Maple saplng spawns

[artmunki]

So I mentioned in another thread that there seemed to be some new maple saplings spawned around the island since the update, most likely to sorta compensate for how many of these valuable items are required to craft the new travois. Though I'd say beachcombing already had that covered, but that's besides the point.

My run was in Transfer Pass when the update dropped and I found 3 saplings there where there definitely hadn't been any before - I've never found any in that small region before, but this is only my 2nd run since Tales started so I'm not sure whether or not there were ever any possible sapling spawns there. It was a few days before I was done exploring the new region (and luckily surviving, tho it was a close thing once or twice!), but now I'm wandering around the rest of the island, finishing off my mapping and finding a bunch of new saplings. There are definitely a quite a few around that weren't there before the update but, with the exception of Transfer Pass, I think at least most of the saplings I've found so far are in locations where there was always a potential spawn before Tales, but RNG didn't pick them for this run. So I'm now thinking that at least one of 3 options seems likely:

• the RNG has effectively been re-rolled for inactive maple sapling spawns with the update, possibly with a fair increase to the chance of a particular site spawning
• the total number of active spawns have been increased, possibly with some new locations
• all potential maple sapling spawns are now just "switched on"

Anyone have any other ideas, or comments on mine?

 

update: I've found one potential spawn site that was empty in this run before the update, and is still empty now, which means my 3rd option is off the table. No idea how I might test the other two tho.

Edited December 10, 2023 by artmunki
update

[xanna]

I think maple spawns that are not favoured by the RNG still show up as sapling stumps, so it should be possible to tell. Understandable if you didn't take as much notice of them as ones that spawned, though.

[artmunki]

31 minutes ago, xanna said:

I think maple spawns that are not favoured by the RNG still show up as sapling stumps, so it should be possible to tell. Understandable if you didn't take as much notice of them as ones that spawned, though.

I think the only place I can remember ever finding sapling stumps already in place (like my 1st time at that location in a run) is a coupla sites in Ash Canyon - down by the mine entrance and up by Miner's Folly, and even there it's birch saplings, not maple. I'm not 100% sure that's absolutely the only place I've found that, but usually when the RNG doesn't pick a particular spawn site there's just nothing there, and that applies to both maple and birch.

[xanna]

I definitely find stumps for both birch and maple. I thought maybe it's stumps for some of the saplings in a clump if the others do spawn in, but I've for sure walked over stumps where there've been none to harvest. My Harvestable Plant Availability setting is turned to low, though, so maybe that's what's going on (all default modes are set to high).

[artmunki]

13 minutes ago, xanna said:

I definitely find stumps for both birch and maple. I thought maybe it's stumps for some of the saplings in a clump if the others do spawn in, but I've for sure walked over stumps where there've been none to harvest. My Harvestable Plant Availability setting is turned to low, though, so maybe that's what's going on (all default modes are set to high).

Ah, interesting. I don't play custom games, so maybe that's why I haven't seen that about. Always learning something new with this game! 

[UpUpAway95]

Could it be you're just noticing them more and HL hasn't made any change at all?  There have long been ample in the world overall to cover any bow and travois needs the player has over many, many hundreds of days - even without beachcombing.

[LostRealist]

1 hour ago, UpUpAway95 said:

Could it be you're just noticing them more and HL hasn't made any change at all?  There have long been ample in the world overall to cover any bow and travois needs the player has over many, many hundreds of days - even without beachcombing.

I am kiiiiiinda trending towards this thinking as well. Granted, I don't punish myself with Interloper spawn settings, but hearing all this talk about the travois and associated maple saplings I keep thinking they didn't seem that scarce to me...

[artmunki]

2 hours ago, UpUpAway95 said:

Could it be you're just noticing them more and HL hasn't made any change at all?  There have long been ample in the world overall to cover any bow and travois needs the player has over many, many hundreds of days - even without beachcombing.

My current run is somewhere north of 600 days, and I know for certain that there were only a handful of unharvested saplings of any type left on the island, and I know exactly where most of them were. I'll happily concede that it's possible that one or two of the additional maples I've found since escaping the Zone were just in out-of-the way spots I hadn't passed, which I only found now because I'm making a point of looking in those remote spots (only searched PV so far, but I've really just started looking), but there have been a few on regular routes I walk too, and the 3 I found in Transfer Pass were completely new to me - never seen any saplings in that transit region before now, and one of them was right there outside the cave I woke in when the update dropped. Kinda took me by surprise tbh, and there's absolutely no way I missed it before. So yeah, there are definitely new maple saplings about since the update, and I'm just trying to figure out the nature of the change behind the scenes.

I totally agree that there were already plenty of saplings of both kinds to be found about GBI, and beachcombing kinda makes them effectively infinite, but that doesn't change the fact that maple saplings are a valued resource in the game, making the travois an expensive item to craft, so it does make sense that more might be added with the update. I'd actually expected the travois to require a moose skin to build, but now I've seen how quickly it wears out I'm not surprised they went for deer instead.

[xanna]

4 hours ago, LostRealist said:

I am kiiiiiinda trending towards this thinking as well. Granted, I don't punish myself with Interloper spawn settings, but hearing all this talk about the travois and associated maple saplings I keep thinking they didn't seem that scarce to me...

Interloper spawn settings for plants is the same as all the other modes. It's only custom games that have less saplings spawning in

[UpUpAway95]

1 hour ago, xanna said:

Interloper spawn settings for plants is the same as all the other modes. It's only custom games that have less saplings spawning in

Yes.  I think this is something that a few people have a misconception about.  This is one setting where the standard Interloper is as forgiving as standard Pilgrim.

[UpUpAway95]

1 hour ago, artmunki said:

My current run is somewhere north of 600 days, and I know for certain that there were only a handful of unharvested saplings of any type left on the island, and I know exactly where most of them were. I'll happily concede that it's possible that one or two of the additional maples I've found since escaping the Zone were just in out-of-the way spots I hadn't passed, which I only found now because I'm making a point of looking in those remote spots (only searched PV so far, but I've really just started looking), but there have been a few on regular routes I walk too, and the 3 I found in Transfer Pass were completely new to me - never seen any saplings in that transit region before now, and one of them was right there outside the cave I woke in when the update dropped. Kinda took me by surprise tbh, and there's absolutely no way I missed it before. So yeah, there are definitely new maple saplings about since the update, and I'm just trying to figure out the nature of the change behind the scenes.

I totally agree that there were already plenty of saplings of both kinds to be found about GBI, and beachcombing kinda makes them effectively infinite, but that doesn't change the fact that maple saplings are a valued resource in the game, making the travois an expensive item to craft, so it does make sense that more might be added with the update. I'd actually expected the travois to require a moose skin to build, but now I've seen how quickly it wears out I'm not surprised they went for deer instead.

OK then.  They may have added some.  I haven't noticed any difference overall in the individual zones I've examined since the update.

[Leeanda]

There are definitely new ones .. I've Found several in places I'm 100% sure weren't there before..   they did say theres a few other little surprises in the dlc.

[artmunki]

19 hours ago, Leeanda said:

There are definitely new ones .. I've Found several in places I'm 100% sure weren't there before..   they did say theres a few other little surprises in the dlc.

That's very true. I'm sure I noticed something else a few days ago, but can't for the life of me remember what it was. 

I also found an unexplored house across the bridge from Thomson's Crossing - first time I've seen an intact building over there in many, many runs - but I also only just found out that the bear up behind there isn't actually active on my current run, so it's entirely possible that I just hadn't bothered with that side of the river on this run, rather than the house being newly spawned. I still think I did have another fresh house spawn in the Quonset village after the cooking update, but again I hadn't spent a lot of time there in that run so I can't be sure that I didn't somehow just manage to miss it.

[Leeanda]

7 minutes ago, artmunki said:

That's very true. I'm sure I noticed something else a few days ago, but can't for the life of me remember what it was. 

I also found an unexplored house across the bridge from Thomson's Crossing - first time I've seen an intact building over there in many, many runs - but I also only just found out that the bear up behind there isn't actually active on my current run, so it's entirely possible that I just hadn't bothered with that side of the river on this run, rather than the house being newly spawned. I still think I did have another fresh house spawn in the Quonset village after the cooking update, but again I hadn't spent a lot of time there in that run so I can't be sure that I didn't somehow just manage to miss it.

That house is 50-50 chance on my runs... I know there's not many bears at the moment though..I've only seen one since the update.im sure they'll be back soon enough.. 

Not sure about the houses though.i didn't notice any in PV myself, 

Should keep us entertained for a while trying to find out though..

I'm on the lookout for Jeremiah's knife

[artmunki]

9 minutes ago, Leeanda said:

That house is 50-50 chance on my runs... I know there's not many bears at the moment though..I've only seen one since the update.im sure they'll be back soon enough.. 

Not sure about the houses though.i didn't notice any in PV myself, 

Should keep us entertained for a while trying to find out though..

I'm on the lookout for Jeremiah's knife

I'm explicitly looking all over the island for any more new saplings (as good an excuse as any for an extended wander), but I'm also low-key hoping to finally find one of those elusive gold nuggets. Jeremiah's knife would be lovely too, but at least I know it's possible to find a nugget for now. 

[Leeanda]

1 minute ago, artmunki said:

I'm explicitly looking all over the island for any more new saplings (as good an excuse as any for an extended wander), but I'm also low-key hoping to finally find one of those elusive gold nuggets. Jeremiah's knife would be lovely too, but at least I know it's possible to find a nugget for now. 

Well I know there is one.. I think it's guaranteed..but I don't want to spoil it for you.

[artmunki]

I think I've read of maybe 3 places it might be found, so I do have some vague idea of where to check, but just hadn't got around to it yet. Now that I'm off to explore the whole island again, I might as well keep an eye out.

[James Hickok]

It wouldnt make sense to add saplings to existing games/saves bcoz of the Travois needs them and not include scurvy bcoz someone could use all of the resources in game. Based on this i suspect nothing has changed on this matter. 

[Leeanda]

1 hour ago, artmunki said:

I think I've read of maybe 3 places it might be found, so I do have some vague idea of where to check, but just hadn't got around to it yet. Now that I'm off to explore the whole island again, I might as well keep an eye out.

It took me three runs to find one,so good luck😊

[Leeanda]

2 minutes ago, James Hickok said:

It wouldnt make sense to add saplings to existing games/saves bcoz of the Travois needs them and not include scurvy bcoz someone could use all of the resources in game. Based on this i suspect nothing has changed on this matter. 

It's easier to add a few saplings than to add an affliction and respawn all the mushrooms and rosehips.... there really are new maple spawns I can guarantee it.. 

[artmunki]

2 hours ago, Leeanda said:

It took me three runs to find one,so good luck😊

I already seem to be missing the Curator's Rifle on this run, so I'm not getting my hopes up for anything. Still, can't hurt to have a look while I'm wandering around anyway. 

[Leeanda]

1 minute ago, artmunki said:

I already seem to be missing the Curator's Rifle on this run, so I'm not getting my hopes up for anything. Still, can't hurt to have a look while I'm wandering around anyway. 

I still haven't got the miners flashlight on my long run either...    

Not sure why the missing items are irregular..  I was also missing one of the revolvers but it turned up after the last hotfix..  custom seems to get these issues though im not sure why.....

 

[UpUpAway95]

24 minutes ago, artmunki said:

I already seem to be missing the Curator's Rifle on this run, so I'm not getting my hopes up for anything. Still, can't hurt to have a look while I'm wandering around anyway. 

I started two different custom runs in Ash Canyon after the update and after reading the post about the Curator's Rifle being missing.  In my runs, it was there both times (on the ledge near Wolf's Jaw Overlook).

[artmunki]

Just now, Leeanda said:

I still haven't got the miners flashlight on my long run either...    

Not sure why the missing items are irregular..  I was also missing one of the revolvers but it turned up after the last hotfix..  custom seems to get these issues though im not sure why.....

 

I actually got a second Miner's Flashlight somewhere in the Zone - down in the mine I think, tho I can't recall where I left it. Come to think of it, I'm not sure where I left the one I found previously either, but it's not something I'm too worried about anyway. I'm only on my second run since Tales dropped, and both times there's been one unique item missing, so maybe that's a thing. Too early for me to say tho, obviously - 2 is a useless sample-size. 

[UpUpAway95]

5 minutes ago, artmunki said:

I actually got a second Miner's Flashlight somewhere in the Zone - down in the mine I think, tho I can't recall where I left it. Come to think of it, I'm not sure where I left the one I found previously either, but it's not something I'm too worried about anyway. I'm only on my second run since Tales dropped, and both times there's been one unique item missing, so maybe that's a thing. Too early for me to say tho, obviously - 2 is a useless sample-size. 

or some items are spawning under the terrain or the bug varies on different platforms.  Who knows?  HL will just have to keep testing it to figure out what's wrong.

I have noticed some Cat tails spawning in after I've cleared the area previous (i.e. spawning in late).  I've seen this occur in Fallout 4, where looting and emptying drawers seems to unburdened an area such that if you go back immediately, drawers that were not emptied, but previously empty will suddenly contain loot.  This is before a total respawn in that area occurs.

Edited December 12, 2023 by UpUpAway95