Foraging - Am I Doing It Wrong?

[Bahlder]

Hi all,

Really enjoying this game. However, I'm noticing that my forage spawns are off the wall inconsistent, and mostly incredibly sparse. Spring onions might have anywhere from 2-8 most days (most of the time, 2-4) and I just rolled in to look for them, and they'd spawned zero. Dandelions I'll see maybe 1 or 2 once in a while - same with horseradish and leeks.

It very much feels like actively hunting down forage goods is a negative-sum activity. Running your toon to a spot to find 1 item then run across the map to whatever you have going on feels really, really bad.

Are forage goods truly this inconsistent throughout the game? Albeit it might be a personality thing, but it's incredibly annoying to run to a place - sometimes search fully half the map - and find 2 things. Compared to other in-game activities it appears to be massively inferior.

 

[LRangerR]

In my opinion if you just keep playing the game you'll figure it out eventually.

 

[Ereo]

I think most forage will accumulate during the week. It resets after Saturday, so running through the complete map on Saturday has the best yield.

I don't think that is true for spring onions, they seem to reset every day.

 

[Lew Zealand]

I've done some Foraging on the first of the month a few times and it's pretty random. Some times I find all of 3 forageables on the entire map on one day and on other days it can be 8 or 10. Things do accumulate as Ereo said, with Spring Onions spawning at a higher rate, but not necessarily every day.

In very early game, Foraging can be unrewarding but since you get the Fishing Rod on day 2, you can obtain other things to sell or eat pretty quickly, If you're looking to up your Forging skill, chopping trees also counts and you should only chop the trunk/crown, not stump, as the vast majority of the Foraging XP is from the trunk/crown. You can get the stumps later when you've upgraded your axe or energy level.

 

[plagueborn667]

If you're concerned about your foraging skill gain, remember you also get it by chopping down trees

 

[BringsTheSnow]

I try and casually forage as I go about my other chores. I take the mountain path that is North of the farm at least once a day, either on my way from the mine or from visiting Robin's house. Also, I check beneath the trees at the bus stop and frequently find flowers there in spring that I can then gift to villagers as I see them that day. Repairing the bridge at the beach pays off quickly since you can then access the tidal pools and forage coral and other things that wash up!

Like someone else said, doing a full map run on Saturday frees up time earlier in the week and makes it feel more rewarding.

 

[Bahlder]

Yeah I appreciate all the replies. Doing all my foraging seems to make the most sense on Saturdays, so fair and good. Mind you I'm noticing really sparse spawns even then - I truly feel like their spawning needs to be increased. Maybe I'll look into a mod; right now it just feels really off - Especially in comparison to energy spent per benefit of other activities (ignoring the feelsbadman when you go to forage and nothing is there).

Aside from that, I've had several days where Spring Onions just flat out don't spawn. :/ so much for resetting daily? I swear this should be a bug - It feels so off.

 

[Elenna101]

The max spawns is 6 per area, so big areas like Cindersap Forest will have very sparse spawns, while small areas like the bus stop will seem to have more (when it's actually just more densely clustered).

But yeah, running around for forage is not a very good use of time unless that's something you particularly enjoy doing. I get most foraging xp from cutting down trees, and the occasionally planted forage seeds.

 

[imnvs]

The only time I run around looking for forage exclusively is when I have a quest of some sort that requires it. Otherwise, I just pick stuff up as I pass by doing other things. I get plenty of stuff. The only time I had a problem was when I was trying to accomplish one of the new special orders, but that was basically bad luck that the wrong things were spawning.

 

[Sigrah]

Yeah I appreciate all the replies. Doing all my foraging seems to make the most sense on Saturdays, so fair and good. Mind you I'm noticing really sparse spawns even then - I truly feel like their spawning needs to be increased. Maybe I'll look into a mod; right now it just feels really off - Especially in comparison to energy spent per benefit of other activities (ignoring the feelsbadman when you go to forage and nothing is there).

Aside from that, I've had several days where Spring Onions just flat out don't spawn. :/ so much for resetting daily? I swear this should be a bug - It feels so off.

Something else you should know: NPC's *will* destroy foragables if they appear in their path. Also, sometimes an area might just not spawn it's maximum of 6 per week. And if foraging experience is your goal, upgrade your axe to steel when you can, and spend a day every couple of weeks cutting down cindersap forest, the bus stop, the trail to the mountains, and the mountain area itself. You can rack up experience and much needed wood for later down the road. You can also grow wild seeds on your farm that will also give foraging experience. And finally, once you get a steel axe, go to the NW corner of Cindersap, cut up the large log, and head into the enchanted clearing and cut up the 6 large stumps there (daily if you can). Those large stumps are worth 25 xp each.

As for Spring Onions, that's pretty much the product of the reviled RNG gremlins. Some days you'll see a *bleep* ton, other days you're lucky if 1 or 2 spawn. If you're relying on this for food early on, the good news is that Salmonberry season takes place from Spring 15 to 18, and can quickly replace the need for Spring Onions if you can get to Level 4 Foraging by then ( at Level 4, you get *two* Salmonberries instead of just one).

 

[PoppyForPenny]

I usually find at least 1-3 items in each area when I do a forage loop, totaling about 12 items every day. It's very rare to find nothing.

My best spots:
Bus stop, backwoods, by Robin's, near the playground, near community center, graveyard, by Clint's, beach, by Marnie's, spring onion place, hat mouse place, near wizard tower, secret woods.

I really enjoy foraging and it's usually the first skill I level up. However, you can play a fun & successful game doing very little foraging. If you enjoy fishing, farming, mining, or friendships more, that's ok!

 

[Rarvyn]

The only time I run around looking for forage exclusively is when I have a quest of some sort that requires it. Otherwise, I just pick stuff up as I pass by doing other things. I get plenty of stuff. The only time I had a problem was when I was trying to accomplish one of the new special orders, but that was basically bad luck that the wrong things were spawning.

Do recall that you can get almost all foraged goods from the seasonal wild seeds too.

I keep a chest of various foraged goods and if I want more and it's the appropriate season, I just craft/grow some seeds.

 

[rippytrippy]

i think only a few things spawn per day so you'll have to wait a few days for it to accumulate for your foraging trips to be worthwhile

either that or you just have terrible luck LOL

 

[imnvs]

Do recall that you can get almost all foraged goods from the seasonal wild seeds too.

This is true. The next time I get a certain Special Order, I will be planting a big pile of wild seeds indeed.

 

[Maw]

Isn't the number of items linked to daily luck as well? As has been said, foraging is best to do on your way to/from other things if you are interested in progressing farther in the game. Farm/fish/mine get you to most of the game goals. Forage/Friendship are secondary unless you just enjoy them.

 

[liquidcat]

The max spawns is 6 per area

Wow, I never knew about this. This is helpful!