First timer here, how exactly should I be playing the game?

[[TRANS RIGHTS] ⛧ Kenzie ⛧]

Kind of a weird question, but I've been playing for a handful of hours and I'm starting to wonder if I should be reading up on a wiki or something of the sort for what to do.

I'm going to go into a bit more detail but TL:DR: Should I continue playing blind or look up a guide for my first playthrough?

Anyway, as I've been playing comepletely blind the game has pretty much felt like I'm just waiting around collecting things while I wait for a new message to show up and when a message shows up go check out the signal it gives me, find blueprints for new things, gather resources for new thing, build new thing, wait for signal & repeat.

I decided to go exploring and wound up having my seamoth nearly eaten by some horned -thing- behind the crashed ship, not wanting to have to build another seamoth I decided to put exploring on hold for a while and just stick to the semi-scripted events that where happening around me.

After a while of boring nothingness due to not getting any new messages, I decided to explore again, this time going to the front of the ship and hoping not to get carried away by some other unknown monster. Found my way inside the ship and got a ton of blueprints for bases and a lovely looking thing called the Prawn suit. Took one look at the blueprint for it and pretty quickly realised I was far away from building it (still have no clue what an Ion Cyrstal is or how to get it).

But as I was half expecting, after exploring the ship, more messages started showing up leading me to find the blueprints for the Cyclops. I've built it now but I'm starting to wonder if this is how the game continues on, just feeding along a trail of signals that feel like a never ending tutorial (so far things have been very hand-holdy, I've only died once and that was due to the ship exploading in the first couple days), or does the game start to open up and just tell me what I need to do and let me set out on doing it.

I'm going to continue playing blind for now, I'll comment here if any of the above changes before someone tells me what I'm doing wrong. Thanks in advance for any help/advice.

[Moebius JD]

Playing blind is the best way in my opninion. Only consult a guide if you feel truly stuck. That way you can experience the wonder of finding new things on your own.

[🦊 Hermit]

Exploration and discovery is the main thrust of this game. The messages simply help you with that, and give you gentle nudges along the storyline.

There is quite an in-depth story to the game that does have progression, but given the game's sandbox nature it allows you to progress along that story at your own pace. The ultimate 'goal' is to complete said story, but how you get there, and how quickly, is up to you. But the game rewards exploration with a lot of new technology to discover and atmospheric locations to experience, and also new challenges to avoid/overcome (like the horned thing you mentioned in your post, called a Reaper Leviathan by the way ;) ).

There are lots of quite beautiful and mysterious sights to see in the ocean. There are also many dangers, and many dark secrets to uncover. And, just perhaps, a thread of heartwarming hope as well. It is for you to find them all, and experience them as you wish.

In gameplay terms, the only real advice I can give is: scan everything, and read the data entries for the things you scan. The data entries are the key to learning about the world you are on, and it's dark history.

I too would recommend continuing to play blind, if you can.

[Panfilo]

I'm finding this game to be very relaxing. The lack of map seems to encourage you to kind of meander and explore around.

Even if you get 'stuck' because you are missing a critical blueprint or resource it is still fun because once you clear that bottleneck the progress becomes fast. Getting the Seamoth opens up a ton of exploration as suddenly you can rapidly explore areas up to 200m down, and later upgrades keep older equipment relevant.

[Cougarific]

IMHO play it like you've just survived a spaceship crash on an alien planet and have to find a way to survive.

Everything after ^that should come as a moment of discovery through exploration. Focus on surviving, let the rest of the story unfold as you go about surviving.

The game is specifically designed to allow you to either play it as a straight-up sandbox survival game OR a story-driven game with survival elements. Either way, start from the point of view "I have to figure out how to survive here for an indefinite amount of time" and proceed from there.

[Panfilo]

One thing I like is that even if you take your time exploring, by the time you come across new schematics it is likely you already have all the reagents to build it.

[ImHelping]

As soon as you can. Make sure to repair your comunication relay in your lifepod, or build a new one in a tiny base.

When you have one of those, and have NO IDEA where to go beyond the obvious crashed space ship.

The big "I want to progress the plot please" one.

Just let time pass and answer your com relay a lot: Leads you to the first plot base among other things, if you have not already seen these. You'll know if a giant timer appears on your screen. A lot of new players have never found this seemingly obvious location through natural exploration due to draw distance issues.

Build a Base thermal plant:
Even if you don't need one, triggers an important lifepod signal with both an Upgrade you really need if you want to use the Cyclops, and it's also near where to progress the plot. Lifepod #2 unless they have changed that in the last patch.

Convenient spots:

Build a Mobile Vehicle bay: You already have vehichles, but building that thing triggered lifepod #19. Which is right under a notable location. Not actually NEEDED, but a very useful area if you haven't been here. Lots of players never even find via natural exploration due to draw distances, like the above

Bio reactor: Even if you don't need one. Triggers an important lifepod signal for a "You want this to survive outside a vehicle" upgrade. Not plot relevance, just a good upgrade. Lifepod #12.

Exploration is important. But draw distance limitations remaining mean it's just as important to take advantage of the "Your goals are triggered by the mere pasasge of time, or building unrelated objects" signals.

[[TRANS RIGHTS] ⛧ Kenzie ⛧]

Thanks for all the quick replies, I'll be sure to keep playing blind & at least try to build everything I get a blueprint for.

[ImHelping]

Originally posted by Pk Biggums:

Thanks for all the quick replies, I'll be sure to keep playing blind & at least try to build everything I get a blueprint for.

And answer the phone a lot, that too.

Good news is you are starting up right when they finally made lifepod signals go directly to your PDA menu, which makes that a lot more convenient.

Until recently, they gave you an equippable computer chip you had to slot in to see any signal not caused by you putting out a beacon you crafted or vehicle.

Don't forget that you can mess with the color of signals to make the one you want to go after stand out better.

[nicken chugger]

tip 1. dont go on the internet (wiki mostly) for info or a map.

[Uncle Gabseaz]

Just keep swimming.

[Erandir]

Play blind! This game is about exploration and finding things/ways on your own.

[OverwatchJunky]

Basic survival tactic for this game.

Survival items equipment comes first. O2 tanks, food, water are a priority for survival. Without them you cannot survive.

Examine the materials needed to craft things in the fabricator and then start farming in the immediate area. You will eventually find what you need the deeper you go.

Next is storage. Build a base and farm materials to make a large storage area.

Beyond that is exploration and finding more items to make.

[Dehra]

Imagine the game as "regions" different blueprints in different regions. Too deep? Maybe you need a blueprint for something to reach that? Maybe there's too much radiation in an area, why and can i fix it? Etc. Try and problem solve. When you get to a new area, make sure you collect a handful of any new resource.

Oh and repair the comms in the lifeboat asap. The messages can and will hold your hand eventually.

[Caerulite]

You need an ion crystal to craft the prawn now??? WTF

[Xautos]

Originally posted by OverwatchJunky:

Basic survival tactic for this game.

Survival items equipment comes first. O2 tanks, food, water are a priority for survival. Without them you cannot survive.

Examine the materials needed to craft things in the fabricator and then start farming in the immediate area. You will eventually find what you need the deeper you go.

Next is storage. Build a base and farm materials to make a large storage area.

Beyond that is exploration and finding more items to make.

i second that, beyond your basics you should consider better mode of transports and upgrading your oxygen tank. focus on getting a scanner and scanning around wreckage for items like seamoth, or laser cutters and mobile vehicle bay at first. if you find these smooth wihte devices on the ground with a bright blue aura in the middle you can find additional schematics for modification stations later on in the game.

there are guides, bort has one that is particularly helpful.