The best thing about Subnautica is it does not overstay its welcome. These survival games have a tendency to not have an endgame and can just drag on and on and on. Subnautica is foremost a focused experience with a clear sense of progression and a clear goal and at no point feels like a grind, which distinguishes itself from virtually every other survival-exploration game.

Numinar wrote on Jan 27, 2019, 02:11:
Yes. Play it.

One of the best things I've ever done on a computer. Reminded me a lot of super early adventure games, with death and minimal handholding but moments of wonderment and surprise even dozens of hours in that you feel like you earned, as opposed to being led to by an invisible director.

I also hate survival shit. It often feels like busywork. Games are there to escape thinking about fulfilling basic necessities! But in this game it worked, mostly. In a factorio-style motivation of "I don't want to deal with this fishing shit so I can eat and drink, how do I automate/trivialise it?" as a method to push you forward in the story and tech tree.

As you get deeper and deeper and discover more secrets to add to your paper map (Super old school here, no automapper!) and build outposts to keep you supplied and act as a point of reference and safety, and you start to feel like you are actually getting to grips with this planet, you will still get surprised and freaked out by the weird crap and nightmare monsters you manage to discover because you are always pushing your luck. The sense of exploration is something I haven't felt since Ultima Underworld/Morrowind. (Most recent Zelda had a bit of it but that is a far more sterile/robotic world)

Later on, when you build your sick giant mobile sub and find yourself 3 kilometers down in a volcanic/acidic super hostile underwater cavern and there are supertanker sized monsters lurking about ready to bite if you make too much noise and you have to go on EVA to burn out parasites draining energy from your only source of oxygen and food is just insane.

Good stuff. Also I fucking loved God of War but there is no way to really compare the two, that game is definitely one that wants you to see and enjoy all 150 million dollars of art and sound in the thing but sometimes that's what you want in a game.

That's a great summary. The sense of unending exploration and the natural revealing of new systems is what makes it so great.

Yes. Play it.

One of the best things I've ever done on a computer. Reminded me a lot of super early adventure games, with death and minimal handholding but moments of wonderment and surprise even dozens of hours in that you feel like you earned, as opposed to being led to by an invisible director.

I also hate survival shit. It often feels like busywork. Games are there to escape thinking about fulfilling basic necessities! But in this game it worked, mostly. In a factorio-style motivation of "I don't want to deal with this fishing shit so I can eat and drink, how do I automate/trivialise it?" as a method to push you forward in the story and tech tree.

As you get deeper and deeper and discover more secrets to add to your paper map (Super old school here, no automapper!) and build outposts to keep you supplied and act as a point of reference and safety, and you start to feel like you are actually getting to grips with this planet, you will still get surprised and freaked out by the weird crap and nightmare monsters you manage to discover because you are always pushing your luck. The sense of exploration is something I haven't felt since Ultima Underworld/Morrowind. (Most recent Zelda had a bit of it but that is a far more sterile/robotic world)

Later on, when you build your sick giant mobile sub and find yourself 3 kilometers down in a volcanic/acidic super hostile underwater cavern and there are supertanker sized monsters lurking about ready to bite if you make too much noise and you have to go on EVA to burn out parasites draining energy from your only source of oxygen and food is just insane.

Good stuff. Also I fucking loved God of War but there is no way to really compare the two, that game is definitely one that wants you to see and enjoy all 150 million dollars of art and sound in the thing but sometimes that's what you want in a game.

Creston wrote on Jan 26, 2019, 14:51:
I'm thinking of playing Subnautica next once I'm done with God of War. Yes / no?

If you like survival games, forms of base building, and exploration, then absolutely, it's great. Unless you really hate those aspects then it's still worth giving a go even if survival isn't usually your thing.


Though I would strongly suggest looking into some mods, I remember there being one for larger containers and one for auto sorting things you find into containers (it even helps with crafting because sometime you need to make one item before being able to make another so the mod allows you to skip the intermediate crafting steps) this helps you skip so much time sink, inventory management.


Also reminds me of some surprisingly entertaining videos about the game
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1Uou2DWH7IHDDB32JmLzFALyBNX_4gXc

I was in early access for Subnautica. It proves that for every controversial issue - microtransactions, DLC, early access - that is so often abused, it is possible for a company to do it right. Subnautica did early access right.

I won't be getting into this one, only because I'm looking forward to the full experience so much that I don't want to dilute that experience. Subnautica was one of the best games I've played in years, and I can't wait for the sequel.

I'm thinking of playing Subnautica next once I'm done with God of War. Yes / no?

Overon wrote on Jan 26, 2019, 03:38:

CJ_Parker wrote on Jan 25, 2019, 22:11:

We are offering Early Access not because we want your money

Then make it free to play during Early Access, assholes .

Exactly.

There's reasons not to, including that it lowers the bar so far it invites negative reviews. I've seen patterns on good games when they do sales super low, a flood of negative reviews come in and lowers the average.

Part of that is probably related to the thing people have where if something is cheap it's viewed as crap quality.

They've done this before, if they do it in same pattern, they will be fine.

Muscular Beaver wrote on Jan 26, 2019, 06:19:

Sepharo wrote on Jan 26, 2019, 05:45:
It's the same way they made the first one and it turned out great.
And also the same, I'll be waiting until it's more done.

If its cheap I will get it instantly.
You can be pretty sure they will not fuck it up. As you said, they already proved that.

You would think so but history is littered with bad sequels and mediocre expansion packs to amazing breakout one of a kind still pining for new content two decades later games.

TA:Kingdoms, Supcom 2, yuck! Though expansion packs to good games are often solid. Probably because of building on established tech lets the content creators go wild. OFP2, MOO3 and Star Control 3 were heartbreaking but I don't think they were the OG devteams, just publishers trying to cash in with well meaning but ill equipped teams.

Since this is the same team doing the same style devcycle I'm super keen. But no need to pre-order/beta test (unless cheaper tyhan full release!). Waiting for Subnautica was definitely the right move. Unlike Kerbal or Factorio it's a game that probably works best once completed. The authored feel to the world and story structure felt outstanding. Once of the best games I played last year.

Sepharo wrote on Jan 26, 2019, 05:45:
It's the same way they made the first one and it turned out great.
And also the same, I'll be waiting until it's more done.

If its cheap I will get it instantly.
You can be pretty sure they will not fuck it up. As you said, they already proved that.

It's the same way they made the first one and it turned out great.
And also the same, I'll be waiting until it's more done.

CJ_Parker wrote on Jan 25, 2019, 22:11:

We are offering Early Access not because we want your money

Then make it free to play during Early Access, assholes .

Exactly.

We are offering Early Access not because we want your money

Then make it free to play during Early Access, assholes .