Ghost Leviathans in Dead Zone - Awful Game Design

[wanderlustry]

So I was trolling around past the Foating Island area and all of a sudden a ghost leviathan spawned. I turned off engine and just chilled hoping for it to go away. Nope. Then another. And a third one. I read stuff on wiki and the internet and apparently they spawn to "deter" people from this area.

Well if you're already there, there's basically nothing you can do. I tried to pilot the cyclops away but it got destroyed, predictably, and I lost a ton of materials and everything I built inside it.

This isn't a nice experience, especially for something scripted to deter people. It should at least either

1. De-spawn / let them swim away at least a bit in order to allow retreat
2. have a warning like "dead zone ahead: leviathan presence, recommend turning around"

Losing two vehicles and tons of stuff just because devs don't want you near the edge of the map doesn't feel fun

[Nyello]

It’s a simple thing. Instead of going into silent he should have popped the shield (if he had it, highly recommended) popped a decoy (if he had it also highly recommended) and flank sped out of there.

When one leviathan is around silent running may be the way to go, but when three show up it’s time to skedaddle.

[naomikuro]

There is also a distinct sound cue that plays when entering the void - that is all sounds vanish completely, including the ambient water sounds that persist in every other biome even when crossing borders. And if a music track is playing, it will cut out very quickly.

[CrazyGoblin]

Originally posted by Username:

...and would only get attacked if they wanted to.

...kinky.

[Prios]

There should probably just be another "Entering ecological dead zone" warning, without mention of the PDA entry, that plays each time you enter the DZ.

There's a few places in the game where alerts should repeat in some form, and at least one place where the alert comes way, way too late. (*cough* lava castle *cough*)

[Malidictus]

Alternatively, You can activate Silent Running and move in very slow increments. Do that until you've turned around, jettison a decoy (make one if you don't have any) and go flank speed back towards the shallows. You might take some damage, but you're not going to sink.

[wanderlustry]

Originally posted by CrazyGoblin:

The problem with this is that he was in the Cyclops, which is by no means particularly maneuverable. Seeing as he turned off his engines to avoid the leviathans (which in most other circumstances is a perfectly viable move), trying to start it up and then get the required momentum to cross back over the edge may just be too tall of an order, especially considering that he then had to deal with three leviathans suddenly aggroing the sub, rather than the one he'd stopped the sub for.

^^^ this

And yeah, it was my first time really going out far in the cyclops, so I didn't have shields, decoys, prawn suit, anything. Just my cyclops laden with goods from the reef area, plants (am I now unable to make any plants I've lost? ...I want to be able to make marblemelons but all my seeds went down with the ship)

I get that the idea is to have a dead zone, but my point is if you're ill-equipped it's really easy to suddenly find yourself surrounded by a ghost leviathan and then lose all your stuff. I'm not saying the dead zone shouldn't exist, or even that the leviathans shoudln't spawn -- just that warning should be clear to *avoid* it and that there's large predatory lifeforms or something. The warning didn't seem particularly dire, and it was very shortly after the warning that they spawned - I was trying to turn around as they spawned.

OR, if they spawn and you turn the engine off they should swim away a bit so you can actually escape if you play it right

[Benzin]

I prefeer the ghost leviathans to the invisible walls most games use.
However, i do agree with you 100% in that the game should provide a clear warning when you are entering the dead zone. I too have accidentally entered it a few times, only go barely escape with my life a few seconds later.

[Enheldor]

Originally posted by Mortemas:

There’s nothing you need in the void. In fact, there is nothing at all in the void except ghost levs. No need to go there. Just avoid the void.

The void calls to all and all must need it's call.

Come to the void. It's waiting for you.

[aShadowWizard]

Originally posted by wanderlustry:

So I was trolling around past the Foating Island area and all of a sudden a ghost leviathan spawned. I turned off engine and just chilled hoping for it to go away. Nope. Then another. And a third one. I read stuff on wiki and the internet and apparently they spawn to "deter" people from this area.

Well if you're already there, there's basically nothing you can do. I tried to pilot the cyclops away but it got destroyed, predictably, and I lost a ton of materials and everything I built inside it.

This isn't a nice experience, especially for something scripted to deter people. It should at least either

1. De-spawn / let them swim away at least a bit in order to allow retreat
2. have a warning like "dead zone ahead: leviathan presence, recommend turning around"

Losing two vehicles and tons of stuff just because devs don't want you near the edge of the map doesn't feel fun

Point Number 1: You receive a warning when you first enter

Point Number 2: The wiki is right, the ghost leviathan spawns were placed to deter people from wandering too far outside the playable area

Point Number 3: You have create decoys which can shoot out the cyclops, USE THEM!

Point Number 4: Git gud

[Taconter]

Originally posted by aKawaiiLizard:

Originally posted by wanderlustry:

So I was trolling around past the Foating Island area and all of a sudden a ghost leviathan spawned. I turned off engine and just chilled hoping for it to go away. Nope. Then another. And a third one. I read stuff on wiki and the internet and apparently they spawn to "deter" people from this area.

Well if you're already there, there's basically nothing you can do. I tried to pilot the cyclops away but it got destroyed, predictably, and I lost a ton of materials and everything I built inside it.

This isn't a nice experience, especially for something scripted to deter people. It should at least either

1. De-spawn / let them swim away at least a bit in order to allow retreat
2. have a warning like "dead zone ahead: leviathan presence, recommend turning around"

Losing two vehicles and tons of stuff just because devs don't want you near the edge of the map doesn't feel fun

Point Number 1: You receive a warning when you first enter

Point Number 2: The wiki is right, the ghost leviathan spawns were placed to deter people from wandering too far outside the playable area

Point Number 3: You have create decoys which can shoot out the cyclops, USE THEM!

Point Number 4: Git gud

Decpy emergancy speed shield
Just get out

[Enheldor]

One thing I would definitely like in regards to this is a notification I was entering the Dead Zone every time I did it.

[Benzin]

Originally posted by Enheldor:

One thing I would definitely like in regards to this is a notification I was entering the Dead Zone every time I did it.

Exactly!

[Taconter]

Originally posted by Enheldor:

One thing I would definitely like in regards to this is a notification I was entering the Dead Zone every time I did it.

Like "approaching dead zone, exploration ill advised" since it never mentions it being dangerous unless you read the pda entry which i dont do while driving

[LadstonFelisGaming]

It’s called the Border Patrol. They’re designed to keep you within the playable area of the game. Loads of games use it.

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BorderPatrol

[Darth Warez]

Originally posted by Legas:

They do warn you the first time you enter the dead zone, not the other times though.

To be honest that happens only after you already in 200 meters inside dead zone and ghost leviathans already spawned.

And that shoul happen before entering, not so late.