usefulness of the moonpool after what rhe dock update

[Chris Solomon]

with the new sea truxk dock, it seems to me that the moonpool has become a depreciated base piece. to make it useful once again, the devs could re-introduce the seamoth to the game, but i seriously don't see that happening. as it is, only a prawn still has use with the moonpool.

[Coops]

Yes, the prawn still needs the moonpool.
But I also use it as an entry/exit to the base, forgoing building a hatch.
The hatch takes up wall space, reduces base strength and should require an air lock.

[Chris Solomon]

i like using the hatches and the bulkhead doors. i use the bulkhead doors to create an airlock like look. i think it looks cool.

[admiral1018]

I keep a secondary Seatruck with no cabs parked in the Moonpool that I use as a Seamoth/Leviathan killer.

[Chris Solomon]

a levi killer? you can' exactly mount torps to the seatruck, so how do you fight levi's with it?

[admiral1018]

Ramming leviathans combined with the charged PDS make the Seatruck a ridiculous killer. After a PDS shock, the leviathans will flee. Pursue them and keep constantly colliding via the afterburner for damage, while also charging the PDS for additional damage, and you can kill most of them in around 4-5 minutes each. The Seatruck will take some minimal damage doing this (around 50% per leviathan), but it's incredibly safe and easy.

[Chris Solomon]

huh..... never considered doing that. I always just avoid the levi's as much as possible. although i seems to have evicted one of the shadow levis where i built my base. it's patrol area was smack dab where i placed my base. and the levi disapppeared after i started building. just for reference i built my base in that large cavern just past the purple vents area

[DrBonifarz]

Originally posted by Chris Solomon:

only a prawn still has use with the moonpool.

You summarized it already for yourself. If you prefer prawn centered action, the pool is still your best hub area. I love turning the pool into a workshop with all tools and materials right next to your docking point.

The truck dock itself really does not offer much room for customization, but it is awesome to avoid that incredible sense of frustration that might arise with trucks and pools.

(Related anecdote about the very first moonpool interaction I had in Below Zero: 1) Dock Seatruck to newly built moonpool 2) attempt to leave the moonpool 3) Ooof, Seatruck is unrecoverably stuck - because its modules were uncoupled automatically right below the exit, blocking the path and resulting in a collision detection bug.)

[Chris Solomon]

I keep my prawn docked 98% of the time on the back of my seatruck, which leaves the moonpool next to useless.

[DrBonifarz]

That's all right. I think it is nice how different playstyles can encourage the use of different game mechanics. Ideally, useful or useless depends on the context.

E.g. so far, I only docked my prawn to the truck for long term exploration into unknown depths. When I know where I am going, prawn-habits from SN kick in. Boy, I miss that insane travel speed undersea with dual grapple leaps. Yet, even the slowed down exosuit feels much more agile to me than the fastest truck configuration.

That does not mean sea trucks and their docks are useless. But the moonpool is great for quick and easy cargo and energy management between prawn trips.

[Coops]

Originally posted by DrBonifarz:

Originally posted by Chris Solomon:

only a prawn still has use with the moonpool.

(Related anecdote about the very first moonpool interaction I had in Below Zero: 1) Dock Seatruck to newly built moonpool 2) attempt to leave the moonpool 3) Ooof, Seatruck is unrecoverably stuck - because its modules were uncoupled automatically right below the exit, blocking the path and resulting in a collision detection bug.)

You can just move the modules out of the way manually.

[DrBonifarz]

Well, yes, but actually, no :D

I just tested whether I could replicate the bug, and it can get really weird and bad. For instance, the truck can be completely stuck inside the compartment, with no way of getting it out again, haha.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2876073796

[Chris Solomon]

would be kinda cool if we could use the separate modules in the moon-pool. ostensibly for performing maintenance or whatever.