Exploration
Most of the map starts hidden. Before a site can be used, it has to be found.
Visibility states
A site moves through up to four states:
| State | What you see |
|---|---|
| Unknown | Nothing. Hidden from the map and F10. |
| Rumored | A rough search area and a radio frequency. Exact position is masked. |
| Discovered | A provisional marker after a flyover. Position is approximate. |
| Mapped | Full details: stock, routes, F10 navigation, and its normal radio beacon. |
Only mapped sites are fully usable for deliveries and navigation.
Rumors
Rumors appear on their own over time, generally near existing supply or construction demand, and generally closer to one of your mapped Settlements — the further a site sits from the nearest one, the less likely it is to come up. A rumor gives you:
- A rough search area (a circle, not a point).
- A radio frequency to search on.
- A compass direction and a named anchor site for context ("reported south of X").
Check the Current rumors list under F10 > Other > Tycoon > Navigation for every open rumor, its search area, and its frequency.
A rumor left unattended for too long eventually lapses back to unknown, and a site that just lapsed won't immediately show up as a new rumor again. It needs a little time before it can reappear, so the same site doesn't cycle back the moment it drops out.
Finding a rumored site
Rumor search uses a simulated A/N radio range, the historical four-course radio beacon: fly the course line named in the rumor text and you hear a steady tone; drift off it and you hear a Morse "A" (dit-dah) or "N" (dah-dit) bleeding through instead, telling you which way to correct.
This requires SimpleRadio Standalone (SRS) — the tone is sent to you personally once your radio is tuned to the rumor's exact frequency and modulation, not broadcast to everyone in range.
- Tune the rumor's frequency and modulation in SRS.
- Fly into the search area, roughly along the compass direction named in the rumor text (e.g. "south of X" — fly the line running south from the anchor).
- Listen for the tone: a steady, rhythm-free tone means you're on the course line; a Morse "A" or "N" mixed in means you've drifted to that side — the stronger the letter, the further off. The Gazelle (SA-342) hears a wider, more forgiving course and a slightly longer range than other airframes.
- Flying near the actual site promotes it to discovered, with a provisional marker on the map.
- Landing on it confirms it as mapped, unlocking its full details, beacon, and F10 navigation.
Survey Station
Some sites — richer ore deposits, advanced factories, oil — only start showing up as rumors once the region has a Survey Station built to a high enough level at any of its Hubs. Level 2 unlocks Tier 2 cargo rumors, level 3 unlocks Tier 3, and the unlock applies across the whole region, not just near that one Hub. See Settlements & Projects for how to build one.