Can't find resources

CMDR Kantos Kan · 2025-08-01T03:30:49+0100

Can someone explain to me why I can't find any resources when prospecting on the surface of a planet? I'm looking for selenium and antimony. I used Inara to find the nearest location with the highest concentration. Fly there. Deploy the SRV, go away from the ship, nothing shows on radar or scanner. Not even a blimp. I go to another planet that is supposed to have a good concentration of selenium. Same thing again, the SRV's scanner doesn't detect anything. I then decided to call it a night.

What's going on?

Nidoboros · 2025-08-01T04:54:04+0100

Need more details. Are you looking for brain trees, just geological features, what?

Carbon Slide · 2025-08-01T04:58:08+0100

I've been using these (and I guess a lot of ppl do) when I stock up big time (the systems aren't exactly 'next' to the bubble) and you find lower grade materials there too (but I suggest to downgrade trade at a material trader before you head out). Scan the moons with a Detailed surface scanner for 'brain trees' or 'crystalline shards'.

System Moon

HR 3230 3 A A Selenium/Technetium
Wregoe SB-Z b41-2 1 A Technetium

HIP 36601 C1A Polonium
HIP 36601 C1D Ruthenium
HIP 36601 C3B Tellurium
HIP 36601 C5A Technetium

Outotz LS-K D8-3 B5A Yttrium
B5C Antimony

Nidoboros · 2025-08-01T05:02:26+0100

I only ask because yeah, you can find ores in rocks on the ground, but brain trees (even in SRV/shooting to collect) is more efficient than driving around looking for single rocks to pew pew.

Carbon Slide · 2025-08-01T05:17:17+0100

There are multiple options and some of them closer by - if i just need a little of something visit a material trader.
Yeah - if i trip over one of these rocks with ore while doing something else I might pick it up, but not a very efficient way to gather materials, agreed. Same for bounty hunting and picking up the droppings.

CMDR Kantos Kan · 2025-08-02T01:14:26+0100

Nidoboros said:
Need more details. Are you looking for brain trees, just geological features, what?

I mentioned antimony and selenium...

CMDR Kantos Kan · 2025-08-02T01:15:06+0100

Nidoboros said:
I only ask because yeah, you can find ores in rocks on the ground, but brain trees (even in SRV/shooting to collect) is more efficient than driving around looking for single rocks to pew pew.

What are "brain trees"?

CMDR Kantos Kan · 2025-08-02T01:15:48+0100

Carbon Slide said:
I've been using these (and I guess a lot of ppl do) when I stock up big time (the systems aren't exactly 'next' to the bubble) and you find lower grade materials there too (but I suggest to downgrade trade at a material trader before you head out). Scan the moons with a Detailed surface scanner for 'brain trees' or 'crystalline shards'.

System Moon

HR 3230 3 A A Selenium/Technetium
Wregoe SB-Z b41-2 1 A Technetium

HIP 36601 C1A Polonium
HIP 36601 C1D Ruthenium
HIP 36601 C3B Tellurium
HIP 36601 C5A Technetium

Outotz LS-K D8-3 B5A Yttrium
B5C Antimony

Thanks! I'll have a look!

alexzk · 2025-08-02T01:31:17+0100

It was bug fixes, anti-relog patches ... so, you must drive away couple KMs before anything will start to spawn random.
If you're looking for "persistent" things, like geo/bio signals, than it was changed too. In 3.8 version it was signal where you could get in and just collect.
In 4.0 things are spread around the planet. Also materials aren't bound to rock/plant type now, they're bound to "area". I.e. if it is geologically "material A" should be in mountains, than you will get most of it there and none on the plains.
So best you can do - hop around until you find what you need, than write-down planetary coordinates. It will be there always.

CMDR Kantos Kan · 2025-08-02T02:11:21+0100

alexzk said:
It was bug fixes, anti-relog patches ... so, you must drive away couple KMs before anything will start to spawn random.
If you're looking for "persistent" things, like geo/bio signals, than it was changed too. In 3.8 version it was signal where you could get in and just collect.
In 4.0 things are spread around the planet. Also materials aren't bound to rock/plant type now, they're bound to "area". I.e. if it is geologically "material A" should be in mountains, than you will get most of it there and none on the plains.
So best you can do - hop around until you find what you need, than write-down planetary coordinates. It will be there always.

Ah, that explains a lot. Thank you.

Carbon Slide · 2025-08-02T04:52:03+0100

Guide / Tutorial - How to fill all of your Raw Materials bins using Crystalline Shards.

How to fill your boots with Raw Mats using Crystalline Shards Some of us have discovered a new form of materials gathering that can, with a little effort, be used to gather every material needed to compeletely fill all of your raw materials bins. I have decided to share that knowlege here with...

forums.frontier.co.uk

and

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VItBzHOsJSo

flak & limpets no longer work (some say they can still manage, but it's real tricky), so make sure to bring an SRV instead to scoop the materials

Nidoboros · 2025-08-02T04:54:27+0100

CMDR Kantos Kan said:
What are "brain trees"?

You can target the little yellow thing, shoot it, and then pick it up with your SRV cargo scoop. People used to shoot them with ship weapons and use limpets, but that seems to have been too exploit-y.