Self Defense

[JuanotheRito]

Now, I know this game is all about exploring and building, and what the devs have said about weapons, but seriously, you need some kind of form of self defense early in the game instead of getting eaten by a hostile creature. Like, if you are out exploring for materials, you come across a hostile creature, and then you get eaten. Even if you have the knife, it is still not a good form of defense.

[Phaota]

I do agree on this since finding the Stasis Rifle and Propulsion Cannon fragments early on is not easy, especially if you do not know where to find them. Even so, there are way too many Biters in the bloodgrass biomes to accurately search the zones without being attacked on a constant basis (their population needs to be culled down dramatically). One of the first machines that is highly needed is the SeaGlide. At least then you have some speed.

[Neonwarrior]

Devs won't add weapons because they're dirty pacifists. "No, we're not going to add weapons EVER." Apparently they think that if they give us the ability to make a harpoon gun, we'll go on some kind of genocidal rampage against the different species, so they're making us as defenseless as possible.

This isn't SJW simulator, devs. This is survival. We can catch infinite amounts of fish and eat them, but a harpoon gun is somehow too violent? I'm not asking for ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ rocket cannons or laser guns, I just want a simple ranged weapon that I can use if I get attacked by hostile wildlife.

[shponglefan]

I find the larger predators (Stalkers, Sand Sharks, Bone Sharks) pretty easy to avoid. It's just a matter of learning their behaviors and keeping a safe distance. Even when they attack, usually you can avoid being bitten by just circle strafing away from them.

It's the smaller creatures like biters that are a giant PITA.

[GraduateArc8298]

Underwater scooter thingy works wonders for predators

[NotThatHarkness]

That is an issue early game since you don't have the speed of the seaglide unless you are an experienced player and know to get that ASAP.

Someday I'll have to play a game without ever using the seaglide and see how that plays out. I wonder how far the average player (who doesn't use the wiki or other sources) gets before stumbling on that.

[Afro Luigi]

Originally posted by Sarnaath:

That is an issue early game since you don't have the speed of the seaglide unless you are an experienced player and know to get that ASAP.

Someday I'll have to play a game without ever using the seaglide and see how that plays out. I wonder how far the average player (who doesn't use the wiki or other sources) gets before stumbling on that.

I don't think I've ever actually built the Seaglide, and I have had no problems with predators what so ever.

[NotThatHarkness]

Originally posted by Afro Luigi:

I don't think I've ever actually built the Seaglide, and I have had no problems with predators what so ever.

That's interesting. The seaglide is the fastest way to get around w/o the seamoth. You can easily out run biters and other predators. Before the workbench you are limited to the 1st fins upgrade which is still a pretty slow swim speed. Good to hear that surviving w/o the seaglide is so doable. I'd probably still go for the workbench ASAP for the Ultra Glide and HC tank upgrades though.

[Willi the Gifter of Chaos]

To sum up how people think about the situations:
Lets add weapons as a mean of defense="LET'S ADD NUKES!" :D
Lets not add weapons as a mean of defense="LET'S ABANDON LOGIC!" :D

Now there are 2 problems with this game when it comes to defense:
1: There is no means of actually dealing with threats (and don't start with the whole: "You could avoid them" bs excuse. Heard it dozens of times and still holds no merit when it comes to actual choice for there is none beyond running away). The ONLY reason i can see that people and the devs don't want weapons is cause the game would become stale with the lack of enemies for they never respawn naturally. (even though the devs and players are perfectly happy with no respawning fish (food) and pull the excuse of: "we will be incorporating a system that allows the player to farm fish and repopulate the biomes.")
2: the 1 tool players use to defend themselves is the stasis rifle which is found literally in the first biome you explore. (ignoring the safe shallows as for some unexplained reason you appear in every single time.) If you found the stasis rifle later in the game like in the grand reef, then it would be understandable cause it acts like an end game weapon. As well the so called "predators" are so unthreatening (beyond the reaper and crash) that makes me ask: "Why have them in the game?"

[Willi the Gifter of Chaos]

Originally posted by BurntBacon:

Its a design choice, get over it

Just like having no respawning food supply, extremly limited resources and the pointless shocker.

[Willi the Gifter of Chaos]

Originally posted by Bubbles The Dodo Bird:

If you want guns then go play call of duty

You do know there are other games with guns besides cod right? Hell there are games that kill more than the 6-year-old-mlg-players like Warframe.

[Willi the Gifter of Chaos]

Originally posted by shponglefan:

I find the larger predators (Stalkers, Sand Sharks, Bone Sharks) pretty easy to avoid. It's just a matter of learning their behaviors and keeping a safe distance. Even when they attack, usually you can avoid being bitten by just circle strafing away from them.

And that is a sign of trbl ai design. They could learn something from farsky's ai.

[Ottomic]

Stalker comes to you, swim to the side, swat him with the knife. Presto!

Not that hard.

[Willi the Gifter of Chaos]

Originally posted by Ottomic:

Stalker comes to you, swim to the side, swat him with the knife. Presto!

Not that hard.

Compare that to Farsky's preds

[𒀀𒂵𒉡𒆠.n0 m3rCy☣☠]

Here's a tip : avoid hostile creatures

[Willi the Gifter of Chaos]

Originally posted by .n0 m3rCy:

Here's a tip : avoid hostile creatures

Then avoid all biomes. Cause they all have preds.