lets discuss subnautica!


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so, a while back, Unknown Worlds began work on sci-fi exploration survival game known as subnautica. in the game, you are a part of the crew stationed on the Aurora, a massive interplanetary vessel. something goes haywire, sending the ship down on a completely water-covered planet, and leaving you as the sole survivor of the Aurora. you start the game in your escape pod, floating in the water, only to climb out and see your downed ship not far from your location, with absolutely no surrounding land mass. its not until you take your first dive into the water, that you see the life thriving on this strange and new planet. you have one goal - to survive against these impossible odds.. well, until story mode is released, that is. sound familiar?
though, unlike the long dark, subnautica features base building, and it mainly revolves around exploration and survival against hostile alien life forms. sure, you have to catch some fish every now and again to eat and drink, but its not a huge issue. the main premise of this game is making vehicles, building bases, going deeper into the trenches to explore more.

if youve played this game, or are interested in discussing it here on this thread, then please, give us your thoughts on it! :D

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As you say, there are some similarities, and a lot of differences.  Survival is trivial, it's not a strong point of the game.  This game has a more laid back feel.  The key selling points of Subnautica seem to be 1) the game world, 2) super cool tech, and 3) a future promise of multiplayer.

Art style is quite different from TLD but the Subnautica world is beautiful and quite immersive.  Scuba diving was a big hobby for me for a while, and this game really captures a lot of the underwater experience.  As with TLD the sound design really sells it.

And the tech really is cool.  The game is set in the future and devs did a fantastic job of inventing clever devices to do tasks more safely and, in particular, dive deeper.   There's a bit of narrative that leads you to new places, and that's a satisfying way to structure your search for cool stuff.

In summary this is an exploration game.  Build a cool base, search out ever better tech, explore your environs and eventually the deep depths.  

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14 minutes ago, Ruruwawa said:

In summary this is an exploration game.  Build a cool base, search out ever better tech, explore your environs and eventually the deep depths.  

in general, this statement is true
though, it does have different modes for different types of players. i play on hardcore, which is the same as survival, with one difference - permadeath. since i play on this permadeath mode, i feel it much more as a survival game, since i have to calculate the risks before taking a step forward, else lose my progress entirely. i play on this because of my experiences with the long dark :P

however, theres also an explorer mode, which gives you unlimited resources and no hunger / thirst / o2. which would be much more suitable for people who just want to build and explore.

then theres a fine like in the middle called survival, which lets you both explore and build, with the promise of a respawn point incase you screw up, so death isnt that much of a worry.

man, im hoping for multiplayer one day. not on a massive scale. but like, maybe you and your friend start in the life pod together, a co-op sort of thing.

all that being said, i'd like to say that the music, as scarce as it is, is phenominal. it really captures that mysterious sci-fi feel of exploring this underwater world. the music is one of the most important parts in any game, in my opinion. if i dont have amazing music that captures the artistic feel of any game, then that game is just less attractive to me.
they released an update today, improving the interior of the aurora. and man, i gotta say, its AMAZING. it used to be just a hallway. but now theres a whole cargo bay and a few extra rooms to explore.

i cant wait to see where this game goes in the future. sincerely hope that it recieves the recognition that it deserves! :D

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I just watched a few videos on the game (writing only two exams per semester gives me way too much free time if you ask me, it's 12:20 where I live :D ) and I have to say that I initially loved the art style. However, it doesn't do one thing I'd like it to: Trigger my thalassophobia. I'll wait for a few more updates before I buy it.

Does it have mod support? Because if one game needs a Cthulhu-mod, it's this one.

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8 hours ago, Tbone555 said:

though, it does have different modes for different types of players. i play on hardcore, which is the same as survival, with one difference - permadeath. since i play on this permadeath mode, i feel it much more as a survival game, since i have to calculate the risks before taking a step forward, else lose my progress entirely. i play on this because of my experiences with the long dark :P

I play on permadeath too.  But it's still so trivial to survive I really don't spend much time thinking about risks.

 

1 hour ago, Wastelander said:

However, it doesn't do one thing I'd like it to: Trigger my thalassophobia.

Have you played it?  It definitely triggers thalassophobia in very many players.  I think videos aren't really the same because you're the passenger, not the driver.

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Just now, Ruruwawa said:

Have you played it?  It definitely triggers thalassophobia in very many players.  I think videos aren't really the same because you're the passenger, not the driver.

I agree with this, although I still have to see a bit more to be convinced to buy it. Just to clarify, I am by no means trying to make the game look bad! It's just that my buying descisions take a lot of time ^_^

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7 minutes ago, Rifleman said:

I like subnautica but I stopped playing a while ago. I am waiting until the game is fully developed.

^^^^^ I'm waiting the same thing because It gives me way too much trouble to enter. Every time I want to play I have like three crashes before it loads and once I'm playing I have lost way too many games (which I saved), but noup, no way to recover them. 

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1 minute ago, Wastelander said:

I agree with this, although I still have to see a bit more to be convinced to buy it. Just to clarify, I am by no means trying to make the game look bad! It's just that my buying descisions take a lot of time ^_^

Totally fair.  It's still in development and not as stable as TLD.  What's there is good, but can be buggy.

I looked at the public-facing parts of their development process a few months back and my impression was this:  A few talented devs, geographically dispersed, working independently on their own piece of the build.  The planning and execution seemed good but "integration" (making the pieces work together smoothly and without bugs) seemed a little haphazard.   Possibly they've addressed this problem since then.

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2 hours ago, Wastelander said:

I'll wait for a few more updates before I buy it.

i agree with this decision fully. im usually pretty reluctant about spending money, myself. honestly, only reason i have subnautica is because of the huge paycheck i drew last week :P
however, as your friend and fellow survivor, i HIGHLY recommend this game, even in is alpha state. the exploration is some of the best i've ever experienced, and its definitely a sight to see. could you even imagine VR support? good lord.. so pretty, even if it can does load choppy and have a few bugs here and there. most of these bugs are resolved by quitting and loading your game back, though. my biggest problem recently is that after exploring the new aurora, fish dont seem to spawn anywhere. almost as if theyre extinct. kinda odd, and slightly game breaking.

30 minutes ago, Rifleman said:

I like subnautica but I stopped playing a while ago. I am waiting until the game is fully developed.

totally understandable!
kind of the same story with me and the long dark, man. i rarely play, unless theres a new update to get into. and ususally that update only keeps me interested for a few hours, then i get bored again.. i have a feeling that other survivors and the presence of the aurora will revive the long dark for me.

 

31 minutes ago, Ruruwawa said:

I play on permadeath too.  But it's still so trivial to survive I really don't spend much time thinking about risks

are you kidding? this game is horrifying to me. the reapers, the stalkers, those shell fish looking things that sound like lions, and im sure theres dozens more predators the deeper you go. not to mention drowning in a cave somewhere. theres this really deep cave by my lifepod that im dying to explore, and even though i have a seaglide and carry 4 oxygen tanks, im too scared of getting lost and drowning to go in. keep in mind that i've only been playing the game for 3 days, however. so what would be trivial to you is my worst nightmare xD

31 minutes ago, CarolinaSantAngelo said:

^^^^^ I'm waiting the same thing because It gives me way too much trouble to enter. Every time I want to play I have like three crashes before it loads and once I'm playing I have lost way too any games (which I saved), but noup, no way to recover them. 

i play on the xbox one preview version myself, so i dont have this problem. i just have to sit through a ten minute loading screen xD

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1 minute ago, Tbone555 said:

fish dont seem to spawn anywhere. almost as if theyre extinct. kinda odd, and slightly game breaking.

Story of my life :D 

I'll eventually buy it - I love games that make you explore things, and Subnautica doesn't seem to have tanked like No Man's Sky. Also, there's just not enough good underwater games, so I'll eventually give it a try.

I think the last underwater game I played was Sub Culture, and that was released in 1997. I was 6 at the time ">_>

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8 minutes ago, Tbone555 said:

are you kidding? this game is horrifying to me. the reapers, the stalkers, those shell fish looking things that sound like lions, and im sure theres dozens more predators the deeper you go. not to mention drowning in a cave somewhere. theres this really deep cave by my lifepod that im dying to explore, and even though i have a seaglide and carry 4 oxygen tanks, im too scared of getting lost and drowning to go in. keep in mind that i've only been playing the game for 3 days, however. so what would be trivial to you is my worst nightmare xD

Fair enough.  I have about 225 hours into the game, and it gets a LOT easier with game knowledge.   Moreso than TLD, I think, because once you know the game there aren't many surprises.  No random risks like blizzards at all.  

I'm not knocking the game.  Love the exploring, base building, submarines and other gadgets.   There's plenty to do.  Beautiful world too.  Like you, I think co-op would be a fun addition.

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5 minutes ago, Wastelander said:

No Man's Sky.

no.
dont say that game to me.
DONT YOU DARE SAY THAT TO ME.
SONY CAN TAKE THEIR PLAYSTATION EXCLUSIVE GAMES AND SHOVE THEM WHERE THE SUN DONT SHINE
............ i was so excited to play no mans sky. but i cant on my xbox. that rather saddens me.

2 minutes ago, Ruruwawa said:

Love the exploring, base building, submarines and other gadgets.   There's plenty to do.  Beautiful world too.

i havent even began the base building yet. im too caught up in finding "survivors" and exploring the ship wreckage
i keep getting random signals and heat signatures from my lifepods communication relay thing. and just before i stopped playing yesterday, i got a signal saying that a ship had heard the aurora's distress call and is gonna be swooping in to take a look, so i really look forward to seeing that. its weird though. its like... i know that rescue isnt coming. im playing an alpha sandbox. but i still feel like im gonna be rescued, or there are other survivors out there. its a very weird feeling xD

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