New Sub Types to Balance Cyclops Destructibility

SoreinSorein USA Join Date: 2015-05-01 Member: 204015Members
So, as many of you whom have been here for a long time know at the onset of Subnautica there were plans to have multiple large-class submersibles aside from the Cyclops. I've pinned the concept arts for these subs below for anyone whom is curious.

Anyway, we know that the Cyclops is invulnerable to attacks from certain creatures (stalkers, sandsharks, etc) and; admittedly, rather flimsy when it comes to withstanding attacks from well... anything else. To balance out this fairly change I think that a great idea would be for Unknown Worlds to pursue would be to reintroduce the additional large-class subs and to add invulnerability to attacks from additional creatures to the new models.

For example, the Cyclops would be vulnerable to attacks from the following creatures (as it currently is):
  • Bonesharks
  • Crabsquid
  • Lava Lizards
  • River Prowlers
  • Leviathans

The Manta (see concept art below) would only be vulnerable to leviathans, but would be large enough and/or use enough power to make navigating the Inactive Lava Zone, Active Lava Zone, and Lost River difficult. Also it could be balanced by giving it a higher detection rating such that it became useful for delivering a PRAWN to the ILZ/ALZ/LR through the masses of smaller creatures, but would quickly draw the attention of a leviathan if it entered the territory of the leviathan itself.

Finally the largest submersibles; the Beluga and Draconis (see concept art below), would be entirely invulnerable to attacks but would also be too large to fit in cramped spaces. So it could be used to safely traverse the Dunes; as an example, but would be entirely unable to access the ILZ/ALZ/LR

The Beluga
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The Manta
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The Draconis
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Comments

  • Enderguy059Enderguy059 Australia Join Date: 2015-10-15 Member: 208486Members
    Now this is what I wanna see!
  • kingkumakingkuma cancels Work: distracted by Dwarf Fortress Join Date: 2015-09-25 Member: 208137Members
    I'm sorry to say, the devs won't be adding any more vehicles. I know, I wanted the draconis too.
  • CaptainFearlessCaptainFearless CO, US Join Date: 2016-12-14 Member: 224941Members
    I wish these got added to the game! I wanted the Manta and Beluga!
  • zetachronzetachron Germany Join Date: 2014-11-14 Member: 199655Members
    I love the Beluga and Draconis design, but the main issue is that the devs are far behind their original roadmap and not many want a solution with a new sub that would cost the devs several months delay again.

    So I'd rather pledge that the devs further fix and balance their Cyclops to make it actual fun to play. That is:
    • Picture-in-picture (PiP) the cam views to the cockpit or bring all cockpit HUD info to the cam views.
    • Assign hotkeys to the cockpit functions (cams, shield, sonar, decoy, drive speed, ...)
    • Make the sonar toggle on/off and draw more power instead. It's annoying to renew the sonar all time.
    • Make the shield a stealth cloak that hides the Cyclops for close range when the sub doesn't move.
    • Decoys should work long enough to place them strategically and lure leviathans away.
    • Allow Cyclops flooding with damages.
    • Rework the malicious floodlights that only blind your sight.
    • Give the Cyclops a cargo upgrade module.
    • The pressure upgrades should make the Cyclops more tough.
    • Silent running should be an engine upgrade that replaces the standart drive with a magnetohydrodynamic drive (MHD).
    • Divers should be as silent as a MHD sub, but the Prawn should stay very noisy.
    • Sonar should make incredible noise and primarily attract leviathans.
  • jeodjeod Stuck in Aperture Join Date: 2017-04-12 Member: 229591Members
    Two things:
    1. The Manta looks flippin ugly
    2.
    I love the Beluga and Draconis design, but the main issue is that the devs are far behind their original roadmap and not many want a solution with a new sub that would cost the devs several months delay again.
    The developers won't even need to make the Beluga: https://forums.unknownworlds.com/discussion/144386/bigger-submarine-concept-my-own-3d-model
  • SpacedInvaderSpacedInvader Join Date: 2016-01-08 Member: 211083Members
    edited May 2017
    While I would love to see these in the game as well, they just aren't needed until there is an expansion to the game world some time after the 1.0 release (if ever). While I know many people are upset that their cyclops can now take quite a bit of damage quickly if they ever slip out of silent running, adding another, larger sub that is only really useful for above ground operations makes no sense considering our game world is only a few kilometers across. Perhaps if we get a procedurally generated world beyond the basic game map as an expansion, then a larger sub with better facilities (i.e. two docking bays) would make sense, but in the current world, you can already run back to base in a few minutes at most if you need to switch vehicles, even at silent running speed, so wasting developer resources on adding it now makes no sense. I agree with @zetachron here in that a much better approach would be to further refine and balance the cyclops. After all, and as UWE has stated, if you still want an invulnerable sub, just switch to creative, so even if they were to add larger subs, they would still take damage from multiple sources.
  • zetachronzetachron Germany Join Date: 2014-11-14 Member: 199655Members
    When the devs have turned the Cyclops into an acceptable sub and if they have some time left, they could try to increase the number of vehicles buildable at the mobile vehicle construction platform, by varying the base models for different pressure upgrades. The game doesn't need more than 1 pressure upgrade for each vehicle anyways.

    List of vehicles:
    • Seamoth (0-300m): only 2 upgrade slots
    • Seamoth 2 (0-900m): slightly bigger plated reskin, 4 upgrade slots
    • Prawn suit (0-900m): only 2 upgrade slots
    • Lobster (0-1700m): Precursor hull tech, 4 upgrade slots
    • Cyclops (0-900m): standart eingine (slow+fast), 2 upgrade slots
    • Beluga (0-1500m): MHD drive (silent+flank), Precursor hull tech, 4 upgrade slots
  • FlashWoolFumbleFlashWoolFumble Join Date: 2017-03-18 Member: 229033Members
    zetachron wrote: »
    I love the Beluga and Draconis design, but the main issue is that the devs are far behind their original roadmap and not many want a solution with a new sub that would cost the devs several months delay again.

    So I'd rather pledge that the devs further fix and balance their Cyclops to make it actual fun to play. That is:
    • Picture-in-picture (PiP) the cam views to the cockpit or bring all cockpit HUD info to the cam views.
    • Assign hotkeys to the cockpit functions (cams, shield, sonar, decoy, drive speed, ...)
    • Make the sonar toggle on/off and draw more power instead. It's annoying to renew the sonar all time.
    • Make the shield a stealth cloak that hides the Cyclops for close range when the sub doesn't move.
    • Decoys should work long enough to place them strategically and lure leviathans away.
    • Allow Cyclops flooding with damages.
    • Rework the malicious floodlights that only blind your sight.
    • Give the Cyclops a cargo upgrade module.
    • The pressure upgrades should make the Cyclops more tough.
    • Silent running should be an engine upgrade that replaces the standart drive with a magnetohydrodynamic drive (MHD).
    • Divers should be as silent as a MHD sub, but the Prawn should stay very noisy.
    • Sonar should make incredible noise and primarily attract leviathans.

    The only thing I don't really understand would be the cargo upgrade. How would it work in the first place? We already have the ability to build lockers in the cyclops.
  • zetachronzetachron Germany Join Date: 2014-11-14 Member: 199655Members
    The only thing I don't really understand would be the cargo upgrade. How would it work in the first place? We already have the ability to build lockers in the cyclops.

    There are already 5 tiny (2x6=12) personal lockers inside the sub that could be increased to simply 5 big (6x8) lockers. It's not really what you'd expect from a big submarine and not so immersive. And though you can build containers inside the Cyclops, you might want to be relieved of that waste of space of containers in your way. Having 5 big lockers would at least match 5 glass containers instead almost a single one. There are more things you can build in the Cyclops than walls of containers that only replace a non-existent cargo space.
  • Sharky36Sharky36 Join Date: 2017-05-23 Member: 230706Members
    Well personally, I don't like using the Cyclops, its too bulky and slow for my tastes. The Seamoth is the beginning sub and very useful during the game, I would classify this sub as a scout. The Cyclops I would classify as a small carrier. I would like something in between them. Piloted like the Seamoth, just larger with heavier armor and more slots for upgrades. I know they are limiting new content to get V1.0 out to the public and then will start doing more content to put in an expansion. This would be great for an expansion item.
  • eastofdeatheastofdeath usa Join Date: 2016-02-28 Member: 213559Members
    Sharky36 wrote: »
    Well personally, I don't like using the Cyclops, its too bulky and slow for my tastes. The Seamoth is the beginning sub and very useful during the game, I would classify this sub as a scout. The Cyclops I would classify as a small carrier. I would like something in between them. Piloted like the Seamoth, just larger with heavier armor and more slots for upgrades. I know they are limiting new content to get V1.0 out to the public and then will start doing more content to put in an expansion. This would be great for an expansion item.

    I second this, +1 "This would be great for an expansion item."
  • Amazing_AquacatAmazing_Aquacat North Texas Join Date: 2017-05-22 Member: 230676Members
    The concept art is beautiful and I'd love to see them in game at some time, maybe a future expansion.

    I've just started exploring the inactive lava zone and started the game with the latest expansion so I never knew an indestructible Cyclops. Things are fine for me so far it just takes getting used to going slow after using the zippy Seamoth.

    I did manage to squeeze the Cyclops through to the lost lake from the Blood Kelp Zone. It was a very tight fit. My biggest difficulty of late is getting the Prawn aligned just right to dock. I had one amazing grapple line swing and hit the sweet spot. I've only done that once.
  • zetachronzetachron Germany Join Date: 2014-11-14 Member: 199655Members
    Maybe the Cyclops driving could get improved by simply locking the view in flank speed mode to make it drive like a Seamoth if you want to travel fast. If you lower speed you can get back the old Cyclops navigation with being able to turn your head while driving.
  • DarlingCowsDarlingCows Join Date: 2017-05-23 Member: 230713Members
    I think that would be cool.
  • Sharky36Sharky36 Join Date: 2017-05-23 Member: 230706Members

    zetachron wrote: »
    Maybe the Cyclops driving could get improved by simply locking the view in flank speed mode to make it drive like a Seamoth if you want to travel fast. If you lower speed you can get back the old Cyclops navigation with being able to turn your head while driving.

    Well its really not about the speed, more the bulk of it. I prefer smaller more nimble ships. When I do use the Cyclops; I use it more like a mobile base. I would just like an upgrade to the Seamoth, maybe twice its size. I was looking at the moonpool and you could make a sub that would still be able to dock with the moonpool that is larger than the seamoth. Maybe have 6 upgrade slots instead of 4 and maybe some designated storage already on it like the Prawn. Maybe I'll try to do some concept art for a mid sized sub.
  • Casual_PlayerCasual_Player That...is a really good question Join Date: 2016-08-30 Member: 221875Members
    The Draconis, is that a concept art? Looks like a model...
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