Subnautica Speedrun
FirstEd
New Mexico Join Date: 2017-06-25 Member: 231340Members
New Mexico Join Date: 2017-06-25 Member: 231340Members
Hey Everybody,
So, a month or so ago (back during the Ghost update) I decided to do a speedrun guide for Survival Subnautica. The idea was to free the Sea Emperor Juveniles as fast as possible (which, at that time, was effectively the 'end' of the game).
After doing a lot of planning, I was able to complete an entire run, curing myself, in about 3.5 hours. My first run took around 5 hours. I didn't time or record it or anything - the game is still in development after all - but I feel it might be interesting for you all to see my route and the strategy.
So, let me post the .doc that I created that outlined the route. It should be attached to this post.
BEAR IN MIND... that I ended up printing out this document and making additional notes on the sheets as I did the few runs I did. I will try to include those additional notes here.
So, with all that said, let me go over the basics idea of the document first:
BASIC IDEA - collect and construct the required items for completing the run as fast as possible while not wasting time on unnecessary elements.
For example, in the run, you do not use the PRAWN suit. Also, in the run, you use the Cyclops. The reason for using the Cyclops has less to do with the actual vehicle, and more to do with the fact that the Cyclops allows you to bring a fabricator with you. The fabricator, which you absolutely must have - and powered - by the time you get to the Lava Castle (because you'll need to fabricate at least one blue artifact).
Because the run doesn't use the PRAWN it doesn't go to the Aurora. I realize that now that the Captain's Quarters is unlocked, going to the aurora is necessary for game completion, but it wasn't when I wrote this.
THE NITTY GRITTY
Basically, the first six or so trips from the life pod are what set up everything else in the run. You have to collect very specific items, in order, and bring them back to the life pod for processing and fabrication.
As I did this the first time, I found that the lifepod didn't have enough power generation to allow all the fabrication that was needed. This meant either building a habitat where I could utilize solar panels (which would soak up a lot of time) or staggering building out over time, allowing the lifepod to recharge.
The other problem with the lifepod was storage. At first I tried to make it so you didn't need any additional storage but the lifepod, but when I ran out of power, suddenly I'd be left with more items than it could hold...
This is where, in my handwritten notes, I started using storage lockers. I think I used about 2 of them? But, basically they're overflow for the lifepod storage.
The final problem that you're dealing with is finding stuff. Copper, for example, is extremely necessary for the start of the run, but there are a few places where it can be found in abundance. I wrote the coodinates down...
-91, - , -117
-91, - , 122
-492, -, 117
All three are giant coral tubes loaded with limestone deposits.
BASIC ORDER OF EVENTS
- You go out and get enough to make yourself a Scanner (required for the game), Survival Knife (semi-required), fins (helps with speed), and a few components for the seaglide.
- You then go scan the seaglide down and harvest a bunch of titanium (the rest of the seaglide materials and a spare battery).
- Then you harvest more titanium (needed for the seamoth and cyclops) and creepvine (for lubircant) and while you're out, hunt down the mobile vehicle bay (or seamoth) fragments.
- Next trip has you going out for ingredients for power cells, High Capacity O2 tank and habitat builder (needed for the fabricator for that pesky Blue Artifact). While you're out, pick up the seamoth fragments (or mobile vehicle bay). When you come back, you make the mobile vehicle bay and the seamoth.
- From there, take the seamoth to the Underwater Islands wreck and get the swim charge fins (keeps you from needing additional batteries), harvest some items for the hatching enzymes and gather litihum from the island and three purple artifacts (one from the near the beach, one from the cave, and the last you go in through the alien moonpool and get it inside the structure - prevents you from needing more diamond and you don't have to construct additional purples... I think.)
- While you're out there you find the Cyclops fragments as well, then when you come back you build the cyclops and pop a fabricator in it.
- Next thing is you jump back in the Seamoth and go to the Grand Reef, to the floating Island, grab the purple artifact there, plant seeds and the interior growbed (you'll need that for food and water). You also pick up enzyme ingredients along the way and grab the Cyclops Hull Module from one of the Grand Reef wrecks.
- Come back to the Cyclops and then get in it and go to the wreck in the mountains and use the laser cutter to get inside and get the modification station (it's one of the few wrecks that reliably has the modification station). Initially, I wanted to avoid making the laser cutter, but this wreck has the modification station so reliably that I build a laser cutter just to cut through that ONE door.
- From there you have everything, so I usually go down to the Lost River via the Blood Kelp Trench, that way I can grab blood oil for a reinforced dive suit. You can skip the disease research facility and head straight for the ILZ. Along the way you will need to grab a nickel and upgrade the hull, bearing in mind that the cyclops takes damage once you remove the current hull module. Usually you can find nickel in the Lost River Tree cove, down in the blue brine.
- Once you have the hull module go straight to the Lava Castle, grab the blue artifact, then jump in the cyclops, fabricate the blue artifact and get down to the Containment Facility. Once you get in there, obtain the enzyme formula and return to the Cyclops, make the enzyme, use it and... done!
FINAL THOUGHTS
I realize that a lot of this might be outdated because of the newer updates. Now it looks like you HAVE to go to the Aurora, which means you have to get a Radiation Suit, something you don't do in my current route. You also never build a repair tool in my current route. Something I found a bit risky, as the Seamoth always seems to take some damage while you're running around with it, but I've done the whole thing without the repair tool so it might not be necessary?
My true hope for sharing this and including the document is to maybe begin a conversation about speedrunning the game and see if anyone can figure out how to get it done even faster. I love Subnautica and I love speedrunning, and I hope the community likes the idea of seeing what a Subnautica Speedrun could be like.
Thanks for reading!
So, a month or so ago (back during the Ghost update) I decided to do a speedrun guide for Survival Subnautica. The idea was to free the Sea Emperor Juveniles as fast as possible (which, at that time, was effectively the 'end' of the game).
After doing a lot of planning, I was able to complete an entire run, curing myself, in about 3.5 hours. My first run took around 5 hours. I didn't time or record it or anything - the game is still in development after all - but I feel it might be interesting for you all to see my route and the strategy.
So, let me post the .doc that I created that outlined the route. It should be attached to this post.
BEAR IN MIND... that I ended up printing out this document and making additional notes on the sheets as I did the few runs I did. I will try to include those additional notes here.
So, with all that said, let me go over the basics idea of the document first:
BASIC IDEA - collect and construct the required items for completing the run as fast as possible while not wasting time on unnecessary elements.
For example, in the run, you do not use the PRAWN suit. Also, in the run, you use the Cyclops. The reason for using the Cyclops has less to do with the actual vehicle, and more to do with the fact that the Cyclops allows you to bring a fabricator with you. The fabricator, which you absolutely must have - and powered - by the time you get to the Lava Castle (because you'll need to fabricate at least one blue artifact).
Because the run doesn't use the PRAWN it doesn't go to the Aurora. I realize that now that the Captain's Quarters is unlocked, going to the aurora is necessary for game completion, but it wasn't when I wrote this.
THE NITTY GRITTY
Basically, the first six or so trips from the life pod are what set up everything else in the run. You have to collect very specific items, in order, and bring them back to the life pod for processing and fabrication.
As I did this the first time, I found that the lifepod didn't have enough power generation to allow all the fabrication that was needed. This meant either building a habitat where I could utilize solar panels (which would soak up a lot of time) or staggering building out over time, allowing the lifepod to recharge.
The other problem with the lifepod was storage. At first I tried to make it so you didn't need any additional storage but the lifepod, but when I ran out of power, suddenly I'd be left with more items than it could hold...
This is where, in my handwritten notes, I started using storage lockers. I think I used about 2 of them? But, basically they're overflow for the lifepod storage.
The final problem that you're dealing with is finding stuff. Copper, for example, is extremely necessary for the start of the run, but there are a few places where it can be found in abundance. I wrote the coodinates down...
-91, - , -117
-91, - , 122
-492, -, 117
All three are giant coral tubes loaded with limestone deposits.
BASIC ORDER OF EVENTS
- You go out and get enough to make yourself a Scanner (required for the game), Survival Knife (semi-required), fins (helps with speed), and a few components for the seaglide.
- You then go scan the seaglide down and harvest a bunch of titanium (the rest of the seaglide materials and a spare battery).
- Then you harvest more titanium (needed for the seamoth and cyclops) and creepvine (for lubircant) and while you're out, hunt down the mobile vehicle bay (or seamoth) fragments.
- Next trip has you going out for ingredients for power cells, High Capacity O2 tank and habitat builder (needed for the fabricator for that pesky Blue Artifact). While you're out, pick up the seamoth fragments (or mobile vehicle bay). When you come back, you make the mobile vehicle bay and the seamoth.
- From there, take the seamoth to the Underwater Islands wreck and get the swim charge fins (keeps you from needing additional batteries), harvest some items for the hatching enzymes and gather litihum from the island and three purple artifacts (one from the near the beach, one from the cave, and the last you go in through the alien moonpool and get it inside the structure - prevents you from needing more diamond and you don't have to construct additional purples... I think.)
- While you're out there you find the Cyclops fragments as well, then when you come back you build the cyclops and pop a fabricator in it.
- Next thing is you jump back in the Seamoth and go to the Grand Reef, to the floating Island, grab the purple artifact there, plant seeds and the interior growbed (you'll need that for food and water). You also pick up enzyme ingredients along the way and grab the Cyclops Hull Module from one of the Grand Reef wrecks.
- Come back to the Cyclops and then get in it and go to the wreck in the mountains and use the laser cutter to get inside and get the modification station (it's one of the few wrecks that reliably has the modification station). Initially, I wanted to avoid making the laser cutter, but this wreck has the modification station so reliably that I build a laser cutter just to cut through that ONE door.
- From there you have everything, so I usually go down to the Lost River via the Blood Kelp Trench, that way I can grab blood oil for a reinforced dive suit. You can skip the disease research facility and head straight for the ILZ. Along the way you will need to grab a nickel and upgrade the hull, bearing in mind that the cyclops takes damage once you remove the current hull module. Usually you can find nickel in the Lost River Tree cove, down in the blue brine.
- Once you have the hull module go straight to the Lava Castle, grab the blue artifact, then jump in the cyclops, fabricate the blue artifact and get down to the Containment Facility. Once you get in there, obtain the enzyme formula and return to the Cyclops, make the enzyme, use it and... done!
FINAL THOUGHTS
I realize that a lot of this might be outdated because of the newer updates. Now it looks like you HAVE to go to the Aurora, which means you have to get a Radiation Suit, something you don't do in my current route. You also never build a repair tool in my current route. Something I found a bit risky, as the Seamoth always seems to take some damage while you're running around with it, but I've done the whole thing without the repair tool so it might not be necessary?
My true hope for sharing this and including the document is to maybe begin a conversation about speedrunning the game and see if anyone can figure out how to get it done even faster. I love Subnautica and I love speedrunning, and I hope the community likes the idea of seeing what a Subnautica Speedrun could be like.
Thanks for reading!
Comments
I wouldn't say that's 'bad news' at all! That's a pretty neat strategy for a run! Of course, you could never run, say, Hardcore mode with that strategy. Whereas mine could work on a hardcore run.
One of the things I love about speedrunning is the creative use of the rules. In the run you linked, he obviously uses the 'respawn in the last base you entered' thing to progress far beyond where he's geared for. It's really creative, and I like seeing how people can bend the rules to do crazy stuff.
I'd love to see this runner's take on a 'deathless' run though.
But there seems to be a real shot of luck in where you initially spawn that can make or break the run. I'm working on a spreadsheet at the moment for material gathering priority. It requires a lot less than the OP so you can focus less on inventory management & more on moving from one place to another. But I've managed to find a rather sneaky spot that can allow for very early game gathering of things like diamonds/lithium/gold in bulk with 0 hostile risk.
Once I've got lets say a version 1 of the run down pat ill chuck up a video of it. I'm still doing split runs testing routing and material gathering atm.
Recent changes are going to make this a lot harder. A lot of items need Lithium or Plasteel Ingots now so a Jelly Shroom Cave run to harvest the Shale Outcroppings there is almost a must. More items need Rubies or Aerogel too. The good sources of Databoxes and frags are the Lifepods and the wrecks (especially around Lifepod 17 and 19) and you must need several of them.
Whoa. The shear amount of knowledge that player must have. Swimming and harvesting so boldly through dangerous places with such a tight oxygen limit. And of course, game changes that make so much of it moot now. Even just the lack of being able to terraform by making temp base parts.