For normal 2.x nodes, touching (not gathering from, just opening the window) three different nodes in a group of four causes the first of those three to respawn. This lets you run between three nodes, gathering nothing, until a map (or other hidden item) spawns. When the node respawns, its position is re-randomized among the possible locations it can appear (the minor variations), hidden items are rerolled, the node returns to 100% health, and it's just like the node was depleted and came back.

For normal 3.x nodes, they work the same, but it seems like you have to touch five to trigger the respawn. I dunno, generally running between all six is just as fast as a group of four would be due to how they're spread out in a triangle, so I just do that. When a 3.x normal node respawns, the node bonus also re-randomizes (2.x nodes all have fixed bonuses based on which of the four nodes it is).

For ephemeral 3.x nodes, they work as if they were 2.x nodes attached to the 3.x node group. If you touch three nodes (including the ephemeral), the node respawns. Since ephemerals have exactly one position they can appear in (there is zero variation), it's hard to tell if the node respawns or not when touching three other nodes in the node group, but if you do touch it and then two others, it definitely respawns. However, ephemeral nodes have a fixed window of time in which they can appear (I think it's a four hour window?). Unlike 3.x unspoiled nodes, this window occurs once per day, not twice, however it seems to be four in-game hours long instead of one. The mining ephemeral node that spawns east of Zenith in the Hardsilver Sand/Cloud Mica area, I think, is 8pm-midnight? I'm sure there's a list somewhere, I don't have my notes with me.

So, you can farm the ephemeral as you said - by using two other nearby nodes and jumping between them like they were a 2.x node group. However, if you do this, the 3.x nodes will not respawn, so if I'm hunting for my daily map in an area that has an epehmeral, I'll hit the ephemeral on my way past in the rotation, but continue rotating between all six so the 3.x nodes can respawn and maybe give me a map.


Favor nodes work differently. They work differently than normal/ephemeral nodes and differently from unspoiled/legendary nodes. They require you to completely deplete a node in the group to give the favor node a chance to spawn. Just touching them is not enough.