Subnautica - another stranded survival game..looks good.

[Sepiche]

I use floor lockers and the stand alone sign under misc. to label them.

Quartz is a little rare-ish in the early zones, but it's pretty common in some of the cave systems especially.

[Unagi]

And done. Really, really fun ending.

Kinda sad. Great game.

I have one question for ya.

Spoiler:

Is there / Am I under any time constraint, ultimately?
I've played the EA version right about until they came up with 'the cure'...
I've not ever really engaged the alien side of the story yet in my earlier games...

At the heart of my question is: Can I relax and take my time this run through, or will I die or lose if I slack too much.

[Sepiche]

I have one question for ya.

Spoiler:

Is there / Am I under any time constraint, ultimately?
I've played the EA version right about until they came up with 'the cure'...
I've not ever really engaged the alien side of the story yet in my earlier games...

At the heart of my question is: Can I relax and take my time this run through, or will I die or lose if I slack too much.

Spoiler:

No, you can take your time. The progression of the disease is tied to completing story event, not the passage of time.

[jztemple2]

I use floor lockers and the stand alone sign under misc. to label them.

Quartz is a little rare-ish in the early zones, but it's pretty common in some of the cave systems especially.

But signs need two copper for copper wire, so that's two copper and one quartz more for a 60% larger locker that eats up more floor space. And with all my corridors I have plenty of wall space to use up. Think globally, act locally

[Blackhawk]

Floor lockers are a little more material efficient, but wall lockers are more space efficient. One multipurpose room can fit in two double rows (back to back) of floor lockers, plus 24 wall lockers.

I also like to (eventually) have individual-item lockers. Usually three for titanium and three for quartz, three labeled 'organics', and one each for everything else, plus a set of 'overflow' lockers. Then one for food/water, one for products (the crafted items used for further crafting - copper wire, etc.), one for energy cells/batteries, one for gear, a Precursor locker, and a vehicle upgrades locker.

I have the same basic selection set up inside the Cyclops. The room with the free lockers on the lower deck can have a double-high row of wall lockers on the opposite wall. The Cyclops also gets a separate locker for Cyclops upgrades (I have one of each, and like to swap them out depending on what I'm doing) and one for torpedoes (creature lures are a must.)

As for mid-game quartz:

Spoiler:

Take the PRAWN suit to the border between the dunes and the mushroom forest for enough quartz, titanium,
and copper to choke a leviathan.

[jztemple2]

I bought this game back way early in early Early Access and put in about forty hours over several campaigns, but quit playing so I wouldn't spoil the surprise of the final release. And this playthrough definitely feels different. For instance, I've been all over the map in the Seamoth and built a fairly decent base, but I've yet to find the blueprints for the Cyclops. But that's actually a good thing, because in earlier playing I'd get the Cyclops and pretty much not put in a lot of time base building. It's been a lot of fun developing my main base and checking out the local area And now my local area is starting to feel like a neighborhood. Except there seem to be fewer fishes

[Sepiche]

For instance, I've been all over the map in the Seamoth and built a fairly decent base, but I've yet to find the blueprints for the Cyclops.

Yeah, I had that same issue. I had a large, well equipped base before I found all the pieces of the Cyclops, but then again I was a little gun shy early on of going too far out where some of the better wrecks are.

To add insult to injury, I was watching one youtuber play the early game, and he managed to find all the parts for a Cyclops and get it built before he even noticed he could build a habitat.

[Blackhawk]

There are certain locations where you can find lots of parts fairly early, but only if you happen to stumble across that exact spot.

[Archinerd]

Anybody got a tip that will hopefully prevent me from misplacing helmets? I got lucky and re-found me radiation helmet but I have a feeling my Re-breather is floating around in a kelp field somewhere. I ended up just making a new one but I'd rather not lose it in the first place.

[Sepiche]

Anybody got a tip that will hopefully prevent me from misplacing helmets? I got lucky and re-found me radiation helmet but I have a feeling my Re-breather is floating around in a kelp field somewhere. I ended up just making a new one but I'd rather not lose it in the first place.

Ugh, nope. If it's just a mask floating out there somewhere, that's needle in a haystack territory.

Edit: Actually I take that back... if you happen to have a scanner nearby it should show up on the scanner.

[Archinerd]

Is there a lanyard blueprint?

[Archinerd]

Hmmm. My scanner may actually be in range if it's in the general area I think it is. I'll give it a try.

[Paingod]

To add insult to injury, I was watching one youtuber play the early game, and he managed to find all the parts for a Cyclops and get it built before he even noticed he could build a habitat.

Having been through the game like (three?) times and have the early stages down pretty well, but I enjoy the searching and exploring. I think it's been long enough, too, that I've now forgotten where most things are, though a few are easy to recall and I'll hit them as soon as I have a scanner.

[jztemple2]

As I passed through the moonpool for the umpteenth time from my Seamoth to my upper deck storage locker area, it suddenly occurs to me that there is a bunch of flat wall space in the moonpool. And after a quick check, yes I can mount wall lockers there. So now I'm in a housekeeping phase, moving all my primary materials (titanium, quartz, etc) down to lockers next to the Seamoth so I can unload right there. And on another wall, I'll put all the lockers with stuff I need just before I go out, like food, water, health kits, buoys and other things.

And I need a clock! Or at least something that will tell me how many minutes before darkness and then before dawn. Yes I can always look at the sun, but that doens't help down below

[jztemple2]

Here we are, lockers and more lockers!





I thought about leaving spaces in the center of the other three walls for corridor connections or hatches, but I decided I'd rather have the dedicated wall space instead.

[Blackhawk]

Just make sure you leave room for a hatch. You want to avoid the ladder bug, and eventually you'll want to be unloading from your cyclops rather than the seamoth/PRAWN. Being able to park it with its hatch right next to the hatch to your storage is a huge plus.

Anybody got a tip that will hopefully prevent me from misplacing helmets? I got lucky and re-found me radiation helmet but I have a feeling my Re-breather is floating around in a kelp field somewhere. I ended up just making a new one but I'd rather not lose it in the first place.

I haven't got the slightest idea, as I can't say they ever left my head. If I switched them, they went straight into my dive gear locker, as there is no need to carry around the radiation suit after a certain point.

[Blackhawk]

Oh god, thank you for reminding me why I never, ever watch youtube let's play-ers. That guy was insufferable. Does he act like that all the time? There's no way that's not an act, right?

I'm too old for youtube.

You'd probably be happier not knowing he's got a tribute Easter egg in the game.

[mori]

I built a Cyclops even though I am not at a level to maintain its power level in an efficient manner. But it is nice to dock the Seamoth and have it fully charged and repaired without the need for a moonpool. I use it as a mobile storage facility until I progress the story. I take it out to an area, use the Seamoth to collect resources, go back to the Cyclops, unload, and repeat. Can clean an area out quite quickly. I did get attacked by some creature while in transverse, not sure what but I think it was a Reaper, and it took the sub down to 40% health. It is too valuable piece of equipment to risk right now until I get some defensive abilities. But I think power recharging capabilities is my next requirement, or I could advance the story.

[Blackhawk]

That's how most people use the cyclops early on. Remember that most of the walls can be built on for even more storage.

Some shots of mine, showing how I have it set up as a sort of mobile gathering base:

Spoiler:

You'll eventually want a second set of energy cells. They aren't too difficult to get. The only sticking point can be the dozen copper. It lets you keep one in the cyclops and another in your base, charging. I recommend getting two extra sets - one in the engine, one in the base charging, and the third in storage to be swapped out if needed.

For defense, your priority should be the creature decoy.

[Unagi]

Just make sure you leave room for a hatch. You want to avoid the ladder bug, \

The hatch you build could be anywhere on your base that is within reach of the ground, right? I think my moonpool is likely too high up - but I have a hatch elsewhere - will that do?

[Blackhawk]

The main thing isn't to get in, it is to avoid needing to use the moonpool ladders.

[AWS260]

FWIW, at 95 hours played I have never had any problem with the moonpool ladder.

[Archinerd]

Edit: Actually I take that back... if you happen to have a scanner nearby it should show up on the scanner.

No luck.
Scanner doesn't have "lost equipment" as one of its options. I think I just need to learn how to take better care of my things.

[killbot737]

OK I somewhat got over my phobia. I pretend I'm in a low gravity/low O2 environment instead of being underwater. Seems to work until I surface, then I freak out a bit until I spot the lifepod. I swim back to it underwater too. I bought this game eons ago when it was early access so I figure I need to get my money's worth out of it.

Anyway, got a question. There are a couple of fish types that I can't grab, no matter how close I get to them. Are they just there for show?

[Blackhawk]

FWIW, at 95 hours played I have never had any problem with the moonpool ladder.

That's about what I have in it, and it's only happened twice. It is rare, but with a single save the potential for it to be devastating is there.

[jztemple2]

Anyway, got a question. There are a couple of fish types that I can't grab, no matter how close I get to them. Are they just there for show?

Yes, you'll come across several fish like that.

I've completed all the building I'm going to do on my home base, including an office with desk and chair (which you can sit in!) that looks over the bottom through a window. And after my titanium shortage I now have three plus lockers full of it. So now it's time to go explore some more.

[jztemple2]

Damn, damn, damn... (minor spoiler regarding scanner room and portability)

Spoiler:

I have a scanner room at my main base and I got clever and figured out I could place another way away to the northwest and scan there. And I did and I found some fragments. And I also found that, apparently(?), when the scanner camera drone sees a fragment close up and you already have it, the fragment disappears. At least that is what is seems to be.

Anyway, I also figured out that I could fit all the part of a scanner room, a multipurpose room, a bioreactor and associated parts all in one load, so I deconstructed my facility and moved it south so it was about a thousand meters west of my base. And oddly, no fragments in sight, but some rubies. So I left the scanner room and parked the Seamoth underneath it and went swimming around for fish to feed the bioreactor. And I turned around and, bang, no more Seamoth . Apparently something very big and mean ate it. Damn, damn, damn.

[Blackhawk]

I used to carry that same combination of components with me (including a grow bed and four range upgrades, plus a becacon) as a 'base kit' that I could drop in an area I was working. By the end I had six or eight mini-bases.

Now, when you say you left your seamoth underneath it, was it physically touching the seabed? If so, it's possible that it fell through the geometry. I've seen it happen a couple of times.

Tip regarding fuel for the bioreactor:

Spoiler:

Lantern trees are your friends. Carry one, plant it, when it grows it has enough fruit to keep the reactor going forever.

[jztemple2]

What is bothering me is that I lost the Seamoth depth mod upgrade, which I found [somewhere] and I'm not in a position to make another. Silly me

[Archinerd]

What is bothering me is that I lost the Seamoth depth mod upgrade, which I found [somewhere] and I'm not in a position to make another. Silly me

You'll be alright. Here's another tip.
Don't drive your Seamoth into a thermal vent assuming it will respawn with you back at the base.

[Daehawk]

The 3D part of my video card died today so Im out for now until i can get a working card .

[baelthazar]

The 3D part of my video card died today so Im out for now until i can get a working card .

Bad timing. Apparently graphics cards are in hot demand for their use in mining bitcoin. So that makes them pretty expensive at the moment.

Are you in the US or UK?

[Daehawk]

US. A GTX 1070 is $1200 so ya no card. Looking for a used card in the trade section. Better than my broke 770. I am on an old backup card..a GTX 260 10 years old. the one between it and this broke one was a GTX 560 but it fried itself 4 years ago.

[jztemple2]

US. A GTX 1070 is $1200 so ya no card. Looking for a used card in the trade section. Better than my broke 770. I am on an old backup card..a GTX 260 10 years old. the one between it and this broke one was a GTX 560 but it fried itself 4 years ago.

Looks like it's not a good time...

[Paingod]

Some shots of mine, showing how I have it set up as a sort of mobile gathering base:

Spoiler:

I have to say, your Cyclops storage solution really hits the spot for my OCD. Everything appears to be perfectly aligned, and I know how hard that can be in this game.

I typically install potted plants a pair of fish tanks in my Cyclops where you have your grow bed. I stuff live samples into the tanks to take home, and the potted plants are much smaller than the grow bed, but still useful for food plants. As long as that hasn't changed... ?

[Sepiche]

FWIW, at 95 hours played I have never had any problem with the moonpool ladder.

I also haven't had any problems with moonpool ladders, although this weekend when I was playing I did run to that issue where you get kicked out of a vessel (my cyclops in this case) and into the water, but with the game thinking I was on dry land.

As near as I can tell I was just standing close to the wall of the sub for a few seconds and suddenly got pitched out.

[MonkeyFinger]

Damn you forum effect! <shakes fist>

I'm not usually all that big on survival type games but this looks like they put a lot of love into the game and so... I pulled the trigger late last night after watching the videos on Steam. Crashed, popped out and saved. Hopefully have some time to put into this sooner rather than later.

[Paingod]

I'm not usually all that big on survival type games ...

I think the key difference in this one over other survival games is that you're mostly exploring in Subnautica, not grinding. I love Empyrion: Galactic Survival, but I spend an inordinate amount of time scavenging for resources and gobs of time parked in an ore vein drilling for metals to use in crafting. I think a lot of survival games include a similar element of time-intensive harvesting.

Subnautica puts the resources on the surface layer for you to find. Grab 'em and go. It's about building and exploring. You explore to build and build to explore. You don't park yourself in a hole and dig for 15 minutes or spend 30 minutes clear-cutting a forest. If you run out of something, it means you need to scout further afield - finding new technologies, new hostiles, new vistas, and new resources.

[MonkeyFinger]

Excellent! That was the impression I got, an emphasis on exploring and building over grinding for resources. It doesn't hurt that the ecosystem looks so dang cool, too.

[Paingod]

Your biggest enemy is your inventory space. Far, far from home I would often find myself saying "Well, I'll need this, but I know I'll be able to find more. I don't want to have to try and find THIS again... hmmm...."