How to Follow Distortions on the Scanner in Starfield: A Detailed Guide for New Explorers

Welcome fellow traveler! If you‘re new to Starfield, learning how to track down and follow distortions using your scanner is about to unlock a whole new world of possibilities. From uncovering hidden locations to finding epic loot, chasing distortions is the key to getting the most out of exploring this vast sci-fi universe.

In this super in-depth guide, I‘ll teach you everything you need to know to master distortion tracking in Starfield as a beginner. Together, we‘ll go step-by-step through:

What distortions actually are and why they are so important
How to spot those subtle flickers and glitches when scanning
Advanced tricks for pinpointing the distortion source
The types of exciting things distortions can lead to
How to efficiently explore distortion trails (avoiding frustration!)
Which scanner upgrades to invest in first
Troubleshooting distortion tracking problems
Real examples from my own distortion hunting adventures

If you want to uncover all of Starfield‘s hidden gems and fully experience the joy of discovery, learning these scanner skills is a must. Let‘s dig in!

What Are Distortions in Starfield?

When you first boot up Starfield and acquire your starter scanner, you‘ll notice a circular grid appears on the screen when you aim down sights. This allows you to scan for points of interest in a 360 degree radius around your character.

Occasionally, you may see parts of the scanning grid start to flicker, glitch, waver, or otherwise act visually distorted. These distortion effects indicate something out of the ordinary is nearby that warrants closer investigation.

Distortions often appear when rare loot items, secret locations, enemy ambush sites, crashed ships, and other valuable discoverables are within range of your scanner. But you can only find these hidden goodies by tracking down the source of the distortion.

Let me tell you from experience – diligently following distortions will lead you to some of the coolest, most rewarding stuff in Starfield. It really captures that feeling of exploring the unknown that makes Bethesda games so special.

Step-By-Step Instructions for Distortion Tracking

When you first spot a distortion while scanning, it can be tempting to just make a beeline towards it. Don‘t do this! With only a vague direction to go on, you‘ll quickly lose the trail.

Instead, use this systematic scanning approach I‘ve honed across many hours of distortion hunting:

Equip your scanner – Hit "F" on PC or "LB" on Xbox to bring up your scanner.
Scan methodically – Look up, down, left, right, and behind you while turning slowly in a circle. Cover the full 360 radius. Make sure to scan above and below too. The distortion may not be at eye level.
Analyze visual distortions – Flickers, static, glitches, anything that looks off. The anomaly might be very subtle at long range. Sometimes I notice distortions first by the audio warping that accompanies them.
Move toward distortions – Once you‘ve identified a distortion source, walk towards it while continuing to scan. The intensity should increase as you close in.
Triangulate – If the distortion trail seems confusing, take scans from multiple angles to identify the point where they intersect.
Follow the strongest distortion – Keep adjusting your facing to pinpoint the direction of most intense distortion. Let this guide you straight ahead.
Reach the end point – Don‘t give up! With persistence, the distortion will resolve into a singular source – the loot or location emitting it.

I know it can feel tedious at first, but taking the time to systematically trace distortions is extremely rewarding. The more you practice, the better you‘ll get at spotting even subtle anomalies from longer ranges.

The Exciting Things Distortions Can Lead To

Veteran distortion hunters know the anticipation of what awaits at the end of that glitchy trail. Here are some of the most common sources:

Hidden caves – Easy to miss cave mouths often produce distortions, leading to sprawling underground spaces filled with enemies, rare resources, and artifacts.
Abandoned bunkers – Long abandoned subterranean military installations contain tons of scrap to salvage and sell. Watch out for malfunctioning defense systems!
Crashed ships – Valuable ship modifications and inventory items can be recovered from wrecked ships. Just beware radiation and leaking fuel hazards.
Alien artifacts – From ancient ruins to still functioning tech, priceless artifacts offer big money or research opportunities.
Supply caches – Pirates and smugglers conceal ammo/health caches. I rely on these heavily during long distortion hunts.
Story locations – Key sites tied to the main questline and side missions may emit distortions when relevant.
Resource deposits – Mineral outcroppings, gas vents, rare plant zones – great targets for exploratory scavengers.
Points of interest – Bioluminescent caverns, acid geysers, crashed satellites – anomalies nature hides until discovered.

Where distortions lead honestly depends on the planet. Even after hundreds of hours, I still get surprised now and then!

Helpful Tips for Spotting Distortions

When you‘re first starting out, picking visual distortions out from your scanner‘s background noise can definitely be tricky. Here are some tips to quickly improve your detection skills:

Crank up distortion sensitivity – There‘s a slider in Settings that makes distortions way more obvious. Max it out when hunting.
Use headphones – With surround sound on, you can literally hear the direction distortions are strongest. Super helpful for triangulation.
Find high vantage points – Scanning from hills, buildings, your ship‘s roof, etc. extends your sight lines and range.
Walk slowly – Move at a measured pace so you can carefully analyze scanner feedback. Running around makes tracking distortions way harder.
Scope out dark backgrounds – With bright objects like suns behind you, distortions will contrast better against dark terrain.
Scan near structures – Man-made buildings tend to produce distortions around their perimeter – great clue for beginners to investigate.

Soon you‘ll be picking out even the most subtle anomalies with ease. Just keep practicing!

Investing in Scanner Upgrades

The standard scanner you start with in Starfield is usable, but lacks range and distortion detection capabilities compared to higher tier models acquired later on.

Here are some of my recommended early scanner upgrades for distortion hunting:

Scanner	Credits	Notes
Adapted Scanner	2,100	+10% range. Cheap first upgrade.
Surplus Scanner	15,000	Twice the range! Best bang for buck.
Overcharged Scanner	Varies	Apply overclocking mods to existing scanner.
Faction Scanners	Varies	Unique models like Constellation Advanced Scanner.

I‘d highly recommend saving up for the Surplus Scanner as soon as possible. It makes a night and day difference in distortion detection distance.

Overcharged mods are also awesome for boosting sensitivity, reload speed, and other attributes. Once you start raking in bigger paydays from pursuing distortions, invest back into your scanner gear!

Efficient Distortion Exploration Strategies

When you first land on planets brimming with undiscovered distortions, it‘s tempting to chase down every single one immediately. Avoid this urge! With some planning, you can explore more efficiently:

Survey first – Scan planet from orbit to ID all distortion sources before picking which to investigate.
Prioritize clusters – Pursue all anomalies in an area before moving to next region. Minimizes travel time.
Do quick checks first – Rule out short distortion trails quickly so you can devote more time to deep dives later.
Note coordinates – Log coordinates of distortions to revisit later when pressed for time.
Drop beacons – Set map markers along the trail periodically in case you get turned around.
Watch for scope creep – It‘s easy to get sucked into chasing "just one more" distortion for hours. Stick to your plan.
Play co-op – Multiplayer parties can split up and investigate separate distortions then share finds.
Avoid frustration – Don‘t force it. Abandon excessively long or confusing trails rather than wasting time.

Distortion hunting is exponentially more fun when you avoid frustration and overload. Be selective in choosing which trails to fully pursue at any given time.

Troubleshooting Tips for Tracking Issues

Even seasoned explorers occasionally run into quirky distortions that seem impossible to pin down. Try these troubleshooting tips:

Vanishing distortion? – Likely inside structure or underground. Look for nearby bunker doors or caves.
No clear direction? – Take scans from multiple locations and triangulate to isolate origin point.
Dead end? – Double check your tracking steps. Distortions can sometimes be deceptive.
No endpoint? – You may need to progress the story before the distortion fully activates.
Frozen distortion? – Save, fully restart game. This resets distortion behavior.
Can‘t hear audio? – Disable music and ambient sound to isolate distortion cues.

With patience and diligence, you can work through most odd distortion behaviors. The key is takingdetailed scans from multiple angles.

My Most Memorable Distortion Moments

To wrap up this guide, I wanted to share a couple standout distortion tracking memories:

One faint distortion led me to a glowing meteor crash site containing a unique alien artifact that initiated a lengthy side quest. One of my most impactful finds.
I once spent hours descending deeper and deeper into a cave system led by distortions. I ended up discovering an entire underground city! My mind was blown.
On a hunch, I followed a distortion into a raging blizzard only to discover a perfectly preserved centuries-old Constellation ship wreck. The logs and artifacts inside gave amazing insights into Starfield‘s backstory and lore.

Every player‘s journey through Starfield tracing down distortions will be unique. Expect surprises, challenges, and those rare jaw-dropping moments of discovery that stay with you.

Conclusion

Hopefully this guide has equipped you with everything you need to start unlocking Starfield‘s hidden treasures by mastering scanner distortion tracking. The tricks for pinpointing deceptive anomalies will quickly become second nature with practice.

Soon you‘ll be scanning circles around rival factions and uncovering amazing loot well ahead of the curve. Here‘s to many more memorable adventures pursuing distortions into the unknown! See you among the stars, traveler.