tracks certainly helps. I'd say the best thing is simple knowledge/experience. The monsters always frequent the same places, so once you learn where those places are, you'll rarely spend more than a minute finding them. Like "Hunting a rathalos? They hang out at their roost near camp 17 in the forest", run there, find rathalos, begin hunt.

I once spend 5min trying to get to Rathalos because he kept ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ off. I knew where he was at all times, but before I arrived the flew off. If I didn't see him on the map it would have been even more frustrating. But that seldom happens and it is generally easy to find monsters once you know where they are

[SledgePainter]

Originally posted by ᴛᴀʟᴜ 🐦:

Originally posted by SledgePainter:

I am extremely directionally challenged. I know to follow the largest amount to green bugs, but they vanish A LOT when any other monster is around, even the herbivores. Also, they don't help to find a monster until you find a footprint or some marking from the monster you currently want to hunt. Is there a way to make finding the monster easier? Should I just pick up as many tracks as I can to boost research points for every monster? Should I capture one of everything? I took half the hunt of Pink Rathian just running around trying to find her and a big part of this game for me is frustratingly getting lost or just not finding the monsters I need to find.

As soon as I DO find the monster I usually tag it on the map so I won't lose it and the bugs will seek it when they are actually around. But is there a better way than this other than really learn the maps inside and out?

I only have base World, not Iceborne. I have seen hunters ride on critters to get directly to monsters but I am just not yet sold enough on World to buy Iceborne just to get that feature, but IF that truly is the best way for me to find a monster without running simulator every hunt, I will...just be honest with me.

I started MH with Rise on Switch, and never had an issue, obviously, finding the monsters because they were all marked on the map, and the maps were fast and easy to traverse so I never got lost and never had issues...now, half my game-time is just spent literally running around. People who have watched me stream get frustrated with my inability to just get into the dang hunt.

You don't need Iceborne to ride on mounts, all you need is to unlock Felyne tribes. https://monsterhunterworld.wiki.fextralife.com/Grimalkyne+Tribes

Working on unlocking the tribes now. Thank you!

[SledgePainter]

Originally posted by A:

You mentioned being directionally challenged... have you tried the other maps yet? The maps I hate the most in this game are Ancient Forest, Hoarfrost Reach, and a bit of Coral Highlands. They can get confusing af. Ancient Forest being the worst offender for being a starting area.

I forget. But I think you unlock this at Master Rank: The game has a proto-palamute feature where you ride small monsters. You DO NOT control them as they do the running for you. They should track the monster's tracks or the monster itself.

I just came back to World for the "Return to World" Capcom thing, and I continued my fairly early MR save, so I can't say if this is a late HR or early MR feature.

Yes, painfully so, even in real life. If the GPS fails I basically will just drive around aimlessly unable to get back to where I was or where I am going. I have tried all the maps now, I think? I find Coral Highlands the worst but Ancient Forest isn't easy either. With Coral highlands I often can see the monster I want to attack but "just can't get there from here" syndrome. I laugh because it reminds me of Wisconsin...you see a gas station across the street but there's just no easy way to get there. XD

I'm just really that bad, guys. Rise spoiled me. It was my first MH and I just loved not being lost ever and getting into fights right away.

[Agoraphobic Meep]

Who clowned this guy? This is a wholesome post, lame ass steam users istg.

To OP, I share your pain, I've played this game more than I reasonably should and I still can't tell you directions to like half of ancient forest's areas off the top of my head. It's not just a you thing, a lot of MHW's maps are kinda ♥♥♥♥♥♥ up.

[Canadian Normandy]

one thing i want to point out about raider ride is that even if your scoutfly level for the monster is 0 (no guidance) the mount will still lead you to nearby tracks.