Arctic Biome?
Joeakuaku
USA Join Date: 2016-04-10 Member: 215614Members
USA Join Date: 2016-04-10 Member: 215614Members
Is the old Arctic biome basically done for? If I recall, it was gonna be to the right of the Aurora - which at the moment is basically a dropoff, whereas the left is a lot of the playing area. The right could as such use some expansion in content, I might think.
Thoughts?
Dev response?
Thoughts?
Dev response?
Comments
Besides, it's unoriginal, boring, bland and no, just no.
They could make it so that you have to use a Precursor Teleporter to reach it.
But that doesn't change the fact that Arctic/Snow/Ice biomes have been done to death, and they're always boring, bland and horrible. It's lazy level design.
You may as well throw a sewer level in there while you're at it.
Because long stretches of sand, mountains, and lava zones are so very unheard of in fiction that adding an ice area would significantly lower the originality average. Regardless of what is done with it because underwater games are a dime a dozen.
I suppose since sewers are a type of underground level, wouldn't the brine sorta count?
Who knows, the lava could look amazing one day too, but right now it's as bland as anything and I have no real desire to go and visit it.
The Lost River is nice though, but still needs more.
All I'm saying is if they put any sort of Arctic biome in the game, they need to do a damned good job to make it work, and I don't see them working on an entire concept from the bottom at this point or it would just feel half-baked.
There's just so many better ideas. The lillypad biome would be great. A real bone-yard (not just the few skeletons in the lost river, but a whole biome) would also be neat.
Or how about a proper coral reef? That would be beautiful and original.
There are just so many better options than the boring old game defaults.
But we already have the lilypad biome confirmed to be implemented and I think twisty bridges counts as a coral reef? I don't know what experience you'd want a coral reef to be. So, adise from not being a case of "or", arctic has a concept sheet already from way back, which certainly contains some fun ideas. I'm mostly intrigued by the mirror house sense of claustrophobia that emanates from a few lines. Since one of my favorite experiences in Subnautica is being lost in a cave system or wreck and forcing myself to stay calm if I want to make it out, I'd love to give a landscape like that a try.
Can you link to where it was confirmed? All I've seen personally was models and concept art, which just means "it was planned" to me rather than outright confirmed. Twisty Bridges was in a similar position until it was said it would be put in at a later date, but was it actually said the lilypad islands were going to make it in as well?
The Subnautica Wiki has a link to this stored screenshot from July 22, 2016. I suppose it doesn't technically say "yes, this will be a thing", but it's contextually put in the same bag as twisty bridges and, by contrast, when we got the Phantom Leviathan model UWE was quick to say "no guarantees".
I s'ppose that's better than the state the so-called Arctic Biome is in then XD
Though speaking of the arctic.... Something that's been on my mind lately: What's the point of frigid water? Currently, very hot water (Geysers, the ILZ, etc) will damage you... But what does freezing water do? And does the water temperature drop during the nights?
https://sketchfab.com/models/14fe1086994b49939161a5e3b5264843
https://sketchfab.com/models/971877be672640f0ad0f03839eda842a
subnautica.wikia.com/wiki/Biomes?file=BiosphereSheet_Arctic_page01.jpg
As with @Skope 's link, it was an early idea that never really got fleshed out any. Some older Biome Maps even listed "Arctic" on them for a while too.
If it's still on the "maybe we might do this..." list, it's definitely not going to happen any time prior to the 1.0 release - barring some miracle.
Actually, quick research, and there's such places all over the world: Christchurch, New Zealand, Toulouse France, etc:
http://ask.metafilter.com/120672/Living-near-surf-and-snow
But these arguments only work above water. Water is pretty good at preserving and equalising heat (it takes a metric buttload of energy to heat up even a small part of an ocean, and it will take a long time for that heat to dissipate once the energy source is removed), so underwater there really isn't any way for generalised tropical waters to be anywhere near arctic waters. (Small heat sources in otherwise cold water are possible, eg. lava vents; that's a different sort of thing.)
Ice formations on the walls would diffuse light from bioluminescent flora and fauna, giving the whole area a kind of "Dim Flourescent light" kind of feel, which would be particularly alien so deep underwater.
The source of the Sub-Zero temperatures could be a massive Precursor Specimen Preservation Unit (A big ass freezer) in the center of the caverns, which would have housed and preserved the backup DNA strains of all alien life on the planet before the Carar broke out. Unfortunately, the seal on the Storage unit failed (Someone freaking left the fridge door open again), and the bacteria got in, killing all of the DNA samples (And spoiling the milk), fully extincting all the various species the Precursors were trying to preserve.
The Biome itself would be populated with some basic, recolored creatures, ice versions of Oculus and Eyeye and Jellyrays, plus some new creatures
Blubberfish - Large, grumpy Dunkleosteus type creatures with thick, flabby blubber that regenerates incredibly quickly, allowing the player to harvest skin samples without seriously hurting the creature. In fact, "Shearing" blubberfish is actually beneficial, since they do not stop regenerating their blubber and get fatter and fatter until they can no longer swim and die. Similar to underwater sheep, with wedge-like jaws that can crush steel. They are not Hostile, but "Grumpy" in that they will make pissed-off noises while you are near them, and will eventually bite if you do not leave after a while. Harvesting their blubber unlocks the Insulated Diving Suit which better protects the wearer from extreme heat and cold, like one would find in the Arctic of Lava Biomes. They would lurk near the entrance of the Ice Caves so that the player has a chance to unlock the suit before venturing into the freezing death.
Glacial Leviathan - An Orca-like carnivorous whale-type creature with thick flesh. The smallest of the Leviathan class creatures. It can alter its internal temperature to freeze water, and spit the frozen shards like huge ice spears to impale their prey from a distance.
Glacial Nautilus - Seamoth sized buoyant shellfish that gather ice on their shells to provide extra protection from predators. Passive, but will damage your seamoth if you run into them.
I suppose it would damage you too? I don't know what the devs are planning on that front other than that cold water is a noted feature of the Lost River. If a repeat of hot water is to be avoided, an argument could be made for gradually increasing damage (with a max) rather than stable damage since your divers suit should protect you with your own body heat at first. Could also slow you down a little, like the difference between swimming when you hold or don't hold something.
I don't think night should drop the temperature anywhere but the surface meter(s) (depending on the difference at the surface). Large bodies of water hold their temperature well.
On the concept art page of the SNWiki, there's an image of creatures dubbed "Coral Reef Grabbers". They're the most popular Lilypad Biome creature suggestion I've seen put forth by the fanbase.
There's also ice caves, underground caves filled with ice only a few meters below the surface even when the surface temperature reaches above 20. This is due to cold air being heavier than warm air and the shape of the caves is so that the cold air comes rolling in and stays. In fact, some of these caves are threatened by preservation attempts that put a door in front of the entrance to prevent vandalism and the like but which also prevents the cold air from coming in at night. Cold traps are among the best geological excuses UWE could use for an Arctic Biome, although some suspension of disbelief remains necessary. Nothing the game doesn't already ask with the biome system.
True, which is why an Arctic Biome would need to be enclosed with mountains with only a few entrances so the interaction of water is minimized and can locally be colder. I think the concept of a reverse island - you know, one of those valley island structures classic adventurer stories are so fond of. Only example I can currently think up is Vulter's base in Mickey Mouse and the Pirate Submarine - would be needed, which is fine by me.
A connection to the Lost River bigger than a connection to the surrounding water could also help make an Arctic Biome more believable.
Though the ice cavern cold air sinking thing could explain how it was so cold in the first place to facilitate the evolution of arctic creatures in the first place.
Not that I don't think the other ideas of precursor teleportation or geological cold traps can't work or aren't cool ideas. Void islands just seem fairly relevant and another option on how to believably implement these "not like the others" biomes; and I am not a fan of retyping stuff.
That actually could work. But something fundamentally an issue with theoretical void islands is the void part. The void isn't canon, it's merely the side-effect of having hand-crafted terrain and the fact that it's limited terrain. No planet realistically would have a normal terrain but is mostly a void with islands. Add that to how combining manual generation with procedural could be a daunting task, especially in time for 1.0. Otherwise, that is a good idea.
This is assuming my interpretation or whatever it is of the concept being basically islands floating in the void, similar to how the floater islands is only connected to water (thanks, floaters!).
And I don't dislike it; in fact, a facility for a preservation attempt by the precursors is a very good idea. The only reason I am looking at natural ways for a cold area to exist is because of the evolution thing and because it would require the (heavy) energy generation + cooling system to have remained intact all that time.
The two ideas can work in tandem, methinks.
As an aside, my vote for an Arctic critter would be that purple winged whale from the concept art.
Nah, if it's possible, I hope you get your wish. You know my stance and why I want Arctic in base game; like Spooky's House of Jumpscares where I haven't ever encountered any of the endless mode creatures simply because I find endless mode unappealing to play. Void-Arctic areas would have less need for the dressup of explanation so could be randomly generated with free-er design than a base game one.