If we can't have coordinates, it would be nice to be able to see the distance from buoys. That way I can keep the Temp/Compass chips and still be able to do simple triangulation using two or more buoys. All you'd need to do is record how far you are from multiple buoys to be able to get back to a specific place. Would also be nice to have a speedometer, either on-screen or an actual gauge on the dashboard. And in the Cyclops, you have that rounded nub thing just beyond the steering wheel, how hard would it be to make that an actual compass?
Don't see why just having coordinates being displayed would, by themselves, make the game "too easy". Not like a map, the user would have to manually record the ones he/she was interested in. As it turns out they ARE in the F3 Debug console which should go away in the release version
I think adding them as a compass upgrade-feature (compass + CPU Chip) would be very much in the 'style' of the current "game-play", and could be selectively added by those who wanted them.
I should point out, coordinates are vital when navigating the oceans in real life lol... Showing coordinates in-game would obviously make warping to/from locations easier, in turn making the current game far easier to play/cheat through. However! Even in the official release there should be some form of way to find out where you're at. It would make it easier to mark wrecks/cave entrances to come back to later. Yes, there are Beacons you can use, but how many do you need to carry with you at any given time? Furthermore, do you want your display always lit up with beacon blips everywhere you face? I'd rather write down coordinates as I need them and save the beacons for important stuff.
The ability to make coordinates or at least measure distance from a point has been done for thousands of years by humans in wicker boats and dugout canoes. Having a simple direction+range from a central point that the player sets.
Imagine an antenna device that is placed by the player. I suggest an actual map room base component. Here there is a 2D map laid out in the center of the room. The map is blank except where the player has done 'bottom soundings' with the Cyclops.
The map room becomes the center of the map. (coordinate 0 by 0 )
The Cyclops gets a panel in the operations room (directly opposite the light controls) which displays a replica of the topographical/grid map displayed in the map room. The player can see how far and in which direction they are in relation to the map room via a SONAR ping that the map room receives and sends a slightly different reply giving the range and direction to the Cyclops.
This is an active system...meaning the player needs to actually work it for anything to happen. You stop the Cyclops when in a chosen location and within 20m of the surface, and you send a ping for your location. You get your location and a pin gets put on the map. The player can then name the pin with a tag and write a note in a pop-up field for personal reference. Then the player can perform a sounding of the bottom to get a depth reading for that location. Soundings need to be done when the Cyclops is within 20m of the surface.
*Only the map room and the Cyclops have maps.
*The map only shows a grid and a topography.
*Topography only gets put in in tiny pieces with each sounding.( To get a full topography of the whole game map would require thousands of soundings. Most players only want a few basic reference points. )
*Soundings that are the same level and close together will show topographical lines between them. Forming a proper map takes time and effort few will bother with. ((But I would spend all the time doing))
*The Map room is the center of the grid. (doesn't give any hints to where the edges are)
*Map grows with each point added.
*Soundings show a white dot with a number showing the depth.
*Soundings beyond the edge of the map are shown as thick black spots. (this also becomes the edge of the map as the map grows)
*Map background is middle blue color.
*Performing a sounding should take about 15-30 seconds as the system sends several depth measuring pings and processes them. The Cyclops needs to remain unmoving during the sounding.
This gives a no details given map. With directional coordinates which can be useful for finding locations back. Since only the Cyclops can make soundings it also makes this a bit more later game.
Any marooned person can make a map of their surroundings. 1300 years in the future this should still be possible. For the sake of the game's difficulty, the map shows very little.
.....
PS: Please show range to things like beacons and submarines. If the thing is beeping with a beacon, the time it left the object can be time-stamped and compared with the users time to estimate range. Even Sonar can do this to a limited extent.
The ability to make coordinates or at least measure distance from a point has been done for thousands of years by humans in wicker boats and dugout canoes. Having a simple direction+range from a central point that the player sets.
Imagine an antenna device that is placed by the player. I suggest an actual map room base component. Here there is a 2D map laid out in the center of the room. The map is blank except where the player has done 'bottom soundings' with the Cyclops.
The map room becomes the center of the map. (coordinate 0 by 0 )
The Cyclops gets a panel in the operations room (directly opposite the light controls) which displays a replica of the topographical/grid map displayed in the map room. The player can see how far and in which direction they are in relation to the map room via a SONAR ping that the map room receives and sends a slightly different reply giving the range and direction to the Cyclops.
This is an active system...meaning the player needs to actually work it for anything to happen. You stop the Cyclops when in a chosen location and within 20m of the surface, and you send a ping for your location. You get your location and a pin gets put on the map. The player can then name the pin with a tag and write a note in a pop-up field for personal reference. Then the player can perform a sounding of the bottom to get a depth reading for that location. Soundings need to be done when the Cyclops is within 20m of the surface.
*Only the map room and the Cyclops have maps.
*The map only shows a grid and a topography.
*Topography only gets put in in tiny pieces with each sounding.( To get a full topography of the whole game map would require thousands of soundings. Most players only want a few basic reference points. )
*Soundings that are the same level and close together will show topographical lines between them. Forming a proper map takes time and effort few will bother with. ((But I would spend all the time doing))
*The Map room is the center of the grid. (doesn't give any hints to where the edges are)
*Map grows with each point added.
*Soundings show a white dot with a number showing the depth.
*Soundings beyond the edge of the map are shown as thick black spots. (this also becomes the edge of the map as the map grows)
*Map background is middle blue color.
*Performing a sounding should take about 15-30 seconds as the system sends several depth measuring pings and processes them. The Cyclops needs to remain unmoving during the sounding.
This gives a no details given map. With directional coordinates which can be useful for finding locations back. Since only the Cyclops can make soundings it also makes this a bit more later game.
Any marooned person can make a map of their surroundings. 1300 years in the future this should still be possible. For the sake of the game's difficulty, the map shows very little.
.....
PS: Please show range to things like beacons and submarines. If the thing is beeping with a beacon, the time it left the object can be time-stamped and compared with the users time to estimate range. Even Sonar can do this to a limited extent.
The ability to make coordinates or at least measure distance from a point has been done for thousands of years by humans in wicker boats and dugout canoes. Having a simple direction+range from a central point that the player sets.
Imagine an antenna device that is placed by the player. I suggest an actual map room base component. Here there is a 2D map laid out in the center of the room. The map is blank except where the player has done 'bottom soundings' with the Cyclops.
The map room becomes the center of the map. (coordinate 0 by 0 )
The Cyclops gets a panel in the operations room (directly opposite the light controls) which displays a replica of the topographical/grid map displayed in the map room. The player can see how far and in which direction they are in relation to the map room via a SONAR ping that the map room receives and sends a slightly different reply giving the range and direction to the Cyclops.
This is an active system...meaning the player needs to actually work it for anything to happen. You stop the Cyclops when in a chosen location and within 20m of the surface, and you send a ping for your location. You get your location and a pin gets put on the map. The player can then name the pin with a tag and write a note in a pop-up field for personal reference. Then the player can perform a sounding of the bottom to get a depth reading for that location. Soundings need to be done when the Cyclops is within 20m of the surface.
*Only the map room and the Cyclops have maps.
*The map only shows a grid and a topography.
*Topography only gets put in in tiny pieces with each sounding.( To get a full topography of the whole game map would require thousands of soundings. Most players only want a few basic reference points. )
*Soundings that are the same level and close together will show topographical lines between them. Forming a proper map takes time and effort few will bother with. ((But I would spend all the time doing))
*The Map room is the center of the grid. (doesn't give any hints to where the edges are)
*Map grows with each point added.
*Soundings show a white dot with a number showing the depth.
*Soundings beyond the edge of the map are shown as thick black spots. (this also becomes the edge of the map as the map grows)
*Map background is middle blue color.
*Performing a sounding should take about 15-30 seconds as the system sends several depth measuring pings and processes them. The Cyclops needs to remain unmoving during the sounding.
This gives a no details given map. With directional coordinates which can be useful for finding locations back. Since only the Cyclops can make soundings it also makes this a bit more later game.
Any marooned person can make a map of their surroundings. 1300 years in the future this should still be possible. For the sake of the game's difficulty, the map shows very little.
.....
PS: Please show range to things like beacons and submarines. If the thing is beeping with a beacon, the time it left the object can be time-stamped and compared with the users time to estimate range. Even Sonar can do this to a limited extent.
I should point out, coordinates are vital when navigating the oceans in real life lol... Showing coordinates in-game would obviously make warping to/from locations easier, in turn making the current game far easier to play/cheat through. However! Even in the official release there should be some form of way to find out where you're at. It would make it easier to mark wrecks/cave entrances to come back to later. Yes, there are Beacons you can use, but how many do you need to carry with you at any given time? Furthermore, do you want your display always lit up with beacon blips everywhere you face? I'd rather write down coordinates as I need them and save the beacons for important stuff.
The idea of having a passive display of coordinates does not, in and of itself imply a form of cheating. @Tarkannen uses the word "WARP" which is a CONSOLE command, and not part of the normal game. In the current release you can only see coordinates by going to console commands which does open the door to non-standard player movements.
However, the serious player (is that an oxymoron?) would not be interested in such techniques. Just as having a compass of N-E-S-W doesn't lead to cheating, so having a running display of current coordinates is a simple tool for noting ones location. It is up to the captain to decide how to use them.
I did Minecraft for some time, and the most enjoyment came when I played the original, "vanilla" game. Later on I went crazy with mods and more or less spoiled the game. One that did NOT spoil things was the all time classic "Rei's Minimap" (and it's successors). Among other things, it had a constantly running display of coordinates, and did allow you to save Way Points. Subnautica is a game of exploration, and once one gets a sub as sophisticated as the Seamoth, Cyclops or the PRAWN suit - coordinate display is essential.
I might go as far as to say the debug console should ONLY be enabled in creative or free modes - let Survival be a "pure" challenge!
The idea of having a passive display of coordinates does not, in and of itself imply a form of cheating. @Tarkannen uses the word "WARP" which is a CONSOLE command, and not part of the normal game. In the current release you can only see coordinates by going to console commands which does open the door to non-standard player movements.
However, the serious player (is that an oxymoron?) would not be interested in such techniques. Just as having a compass of N-E-S-W doesn't lead to cheating, so having a running display of current coordinates is a simple tool for noting ones location. It is up to the captain to decide how to use them.
I did Minecraft for some time, and the most enjoyment came when I played the original, "vanilla" game. Later on I went crazy with mods and more or less spoiled the game. One that did NOT spoil things was the all time classic "Rei's Minimap" (and it's successors). Among other things, it had a constantly running display of coordinates, and did allow you to save Way Points. Subnautica is a game of exploration, and once one gets a sub as sophisticated as the Seamoth, Cyclops or the PRAWN suit - coordinate display is essential.
I might go as far as to say the debug console should ONLY be enabled in creative or free modes - let Survival be a "pure" challenge!
You sir, deserve a cookie. You hit the nail on the head. It isn't about making the game easier. It is only a bit more playable. And I have no problem if that map doesn't get filled in until I actually personally see each location.
I've just gone into Creative mode to learn how some of the things work - first hand, and had to try out a Cyclops... WOW - what a piece 'o kit (as the Brits would say)! I mention this as it just confirms my feelings about how important a coordinate readout is to the game.
The basic compass should come with the coordinate readout, and perhaps there could be an "Advanced Navigation" add-on that would provide a way-point system. But if we could just get coordinate's being displayed, it would make exploration so much better.
A 'distance to marker beacon' HUD readout would be most helpful.
Any player with an ounce of know-how would be able to plot their position on a basic grid-square map.
@Bugzapper - I too have thought of distance to marker readings. I'm wondering if the implementation would be a bit rough to do - given that they frequently overlap.
Both Seamoth and Cyclops have decorative computer displays - perhaps in one of those areas they could display a small radar-like screen that show distance figures at the relative bearing of each known buoy. Feels like a neat idea, but also sounds like one helluva programming effort!! Doubt that feature will be in the next release. LOL!
@Bugzapper - I too have thought of distance to marker readings. I'm wondering if the implementation would be a bit rough to do - given that they frequently overlap.
Both Seamoth and Cyclops have decorative computer displays - perhaps in one of those areas they could display a small radar-like screen that show distance figures at the relative bearing of each known buoy. Feels like a neat idea, but also sounds like one helluva programming effort!! Doubt that feature will be in the next release. LOL!
Having range to beacons and maybe also beacon channels should be possible. But may be a bit of work like you say.
If one were to drop beacons at the floating island, the other island and someplace at or between either the Aurora or Safe Shallows, these would be simple reference points to places of interest. (SSW of B1, W of B2 and NE of B3). While I would like coordinates as well, and an in-game notepad (another tab on the PDA?), what I'd really like is more detail on the compass, maybe not showing all 360 degrees, but much more than the 30 degrees I think it shows now. My guess as to the easiest and most straightforward compromise would be to allow players to create their own signals. This wouldn't be perfect as it would take up inventory slots, but it would get the job done.
Wow, all I hope for is just seeing 'distance to beacon' added on those lol! (they exist on signals, why not beacons?... those are even more advanced than a signal you received).
The idea of having a passive display of coordinates does not, in and of itself imply a form of cheating. @Tarkannen uses the word "WARP" which is a CONSOLE command, and not part of the normal game. In the current release you can only see coordinates by going to console commands which does open the door to non-standard player movements.
I think you're misunderstanding my statement. I certainly don't want the game to be any easier than it is, nor do I want warp commands available at our fingertips. And I hope the final game removes console commands (although unlockable cheat codes to be used in Creative/Freedom mode is fine). What I was saying was that "warp" capability or player displacement is mainly for testing purposes now but also seems to become a future gameplay feature (ex: Warpers that can warp themselves between biomes and remove players from vehicles). I'm interested in the future that we can somehow research and harness the 'warp' technology to be able to warp ourselves.
Personally I'd prefer the ability to warp only to one destination beacon with a cooldown, if you want to warp somewhere else then you have to move the beacon manually. Also if you activate the warp before it's ready, or if the device is damaged or affected by EMP, then you'll warp to a point on the map with distance/height/depth being picked randomly. It may save you from an immediate threat but you could end up drowning (too deep), starvation/thirst (too far away) or nommed on by a Reaper (oops). That's all I was saying. If it's not implemented it won't bother me at all.
EDIT: According to a Game Theory video, falling 1,000 meters into water is as bad as falling 1,000 meters onto concrete. While fall damage isn't present yet, if it's added it could mean falling from the sky could be just as deadly as a Reaper attack as well.
Comments
I think adding them as a compass upgrade-feature (compass + CPU Chip) would be very much in the 'style' of the current "game-play", and could be selectively added by those who wanted them.
Imagine an antenna device that is placed by the player. I suggest an actual map room base component. Here there is a 2D map laid out in the center of the room. The map is blank except where the player has done 'bottom soundings' with the Cyclops.
The map room becomes the center of the map. (coordinate 0 by 0 )
The Cyclops gets a panel in the operations room (directly opposite the light controls) which displays a replica of the topographical/grid map displayed in the map room. The player can see how far and in which direction they are in relation to the map room via a SONAR ping that the map room receives and sends a slightly different reply giving the range and direction to the Cyclops.
This is an active system...meaning the player needs to actually work it for anything to happen. You stop the Cyclops when in a chosen location and within 20m of the surface, and you send a ping for your location. You get your location and a pin gets put on the map. The player can then name the pin with a tag and write a note in a pop-up field for personal reference. Then the player can perform a sounding of the bottom to get a depth reading for that location. Soundings need to be done when the Cyclops is within 20m of the surface.
*Only the map room and the Cyclops have maps.
*The map only shows a grid and a topography.
*Topography only gets put in in tiny pieces with each sounding.( To get a full topography of the whole game map would require thousands of soundings. Most players only want a few basic reference points. )
*Soundings that are the same level and close together will show topographical lines between them. Forming a proper map takes time and effort few will bother with. ((But I would spend all the time doing))
*The Map room is the center of the grid. (doesn't give any hints to where the edges are)
*Map grows with each point added.
*Soundings show a white dot with a number showing the depth.
*Soundings beyond the edge of the map are shown as thick black spots. (this also becomes the edge of the map as the map grows)
*Map background is middle blue color.
*Performing a sounding should take about 15-30 seconds as the system sends several depth measuring pings and processes them. The Cyclops needs to remain unmoving during the sounding.
This gives a no details given map. With directional coordinates which can be useful for finding locations back. Since only the Cyclops can make soundings it also makes this a bit more later game.
Any marooned person can make a map of their surroundings. 1300 years in the future this should still be possible. For the sake of the game's difficulty, the map shows very little.
.....
PS: Please show range to things like beacons and submarines. If the thing is beeping with a beacon, the time it left the object can be time-stamped and compared with the users time to estimate range. Even Sonar can do this to a limited extent.
However, the serious player (is that an oxymoron?) would not be interested in such techniques. Just as having a compass of N-E-S-W doesn't lead to cheating, so having a running display of current coordinates is a simple tool for noting ones location. It is up to the captain to decide how to use them.
I did Minecraft for some time, and the most enjoyment came when I played the original, "vanilla" game. Later on I went crazy with mods and more or less spoiled the game. One that did NOT spoil things was the all time classic "Rei's Minimap" (and it's successors). Among other things, it had a constantly running display of coordinates, and did allow you to save Way Points. Subnautica is a game of exploration, and once one gets a sub as sophisticated as the Seamoth, Cyclops or the PRAWN suit - coordinate display is essential.
I might go as far as to say the debug console should ONLY be enabled in creative or free modes - let Survival be a "pure" challenge!
You sir, deserve a cookie. You hit the nail on the head. It isn't about making the game easier. It is only a bit more playable. And I have no problem if that map doesn't get filled in until I actually personally see each location.
I've just gone into Creative mode to learn how some of the things work - first hand, and had to try out a Cyclops... WOW - what a piece 'o kit (as the Brits would say)! I mention this as it just confirms my feelings about how important a coordinate readout is to the game.
The basic compass should come with the coordinate readout, and perhaps there could be an "Advanced Navigation" add-on that would provide a way-point system. But if we could just get coordinate's being displayed, it would make exploration so much better.
Any player with an ounce of know-how would be able to plot their position on a basic grid-square map.
Def not 'cheating'.
Both Seamoth and Cyclops have decorative computer displays - perhaps in one of those areas they could display a small radar-like screen that show distance figures at the relative bearing of each known buoy. Feels like a neat idea, but also sounds like one helluva programming effort!! Doubt that feature will be in the next release. LOL!
Having range to beacons and maybe also beacon channels should be possible. But may be a bit of work like you say.
I think you're misunderstanding my statement. I certainly don't want the game to be any easier than it is, nor do I want warp commands available at our fingertips. And I hope the final game removes console commands (although unlockable cheat codes to be used in Creative/Freedom mode is fine). What I was saying was that "warp" capability or player displacement is mainly for testing purposes now but also seems to become a future gameplay feature (ex: Warpers that can warp themselves between biomes and remove players from vehicles). I'm interested in the future that we can somehow research and harness the 'warp' technology to be able to warp ourselves.
Personally I'd prefer the ability to warp only to one destination beacon with a cooldown, if you want to warp somewhere else then you have to move the beacon manually. Also if you activate the warp before it's ready, or if the device is damaged or affected by EMP, then you'll warp to a point on the map with distance/height/depth being picked randomly. It may save you from an immediate threat but you could end up drowning (too deep), starvation/thirst (too far away) or nommed on by a Reaper (oops). That's all I was saying. If it's not implemented it won't bother me at all.
EDIT: According to a Game Theory video, falling 1,000 meters into water is as bad as falling 1,000 meters onto concrete. While fall damage isn't present yet, if it's added it could mean falling from the sky could be just as deadly as a Reaper attack as well.