For my next installment, I'd like to start off with a public service announcement before whipping out the ol' spoiler tags.
Remember to build a radio for any new base. That way, for example, you don't start wondering why the story doesn't advance anymore after a few discoveries until you pop into your old base for a moment and realize there's a radio message for you.

I'd also like to plug two more mods if I may - the first is "Autosort Lockers."
https://www.nexusmods.com/subnautica/mods/31
This mod gives you three new units to build - a receiver locker and two different destination lockers (one freestanding cabinet type and one wall locker type). You drop your goodies into the receiver and it - get this - "auto sorts" the items into the receivers based on material category or specific item name. You configure the receiver lockers to receive certain types (ie metals, food, gear) or items (copper, salt, eggs, etc). It saves you a lot of running around.

Kinda hand in hand with the above mod is this one: DockedVehicleStorageAccess
https://www.nexusmods.com/subnautica/mods/42
This one is a two-fer - it puts a vehicle management terminal in the moonpool allowing you to access the storage units of a docked vehicle (not an issue for the Seamoth, but I hated not being able to get to the Prawn suit storage after doing a resource run); and it gives you a new item to build - a Vehicle Storage Locker - which will automatically take out anything in the vehicle storage, AND if you have the Autosort in it will send the items to their proper destinations. Again, a real timesaver!

My latest adventure included the frustration of not seeing the story progress as well as the "aha" moment of realizing that was my own doing for not having a radio in my new base. I met a couple of new friends, visited some new biome, and got a few new toys.
I'm over 50 hours into this game, and as much as I've been enjoying it, I'm really feeling the urge to get it done so I'll be focusing a lot more on chasing down storyline stuff that just exploration and building (for now anyway).


I've been poking around in the Dunes, Bulb Zone, Blood Kelp and Grand Reef areas as well as passed through the Sea Treaders Path. Much of that was my hunting for things to trip the storyline, as well as some resource gathering. Specific items I've been looking for are the Prawn Suit drill arm (got it) and Grapple Arm (got it too) so I can get a little more use of the suit. It is one of my favorite toys, I do find it satisfying to punch a sand shark or bone shark. As much as I like that, though, I have to admit I've become more fond of my Seamoth. The cyclops is a bit too big (and buggy for me) to be my go-to vehicle, and I've added the perimeter defense and sonar mods to the moth with good effect.

In my travels, I've come across a few Time Capsules from some other subnauts. I've received a few gifts - a creature egg which appears to be a Cuddlefish egg; some advanced materials (kyanite, ion cube, nickel, benzene), and some advice (avoid the dead zone - only ghosts and death there). It's a neat idea for a single player game to have that type of multiplayer experience in it.

My first trip into the Blood Kelp Zone wasn't too productive, I was chased around by Warpers and Crabsquids more than I would like. The Warpers were particularly annoying, as they like to pop me out of my Seamoth. I figured out early on that I could stun them with the Stasis Rifle, get back in, and git out of Dodge; but it makes exploration problematic. The "squiddys," as I like to call them, and their EM burst are quite annoying, but I find that if I sit still and turn off my headlights, there's a good chance they will leave me alone. I found out later that another good way to get them to leave me alone is to blast them with the Repulsion Cannon (almost as satisfying as punching biters in the Prawn suit!)

After finding the drill arm, I decided to try it out and stock up on a few items. I'm based in the Mushroom Forest, and there are a few nice large deposits around. I got 3 large copper deposits and was overjoyed, because I seem to always be out of copper. Walking around, I wound up in the Dunes, and who should be there but my old friend - Sammy! He grabbed me to get a little face time, and I started punching him with the Prawn suit and he lost interest. Not nearly as terrifying as when it first happened, but still startling. I stood in the Mushroom Forest and watched him swim around for a couple of minutes, wondering if he would leave his biome for me but he didn't.

[Linked Image]

With the radio in my new base (I needed that copper to build it, and just never got around to hunting it down), I got another distress call from a Lifepod. This time it was Lifepod 2, and they were 500m down. I got a ping for their location and decided to hop in the Seamoth and see what I could find. It was in the Blood Kelp Zone (great, warpers and squiddys) but I was able to avoid them and found the pod without issue. Looking around the area, I went into a cave and suddenly I was here!

[Linked Image]

I believe this is called the "Lost River" zone, and it's an underground cavern of some green goo. I found some nickel deposits (first time in the wild, though I had some from a Time Capsule). I spent my time cautiously exploring the region. Fortunately I brought a great deal of food and water with me for this run, so I was able to make it through much of the region (I think - I spent a LONG time poking around!). Just as started to relax and think this place wasn't so bad, HE shows up! It tried to time the screenie a little better but it seems like there was slight delay, oh well.

[Linked Image]

I managed to run him off with a full blast from the Seamoth perimeter defense. The only problem with this is that it uses a good chunk of power. Fortunately, I anticipated this need and brought a few extra power cells (I always have spare batteries for the hand held gear, so spare power cells make a lot of sense.) In normal use, the Seamoth is pretty energy efficient. The sonar and defense systems draw a bit more though, esp the full blast of defense (I think it's 20 power). Between blasting the crabs (for fun, have to admit) and the ghost, I have to make a pit stop and repair and change out batteries.

Once I'm back up and running, I begin exploring again and I came upon....

[Linked Image]

Looks cool, not sure what it was. It was too soon after the ghost for me to get out and start investigating, so I went past it. I was getting a little antsy too - I'd been playing for a while that night and kinda wanted to call it. I didn't want to stop in the cavern though, I have this thing about getting back to a base and saving there. I also have a feeling I'll find the last Degasi base in here, and I really want to get that part of the storyline done, so this isn't a time for exploring as much as an initial run through this biome.

Following another cavern and....I'm back in the Kelp Zone? Did just make a big circle? Check the map - no, I'm in the zone by the floating island, not the one north of the Mushroom Forest. Oh look - a warper. Great. I duck back into the river and continue my hunt.

This time, I find this guy.

[Linked Image]

I scanned it and it says it's an ancient leviathan, though in full it looks like it could be Sammy's big brother (esp face/mouth). There is an alien structure nearby - lighting the skeleton and it scans as some kind of sensor. There's a squiddy hanging around, but by keeping to the cave walls and keeping my seamoth light off I'm able to avoid him. Checking out some of the structures, I find a doorway with a green forcefield. Nearby is a small structure that wants me to insert the orange table. I'd love to, but I left it in my other suit. Ok, I don't have it yet. I do have a purple one, but not with me, and anyway that won't get me anywhere.

I scan what I can and hop back into the moth. Tooling aroudn through the cavern, I find - another exit? This one into the Grand Reef. I've been more or less following the Degasi beacon which I was sure would lead me to a base in the river, but I'm only a couple hundred meters away heading out of the cavern. I do eventually come upon the base. It's guarded by a few squiddys, but I'm careful enough to keep away from them. After thoroughly investigating the base and getting a bunch of data downloads and PDA's, I started scanning everything in sight. The big find here was the Alien Containment Unit. Now I know what to do with all these stupid eggs I find all over creation. I also find an egg (later I find it's another cuddlefish egg - I now have two). I had to exit the lower part of the structure and find a different entrance to the upper part (until I realize I can swim down the ladder, d'oh!)

I had to wait for this guy to clear out before making my way back to the Seamoth. I was in the base and he was right on it, so I was close but safe.

[Linked Image]

About this time is when I realized I had my repulsion cannon with me. Squiddy wasn't a problem anymore...he was...elsewhere.

So I've got a working theory that there are three basic parts to this game - the Degasi storyline, the alien stuff, and escaping the planet. I am assuming I am for the most part done with the Degasi stuff (the last entry was Paul Torgal describing the leviathan attack on the base I had just visited - so, everyone dies?) so I'll start focusing on the alien stuff. I've run across some things before, now that I have a better idea of what to do with them (find access ports and use the tables) I'll start checking that out. I have an orange tablet from the Degasi base, so I'll be visiting that Lost River alien base again soon to open that up and see what is in there.


Attached Files tree.jpgsquiddy.jpgskeleton.jpgsammys coming.jpglost river.jpgghost.jpg
Last edited by JohnnyChemo; 07/11/19 02:58 PM. Reason: pictures

Throughout history, poverty is the normal condition of man. Advances which permit this norm to be exceeded — here and there, now and then — are the work of an extremely small minority, frequently despised, often condemned, and almost always opposed by all right-thinking people. Whenever this tiny minority is kept from creating, or (as sometimes happens) is driven out of a society, the people then slip back into abject poverty.
This is known as "bad luck.”
-Robert Heinlein