World Size

[kevlar]

I was just curious what the actual dimensions of the world maps for SN and BZ are? Can anyone post the numbers?

Is there a marginal, moderate, large difference in size?

It has been brought up that the above water land makes the game feel smaller, but wanted to know how much of an illusion vs. actuality this was.

[Coops]

Subnautica is moderately bigger and twice as deep.
Below Zero has many hectares more land area.

[kevlar]

Ya definitely know SN is deeper. I was wondering if there was a tool that showed how big the plane axis longitude x latitude (- depth) was with both? Guess can use the wold position axis numbers in the console but was looking for something easier. When not exhausted will try that out.

[Ignis]

The map boundaries are the same in both games.

I'm not talking about the playable area, nor the fake boundaries (If you go 8192 meters in all directions from (0, 0, 0) you're warped).

That means you can open:

Steam\SteamApps\common\SubnauticaZero\SubnauticaZero_Data\StreamingAssets\SNUnmanagedData\Expansion\biomeMap.png

and

Steam\SteamApps\common\Subnautica\Subnautica_Data\StreamingAssets\SNUnmanagedData\Build18\biomeMap.png

Use your favorite image editor, place both image one on the other, manipulate the transparency on the BZ map and compare by yourself.

https://imgur.com/a/o8LiaYd

[kevlar]

so BZ is also 8192 across the board from the zero point? nowt it is about scale on playable area within the set frame. I am not savvy enough to drop maps but if someone could compare and give a rough estimate of how close or far it is in size?

[Ignis]

No, 8192 is just an scripted boundary.

I placed both maps together in my link. Isn't it enough to give you an idea?

[Arondil]

The BZ map seems to be a little less than half the area of the SN map.

[Kvakosavrus]

Originally posted by angisilexpen:

The BZ map seems to be a little less than half the area of the SN map.

And underwater part of BZ is just tiny - only quarter of original game :(

[TheGraveDigger]

Originally posted by Kvakosavrus:

Originally posted by angisilexpen:

The BZ map seems to be a little less than half the area of the SN map.

And underwater part of BZ is just tiny - only quarter of original game :(

Actually it’s more than half as deep

Below zero goes down to a max of 980m

Subnautica goes down to 1500, which divided by 2 is 750

That’s only 230 m difference from half of subnauticas depth

[dragonbornzyra]

Originally posted by TheGraveDigger:

Originally posted by Kvakosavrus:

And underwater part of BZ is just tiny - only quarter of original game :(

Actually it’s more than half as deep

Below zero goes down to a max of 980m

Subnautica goes down to 1500, which divided by 2 is 750

That’s only 230 m difference from half of subnauticas depth

Except there's SO MUCH MORE of Subnautica's 980m depth area.

The Biome above it, the Lost River, is gigantic, and the combined biomes of ILZ and ALZ are tremendous and expansive.

Compare that to the barren and boring journey through the Crystal Caverns to find AL-ANs body part, then leave. Then come back and go deeper, and the linear boring uneventful path into the Fabricator caverns where the only literal thing to do is make AL-ANs body and leave. That's it. Wow, you compare Subnautica's depths to Below Zero's depths as if BZ has a leg to stand on?

Below Zero does not go down as deep as Subnautica.
Below Zero does not hold a candle to Subnautica's depths or diversity.
Below Zero does not have the content to contend with Subnautica.
Below Zero has land portions forced on the player.
Below Zero has cave systems forced on player.


Land and Caves were either tiny or optional for the most part and a JOY to explore in Subnautica. In Below Zero it feels more like classwork I'm forced to do with no pleasure or enjoyment.

Any "space" in Below Zero is ruined and cramped with caves and terrain.
Any "open area" in Below Zero is ruined by being barren or uninteresting.

And how are they going to explain Sector Zero's existence? Subnautica took place inside the crater of a massive volcano.

Actually before I go on to talk about the story line of Sector Zero I think I'll make a topic to discuss that subject on its own.

[Storm]

Originally posted by dragonbornzyra:

Originally posted by TheGraveDigger:

Actually it’s more than half as deep

Below zero goes down to a max of 980m

Subnautica goes down to 1500, which divided by 2 is 750

That’s only 230 m difference from half of subnauticas depth

Except there's SO MUCH MORE of Subnautica's 980m depth area.

The Biome above it, the Lost River, is gigantic, and the combined biomes of ILZ and ALZ are tremendous and expansive.

Compare that to the barren and boring journey through the Crystal Caverns to find AL-ANs body part, then leave. Then come back and go deeper, and the linear boring uneventful path into the Fabricator caverns where the only literal thing to do is make AL-ANs body and leave. That's it. Wow, you compare Subnautica's depths to Below Zero's depths as if BZ has a leg to stand on?

Below Zero does not go down as deep as Subnautica.
Below Zero does not hold a candle to Subnautica's depths or diversity.
Below Zero does not have the content to contend with Subnautica.
Below Zero has land portions forced on the player.
Below Zero has cave systems forced on player.


Land and Caves were either tiny or optional for the most part and a JOY to explore in Subnautica. In Below Zero it feels more like classwork I'm forced to do with no pleasure or enjoyment.

Any "space" in Below Zero is ruined and cramped with caves and terrain.
Any "open area" in Below Zero is ruined by being barren or uninteresting.

And how are they going to explain Sector Zero's existence? Subnautica took place inside the crater of a massive volcano.

Actually before I go on to talk about the story line of Sector Zero I think I'll make a topic to discuss that subject on its own.

Agreed

[kevlar]

Originally posted by Ignis:

No, 8192 is just an scripted boundary.

I placed both maps together in my link. Isn't it enough to give you an idea?

At first I wasn't sure what I was looking at, but now I see it. Tyvm for doing this. This really helps me put it in perspective. Kind of sad to actually see how much smaller it is and then minus the land aspect and it is that much more smaller for the amount of underwater exploration. I wouldn't want the cyclops in this game.... it would be an insult to the clops.

Pending on how much time is left, I doubt any further work is going to be put into making the world bigger/deeper :( but, this could be made a whole lot more interesting with more intriguing vehicles.

If there was time for vehicle modification I would propose this:

Operation Dump (the) Truck.

1.) Moth reborn: use a variant of the sea moth from some of the concept art (in the lower part of image below) or a variant would still be better as a main exploration vehicle. Not as sexy as the moth, but an early game smaller quick exploration vehicle with limits that would set up the main purpose mid size sub in #2.

2.) Microphthalmia Cyclops (one eyed willy): to fill the void of missing the clops in a much smaller world map, having a mid - size sub would be nice (instead of the linear truck modules). Main purpose of this sub would be for remainder of world map exploration and to for transport of the prawn. Top of image below.

https://imgur.com/r/subnautica/RMYiY


Then:

Skin the Fox: get rid of the most nauseating vehicle in modern gaming (sorry guys but it really is...) and make the sea truck relevant here with the hover aspect of the fox. One of the original pics from the main website showed a vehicle like this that I thought was going to be in the game...and can't believe it isn't. A hovercraft land vehicle would be so much more enjoyable to navigate the terrain with, and could make the thumpers much more valuable in that you would need to place them strategically to get past the ice worms. Or have upgrades for stealth mode or decoys like the cyclops had in the original. Or just give it a BFG laser gun to blow the worm to smithereens! ... I digress. All this without needing dramamine :). Image of the vehicle depicted in the original UWE BZ site below:


https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/OHldIHEHHFLezh6AoTdKJrjShHs=/0x0:4552x2350/920x613/filters:focal(2428x1294:3156x2022):format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/61080807/Arctic_Spires.0.jpg

the stuff pipe dreams are made of.

[dragonbornzyra]

My only issue, is you're asking for a "hover truck" or something similar, but thing is, we already have a hovering land vehicle: The Snowfox. If they can't get the Snowfox to work, I have doubts how much better a hovertruck or such would work. They've already made the work of designing the Fox and putting it in the game and using assets. It would only require some tweaking to fix and correct its glitches/bugs and handling issues, which would make it tolerable.

Maybe treads? And now like the Spy Pengling that gets stopped by a pebble, but All Terrain tank treads on a snowtruck.

Or license AT-STs from LucasFlims.

[kevlar]

^ Ya I know, is why I ended my post with pipe dreams. Ya I was thinking a hover craft being enclosed could have the illusion that you were floating but the mechanic could be made to drive like a regular land vehicle making it more easy to smooth out the functionality. I know this won't happen but I loved the artwork and design of what it looked like in the original page.

It was late and I had a couple beers and was looking at concept art is all. :)

[Shahadem]

Not only is Subnautica actually bigger but it feels bigger due to having many large open areas. Those big areas make the play area feel like a real space and thus make the game very immersive.