Subnautica - another stranded survival game..looks good.

[jztemple2]

I have a camera drone stuck in a cave. Is there anyway to self-destruct it? Or maybe get it out?

[Archinerd]

You can swim to it and get it. Or you could just build another - they don't require much in the way of resources.
There is also a cheat-y way to get some but I don't recommend it.

Spoiler:

Deconstruct and reconstruct your scanner room. I think. I kind of lost track of my drones after stalkers took them all.

[Paingod]

I picked this up again yesterday afternoon and spent a few hours with it. Being a veteran early-access player, I've been ready for most of it but am enjoying the little changes so far. I set up my first base around 350m south of the escape pod, around 100m down (so my solar panels barely work) and next to a pretty wrecked chunk of ship with red grass below and

In one evening, I've unlocked a lot of essentials - moonpool, minisub, multipurpose room, laser cutter, and most everything "below" them in the tech chain. I've yet to touch the large ship wreck, but plan to hit it tonight and clean it out.

I stumbled across my first Time Capsule, and it contained one of every tool (now I've got duplicates) and a thermal knife, which is new to me. The note simply read "Good Luck"

I've died exactly once. I got twisted around and drowned inside a ship wreck piece. One of those "swim through three bulkheads, around a winding air duct, through a pile of wires, and up an upside-down stairwell" places. I'm pretty sure I've died a couple times in this exact same wreck before in other games. It's very disorienting and you need a lot of time to explore it all.

[Chaz]

Is it possible for time capsules to contain creatures? Because the other day I opened one and a nasty thing popped out. I don't know how it fit.

[Blackhawk]

Only things you can hold in your inventory. Certain creatures fit that criteria, but nothing hostile. Is it possible you just happened to be standing near a sand shark when you opened it or something?

[Paingod]

What if someone stuffed a creature egg into a time capsule? Aren't they supposed to hatch eventually?

[Sepiche]

What if someone stuffed a creature egg into a time capsule? Aren't they supposed to hatch eventually?

As far as I know they only hatch if left in an alien containment tank for a while.

[Blackhawk]

Yep, and there is only one thing I know of that you can hatch and then add the resulting creature directly to your inventory.

And even if you did put it into your inventory, it would just add it to the recipients inventory when you looted it, not the world.

[Chaz]

I dunno sure seemed like a freaking

Spoiler:

warper

popped out.

[Blackhawk]

They don't even have an egg (they are explained at one point in the game.) There is no way to have one in inventory or a time capsule.

[Paingod]

They don't even have an egg (they are explained at one point in the game.) There is no way to have one in inventory or a time capsule.

But they do, you know, live by their name. It can explain a sudden appearance.

I explored the Aurora last night and cleared out 85% of the stuff I could pocket and walk off with. I'll have to make a second run in for the rest. My home base is starting to feel a lot more like home with the addition of decorative bags, lab equipment, posters, a hat, and a stuffed animal.

When I picked my base location, I was looking for a nice "deep water" zone that wasn't anywhere I've repeatedly settled. What I ended up with is a really nice vista that frequently has Reefbacks gliding overhead. I sometimes just sit in my Observatory, watch the world swim by, and relax. As an added bonus, I accidentally dragged a Bone Shark over towards my house and he seems to have set up shop just at the visual edge of the Observatory's view.

I have one last Engine component to find and can then try to make a Cyclops.

[Chaz]

Sometimes, I wish I was more of a nester so I could get motivated to build a neat base in games like these. I just can't ever manage to. Usually I'll come up with some idea, then go to do it and realize that I'd need to collect a whole bunch of resources first, and fall back to "eh, why bother?"

Maybe I should start a game in creative mode. That just lets you free build without worrying about resources, right?

[Archinerd]

Just start simple and build on it as you go. That's what I'm doing. I don't have a mega base but it's satisfying to see my base slowly sprawl out across the sea floor.

[Unagi]

I dunno sure seemed like a freaking

Spoiler:

warper

popped out.

That's one of the ways they tend to appear. Your time-capsule timing was coincidental.

[Paingod]

Just start simple and build on it as you go. That's what I'm doing. I don't have a mega base but it's satisfying to see my base slowly sprawl out across the sea floor.

Exactly this.

Most of what you need to build with is incredibly plentiful. The first few platforms, requiring 2x Lead, are the hard part - you get that (along with Silver and Gold) from Sandstone at the 100-200m depth ranges on many rock surfaces. Quartz is fairly abundant in the right places, and in the down deep. Titanium is everywhere on the sea bed in large quantities.

That's most of the "Base Building" part. Added bonus: When you disassemble something, you get a full refund of the components. Resource spent base-building are never lost unless the base is somehow destroyed (I've never seen this).

An organically grown base still feels like home.

[Chaz]

I mean, I set up my first base in the shallows. I started it with a multipurpose room, a fabricator, a bed (mostly to fast forward through night because dark is annoying), and a bunch of lockers. I added a scanner room and another multipurpose for a bioreactor. Then decided that I wanted a base closer to the more advanced materials I'm starting to need, so built two rooms down by the blood kelp, and moved my bioreactor.

But now that I'm looking at expanding that one, I'm just having a hard time thinking of things I care enough about adding to be worth the gathering time. Like I could add an observatory, but why? I'm not going to sit in it and look around. My main goal is exploring, so while a neat base would be nice, if I have to decide to spend time gathering to build something that'll help me explore vs something to make my base fancy (but that's otherwise not functional), I'll just opt out of the base. If base stuff was free, I'd be more likely to do it.

These are the kinds of decisions you make when you have maybe three hours of game time per week. I'm just never going to wind up with a sprawling base.

[Blackhawk]

Just start simple and build on it as you go. That's what I'm doing. I don't have a mega base but it's satisfying to see my base slowly sprawl out across the sea floor.

Exactly this.

Most of what you need to build with is incredibly plentiful. The first few platforms, requiring 2x Lead, are the hard part

FWIW, that huge base I posted a video of a few pages back, plus my six outlying forward bases (mostly scanning rooms with power attached) used a grand total of zero foundations. They aren't necessary at all, as every room that can be placed independently comes with 'legs' that will automatically extend to the sea floor.

[Tao]

The base platforms become necessary to maintain hull integrity. The the more base building components you add the lower your hull integrity drops, adding pieces that are mostly glass lowers it even more dramatically. When you get down to an integrity value of about 1 you will start springing leaks in your base and can quickly flood the place. Adding platforms, builkheads and reinforced hulls raise the integrity level.

The game definitely affords the player with the opportunity to get creative and build very cool bases that sprawl across the sea floor but it's not required. A utilitarian base works well too. There are a few items you may want to consider even if you go the more spartan route;

Spoiler:

Fabricator
Lots and Lots of lockers
Radio
Modification station
Moonpool
Several indoor growbeds
Several outdoor growbeds
Battery Charging Station
Power Cell Charging Station

If you build in the shallows or stay above 40 meters or so you can power everything above with 3 -5 Solar panels.

You can add on a Scanner room but if your main base is in the shallows it isn't really necessary, I find the scanner room more useful as an aquatic fort out in the depths.

You can also add a

Spoiler:

water filtration system

which is nice to have but takes a lot of energy to power and IMHO is not necessary. You can absolutely get by using the fabricator or by farming.

[Blackhawk]

The base platforms become necessary to maintain hull integrity. The the more base building components you add the lower your hull integrity drops, adding pieces that are mostly glass lowers it even more dramatically.

Sure. I had one building (my reactor rooms, a two-high multipurpose room) that I tossed reinforcing panels on as needed. It was enough to support 300m of vertical tubes, three glass towers, two regular towers with some glass, and two moonpools.

[Paingod]

FWIW, that huge base I posted a video of a few pages back, plus my six outlying forward bases (mostly scanning rooms with power attached) used a grand total of zero foundations. They aren't necessary at all, as every room that can be placed independently comes with 'legs' that will automatically extend to the sea floor.

<Eric Cartman Voice> Son of a bitch.

Back in early access when I first played, those foundations were a required beginning to any base, though they only cost Titanium. I've been laboring under the assumption that they're still needed.

Since I can reinforce my hulls with bulkhead doors and reinforcement walls, I'm going to consider a redesign. The platforms largely annoy me. They're nice for grow beds, but otherwise are just useless.

I tend to build a single large base first and then sub-bases at useful locations. The main base always has the bulk of my storage and production materials, and I like to have it in a pretty locale so I can enjoy the view and relax a while to de-stress after a long, tense dive.

[Sepiche]

FWIW, that huge base I posted a video of a few pages back, plus my six outlying forward bases (mostly scanning rooms with power attached) used a grand total of zero foundations. They aren't necessary at all, as every room that can be placed independently comes with 'legs' that will automatically extend to the sea floor.

<Eric Cartman Voice> Son of a bitch.

Platforms are still useful early on since they only take titanium and lead and reinforce your base, but once you have access to good amounts of lithium the wall reinforcements are generally much better.

[Chaz]

Is a radio necessary after a certain point? I just

Spoiler:

got into the quarantine enforcement station. I was lost for a while, because I got the message for the rescue ship, went and saw it get shot down, and then wandered off, and never heard anything else. Unless the pointer to the floating island was after that, but otherwise nothing. I thought I'd explored the facility, but apparently missed a path down that led to the door, so I finally went in, explored that, and found the data thing that says there are other facilities, but didn't get a solid pointer toward them. Some wiki reading has me pointed in their general direction, but I'm not sure if anything else is going to happen that would actually require a radio.

I should find a nicer looking location that's high enough to still get some sunlight and have nice views, and is also closer to the more advanced materials and areas. The spot my secondary base is at is pretty deep and dark.

[Blackhawk]

Is a radio necessary after a certain point? I just

Spoiler:

got into the quarantine enforcement station. I was lost for a while, because I got the message for the rescue ship, went and saw it get shot down, and then wandered off, and never heard anything else. Unless the pointer to the floating island was after that, but otherwise nothing. I thought I'd explored the facility, but apparently missed a path down that led to the door, so I finally went in, explored that, and found the data thing that says there are other facilities, but didn't get a solid pointer toward them. Some wiki reading has me pointed in their general direction, but I'm not sure if anything else is going to happen that would actually require a radio.

There should be more, and some of it is vital. It may be necessary to explore the pods you were sent to via radio as well, and some messages are triggered by certain things being built in your base. I'm a little confused myself on what triggers certain messages. Minor spoiler on what you should be listening for.

Spoiler:

After the ship gets shot down, you should eventually receive another message that contains a door code you absolutely must have to advance the story.

[Chaz]

Is a radio necessary after a certain point? I just

Spoiler:

got into the quarantine enforcement station. I was lost for a while, because I got the message for the rescue ship, went and saw it get shot down, and then wandered off, and never heard anything else. Unless the pointer to the floating island was after that, but otherwise nothing. I thought I'd explored the facility, but apparently missed a path down that led to the door, so I finally went in, explored that, and found the data thing that says there are other facilities, but didn't get a solid pointer toward them. Some wiki reading has me pointed in their general direction, but I'm not sure if anything else is going to happen that would actually require a radio.

There should be more, and some of it is vital. It may be necessary to explore the pods you were sent to via radio as well, and some messages are triggered by certain things being built in your base. I'm a little confused myself on what triggers certain messages. Minor spoiler on what you should be listening for.

Spoiler:

After the ship gets shot down, you should eventually receive another message that contains a door code you absolutely must have to advance the story.

Spoiler:

I'd have to go look and see if I got the door code message, I can't remember. I've visited every location I've gotten a message about. When I was exploring the Aurora, I found the door code, didn't feel like searching around for the code, so I looked it up and went in. Wouldn't surprise me if that short circuited and broke the scripting. There seem to be a lot of rough edges like that on this game.

.

[MonkeyFinger]

So... I am just starting off and in pretty much the same predicament I usually am in games like this - analysis paralysis with no freaking idea how to start. Blows my mind you can go from a life pod floating on the surface of an ocean world to building the structures I see posted here, never mind things like submarines. Rather than find a guide or two, thought I would ask here amongst the experts for some starting advice.

The story so far - I've crashed, cleaned out the pod and spent some time (45 seconds at a time) diving around in the area, collecting things at random. Thought going over to the wreck might be a good idea, turns out it really isn't... and I'm getting alerts about its status now. Guessing I should get more serious about targeting specific things to build and the resources I'll need for that. What's first up, a scanner? Sustenance doesn't seem to be the most pressing concern at the moment as it seems the systems in the pod will generate enough to live on (yes?) so I assume start with shelter.

Any newbie advice appreciated!

[Archinerd]

So... I am just starting off and in pretty much the same predicament I usually am in games like this - analysis paralysis with no freaking idea how to start. Blows my mind you can go from a life pod floating on the surface of an ocean world to building the structures I see posted here, never mind things like submarines. Rather than find a guide or two, thought I would ask here amongst the experts for some starting advice.

The story so far - I've crashed, cleaned out the pod and spent some time (45 seconds at a time) diving around in the area, collecting things at random. Thought going over to the wreck might be a good idea, turns out it really isn't... and I'm getting alerts about its status now. Guessing I should get more serious about targeting specific things to build and the resources I'll need for that. What's first up, a scanner? Sustenance doesn't seem to be the most pressing concern at the moment as it seems the systems in the pod will generate enough to live on (yes?) so I assume start with shelter.

Any newbie advice appreciated!

Sounds like you are doing more or less what I did. You'll figure it out - but a scanner is a must.
The pod will not make food or water.

[Chaz]

Well, not on its own at least

[Blackhawk]

The story so far - I've crashed, cleaned out the pod and spent some time (45 seconds at a time) diving around in the area, collecting things at random. Thought going over to the wreck might be a good idea, turns out it really isn't... and I'm getting alerts about its status now. Guessing I should get more serious about targeting specific things to build and the resources I'll need for that. What's first up, a scanner? Sustenance doesn't seem to be the most pressing concern at the moment as it seems the systems in the pod will generate enough to live on (yes?) so I assume start with shelter.

Any newbie advice appreciated!

First off, after the initial selection of food and water in the pod, it doesn't continue to provide you with anything but medical kits.

The scanner is a handheld device that lets you... scan things. When something is scanned, it is added as an entry on your PDA. It's sort of an encyclopedia, but the descriptions contain a number of tips. If the thing you scanned is a device that can be built in a base or via the fabricator, you will learn the recipe for it (there are a few other ways to get blueprints, like sampling things and in-game events. When you get one, scan everything. Absolutely everything it will let you scan should be scanned. How to get the scanner:

Spoiler:

Look in the fabricator in your pod. Most of the blueprints were corrupted in the wreck (which is why you have to scan for them in the first place), but you do start with a few. One of them under tools is the scanner. It requires titanium and a battery - both of which you have the blueprints for in your fabricator already. All of the ingredients can be found near where your pod splashed down. Be on the lookout for what look like rocks stuck to the side of cliffs and such. Those contain some of the ingredients.

As to advancing, you aren't supposed to know what to do, and you aren't supposed to target specific things, because as a new player, you aren't expected to know those things exist. Your core goal is what it would be for someone in your situation - find a way to survive, learn your surroundings, and look for a way off that (wet) rock. I will quote part of my post from a couple of pages back with advice on how to proceed.

1. Curiosity. Wander, look, notice.
2. Limits. When you start to hit a limit, there is a technology you are missing. 100 meters dive depth? There's a technology for that. 200 meter limit on the Seamoth? There's a tech for that. They are just being missed.
3. The radio. There's a radio in your pod, or you can build one in your base. If the radio is blinking, you have a message. This will usually give you coordinates to check something out. This is pushing you in the right direction - look around on your way to the location, look around the area you are sent to. Following the radio prompts is actually fairly important. It is your trail of breadcrumbs, and the game can't be completed without have triggered certain events via the radio.
4. Build stuff. Some radio signals are triggered by building a certain thing in your base (indicating to the game that you have reached a certain point and are ready for the next step.) For example:

Spoiler:

Building a bioreactor triggers a signal that starts an event that leads to a really interesting location.

How to find the most important blueprints:
1. Fragments. Point your scanner at everything lying on the sea bed that doesn't look natural or is in a wreck. If the cursor changes, scan it.
2. Scan everything else. If it is an object, a plant, a rock, a fish, whatever, scan it.
3. Sample things. Pick up fish. Knife plants. Some blueprints come from having stuff in your inventory for the first time.
4. Data boxes. They look like squished chests and give you a complete blueprint.

[Tao]

My recommendations for starting out;

Check your PDA or use the fabricator device in the life pod, open up the menu and get an idea what you can build immediately and what materials are necessary (both will list required material for each item)

You may already have these items

Craft - (slightly spoiler-ish)

Spoiler:

O2 Tank - Upgrade to the larger as soon as it becomes available
Knife
Swim Fins
A Hand Held Scanner
Flashlight
Repair Tool
Habitat Builder
X-Compenent
4-6 I-Compnents
A Hatch
2-3 Solar Panels and place them on your base pieces
4 or 5 Lockers (I like the full size lockers most folks in the thread seem to prefer the wall lockers)
Rad suit as soon as it becomes available

Scan everything but you are now looking specifically for: (slightly spoiler-ish)

Spoiler:

Mobile Vehicle Bay
Seamoth
Laser Cutter
Propulsion Cannon

You can find and build the Seaglide pretty quickly but I have never found them to be necessary. The tool that allows you to mark your path in caves can be handy as well but it's not imperative particularly once you start getting larger O2 tanks.

Bladder Fish and Peepers will keep you alive for quite a while, there is an upgrade to clean water you will find very early on

You will receive a blinking Radio indicator periodically, head to the lifepod or your base if you built your own radio and listen to the messages. The story will do a good job of leading you to the next area or tech.

I would recommend staying clear of the Aurora until (moderately spoiler-ish) you have

Spoiler:

a Laser Cutter, Cannon and Seamoth

Once you have a Seamoth and the

Spoiler:

Modification Station

the game levels out pretty quickly

[Blackhawk]

I would recommend staying clear of the Aurora until (moderately spoiler-ish) you have

Spoiler:

a Laser Cutter, Cannon and Seamoth

Spoiler:

Laser cutter and repair tool. You can do the entire Aurora without the cannon (although it does make it easier), and the aurora is actually one of the easiest places to find the fragments to begin with.

I always thought the seaglide was one of the most useful tools. It lets you ignore most predators, significantly increases the effective range of your O2 tanks, and increases your gathering speed. It is especially useful in wrecks, as you can speed out when you're short on O2, grab a lungful, then speed back in to where you left off, giving you more time to explore. It was the first item I used an ion battery for.

[jztemple2]

I always thought the seaglide was one of the most useful tools.

When version 1.0 was released I stayed away from the Seaglide because I seemed to remember from the alpha that the battery ran down pretty fast. However, when I finally got it I found that apparently the battery life is now quite good and it's a useful tool to keep with you, even if it does take up space on your inventory.

In other news, I'm kinda burned out on Subnautica right now. I put in 40 hours pre-release, although that was back well over a couple of years ago. In my current campaign I've reached the 40 hour mark and have the Seamoth, Cyclops and Prawn suit. I got rather frustrated because I hadn't found the blueprints for a lot of add-ons for them, but I finally found a databox that unlocked a lot of them, and damn if it wasn't in a wreck I thought I had thoroughly explored hours ago

However, I find a lot of the new mods require resources I either haven't come across yet or are pretty rare and hard to locate. So I'm facing another round of trying to find these obscure bits. And for those who are going to suggest scanner rooms... (spoiler regarding scanner room techniques)

Spoiler:

...I built a portable scanner facility and have moved it five times. What I found, which surprised me, is that what you can look for varies from location to location. It's weird and somewhat frustrating.

But I'll get back into it, because I keep reminding myself that sometimes it's not necessary to be working all the time in Subnautica. Sometimes it's OK to just cruise around and enjoy the scenery

[Tao]

In my current game I am stuck tech wise as I need

Spoiler:

Nickel

to move forward. I am also seeing limited success using scanner rooms, I am sure others will say they are essential. I currently have 5 up and running in various locations around the world and while it does make finding resources a little bit easier, I could have just swam around for a few minutes and discovered them on my own. I recognize it's possible I am just picking bad spots to build them, location, location, location. So for the past two nights I have been exploring aimlessly exploring the depths with little progress, earlier today I received another radio message with a beacon point, which lead to a brand new biome and new resources. I figured this was what was going to occur so was willing to ride it out for a few hours.

[MonkeyFinger]

Thanks everyone, really appreciate the infodump. Will go through it all, make some notes and dive back in.

Just wanted to make a minor clarification to saying something about "specific things".

As to advancing, you aren't supposed to know what to do, and you aren't supposed to target specific things, because as a new player, you aren't expected to know those things exist.

Right but I meant specific resources from the blueprints I have, this rather than doing what I was doing which was simply swimming around and grabbing whatever I stumbled across willy-nilly. Make a shopping list to keep an eye out for, even though at first it will all just be exploring and finding whatever the heck I can find. Too bad about the food/water thing, seems I would have figured that out sooner rather than later.

[Blackhawk]

Scanner rooms only show you what materials are actually within range of the scanner right at that moment. If it's on the menu, there's some to find. If it isn't there, there's none around. If you're looking for magnetite, it isn't going to show you magnetite unless there's some in range. Where it really becomes invaluable is when you have found the first dozen or so that are in plain sight, but need another 40.

Regarding rare materials - crystaline sulfur, nickel, magnetite, kyanite.

Most of them are found in limited areas, and since they are late-game materials, they are found in late-game areas.

IE - go deeper. And bring a PRAWN suit with a drill arm. You may need to get close and swim to get the first few to let you make the upgrades to bring vehicles down, but stick a fabricator and upgrade station on your cyclops and you'll be golden. Prawn suit tips:

Spoiler:

Carry the extra arms with you and swap depending on what you're doing. Drill and grapple are musts, and remember that if you don't have an upgrade arm equipped, that arm can pick up items from the ground, like ore.

Now, some spoilers. Two each, the first general, the second specific.

For magnetite:

Spoiler:

Pink things

Spoiler:

Check in the jellyshrooom caves

For nickel and crystaline sulfur:

Spoiler:

Green haze

Spoiler:

Lost River. PRAWN can go into the mist.

For kyanite:

Spoiler:

Hot stuff

Spoiler:

Go into the lava zones

[Blackhawk]

I always thought the seaglide was one of the most useful tools.

When version 1.0 was released I stayed away from the Seaglide because I seemed to remember from the alpha that the battery ran down pretty fast. However, when I finally got it I found that apparently the battery life is now quite good and it's a useful tool to keep with you, even if it does take up space on your inventory.

Not only did it eat batteries like crazy, it took up significantly more inventory space. Now with the changes plus a built-in flashlight (I always turn off the sonar), it's one of my favorite tools.

[Chaz]

You can turn that crap off?

[Blackhawk]

You can turn that crap off?

Which crap? Screen clutter? You can turn almost any indicator on the HUD off. You can turn individual scanner rooms off by just going up to the screen and hitting the big "X" in the middle while its scanning, or you can pop the chip out of your ear to turn them all off. You can turn on, off, or change the color of any beacon, signal, vehicle, etc by opening the PDA and going to whichever tab does it.

[Blackhawk]

You can turn that crap off?

Oh, the sonar! Yeah, right clicking cycles through sonar+light, sonar, light, and off.

[Chaz]

Huh. I think I've been using E or something to turn the headlight on and off. The sonar is usually in my way and usually not useful.

[mori]

I did not know you could turn the sonar off either. Finally got my power cell charger going so using the Cyclops is much more economical.