NieR: Automata boasts a diverse arsenal of weapons, upgradeable multiple times to extend their viability throughout the game. This guide focuses on acquiring Beast Hides, a crucial crafting material not readily obtained.
Obtaining Beast Hides
Beast Hides are dropped by wildlife like moose and boar, found randomly in specific map areas – primarily ruined cities and forests. These animals are easily spotted on the mini-map with their white icons (distinct from machines' black icons). They tend to avoid players and robots.
Farming Beast Hides isn't straightforward due to their infrequent spawns. Their behavior depends on your level; lower-level players may find them fleeing, while higher-level encounters might lead to aggressive behavior. Wildlife possesses substantial health, making early-game encounters challenging.
Tips for Acquiring Beast Hides
- Animal Bait: Use bait to lure wildlife closer for easier kills.
- Respawn Mechanics: Wildlife respawns similarly to machines: fast traveling, traveling a significant distance, or triggering story events will cause respawns.
- Opportunistic Gathering: Don't actively farm; instead, eliminate wildlife encountered during exploration. Beast Hides have a relatively high drop rate, ensuring you'll usually acquire enough for your needs, provided you don't simultaneously upgrade more weapons than you can equip.
In short, consistent exploration of forest and city ruin areas will yield the necessary Beast Hides without requiring dedicated farming strategies.