Test of the Singing Cicada - Guide

I set out to write a basic guide to the Test of the Cicada. There are several ways to pass this test this guide covers finding and placing cages on your own. In this guide you will not find nest locations but basic ideas on where to look for and where to place cages. Hopefully this helps.

Where to look:

• Head out from the region centers. If you see a compound, mine, brickrack, or something else that is player built you are unlikely to find a cicada nest. The execption to this rule I have found so far was a fennec trap.
• Look for mountains or cliffs people place cages near these and in small canyons this is because the cliffs can hide the sound of a nest as well as making it more difficult to access the nest.
• Search a area completely, you don't have to walk a grid pattern but you can find other worthwhile items in your search (herbs, gazelles, shrooms, desert rats) Finding a nest will take -TIME- don't go out to find nests only.

What to take when looking for cages:

• Take a ferryboat kit (4 tar, 20 wood, 20 boards, 4 rope, 1 sail)
• Take safari stuff (2 canvas, 2 rope, 16 boards + 50 to 100 boards for a otter)
• Take a fishing pole

Where to place cages:

Place your cage somewhere hard to get to or not easily stumbled across, good locations include: High mountains far from region centers, Canyons or Cliffs that are difficult to access, islands, middle of the desert etc.

• High mountains that have extremely difficult terrain are normally great places to hide nests, if it takes 30 minutes to climb to the perfect spot from the base of the mount great! Try running up and down the mountain a few times and see how long it takes you along the fastest path. If there's a School or University at the base of the mountain look for another site. Look for a mountain that is difficult to see on the map (all desert, part of a large mountain range, grassy etc)
• Canyons and Cliffs can be a great place or a horrid one, run around these areas and try and remember how difficult it was to get to this site, did you run for at least 5 minutes from the entry or nearest access to this area? if not write down the coords and look abit more, you might find a better area a little further on. With luck someone will be on the wrong side of the cliff/canyon and be unable to find a route to the cage. Remember people look to these areas for finding cages because they know that you'll place them here, don't make it easy for them.
• Islands these are good and bad. Never drop your cage on the first island you come across, try island hopping, sail from the shore to island #1 from island 1 to 2 etc. Finally drop the cage on the furthest point from the shore. If you're lucky you'll need to be right on the shoreline to hear the cage.
• Middle of the desert.... this is one of the more difficult locations for finding cages however you need to do a little work before dropping a cage somewhere in the desert. Check the map are there any landmarks, grassy areas, near tarpits or sulfurous lakes? Pull out a dowsing rod and hunt around, any thing but sand? Write down the coords and walk around the area, do you see any fennec traps, mines, or anything else that might cause people to come by? If you answered yes to any of these move on there is alot of desert.

What to take while placing cages:

• Everything you would take to find cages as well as, 4 boards and 1 linen per cage you plan on placing.
• A dowsing rod (look for any veins someone might be following)

Things to remember:

• The person that finds your cage may not even be looking for cages, try your best to keep this from happening!
• Plan on spending several hours looking, have a pen and paper ready incase you find a good location for placing a cage.
• Talk to people that have passed the test, some will be willing to give you hints on where they have had the best luck.
• NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, place your cage near another! Each cage has a area that the sound of the cage can be heard in, the more cages in a area the more likely your cage will be found.
• You get points for how long your cages are not found and for the cages you find. Hide your cages well.

This is a -basic- guide none of what is stated here is garenteed to get you to passing the test, it will however give you a start.

-- Narathena