Navigating the DGR, LR, etc

JackeJacke Calgary Join Date: 2017-03-20 Member: 229061Members
in Subnautica General Discussion
Currently game in the Experimental build.

After taking my Cyclops to the Floating Isle, I took it down under 300m in the Grand Reef on the way back to my base near the 4 Biome boundaries. Decided to return and explore deeper with my Seamoth.

And that was my first trip to the Deep Grand Reef and then the start of the Lost River. Must have gone near the entrance to the ILZ as I saw its biome displayed. Poked around a bit. Found a piece of Nickle to later upgrade my Cyclops Hull Module MK1 to a MK2. Found the Precursor Base that needs a Yellow Artifact to enter. And only brought one Beacon when I should have had many. As well as not enough water and food.

It's confusing down there, even with the Seamoth Sonar. I didn't even realise the Deep Grand Reef was not a valley but a cave with a roof and few entrances until I started back.

So, how does everyone navigate down there? Do I just have to keep at it until it becomes familiar? And taking a Cyclops, which seems to be what UWE wants use to do (what with the upcoming/already here power nerfs to the PRAWN), how do I take it into spaces I find I can barely get the Seamoth through?

And that's not even considering wildlife. I got zapped in the Seamoth a couple of times by Crabsquids. And I've read about everything else below.

Considering the PDA I found at the Floating Isle, I know my next story step is going to the Aurora. (I hope I can get past the Reapers with the Cyclops, although I might just kit out the Seamoth with Storage Modules.) Are there things I will get from continuing the story (like more Purple Artifacts and the Yellow Artifact, which the Wiki says is in the DGR Abandoned Base) that will help here?
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Comments

  • ThePassionateGamerThePassionateGamer Germany Join Date: 2016-06-07 Member: 218219Members
    I think I play since the first month Subnautica started its early access phase on Steam. And yes I have a mere average sense of direction but I tend to still get lost in this game from time to time. I really hope we do get something in the release version that can help a player navigate. A kind of mini-map or a map feature in general would be great to know where you are. Also I would love to have something else then beacons to mark things. If we ever get a kind of map it should have a "map-marker" feature or certain points should mark themselfs once you have found them, like wrecks, lost bases, cave entrances, precursor sites and lifepods for example. Those markers should only appear on the map and or mini-map. That way you could still decide to put down a beacon if you want it to show directly in your hud.

    I currently help myself out by using the coordinates system that you can look at by pressing F1. That helps a little.

    Here's to hoping that we will see anything useful for navigating around the biomes this great game has to offer.
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  • SoreinSorein USA Join Date: 2015-05-01 Member: 204015Members
    Personally, the most useful thing to me when exploring a new area is to make use of significant or otherwise abnormal geographic features and formations. For me the qualifiers of a good landmark are as such:
    • The landmark should be easily spotted and fairly distinct in shape. This is important for locating the landmark, and can be difficult in certain regions with low visibility.
    • It should be shaped such that you can clearly define one side of the structure from the others. This allows you to orient yourself based on the landmark.
    • It should be within visible range of another landmark, or at least on a heading from another landmark that is distinct for you.
    • It doesn't have to be a small feature, things like changes in the seabed's topography (or a cavern's ceiling if applicable) can make for excellent landmarks.

    As you explore an area do so in such a way that is centered around the location of one of your landmarks. In other words, explore outward on radial vectors from a landmark and return to the landmark. This will help give you a better understanding of the general layout of the area (which can in itself assist with your navigation) and will help to cement the image of the landmark for you.

    Once you combine specific landmarks with topographic landmarks you can use the large topographic landmarks to lead you to your specific landmarks which allows for precise navigation.
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  • JackeJacke Calgary Join Date: 2017-03-20 Member: 229061Members
    I know about the F1 display and locations. I record them yet it's still hard to use them in these deep zones as lights illuminate little and I can't see very far. It's hard to use features that you can't see until you're almost on top of them.

    It looks like I'm going to have to record a lot of locations and use a lot of Beacons. I can see this becoming a problem for a lot of players. When they start going deep, they are going to get lost. Add on top of that the fragility of the vessels and the aggression of the beasties, there's going to be a lot of frustration.
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  • garathgarath Texas Join Date: 2017-02-08 Member: 227730Members
    I like to put a beacon at ocean level above the spot where I can drive my Cyclops at sea level and then descend vertically to the Grand Reef to Deep Grand Reef entrance / trench / opening that will fit the Cyclops. Then, I put down other beacons at major turns I need to make in the Cyclops. I still seem to spend a good bit of time switching from Cyclops to Seamoth and back again.

    Also, I think it is far easier to travel to the Lost River via one of the Blood Trench entrances and then come out at the Deep Grand Reef entrance. (doing this in the Seamoth). Then, I drop beacons so I know where I need to go.

    With beacons at sea level above the entrance to the Deep Grand Reef and a beacon at the Lost River as my two starting beacons, then I fill in the major turns between these two. But I'm still using the Seamoth to scout and such.
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  • KelliseKellise UK Join Date: 2016-07-23 Member: 220582Members
    I'm on xbox where our render distance is bloody awful. I get by 90% of beacons and signals down there. Once you have a beacon on the lava falls (ILZ-ALZ connector), the entrances to lost river and the lava castle signal it's fairly easy to just go one way till you end up where you want to be. Finding the infernal lava falls with the render distance is another story, mind you.
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  • kingkumakingkuma cancels Work: distracted by Dwarf Fortress Join Date: 2015-09-25 Member: 208137Members
    I use 2 beacons to triangulate my position. one at the front of the Aurora, one at the back.
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  • DC_DarklingDC_Darkling Join Date: 2003-07-10 Member: 18068Members, Constellation, Squad Five Blue, Squad Five Silver
    Beacons in key positions are a big factor, the rest is landmarks.
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  • JackeJacke Calgary Join Date: 2017-03-20 Member: 229061Members
    scubamatt wrote: »
    If you are going to be traveling along a certain route frequently, you can bring a bit of titanium and some Creepvine Pods along. Use your habitat builder to place an External Growbed, and then plant a Creepvine Pod. It will grow into a nice tall, yellow glowing natural beacon for you in an hour or so. Next time you pass by, stop and harvest all of the pods, and replant them in that growbed, to make a much brighter beacon. I started doing this after I made my SOS signals for possible rescue teams (planting the beacons in an arrow shape, pointing at my base). Short of using the artificial beacons you craft, these are the easiest to see in nearly all terrain.
    DC_Darkling wrote: »
    Beacons in key positions are a big factor, the rest is landmarks.

    Thanks, guys, for the suggestions.

    I already build combo Creepvine-Acid Mushroom-Brain Coral Exterior Growbeds at my bases. Setting up a 5-Creepvine-1-Brain Coral Ext. Growbed and Beacons at key points is a good idea. (Brain Coral are for a just in case of destruction of my vessel and I have to swim back out.) Adding light and locations down there will help.

    Now I just hope I can get through and explore despite all the blasted wildlife. And that really looks like it's going to be a real tight squeeze for the Cyclops.
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  • SidchickenSidchicken Plumbing the subnautican depths Join Date: 2016-02-16 Member: 213125Members
    scubamatt wrote: »
    If you are going to be traveling along a certain route frequently, you can bring a bit of titanium and some Creepvine Pods along. Use your habitat builder to place an External Growbed, and then plant a Creepvine Pod. It will grow into a nice tall, yellow glowing natural beacon for you in an hour or so. Next time you pass by, stop and harvest all of the pods, and replant them in that growbed, to make a much brighter beacon. I started doing this after I made my SOS signals for possible rescue teams (planting the beacons in an arrow shape, pointing at my base). Short of using the artificial beacons you craft, these are the easiest to see in nearly all terrain.

    That's a cute trick - I like it.
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  • scubamattscubamatt Georgia, USA Join Date: 2016-05-22 Member: 217295Members
    If you have a deep base, plant a growbed right next to it with Brain Coral - but when you plant them, wait 10 seconds between planting each coral sample. When they mature, you will have a nearly steady stream of air bubbles in a column to the surface. Makes ascending and descending easy and safe, even without any extra tanks. Back when we could terraform, I did this in all of my mine shafts so I wouldn't have to use pipes.
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  • zetachronzetachron Germany Join Date: 2014-11-14 Member: 199655Members
    scubamatt wrote: »
    If you have a deep base, plant a growbed right next to it with Brain Coral - but when you plant them, wait 10 seconds between planting each coral sample. When they mature, you will have a nearly steady stream of air bubbles in a column to the surface. Makes ascending and descending easy and safe, even without any extra tanks. Back when we could terraform, I did this in all of my mine shafts so I wouldn't have to use pipes.

    Seems my suggestion came to late. I always found those Brain Coral growbeds a nice addition to gameplay.

    But something else:

    It seems in the last few updates since the stable release the Cyclops got made much tougher. I tested going down from the surface at the Grand Reef to the Lava Sea with flank speed only while using the cam 1 or the direct sight and got to the prison with only about 75% health damage in total. I only switched to silent running and stopped twice, so it was a very fast trip (Ok, I exactly knew the golden path of navigation with my playtime).

    It seemed that terrain contact even scratching rock didn't give noticable damage and most creatures need time to attack a fast moving vehicle, so I think 20% damage went to all smaller creatures, max. 10% to terrain damage, and the Sea Dragon (the route only attracts the one at the Lava Sea) had only 1 grab and fireblow for about 40% damage. I stopped to silent running and fought the fire. Then parked right under the entrance. As an extra energy consumption was absolutely minimal with that approach.

    So I would say the devs already did rebalance the Cyclops vulnerability. And with that kind of low terrain damage we can drive a bit more relaxed.

    On the other side the shields are now totally useless (at least to navigation experts). They have been useless against Sea Dragon attacks unless you wanted to time your defense, which wouldn't make sense. Now we don't even need them for terrain damage protection. Although it might depend on how good you can navigate through tight spaces.



    TL;DR:

    Train driving your Cyclops through narrow and creature sparse terrain and weld the damage afterwards with even less creatures around. Try out switching from flank speed to silent running and back again. You should risk a few bruises, because in the end it helps you and you get a feeling how much space you need and what you can risk. Cam 1 is good for going down fast and direct sight for horizontal movements or creature infested territory.

    But I really don't know why we need the other 2 speeds: While flank speed offers you not many creatures tracking and attacking you before you are through, the silent running allows you a gentle and relaxed drive that assures you to be safe. The other 2 speeds attract creatures while being too slow to shake them off, giving you an unnecessary hard time. Or did anyone improve gameplay with those 2 other speeds?

    @Jacke

    Learn your map terrain with an advanced Seamoth (pressure upgraded, shock defense, sonar and solar recharge is best combo for that). The view and maneuverability of the Seamoth is fantastic and even more with the sonar. The solar recharge allows you to use sonar and shocks as much as you like as you can recharge it very fast. You can explore every map place, except the lava zones. As with swimming - if you keep moving fast you leave most enemy creatures behind you loosing track of you very fast. This gives you the opportunity to memorize your map in the deep and find the best routes you later need the Cyclops to get through. You can even place a few strategic beacons and growbeds while you explore, making it easier for next time.
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