If, like us, you're almost immediately turned off by stuff like the FrontierNav mechanic in Xenoblade Chronicles X, listen, we get it.
However, once you know what you're doing and how to optimise it, FrontierNav is a cinch to have set up and running in the background, ensuring you're making enough moolah and Miranium to keep yourself living the high life.
So, let's take a look at how FrontierNav works and how best to utilise it.
Xenoblade Chronicles X: FN Optimisation Guide
What Is FrontierNav (FN)?
Essentially, you Nav network enables you earn much-needed resources in-game.By planting a probe at a designated FrontierNav site, you can mine and research, create storage points and more, in order to make a tidy profit.
FrontierNav's interface can be selected by shifting across to its tab in the world map screen.
Images: Nintendo Life
By seeking out FN locations — each of which is loosely shown on your map and indicated by red beacon in-game — you'll widen your network and increase available funds for upgrades, weaponry, Skells, and fuel. Pretty straightforward.
Image: Nintendo LifeFN Probes
There are both Mining and Research probes of varying levels that you can collect as you play and then install to create networks, complete with bonuses for linking like-probe types in chains.
Images: Nintendo Life
Besides these two types, you'll also get special probes for storage and others that allow you to boost and duplicate.
Sightseeing Spots give big boosts
Yep. There are several special sightseeing spots to find across Mira, and by activating a probe in the same grid-space as one, you'll get big bonuses to your Miranium numbers.
Image: Nintendo LifeKeep your Probes updated
Once you've been studious enough to plant probes in an efficient manner across the world, it's important to keep them updated, removing any level one efforts and replacing them with higher-levelled gear. Simple, but easy to forget!
Images: Nintendo Life
Best FrontierNav Setups
Your best setup will be to your own liking, of course, but the key things, especially early on as you get used to playing, are to:- ensure you chain types early for % bonuses, and
- recognise FN Site Ratings
Images: Nintendo Life
Once you're up and running, make sure to deploy special probes as necessary, and with an eye towards the endgame.
How much Miranium can you currently store? Around about 15,000 at a time in the earlier stages, but you're gonna want to store much more than this. So a focus on storage probes can pay dividends in the endgame.
Of course, it's easy to reset and rejig all of your probe sites, so play around and have fun!
FN Site Ratings
FN Site Ratings appear when you hover over the gear icon that represents an FN site on the map. These ratings are split into three sections; Production, Revenue, and Combat Support.Make sure to check these ratings to determine which probes you want to place at which site for best effect.
Images: Nintendo Life
Your resource needs will change in Endgame
Towards the end of the game, your resources needs will change, and you'll want to ensure that you take the time to reset any probes that are not at max efficiency.Keep an eye on your FrontierNav, drop in and say hi once in a while, and you'll have it at max output fairly easily.
