Subnautica First Runthrough, could use a direction to go

KyuRyuKun

I just started playing the game and I gotta say its a lot of fun. Pretty to look at and has a Metroid Prime feel of exploration, I'm kinda confused on what to do though, it seems like I'm not doing much but collecting quartz and Im guessing thats not what I need. Any suggestions on how to start off?

Video if you're interested:

DrownedOut

Welcome! Always nice to see enthusiastic new players.

For one, stop collecting stuff without plan and focus on getting the welder/repair tool and habitat builder. Use the welder to repair Lifepod 5 (panel & radio) so you'll start receiving signals to guide you. The habitat builder you need to set up a base so you can better store any stuff you collect. Warning, as you've found, that currently the waterproof locker and bags are bugged and might delete your items. Base-built lockers are safe, which is why a base is a must right now. (The lifepod locker is safe too. I skimmed a bit through your vid, but it appears you didn't notice it. It's the red spot below the screen.)

Once you start receiving signals:

#4 is one to watch out with. It leads you to the Aurora, where you should go, just into one of the nearby dangerous areas you shouldn't just wander into (and don't forget to wear a radiation suit). If you have a vehicle (you can swim, but it's a long swim - mind you swim faster on the surface and when not holding anything), stick to the surface, aim for the back half of the ship's side, then follow the hull to the first opening giving access to the front. Always stick to the hull and the surface! And bring a few medkits.

Experienced players tend to "cheat" the game by going a certain place first to get a head start, but I personally find that no fun and delay my own trip as I would would I be playing fresh. Don't know if you want to hear about it, but I'll not say anything for the time being.

And lets put it like this, killing stalkers will not earn you teeth. How about letting them break a few off while playing? But it's not a priority and you shouldn't risk anything yet.

KyuRyuKun

DrownedOut wrote: »

Welcome! Always nice to see enthusiastic new players.

For one, stop collecting stuff without plan and focus on getting the welder/repair tool and habitat builder. Use the welder to repair Lifepod 5 (panel & radio) so you'll start receiving signals to guide you. The habitat builder you need to set up a base so you can better store any stuff you collect. Warning, as you've found, that currently the waterproof locker and bags are bugged and might delete your items. Base-built lockers are safe, which is why a base is a must right now.

Once you start receiving signals:

#4 is one to watch out with. It leads you to the Aurora, where you should go, just into one of the nearby dangerous areas you shouldn't just wander into (and don't forget to wear a radiation suit). If you have a vehicle (you can swim, but it's a long swim - mind you swim faster on the surface and when not holding anything), stick to the surface, aim for the back half of the ship's side, then follow the hull to the first opening giving access to the front. Always stick to the hull and the surface! And bring a few medkits.

Experienced players tend to "cheat" the game by going a certain place first to get a head start, but I personally find that no fun and delay my own trip as I would would I be playing fresh. Don't know if you want to hear about it, but I'll not say anything for the time being.

And lets put it like this, killing stalkers will not earn you teeth. How about letting them break a few off while playing? But it's not a priority and you shouldn't risk anything yet.

Thats honestly a lot more than I was expecting, thanks a lot for the help I appreciate it a lot

Skope

Start traveling farther and farther from your lifepod. The more biomes, you visit, the greater the chance you finding new tech, which then can be used to increase your search radius and advance the story.

So just keep finding new places and things. You're bound to find something useful.

KyuRyuKun

So is it procedural generated or is everything usually the same in every load of the game?

DrownedOut

The world always is the same (besides what new stuff updates bring in). The resource spawn points have some randomization to them and eggs are unpredictable, but that's it. This was a design choice made early on because the devs favored creating one consistent world with character to it, which procedural/random couldn't quite pull.

narfblat

I have a few tips:

• Titanium ingots aren't useful at game start.
• Limestone can contain a few different useful materials. You can find different rocks in other areas, especially caves.
• The odd noise you heard at about 8:45 is slightly dangerous, but has a chance of something useful.
• Eggs are pointless until you have a good place to put them.
• The wreck at 13:10 probably has an entrance, and keep your scanner handy.

Enderguy059

Try making your bases at certain Biome "Nexuses" (A point where a lot of biomes join up/ are close by). A good one is this large open "mouth" in the safe shallows with the "opening" facing a grassy plateaus, situated between a cave mouth leading to the Jellyshroom caves and a lifepod (I think it might be 8).

The grand reef, floater island, kelp forest, sparse reef and aforementioned jellyshroom caves are a stones throw away, and you can reach the blood kelp if you follow the outside ring of the grassy plateaus to the left, and going directly west will allow you to reach the dunes pretty quickly.

0x6A7232

DrownedOut wrote: »

The world always is the same (besides what new stuff updates bring in). The resource spawn points have some randomization to them and eggs are unpredictable, but that's it. This was a design choice made early on because the devs favored creating one consistent world with character to it, which procedural/random couldn't quite pull.

The starting position of Lifepod 5 is randomized a bit (always in the Shallows, though).

DrownedOut

Maybe some more active bug warnings because it would be a shame to have them ruin your experience:

• Once you get a land/seafloor-dependent vehicle, try to keep it away from high data areas, like forests or large cave entrances. At least, boost as little as possible in those areas and have a grappling hook equipped at all times. There's a risk you'll clip through the ground (everywhere, but significantly there) and the grappling hook is the most accessible tool of only two that can save you if you're quick.
• You might on occassion see a large snake in the Safe Shallows. It doesn't belong there and is a creature spawn glitch. Keep yourself and any vehicles out of its range and it'll go away. Saving & loading also helps for a while.
• The first energy generator you're likely to find (ie, not the solar panels because you have those by default) is glitched. If you reload a game, it sort of deletes its content much like those waterproof lockers. I'm not entirely sure if it doesn't generate energy anymore, but if you are to check on it shortly after reload and it is active, you will bring up an empty PDA screen and be stuck that way. Give it a bit and it'll become nonactive on its own and then it's safe to check on.
• If you aren't certain about building a permanent base yet, refrain from applying anything to walls you've converted to window or reinforced panel. You won't be able to remove several combinations and thus be unable to deconstruct that base/base component. Labels on window'ed walls don't even go past the blueprint stage, so don't bother.
• Pressure compensators on some vehicles "deactivate" on reload. Just get them out and put them back in to get them working again. (There also used to be a glitch that unequipping arms in the open would delete the arm rather than put it in the inventory. Don't know if fixed yet, but make sure to have saved before trying.)

Enderguy059

DrownedOut wrote: »

Maybe some more active bug warnings because it would be a shame to have them ruin your experience:

• Once you get a land/seafloor-dependent vehicle, try to keep it away from high data areas, like forests or large cave entrances. At least, boost as little as possible in those areas and have a grappling hook equipped at all times. There's a risk you'll clip through the ground (everywhere, but significantly there) and the grappling hook is the most accessible tool of only two that can save you if you're quick.

This glitch in particular really gets up my nose.

Sutremaine

-- Make yourself a habitat builder, there are many useful things that can't be built in the confined space of the lifepod (such as... lockers that don't delete your stuff).

-- Carefully check out your fabrication options, if you didn't do that off-camera.

-- Most things that flash up a name can be hit with the knife for some result. Start with the coral tube right below your lifepod.

-- Scan all the things! Mostly you just get background info, but some of the data offers clues on what to do with the scanned item.

-- Eggs aren't useful to you right now, but if you have the storage space you can snag two of each on your travels and be nicely set up for when you have the facilities.

-- Stalker teeth can be hard to get hold of. If you're passing through Stalker territory and see a tooth on the ground, grab it! Drop some salvage if you need to, that stuff is easily replaced.

DrownedOut wrote: »

Experienced players tend to "cheat" the game by going a certain place first to get a head start

The place with the Ming Plants?

KyuRyuKun

Appreciate the help guys I've recorded my second video and credited you guys in it though its not really much to give you haha. I forgot to save my game again DX goddammit...