What's going on with multiplayer (SPOILER: NOT A SURE THING YET)

SteveRock · January 2015

Hey guys, just wanted to let you guys know what we're planning with multiplayer before anyone posts something misleading

We are currently experimenting with co-op multiplayer, meaning we are trying to see how much work it will be. IMPORTANT: If it is too much work and we feel it will slow the production down too much, WE MIGHT NOT DO IT. If it is reasonable, we will.

IF we do it, keyword IF, what can you expect? 2-4 player co-op. NOT competitive. IF we do it

Yes, I am heavily qualifying all my statements here, because this is NOT a sure thing yet.

We should know in two weeks if we will do it or not.

Thanks for reading.

Sir_zino · January 2015

Oooh! Its nice to see you might be working on co-op. But please i beg of you PLEASE! Don't do it if it slow the production down to much. But co-op games always had better Replayability for me so good luck!

Seldkam · January 2015

I'm fine with full blown single player... Don't feel you're betraying your fan base or whatever

Would like to see multiplayer, but simply not a big deal

MisterYoon · January 2015

I'm grateful to hear that you are trying it. It will function well, i'm certain about it. So please don't give it up.

I would like to see something just like Sim City or Minecraft.

Like Sim City (or Far Cry singleplayer+coop) : you build your Subnautica world. Then people / friends can join to help you a little bit to do something or travel and look around as a guest. They would also trade stuffs like golds, fragments, diamonds whatever etc. Of course, those guests should be limited to do some things in order not to ruin the host's Subnautica.

Like Minecraft : server-based, several people join and do what they want. And what they have done or doing should remain permanently saved by the server.

Good reasons to have server-system for Subnautica

1. People can still do play Subnautica alone, just less lonely. Good for players who don't like Singleplayer at all because of loneliness.

2. People can cooperate to explore deeper world, less demanding and easier. Especially player who struggle on playing Singleplayer alone(by keep getting killed by aliens, losing therefore everything constantly, getting annoyed, starting again, never getting Cyclops... having never explored deeper than 100m for hours etc.) can just join a well populated server with advanced Subnautica world and just simply ask to join a group of advanced player to explore deeper and more interesting world together or as a guest.

3. People can have fun, just like many people having fun in Minecraft. Of course, it is kindly said to call it 'having fun' as it is actually 'ruining the server/game'.
Yes, it sounds horrible but it has big potential to be also very interesting and enjoying. For example, by abusing terraformers, spreading seeds of nasty aliens like stalkers, bone sharks or nasty aggressive plants which kill beautiful plants and environments(simply said, by contaminating), people can create the ugliest Subnautica world all together. The server will of course save all the things which people have done, that means, players who want to have fun and want to ruin worlds all together can regularly join that particular server. It would really be awesome.

Conclusion = Server-system will create thousands and millions of different Subnautica world, where people can freely join and enjoy.

MycroftCanadaNS · January 2015

Hi.

For myself Coop, and allow players to split from the group, and create their own area if they want too. If player A wants to go rogue, and drive his sub into someone else... why not.

I would normally play coop anyway so it isn't that much of a big deal.

I wouldn't allow for having a Dedicated server, that is just far too much work, and a whole waste of time for you folks, and definitely not worth it in the end.

So... Coop, and up to four players max.

P.S.

If The small team who are coding the game "The Forest" can do it, I am very sure you guys can.

Oh one more thing, PLEASE remember, if it's a bit much right now for you to do, place it aside, keep it in your head, and come back too it. Most of us would like to see coop in the game.

Cheers.

Aeroflux · January 2015

Co-op is one of the best features in videogames when it's done right, but the content has to be designed for cooperative gameplay. If I were designing this function, I would automatically include an AI companion as a base requirement, since this would allow for better quality and frequency in team-oriented content. AI for lifeforms should recognize the number of people and adjust tactics. Whether you are playing co-op or single-player, you shouldn't be limited by what you can do or where you can go, but if you're playing with a friend they shouldn't become extra baggage with minimal impact on gameplay.

If your plans stop at shared presence, please don't waste your energy on half measures. That energy could be used on making the single player experience even better.

Formous · January 2015

SteveRock wrote: »

Hey guys, just wanted to let you guys know what we're planning with multiplayer before anyone posts something misleading

We are currently experimenting with co-op multiplayer, meaning we are trying to see how much work it will be. IMPORTANT: If it is too much work and we feel it will slow the production down too much, WE MIGHT NOT DO IT. If it is reasonable, we will.

IF we do it, keyword IF, what can you expect? 2-4 player co-op. NOT competitive. IF we do it

Yes, I am heavily qualifying all my statements here, because this is NOT a sure thing yet.

We should know in two weeks if we will do it or not.

Thanks for reading.

If it's too much work, put it last. Make it come out, but at the end when your work on the game is complete, but Please do not skimp. If it's too much work, it can wait till it's worth another look.

Huatim · January 2015

GREAT news, many of my friends are praying for this!

Seldkam · January 2015

^this is true, the game would sell many copies if Coop was in the game

But no pressure

ns_insider · January 2015

I think, a offline LAN mode would be great and a Co-op friendly based MP, collecting and building up things together would absolutley brilliant. Diving deep in the darkness, or a big seamoth (or other vehicle) with 2 seats or 3 (1 driver, 2 seats with useable headlights, ... ).

Seldkam · January 2015

Cyclops feature: add new seats for passengers

filthyhumans · February 2015

For me (and I probably speak for a lot of gamers when I say this) the multiplayer would likely be necessary to justify a buy. I just saw this game on Steam today, and honestly I must say I'm really impressed with what you have so far, and I like the direction being taken with the game. However, to ensure playability for me I need to be able to play this game with my friends, coop or not. Gaming is almost entirely a social thing for me, with the exception of a few other games such as Fallout or The Elder Scrolls (which can be played for hours without becoming bored with a singleplayer game), and the games I have the most fun with are the ones where I can connect with my close friends. This is even more necessary seeing as it's a survival/exploration game. If/until multiplayer is added to the game, I can't bring myself to buy the game, no matter how nice the other features look.

Kudos for making a really cool game so far, regardless.

Seldkam · February 2015

^They updated it on trello awhile back, essentially saying it will be difficult but possible to implement a coop multiplayer experience... they did some experiments... so to speak

BloodyBane · February 2015

I'd love co-op, the only downside is my personal lack of friend on the computer. I understand that there might not be a chance, given that you want to continue to add more content to the game than having more people planing the game per game. Having a cooperative experience would broaden your field to potential buyers who want games to play with friends, of which includes me. But I'm sure that the people who have already bought early access to your game would understand if you prioritized producing more content over working on a multiplayer experience. You can always go back to working on multiplayer later right?

Seldkam · February 2015

^That's happening now really... they think that maybe they might do it but they need more time to deal with other things first (that's not from the dev's mouths, just my assumption)

overtheHILL · February 2015

Well, the question really is, would there be a "TRADING PLACE" in a coop-world !?
I mean, wouldn´t it be just great when you can offer some materials in a "store" and other co-op player can buy or swap their materials or items...
In this case, it also makes much more fun collecting and producing materials and items !!!

This trading possibility could also be a part of the entire multiplayer world, not only in/on a server session.
(This has nothing to do with how many player you are on a map or something)...

Seldkam · February 2015

That seems rather in depth, but if they could do it I would completely support it

BloodyBane · February 2015

I'm wondering, if multiplayer does happen, how they'll get players to find each other. Will everyone spawn in one lifepod? Two per lifepod, because there are to latch chairs per pod. I think it'd be more interesting if you start the game with you and one other person falling out of the chairs, and you have to swim some distance toward the beacon of other life pods.

Racer1 · February 2015

I like the multiple lifepod idea. It makes sense. You thought you were the only one that made it but it turns out that one or two others made it as well. Perhaps you don't start next to each other either.

Maybe one of the first things you have to do in a co-op game is craft a simple mechanism that can "find other lifepods". Once that is enabled, beacons show up for the other player(s) in different colors.

betatier · February 2015

Thats a good idea, but make multiplayer server hosting quit simple (Minecraft) and focus multiplayer to explore the whide ocean and not killing other subnauticans :-)

Kaiserfront · February 2015

Good thing when the game is finished. For now SP is enough imho.

Vahnkiljoy · February 2015

I think they said it was going to be a max of like 4 player coop when they mentioned it, they don't want it to be massive servers. Which if that were true than the current pod is enough, 2 could spawn outside the pod and still be fine.

Seldkam · February 2015

I think there was talk of having the player actually start on an island somewhere, but that may have been scrapped, not sure

Titan6 · February 2015

I'd love this! Even if it's just co-op (2 players) that would be pretty sweet. Being able to explore the ocean with a friend would make the game that much more enjoyable.

What I'd like to see is something for the other player to do. Maybe man a searchlight on the cyclops, or a sonar station? Just little things like that would make the whole co-op experience much more enjoyable.

Racer1 · February 2015

How about an extended module for the Seamoth that lets two people sit inside (one behind the other). One player could get out and "work" while the other ferries supplies back.

Seldkam · February 2015

Yep, I thought the cyclops could have a copilot place too, that would be really cool (or an observation deck?

)

Seb · February 2015

Just chiming in here, I have always thought of the potential of a great 2-4 player co op multiplayer feature in Subnautica being absolutely massive. I know its not set in stone or anything, but I would like to just +1 the development of it and I personally hope it happens. It may not be everyone's priority but it surely will be a make or break thing for me personally. Really looking forward to it!

SpiffMoonWalker · February 2015

Call me an old loner, but I've never really been into coop. I just use games to relax, spontaneously, at any time of my own choosing without having to coordinator schedules with anyone. I know a lot of people love and want coop - and I don't doubt that to them there is real value to it - but every time a new game is coming out it seems we see all kinds of angst over whether coop and multiplayer will be in... kind of like everyone wants every game experience to be the same, regardless of what the developers originally set out to create. I just don't buy that every single game needs to be coop / multiplayer, or even that it can be done in every case without in some way requiring alterations to the original game concept that steer it away from what the devs set out to accomplish.

To the developers, my vote is definitely include coop for all those that want it, but only if it doesn't take away from the resources needed to finish the single-player game the way you envision, and only if doing coop doesn't impose game concept & mechanics constraints on the single player game.

Seldkam · February 2015

I think, funnily enough, most that posted agree on the same pointblol

Racer1 · February 2015

I rarely do co-op (except at LAN parties). However, most anecdotal evidence I have seen suggests that coop is a huge boon to the player base of many games -- as long as it is done right. It allows people to introduce the game to their friends online, at which point they buy it and then show their friends.

Norton · February 2015

Coop/multiplayer is the only thing that will get my friends to buy a game these days, and I think many people are in the same boat (submarine?). Games for us are not just about the actual game, but spending time with friends.

I doubt games like dying light and Minecraft would be nearly as successful as solely single player games. Correct me if im wrong, but other than casual phone games, singleplayer games just do not sell as well as coop/multiplayer games. Humans are happiest in the company of friends, cracking jokes and goofing off.

That said, if its going to take a huge amount of resources and time to accomplish, I'm with everyone else that said it might not be worth it.

What's going on with multiplayer (SPOILER: NOT A SURE THING YET)

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