The Outer Worlds 2 is not your typical open world game. In reality, it's more of an open zone experience. You get a decently large area to roam, although it feels more like a guided experience with fixed locations, rather than a world you're destined to get lost in. For The Outer Worlds 2 and its replayability, though, it's a great fit.
That said, it might be pretty easy then to simply avoid ever touching all those wilderness areas with no buildings and the like because what could be possible there? Entire mission, apparently! So trust not only the map, but your eyes as well and you may stumble upon some very useful quests with lovely rewards.
Where to find routine scouting of rare resources Quest
A mission title that is good for getting a number of words. The mission The Routine Reconnaissance Of Rarefied Resources can be found on Paradise Island. It's actually not that far from Fairfields, just a short distance east of the city itself. However, it's buried in trees and dense vegetation off the beaten path, meaning it's unlikely you'd ever even consider going here.
Walking along the path, you can see some containers and wires leading deeper into the vegetation. Follow these to get to someone with another wonderfully long name – Director Of Resource Exploitation Betsy Szmuch. We'll just call her Betsy for brevity.
Her job, as a member of Auntie's Choice, is to investigate the natural landscape of the planet Eden, and Paradise Island specifically, to see exactly what natural resources are there and how they can be exploited for economic gain. The free market demands it. And hey, this is auntie's choice! Of course she will pay you to help!
Specifically, she wants you to help her find some of these resources based on her information. Betsy isn't exactly cut out to handle all the Crabbles and Raptidons around Eden.
Finding the Heartless Laphoria
First of all, she tasks you with finding the Heartless Laphoria, which she only describes as a beautiful flowering plant. Not much to do, but it's something. She offers you two locations to search, both of which must be investigated before the objective is completed. They are an area just north of her location and slightly east of the Bridge of Awe and another near the Automech Repair Center in the southeast corner of the map.
What Betsy unfortunately doesn't make clear is that Heartless Laphoria specifically grows near Zyranium. So try to avoid getting poisoned on your little botanic trip.
If you have already visited one or both of these places, you can inform Betsy and go directly to the next target with the latter.
Near Automech Repair Center
Just like Betsy said, the Automech Repair Center is in the southeast corner of the map. If you don't have the right skills or an access pass, you won't be able to enter the repair center itself. That's a good thing, though, because there's no Heartless Laphoria in there. You have to go around the back.
At the southernmost point of the Automech Repair Center there will be one series of tubes that get rid of excess Zyranium. These are pretty deadly to stay submerged for long, so try to avoid them, especially the thicker clouds. You only need to collect a single Heartless Laphoria from here, but collect as many as you can. They have another purpose beyond this quest.
East Of The Reverend Bridge
Betsy's instructions are again quite accurate. Travel to the awe-inspiring bridge, just don't get too close. The Protectorate guards the whole thing a bit on the edge. Head east instead, carefully avoiding the many landmines embedded throughout this area. This is a bit easier to navigate if you've leveled up observation or explosives.
East, you will see one fairly ravaged area with a fairly significant Zyranium leak and, would you know it, lots of Heartless Laphoria. As before, you only need one, but pick up as many as you can, and try to avoid lingering in Zyranium too long, it's not good for you.
Seriously, if you max out your Zyranium poisoning, you die instantly. Don't let that happen.
With both the Heartless Laphoria location investigated, you can go back to Betsy to report the good news.
Find Ferrochromium
Of course, the Routine Reconnaissance Of Rarefied Resources mission does not end there. Betsy hasn't downloaded enough of her work on you yet, and that means you haven't earned your Bits yet either. This time she wants you to go in search of another rare resource, Ferrochromium.
Trusty ol' Betsy gives us seats for three sites for Ferrochromium this time, and this will send you to every corner of Paradise Island. She wants you to check the east coast, the far southwest, and the gorge directly north of her location. Let's start looking.
However, Betsy provides a little more guidance on where Ferrochromium can be found. Which is it found in rocky or mountainous placesand that's where you should search with her directions.
As before, you can tell her if you've already researched these places, and if you've researched all three, you can complete the quest here and now.
East Coast
The east coast, considering you're on an island, is pretty substantial, and one of the least specific of the directions Betsy offers. Where you want to go for this one is upper part of the east coast near Westport. And yes, even though it's called Westport, it's on the eastern part of the map.
Ferrochromium can be found where the sheer cliffs meet the sandy beach. Just be careful as there are quite a few very territorial Crabbles here.
Far southwest
Like the east coast, in the far southwest, you also trawl along the coast and deal with even more Crabbles. Just like the east coast, look along the cliffs where the rocks meet the sand, with plenty of Ferrochromium along here.
There is also a place along here, the mysterious cave with the possibility of a fairly difficult Crabble popping up if you're looking for a challenge.
North Ravine
The Northern Ravine is thankfully a little more specific than the other Ferrochromium directions, but is also one you may have already found. It is northeast of the Heartless Laphoria that was east of the Reverend Bridge. If you already picked up The Lab That Shouted Loudly And Incoherently quest from Ormsby, the Ferrochromium is right next to where you pick up the Red Spore samples.
But yes, in the ravine. It's a high ravine, then be careful when going down. You can find lots of Ferrochromium along the walls here, so pick up as much as you can.
There is also a ship submerged in the water at the bottom here which allows you to reach the northern island with Vox Relay if you have the double jump unlocked.
With all these locations explored, you can return to Betsy and share the good news. She will be happy and share the recipe for it Sentry Blade Covert Grip and some lovely experience and some extra positive reputation with Auntie's Choice.
What are Heartless Laphoria and Ferrochromium used for?
Now you've collected all this Ferrochromium and Heartless Laphoria, and Betsy even hinted that there are so many more unique resources like this on other planets. So what are they even for? You see, this mission was really just a fun way learn how and where to find these resources.
These, and the resources found on other planets, are used in crafts. Not all, but some of the rarer things you can do, like the more powerful mods, will use those resources a lot. So it's always worth picking them up when you come across them.
