Underwater Houses/Bases
Lye
Washington Join Date: 2014-12-23 Member: 200238Members
Washington Join Date: 2014-12-23 Member: 200238Members
(I don't believe this was a topic yet. I searched the forums and couldn't find one, so I'm making one now. If it is a thing already, feel free to shun me and make me feel bad.)
Now, I know a suggestion like this can't be taken lightly, as implementing a feature as big as this would rework a lot of what Subnautica is, and implementing it into a complete new addition to the game would take a fair amount of development time, but I for one believe it'd be worth it.
Now, I might take a few points from another underwater sandbox game, 'Farsky', which included (and mandated) the need for underwater shelters. (Farsky is a great game by the way, the only problem was the devs abandoned it after it hit release, a fate I sincerely hope Subnautica doesn't suffer. Just kidding, Even though I've heard many of Early Access horror stories, this game is incredibly promising and you guys are awesome.
)
All that, along with the foreseeable customization. Subnautica as it stands right now doesn't have that much in the way of customization, funny seeing as that's the main focus of most sandbox games. Near the beginning of the game, I could see underwater bases not being as prominent, but as the story wears on and the option to explore the deeper, nether reaches of the ocean becomes feasible, you start to gain access to the types of metals and other items needed for base construction, and at a good time too! The more advanced workstations would require more room than a tiny explorer submarine would have, and being able to start things like gardens for alien plants that can thrive both above and below water. (explore underwater to collect the seeds, plant them in your underwater house to watch them grow and inevitably harvest them for food) Not to mention the amazing sights to see! One thing I absolutely love about this game is the alien fish and monsters, and being able to watch them interact with one another and generally just move about their daily aquatic lives in a underwater bunker surrounded fully in glass panels would be orgasmic! (the the most broad sense =P)
So I guess the question boils down to one of 2 things. (First being the most requested addition as tallied by your Feature Voting system with 73 votes at the time of this post) Do you guys want a feature that would open up a whole lot of replayability and new pathways into an ever expanding game, but at the same time likely to take a lot of time and effort to tie up the loose ends of so much new stemming content? Or do you devs want to namely focus of the most crucial points in Subnautica in order to be able to have a full game out of EA as soon as possible?
Anyways, amazing creation here guys, and I can't wait to see what comes of it!
Now, I know a suggestion like this can't be taken lightly, as implementing a feature as big as this would rework a lot of what Subnautica is, and implementing it into a complete new addition to the game would take a fair amount of development time, but I for one believe it'd be worth it.
Now, I might take a few points from another underwater sandbox game, 'Farsky', which included (and mandated) the need for underwater shelters. (Farsky is a great game by the way, the only problem was the devs abandoned it after it hit release, a fate I sincerely hope Subnautica doesn't suffer. Just kidding, Even though I've heard many of Early Access horror stories, this game is incredibly promising and you guys are awesome.
)
http://media.indiedb.com/images/articles/1/155/154277/screenshot23.png http://d2oah9q9xdinv5.cloudfront.net/cache/images/games/1/30/29200/crop_800x450/fullScreenshot0.1.png
Now, I've heard the concern that Subnautica is a game about exploration, and building an underwater house would primarily anchor you to one position (The escape pod already does this to some extent). However, I'd like shelters to be seen more like outposts, places to go for oxegen if you're deep under the ocean and don't want to swim all the way to the surface, locations to place chests for access to gear and materials if your carrier submarine is elsewhere, places to fuel up your sub and other underwater vehicles if you wanted to implement underwater geysers of oil along with the energy. (that's a whole new concept entirely, though)
All that, along with the foreseeable customization. Subnautica as it stands right now doesn't have that much in the way of customization, funny seeing as that's the main focus of most sandbox games. Near the beginning of the game, I could see underwater bases not being as prominent, but as the story wears on and the option to explore the deeper, nether reaches of the ocean becomes feasible, you start to gain access to the types of metals and other items needed for base construction, and at a good time too! The more advanced workstations would require more room than a tiny explorer submarine would have, and being able to start things like gardens for alien plants that can thrive both above and below water. (explore underwater to collect the seeds, plant them in your underwater house to watch them grow and inevitably harvest them for food) Not to mention the amazing sights to see! One thing I absolutely love about this game is the alien fish and monsters, and being able to watch them interact with one another and generally just move about their daily aquatic lives in a underwater bunker surrounded fully in glass panels would be orgasmic! (the the most broad sense =P)
So I guess the question boils down to one of 2 things. (First being the most requested addition as tallied by your Feature Voting system with 73 votes at the time of this post) Do you guys want a feature that would open up a whole lot of replayability and new pathways into an ever expanding game, but at the same time likely to take a lot of time and effort to tie up the loose ends of so much new stemming content? Or do you devs want to namely focus of the most crucial points in Subnautica in order to be able to have a full game out of EA as soon as possible?
Anyways, amazing creation here guys, and I can't wait to see what comes of it!
Comments
To me there is a difference between a house and a base. A house would almost always be anchored to the ground. A base could be swimming and maybe move slowly.
That said I don't like the idea of a "house" that much. For the reason that I feel it's not necessary.
I like the concept of layers of mobility.
Have a big base, a giant sub, big sub, smaller sub, tiny sub, seaglide. Each could and should have their own pros and cons as well as features. Maybe one is good for harvesting, the other for hunting, one for exploring, research etc. - you name it.
It wouldn't be necessary to have a ton of subs by the way. Maybe just interchangable modules that will turn a sub into a certain type - e.g. science vs. harvesting. These modules would have to be stored somewhere though.
The essense is: we would / should need a harbour. And this could be a swimming one as well.
I'd eventually go so far to say that life-forms could and should try to destroy it. So you might have to set up a net of sensors and end up having to go back because they pick up creatures going crazy (maybe you anchored in a breeding zone) - or valcanic activity etc.
I feel that'd add an element to the game.
As for "fixed" locations - what I've read on the trello is that we'll eventually be able to have current generators that allow for underwater travel. Not sure how that'll work out but it sounds neat.
my two cents, cheers
I always get a "Land that Time Forgot" vibe when I think of deep underwater exploration. What wonders await the avid explorer beneath the crushing depths and endless lava tubes? This could potentially tie into the viability of terraforming the planet.
One thing I think would be really cool is for the first underwater base to require the disassembly and modification of the escape pod / construction pods. It would be a significant and conscious step in the game progression, dedicating the familiar living/crafting space into materials that will create the base. It would enrich the backstory of a player's experience, provide that certain element of a survivor's retooling requisite, and bring a bit of depth and charm to the first underwater base.
A buoyancy-controlled base that could change location and depth would be a neat idea...it brings about another imagined scenario: seasons. Maybe a new season is discovered at the point in the game when the player creates the first base, which makes the surface a dangerous place to be. It would require manufacturing Oxygen in some way. For instance, position a collector over a brain coral and ferry the commodity to the base--perhaps deliver CO2 from scrubbers in the submarine/base in the process to incite plant growth. Using movies as a reference, it could be as severe as something like Pitch Black, but have storms instead of darkness with Interstellar sized waves. All the creatures could retreat to a secondary deeper location and take on new survival behaviors.
The richness of this game gives me so many ideas.
Besides, the pod anchors you to one position more than anything else at this point, as it can't move, and it's the only place you can go to, to craft things. This upsets me a little bit, because even if stationary underwater shelters became a thing, you'd be able to choose where to construct them, so, it is true that'd you'd still be returning to the same place over and over to fulfil your basic necessities, but you'd be able to chose where the richest, most habitable areas of the ocean was to call home.
A moving base would be cool, but the only reason I didn't suggest it before was because it sounds slightly too overpowered. I feel like there are many things Unknown Worlds are trying to accomplish with this game, and one is the tense, helplessness feeling of being alone in the unknown open depths of this alien planet. Having a fully controllable underwater mothership (while cool as hell) seems like it'd ruin those moments. Hurt? Just hop back into your giant moving base that you travel with everywhere, grill up some fish with your fabricator, and voila, you're ready to continue fighting those giant monsters some more, if you get hurt again then just repeat! However, having a stationary underwater base might also take away from the same unknown depths atmosphere, but at least you only have all the pre-adventure preparation crafting items in one singular location that you can retreat back to if the going gets rough, not with you everywhere you travel to.
However, if moveable outposts seems to be the more prevalent option, I'd like to seem a lot of maintaining and micromanagement incorporated into it. Fuel, oxygen (again, taking from Aeroflax's idea of harvesting such from aquatic plants would work nicely) and electricity would be factors, requiring upkeep of batteries and generators, possibly automatic filtration systems too, in order to keep domestic plants alive. Say there's a lightning storm happening above you. Being on the surface in the middle of the ocean, your base would act as a lightning rod of sorts if you choose to keep it floating above water, shorting out the batteries and lights if by chance a bolt strikes your vessel. (Causing the extra multi managing task of constantly positioning your base depending on the circumstances) Maybe however, you could turn the tables though, and craft a reverse lightning rod sub upgrade that has the ability to capture the energy from lightning bolts, adding a very feasible way to collect electricity if you make sure to drive to the surface every time storms are brewin'.
Man, the possibilities for this game are as endless as the ocean is deep.
Here is an alternative to having to break down the escape pod: Nature does it for you. The developers could sneak in an event of the escape pod being sunk with the completion of the first base. Both are damaged in the storm, and the new base takes on water. You are forced to evacuate to the surface just after the storm passes. That would be a good point to introduce the welder/repair gun. You use the remnants of the escape pod on the seafloor to patch up the new base. After patching the last breach and purging the base of seawater it triumphantly rises from the depths and breaks the surface. Now you have the motivation to upgrade the base. Buoyancy control, manual in its first phase, remote in its second, and finally automatic. Tied with this could be beacons that sense incoming weather patterns to alert you of approaching storms. Perhaps when you have a network of beacons you can begin to analyze the patterns and, through some mechanic of informing the player, you realize that the weather is getting worse. Perhaps you discover a great portion of the seafloor in the shallows gouged by a terrific storm that passed over a corner of the inner boundaries. It wasn't anything to worry about until you saw the damage. Your base needs to go deeper to avoid these storms, and you must focus on upgrading it to withstand greater pressures. These events aren't back to back though. They can be spread out over quite a bit of time, giving the experience an exclamation mark every once in a while. That's how real longevity could be achieved. You think you know the bubble of interaction, you grow used to the 'daily grind' of exploration, then something comes along and completely changes the dynamic of the game world.
There is a lot of scripted (unavoidable) events tied into this, but if it keeps the half-life method alive--meaning you still have control of your character throughout the event--it would bring quite a bit of the 'last survivor' experience into the game. Perhaps the weather could play a foe that is constantly challenging the player to adapt. Maybe that's going a bit too far...but it would be really nice to see some major element that changes the behavior of every living creature, perhaps even changes the shallow structures, to remind the players that they are stranded on an alien planet, far away from home, with only their wits and a bit of technology to keep them alive.
Another possibility of the diving bell (to keep it from being overpowered) is having it mistaken as a jellyfish by some predatory creatures...it might mean all you discover on your return is just enough oxygen to make the ascent to the surface. The base should also be susceptible to damage in the same way, but a total loss might be too much of a setback. Thank goodness we aren't taking nitrogen in the system into account. Even an emergency ascent would have dire consequences for a lone survivor.
Perhaps a weight could be used to keep the structure in place (similar to how a floater would do pretty much the opposite)
You can move boulders with the floaters, so taking that as an example of how mass is affected with buoyancy in the game, the seamoth would require the same minimal effort. Affecting all masses is one of the potential goals in the SN Trello. It is entirely within the capability of the gravsphere to function as a docking rope. Whether the developers choose to do that is another thing.