Subnautica

[Blue Jam]

DayZ which I started today is a fucking killer to survive in. I've died continuously due to starvation/illness after eating human flesh. How people are supposed to survive early on in that I don't know. It seems to be purely down to luck whereas Subnautica gives you a fighting chance.

Had a go at DayZ the other night. What's the point supposed to be? It's like a version of PUBG where nothing happens. I just did a lot of running then eventually climbed up a radio tower only to find nothing up there, and by that point I was so bored I just jumped off it and died and decided not to respawn.

Didn't find it hard to survive but nah, not for me.

[Neomod]

Had a go at DayZ the other night. What's the point supposed to be? It's like a version of PUBG where nothing happens. I just did a lot of running then eventually climbed up a radio tower only to find nothing up there, and by that point I was so bored I just jumped off it and died and decided not to respawn.

Didn't find it hard to survive but nah, not for me.

It's not for everyone.

In fact it was one of the first games I downloaded from gamepass and after a few plays didn't play again for another month or so. I've gone back to it recently and it seems that the best gameplay comes from the interactions with other players, hence it's why I've ordered a headset. The game seems to be open/blank enough to allow for people to take on certain roles within it and the goals vary on your self imposed character/ your interactions.

I think it was watching FrankieonPC years ago that really made me think it might be worth the effort.

It is as clunky as fuck though.

Oddly I haven't returned to Subnautica since I built the Cyclops.

[Blue Jam]

When I met another player in DayZ I tried to have a fight with them and they just backed off and ran away.

Is that not the point then?

[Neomod]

One way of playing it I guess.

[evilcommiedictator]

Taking up No Man's Sky as I've been given 3 months of XBOX PC GamesPass, and gee, it's slow. Subnautica throws you right in it with always things to do that aren't ages away (and if they are, there's always stuff in the middle). Going to give it a bigger go and see if it improves

[Mister Six]

Golly, this is lovely, isn't it? I've been playing it as a sorbet between Yakuza games, and it's refreshingly hands-off, once you get over the initial bewilderment.

I've found two other escape pods - don't much fancy the chances of either of their occupants - and am now putting together a radiation suit so I can poke about closer to the newly exploded mothership. I think I'll need to build some sort of weapon soon though, as this knife is clearly not fit for purpose.

Do the resources come back over time? Concerned I might piss away all the good resources while I figure out what I'm supposed to be doing. I gather you build a base at some point - is it clear where you should do that, and if not is there a margin of error/the option to move or rebuild it elsewhere?

[Blue Jam]

Do the resources come back over time?

No.

Spoiler alert

but that's all part of the fun... glad to see another Subnautica fan on
here!

[close]

[Pink Gregory]

Bought this when it came out on the Switch and clearly it's very good but I struggled a bit with a console/button UI and it all felt a bit daunting.

Waiting to finish a few other games to give it the time it deserves.

[Mister Six]

Oooh,

Spoiler alert

a solar eclipse!

[close]

[thelittlemango]

Also just started playing this after getting it in the Switch sale and really loving it (it works well in handheld mode with headphones).

It's quite daunting with the lack of direction and hand holding, you just have to explore everything and let the game subtly direct you, but it's oddly satisfying and I could happily bin that off to focus on building the ultimate base.

Although I am a scaredy cat so am building mine completely above water with a safe room at the top full of fishtanks to stare at while waiting for the sun to come up...

[Mister Six]

I'm not really a "scaredy cat" but I did get a huge jump scare after seeing how far I could swim away from the Aurora. I got a message about leaving the play area (although it was phrased as "reaching the edge of the volcanic crater that contains most life on the planet") and suddenly

Spoiler alert

A MASSIVE MEGA BASTARD JUST APPEARED AND TOOK A CHUNK OUT OF ME! It was a long eel-looking thing that had a gross transparent film over its tail but weirdly I couldn't scan it as it seam away even though I was bloody close to it (yes, almost touching the tail). Is it basically a "pretend" monster designed to keep you inside the play area, rather than a "real" creature that can be scanned and fought?

[close]

I saw

Spoiler alert

some similar-looking long things swimming below me on the way back, and another at the rear side of the Aurora

[close]

but didn't approach, just in case. I also tried diving as low as I could go into the deep towards the edge of the map and got the message

Spoiler alert

"You are entering an area with multiple Leviathan-class entities. Are you sure that what you are doing is worth it?" At which point I thought, no - it's not, and stuck to the surface.

[close]

[evilcommiedictator]

Do the resources come back over time? Concerned I might piss away all the good resources while I figure out what I'm supposed to be doing. I gather you build a base at some point - is it clear where you should do that, and if not is there a margin of error/the option to move or rebuild it elsewhere?

Whilst the resources don't respawn apart from wreck parts to break into titanium, you can deconstruct base parts into original components and move them, so feel free to build things :)

[Mister Six]

Not even at the base stage yet, but I found an island

Spoiler alert

with some freaky alien temple thing sticking out the side. I'm not sure whether it appearing from apparently nowhere as I swam toward it (thinking it was the route back to my pod) was a cool cloaking effect or just a weird graphics glitch, though.

[close]

[The Guppy]

Not even at the base stage yet, but I found an island

Spoiler alert

with some freaky alien temple thing sticking out the side. I'm not sure whether it appearing from apparently nowhere as I swam toward it (thinking it was the route back to my pod) was a cool cloaking effect or just a weird graphics glitch, though.

[close]

There's "fake" clouds blocking things like that so you can't see them from afar. It's not a glitch, it's just the only way to have surprises above the surface.

[Mister Six]

Makes sense. Cheers!

[PlanktonSideburns]

Love hearing of people's adventures in this game

[Neomod]

There's "fake" clouds blocking things like that so you can't see them from afar. It's not a glitch, it's just the only way to have surprises above the surface.

Ahh, I'd thought this was just bad programming with a terrible draw distance but yeah, makes sense.

[Mister Six]

Ahh, I'd thought this was just bad programming with a terrible draw distance but yeah, makes sense.

Although I got to the other island and there was terrible pop-up after the clouds disappeared AND while I was actually on it (although the latter was just fauna rather than entire mountains appearing from nowhere). I don't know if this was a big or the game not being well-optimised for PS4.

Never mind! I scanned a bunch of structures (and did the same in some wrecks) and my next plan is to set up a base, maybe among all that red seaweed stuff close to

Spoiler alert

the giant glowing mushroom caves, so I don't have to trek too far when I go exploring down there. I have the schematics for a couple of mini-subs now too, so that'll be fun.

Oh yeah, and the Sunbeam got counted by the laser on that island I found. Bastards!

[close]

I'm guessing I ought to be looking around the Aurora a bit more if I want to push on to the endgame, but I'll get around to that eventually.

[MojoJojo]

Although I got to the other island and there was terrible pop-up after the clouds disappeared AND while I was actually on it (although the latter was just fauna rather than entire mountains appearing from nowhere). I don't know if this was a big or the game not being well-optimised for PS4.

I think it's more that it's badly suited to consoles - the PS4 only has 2GB of general purpose RAM. The load times are awful. I dread to think what it's like on the Switch.

[thelittlemango]

Just finished this after playing for the last month and a half, kept on prolonging the end game by messing around with silly things like seeing how tall I could build an above-water alien containment unit tower with 100% glass walls as I liked the idea of a big aquarium monument visible from the distance, and then seeing how high out of the water I could place an observatory with a bed as I liked the idea of super high up 'penthouse'. Or making a multi-story indoor garden base full of lantern trees everywhere and basking in their comforting light, very peaceful to return to after solitary swimming in the dark depths and running from sea monsters.

Spoiler alert

I felt sad to launch the rocket at the end, such a great game, but will be glad to play something with a character who doesn't need constant feeding and water for a while

[close]

Is Below Zero more of the same? I won't be diving straight back in either way but if it's got a different approach to things I might try it sooner.

[Blue Jam]

Is Below Zero more of the same? I won't be diving straight back in either way but if it's got a different approach to things I might try it sooner.

Below Zero thread:

https://www.cookdandbombd.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=87103.0

The main difference I found is that it's not as scary and it's a bit more story-driven. Resources however seem a lot more scarce, especially at the start, and that's a bigger challenge. There are some new hazards like cold (duh). You do get some fun new gadgets to play with but I found I kept building them only to not actually need them in the end. Really though it's just another gorgeous new map with new creatures and wrecks to explore, and I would never complain about that.

You also get to install

Spoiler alert

a fucking jukebox

[close]

in your base.

[thelittlemango]

Sounds great, I'll get on the case! (and invest in scanner rooms asap from the sounds of it...)