Talk:Dunes/@comment-33904873-20171208210055/@comment-34575811-20180203232310

For pragmatic things, here's what I do:

- For mining minerals, you're generally pretty safe on the steep slopes that border the Mushroom Forest and both Blood Kelp zones. You're NOT very safe on the border with the Sea Treader's Path, Safe Shallows, or Kelp Forest, though. Those would put you really close to Reaper territory. Most of the border with the Grassy Plateaus is safe too, but following that too long gets you really close to the aforementioned border with the Safe Shallows and Kelp Forest, so I avoid that border altogether.

- If going to the meteor crater that's north of the Mushroom Forest, just go to the Mushroom Forest border that's closest to the meteor (or where the Mushroom Forest, Blood Kelp, and Dunes meet, which is a little east of that spot but easier to find if you don't already know the spot) then head out into the Dunes for the crater. There's a reaper "behind" the crater from a south-ish direction of approach, so if you don't see or hear one as you near the crater, you're good to make a dash for the alien cache. I didn't even know there was one around until after I was already in the cache, so I think the edge of its territory just barely overlaps the cache entrance. Because of that, you'll probably always hear reaper roars when in the cache since it's under reaper territory, so time your leaving when the roars sound the quietest (or stop, if they do). Once you're back out of the crater, head straight back out of the Dunes from the direction you entered; you're almost guaranteed to run into a reaper if you continue in the Dunes from the crater.

- If going to the wreck in the Dunes, find the part on the border of the Mushroom Forest that indicates the wreck's sliding and just follow the tracks to the wreck. I've never seen or heard reapers while close to the wreck, but I think there is one that hangs out not too far "behind" it relative to the Mushroom Forest. When leaving, same as the crater: return from the direction you came unless you're feeling ballsy.

- If going to the sinkhole... don't. It overlaps with reaper territory much more than the crater does. You'll definitely have to come to terms with skittering around reapers if you want to go there.

For general exlporation purposes rather than specific targets... well, I found the most success walking around in a PRAWN suit, since there's a feeling of security in its durability and I always feel much less vulnerable on the "ground" than in open water. Reapers don't have a problem targeting things near the ground, so you're not really "safe," but it helps me cope emotionally, lol. "Keep a weather eye on the horizon": keep your eyes pinned to the "sky" to see far-away reapers!

Personally, while I am terrified of reapers, I'm generally confident in my ability to scout out where they are, remember the landmarks they hang around, then stear clear of them. Even if I do have a run-in, being in the PRAWN suit usually guarantees I'll get away without losing much (other than losing my shit). Particularly in the dunes, most of the reapers are found around the same distance away from the Mushroom Forest border. So if you start from the Mushroom Forest, you'll get a feel for about how far away you can go before you're really in danger of reaper territory. (Incidentally, the wreck is also about that distance, so you can use that as a measuring stick.)  Note that that only applies off the Mushroom Forest border... there are reapers much closer to the dangerous borders I mentioned above.

I personally find the warpers more threatening... unlike reapers, which announce their presence and are hard to miss when you're close to the ground and alert, warpers can pop in at any damn moment and get you out of your safety suit, which I find way more stressful than reaper attacks since I have to deal with it way more often. They're actually the main reason I suggest to not go to the sinkhole... it's crawling with warpers. I actually got teleported out of my PRAWN suit twice before I could move it ten meters, which is super stressful with reaper roars echoing from nearby.

I would actually prefer it if they didn't disappear so I can just see them and avoid them, rather than walking/swimming around and hoping I'm not accidentally too close to one of their patrol routes when they suddenly start existing. More than even the reapers, those damn things are what kept me on-edge in the Dunes. And the Grand Reef. And the Blood Kelp. And the Lost River. Heck, I was more confident in avoiding sea dragons than warpers when in the Lava Zone. The game may be famous for its enormous leviathans, but ultimately I think the warpers are the most threatening presence in the game.