Subnautica's Cyclops doesn't make sense?
Isummon_Durt
Lower MiddleEarth Join Date: 2017-12-09 Member: 234349Members
Lower MiddleEarth Join Date: 2017-12-09 Member: 234349Members
Let's just say that large submersibles are pretty dumb for exploration. They have more cavities in their hull and respond in much more... interesting ways to outside pressure than a smaller, more compact sub. Sure, there are upsides; storage, more hull points, harder to munch on, et-cetera... but overall, it'd be much better for exploration's sake to have a smaller, more-durable sub than another large one. (I speak, of course, of the upcoming DLC). Not that I have anything against the larger vehicles which are rumored- not at all- it's simply a fact that another cyclops isn't ideal for exploration or deap-sea diving. This is, also, in part, due to the shape of the sub overall; the reason why military submersibles are cylindrical and sleek is due to speed concerns; long voyages would require a more aqua-dynamic build. But these subs are less than ideal for the type of deap-sea diving which we have in subnautica; and so it makes little sense for why the cyclops is always the candidate for 'going deeper'. I guess that it's valid for use of the cyclops to be due to possible predation, (as I've mentioned previously,) as the cyclops makes an excellent mobile home; but it really is useless practically besides this protection from predators. You see, the reason why military subs move quickly is also due to their hydrodynamics; as the forwards hull is very sleek and has a low surface area. However, the cyclops obviously has a structurally larger head than its tail and therefore inhibited motion. And so, here comes my real problem. The cyclops, since it wouldn't be the best candidate for deep diving, (since you could easily make a really large sub but give it a slightly more spherical or disk-shaped build for structural integrity,) and since it's much slower and less streamline than is ideal, its only real practicality lies in its ability to serve as a base of operations. And so, I make my case for the DLC; we shouldn't get another Cyclops re-work if we already have a mobile base. What should be focused on is making another class of submersible vehicle; as the seamoth is an adaptable interceptor of sorts and we already have the really bulky, slow-moving seabase which is the cyclops. So why not base a better exploration craft off of the seamoth, roughly? Just make it larger and perhaps give it a few arm attachments.
Comments
Sliding around like a boss
As for your first point, a bit more elaboration is required (or I could just google military submarine models, but it's much easier to have you all baby-feed me information rather than the 8 tabs I'd have to keep open to successfully understand a single wiki article). As for your second point, I'm fairly sure that I never denied this; as I assume that you accuse me of doing so. The cyclops does make a very effective mobile base, as @AnomalyDetected says. Rather, I try to point out the in-balance of the vehicle selection in Subnautica. A single long-distance voyage is just peanuts for an RV, but that doesn't mean that it's a good idea to go on an off-road, four-wheel-drive excursion through peru. Likewise, the Cyclops is good for going on a long voyage without having to have concerns about food, (and considering the main reason why we'd use the cyclops, it would seem as if a solar panel attachment would be more than practical). However, what the Cyclops shouldn't be tasked with is anything which does require the dirt-bike fines of an equally capable, hydrodynamic, fast, durable, spherical submarine which I think should take the place of anything that unknown worlds might throw at us. There's an in-balance. We don't need a larger cyclops. We need variation.
As for you, (mwahahahahaha), this can be solved by a little googling. By you. I just took it for granted what with the hovermobile's proposal and the Atlas being substituted for some other vehicle, that there'd be something there. But I'm not the type to do all that tedious web-surfing, so yeet.
I would like to see something about half the size of a cyclops or a little smaller which could still carry the prawn and be able to dive and climb with its nose pointing down and up plus a docking bay for it would be fantastic.
I agree. The OP doesn't seem to understand, the Cyclops is the RV used to CARRY the four-wheeler for offroad excursions, just like an RV is used to tow another vehicle behind. I'm not sure where he's going with this argument.
I do wish it had double docking ability, though (Prawn + Seamoth.) It's big enough. That whole rear end section on the bottom deck doesn't have much use unless you want to stack it with lockers, which makes it cramped.
This is valid. I do not insist on abandoning the cyclops theory; it's excellent for transporting smaller craft and being an RV. However, I do not see why it should be the the choice candidate for descent under high pressures.
Now, As for you, (sardonic laughter,) this really does sound excellent. Myself, I've always had in mind a sort of sloped saucer-shaped craft with a Defiant / sleek millenium falcon sort of look to its saucer; with the defiant's cockpit replaced with the sort which you saw on heavy bombers during the world war. I know that this is against the moral graphics of Subnautica, (or seems so; maybe the DLC will bring a different look along with Alex Ries,) but I've always thought a trio of carriages which could potentially fold into a tripod. The undercarriages could also be fitted with a few chambers for performing analysis on surrounding water contents and perhaps a few drone hangars and built-in replicators. Overall, it wouldn't need to be any larger than the cyclops; and perhaps even smaller. It wouldn't be the most maneuverable, perhaps, but with a valid ion drive placed between the leg pods and for and aft thrusters for horizontal movement, it could obtain pretty good speeds in any direction. But this would still be incredibly impractical, (despite good for being a small mobile base adapt at securing location without being disturbed by strong currents or predators (as it would appear as plant-life or stone when mounted in the silt floor), due to the fact that its speed would be either incredibly hard to maneuver and really slow... or maneuverable but really really really fast and hard to come to a complete halt. While this could be reconciled by thrusters, it would use up a lot of energy. However, the main purpose of this, now that I actually have a backboard to work against, would be for ballet dancing your way down through caverns supported by great floaters and nothing else and then into some deep silt desert kilometers below the nearest recognizable point of reference as to direction for a few minutes between the roof and floor of the caverns. The water is mirky and hard to see through; stirred by the stones which regularly fall from the floaters' corrosive digestive agents and which would pierce the hull of any less worthy vessel but which still make nauseating clinks and cavitating noises which wrench the red darkness of the cockpit into the oblivion of fear. Oh! That's it! The saucer I see is almost like that of the PRAWN! Hahah! Well anyhow, the vehicle would travel through narrow slits in the stone- constantly shifting due to corrosive agents- to finally sink its tripedal spindles into the silt. the only life is transparent and bioluminescent and parasitic and all carcasses from the above world will eventually find themselves down here; having sunk through the caverns whilst decaying for eternities.
MEH was the first reaction I had upon using it for the first time.
This of course raied the question as to the viability/usefulness of any of the other larger and more difficult to obtain vehicles in the game.
Since my character can swim just as fast as when being towed by the Seaglide, this begs the question...
Are all the vehicles in this game equally MEH?
Most of the other vehicles are quite the opposite.
The Seamoth is a good quick transport. Not meant for extreme depth but rather traversing quickly from point A to point B. Again, dangers down below will eat this alive.
The PRAWN suit is sluggish and slow, but you can get upgrades that make it beastly. (I use the grappling arm with a drill, and then spider man onto larger creatures and bore them to death with the drill). This vehicle by far is the most useful for deep exploration, especially once you get the thermal charger.
The Cyclops, as far as gameplay goes and not touching on this topic. It is almost a necessity before you pass the 900M and below mark. You will need this to carry supplies for an extremely deep seabase, and serve as protection from the various horrors.
I would personally get much further in the game before you start ruling out which modes of transport are not worth using.
I agree 100% having recently obtained the SeaMoth which was a night and day experience compared to the SeaGlide!
In a way its unfortunate that a new player's first experience with a vehicle assistant is the SeaGlide and not something far more impressive and a leap forward in mobility.
Would almost make sense to unlock the two of those at the same time providing the player with a really viable mini sub and a device for getting around outside the sub faster and even up and down to the surface while at depth.