Hybrid Submersible
TotallyLemon
Atlanta Georgia Join Date: 2015-05-22 Member: 204764Members
Seamoth / Prawn Suit vehicle hybrid, anyone?
I'd like to think such a vehicle would take inspiration from real world submersibles:
This particular vehicle would be something with a bit more mobility than the Prawn, yet keep the whole arms thing. It could be an unlock after the first play-through of the game (to give veterans extra reason to return for a bit of fun), or maybe a vehicle we'll see in the DLC.
I'd like to think such a vehicle would take inspiration from real world submersibles:
This particular vehicle would be something with a bit more mobility than the Prawn, yet keep the whole arms thing. It could be an unlock after the first play-through of the game (to give veterans extra reason to return for a bit of fun), or maybe a vehicle we'll see in the DLC.
Comments
A way to balance it:
- Force the submersible to be slower than a seamoth.
- Make a highly expensive formula.
- Do not allow scanner room usage.
- Make reach small, so it's only good for collecting resources.
- Give it about as much or less health than a seamoth.
Maybe we just want the Europa Report experience of dropping drones beneath the ice after drilling some holes in it and then see what bites the end. We don't need to endanger ourselves if what we want is an astrobiology simulator, (which I really wish Subnautica was more like).
Admittedly, I agree with you on the desire to send drones into the surrounding waters. It is the logical approach, and there is even a data log of one of the Aurora's engineers developing a drone to fetch tools and materials. With something like that mentioned, one would expect it to show up in some capacity ingame. So, I do agree with the original poster about the logic of such a machine (even if piloted), but also understand the need to stick close to what the developers intended in the game's design.
Yeah, the general idea would be that it is slower. Also, I'd imagine it would be a little larger, and perhaps not capable of docking with the Cyclops - being a tight fit inside Moonpools. Becasue it is also larger, it cannot fit into the smaller spaces as the Seamoth and Prawn. My idea for this came from the frustration of having to use the Cyclops with the Prawn for node mining in relatively open waters at medium distances from bases.
Ultimately, this is the balance I had in mind:
- Vehicle speed between Seamoth and Prawn
- Expensive build; perhaps requiring 4+ nickel to lock it to later game stages
- Larger size makes it incompatible with Cyclops docks; it cannot enter the same crevices as other vehicles
- Unlocked after initial play-through of the game
- Incapable of drilling, but otherwise has all other arm functionality shared with Prawn (excluding grapple for obvious reasons).
However, the vehicle is not all downsides.
- Has twice the inventory space as Prawn
- Is powered by four power cells
- Unlike Cyclops, it is just small enough to dock with Moonpools
- Shield Generator, Sonar and Decoy Launcher capable - keeping in mind the reduced power availability on board compared to the Cyclops
- Possibly able to act as a short range, mobile scanner room with drones - but for balance sake - Upgrade Modules such as Sonar may be removed
As you can see, this vehicle quickly occupies its own niche, and has varied applications while not supplanting the key functions of other vehicles
I like your balancing act, i also agree with @Muninn_Crow, This submersible would remove most of the need for a PRAWN and seamoth, though to avoid this (at least for a while) you actually need to have both the PRAWN and the seamoth in order to create it, after all, @TotallyLemon did say this was a hybrid, right?