Subnautica |OT| The Devil in the Deep Blue Sea

[Joe Spangle]

Ive been playing this game all weekend and find it absolutely brilliant. Ive finally just got....

Spoiler

Cyclops / colossus sub. Its like a mobile fortress. Im a lot less scared to explore deep areas with it though it took me about 15 hours to finally find the specs for it. Up until now ive been exploring deep with the seamoth

Its the best mix of explore/craft/build ive played in a long time. And i find it really nerve racking when dropping over a shelf into the deep unknown.

 

[Deleted member 176]

I don't want to do a full LTTP, but I just want to pop in and say this may be one of my favorite games ever. What's there is really good and it just keeps going and going. I made it all the way to the volcano area below the giant tree before I had to ditch because of the crushing pressure, but whew.

It reminds me of Metroid Prime, and as a person terrified of open water it's probably the scariest game I've ever played.

 

[Joe Spangle]

So a giant sea worm thing just ate my prawn sub. I'd jumped out of it to look in a wreck and i heard a roar and then the HUD marker icon for the prawn went zipping off into the deep blue sea. It flew around a bit at about 200m away before disappearing.

 

[Chopchop]

Ive been playing this game all weekend and find it absolutely brilliant. Ive finally just got....

Spoiler

Cyclops / colossus sub. Its like a mobile fortress. Im a lot less scared to explore deep areas with it though it took me about 15 hours to finally find the specs for it. Up until now ive been exploring deep with the seamoth

Its the best mix of explore/craft/build ive played in a long time. And i find it really nerve racking when dropping over a shelf into the deep unknown.

Click to shrink...

That thing is easily the coolest vehicle I've ever had in a game.

So a giant sea worm thing just ate my prawn sub. I'd jumped out of it to look in a wreck and i heard a roar and then the HUD marker icon for the prawn went zipping off into the deep blue sea. It flew around a bit at about 200m away before disappearing.

Click to shrink...

That sucks. That thing must've missed the "suit" part of prawn suit lol.

I've come out of a wreck to find something munching on my seamoth before, but thankfully I was able to save it. I got really careful about where I parked my vehicles after that.

 

[Joe Spangle]

That thing is easily the coolest vehicle I've ever had in a game.

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It is a cool vehicle. I like how you can build stuff in it.

 

[Chopchop]

It is a cool vehicle. I like how you can build stuff in it.

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I think that's the part that makes it cooler than other large vehicles in other games. Being able to build things in it lets you really customize it and make it your own.

 

[Joe Spangle]

So when using the cyclops sub it seems to attract the big sea worms which then proceed to chase me back to my safe space where i need to have a cup of tea and a sit down. Am I supposed to be running silent around them? Does that make them less likely to come after me?

 

[Gray]

So when using the cyclops sub it seems to attract the big sea worms which then proceed to chase me back to my safe space where i need to have a cup of tea and a sit down. Am I supposed to be running silent around them? Does that make them less likely to come after me?

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Yes. Running silent and at slow speed will attract less of the hostile fauna. Also there's the creature decoys if you're having problems.

 

[Joe Spangle]

Yes. Running silent and at slow speed will attract less of the hostile fauna. Also there's the creature decoys if you're having problems.

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Cool. Cheers. Up till now ive only been using the decoys as i run away to try and shake them off my tail.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

So when using the cyclops sub it seems to attract the big sea worms which then proceed to chase me back to my safe space where i need to have a cup of tea and a sit down. Am I supposed to be running silent around them? Does that make them less likely to come after me?

Click to shrink...

When you say "big sea worm," are you talking about the Reaper Leviathan? There are certain biomes that they spawn in, and they're far more frequent around the edges of the map than in the center. You're probably venturing into territories that spawn a bunch of them. You can look at a map at https://subnauticamap.io/ and show the spawn locations of the hostile leviathans to get a sense of where is safe and where to be on your guard.

 

[Joe Spangle]

When you say "big sea worm," are you talking about the Reaper Leviathan?

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Yep those fellows.

Cheers that map looks useful.

 

[Chopchop]

So when using the cyclops sub it seems to attract the big sea worms which then proceed to chase me back to my safe space where i need to have a cup of tea and a sit down. Am I supposed to be running silent around them? Does that make them less likely to come after me?

Click to shrink...

Possibly game-breaking tip:

Spoiler

Apparently stopping and turning off your engine makes anything aggressive to you stop targeting you after a while, because you stop making noise. I'm not 100% sure it's true, but I think it worked for me.

This only applies to the Cyclops because you can't turn off the engine on the other vehicles.

 

[Joe Spangle]

Possibly game-breaking tip:

Spoiler

Apparently stopping and turning off your engine makes anything aggressive to you stop targeting you after a while, because you stop making noise. I'm not 100% sure it's true, but I think it worked for me.

This only applies to the Cyclops because you can't turn off the engine on the other vehicles.

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Im just adopting the scaredy cat technique of staying very still and hoping they dont come near me or the extreme scaredy cat technique of running away.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

Im just adopting the scaredy cat technique of staying very still and hoping they dont come near me or the extreme scaredy cat technique of running away.

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I played the even more scaredy cat tactic of completely avoiding any zone that tends to spawn them. I had a very specific path through the mushroom forest and into the blood kelp zone to get to the lost river that only took me by some ampeels and the one ghost leviathan; I avoided the mountains, the crag field, most of the grand reef, the dunes, the crash zone, the bulb zone...

When I first started the game, I was playing it by casting the PC to the HDTV in my living room. I could sit back on the couch, relax a bit, enjoy the surround sound and the occasional terrors of trying to find your way around at night. But it was more relaxed because there was distance between me and the screen. Then my wife was using the TV one night so I elected to play it at my desk on a monitor with headphones. And that happened to be the day when I decided I should finally explore the wreck of the Aurora. I didn't even have a Seamoth at this point, mind you, so it's just me and my Seaglide meandering along to the wreckage of this enormous crashed ship. I clear the kelp, and enter the murky radiated water near the back of the ship. I crest the sand dune and freeze; not 10 yards away was a reaper leviathan. He turned, saw me, and came at me with ferocious speed while letting out a terrifying scream. Not willing to be outdone, I also let out a terrifying scream, albeit in the real world, which caused my wife to tell me to shut up. I managed to dodge him and made my way to the Aurora, but by that point I was rattled. I hadn't brought anything I would need to explore the ship and I wasn't going back in the water with that thing. I just reloaded my previous save and quit for the night.

Ever since that experience, I have avoided any zone which might have a reaper. Those fellows are terrifying.

 

[Gray]

I played the even more scaredy cat tactic of completely avoiding any zone that tends to spawn them. I had a very specific path through the mushroom forest and into the blood kelp zone to get to the lost river that only took me by some ampeels and the one ghost leviathan; I avoided the mountains, the crag field, most of the grand reef, the dunes, the crash zone, the bulb zone...

When I first started the game, I was playing it by casting the PC to the HDTV in my living room. I could sit back on the couch, relax a bit, enjoy the surround sound and the occasional terrors of trying to find your way around at night. But it was more relaxed because there was distance between me and the screen. Then my wife was using the TV one night so I elected to play it at my desk on a monitor with headphones. And that happened to be the day when I decided I should finally explore the wreck of the Aurora. I didn't even have a Seamoth at this point, mind you, so it's just me and my Seaglide meandering along to the wreckage of this enormous crashed ship. I clear the kelp, and enter the murky radiated water near the back of the ship. I crest the sand dune and freeze; not 10 yards away was a reaper leviathan. He turned, saw me, and came at me with ferocious speed while letting out a terrifying scream. Not willing to be outdone, I also let out a terrifying scream, albeit in the real world, which caused my wife to tell me to shut up. I managed to dodge him and made my way to the Aurora, but by that point I was rattled. I hadn't brought anything I would need to explore the ship and I wasn't going back in the water with that thing. I just reloaded my previous save and quit for the night.

Ever since that experience, I have avoided any zone which might have a reaper. Those fellows are terrifying.

Click to shrink...

They are terrifying... at first. Then you create the Seamoth's electric defense system and you'll be daring them to touch you. And once you get the prawn suit you'll be scared of nothing. I was punching ghost leviathans in that thing with only minimal damage to the suit. Great feeling. Until you get teleported out :D But that's another story...

 

[Joe Spangle]

Snip.

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It is amazing how this game can induce so much anxiety and out right terror. Im usually alright with scary games (ish) but this one has me on edge. I will say that im now getting near the end point of the game (i think) and so it doesnt have quite the same impact as it did at first but there are still many points where If i had a wife im sure she'd tell me to shut up.

 

[Chopchop]

I played the even more scaredy cat tactic of completely avoiding any zone that tends to spawn them. I had a very specific path through the mushroom forest and into the blood kelp zone to get to the lost river that only took me by some ampeels and the one ghost leviathan; I avoided the mountains, the crag field, most of the grand reef, the dunes, the crash zone, the bulb zone...

When I first started the game, I was playing it by casting the PC to the HDTV in my living room. I could sit back on the couch, relax a bit, enjoy the surround sound and the occasional terrors of trying to find your way around at night. But it was more relaxed because there was distance between me and the screen. Then my wife was using the TV one night so I elected to play it at my desk on a monitor with headphones. And that happened to be the day when I decided I should finally explore the wreck of the Aurora. I didn't even have a Seamoth at this point, mind you, so it's just me and my Seaglide meandering along to the wreckage of this enormous crashed ship. I clear the kelp, and enter the murky radiated water near the back of the ship. I crest the sand dune and freeze; not 10 yards away was a reaper leviathan. He turned, saw me, and came at me with ferocious speed while letting out a terrifying scream. Not willing to be outdone, I also let out a terrifying scream, albeit in the real world, which caused my wife to tell me to shut up. I managed to dodge him and made my way to the Aurora, but by that point I was rattled. I hadn't brought anything I would need to explore the ship and I wasn't going back in the water with that thing. I just reloaded my previous save and quit for the night.

Ever since that experience, I have avoided any zone which might have a reaper. Those fellows are terrifying.

Click to shrink...

That reminds me that I should probably check out some of the other biomes. I never explored the more exotic ones more than I needed to.

I never built the seamoth defense system but I bet that would make life quite nice.

 

[Joe Spangle]

I finished the game! Really enjoyed it. Already bought the next one (but will wait for 1.0 release).

Spoiler

Loved the end bit where you drop into the pool in the last centre to find that massive dragon octopus creature and help its babies.
Does anyone know if you hang around and dont leave the planet do those things grow up and inhabit the ocean? would be cool if they could be found swimming about, perhaps even eating the big worms making areas safe.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

I finished the game! Really enjoyed it. Already bought the next one (but will wait for 1.0 release).

Spoiler

Loved the end bit where you drop into the pool in the last centre to find that massive dragon octopus creature and help its babies.
Does anyone know if you hang around and dont leave the planet do those things grow up and inhabit the ocean? would be cool if they could be found swimming about, perhaps even eating the big worms making areas safe.

Click to shrink...

Spoiler

That's pretty much what happens. There's only like 5 of the juvenile sea emperors, so they don't go to every biome, but they will go into some of them and they will protect you if anything tries to attack you while they're near. Even in their juvenile state, they're pretty large. They don't actually kill other creatures, mind you; I think the game mentions they get all their food as the equivalent of plankton. But they're good allies, and it's really cool to swim with them in areas where you used to be afraid of reapers.

 

[Joe Spangle]

Spoiler

That's pretty much what happens. There's only like 5 of the juvenile sea emperors, so they don't go to every biome, but they will go into some of them and they will protect you if anything tries to attack you while they're near. Even in their juvenile state, they're pretty large. They don't actually kill other creatures, mind you; I think the game mentions they get all their food as the equivalent of plankton. But they're good allies, and it's really cool to swim with them in areas where you used to be afraid of reapers.

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Cool!

 

[Deleted member 5549]

the latest patch fixed the horrible pop-ups (on ps4), I never knew the world was so dense with caves and mountains and shit, lol. although, the stuttering and the occasional 5 fps trigger my migraines, guess you win some, you lose some.

but finally managed to finish the game. I had all the resources to build the rocket, still took way too long with swimming back and forth to get the items.

 

[PlzUninstall]

I'm about 18 hours into the game and I can't cope anymore. It's too terrifying.

I've been attacked by the Leviathan several times and it was more stressful each time. Few times I was being ballsy near the giant shipwreck. The last time I heard his roar and somehow he was already insanely close and ate my poor Seamoth. I zipped back to base after he let go and quit the game and haven't played it for months now.

How do I go back, SubnautiEra? :(

 

[Deleted member 5549]

I'm about 18 hours into the game and I can't cope anymore. It's too terrifying.

I've been attacked by the Leviathan several times and it was more stressful each time. Few times I was being ballsy near the giant shipwreck. The last time I heard his roar and somehow he was already insanely close and ate my poor Seamoth. I zipped back to base after he let go and quit the game and haven't played it for months now.

How do I go back, SubnautiEra? :(

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explore the other areas. they're also more fun. gather supplies or mark the spots with beacons, so you'll find them later.

 

[Love Machine]

Snip

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I'm really curious to try this game, but stories like this are terrifying.
To think I'll have to face those things (which I can only really imagine because I don't want to spoil myself) and get used to them at some point...

It's currently on sale on PS4, so I'm really torn. I'm not very experienced with survival games outside of NMS, and something about the aesthetic of this one really appeals to me. But the deep sea monstrosity thing... lol I'm really wigging out about it, but maybe someone can convince me either way.

 

[Gray]

I'm really curious to try this game, but stories like this are terrifying.
To think I'll have to face those things (which I can only really imagine because I don't want to spoil myself) and get used to them at some point...

It's currently on sale on PS4, so I'm really torn. I'm not very experienced with survival games outside of NMS, and something about the aesthetic of this one really appeals to me. But the deep sea monstrosity thing... lol I'm really wigging out about it, but maybe someone can convince me either way.

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Go for it. One of the best gaming experiences I've ever had. Also, it's my first and only survival game, so you don't need to have any survival game experience to enjoy it.

 

[captainmal01]

I'm really curious to try this game, but stories like this are terrifying.
To think I'll have to face those things (which I can only really imagine because I don't want to spoil myself) and get used to them at some point...

It's currently on sale on PS4, so I'm really torn. I'm not very experienced with survival games outside of NMS, and something about the aesthetic of this one really appeals to me. But the deep sea monstrosity thing... lol I'm really wigging out about it, but maybe someone can convince me either way.

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There's a creative mode that means you can't die, so it does help to take away the fear of encountering the large monsters. Only downside I think is the story is disabled.
The first encounters can be scary but you can quickly learn to avoid most monsters. And if you're in the Seamoth, you can outrun them, even if they manage grab hold of the seamoth and then release you. Running away is a great tactic in this game.

 

[Sorel]

Hey everyone, I'm considering buying it but I'm a afraid of the PS4 port. Does it run well (steady FPS, no subpar resolution) on the pro ?

 

[Atomic Playboy]

I'm really curious to try this game, but stories like this are terrifying.
To think I'll have to face those things (which I can only really imagine because I don't want to spoil myself) and get used to them at some point...

It's currently on sale on PS4, so I'm really torn. I'm not very experienced with survival games outside of NMS, and something about the aesthetic of this one really appeals to me. But the deep sea monstrosity thing... lol I'm really wigging out about it, but maybe someone can convince me either way.

Click to shrink...

Definitely get it. It's a really, really good game. The story is compelling but also told in a non-traditional way, encouraging exploration and uncovering more of the lore behind the world as you explore further into the depths. There are some jump-scare moments, to be sure, but you start learning the behavior of creatures pretty quickly and once you understand their patterns, they stop being so frightening; most of the terror is generated by not knowing what's going to happen, so as you start to feel more comfortable in the environment, the terror gets replaced with a general feeling of "OK, I just need to do this to avoid confrontation." I loved No Man's Sky as well, and Subnautica has a few things going for it over NMS; it's a better world (because it's hand-built as opposed to procedurally generated), it's got a better story, and the visual/audio presentation is better. If you find yourself getting terrified, I would recommend looking up some spoilers to help get you through it; I'm normally not one to suggest people spoil an experience for themselves, but I also have thalassophobia and there's no way I would've played through the entirety of this game had I not spoiled parts for myself in advance to make sure I wasn't going to be terrified. I'm glad I did; the game is really, really good.

 

[Love Machine]

Gray captainmal01 Thanks for the replies. You convinced me to take the plunge!
Started on Survival mode (I definitely want the story, so Creative is for later). Was difficult even taking that first dive off the escape pod, but I'm gradually making my way further afield and managed to craft some essential gear in the first hour or so. The atmosphere and presentation is something else right off the bat. I'm very much out of my comfort zone, but really intrigued.

I don't think I'm close to getting a Seamoth yet, but the idea of larger creatures grabbing you is pretty unnerving. I guess nothing enormous is going to suddenly appear out of nowhere in the little coral reef around the pod? Even the Stalkers and little exploding fish are making me uneasy at this point lol.

Atomic Playboy Thanks for your support! The way the narrative and exploration are intertwined already feels rewarding. Getting those infrequent radio transmissions...the Aurora having a meltdown...there are some nice beats to break up the game flow.
The terror has yet to set in, but I'll keep your advice in mind. Just Googled thalassophobia... Good.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

Gray captainmal01 Thanks for the replies. You convinced me to take the plunge!
Started on Survival mode (I definitely want the story, so Creative is for later). Was difficult even taking that first dive off the escape pod, but I'm gradually making my way further afield and managed to craft some essential gear in the first hour or so. The atmosphere and presentation is something else right off the bat. I'm very much out of my comfort zone, but really intrigued.

I don't think I'm close to getting a Seamoth yet, but the idea of larger creatures grabbing you is pretty unnerving. I guess nothing enormous is going to suddenly appear out of nowhere in the little coral reef around the pod? Even the Stalkers and little exploding fish are making me uneasy at this point lol.

Atomic Playboy Thanks for your support! The way the narrative and exploration are intertwined already feels rewarding. Getting those infrequent radio transmissions...the Aurora having a meltdown...there are some nice beats to break up the game flow.
The terror has yet to set in, but I'll keep your advice in mind. Just Googled thalassophobia... Good.

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Without giving much away in terms of spoilers, the area that you start in is called the Safe Shallows, and it lives up to its name. You won't find anything particularly dangerous there, so think of it like a home base where you don't need to worry about anything. As you move out of the Safe Shallows you'll go into the Kelp Forests (where the Stalkers are) and the Grassy Plateaus (which are marked by red grass along the bottom; they run a bit deeper than the Safe Shallows). These areas are largely safe as well, so they make a good area to explore around; even if the Stalkers seem intimidating at first, you'll realize that they really don't hurt you. As you move beyond those biomes, that's where you need to be more mindful, as you're no longer definitely safe. The Seamoth is excellent for getting around quickly, but once you craft it you'll see that it doesn't actually offer a huge amount of security (although you can build modules that help). Do you have the Seaglide at least? Getting that and the Seamoth will make your journey much nicer (the Seamoth has a built-in oxygen supply which is a huge help for obvious reasons).

 

[Love Machine]

Snip

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Good to know. I don't have any vehicles yet. Just fins, a standard 02 tank, knife, scanner, repair tool, flashlight, etc.
Just enjoying getting a feel for the surrounding flora and fauna. Will venture further into those neighbouring areas as I get more familiar with the systems.
Noticed that scanning bits of machinery lying around gives progress towards (what I imagine will be) blueprints for the Seaglide and vehicle bay. So for now I'll just keep scannin' and swimmin'...

Edit:

Hey everyone, I'm considering buying it but I'm a afraid of the PS4 port. Does it run well (steady FPS, no subpar resolution) on the pro ?

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I'm less than a couple of hours in, on regular PS4, but the FPS and resolution seem fine. I'm pretty pleased with the performance aside from the odd choke when exiting/entering the water. (Disclaimer: I don't do any modern PC gaming and PS4 is what I'm used to.)

 

[Gray]

Good to know. I don't have any vehicles yet. Just fins, a standard 02 tank, knife, scanner, repair tool, flashlight, etc.
Just enjoying getting a feel for the surrounding flora and fauna. Will venture further into those neighbouring areas as I get more familiar with the systems.
Noticed that scanning bits of machinery lying around gives progress towards (what I imagine will be) blueprints for the Seaglide and vehicle bay. So for now I'll just keep scannin' and swimmin'...

Click to shrink...

Just take your time, explore as much as you can around the shallows, you'll find a bunch of stuff lying around. When you're ready, go deeper.

 

[Joe Spangle]

I wish i could wipe my brain and re-play Subnautica again for the first time!

Such a great game for exploration.

 

[Rivyn]

This game is hitting a lot of points that I so desperately desired from a survival game. It feels light on the edge, but deep inside there's this awesome game with a bunch of lore and incentive to explore that I just can not become bored with this. However. I am still wondering if I should drop Survival Mode and go Freedom because of the constant hunger and water needs. Decisions...Decisions...

 

[Joe Spangle]

This game is hitting a lot of points that I so desperately desired from a survival game. It feels light on the edge, but deep inside there's this awesome game with a bunch of lore and incentive to explore that I just can not become bored with this. However. I am still wondering if I should drop Survival Mode and go Freedom because of the constant hunger and water needs. Decisions...Decisions...

Click to shrink...

Isnt there a mode that removes the hunger and thirst meters? Im sure i played it without those.

 

[Deleted member 2652]

This game is hitting a lot of points that I so desperately desired from a survival game. It feels light on the edge, but deep inside there's this awesome game with a bunch of lore and incentive to explore that I just can not become bored with this. However. I am still wondering if I should drop Survival Mode and go Freedom because of the constant hunger and water needs. Decisions...Decisions...

Click to shrink...

I'm running into the same issue. I though by this point i'd have something that would be making food and water for me.

I just got the plans for the

Spoiler

prawn suit

and it needs materials i haven't seen.

Also is at there some like beacon you get? I have to remember where everything by memory and it's kind of driving me insane.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

I'm running into the same issue. I though by this point i'd have something that would be making food and water for me.

I just got the plans for the

Spoiler

prawn suit

and it needs materials i haven't seen.

Also is at there some like beacon you get? I have to remember where everything by memory and it's kind of driving me insane.

Click to shrink...

Yes, you get a beacon pretty early on. I think you can scan fragments near some of the other downed pods to unlock the blueprint for it. You can craft a lot of them and use them to mark areas (you can enable/disable displaying them on the hud so things don't get too crowded).

 

[Joe Spangle]

Also is at there some like beacon you get? I have to remember where everything by memory and it's kind of driving me insane.

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Yes, you get a beacon pretty early on. I think you can scan fragments near some of the other downed pods to unlock the blueprint for it. You can craft a lot of them and use them to mark areas (you can enable/disable displaying them on the hud so things don't get too crowded).

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Yeah beacons are very useful to mark locations for resources / particular areas / paths.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

Yeah beacons are very useful to mark locations for resources / particular areas / paths.

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Has anyone tried Subnautica: Below Zero early access yet? I've seen a few videos and I know they introduced a new pathfinding tool which is supposed to make it easier to traverse underwater cave systems. Not sure how well that works, but having to follow beacon signals to chart the safe way through the mushroom forest, into the blood kelp zone and down into the lost river certainly was not without its issues. I tried being diligent about marking areas with beacons and after you've got 20+ on your HUD (even if you disable them), it just gets ridiculous.

 

[Love Machine]

Has anyone tried Subnautica: Below Zero early access yet? I've seen a few videos and I know they introduced a new pathfinding tool which is supposed to make it easier to traverse underwater cave systems. Not sure how well that works, but having to follow beacon signals to chart the safe way through the mushroom forest, into the blood kelp zone and down into the lost river certainly was not without its issues. I tried being diligent about marking areas with beacons and after you've got 20+ on your HUD (even if you disable them), it just gets ridiculous.

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You seem very experienced with the game, so I could be wrong, but I definitely have a Pathfinder tool in my inventory in the base PS4 version. Haven't used it yet, but it sounds like it's used in exactly the way you described.

I've just started building bases and am loving the flexibility and versatility it gives you. Only got a scan room so far, but being able to move all my junk into proper storage and get rid of all those stupid waterproof lockers is filling me with joy and satiating my OCD lol

Also built a Seamoth. My goodness that thing is fun to whip around in. Love pointing its spotlight at an area I'm working on; really lends to the atmosphere as well as providing a sense of security. Been using the laser cutter to get into wrecks and find more blueprints. The sense of progression is really good.

For anyone starting out: don't hesitate to start building a simple base early on. Even one section of corridor can hold several lockers, making your life much easier. You only need titanium and other common materials. Plus anything can be broken down to retrieve 100% of the build mats, so if you're not happy with something you can simply pack it up and build again. Get on it as soon as you can craft the habitat builder.

Edit:
Any similar games for Vita or 3DS?
I'm going away for a summer trip and will inevitably get withdrawal lol
If you guys know of anything similar setting/tech-wise, or just good survival games (preferably with base building) that could tide me over, that would be great!

 

[Atomic Playboy]

You seem very experienced with the game, so I could be wrong, but I definitely have a Pathfinder tool in my inventory in the base PS4 version. Haven't used it yet, but it sounds like it's used in exactly the way you described.

Click to shrink...

You are absolutely correct. Apparently I never bothered to construct one and didn't even know about it until I watched some Below Zero footage earlier this year (I haven't touched Subnautica since last year). That's funny.

 

[Deleted member 2652]

the PS4 performance is a real shame. i just built something that can't be deconstructed and now my game runs at like 20fps consistently. i wish i could go back and buy it on the pc.

 

[Love Machine]

I've now made every tool in my blueprints and have a small habitat filling up with materials and supplies...and I've realised I'm just putting off going deeper than I need to lol.

There are a couple of signals about a click out from the landing zone, but the Seamoth can't go deep enough without taking damage, and there's no way I'm going into the dark naked.

Guess I'll put on the full radiation suit and make the Aurora my next main objective.
Gotta stop procrastinating, build some confidence and start making some real progress!

 

[Arcus Felis]

Never finished that game, sadly. Inventory management can quite a bit annoying at times. I'm looking forward the sequel though.

One question I never found an exact answer to: do all ressources respawn (especially minerals), or only fishes?

 

[Atomic Playboy]

Never finished that game, sadly. Inventory management can quite a bit annoying at times. I'm looking forward the sequel though.

One question I never found an exact answer to: do all ressources respawn (especially minerals), or only fishes?

Click to shrink...

I don't believe resources respawn except for living things like creepvine. Shale and limestone outcrops don't come back after you've harvested them, nor do any other minerals.

 

[Love Machine]

Tried visiting the Aurora and left feeling a bit...deflated.
Hit the port side and made my way around to the stern, but the textures looked all low res and blown up, which soured the initial experience.
Tried looking for a way in, but suddenly a Leviathan came out of nowhere and dragged me down to the seabed (scared the bejebus out of me).

Headed back to the shallow area portside and repaired the Seamoth before continuing around to the front. Kind of janked around in the scaffolding and couldn't find a way to actually enter the hull. There seemed to be invisible walls on the water surface that prevented me from going up, and I kept clanging against low detail geometry. Felt like I got somewhere the player isn't supposed to go...

Pretty sure I'm missing something, but didn't want to check further as another Leviathan spawned near the front and scared me off :(
Is the entrance around the starboard side? For some reason the idea of putting the huge bulk of crashed ship between me and the landing site makes me uneasy.

 

[jotun?]

Yeah, I didn't like the exterior of the Aurora either. There are actually two ways in, both in the broken section of it

this post has a picture showing it

https://www.reddit.com/r/subnautica/comments/51onjp/picture_guide_showing_the_aurora_front_doors/

 

[Atomic Playboy]

Tried visiting the Aurora and left feeling a bit...deflated.
Hit the port side and made my way around to the stern, but the textures looked all low res and blown up, which soured the initial experience.
Tried looking for a way in, but suddenly a Leviathan came out of nowhere and dragged me down to the seabed (scared the bejebus out of me).

Headed back to the shallow area portside and repaired the Seamoth before continuing around to the front. Kind of janked around in the scaffolding and couldn't find a way to actually enter the hull. There seemed to be invisible walls on the water surface that prevented me from going up, and I kept clanging against low detail geometry. Felt like I got somewhere the player isn't supposed to go...

Pretty sure I'm missing something, but didn't want to check further as another Leviathan spawned near the front and scared me off :(
Is the entrance around the starboard side? For some reason the idea of putting the huge bulk of crashed ship between me and the landing site makes me uneasy.

Click to shrink...

There is an event that needs to occur before access to the Aurora is allowed. It happens naturally after a certain amount of ingame time. It sounds like you went there before this event occurs. Try exploring around, finding some other drop pods and building some more tech while you wait; it should happen in reasonably short order.

 

[Love Machine]

Thanks peeps. I tried again and managed to find my way.
(Atomic Playboy That event had occurred long ago. I think it was just a case of me being a wally, plus performance/visual issues on PS4.)

Actually ended up having a nice long, productive sesh.

- Got the Propulsion Cannon, upgraded for Repulsion
- More batteries than I'll ever need
- Increased Seamoth depth to 300m
- Built the Prawn Suit

The Prawn is pretty great. Love that it has storage and feels pretty sturdy. Gonna take it out for some more cave diving tonight.

Got a few questions about bases if anyone can answer:

- What's the point of a foundation?
- Are the Safe Shallows a good place for a home base?
- Is it possible to make a "dry dock" room for storing vehicles? You know, something with a higher ceiling and a pool in the middle, with the Seamoth sitting there looking all cute and the Prawn able to just walk in/boost out.
- When you place a floodlight, it shows a blueish beam of light going to your base. I'm guessing this indicates where the power's coming from, but can you turn it off?

 

[jotun?]

Got a few questions about bases if anyone can answer:

1. - What's the point of a foundation?
2. - Are the Safe Shallows a good place for a home base?
3. - Is it possible to make a "dry dock" room for storing vehicles? You know, something with a higher ceiling and a pool in the middle, with the Seamoth sitting there looking all cute and the Prawn able to just walk in/boost out.

Click to shrink...

1. I think it's just a nice even surface to put growbeds on

2. Yeah it's a nice easy place. Any place you build that's closer to certain things will also be farther away from others, so I don't think there's really any other *ideal* place. I had my main base in the safe shallows right by where I started, then another one later on in a deeper area, but didn't ever regret having that original one.

3. Yeah, there's a "Moonpool" base module that you can get from scanning wrecks where you can dock a Seamoth or Prawn