Hope for DLC & some critique of Subnautica
FoshyTakashi
United States Join Date: 2018-07-14 Member: 242176Members
United States Join Date: 2018-07-14 Member: 242176Members
Let me just start by saying Subnautica is one of my favorite games. The story is entertaining, the gameplay loop is enjoyable, and has a constant feeling of unease and wonder whenever I play it as I know what creatures lay about.
I am so excited about the Arctic DLC, I think a paid DLC with a separate storyline is perfect for Subnautica and creating a better world around the game. This post is really just a list of thoughts and ideas that I have had for the arctic.
<b>Keep the feeling of Unease and Wonder</b>
Many survival games for me have recently been lacking that wow factor. Subnautica always made me want to explore, the interesting biomes and strange creatures often made me want to go further in the game. The story also took away the feeling of being invincible or overpowered as going further always would have stronger and stronger creatures. I hope the DLC is the same type of feeling
<b>Map Design</b>
The hand made map (A.K.A not procedurally generated) always had something interesting and new around the corner, that needs to continue. Places would become familiar without being repetitive. The game had interesting landscapes not just one type but varied biomes with different dangers and bonuses to them. Many other games try to make games these infinitely playable landscapes but most of it ends up being boring or unmemorable..... See Next Topic
<b>Finite Stories are the best ones</b>
Subnautica had closure, the story and end of the game was one of my favorite parts as I feel like i finished, nothing left hanging. I really want that feeling to continue into the DLC.
<b>Not being the same exact thing</b>
I might get some backlash on this one but I don't want the DLC just to be a rehash of the base game... but in the arctic, I want something different, something new, while still staying familiar. While I don't know for sure, from what I have seen your not stranded (space elevator), more above water gameplay which is a good sign but never want to be too sure.
<b>Vehicles, Vehicles, Vehicles</b>
While I do enjoy the Cyclops, Seamoth, and PRAWN Suit very much, I do want some more vehicles, maybe a Amphibious snowmobile or a slightly smaller cyclops meant for Arctic exploration.
<b>Voice overs, Characters, and Sound Design</b>
I'm really hoping to get some other characters and cutscenes in the game (maybe even some face to face, like not everyone being dead). There wasn't anyone in the world to interact with it would be nice to have a sort of a research squad with you that stay at the a base while you go out and explore, Radio chatter and interesting personalities to each of them could really improve it. The sound design in subnautica was fantastic, I worry about it not sounding right or sounding off due to the their previous sound designer being fired (not here to debate whether it was a good move on UWE part or not just stating that it did happen)
<b>What do I do? Go deeper</b>
I was never lost in the story as I understood that to get anything accomplished, you go deeper, but it's not always easy so you can't just skip everything. Simple but Effective.
Just my thoughts on it, Open to suggestions, Criticism, and Differing opinions to help further the ideas here and improve the game. Happy Diving
I am so excited about the Arctic DLC, I think a paid DLC with a separate storyline is perfect for Subnautica and creating a better world around the game. This post is really just a list of thoughts and ideas that I have had for the arctic.
<b>Keep the feeling of Unease and Wonder</b>
Many survival games for me have recently been lacking that wow factor. Subnautica always made me want to explore, the interesting biomes and strange creatures often made me want to go further in the game. The story also took away the feeling of being invincible or overpowered as going further always would have stronger and stronger creatures. I hope the DLC is the same type of feeling
<b>Map Design</b>
The hand made map (A.K.A not procedurally generated) always had something interesting and new around the corner, that needs to continue. Places would become familiar without being repetitive. The game had interesting landscapes not just one type but varied biomes with different dangers and bonuses to them. Many other games try to make games these infinitely playable landscapes but most of it ends up being boring or unmemorable..... See Next Topic
<b>Finite Stories are the best ones</b>
Subnautica had closure, the story and end of the game was one of my favorite parts as I feel like i finished, nothing left hanging. I really want that feeling to continue into the DLC.
<b>Not being the same exact thing</b>
I might get some backlash on this one but I don't want the DLC just to be a rehash of the base game... but in the arctic, I want something different, something new, while still staying familiar. While I don't know for sure, from what I have seen your not stranded (space elevator), more above water gameplay which is a good sign but never want to be too sure.
<b>Vehicles, Vehicles, Vehicles</b>
While I do enjoy the Cyclops, Seamoth, and PRAWN Suit very much, I do want some more vehicles, maybe a Amphibious snowmobile or a slightly smaller cyclops meant for Arctic exploration.
<b>Voice overs, Characters, and Sound Design</b>
I'm really hoping to get some other characters and cutscenes in the game (maybe even some face to face, like not everyone being dead). There wasn't anyone in the world to interact with it would be nice to have a sort of a research squad with you that stay at the a base while you go out and explore, Radio chatter and interesting personalities to each of them could really improve it. The sound design in subnautica was fantastic, I worry about it not sounding right or sounding off due to the their previous sound designer being fired (not here to debate whether it was a good move on UWE part or not just stating that it did happen)
<b>What do I do? Go deeper</b>
I was never lost in the story as I understood that to get anything accomplished, you go deeper, but it's not always easy so you can't just skip everything. Simple but Effective.
Just my thoughts on it, Open to suggestions, Criticism, and Differing opinions to help further the ideas here and improve the game. Happy Diving
Comments
Agree with almost everything, except these: I for one love procedural generation, but it takes a lot of work to get it working properly. And recently we have been through a period in which some devs thought they could build just part of a game and randomize everything else, and expect it to magically work
Subnautica biomes were spot-on, beautiful and varied, and the map topography is clearly inspired in real life volcanic islands, which gives it a very intuitive and realistic feel. However it felt like the maps were too small. One can explore the entire map in quite a few minutes, and that makes the game seems shorter, particularly in consecutive playthroughs.
I don't like tons of new vehicles. Following the map argument on randomized generation, you can have a bazillion subs and still have the game feeling pretty much repetitive.
What is magical about SN is that it doesn't matter much if you're on this vehicle or that.
Vehicles are the means to an end, not the entertainment in itself.
If surface exploration becomes more present, then you create a vehicle to aid it, not the other way around. You don't design a pretty cool surface vehicle and then an entire surface environment just so that vehicle can be used.
The feelings of desolation and solitude derives in great part from the knowledge that you're alone. And each new lifepod enhanced this feeling.
That was an essential trait of the game.
I do not want extra characters, unless it is a very climactic scene, such as meeting the Emperor.
Yet more pda audio entries and a more active personality for your pda/vehicles would be greatly appreciated. In fact, I wish all entries had the option to be read out loud by the pda.
Hand made maps, like you said, become fimilar but not repetitive. I remember I always wish for a spawn close to one of the coral tubes, the one not full of crashfish and that has a ton of limestone. If I don't, I put a beacon at it. I also find the same spots over and over, but they serve as landmarks instead of unimersive repeats.
See, I have a different idea. I feel like the story shouldn't end as happy as the first one did, but then people would hate the ending. Our brains loved closed out, happy stories over bad endings. We search for a good ending, but if there is none, we dislike the ending entirely. I do like your idea on it, however.
I still would love the main basics of the game (search for resources, craft tools, survive), but I agree, something different would help make the story and gameplay more interesting.
I would love a hovercraft, seeing as the ocean isn't as dominant as it was. Now the land is almost everywhere. It would be useful to have a vehicle that hovered on land and over water, making surface transport easier.
I have really nothing to add to this one, it's honestly a really good point. More voices, characters and sound designing would be awesome.
I agree, this is an integral idea of the story, and would help players know where to go easier.
There's an entire other thread for this. But it would be a good idea.
I would like to cast my vote in favour of some procedural terrain generation though. Apparently that was the initial vision for the game, before they opted for 100% handmade. On one hand I very much appreciate all the hand-crafted care and detail the Devs put into each of the biomes. On the other hand I just want to get lost in this game and keep exploring it forever. That at least was the main appeal Minecraft had for me (umm, a bad comparison I guess, since that's such a bog-ugly game). Maybe after a few iterations of Subnautica we might see it happening. I think it could be done without diminishing a hand-crafted core game. Done by making a surrounding procedurally generated area the player could access after finishing the main game.
But certainly, this would undermine the feeling closure Foshy appreciated at the end of Subnautica.
But I'm considering reloading the game for a fourth playthrough, but constraining myself to some 'realistic' depth mechanics.
* No jumping in through habitat windows - floor hatches OK to a certain depth.
* Moonpool access only below, say, 200m
* Dry access/exit to PRAWN only (except first entry)
* No indoor farming except under glass at < 200m
* No solar power in caves