This carries that caveat that the alpha is still on-going, and everything we discuss here could be subject to change. But on the first day of phase 3 of the alpha, here's what I've gathered so far about how you use this thing.
The sampler tool has two operations. Primary trigger performs a scan of the lifeforms around you. Anything that lights up green (not cyan) is available to take samples from, without losing anything. The secondary trigger will start the sampling mini-game, or if you're scanning a different species with an incomplete sample in the tool, this button will burn (destroy) the partial sample it contains.
You have to take partial samples (three of them) by playing the mini-game with the same species. Successfully completing the mini-game will grant you a 1/3 partial sample. To get the next partial sample, you will need to find more of the same species some distance away. The minimum distance appears to be in the ballpark of about 150m, so you can do this on foot if there are enough plants in the area. Once you have collected all three partial samples, the sample will be completed and stored for later sale. The tool will now be empty, and you can start sampling another species.
The mini-game consists of rotating rings of colored bars. There are 4 rings total, with the outermost remaining stationary. You have to align the inner rings to match it. Each progressively smaller ring rotates faster, and you have to click with the primary trigger with near perfect timing to lock in the current spinning ring. Doing this successfully will take you to the next ring. Getting it wrong will undo your progress, and take you back out by one ring, unless you're already on the first one.
While the required timing is fairly precise, and unforgiving, it appears that there is graphical latency that will force you to click "early", perhaps by several hundred milliseconds (a quarter to a half of a second, maybe? Not sure).
I have not tested whether you keep your completed samples through death, or if you lose them. You can sell your samples at Vista Genomics in stations.
Video example:
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njac3BhuTwo
EDIT: After posting this, I noticed that FDev posted a "survival guide" about this. It gives a quick rundown, but doesn't give you any warning about burning partial samples, nor how the mini-game works.
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMTOV9ZuCYE
The sampler tool has two operations. Primary trigger performs a scan of the lifeforms around you. Anything that lights up green (not cyan) is available to take samples from, without losing anything. The secondary trigger will start the sampling mini-game, or if you're scanning a different species with an incomplete sample in the tool, this button will burn (destroy) the partial sample it contains.
You have to take partial samples (three of them) by playing the mini-game with the same species. Successfully completing the mini-game will grant you a 1/3 partial sample. To get the next partial sample, you will need to find more of the same species some distance away. The minimum distance appears to be in the ballpark of about 150m, so you can do this on foot if there are enough plants in the area. Once you have collected all three partial samples, the sample will be completed and stored for later sale. The tool will now be empty, and you can start sampling another species.
The mini-game consists of rotating rings of colored bars. There are 4 rings total, with the outermost remaining stationary. You have to align the inner rings to match it. Each progressively smaller ring rotates faster, and you have to click with the primary trigger with near perfect timing to lock in the current spinning ring. Doing this successfully will take you to the next ring. Getting it wrong will undo your progress, and take you back out by one ring, unless you're already on the first one.
While the required timing is fairly precise, and unforgiving, it appears that there is graphical latency that will force you to click "early", perhaps by several hundred milliseconds (a quarter to a half of a second, maybe? Not sure).
I have not tested whether you keep your completed samples through death, or if you lose them. You can sell your samples at Vista Genomics in stations.
Video example:
EDIT: After posting this, I noticed that FDev posted a "survival guide" about this. It gives a quick rundown, but doesn't give you any warning about burning partial samples, nor how the mini-game works.
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