Starting Build Order

Ellegon · May 2016

Hi all,

I just started playing Subnautica again after some months of not touching it. And I'm amazed by all the changes that appeared. However, I'm a bit lost now at how to progress. I was able to build my tank and fins, but then I wanted to build the builder, to start with a small base (mainly for storage) but the reapers ripped me apart when I was looking for silver (for the computer chip).

So... in short: Does anyone have a suggestion on what to build in roughly what order? I don't need a step by step instrucktion on what to gather (it's fun to find this out myself), but for example: Should I worry about the builder before I build any vehicles? I also struggled with water (food is much easier to get I think), so what would be a good way to not have to constantly worry about drinking?

Any tipps are highly appreciated

TenebrousNova · May 2016

I'm surprised that you ventured that far from the safe shallows to find silver. You can find it easily enough in sandstone rocks from the kelp forest and grass plateaus. I always go: survival knife, oxygen tank, fins, scanner, flashlight (Optional, I barely use it), welder, builder.

Wheeljack · May 2016

My build order: Knife, Tank, Fins, Scanner, Builder, Welder. I also want a small, powered base before I turn my attention on vehicles, and at that point I go straight for the Seamoth. I've used the Seaglide, but I don't know. It seems like it's more trouble than its worth, especially since I use the ultra glide fins over the charge ones.

As for silver, gonna second the person above me. Hit up the kelp forest and grassy plateaus. You wanna look along the ground, because the stuff on the rock walls is usually limestone. And be sure to keep your barings. It's easy to drift too close the Aurora and get unwanted Fun in the form of several tons of angry Reaper. There is also sandstone in a number of safe shallow caves if you can dodge the crash fish or get them stuck in a bend of the cave to allow you to swim away safely.

Rezca · May 2016

I usually repair the Lifepod before I worry about a solid habitat. I've had it drift farther away from the Safe Shallows than I am comfortable with once upon a time, and after that nonsense I've made getting the Grav anchor online my first priorty. After securing the basics like the Survival Knife and Oxygen tanks of course.

As for water... I usually grab some air sacks and convert them into basic water for my trips, then grab boomerangs or more airsacks as-needed for food. Once I've got a Large Aquarium, then I'll just stick a bunch in that for quick food and water.

Rainstorm · May 2016

I always go for stuff in this order:

1- Get the medkit from the medkit-fabricator, exit lifepod, 3-4 scrap metals and about 8-10 quartz. go back to make 2 airtanks (store the rest of the titanium and quartz in the red bench storage, take/drink the water from it and 1nytrient block)
2- Exit lifepod, go to kelp forest and gather 9 Seed clusters + find one silver from sandstone node (use medkit if attacked by stalker) while looking for silver get a few (5-6) coppers from Limestones. Go back to lifepod
3- Make 3 Silicone rubber and 1 lubricant (for the soon to come Seaglide) from the seed clusters then make a pair of fins, make a knife, make a copper wire and get another medkit
4- Exit lifepod, use the knife to get 2 Table coral samples, get 4-6 acid mushrooms. Go back to lifepod
5- Make 2-3 Batteries, make a computer chip, a scanner, the habitat builder. exit lifepod and start exploring to find fragments

Thats how my first 30 mins usually goes. After that point it differs from games to games. If im lucky and unlock the solar panel right away ill usually just build a X corridor with ground lockers in them to expand my ressource hoarding capacity

I usually dont bother with the small storage cubes that floats in the sea, for some reason i just dont like them (most often the line between picking it up, opening the cube or renaming it is so fine that it makes them bothersome) Plus, if your lifepod starts to drift away rapidly it can be tricky to find em back.

Enderguy059 · May 2016

I never build a flashlight. That's what I use the Seaglide for.

Totalologist · May 2016

1st pod exit - I swim along the surface to the kelp forest, then dive for 6 seed clusters. On the way back I grab some scrap and 2 quartz. That's [fins] [knife] [o2tank] in one dive.
2nd pod exit - Back to kelp forest for silver, on way back grab more scrap, 2 copper, 4 acid mushrooms, 2 table coral. That's [scanner] [habitat builder]
3rd pod exit - Scan fragments in safe shallows and erect a ring of pipes around the pod. Return and build [seaglide]

From there I used to go for the seamoth + mobile bay fragments. On my recent plays I have favoured going straight for the resources for a fabricator for my base though, as I tend to set up on the thermal vent at the top of safe shallows, near the grassy plateaus and a bit of distance from the life pod. I never really plan for the welder specifically to fix the lifepod as I use the tube-ring technique, but I usually find you naturally end up with the materials to make one by the time you have a seamoth without great effort.

Ellegon · May 2016

Thanks all for the great help. I really struggled finding that silver (I checked all of the shallow part as well as a lot of trips to the kelp forest)... In the end, after about 3 or 4 hours playtime I found the silver and now I progress much easier

Maybe it was just bad luck? Or maybe it was me... probably the latter

Again, thanks for all the suggestions and tips.

BobRossTheBoss · May 2016

There is a thermal vent in the safe shallows that borders the kelp forest and the great plains. It has caves connected to it (with sandstone, i.e. silver) as well as some high hanging seed clusters. I usually set up shop around that area as it's good power, there's a slope for the moonpool/cyclops, and it's only a hop skip and a jump to the great plaons for the seamoth and then to the mushroom forest for the moonpool.

Starting Build Order

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