Ice Shelf Biome Notion
BlueBottle
Australia Join Date: 2018-02-03 Member: 236674Members
Australia Join Date: 2018-02-03 Member: 236674Members
Was just musing on what the new Arctic Expansion might look like. It seems pretty certain that some of the expansion at least will include biomes covered with a thick layer of ice - much like our various Antarctic ice shelves back home. Anyway this is just what oozed out of my imagination...
It seems that a key feature of these kinds of biomes might be to encourage exploration to unfold horizontally rather than vertically: Going further rather than deeper.
To my mind a thick ice-shelf would limit access to the surface, but various game mechanics would be included to make risky surface ventures necessary to proceed. As in life, the arctic biome subs would need to surface occasionally. This could be to replenish a limited O2 supply, or else to recharge batteries by unfurling a sub’s solar array panels into direct sunlight (yeah, the blueprints found in the arctic aren't quite as super as the schmick Alterra subs we're used to). Hence players need to find or make 'blow-holes' in the ice shelf, so that they can extend their explorations.
Predators akin to giant polar bears roam the surface - patrolling between blow holes, hunting marine mammals that use them. Thus a captain completing a lengthy resupply procedure might be in for a tense time of it, as they hear a slow but massive stomping of footsteps get louder and faster.
Although natural blow holes do occur, additional artificial holes could be made using a 'Heat Gun' (based on the discarded terraformer from the main game). To pace the game (and to conserve the setting) the number of artificial blow holes would be limited - perhaps by its very high energy costs. Of course this device needs to be upgraded to penetrate the thicker ice shelf of late game areas.
Beneath the ice-shelf a player would need to navigate between threats from below and threats from above. Threats from below would include various bottom dwelling predators. Some might be flattened like giant rays or angler fish, and coloured to blend into their environment - but betrayed perhaps by a giant eyeball or glinting row of long rail-spike teeth. Others might be more anchored creatures - reaching up with their curly tentacles to snare passing prey and careless Seamoth pilots (think crinoids if you know em). A cautious player might be tempted to hug the ice shelf (muhaha!)
Threats from above might include giant icicles that drop from the ice-shelf when disturbed by excessive engine noise. Parking a Seamoth just under the ice might risk envelopment with ice crystals which would need to be dealt with promptly - lest the sub becomes frozen into the ice shelf.
Predators from above might include pale flat octopus like creatures clinging to the underside of the ice. These drop drown to envelope passing prey in their large membrane - sinking to the bottom with their snack to dismember at leisure it with their beak. Such a captured Seamoth might need to be cut out by hand. Other predators might tempt prey with glowing threads of sticky mucus, like our smaller cave glow worms do.
From the above surface some predators might even be able to break through the very thinnest parts of the ice-shelf: perhaps stabbing through with their massive beaks. These could be avoided by pilots noticing moving shadows of splayed feet though the thin ice.
In any case, at some point the shallow underwater terrain would make further navigation impossible. The player must then surface and run the gauntlet of various ice-shelf predators until he can find another blowhole leading down into a new underwater section. In this manner the player is kind of re-noobified, and can reprise their early scramble for resources to restock and rebuild before continuing in the new section.
Certainly at later stages, blueprints for building surface vehicles are discoverable. But by then of course there are even larger flat-footed surface creatures about to stomp on you.
It seems that a key feature of these kinds of biomes might be to encourage exploration to unfold horizontally rather than vertically: Going further rather than deeper.
To my mind a thick ice-shelf would limit access to the surface, but various game mechanics would be included to make risky surface ventures necessary to proceed. As in life, the arctic biome subs would need to surface occasionally. This could be to replenish a limited O2 supply, or else to recharge batteries by unfurling a sub’s solar array panels into direct sunlight (yeah, the blueprints found in the arctic aren't quite as super as the schmick Alterra subs we're used to). Hence players need to find or make 'blow-holes' in the ice shelf, so that they can extend their explorations.
Predators akin to giant polar bears roam the surface - patrolling between blow holes, hunting marine mammals that use them. Thus a captain completing a lengthy resupply procedure might be in for a tense time of it, as they hear a slow but massive stomping of footsteps get louder and faster.
Although natural blow holes do occur, additional artificial holes could be made using a 'Heat Gun' (based on the discarded terraformer from the main game). To pace the game (and to conserve the setting) the number of artificial blow holes would be limited - perhaps by its very high energy costs. Of course this device needs to be upgraded to penetrate the thicker ice shelf of late game areas.
Beneath the ice-shelf a player would need to navigate between threats from below and threats from above. Threats from below would include various bottom dwelling predators. Some might be flattened like giant rays or angler fish, and coloured to blend into their environment - but betrayed perhaps by a giant eyeball or glinting row of long rail-spike teeth. Others might be more anchored creatures - reaching up with their curly tentacles to snare passing prey and careless Seamoth pilots (think crinoids if you know em). A cautious player might be tempted to hug the ice shelf (muhaha!)
Threats from above might include giant icicles that drop from the ice-shelf when disturbed by excessive engine noise. Parking a Seamoth just under the ice might risk envelopment with ice crystals which would need to be dealt with promptly - lest the sub becomes frozen into the ice shelf.
Predators from above might include pale flat octopus like creatures clinging to the underside of the ice. These drop drown to envelope passing prey in their large membrane - sinking to the bottom with their snack to dismember at leisure it with their beak. Such a captured Seamoth might need to be cut out by hand. Other predators might tempt prey with glowing threads of sticky mucus, like our smaller cave glow worms do.
From the above surface some predators might even be able to break through the very thinnest parts of the ice-shelf: perhaps stabbing through with their massive beaks. These could be avoided by pilots noticing moving shadows of splayed feet though the thin ice.
In any case, at some point the shallow underwater terrain would make further navigation impossible. The player must then surface and run the gauntlet of various ice-shelf predators until he can find another blowhole leading down into a new underwater section. In this manner the player is kind of re-noobified, and can reprise their early scramble for resources to restock and rebuild before continuing in the new section.
Certainly at later stages, blueprints for building surface vehicles are discoverable. But by then of course there are even larger flat-footed surface creatures about to stomp on you.
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