Biome - Exotic

The subject of this article is from the Frontiers update.
The information from this article is up-to-date as of 15 February, 2022.

Boundary Failure on Shorodo 1A. (Shards)

Exotic is one of the Biome varieties.

Summary

Semi-Scorched with Huge Rocks (Chromatic)

Exotic (or Weird as per game file) biomes are characterized by having various mysterious objects not found in other biomes. When viewed from space, most look rocky and pockmarked by holes. However, some look like giant, artificial Hex worlds.

Unlike dead worlds, there is no elevated strain on life support. Unique structures and vacant bases can be found here as well.

Unlike other planets, where the surface, plant-life, and rock formations are largely determined by what biome the planet has, Exotic planets have a handful of unique surface types exclusive to this biome.

As of Visions these types have been expanded and standardized, but the Glitch sub-biome carries on the multitude of possible types from the general exotic biomes to showcase. Together with the Chromatic biome that has many interpretations, the Glitch sub-biome is the only one left to do this.

In any galaxy, red star systems have the highest chance for exotic planets, blue stars the intermediate, and green stars the lowest chance.

Due to the conversion of existing Dead biomes made in Vision there is a higher chance to find these biomes, even in yellow star systems.

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  Likast 1 with Wire Cell biome in a yellow star system
  (Visions)

Name generation

The biome type is indicated in the information panel when the player exits their starship. This is procedurally generated by adding a prefix to the Planet or Moon text.

There are exceptions: of Light (2. in Beams) is a suffix instead of a prefix; Planetary Anomaly (2. in Glitch) does not receive additional text indicating the type of the astronomical body.

The possible names for each subbiomes are listed in the following section. The sequence is taken from the game file.

True Exotics

True Exotic worlds are not part of any other biome and are always unique in their existence. Unlike the Chromatic biome which is a mix and mash of other biomes with colour filters for a gaia weather planet, the true exotics showcase a myriad of new and strange landscapes filled with abnormal variants of life and specific trophies to collect for each world.

With each change to the universe the exotic elements that comprise these true exotic worlds have begun to spread: Cable pods appearing below seas and irri shells appearing on different worlds. Featured prominently in the PRISMS trailer, the bubbles appear to have begun to spread to other worlds as well (although the planet shown might still be a chromatic with a strangely normal atmosphere). This continued 'corruption' of the simulation may be a hint to something more - or just a reuse of assets.

Beams

Beam subbiome (Aurora)

Name generation

1. Fissured
2. of Light
3. Breached

The beam subbiome, also known as Pillars of Aurora or just Aurora, is an anomaly type featuring a planet covered in stone structures which resemble unfolded umbrellas, with some of them emitting blue-ish green particles into the sky. These pillars are often seen with green mists swirling around them. Smaller versions of these Light Fissures can be found at specific points on the planet to be secured and brought back home into the safety of a base and lab, or showcased as an exotic trophy. Less dead variants of these fissures, the Living Geysers or Living Plasma Balls can be seen on some beam worlds.

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  Living Geyser

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  Living Plasma Ball

Bone Spire

Floating Rattles at Night

Name generation

1. Rattling
2. Spined
3. Skeletal

As one of the new exotic subbiomes, the bone spire anomaly has appeared in the recent awakening of worlds as observed by Polo. It is characterized by floating cross-shaped rattles and tentacle plants. These plants emit a faint red-orange hue at night, while the rattles glow yellow through ring-shaped crevices. Smaller variants of the Rattle Spine can be collected and showcased as an exotic trophy in bases and labs. While harmless, the sudden appearance of a Bone Crawler can surprise local explorers as it digs through the ground nearby with only its spikes breaking through the surface.

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  Bone Crawler

Bubble

Bubble Subbiome with the new Rainbows

Bloodballoon (topside view)

Name generation

1. Bubbling
2. Frothing
3. Foaming

During the visit to a bubble anomaly the phenomenon will shroud the entire planet in a myriad of shiny bubbles from small to big size. At their height of expansion they can easily fit several trade ships inside of them while small bubbles can barely hold a hand. The truly huge bubbles only appear in the upper atmosphere and have developed a shell to sustain the local pressure.

Along the ground several types of metal marbles decorate the landscape further and contrast the swarm of smaller bubbles that slowly rise from the ground. While most small bubbles will not move much over the day and keep their height, certain regions on the surface seem to experience a slight updraft, resulting in a bubble fountain with many smaller bubbles rising into the air until they pay for their little adventure with an early death. They weren't ready for the pressure above.

Some of the midsized bubbles have acquired strong enough films to sustain repeated and extended changes in pressure. These Bubble Clusters can safely be acquired and transported to be shown to other researchers or visitors in bases.

A rare mutation among the bubbles is the Bloodballoon. Instead of growing huge like most bubbles or fade before ever rising into the atmosphere, some rare specimens of bubbles have synthesized organic compounds inside of them. Together the bubble and the compound seem to acquire energy from thermal condensation. A process in which gases are condensed and release energy for chemical processes associated with the local organic compounds. These compounds refract the condensed liquids inside of the bubble and make it appear red, like blood. Excess of this liquid is constantly dripping out of the Bloodballon to make room for new gas to condensate within it and to keep it light enough to float. Indeed the red bubble seems to exhibit a kind of sentient behaviour as they flee from any visitor at great speed. This propulsion can easily be achieved by changing the trajectory of the exuded liquid and allows speeds that only a jetpack dash can compensate.

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  Bubble Fountain (Night)

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  Bubble Cluster

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  Playing with Bloodballoons: Sneaking Up

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  Playing with Bloodballoons: A Dash Too Far.

Contour

Landscape of a Contour World

Living Cable Pods are indiscernable from their surroundings if they stand still.

Name generation

1. Contoured
2. Cabled
3. Webbed

As one of the new exotic subbiomes, the contour anomaly has appeared in the recent awakening of worlds as observed by Polo. It mainly consists of round brown pods which are covered by a very wide net of cables. Some of these pods are mounted on huge multi-legged structures with a phallic tentacle protruding below them. This phallic tentacle has an oscillating black texture which gives it an eerie appeal. Some of these pods can be collected as Cable Pods for safeguard or to showcase them in a base. Some of these pods are anything but dead though. These Living Cable Pods will sometimes attempt to flee if they see something coming at them.

Several instances of cable pods appearing on other planets have been observed. The reason for their presence is as of yet unknown and leave room to speculate if those planets are about to be corrupted. They most commonly appear below the surface of oceanic planets.

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  Living Cable Pods

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  Cable Pods on other worlds - most often subnautic

Fract Cube

Landscape at Night

Unchained Terbium Cores in their natural habitat.

Name generation

1. Mechanical
2. Metallic
3. Metallurgic

A fract cube subbiome is also known as a Nanophage. This anomaly type covers the planet in remnants, shards and husks of large, metallic, phage-like structures, the Redbraite. Some of these are still active and can be seen floating and glowing red and green in the air, while others remain embedded in the ground and are inactive. All of their lights have dimmed to white. The general appearance of the phages is artificial and they are assembled of two types of smaller but equal parts that form a new shape. Their design is effectively based on fractals, which might explain the subbiomes name in the game files.

Smaller versions of the bigger Redbraites can also be found. This Terbium Growth can be taken home for further analysis or showcase in a base. Terbium Growth itself seems less active as it displays no active light aside of a meek yellow shine of the core. Maybe it is constantly absorbing energy to fuel its growth. Terbium hereby seems to describe the alloy they are made off.

As a noteworthy fact, the visor interprets the floating and still active terbium alloy structures as plants or living matter. This does indeed not describe the terbium alloy and the Redbraite themselves, but their cores. These Terbium Cores sometimes escape their prison and roam freely over the surface of these worlds. They are beings of highly condensed matter and energy. One has to be aware of their regular discharge into the nearby air, which are reminiscent of plasma orbs. Their inner ring and core is shining with a bright red colour, similar to the Atlas, but can also turn green. Since the green light only appears in active Redbraite in the air and not in wild-roaming Terbium Cores, it can be speculated to be the result of a massive discharge or energy absorption by the Redbraite. Maybe it even causes them harm.

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  Terbium Growth (Yellow Energy Signature)

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  Active Redbraite (Red Energy Signature)

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  Active Redbraite (Green Energy Signature)

Hexagon

The Hex, the only biome seen from space! (Hexagon)

Jumping Hexagons or Plateletes (Hexaletes)

Name generation

1. Hexagonal
2. Plated
3. Scaly

Certainly the most famous subbiome, the hexagon, or often just shortened to The Hex, is an anomaly type which divides the planet into a hexagon landscape. Their placement is implied to be so pristine that they form bigger hexagons from an ever increasing distance up to space itself. Ultimately this makes the Hex the only subbiome that is visible from outer space. Despite this illusion of perfection, the planet's surface is entirely composed of hexagonal plates, rocks, and flora on an alternating terrain.

The plants on this world resemble optic fiber and glow in yellow with several hexagon plates serving as their leaves. Smaller versions of this foliage, the Hexplate Bushes, can be safely removed and brought home to study or showcase to other travellers among the stars. Further structures are giant domes of hexagon plates mounted on floating tentacle-like superstructures, which are once again similar to optic fibre and glow yellow. While most of these structures seem 'dead', some of these tentacle domes begin their life as quite agile Plateletes which carry just one hexagon on their head and run around in clusters, groups or schools. It is unclear if they act individual or as a hive. It can be speculated that if merged together later in their life they might form the giant domes encountered on these worlds. It is not impossible.

Hydro Garden

Hydro Garden Landscape

Wisps swarming out during contact.

Name generation

1. Fungal
2. Sporal
3. Capped

As one of the new exotic subbiomes, the hydro garden anomaly has appeared in the recent awakening of worlds as observed by Polo. Despite being part of the true exotics the landscape of a hydro garden world mostly resembles a bleak steppesland. This grassland is littered with mineral mushrooms which consists of iron and calcium and serve as a nurturing ground for plantlife below their cap. These 'odd' stalagmites are completely unnatural and the glowing glyphs on their outer shell imply they are indeed artificial. As the subbiome name implies and the little greenery so unusual for true exotic worlds, this was an attempt to terraform the biosphere. It had minor success. It is unclear which entity attempted to renew these worlds as their first appearance during the dimensional collapse is too recent. Smaller versions of these Calcishroom terminals can be acquired and brought back for study or for showcase. Maybe the future will shed light on this mystery.

The weirdest presence on these bio-engineered worlds are the Wisps which appear on several of them and seem to 'greet' travellers. Either that or their active movement towards visitors with an agitated bloat is a gesture of threat. No reports of aggressive first contact has been documented yet though.

Irri Shells

Irri Shell Landscape

Animated Capilliary Shells

Name generation

1. Finned
2. Bladed
3. Shell-Strewn

As one of the new exotic subbiomes, the irri shells anomaly has appeared in the recent awakening of worlds as observed by Polo. Its main feature is a surface littered in capilliary shells which could both be plant-like or animalic in function. They surround inside the sea of broken shells what seems to be plant-like sprouts but also finned sickle-shaped protrusions from the ground. The general asthetic seems to imply what truly has happened to these worlds lingers deep below the surface and could range from a minor phenomenon of plants and seeds to a huge infestation of worlds akin to zergs from Starcraft.

For those that decide to stick to the safety of the surface, several larger Capilliary Shells can be found and secured for further study and showcase along the way. While the surface itself is mostly deserted and dead, some of the remnant shells form small clusters that seem to animate akin to dragonflys, yet no actual body is seen. The Animated Shells eerie dance among the air and sky of the planet just adds another layer of mystery and threat. They pose no danger.

M Structure

Mollusc-Viruses on Zenith 1D. (M Structure)

Name generation

1. Ossified
2. Petrified
3. Calcified

The M Structure subbiome is also referred to as the Mollusc-Virus for its calcified shells and animated virus-shaped purple phenomena. This anomaly type is very similar to the nanophage, but not at all artificial. The calcification is the endproduct of a biological process seen in nature as well. The mollusc-based shells coat the surface in a myriad of structures and can be absorbed by local plants - or more likely fungi - to form superstructures that yield carbon and are registered as plants in the visor. Visually they resemble a complex molecule. Some of the singular large white mollusc shells still have a 'living' core inside them that lights up if one aims at them. While purple virus-like or phage-like structures can be seen floating in the air, there is no way to interact with them on the same plane of existence.

Smaller versions of the calcified molluscs, so called Ossified Stars, can be picked up and taken home for study or showcase in a base. Some of these small 'stars' are still alive and quite mobile as the fading light animates them. These Living Molluscs will move about the surface and grow until they are too big to move and become one of the large mollusc with the still working but fading starlight... until they die and get absorbed by the superstructures.

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  Living Molluscs

Shards

Crystal Elemental

Name generation

1. Columned
2. Sharded
3. Pillared

Akin to the hexagon subbiome, the shards subbiome is one of the more famous exotic worlds. It is also known as The Glass due to its similarity to the glass worlds described in former Traveller's logbooks at terminals in ruined bases. This anomaly type features large rectangular slabs and smaller crystals of reflective golden stone covered in black scorch marks or paint that levitate above the ground. The surface of the entire planet is littered with large amounts of fractures of varying scale which do not only float around the separators and other structures, but also protrude from the ground. The general colour scheme of the structures makes them appear to be obsidian or silicon in nature, but even they are reduced to iron by a mining beam in the end. The black colour is only on the surface as seen by smaller fragments and their corners.

Among the bigger structures there exist smaller separators which are not held in place on the surface. These Glitching Separators can be stored and taken off world to study or present in a base. Unlike other exotic trophies however, a Glitching Separator is so massive it needs at least a two story room to be presented or has to be placed outside. The crystals are evocative of returner 77 and returner Zhero.

Among the more or less dead landscape some of the shards have taken on a will of their own and combined into a small cluster. If they are driven by magnetic forces on top of the planet or actual sapiens is unclear, but these Crystal Elementals will randomly appear and roam around. Unlike other shards or separators on this world, the elementals appear in pristine gold and without the black scorch marks, opening the question if the black residue is actually a measure of containment for this type of phenomenon.

Wire Cell

Wire Cell Landscape at Night

Wire Cell Landscape at Day (All Structures)

Living Zimbaite

Name generation

1. Shattered
2. Fractured
3. Fragmented

As one of the new exotic subbiomes, the Wire Cell anomaly has appeared in the recent awakening of worlds as observed by Polo. Its main feature is the focus on screens and displays which range from coloured over parasitic to dead or just plain naked. All of these displays and screens can be held up by metal wire cells which are never natural and structured but always bent.

Initially after their existential conception the wire cells and screens form up into floating cubes, also known as Electric Cubes. Some of these can be gathered and taken home for further study or showcase. In the later stage of their existence, these cubes can merge with others and form giant pylons. However, these new pylons become unstable and lose their ability to float. Shortly thereafter they begin to desintegrate on the ground and their remnants fall down to be absorbed into other cubes again. These remnants litter the entire planetary surface.

On the sideline of this seemingly repeating process, some local plants have taken hold of some display and screens to cover and shelter themselves during their growth. In ever smaller bulbs their final form resembles a covered christmas tree, including the lighting. However, just as the pylons, the forces that desintegrate them also affect the plants. Any plant past a certain height and density of screens and displays does begin to desintegrate as well.

The real mystery of the planet are the Zimbaite. While bigger instances of Zimbaites can be found as lifeless husks inbetween the cycle of the wire cells, smaller variants of them hover over the surface with the help of colourful emissions below them. These red sparks seem to be related to whatever makes them float. Their surface is lined with electrical conduits and their general appearance and behaviour implies a type of artificial intelligence. How they interact with the wire cell world is unknown. The lifeless Zimbaites and their smaller counterparts are the only non-cube structures on these worlds that do not suffer desintegration.

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  Wire Cell Landscape at Day

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  Electric Cube

Glitch

Name generation

1. Crimson
2. Planetary Anomaly
3. Malfunctioning
4. Breached
5. Infected
6. [REDACTED]
7. Glassy
8. Thirsty
9. Doomed
10. Erased
11. Temporary
12. Corrupted

The Glitch is the embodiment of all the ancient true exotic worlds in the universe. It does not only consist of and unite all former planet types of the true exotics, it also continues to showcase all of the subbiomes in one. If either planet type is encountered a visitor can never be sure what they will encounter. The only exception are the Crimson, Planetary Anomaly and [REDACTED] type which are shared with and tend to default to Chromatic biomes for all star types. While it is unclear if the new types are part of it as of yet, all the old ones are part of its portfolio. While it is the most diverse subbiome, it also has become the most rare among the true exotics.

Weather

Despite any weather indications, True Exotic planets are dead calm so storms never occur.

1. Invisible Mist
2. Internal Rain
3. Lost Clouds
4. Crimson Heat
5. Winds of Glass
6. Thirsty Clouds
7. Obsidian Heat
8. Memories of Frost
9. Haunted Frost
10. Indetectable Burning
11. [REDACTED]
12. Anomalous

Anomaly types

Unlike other planets, where the surface, plant-life, and rock formations are largely determined by what biome the planet is; Exotic planets have a handful of unique surface types exclusive to this biome. These include:

• Chromatic: "Mega" Exotic worlds under effect of the chromatic shift can be identified by the lack of colour. The entire world suffers a major desaturation of light. Not all of them have mega structures though and some have a blue hue which almost makes them look normal. Introduced in the NEXT update, this anomaly type is characterized by having mega-sized versions of objects found in other planet biomes. The atmosphere here refracts light into unusual colours. It is further considered as its own biome.

Additional Information

• The name generation and weather with their sequence are extracted from the 3.68 version of NMS_UPDATE3_ENGLISH.MBIN game file.
• Given that the separators are made out of Ferrite Dust, this suggests they are highly magnetic in nature and may be floating due to superconductivity and some super-cooled element along with than purely strong magnetic forces.

Related Articles

• Atmosphere

Release history

• Atlas Rises - Added Exotic Worlds
• NEXT - Added Chromatic Shifted Worlds with the chance of mega structures
• Visions
  • Added new exotic biomes and bound old ones to specific planet types for direct identification in space (except for Glitch and Chromatic Planet subtypes). Prior to Visions the planet type did not decide the anomaly encountered. An exotic planet could have any other exotic biome anomaly type.
  • Added new and specific species and trophies for exotic worlds.
  • Hidden changes: Mineral and flora scans now count towards missions and do show up in discoveries. Prior to Visions this was not the case.

Gallery (Pre-Visions)

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  Gabjort 2, Mollusc-Virus Planet (Infected)

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  Oyuan 1, Nanophage Planet (Thirsty)

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  Ikyushu 1, Nanophage Planet (Glassy)

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  Atieme 1, The Glass (Glassy)

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  Jordalumber Eyam, another The Glass (Crimson)

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  Yomi 3, The Hex (Corruption)

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  Vessay 2, Bubbles