Subnautica - Deep Sea Exploration & Survival-All

I really want to do more in this game, but I'm such a baby.

Just got a new ultrawide monitor and this is one of the first games I tried out on it. So beautiful. So very, very beautiful

BlackSabre wrote:

Just got a new ultrawide monitor and this is one of the first games I tried out on it. So beautiful. So very, very beautiful :)

Awesome. I'm strongly considering starting another playthrough. I've sworn off Below Zero until it's finished, but I'm very nostalgic for the base game already.

So finally the kids are quiet and playfull with each other.

I had the time for a big grind and explore session of Subnautica.

Cultured some lovely Gel sacks, put together all the materials spread out over 3 of my bases

Two hours of meticolous work...

'lo and behold... finally...

The Prawnsuit

I dove to my new love puppy, entered it, set my first step

and ##%"&/%%## fell into the very bottom a flame geyser..

No chance to pick it up, as soon as I left the suit I got roasted, and the suit is stuck.

Shouted so loud the kids came looking.

"But dad, you know you have to save before you do something important"

Arghhh...

10/10. Sounds like you've taught your kids well. Now just practice what you preach.

I really want Below Zero but yeah, don't want to jump in when it's not finished. Kids are watching Jacksepticeye playing it and im trying to not look because it's so damn awesome and i don't want to spoil any of it.

Agreed. Even more painful because I play on PS4 and know it's going to be a looooong time before I get to play it.

BlackSabre wrote:

I really want Below Zero but yeah, don't want to jump in when it's not finished. Kids are watching Jacksepticeye playing it and im trying to not look because it's so damn awesome and i don't want to spoil any of it.

I felt the same way, but this week's Conference Call had nothing but praise for it. So, now I'm second-guessing myself. The original was SOOOOO good...!

vypre wrote:
BlackSabre wrote:

I really want Below Zero but yeah, don't want to jump in when it's not finished. Kids are watching Jacksepticeye playing it and im trying to not look because it's so damn awesome and i don't want to spoil any of it.

I felt the same way, but this week's Conference Call had nothing but praise for it. So, now I'm second-guessing myself. The original was SOOOOO good...!

TBF they (the devs and the conference call) were definitely clear that the story isn't complete yet and that its still loaded down with bugs. I'm super excited and i will definitely buy it, but i think my personal buy in point is when they get the story all the way done. not polished, but present.

I think I'm pretty much at the point where I may just buy it now, even though I have no intention of playing it until it's done. I just really want to support the devs that made my favourite game since Witcher 3.

But.... since I'm participating in the No Buying New Games thread I'm holding off for now. In the meantime I have started a new playthrough of the vanilla game. As an 'experienced' player I thought I would just power through the early stages... but I forgot how much damage those exploding fish did in the shallows and got too close to one too many

kergguz wrote:

I think I'm pretty much at the point where I may just buy it now, even though I have no intention of playing it until it's done. I just really want to support the devs that made my favourite game since Witcher 3.

But.... since I'm participating in the No Buying New Games thread I'm holding off for now. In the meantime I have started a new playthrough of the vanilla game. As an 'experienced' player I thought I would just power through the early stages... but I forgot how much damage those exploding fish did in the shallows and got too close to one too many :P

One of my favorite parts of the experience of the original game almost reminds me of Prey. In the beginning everything is scary and mysterious, but as you get blueprints and tech and such your capabilities get better and things go from scary to surmountable

I did almost the full map, but still miss one piece of the Cyclops... mehh... No fun exploring if it is grinding.

BTW, do the cyclops upgrades also apply to the seamoth?

Honestly, as much as I want to play it, I will stick to my guns and wait. It just makes more sense as I don't want the placeholders. I want the final intended product and then go have fun with it. I've got more than enough to entertain me until it's finally released.

Have been playing this game more than I really have time for, and enjoying it immensely. I have been meticulously avoiding any outside guides despite my 10 year old son constantly asking "you want me to see if YouTube has a how-to?".

Unfortunately, it has reached sort of a grindy stage. Exploration keeps requiring power I don't have in spades, so making batteries can take a lot of time I don't have for gaming. I'm sure the story is stuck until I can find the next lifepod, but the one annoyance I have is the lack of a mapping system (If I can build a SeaMoth with a handheld device, shouldn't I be able to map where I've been?).

But an exploration game where even air is a resource is genius. They've created a real sense of danger and vulnerability. I tried it in VR, but it was just too tiring holding my breath that long.

Jakobedlam wrote:

Unfortunately, it has reached sort of a grindy stage. Exploration keeps requiring power I don't have in spades, so making batteries can take a lot of time I don't have for gaming.

Without significantly spoiling anything, you may find that your experience improves a lot if you focus on obtaining a way to recharge batteries, and a way to build a consistent source of power. If you're stuck in a grindy stage and it's impacting your enjoyment, it may be worthwhile doing a quick online search on where to find those components.

I also found that building some smaller satellite bases in the more remote areas made exploration much easier.

FWIW, I don't believe that any of the lifepods are mandatory to progression of the story. They do sort of hold your hand a little bit and guide you to certain areas, but essentially you just go ever deeper into the ocean (as you find/construct what is necessary to do so) until you reach the resolution of the tale.

---

For myself, I finally finished the game as a slow-burn of about 60 hours. I purchased it right when it released, so I've certainly taken my time. Without a doubt, one of my favourite games of all time. Wonderful exploration, a genuine sense of anxiety in certain regions, and a story that is satisfying while leaving a great deal to the imagination. I'm really looking forward to the sequel, which I won't go anywhere near until it is released.

Jakobedlam wrote:

Unfortunately, it has reached sort of a grindy stage. Exploration keeps requiring power I don't have in spades, so making batteries can take a lot of time I don't have for gaming. I'm sure the story is stuck until I can find the next lifepod, but the one annoyance I have is the lack of a mapping system (If I can build a SeaMoth with a handheld device, shouldn't I be able to map where I've been?).

But an exploration game where even air is a resource is genius. They've created a real sense of danger and vulnerability. I tried it in VR, but it was just too tiring holding my breath that long.

This... the combo is genius, the ooze and graphics.

But the exploration is grindy, and grinding is exploration... for me, after getting the cyclops - the game still felt like grinding and I gave up. It was a fun couple of hours, though. But the rest would be more of the same, diamonds instead of lead, rubies instead of coral... rinse and repeat.

Such is the way with all survival games, at least in the ones I've played.

What Subnautica does differently (and very well IMO) is to deftly weave a rather heart warming story in amongst it, and that's what will either help pull you through the grind, or it won't. For me it gave me something to strive for other than "gather 50 of x resource".

Plus, I dunno, I just thought the environments were incredible, and added a real dangerous element to the grinding. It's not like I could just go gather 20 rubies. I had to go gather 20 rubies whilst watching my back at all times for those bloody crabsquids! It just continually added wrinkles to the standard survival formula, and that's why it's the only game in the genre that I've stuck with for more than a handful of hours.

Don't get me wrong: I am the first to salute the Subnautica experience. With VR I might even play a tad more. It is very good in it's genre, it's just not entirely my cup of tea like FM is or Xcom. That said, it is a very good game.

For what it's worth, once you have the Cyclops and you've upgraded it enough to go deep and to recharge from heat sources, things can go tremendously faster, because you're mostly self-supporting. You can build a farm inside; if you choose the right food(s), that'll take care of both your food and water needs. Power then becomes your other major limiting factor, so having the ability to charge from heat sources (and the ability to get deep enough to get to some of the better ones), means you can stay out almost indefinitely.

I don't know if it's true for everyone, but in my playthroughs, building the Cyclops happened at about 2/3 finished, and getting it upgraded was about 4/5 done. It's downhill from there. There's a few more slightly grindy things to find down deep, but not very many. I think you need less than 20 Kyanite total, and you'll normally find quite a bit as you explore, without much effort. Just keeping your eyes open as you descend into the depths is typically enough.

That part will go much faster with a drill arm on a Prawn suit, but I normally field one of those about the same time I build the Cyclops anyway.

IIRC, silver and copper were the annoying things to find. Finding a way to charge batteries as soon as you can is important to cutting down on your copper consumption.

Thanks Malor,

I think I have had too much bad luck with this game. To name a few (just a few.. mind you)

the first prawn suit I built I stumbled in a geyser. It is still there.

The next 4 to 6 hours I tried to find the last cyclops part without walkthrough, only to discover it was just 5 meters apart from one of my bases.

I built a moon-pool in mushroom forest which my cyclops can't reach due the mushrooms surrounding it. I should deconstruct the whole lot and built it up at a better spot.. going forth and back to ship the resources and all.

I know I can solve these things and read walkthroughs... But then I might as well sow grass and watch it grow. The game is good, but not my cup of tea..

It kinds of reminds me of a friend of mine who I recommended good ol' Championship manager to. One of their first itterations (CM 1, If I am not mistaken). He played and played and won all, the he reloaded and decided to change his line up for the final after two minutes into the game: Keepers as striker, Striker as Keeper and so forth. He still won... He hasn't touch any football sim since.

I'm off to Xcom 2, never played it, and I having a complete blast at playing it.

I just got past the 500m mark, and am still enjoying it.

I've never really tried scavenger or survival games before. Resource gathering in RTS or MMORG was more than enough for me. I have watched my son get very into ARK, and then completely lose interest. I was mystified by the first stage, totally understood the second. But this story certainly has pulled me in.

I have a feeling I need to find more at the deeper Degasi base, but I keep getting my ass handed to me every time I go back, stranding my SeaMoth there. Up till n ow I've enjoyed the lack of weapons in this game, but now I would REALLY like to take out those crabsquids.

Jakobedlam wrote:

Up till n ow I've enjoyed the lack of weapons in this game, but now I would REALLY like to take out those crabsquids.

As with much of this game, the solution is to just run and dodge. Beyond schooling the occasional aggressive fauna with the Prawn drill-arm, there's really no viable way to fight back. You're pretty firmly in the low end of the food chain in this game! Even at the end, decked out with the very best equipment, I was still running from almost all major threats.

Stasis Rifle is your friend.

lunchbox12682 wrote:

I really want to do more in this game, but I'm such a baby.

100% this. I was one of those people that picked this up for free as part of the Epic Games Store launch promotion and have played a little bit off and on. I've managed to bottle up my fear of those things that prowl around the kelp forests and the screaming cave fish just strike me as a nuisance.

But, I know it gets worse the deeper you go. So much worse.

And apparently it's been ported to VR. I have an Oculus, but that's a big ol' "nope" from me. Haha!

heinz57 wrote:

But, I know it gets worse the deeper you go. So much worse.

The deeper parts of the game match 7 of the 9 preconditions for stimulating terror in humans.

Just FYI.

Honestly, I find the Reaper Leviathan to be the most terrifying thing in the game and there are several pretty close to where it all starts. So once you get over that, the rest is smooth sailing diving.

BlackSabre wrote:

Stasis Rifle is your friend.

1 Stasis rifle,
2 stab
3 stab
4 stab
5 stab
6 stab
7 stab
8 stab.
IF reaper/ghost is still alive, goto 1

0 sh*t pants

thrawn82 wrote:
BlackSabre wrote:

Stasis Rifle is your friend.

1 Stasis rifle,
2 stab
3 stab
4 stab
5 stab
6 stab
7 stab
8 stab.
IF reaper/ghost is still alive, goto 1

This is great on crabsquids, but every time I tried it on a leviathan, I got tired of clicking before I ever killed one.

1. Stasis rifle
2. Run away.

When it came to the Cyclops, I stocked a cabinet full of decoys next to the decoy launcher.

Man I can not find salt deposits for the life of me. Water water everywhere but not a drop to drink. I only found 2 in 3 hours.