The extremely weird mechanics of Sam's quest (SPOILERS + suggestion for improvement)

[YertyL]

So, the more I think about it the weirder it gets:
Finishing Sam's quest in B:Z depends on finding the cure, which itself heavily depends on the map you find at Phi Robotics. The only other information you get is "southeast of the leviathan" which makes it almost impossible to find.
So in theory you can run into this map very very early in the game, and if you are just curious what that red marker is, you can equally solve your main reason for coming to the planet very early in the game.

On the other hand, if like me you follow the quest markers in your first playthrough and expect to get something substantial for Sam's quest from ALAN or Maida -- no such luck. Which feels extremely confusing and unsatisfying. I think a lot of this could be fixed with this simple change:
Remove the marker from the map you find at Phi Robotics, and place the map with the marker at Maida's greenhouse. It would also help to make it clear that this is where Sam stored the cure -- I remember I suspected but also thought that "southeast of the leviathan" meant in the same valley, so this was quite confusing. This change would lead to most players finishing Sam's story shortly after discovering the greenhouse, which is IMO pretty perfect timing and far better than the current situation in which the end result of Maida's seemingly important questline is the recipe for an overpowered salad.

I am curious: Did you have the same experience as me where you mostly followed ALAN and Maida, and the cure for the leviathan became a disconnected afterthought? And do you agree that this change would improve things?

[TyresTyco]

Doesnt one pda hint that you need to use the spy penglin to get it? Which narrows down the locations pretty much.

I dont remember it that much since I ignored completing sams story since I knew what will happen (nothing but some voicelines) and couldnt be bothered to do it.

The map doesnt help you much. You wont really figure out where you are middle in the biome. At least I'm not survival dude enough to remember landscapes and such.

When I'm on the two land biomes. I'm mostly a confused chicken running around until I find things to progress. The one time I tried to find it before the 1.0 update.. I always ended up at the same hole xD. For guys like me.. regardless where you find the map. It doesnt help you.

[wardenwolf]

Yeah, it has absolutely no bearing on the ending of the game and you can completely skip it.