Question about visiting Tales bunkers 'too early'

[AdamvR]

I haven't yet done the Tales bunkers, and have a few questions:
I think I've read before (but cannot find it now in the forums), that if you visit the Tales bunkers "too early", then they might not work properly - or something like that.
- What does "too early" mean here? If I have the radio from FA with me, and visit them, is that OK, or do I specifically have to visit them during an Aurora, when the radio is powered?
- What are the consequences if I visit them "too early"? Is my whole Tales busted and need to start a new run?
Hopefully someone can clear it up - thanks in advance!:)

[DIA]

I read this on the wiki, as I understand it, you can visit the bunker when you don’t have a transmitter, but the main thing is not to touch the plot objects (notes, magazines), otherwise everything may break.

[hozz1235]

I'd just play it safe and not visit them until you're directed to.

[AdamvR]

16 minutes ago, hozz1235 said:

I'd just play it safe and not visit them until you're directed to.

so.., will I be directed to visit them? that helps...:)
Thank You!

Also, some info I found makes me wonder, if the Tales bunkers are/look the same as the prepper's caches or something entirely different?
(it's tricky to search online as often full of spoilers, which i want to avoid...)

Edited November 9, 2023 by AdamvR

[hozz1235]

They are clearly different.

[AdamvR]

1 minute ago, hozz1235 said:

They are clearly different.

thank you!
so if I find a prepper's cache looking bunker, it is safe to visit and loot:)

[hozz1235]

6 minutes ago, AdamvR said:

thank you!
so if I find a prepper's cache looking bunker, it is safe to visit and loot:)

If you're familiar with prepper caches, you will definitely notice the difference!

[xanna]

I don't think it's too much of a spoiler to say that the Tales bunkers don't have a wheel that turns to open them like the others do, so if you see a wheel-turny hatch you're not in Tales territory.

[AdamvR]

1 minute ago, xanna said:

I don't think it's too much of a spoiler to say that the Tales bunkers don't have a wheel that turns to open them like the others do, so if you see a wheel-turny hatch you're not in Tales territory.

Thanks @xanna! that definitely clears it up.
[When I tried checking the fandom page, the first line was "location of the bunker...", eeer... I closed it as quickly as I could...]

@DIA - thank you also for looking that up! I'd probably go with @hozz1235's suggestion not to touch the whole bunker, before prompted - just in case:)
Now I know they look different so have all info, I needed:)

[AdamvR]

UPDATE: I've found my first Tales bunker, it was covered under snow, and I could only uncover it with the radio - similarly as the transponder caches.
Maybe stumbling upon them by accident is no longer possible - as it has been foolproofed in the meantime?
Or if it has always been under the snow, I'm not sure what the "not to touch anything" info referred to before...
Anyhow, thanks again for your help!

It was really cool btw:)

[xanna]

See, that's how I thought it worked, but I haven't done the Tale myself yet so I wasn't sure. I'm glad it works that way.
I found a suspicious-looking mound of snow in Pleasant Valley that I fancy is part of the Tale, but I won't know till I come back in a couple hundred days with the transponder!

[hozz1235]

On 11/11/2023 at 9:48 AM, AdamvR said:

UPDATE: I've found my first Tales bunker, it was covered under snow, and I could only uncover it with the radio - similarly as the transponder caches.
Maybe stumbling upon them by accident is no longer possible - as it has been foolproofed in the meantime?
Or if it has always been under the snow, I'm not sure what the "not to touch anything" info referred to before...
Anyhow, thanks again for your help!

It was really cool btw:)

It's my understanding (and aged recollection) that you can find the mound of snow any time, but you can't uncover it unless the aurora is active.  I believe the radio just guides you there - could be wrong.

[AdamvR]

I can confirm what @hozz1235 mentioned.
I've just found my third Tales bunker, it was quite a bit weird, as I was following the sign on the radio, it suddenly made the sound it makes when it picks up a signal, and stopped showing direction. It was still blue (or yellow, when I switched), but no showing of direction.
It was getting closer to morning, so I thought maybe that was the reason, but it kept being blue for quite a while afterwards. (So I'm not sure if it was a bug)

I just followed the same direction for a fair distance more, and found the suspicious looking hump on the snow.
I could not open it/uncover it, as the radio turned off just before I reached it.
I used a charcoal, it did show up with the familiar icon on the map, but I could not interact with it.
Had to wait 4 days in a nearby cave for the next Aurora, to open.
So I guess it has become fool-proofed in the meantime, you cannot by accident enter any of these bunkers.

[hozz1235]

22 minutes ago, AdamvR said:

So I guess it has become fool-proofed in the meantime, you cannot by accident enter any of these bunkers.

👍
I wonder if it can be opened during an aurora without the radio?

[AdamvR]

31 minutes ago, hozz1235 said:

👍
I wonder if it can be opened during an aurora without the radio?

That I have not tested:)

[AdamvR]

On 11/14/2023 at 5:48 PM, hozz1235 said:

I wonder if it can be opened during an aurora without the radio?

no, it cannot.
even if you are standing on top of the "suspicious snow hump", the little white dot appears, but the "uncover" option does not.

[hozz1235]

51 minutes ago, AdamvR said:

no, it cannot.
even if you are standing on top of the "suspicious snow hump", the little white dot appears, but the "uncover" option does not.

Makes sense.  Thanks for following up.

[xanna]

The Part 4 update includes this bugfix, so I guess some people did find them before they were ready. I experienced a Tales cache appearing when I mapped, but not a Tale bunker.

1 hour ago, Admin said:

Fixed an issue which allowed players to discover Signal Void Tale specific Caches and Bunkers without first initiating the Tale.