the building in this game sucks

[bearsboi]

i love subnautica but the base building is so annoying. u should be able to destroy smaller environment things. i cant build anywhere cuz it keeps highlighting everything in yellow saying stuff is in the way. also why is the terraformer not in this game? so much cut content, the first subnautica is way better

[admiral1018]

It's not just that the underwater biomes are smaller and shallower, it's that the visibility distance has also been massively reduced to make up for the engine's shortcomings. You really can't build in places that have amazing vistas into the distance like you could in the original. The game will not render anything with clarity after 80 meters or so. The only places that are well-lit with good visibility are either very shallow (purple vents) or within a cave (Deep Lilypad).

The most beautiful places to actually build in this game are above the surface, since you can experience the incredible new skybox and actually have views into a distance. This isn't always practical, however, so that becomes another trade-off.

[The Tempted Man]

Originally posted by Ocean:

It depends on how do you treat them. I like to treat it like my home, and so building a base becomes ten times more fun and engaging.

So it's like in the 80ties. It's as much fun as much you use imagination. My point is still valid.

Whats the point of planning the base, where you need the bases for like 1 or 2 buildings, that normally would be on the cyclops but it got nerfed to the truck, you can't build in it.... so you need to build a base.

[Ocean]

Originally posted by The Tempted Man:

What's the point of planning the base, where you need the bases for like 1 or 2 buildings, that normally would be on the cyclops...

Again, everyone's playstyle is different. If you only need a couple of buildings, then yes, you don't really need a base. But many players enjoy building full-fledged underwater facilities.

[The Tempted Man]

Originally posted by Ocean:

Originally posted by The Tempted Man:

What's the point of planning the base, where you need the bases for like 1 or 2 buildings, that normally would be on the cyclops...

Again, everyone's playstyle is different. If you only need a couple of buildings, then yes, you don't really need a base. But many players enjoy building full-fledged underwater facilities.

Which are pointless since they have no purpose in the game once you get the cyclops. It's just cosmetic flavor. Try harder.

[Just Chill]

I never used the Cyclops as mobile base.
Just used it as "Hoarder" (even named it like that) as it just contained one fabricator and dozens of lockers / wall lockers. ^^

Originally posted by The Tempted Man:

Try harder.

Why do you feel challenged?

Ocean simply pointed out that there are different playstyles. And while I agree with him on the base building aspect, I didn't go that mad on the original as I did with Below Zero.
I merely built just 3 main bases there and recently added a Void Observatory, which by far isn't as nice as the one I have in BZ right now. :D

Not sure why, but I somewhat like the base building here more.
Possibly as of the support for land bases and the new blueprints.



But yeah, it's merely useless to build more than one base, but it's a base building game after all.
By enhancing the base building in BZ, they actually targeted exactly my needs for such a game.
So I guess it's no wonder why I am currently that much into it. ^^

[admiral1018]

The base building component is one of the big aspects that elevates the Subnautica series from being a pure game to an experience. On the pure game side, it's inefficient to ever spend time building more than a 2 room base (plus maybe a Moonpool) that has anything beyond the basics for storage, food/water, fabrication, and upgrade consoles. Everything else, including windows, just wastes time and resources.

However, the draw of this series is that people don't view it as a pure game. They view it as an experience. People spend hours, sometimes dozens of hours, crafting bases that they might see themselves living in. They want to make places to live that are beautiful and aesthetically pleasing. It makes the game seem more real, almost like it's an actual place. For some people, it's the key draw of the games entirely.

However, the line between game and experience really depends on the individual. Some people do just play Subnautica as a game and don't see it as an experience. Others see it almost entirely as an experience. I think the game can work well as either, but I personally think it's a much stronger experience, and the base building is a key part of that.

[Just Chill]

Marguerit... are you home?
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2552802828
It's nothing, I just put some stuff onto it. XD


It has been an argument that this place is already "taken".
Well, if I remember correctly Omega Lab didn't allow that. oO

But having green blueprints on top of Marguerit's base was a refreshing surprise. ^^

[wilky]

^Yeah I did something similar. There is a ledge about 50m above Marge's base almost at the top of that enormous cavern, on the side by where you first enter (from the Lillipads biome). I plopped a couple foundations up there and basically built my base about 40m or so above her base. My moonpool was sticking out almost directly above hers.

Also, one random thing that I noticed in Below Zero is that the Moonpool seems to be quite a bit larger than in the first game (I think due to Below Zero having different vehicles that dock into it).

[admiral1018]

Omega Lab cave allows a base too. One bigger than the original, in fact. It's one of my favorite spots to build. The only thing you can't really fit is a Moonpool.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2552844910

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2552845154

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2552844479

[Just Chill]

Thanks for confirming.

So these places aren't really "taken" then. Good to know. :D

[admiral1018]

Yeah, that location is great. With the range upgrades, it can pick up every fragment in the sea monkey nests as well as the items in the Deep Lilypad Caves. And unlike if you build a base in the Deep Lilypad Caves, you're not going to accidentally pick up signals from the Crystal Caves, which can be very annoying.

[wilky]

Originally posted by admiral1018:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2552844479

I like the multi-tiered look of this base, looks nice.

[Floppy Donkey]

My issue isn't the base building itself, it's the lack of decorations and placeable items. There's little to no options for adding flare or unique items to your base, making all creations look bland and flat.

All we have are around 15 posters, 4 picture frames, a shaving kit, some glass test tubes, and little to no mod support. There are clearly models for some of these items, like the floor locker and stove, but no ability to craft or place them.

[admiral1018]

The floor locker and stove can both be crafted. They need to be scanned first.

You can be much more creative with decorating if you use picture frames. You can display an picture from your PDA, and this game has some amazing vistas that display really beautifully.

[Just Chill]

I've to thank Below Zero for finally teaching me how to use the Power Transmitter.

It's merely a railway. The last Transmitter built will always be the one that connects to the next one.
But the range of these bugged for me.
As initially it looked like they have unlimited range, but that somehow did not work when reloading a game.

So I deconstructed all of them and built them again, with a bit more Transmitters inbetween my base and the energy source.

This time it seems to work. :D
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2553113066

I never bothered to use them in the original, but here in these tiny caves, they are pretty useful. :D