[brawndo_mom]

While there haven't been many change to Risa this year, there has been a new game added: Sun, Sand and Scavenging.

This is a hunt for the artifact game, and the mechanism is a 'you're getting hotter, you're getting colder' idea, as you may have played when you were a child. There is a MAJOR difference, however, in that you will be told if you are closer to or further from the target - but it is relative to where you last ran the scan, i.e., you are further away than you were, you are closer than you were. It can be confusing. SO...

To play the game, use the site to site transporter and go to Qwen's camp. After talking with Gwen to acquire the mission, you'll need to initialize you scanner. Do not do this immediately, but rather, take your floater to the top of the volcano (I use the peak that has no trees, to the southeast of the camp.) Intialize the scanner here, as every target will be equidistant.

Choose a cardinal direction (north, south, east or west). Fly a very short distance in that direction and scan. If you get a FURTHER message, turn back and go the opposite direction just past the center point, and scan again. You should receive a CLOSER message. Turn ninety degrees, run a short distance and scan again. If FURTHER, then you know the target is in the remaining quadrant. Why keep it a short distance between these initial scans? There are targets that run close to the imaginary center lines; go too far, and you may get s FURTHER reading that will slow you down.

For example: I acquire the mission. I go to the top of the mountain, and initialize the scanner. I turn north (just because - no real reason) fly a few meters toward Qwen's, scan, and learn that I am now further away from the target than I was at the center of the map. This eliminates everything north of this imaginary line. I turn around, run a few meters south, and confirm that I am now closer: the target is either in the southwest or southeast. I turn east, fly a few meters and check again: it's FURTHER, so I reverse course, go west a few meters, and confirm that I am now closer.

There are four potential targets in the southwest quadrant. I aim for the little island with one tree on the southwest side of the map http://i.imgur.com/inz1bDo.jpg, checking the scanner frequently. If it changes to FURTHER as you fly, you can assume you've just passed the target; hang a left and aim for the closest target, and scan again.

It takes some practice, but it's worth it. The reward is 20 favors - except for the last fifteen minutes of the hour, when the game is featured and you earn 50 favors (sort of like the sandcastles from previous years.)

To capitalize on this, you can acquire the game anytime, collect the artifacts - but do not turn them in until the last fifteen minutes of each hour, when the premium awards are being given. I run it immediately after the dance contest, powerboard races and post-horgahn hunt, then run any remaining toons during the game period, when I have all the toons turn in the artifacts. This is 400 favors for my 8 toons.

Confusing? Find me in game and I'll walk you through it.

Mom!