In the context of the No Man’s Sky universe, a ‘trace of metal’ refers to a small quantity of metallic elements or compounds found within a specific resource, deposit, or planetary environment. An example would be finding a minute amount of copper embedded within a rock formation or present in the composition of a plant.
The presence, or absence, and type of these minute metallic indicators is important because they are often a preliminary step to locate and refine more valuable and concentrated resources. It aids in efficient resource management, reducing the time spent on blind searching and allowing players to focus on areas with a higher probability of yielding worthwhile materials. Historically, this concept has been adapted from real-world geological prospecting and resource extraction methods.
