Do the events in Subnautica take place on a floating platform?

SnailsAttackSnailsAttack Join Date: 2017-02-09 Member: 227749Members
There's no real way to be sure of it, but I believe that Subnautica's entire map takes place on a floating island, held up by colossal floaters. The reason that I think this is because of planet 4546B's colossal moon, which would cause tremendous tidal variances.

The only explanation is that the play area floats above the tides, or that it's a simple oversight. I'm not sure how to explain the geothermal activity, though.

Regardless, if it is a floating island, it's pretty scary to think about what lurks below...
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Comments

  • JamezorgJamezorg United Kingdom Join Date: 2016-05-15 Member: 216788Members
    Well I always thought that 4546B is a water planet because of the giant moon pulling the tides towards it. And we never actually see the moon set, so maybe there is some physics-type-thing going on where on one side of the planet the tide is always up? I've no clue.

    As for the map being aback behemoth floaters, I find it hard but fun to believe. If it were true, I'd be okay with it. The only problem would be the Lava Zones and thermal vents; if not from the deep then where does this heat come from? And if it's just an enormous pocket of heat, I suspect the floaters below would be shrivelled like a prune and turned to ash by now.

    It's a fun concept, but one that I find hard to get behind.
  • LorebotLorebot Join Date: 2017-08-08 Member: 232304Members
    That or 4546B is an incredibly large planet. The moon's orbit around the planet seems especially fast, so if the planet itself is large enough then the moon wouldn't stay in one place long enough to seriously affect the tides as we're used to them on Earth. Part of the reason that the Earth's tides are as powerful as they are is the apparently irregular size of our moon compared to the planet. Earth's Moon is about 1/3rd the size of earth, that's really big compared to most moons we're aware of, and it orbits the earth only about once a month. If it orbited faster or if Earth was rotating faster the effect on the oceans wouldn't be as significant since it would be distributed more evenly through the waters. The currents of the oceans would likely be faster than they are, but the rising and falling of the tides would likely be much less significant.

    My biggest question about 4546B's oceans are why are there seemingly no ocean currents...even around the volcanic vents the water doesn't move...a serious immersion breaker for me...
  • JarinJarin Los Angeles Join Date: 2013-12-16 Member: 190184Members
    Lorebot wrote: »
    Earth's Moon is about 1/3rd the size of earth, that's really big compared to most moons we're aware of, and it orbits the earth only about once a month. If it orbited faster or if Earth was rotating faster the effect on the oceans wouldn't be as significant since it would be distributed more evenly through the waters. The currents of the oceans would likely be faster than they are, but the rising and falling of the tides would likely be much less significant.
    1/4, but close. The problem is, we don't have monthly tides... we have daily tides, because it's not the orbit of the moon causing them, but the rotation of the Earth.
  • LorebotLorebot Join Date: 2017-08-08 Member: 232304Members
    edited August 2017
    Jarin wrote: »
    1/4, but close. The problem is, we don't have monthly tides... we have daily tides, because it's not the orbit of the moon causing them, but the rotation of the Earth.

    correct, but our moon orbits about once a month, meaning that on a daily time scale the moon doesn't move that much and the tides don't shift their schedule quickly. 4546B on the other hand has its moon eclipse its sun every couple of days, that means its moon is orbiting the planet substantially faster relative to Earth's moon. With such a short orbital period and the apparent relatively quick rotation of 4546B it would make tidal forces on the planet surge laterally instead of vertically, causing extreme currents but not much rising and falling of tides.
  • zetachronzetachron Germany Join Date: 2014-11-14 Member: 199655Members
    I suggested that to the devs long ago. The advantages:
    • Some broken part of the Aurora could then glide down into the deep to be discovered later
    • Easy to expand the map with more floating islands
    • Seperate floating island maps could connect through warp portals
    • A bigger sub for inter island travel
    • Dangerous inter island currents
    • ...

    The big obstacle however is the Lava zone. Where should the lava come from then?

    Of course there could be a solution: The Precursors could use ion crystals to melt rock or ... some other crazy idea.
  • RalijRalij US Join Date: 2016-05-20 Member: 217092Members
    Jamezorg wrote: »
    As for the map being aback behemoth floaters, I find it hard but fun to believe. If it were true, I'd be okay with it. The only problem would be the Lava Zones and thermal vents; if not from the deep then where does this heat come from? And if it's just an enormous pocket of heat, I suspect the floaters below would be shrivelled like a prune and turned to ash by now.
    =

    I don't think the map is behind held up by floaters, but rather it IS the floater. The geothermal activity is its massive guts breaking down the rock that it last devoured. The atmosphere is the membrane separating it from the reaches of space. The moon is just there until the floater is done digesting, then that moon is next.

  • 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
    Floaters need water to survive or at least I assume they need oxygen, right? If this planet is indeed a "flat earth" floating on top of a HUGE floater, how would that floater survive and how would it have evolved in the first place, in space...
    • What prevents this huge mass of the surface from collapse in on itself into the natural shape of a sphere from gravity
    • Where does the geothermal shizzle come from if it is just a plate on top of a space floater
    • How close is that moon, I mean it's either HUGE and we are orbiting it and rotating very fast on our axis. Or it's small and quite close, but orbits us insanely fast. If that second bit is the case, this water world we inhabit would need to be quite heavy for it not to have already reached escape velocity, and as such we'd experience much more of that gravity
      • I do believe that "moon" is orbiting way too fast, but that is probably based on the "gametime" day and night cycle, or rather axis rotation of our....
        space floater planet :trollface:

    Most of this would have to influenced from some outside force, if it is indeed a flat earth :D
  • zetachronzetachron Germany Join Date: 2014-11-14 Member: 199655Members
    Ralij wrote: »
    I don't think the map is behind held up by floaters, but rather it IS the floater. The geothermal activity is its massive guts breaking down the rock that it last devoured. The atmosphere is the membrane separating it from the reaches of space. The moon is just there until the floater is done digesting, then that moon is next.

    I think the next thing the floater will be devouring will be this thread.
  • gamer1000kgamer1000k Join Date: 2017-04-29 Member: 230121Members
    I'm sure this has been mentioned already, but technically the game already does take place on a floating island. If you manage to get down to about 3000m off the edge of the map, you'll see that the entire game world is on a floating island in the void. This looks like more a game engine limitation/development placeholder/etc rather than an intentional design decision.

    Still, it does raise the question as mentioned about where does that lava come from (and why aren't there intense thermal currents flowing up from the lava zone into the rest of the world, especially the Lost River since it's the coldest place right above the warmest place...). For the lava, one theoretically possible idea is a massive deposit of decaying radioactive materials that's melting the surrounding rock.

    Realistically though, it's one of those suspended-disbelief things where the player isn't supposed to know that game takes place on a floating island in the void and assumes that the game world is a plateau connected to the planet somewhere down in the depths.
  • KlinnKlinn Lost in a cave Join Date: 2016-03-09 Member: 214022Members
    edited August 2017
    Skope wrote: »
    Are we sure that we aren't just on the back of a gigantic Reefback?
    Heh, good one. It's the precursor's version of being supported on the back of a turtle.

    It's reefbacks all the way down.
  • 0x6A72320x6A7232 US Join Date: 2016-10-06 Member: 222906Members
    Jamezorg wrote: »
    Well I always thought that 4546B is a water planet because of the giant moon pulling the tides towards it. And we never actually see the moon set, so maybe there is some physics-type-thing going on where on one side of the planet the tide is always up? I've no clue.

    As for the map being aback behemoth floaters, I find it hard but fun to believe. If it were true, I'd be okay with it. The only problem would be the Lava Zones and thermal vents; if not from the deep then where does this heat come from? And if it's just an enormous pocket of heat, I suspect the floaters below would be shrivelled like a prune and turned to ash by now.

    It's a fun concept, but one that I find hard to get behind.

    Could be in a geosynchronous orbit or somesuch? (maintaining its position in sync with planet's own rotation).
  • garathgarath Texas Join Date: 2017-02-08 Member: 227730Members
    edited August 2017
  • 0x6A72320x6A7232 US Join Date: 2016-10-06 Member: 222906Members
    garath wrote: »
    .

    Something didn't quite work as intended, I take it? :lol:
  • zetachronzetachron Germany Join Date: 2014-11-14 Member: 199655Members
    edited August 2017
    Obraxis wrote: »
    It's actually a giant Reefback:

    Unity_2017-01-14_13-36-19.jpg

    Muhaha, that might even explain the lava caves and the acid lost river ...
  • Kouji_SanKouji_San Sr. Hινε Uρкεερεг - EUPT Deputy The Netherlands Join Date: 2003-05-13 Member: 16271Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue
  • zetachronzetachron Germany Join Date: 2014-11-14 Member: 199655Members
    Kouji_San wrote: »
    I'm kinda reminded by Tin Man

    No, you misunderstand. In Subnautica 2 it will be revealed:
    The planet is living and a giant floater who developped the Carar as a bio defense against the Precursor intruders, plunging their civilization into his aquatic body ...
  • KlinnKlinn Lost in a cave Join Date: 2016-03-09 Member: 214022Members
    edited August 2017
    Obraxis wrote: »
    It's actually a giant Reefback:
    ...and the giant reefback's name was Voxel and he did give shape to the land...

    (imagine this in a thundering Charleton Heston voice)
  • BDelacroixBDelacroix Florida Join Date: 2016-04-08 Member: 215511Members
    Reefbacks all the way down.
  • SkopeSkope Wouldn't you like to know ;) Join Date: 2016-06-07 Member: 218212Members
    Obraxis wrote: »
    It's actually a giant Reefback:

    Unity_2017-01-14_13-36-19.jpg

    I KNEW IT!
  • Kouji_SanKouji_San Sr. Hινε Uρкεερεг - EUPT Deputy The Netherlands Join Date: 2003-05-13 Member: 16271Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue
    Next thing they're gonna tell us the moon is just a hologram and the system's star is just a light held up by some kind of firmament!
  • Mr_EndarMr_Endar Join Date: 2016-03-05 Member: 213859Members
    edited August 2017
    I always thought the game area is indeed a giant Reefback, and that the planet is an oceanic world (planet composing of mostly water with solid rock many thousands of kilometers below. If I'm not mistaken that type of planets is one of the types of gas giants... (unlike Jupiter that is composed mostly of hydrogen such worlds are composed of water, and yes g=~9.8km/sec on "surface" is possible on gas giants, look no further than Saturn.

    Was very surprised when lava zone was introduced.
  • garathgarath Texas Join Date: 2017-02-08 Member: 227730Members
    0x6A7232 wrote: »
    garath wrote: »
    .

    Something didn't quite work as intended, I take it? :lol:

    I made the comment 'Reefbacks all the way down' and then saw someone had beat me to the punch. As you know, no way to delete posts. This forum software is meh.
  • 0x6A72320x6A7232 US Join Date: 2016-10-06 Member: 222906Members
    garath wrote: »
    0x6A7232 wrote: »
    garath wrote: »
    .

    Something didn't quite work as intended, I take it? :lol:

    I made the comment 'Reefbacks all the way down' and then saw someone had beat me to the punch. As you know, no way to delete posts. This forum software is meh.

    y u h8 on Vanilla?? (yeah, you're right)
  • 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
    Well to be fair... The UWE forums never had an option to delete your own posts, not even on the old forum and not even before the forum blackout of 2004-2005
  • Timelord_FredTimelord_Fred Join Date: 2017-07-05 Member: 231596Members
    zetachron wrote: »
    Obraxis wrote: »
    It's actually a giant Reefback:

    Unity_2017-01-14_13-36-19.jpg

    Muhaha, that might even explain the lava caves and the acid lost river ...

    I het the acid caves, but how the lava? And what are the thermal vents then?
  • KurasuKurasu Join Date: 2017-06-24 Member: 231322Members
    edited August 2017
    I het the acid caves, but how the lava?

    Too much spicy Mexican food.
    And what are the thermal vents then?

    See above.

    /immature

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