Subnautica

I have to say, I'm finding the actual gameplay very linear. To get X, you need Y, and get Y, you need Z.

I don't recall Empyrion being this linear in its gameplay.
 
I have to say, I'm finding the actual gameplay very linear. To get X, you need Y, and get Y, you need Z.

Yeah that is one of the 'fair' criticisms you can put to it. I had read (iirc) that the plan is to build a much more 'sandbox/creative/explore-free' mode for it (down the line), but yeah as it currently is it is a game that is difficult to want to replay multiple times, atleast i'm finding that.
 
I'm still in the early game, so I'm posting here without reading the thread. PLEASE NO SPOILERS. I'm on PS4, and the game is still new, and pretty buggy. One bug that BUGS me is, you guessed it, shadows. My base (which is very early and modest) does not cast any shadows, yet the pieces of the base not only cast shadows, they cast shadows INSIDE my base as well, so the spinning sonar casts a shadow on the floor of my scanner room as if the walls were made of glass! Is this a PS4 bug, a Subnautica bug, or perhaps bad luck for me because I put my base in a bad place or built it odd or something else?

Please reply directly to this post so I know you're answering me. Thanks!
 
I'm still in the early game, so I'm posting here without reading the thread. PLEASE NO SPOILERS. I'm on PS4, and the game is still new, and pretty buggy. One bug that BUGS me is, you guessed it, shadows. My base (which is very early and modest) does not cast any shadows, yet the pieces of the base not only cast shadows, they cast shadows INSIDE my base as well, so the spinning sonar casts a shadow on the floor of my scanner room as if the walls were made of glass! Is this a PS4 bug, a Subnautica bug, or perhaps bad luck for me because I put my base in a bad place or built it odd or something else?

Please reply directly to this post so I know you're answering me. Thanks!
Haven't encountered that in the PC version. Have no graphical complaints at all TBH..

Re. 'no spoilers' - i'd highly recommend sticking to that religiously - don't watch any videos, don't Google any questions about where to find X or Y resource / keys etc. since once you've completed the story arc - which revolves around escaping from the planet, after all - it's pretty much game over. Thus to get the most out of it, work it all out for yourself, solo.

My biggest regret is Googling where to find a certain key i'd missed, because locating it basically preempted the remaining gameplay and the whole pretext for continuing. I wish i was still diligently searching for it, concocting plans and strategies for finding it, because it was something to do - a raison d'etre - that disappears once you've completed the story.

Now on my second playthrough i'm ignoring the story (not building the radio, since i don't want to get off the planet!), and instead trying to construct little imaginative pretexts and goals for continuing.. but it can be hard to think of what to do next when you've already built your ideal base; all you need to do is eat and drink occasionally, just surviving for survival's sake... so do try to get the most mileage you can from the main story arc!

Currently i'm trying to build a base that fulfills certain criteria:

• has heat vent/s both for base power, as well as a charging point for the cyclops
• likewise, has a 'dock' for the cyclops, so the entrance hatch 'interfaces' with the base hatch, thus a minimal distance moving from one to the other
• has a 3 km vertical drop down to the ocean floor via a singe ladder, hence i can exit the cyclops, enter the base, walk a short distance down a tunnel then climb down a ladder and i'm 'instantly' at the sea floor (lowest point in the ocean) surrounded by ghost leviathans

• build 'stuff' 3km down at the sea floor (umm a small garden, exterior lighting, umm an octopus's garden type-stuff... why? Who knows, what else is there to do?)


Like i say, better to drag out the story arc as far as possible! Google nothing!
 
Don't do this.

If you fall through the scenery you have to start again.

Correction...

If you fall through the scenery, you get to start again. :D

New games are always fun, and I have yet to get even close to finishing... primarily because I'm hoping for proper touch controller support, so I can complete it in VR.
 
Correction...

If you fall through the scenery, you get to start again. :D

New games are always fun, and I have yet to get even close to finishing... primarily because I'm hoping for proper touch controller support, so I can complete it in VR.

I'm ok with starting over because I mistimed oxygen or got careless around massive hungry things, but I was right down in the deeps doing really well collecting bits for the cyclops depth mod2 when my prawn fell through the floor. Killer scenery is irritating.

Having said that I'm so used to hardcore I always forget it doesn't save on exit in other modes so I never make progress in them anyway.
 
After playing subnautica in VR in can safely say that this game is terrifying and fascinating at the same time. It made me order my first VR device.

Alone the ability to move your menu cursor with the eyes is a game changer for me.
 
Just got this over the weekend, and like the OP played it for about 9 hours straight.

It's funny how one of my first thoughts was "I'd love it if you could get stranded on a planet in ED and have to scavenge (or science the crap out of it) your way home". But there is scavenging and crafting (synthesis) in ED, it's just not generally much fun, more a chore you need to do occasionally.

I'm not sure what the difference is.... is it simply that in Subnautica scavenging and crafting pretty much IS the game you accept it, whereas in ED you feel it's a ship-flying game so anything that interrupts that feels frustrating? Or does ED need more complex and interesting crafting menus (with the availability of all items/materials cranked up to compensate).

It'd help if scooping things in the SRV weren't so tricky, pity it doesn't just have an articulation arm that picks up anything you target nearby, plus keybinds for next/last item. Having said that, trying to catch fish with a gamepad is awkward! The right stick is for 'look', but the "A" button is grab; you can't press them both at the same time since it's the same finger. I tried re-binding but it didn't work very well.
 
Also tried Below Zero of course but don't like the direction of development (pointless SJW lame-fest)..

Still, thanks again to everyone here for the heads-up!
Interesting. Haven’t tried Below Zero but was intending to get it when it’s more complete, and therefore have been avoiding reading up on it much. Not asking you to go in-depth, but I’m curious what’s SJW lame-fest about it?
 
Having said that, trying to catch fish with a gamepad is awkward!
Use that gravity grabber tool thing (I forget what it's called, but it's a handheld tool), aim in general direction of fish from a distance and suck them right to you! It's way easier than trying to catch them by hand.
 
Interesting. Haven’t tried Below Zero but was intending to get it when it’s more complete, and therefore have been avoiding reading up on it much. Not asking you to go in-depth, but I’m curious what’s SJW lame-fest about it?
Near as I can tell, this whole "SJW" brouhaha is about the fact that the POV character is a non-white female.
 
Near as I can tell, this whole "SJW" brouhaha is about the fact that the POV character is a non-white female.
Is that really it? It's hard to believe that this would be enough to cause a stir, unless the game is also leaning on identity politics real hard in the story or something. I never even thought about the identity of the protagonist in original Subnautica, so (s)he could be anything and it wouldn't have made any difference to me. If that's all there is to it then I imagine I'll enjoy Below Zero just fine.
 
Is that really it? It's hard to believe that this would be enough to cause a stir, unless the game is also leaning on identity politics real hard in the story or something. I never even thought about the identity of the protagonist in original Subnautica, so (s)he could be anything and it wouldn't have made any difference to me. If that's all there is to it then I imagine I'll enjoy Below Zero just fine.
No, I think that's just it.
I haven't played it either, but from what I've seen, the character is as non-descript as in the original game, anyway, so how can somebody have a problem with that is beyond me.
And for me it's only a plus, actually. I like playing as a chick. All my MMO characters are female. :LOL:
 
Use that gravity grabber tool thing (I forget what it's called, but it's a handheld tool), aim in general direction of fish from a distance and suck them right to you! It's way easier than trying to catch them by hand.

Aaaaaah! I only just crafted that last night, but thought it had something to do with lifting heavy objects. Didn't realise you could use it on fish. Thanks!

I'm gonna eat tonight! Yaaaaaay!
 
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