IRON NESTGuides

Map troubleshooting

Stuck on Fire & Light? How to triangulate the first target

Spotter coordinates are observation points. The usual failure is drawing from the wrong origin or treating the Spotter as the target.

Quick answer

A bearing is a direction measured from north. Spotter coordinates are observation/reference positions, not targets. Mark each Spotter, draw its reported bearing from that Spotter—not from the Iron Nest—and treat bearing-line crossings as target candidates. If a report gives distance, use the range-circle tool from the same reference. For the normal bearing workflow, you do not need a separate protractor; the measuring pencil/line displays the bearing.

Triangulate the target

  1. Mark each Spotter reference

    Place the numbered map marker on each reported Spotter location and keep that reference available. Fire & Light can refer back to a Spotter later, so do not clear both the clipboard information and your persistent map marker just because the first target is complete. The numbered marker is the clearest recommendation, not a mechanically required control; another persistent user-created mark can preserve the same reference. Do not treat a Spotter coordinate as the target.

  2. Draw from the correct origin

    A bearing is measured from north. Current players describe using the yellow pencil/line: start it at the matching Spotter/reference marker and rotate it to the reported bearing. Do not start a Spotter bearing at the Iron Nest.

  3. Combine lines and range circles

    Use two independent bearing-line crossings as a target candidate. If a Spotter reports distance, use the relevant range-circle/ranging tool centered on that reporting reference; distance is not another bearing.

  4. Keep ambiguity visible

    A line and circle or two circles can leave multiple valid intersections. Add another independent bearing, range, or reconnaissance observation instead of forcing one point.

  5. Retain useful markers

    Keep each Spotter location marked before its message scrolls away. Current research did not establish a reliable version 1.0 history, recall, re-request, or regeneration control after the original position is gone.

Still stuck?

I drew the bearings from the Nest

Redo each observation from its matching Spotter/reference position. A Spotter bearing describes direction from that observer, not from the firing origin.

I deleted Spotter 1's position — where is it?

If the original position is still visible in the message or clipboard information, mark it on the map immediately. Community reports repeatedly recommend keeping the numbered Spotter marker at that reported location because Fire & Light can refer back to Spotter 1 later. If the original coordinates have already scrolled out of view, this research did not establish a reliable current-version history or recall control. Do not guess a fixed Spotter grid.

I can't find the protractor / how do I measure the bearing?

For the normal Spotter-bearing workflow, you do not need a separate protractor. Community tool discussions consistently describe the yellow measuring pencil/line itself as displaying the bearing while you drag it. Start that measuring line at the matching Spotter marker and rotate it to the reported bearing. Distance remains a separate range-circle problem; informal tool names are not treated as official terminology.

The lines almost meet but do not cross exactly

Do not force the lines together. Displayed observations may have limited precision; follow the related precision troubleshooting before treating a near-intersection as a bug.

I have two possible intersections

Both candidates can satisfy the observations mathematically. Use another independent bearing, range, or reconnaissance constraint to eliminate the false candidate.

Current-version note: keep Spotter references marked before messages scroll away. The core plotting workflow is corroborated, but exact Fire & Light values, post-scroll recall/history controls, and every interface interaction are not independently locked down for version 1.0 (1618).

Avoid these plotting mistakes

  • Treating a Spotter coordinate as a target coordinate.
  • Drawing a Spotter bearing from the Iron Nest instead of the reporting reference.
  • Clearing both the Spotter note and persistent map reference before later instructions reuse it.
  • Guessing a historical fixed Spotter coordinate after the original position is gone.
  • Looking for a separate protractor instead of reading the bearing from the measuring pencil/line.
  • Confusing bearing-line geometry with the separate range-circle geometry used for distance.
  • Forcing one target when the reported geometry leaves two valid candidates.
Why the geometry works

Historical gameplay discussions agree on the reference-marker, bearing-line, and range-circle procedure. Repeated community reports also support preserving Spotter locations because Fire & Light can refer back to an earlier observer, and describe the measuring pencil/line itself as displaying bearing without a separate protractor. This supports a useful map workflow without turning old mission coordinates, exact mission order, post-scroll recall behavior, or informal tool names into current constants or official terminology.

Triangulation procedure corroboratedCurrent-build limitsChecked Aug 14, 2026

The reference-origin and triangulation procedure is corroborated, including repeated community advice to preserve Spotter markers and use the measuring line itself for bearing. Exact mission values, official tool naming, and a current recall method after the message scrolls away are not established.

Version context: Core geometry, persistent Spotter references, and the measuring-line bearing workflow are community-corroborated; current post-scroll recall/history behavior remains unverified

Still uncertain

  • Exact version 1.0 (1618) mission coordinates and order
  • Reliable current-version history or recall control after Spotter information scrolls away
  • Whether the same Spotter location can be re-requested or regenerated without restarting
  • Full current STAR-shell correction workflow
  • Official name and complete current interaction contract for the circular ranging tool

Evidence and verification context

  • Multiple historical gameplay discussions: Independent Demo/pre-release explanations agree that Spotter coordinates are reference positions, bearings originate there, distance uses circles, and ambiguous intersections need another constraint.
  • Current Fire & Light guide inventory: Supports current user demand only. The rate-limited guide body was not used as factual evidence.
  • Spotter persistence discussion: Community discussion documents players losing Spotter 1 after clearing notes and later needing the reference again. Multiple replies recommend preserving the reported location with the numbered map marker or another persistent mark. The discussion does not establish a reliable current-version recall or history control after the information scrolls away.
  • Bearing-line and protractor discussions: Community tool discussions consistently explain that the measuring pencil/line displays bearing while it is drawn, so a separate protractor is not required for the normal Spotter-bearing workflow. Informal tool names vary and are not treated as official terminology.