Crafting is responsible for creating many of your most essential upgrades and items. Without this, you can’t make the best weapons, have a good supply of ranged weaponry, or heal yourself out in the field. In short, crafting is a great way to make yourself really powerful.
No matter where you are, take the time to scavenge supplies. Components are all over the city. Your Night Sense detects containers and items, so use that to find stashes of goodies in all of the places that you pass through.
There is method to the city’s madness when it comes to item placement. You aren’t going to find a Pistol in a waste bin. Nor will you find food items in a medicine cabinet. The areas where you scavenge determine the possible items and components that are discovered there. Weapons are often inside locked vehicles, chests, and lockers. Industrial areas have more Metal Parts, Blades, and so forth.
Learn where to search early in the game, and amass a strong supply of components so that you have them whenever you discover a new recipe. Try to have at least one high-end crafted weapon available at all times, then pull it out when the fighting gets heavy.
Component List
| Component | Location | Possible Functions |
|---|---|---|
| Alcohol | Refrigerators | Medical Items |
| Batteries | Toolkits | Weapon Upgrades |
| Chemicals | Cabinets, Kitchen Areas | Weapon Upgrades |
| Duct Tape | Toolkits, Workshops | Weapons and Weapon Upgrades |
| Electronics | Toolkits and Locked Containers | High-end crafting recipes |
| Gauze | Medicine Cabinets | Medical Items |
| Household Supplies | Dressers, Cabinets | Weapon Upgrades |
| Metal Parts | Trash Bins, Dismantled Items | Weapon Repairs |
| Nails | Warehouses, Supply Rooms, Dressers | Weapons |
| Plastic | Toolkits, Containers | Grenades, Bombs, Upgrades |
| Power Cable | Industrial Areas, Warehouses | Weapon Upgrades |
| String | Dressers, Simple Containers | Thrown Weapons |
| Tin Can | Toolkits, Containers | Many Tools |
| Toxic Lichen | Cliff Areas | Toxic Thrown Weapons and Upgrades |
| Underwater Algae | Coastal Areas (Underwater) | Potions |
| Herb | Wilderness Areas | Medical Items |
| Fluorescent Shrooms | Caves | Special Thrown Weapons |
| Blade | Toolkits | Weapons and Weapon Upgrades |
| Hunter Gland | Search Hunter Bodies | Special Potion |
| Bolter Tissue | Search Bolter Bodies | Valuable and Makes a Special Poison |
Note that the in-game map has visual representations for various plants and fungi that are available for harvesting. This makes it easier when you’re looking to make a collecting run for these items. Bolters are also shown, so they’re somewhat easy to find (if you don’t mind going out at night).