"What... are... you?" (Freaking the F out is what I am)

[Greywander]

So there I was, putting along in my seamoth looking for the bloodkelp zone, when all of a sudden I get that shimmery rainbow effect like when a mesmer is trying to lure you in, and the ethereal form of what looks like a warper appears fixed in front of me (while I'm trucking along at full speed in my seamoth, swerving around trying to get away from what I think is a threat) and quotes the title.

...Is this normal?

I'm expecting either, "Yeah, that's normal, here's exactly what you did to trigger that event," or, "No, I've only ever heard of a few other people getting something like this, out of the entire Subnautica player base."

Now that I think about it, I feel like I was set up for a dad joke, but then the entity got disappointed and left because I was unable to respond. "Hi, Freaking Out, I'm Dad," is probably what it would have said.

[MarkJohnson]

Yeah, that's part of the game. I think it happens after the radio broadcasts end and when you start the dark decent.

[Martyrofsand]

It quoted "subnautica" at you?

Below is spoilers for literally the end of the game so if you haven't gotten that far I recommend you don't look, but if it's what I think it is then it will answer your question.


It is part of the game that you will occasionally get messages, they are telepathic, from big momma, basically a sea dragon emperor momma who you help hatch some sea dragon emperor eggs who release an enzyme to end the bacterial outbreak. She is contacting you telepathically trying to get you to come to her..

[Suzaku]

Yep, it's normal, and it still gives me chills even after 7 playthroughs.

I'm not certain what triggers it, but I think it's time-based.

[Greywander]

Okay, good to know it's a normal part of the game and I'm not just losing my mind.

Though I do think it's unfortunate that game devs feel like such cinematic moments have to be seen by all players (though I understand why they'd want that, too!). I remember a game called Eternal Darkness in which some of the sanity effects were so rare that less than 1% of players saw some of them.

I feel like even more so than when Eternal Darkness was released, in this age of the internet where you can look up anything about a game and find out more about something in an instant, if you wanted to create this sort of a mystery/horror experience then the best way would be to use a multitude of different events, each of which will only appear for a very small number of players, so that there is little info on that event floating around on the web.

Hmm... begins scribbling notes for possible future game idea

[Fenfen]

Yeah it seems to be after a certain time. I've had it pop up while going mach 10 in my seamoth in the dunes and while idling in my base waiting for batteries to recharge.

[1337Walrus]

Originally posted by Suzaku:

Yep, it's normal, and it still gives me chills even after 7 playthroughs.

I'm not certain what triggers it, but I think it's time-based.

It's not time based, I don't believe. I'm on Day 55, most radio broadcasts finished, and my infection hasn't progressed past stage two ("Statistically significant bacteria levels") and I haven't gotten a message yet. Then again, I've been giving the Dunes a wide berth until I craft a Stasis Rifle, so maybe that's why.

[General Idea]

First contact happens twenty minutes after the player has attempted to deactivate the Quarantine Enforcement Platform.

Are you here......to play?

[miklkit]

Yeah that is basically the beginning of the actual story.

[TheStray]

It triggers exactly 20 minutes after the Sunbeam is shot down.

Annnnnnnd I just realized somebody else already said this.

[darkdisciple1313]

I got freaked out a bit as well, sputtered something along the lines of, "I'm a girl scout, wanna buy some cookies?" since I do that when rattled.

I've named that character Kaa, by the way, since the python in The Jungle Books does the same kind of thing. "Trust ... in meeeeeee ...."

[TheStray]

Originally posted by darkdisciple1313:

I got freaked out a bit as well, sputtered something along the lines of, "I'm a girl scout, wanna buy some cookies?" since I do that when rattled.

I've named that character Kaa, by the way, since the python in The Jungle Books does the same kind of thing. "Trust ... in meeeeeee ...."

Lol I said something more like NONONODONTEATMEDONTEATME

[Thax]

It freaked me out too, in that I actually got goose bumps from it, lol. Opposite from my reaction to first coming across a mesmer, which happened AFTER the first "vision" occurence, so when I was swimming along in the shallows, having a nice and cozy time and that effect suddenly appeared along with a female voice, I thought it was another storyline thing and just got... well, mesmerized (well done, developers). I ooh'ed and aah'ed as I was being pulled closer, only to have a friggin' heart attack from the sudden loss of health.

I love this game, HA.

[Greywander]

Originally posted by TheStray:

It triggers exactly 20 minutes after the Sunbeam is shot down.

Sunbeam hasn't been shot down yet. I actually deconstructed my radio so I wouldn't accidentally trigger that event. Poor Sunbeam...

Though I suppose I should let it get shot down, since that's what's supposed to happen. Also, I don't know if any new resources or blueprints appear when it gets shot down, so I should consider that, too.

Originally posted by General Idea:

First contact happens twenty minutes after the player has attempted to deactivate the Quarantine Enforcement Platform.

Okay, this makes more sense, as I did attempt to deactivate the gun. Maybe it's an either/or thing. Either this, or the Sunbeam getting shot down can trigger it, maybe. Has anyone gotten this without trying to disable the gun, but after the Sunbeam gets shot down?

[General Idea]

The Sunbeam has nothing to do with the first contact event. It has everything to do with the deactivation attempt for the QEP.

Note: If you have not activated the radio then you can potentially save the Sunbeam from being shot down. All you need to do is find a way to deactivate the QEP.

[Suzaku]

Originally posted by General:

Note: If you have not activated the radio then you can potentially save the Sunbeam from being shot down. All you need to do is find a way to deactivate the QEP.

Sorry, but the Sunbeam is fated to pop. I attempted this very thing in my last run, and the deactivated platform still blows it out of the sky.