Some ideas to make the game scarier.

[darthokkata]

First of all, it's a great game, but there are a couple of things that kind of don't work.

Leviathans aren't scary.

Hear me out.

They stick to an established range, and generally aren't much of a threat. You can hear them coming and they are easily dealt with in general.

They are a threat if you're just swimming, but any vehicle with a reasonable amount of health will survive an attack. They tend to grab whatever you're in and swim away after a moment. You'll be damaged, but have plenty of time to get away.

They also turn like tanks and aren't hard to maneuver around. Particularly the really big ones.

I mean deal with mostly by avoiding them of course, and I understand that they function as gatekeepers to some degree. Which is fine.

The biggest offender is the Ghost Leviathan. It glows like a beacon and is too easy to spot. While it looks cool, the fact that they glow kind of takes away from their threat. Make them white, and just make their eyes glow.

This will work in favor of their environment as they generally spawn in dark areas to make them a lot scarier and harder to deal with. They'll still be visible, but not until they are much closer.

Another thing that will help make the game a bit tenser is is to increase the range of predators gradually. Give the player enough time to get a bit of a foothold, but make the planet seem more and more hostile as the game goes on even in the areas that were once relatively safe. Not to the point it's unmanagable.

I'd tie it to story events. The Aurora goes off the first time? Increase the range of the Stalkers so they start venturing into the shallows a bit further. Still leave a small area of safety immediately around the lifepod.

Fix the Aurora? The reapers nearby to it start wandering a bit more. Not all over the map, maybe double their range. Perhaps have another spawn in the area between the two later on.

Find the Degrassi station near the shallows? The worms start venturing out of the cave a little and into the biome above short ways. Not infesting it, maybe swimming out and around the entrance on occasion.

Find another Degrassi station? Make the Crabsquid things start venturing a little way out of the caves near the entrance.

Build a Prawn? Bone Shark range increases a bit. Maybe the range at which they notice you increases a bit.

Find your first precursor structure? Now there are as many bone sharks in a certain area of the jagged rock area as there are at the base of the mountain around the thermal vent. Maybe have them venture into nearby biomes a bit. Not enough to infest them, but enough that those areas become a little less safe.

After the Sunbeam event? Now there's a 5% chance that a Reaper will spawn in say the blue orb area or the mushroom forest.

Slowly make the safer areas more dangerous, not to the point where everying is wandering all over the map, just enough so that areas of safe passage become a bit more unpredictable and trecherous.

I know not everyone will be interested in this, so why not make it a mode between survival and hardcore? A difficulty between them.

Maybe buff a few enimes as well? Give Cave Crawlers and Bleeders a poison attribute similar to the hanging jellies. Make Crashfish, Stalkers, and Bone Shark bites do a little more damage. Not instakill, but make them hurt a little more. Give the Crabsquid EMP blast a bit of damage. Take away some of the bioluminescent traits or dull the glow a little on some of the predators. That sort of thing.

The little things are generally more of a threat than the Leviathans. They get the drop on me a lot more often than anything bigger than an I connector.

In fact, the scariest thing in the game is probably the Crashfish. It's really the only time I find myself scrambling for safety to avoid something. Everything else I can pretty easily maneuver around or avoid without much trouble.

The only thing that comes close otherwise is the Ampeels. That has more to do with the electricity, which makes dealing with them directly kind of a risk reward thing.

It's a great game, but I would like a slightly tougher mode that isn't hardcore.

[ImHelping]

Bugfixing would actually make the game scarier.

"A Sandshark tried to follow me into a wreck!" sounds like a recipe for terror, right?

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1295449641

oh...

Crabsnakes lose their edge when I'm watching them noclip through the terrain. As well, when you get eaten through a wall by something it's shocking for all the wrong reasons.

Even my first encounter with a reaper was ruined way back, due to the old "Scan room = no sound for creatures" bugs. So even though my seamoth was grabbed from behind and was being crushed to death... Jumpscares without the cheap audio sting just are not the same,

Just the other day, I was trying to shoo one away from my seamoth with the repulsion gun over and over. Nah. It's just gonna keep noclipping and attempting to eat my parked seamoth cause gotta follow that MMO AI routine.

Scary as hell creature design. Neutered by their janky nature.

Trying to add any further monsters, or more agressive behavior for the current, no matter how scary their intentions, would only go as far as their polish.

See also: Colonial marines turning xenomorphs into a punchline.

[Enheldor]

Two issues with your post, otherwise I like the ideas.

1. Reapers can't maneuver super well in the mushroom forest. That's why they be really back off if you run in there.

2. Ghost Leviathans are not predators. They eat microscopic plankton and only attack to defend territory.

[darthokkata]

I believe you, but I haven't encountered any of those bugs and can't comment on it. I've had this since it was first released, but didn't play it more than a few times while it was in early access. Most of my playtime is post release.

I bought it because it was one of the first full games that supported VR. I did mess around with it a bit just to swim around because it was cool and occasionally for a short time to check out the updates, but that was about the extent of it.

Honestly, my playthroughs have been mostly bug free regarding the creatures. Most of the bugs I've run into involved the vehicles, such as the Cyclops listing when near the surface, and the water sufrace clipping inside of the bridge.

Actually, strike that. The biggest creature bug I've run into is a boneshark and ampeel swimming around in one of the caves that has no water in it. That's basically it though.

[Nyello]

The biggest thing here is that, for a new player, all of these creatures are scary. Explicitly because when you just start the game you have no idea what creature does what.

We still get the random post around here about Leviathans being to hard or scary from new players which is perfectly understandable. After telling them that they are easily outmaneuvered and getting them to try again the complaints seem to lessen.

Certain players fought really hard to get bonesharks nerfed so I doubt any changes to buff them again will be accepted.

Anyway, it all comes down to play time. A person with over 100 hours is goin to know what they can or can’t do around certain creatures. That’s just the way it is.

[Zemecon]

Several players had issues with predator difficulty during the Early Access period and whenever anyone mentioned anything like this the consensus eventually came to adding difficulty sliders so that players who have a hard enough time as it is will not need to put up with anything more.

Me? I want more difficulty, but atleast have it make a bit more sense. Start small; add more agility, swimming speed, more accuracy for some predators like sandsharks and Stalkers, less damage taken, and more damage toward the player. Increasing range, in particular, will cause other problems besides difficulty - you will have more predator fights, for instance. And some players just like to know what to expect.

As for the leviathans, I would like Reapers and Ghost leviathans to reproduce (for Ghosties this might be more complex as the ones in the Lost River and Grand Reef are juveniles). And for pete sake, make the Sea Dragon invulnerable to damage already. A puny knife shouldn't be able to danage it.

Your ideas are good but it helps to keep things minimized for various reasons.

EDIT 1: Added a word. Also, holy crap post-ninja O.O

EDIT 2: End bracket.

[darthokkata]

Originally posted by Enheldor:

Two issues with your post, otherwise I like the ideas.

1. Reapers can't maneuver super well in the mushroom forest. That's why they be really back off if you run in there.

2. Ghost Leviathans are not predators. They eat microscopic plankton and only attack to defend territory.

I can see that being the case. It was just an example.

That's fine, but they are aggressive. I just lumped them in because of that. Still, they are a bit too easy to spot and it takes away from the threat they pose.

The only Leviathan I wouldn't do much to is the Sea Dragons, and even then I'm thinking their ranged attack could use a small damage boost. Not a one shot kill for a Prawn kind of thing, but enough to make it more than an irritant while moving away from them.

I honestly would like to see them be able to wreck any vehicle they get their mouth around in one bite. They are basically the last big aggressive thing you'll likely see in the game, so that's not taking things too far. Maybe an armor upgrade might let a Prawn barely survive at full health.

[darthokkata]

Originally posted by Salinité:

Several players had issues with predator during the Early Access period and whenever anyone mentioned anything like this the consensus eventually came to adding difficulty sliders so that players who have a hard enough time as it is will not need to put up with anything more.

Me? I want more difficulty, but atleast have it make a bit more sense. Start small; add more agility, swimming speed, more accuracy for some predators like sandsharks and Stalkers, less damage taken, and more damage toward the player. Increasing range, in particular, will cause other problems besides difficulty - you will have more predator fights, for instance. And some players just like to know what to expect.

As for the leviathans, I would like Reapers and Ghost leviathans to reproduce (for Ghosties this might be more complex as the ones in the Lost River and Grand Reef are juveniles. And for pete sake, make the Sea Dragon invulnerable to damage already. A puny knife shouldn't be able to danage it.

Your ideas are good but it helps to keep things minimized for various reasons.

Sliders would be nice, but another harder mode that isn't hardcore would work as well.

Honestly, just a range increase and maybe slightly increased spawn rates would work really well to make things more interesting. Not to the point it makes no sense, but enough that the safe areas shrink as you play.

I'm not saying go crazy where everything is trying to eat you by endgame. Maybe make it so
a part of the jagged rock area is as infested with Bone Sharks as the area at the base of the mountain by the thermal vents later in the game. And/or have them start venturing into the red grass areas. Not en mass, just enough that their presence is felt in those areas.

Like I said, there doesn't need to be Crabsquids appearing in the shallows or anything, just let them roam a bit more and maybe add a few more. Not like dozens, just enough to cover the new range.

Let the Reapers wander a bigger area after a while as well. Not all over the map, just enough so that traveling around in the areas near where they start out is a bit more tense.

Maybe the occasional rare Leviathan spawn where it makes sense as well. Give it a rare chance after a certain point. I do like the idea of it being tied to story progression or equipment gains.

I also really like the idea of an alternate skin for some of the aggressive creatures with duller or no biolunimescence. White Ghost Leviathans that don't glow would be much scarier given how dark it is where they usually spawn.

[ImHelping]

People tooting their own horn about how much they love a "challenge" also claimed this was "Realistic predator behavior"

https://i.imgur.com/uLipx57.jpg

So yeah. Take any sass over boneshark salt, with a grain of salt.

[Enheldor]

Make it to where as soon as you craft the launch pad, 10 reapers spawn in the shallows. /s

[darthokkata]

Originally posted by Enheldor:

Make it to where as soon as you craft the launch pad, 10 reapers spawn in the shallows. /s

There's a console command for that.

[Enheldor]

Originally posted by darthokkata:

Originally posted by Enheldor:

Make it to where as soon as you craft the launch pad, 10 reapers spawn in the shallows. /s

There's a console command for that.

But this way it's mandatory.

[Zemecon]

Originally posted by darthokkata:

Originally posted by Salinité:

Several players had issues with predator during the Early Access period and whenever anyone mentioned anything like this the consensus eventually came to adding difficulty sliders so that players who have a hard enough time as it is will not need to put up with anything more.

Me? I want more difficulty, but atleast have it make a bit more sense. Start small; add more agility, swimming speed, more accuracy for some predators like sandsharks and Stalkers, less damage taken, and more damage toward the player. Increasing range, in particular, will cause other problems besides difficulty - you will have more predator fights, for instance. And some players just like to know what to expect.

As for the leviathans, I would like Reapers and Ghost leviathans to reproduce (for Ghosties this might be more complex as the ones in the Lost River and Grand Reef are juveniles. And for pete sake, make the Sea Dragon invulnerable to damage already. A puny knife shouldn't be able to danage it.

Your ideas are good but it helps to keep things minimized for various reasons.

Sliders would be nice, but another harder mode that isn't hardcore would work as well.

Honestly, just a range increase and maybe slightly increased spawn rates would work really well to make things more interesting. Not to the point it makes no sense, but enough that the safe areas shrink as you play.

I'm not saying go crazy where everything is trying to eat you by endgame. Maybe make it so
a part of the jagged rock area is as infested with Bone Sharks as the area at the base of the mountain by the thermal vents later in the game. And/or have them start venturing into the red grass areas. Not en mass, just enough that their presence is felt in those areas.

Like I said, there doesn't need to be Crabsquids appearing in the shallows or anything, just let them roam a bit more and maybe add a few more. Not like dozens, just enough to cover the new range.

Let the Reapers wander a bigger area after a while as well. Not all over the map, just enough so that traveling around in the areas near where they start out is a bit more tense.

Maybe the occasional rare Leviathan spawn where it makes sense as well. Give it a rare chance after a certain point. I do like the idea of it being tied to story progression or equipment gains.

I also really like the idea of an alternate skin for some of the aggressive creatures with duller or no biolunimescence. White Ghost Leviathans that don't glow would be much scarier given how dark it is where they usually spawn.

Point taken. And it isn'tt like I would mind more range and higher numbers, myself.

So what I am thinking for predator difficulty sliders would be:
1) Damage to player
2) damage taken from player
3) Speed
4) Agility
5) Accuracy of damage attempt
6) Aggro range
7) Roaming range (also known as "Leashing")
8) Spawning Rate

The sliders could appear whenever (and only when) you start a new game, and they could go from non-existent to easy to medium to hard to limitless (or one-shot for damage and invulnerable for defense).

[darthokkata]

Originally posted by Salinité:

Originally posted by darthokkata:

Sliders would be nice, but another harder mode that isn't hardcore would work as well.

Honestly, just a range increase and maybe slightly increased spawn rates would work really well to make things more interesting. Not to the point it makes no sense, but enough that the safe areas shrink as you play.

I'm not saying go crazy where everything is trying to eat you by endgame. Maybe make it so
a part of the jagged rock area is as infested with Bone Sharks as the area at the base of the mountain by the thermal vents later in the game. And/or have them start venturing into the red grass areas. Not en mass, just enough that their presence is felt in those areas.

Like I said, there doesn't need to be Crabsquids appearing in the shallows or anything, just let them roam a bit more and maybe add a few more. Not like dozens, just enough to cover the new range.

Let the Reapers wander a bigger area after a while as well. Not all over the map, just enough so that traveling around in the areas near where they start out is a bit more tense.

Maybe the occasional rare Leviathan spawn where it makes sense as well. Give it a rare chance after a certain point. I do like the idea of it being tied to story progression or equipment gains.

I also really like the idea of an alternate skin for some of the aggressive creatures with duller or no biolunimescence. White Ghost Leviathans that don't glow would be much scarier given how dark it is where they usually spawn.

Point taken. And it isn'tt like I would mind more range and higher numbers, myself.

So what I am thinking for predator difficulty sliders would be:
1) Damage to player
2) damage taken from player
3) Speed
4) Agility
5) Accuracy of damage attempt
6) Aggro range
7) Roaming range (also known as "Leashing")
8) Spawning Rate

The sliders could appear whenever (and only when) you start a new game, and they could go from non-existent to easy to medium to hard to limitless (or one-shot for damage and invulnerable for defense).

I'd add a bioluminescence for aggressive creatures slider as well. Go from how they are now, all the way down to no glow.

A transparent Ghost Leviathan with no glow would be just as scary, if not more so. Making them and some of the other aggressive fauna not quite so easy to spot would make a lot of difference.

[Zemecon]

Or how about Glow Range? As in, they barely glow at all until they get a certain distance from you, and the slider determines how far that distance will be?

But we could include glowing magnitude, too, I suppose.

[Enheldor]

Originally posted by darthokkata:

Originally posted by Salinité:

Point taken. And it isn'tt like I would mind more range and higher numbers, myself.

So what I am thinking for predator difficulty sliders would be:
1) Damage to player
2) damage taken from player
3) Speed
4) Agility
5) Accuracy of damage attempt
6) Aggro range
7) Roaming range (also known as "Leashing")
8) Spawning Rate

The sliders could appear whenever (and only when) you start a new game, and they could go from non-existent to easy to medium to hard to limitless (or one-shot for damage and invulnerable for defense).

I'd add a bioluminescence for aggressive creatures slider as well. Go from how they are now, all the way down to no glow.

A transparent Ghost Leviathan with no glow would be just as scary, if not more so. Making them not quite so easy to spot would make a lot of difference.

They want to be seen though. Like I said earlier, their attacks are a territorial dominance thing. Other fish are less likely to intrude on their territory if they can see it.