Just speculating on the Planet 4546B

LonnehartLonnehart Guam Join Date: 2016-06-20 Member: 218816Members
Just a few things about Planet 4546B I've been wondering about...

1. Is the landmass we're playing on some kind of plateau? The entire playable area appears to be on some kind of rocky structure jutting out from the ocean which seems to be endlessly deep.

2. Is there more than one plateau on this world? There can't be just one I think...

3. How the heck did this thing form? I only have two guesses... Either the entire plateau is a gigantic meteorite that landed on its end on the planet's hard water surface with the end we're on gradually eroded away so most of it is underwater. Or some alien civilization built the thing artificially.

4. I bet the planet is pretty gigantic and the landmass we're on is tiny. With ships disappearing around the planet for thirty years before the game's story I'm guessing most of those ships ended up in the deep ocean abyss...

Just some thoughts about Planet 4546B. Any other thoughts or comments to add? :)
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Comments

  • NorulvNorulv Norway Join Date: 2016-06-13 Member: 218528Members
    edited July 2016
    1: I guess thats a possibility. I havent explored the deepest part of the playable area, like the lost river, lava biomes and such. Another possibilities is that the planet crust are like Earths but thicker overall. What Im trying to say is that: Earth have a single thin landmass layer/ crust (including ocean floor), thats split here and there and are kinda floating atop of the mantle. Our landmasses and continents move constantly to/ from each other each day, each year. But not by much though. The Americas and Europe will eventually merge together where the Atlantic are now.

    2000px-Earth-cutaway-schematic-english.svg_.png

    Now with 4546b there could be several possibilites.

    1: It can be that its crust is much thicker overall but split up horizontally with layers of water. Beneath that could be a very deep layer of ocean, then the mantle, outer core and the very inner core.

    2: It could just be a water planet with maybe a very hot core, mantle and a thick crust.

    3: It could have a very cool and hard metal core with a very deep layer of ocean, but with no heated mantle and such. The large moon and the little one farther out could compensate with how they influence the planet. Gravitational pull and tides. They could make sure the planet stays active. Again depending on the parent star, its clearly hot enough to have life as we know it so that isnt a problem, but the planet depend on the moons/ natural satelites more.

    Ever seen Star Wars episode 1? Yeah theres an good example of a planet named Naboo with the core being entirely made out of water and its passable of all things. With big ocean creatures.
    And in Episode 3 theres a big water planet, Kamino. No idea how its buildt up though.
    Whish I could remember any from Star Trek but oh well.

    4:My guess too, we might be on a very small part of shallow water. Might be the only place we can actually see the ocean floor to any extent. Maybe the rest of the planet have no more landmass/ crust and just deep ocean.


    Hope it helped getting an idea :)

  • TheLordEternalTheLordEternal The Earth Join Date: 2015-08-07 Member: 206851Members
    Well there's already a small island kept afloat by the floaters beneath it, Maybe our landmass is just another rock under their reign.
  • FathomFathom Earth Join Date: 2016-07-01 Member: 219405Members
    I would speculate that the planet has low tectonic activity but many hotspots with strong local volcanic activity, which form shallow areas or small islands isolated from each other. Each shallow area then tends to have its own unique flora and fauna evolving isolated from the other islands separated by abyssal depths of the global ocean.

    I would also say the high humidity in the atmosphere of an ocean planet would lead to massive storms and torrential downpours at least on a seasonal basis.
  • LonnehartLonnehart Guam Join Date: 2016-06-20 Member: 218816Members
    edited July 2016
    Well there's already a small island kept afloat by the floaters beneath it, Maybe our landmass is just another rock under their reign.

    I imagine the floaters holding up the playable area would be extra massive...
  • FathomFathom Earth Join Date: 2016-07-01 Member: 219405Members
    Lonnehart wrote: »
    Well there's already a small island kept afloat by the floaters beneath it, Maybe our landmass is just another rock under their reign.

    I imagine the floaters hlding up the playable area would be extra massive...
    I think Floaters are an artificial lifeform and the Floater Island is a manufactured environment. Simply based on the description of the Floater not having any means of locomotion other than up and the way you can dislodge and attach them with the ease of a tool to put them where desired.
  • AncoliusAncolius Nederland Join Date: 2015-02-01 Member: 201148Members
    Not exactly true, while floaters have no motion of their own they attach them self to anything moving past one that isn't sticking to anything yet hitching a ride.
    Meaning they will go anywhere till the creature dies stressed fish usually go for cover and they prolly die hiding under stones making floaters stick to the stones where they release eggs that float to the surface, hatch feed on the sunlight and attach to fish taking them back to the deep finishing the cycle of life.
  • yomamayomama On the freeway Join Date: 2016-04-17 Member: 215861Members
    edited July 2016
  • LonnehartLonnehart Guam Join Date: 2016-06-20 Member: 218816Members
    Ancolius wrote: »
    Not exactly true, while floaters have no motion of their own they attach them self to anything moving past one that isn't sticking to anything yet hitching a ride.
    Meaning they will go anywhere till the creature dies stressed fish usually go for cover and they prolly die hiding under stones making floaters stick to the stones where they release eggs that float to the surface, hatch feed on the sunlight and attach to fish taking them back to the deep finishing the cycle of life.

    Floaters are strange creatures indeed. How many of them and how massive would they have to be to hold up a continent sized land mass?

    I have my doubts on the floater theory because of the geological activity going on underneath. We do have lava zones after all...
  • IvanKeskaIvanKeska US Join Date: 2015-08-16 Member: 207202Members
    edited July 2016
    well in an old thread I made about the science of the planet we identified that we are not on an all ocean world. Environment just does not support that, thus giant waves and hellish storms that make the southern ocean on earth look like a lovely place.
    But there were two leading theories if i remember, one being that we are near a continent thus possibly in a sea on the coastal shelf. Or that we are in a large archipelago chain, which again would keep the whether around what we have and explain why the water isn't that deep. Plus both theories explained why land life exists and how it so easily formed on floater island.
    Now I think the archipelago was winning because of the idea it would have broken up currents that large bodys of water would have. Thus give us this environment of lower currents. Also i think it also better explained the safe shallows also why we don't see the land mass from space, but i don't remember.
  • LonnehartLonnehart Guam Join Date: 2016-06-20 Member: 218816Members
    I'm surprised we're not dealing with large waves due to the two moons that orbit the planet. For those of you science minded players, how would two moons influence the massively deep ocean? I'm going to assume that the ocean on this planet is deep enough that eventually you run into a surface of hot ice...
  • IvanKeskaIvanKeska US Join Date: 2015-08-16 Member: 207202Members
    We never got to that bit on the topic, since figuring out the landscape was the first important factor. But i'd assume that the moons being as close as they are would induce very huge tidal changes, plus add in the fact the moon or planet we are on is smaller then earth because of the lower water pressure thus extreme free dive depth. So possible we'd see every now and then a single gigantic wave sweep across the map. And maybe have the safe shallow partly become land from the tide dropping so low.

    but might revive or just remake the thread, just so we can break down subnautica bit by bit.
  • XyphonXyphon Texas Join Date: 2016-03-22 Member: 214664Members
    Lonnehart wrote: »
    I'm surprised we're not dealing with large waves due to the two moons that orbit the planet. For those of you science minded players, how would two moons influence the massively deep ocean? I'm going to assume that the ocean on this planet is deep enough that eventually you run into a surface of hot ice...

    Actually, that large moon that's really close should be having a huge impact on the planet. The tides would be massive and there would be huge tectonic shifts. Not to mention that the large moon is well inside what is called the Roche limit. That moon should either be in a unstable orbit with it eventually impacting the planet (like Phobos) or it should have been torn apart into a ring system.
  • FathomFathom Earth Join Date: 2016-07-01 Member: 219405Members
    The big moon stays at the same level above the horizon during its whole revolution. This means the distance towards the game area stays the same and thus, no actual tides will be created by it. Only further past the horizon would tides be increasingly noticeable.

    The small moon does not seem to move at all, thus should not create any shifting tides.
  • LonnehartLonnehart Guam Join Date: 2016-06-20 Member: 218816Members
    I wonder if this is a multiple planet system... or maybe if the moons are tidally locked. Moons that don't set seem unusual to me. Is there any sort of real world phenomena that could explain it? I know this is fiction and for all we know the precursors may have artificially created the entire system.
  • Nautical_NickNautical_Nick Australia Join Date: 2016-06-12 Member: 218444Members
    I think the precursors evolved on the planet. About the play area thing though, I do believe that there are massive Columbus with huge gaps in between leading down to the final layers before the molten core.
  • Funsauce32Funsauce32 Canada Join Date: 2016-06-09 Member: 218339Members
    heres my idea: Its a game and they cant make it as large as a planet.
  • MasterJediKniteMasterJediKnite Join Date: 2017-07-11 Member: 231761Members
    Xyphon wrote: »
    Lonnehart wrote: »
    I'm surprised we're not dealing with large waves due to the two moons that orbit the planet. For those of you science minded players, how would two moons influence the massively deep ocean? I'm going to assume that the ocean on this planet is deep enough that eventually you run into a surface of hot ice...

    Actually, that large moon that's really close should be having a huge impact on the planet. The tides would be massive and there would be huge tectonic shifts. Not to mention that the large moon is well inside what is called the Roche limit. That moon should either be in a unstable orbit with it eventually impacting the planet (like Phobos) or it should have been torn apart into a ring system.

    1) Lonnehart Yes, but if the planet is all ocean the, moon would not have an affect on the planet for large waves. The gravity of the planet would exert the same amount of force over the entire planets surface, therefor eliminating the possibility for large waves.

    2) Xyphon The moon would not be in an orbit at all, in actuality, Planet 4546B is orbiting the moon. I know this sounds crazy, but the gravity of the planet after you leave its atmosphere is very small. Because of the small amount of gravity past the planets atmosphere, it makes it possible for the moon to be extra close, the moon have no affect on waves and such, and have Planet 4546B orbiting its moon

    P.S. Planet 4546B's land mass (play area) itself is floating (and a cube). The bottom of the land mass is roughly 3050 meters deep. I spent so much time swimming down there with only a seaglide in creative.


    Hope I helped sort out some of Planet 4546B's mysteries.
  • Gamechanger3849Gamechanger3849 Flying an ARC-170 above Planet 4546B Join Date: 2017-06-17 Member: 231153Members
    Norulv wrote: »
    1:
    And in Episode 3 theres a big water planet, Kamino. No idea how its buildt up though.

    Kamino is just an earth except global warming happened really quick and the ice on the entire planet melted and boom ocean world

    and that was Episode 2
  • kingkumakingkuma cancels Work: distracted by Dwarf Fortress Join Date: 2015-09-25 Member: 208137Members
    The "plateau" is actually the shell of a gigantic reefback.


    (Kinda like how in native american mythology, the world is on the back of a gigantic turtle. Unfortunately, there aren't turtles in SN.)
  • MasterJediKniteMasterJediKnite Join Date: 2017-07-11 Member: 231761Members
    Funsauce32 wrote: »
    heres my idea: Its a game and they cant make it as large as a planet.

    Hahahahahahaha!!!!! True, I forgot about that part. However, it can be fun to theorize, and give your thoughts on it all.
  • Kouji_SanKouji_San Sr. Hινε Uρкεερεг - EUPT Deputy The Netherlands Join Date: 2003-05-13 Member: 16271Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue
    edited July 2017
    kingkuma wrote: »
    The "plateau" is actually the shell of a gigantic reefback.


    (Kinda like how in native american mythology, the world is on the back of a gigantic turtle. Unfortunately, there aren't turtles in SN.)



    Isn't that the flat earthers and religious literalists as well. Living on the back of elephants who are standing on the back of a turtle, on a flat plane surrounded by Antarctica, underneath a ice dome firmament, at the center of the universe :trollface:
    Who the hell comes up with this shit, those must've been some epic shrooms even Mario would envy

    Also what happened to 4546A :trollface::trollface:



    Fine, I'll leave :(
  • Kouji_SanKouji_San Sr. Hινε Uρкεερεг - EUPT Deputy The Netherlands Join Date: 2003-05-13 Member: 16271Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue
    Okay I can't be the only one who wants giant floaters holding up the playable area :p

    Huge friggin' space floaters!
  • CaptainFearlessCaptainFearless CO, US Join Date: 2016-12-14 Member: 224941Members
    its a gaaaaaaaaaaaaaame. end point.
  • sayerulzsayerulz oregon Join Date: 2015-04-15 Member: 203493Members
    I suspect that the whole playable area is just an enormous volcano. It would go a long way towards explaining the abundant caves and volcanic activity. The lava zones are it's magma chamber. It also appears to be a relatively stable one in the period the game is set in, with pressure being released by the various thermal vents preventing any explosions. This long period of stability allowed corals to grow near the top where there is a lot of sunlight available, adding a sort of cap too the volcano made of limestone and sandstone rather than basalt. Given the steep sides of the map, I suspect that this volcano has been quiet for quite some time, during which ocean currents wore away much of the outer structure, but leaving the harder core.

    As for the planet in general, it's most likely an earth-like world in structure, perhaps with a bit more water, but I'm sure there are continents somewhere, keeping mega-storms in check and being the source for the plants on the floater islands. I don't think that the bottomless map is evidence for the planet being some sort of crazy 100% water world, that's clearly just a game mechanic.
  • Timelord_FredTimelord_Fred Join Date: 2017-07-05 Member: 231596Members
    I've always liked to think of the void as an extremely deep area around the edge. I always imagined giant sea monsters there that could inhale the sea dragon through its gills and not even notice...
  • sayerulzsayerulz oregon Join Date: 2015-04-15 Member: 203493Members
    I've always liked to think of the void as an extremely deep area around the edge. I always imagined giant sea monsters there that could inhale the sea dragon through its gills and not even notice...

    I think that thermodynamics, gravity, and geometry might prohibit that.
  • Kouji_SanKouji_San Sr. Hινε Uρкεερεг - EUPT Deputy The Netherlands Join Date: 2003-05-13 Member: 16271Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue
    edited August 2017
    sayerulz wrote: »
    I've always liked to think of the void as an extremely deep area around the edge. I always imagined giant sea monsters there that could inhale the sea dragon through its gills and not even notice...

    I think that thermodynamics, gravity, and geometry might prohibit that.

    And even if it was possible... A creature of that size would probably cause extreme currents and waves just by swimming around with the amount of water it would displace. Surely we'd notice some of those effects on our small neighborhood, if it was that insanely big, a sea dragon basically looks like plankton to it. Not even mentioning it's sustenance and energy requirements, just to be able to move :worried:



    The bigger something is, the slower they become. Just look at the biggest lifeforms on our planet we have discovered... They are a bloody tree that looks like a forest and an interconnected fungus :D
  • CaptainFearlessCaptainFearless CO, US Join Date: 2016-12-14 Member: 224941Members
    I've always liked to think of the void as an extremely deep area around the edge. I always imagined giant sea monsters there that could inhale the sea dragon through its gills and not even notice...

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