Guide Steps
Step 1: Gather materials for the battery
Find limestone outcrops on the seafloor in the Safe Shallows. Break them to get copper (35–40% drop rate). Collect acid mushrooms nearby — they're abundant in the starting area. You need 1 copper + 1 acid mushroom per battery.
Step 2: Craft the battery
Open the fabricator in your escape pod. Navigate to Resources → Battery. Craft using 1 copper + 1 acid mushroom. The battery takes 3 seconds to fabricate.
Step 3: Craft the scanner
Collect 1 titanium from metal salvage (found on the seafloor). In the fabricator, go to Equipment → Scanner. Craft using 1 titanium + 1 battery. The scanner is now in your inventory.
Step 4: First scan targets
Scan these in priority order: (1) Seaglide fragments — found in Safe Shallows/Kelp Forest, gives early mobility. (2) Habitat Builder fragments — near small wrecks, unlocks base building. (3) Mobile Vehicle Bay fragments — enables vehicle construction later. (4) Any unknown creature — reveals behavior and drops.
Step 5: Scanning technique
Equip the scanner, approach the target, hold the scan button. Keep moving while scanning to avoid predator attacks. Multiple fragments of the same type are needed to unlock blueprints — the scanner displays progress (e.g., 'Seaglide 1/3').