Subnautica AP Strategy

Warning: Contains minor spoilers for the original Subnautica game.

The Chaos Gremlin Love Squad and members of The Dragon Council have teamed up to raise money for the Cancer Research Institute this month! We'll be holding an archipelago (multi-world/game randomizer) August 23-30 as part of our Gremlins and Dragons Crush Cancer charity event! 

For anyone who's not familiar with archipelago, it mixes items up so they're not where you would normally expect to find them in your game. You can (optionally) play with multiple people playing different games (it's okay if there are duplicates) and the items will be randomized among them. So I might find someone else's item in my game and vice versa. The more people/games involved, the more chaotic it gets!

I will play original Subnautica with the "Free" win condition, which requires the player to cure themself and disable the Quarantine Enforcement Platform (spoilers). It is the second-hardest/longest win condition, after officially completing the game - but it feels more like the satisfying "win" to me, with the official end being optional grind / icing on the cake.

I've done this several times already using "Easy" dive logic, which can require the player to dive +200m deeper than their vehicle's current crush depth. My solo trial runs for the upcoming event were my first time using "Normal" dive logic, which can require the player to dive +400m deeper. To be honest it wasn't as much of an increase in difficulty as I expected, but it was a nice challenge, and I look forward to experiencing it for the first time with other players (they'll be playing their own games).

In order to accomplish my goal I'll need to be able to reach the deepest part of the map, which is also extremely hot. To survive in that area I will need the Reinforced Dive Suit and Rebreather and ideally a vehicle with an appropriate crush depth: either the Cyclops (submarine) or Prawn Suit (mech), both of which require 2-3 upgrades. In order to acquire / build them I will need to unlock blueprints and gather resources by exploring the world. I greatly prefer the Prawn suit because it is much easier to maneuver.

In vanilla (unmodified) Subnautica the player starts with some blueprints and unlocks others by scanning items they find in the world. In archipelago (AP) the scannable items are removed and instead the blueprint fragments are randomized as "items" players can find by checking locations in their worlds. The locations (aka "checks") in Subnautica are databoxes, abandoned PDAs, alien data terminals, and (optionally) creature scans. So in order to unlock the Prawn Suit blueprint I'll need 4 items called "Prawn Suit Fragment" to be found. (The Cyclops requires 9: 3 hull, 3 engine, and 3 bridge.)

Before I can build the Prawn Suit I'll need to gather resources... fortunately most resources can be sent to me as items, too, which helps a lot. But there is one local-only resource in particular that can be difficult to find: Stalker Teeth. For that I will need the Scanner Room. In my trial run the logic put the last fragment for the Scanner Room in an area I needed the Prawn suit to reach, so I decided to start with it unlocked. Hopefully it will help with other resource-gathering as well.

Building the Prawn Suit, Cyclops, and Seamoth (one-person underwater hovercar) requires the Mobile Vehicle Bay (3 fragments).

Upgrading them requires the Moonpool (2), Vehicle Upgrade Console (1), and Modification Station (3).

Building those items requires the Habitat Builder, which starts out unlocked by default but the player must gather resources to fabricate. Other essential tools and equipment in this category are the (handheld) Scanner (necessary for scanning creatures), Repair Tool, Flashlight, Survival Knife, Fins, and Oxygen Tank (O2 Tank). Crafting an O2 Tank unlocks the blueprint for a High Capacity O2 Tank, which in turn unlocks the blueprint for the Rebreather. 

Setup

I play AP with "Free Samples" turned on. That makes it so, when a blueprint is unlocked, if it's for an item that would fit in my inventory, I get the item in my inventory with no need to craft it. I start with enough fragments to get a Beacon, Compass, Laser Cutter, and the Radiation Suit in my inventory. This maximizes my ability to access early-game checks and avoid getting lost or drowning in caves.

I also start with the Battery Charger and Thermal Plant blueprints unlocked to save time making replacement batteries and provide more options for where to build a base (otherwise I must rely on solar panels). Plus the Scanner Room as mentioned above.

Starting Out

After connecting to the AP server I'll start a new game in Freedom Mode (no hunger or thirst). I'll watch the opening cut scene, hopefully have no trouble with the tutorial, and exit the lifepod for the first time.

This is a new part of my strategy: using the !hint command to learn the locations of fragments for my Seaglide (2), Ultra Glide Fins (1), and Ultra High Capacity Tank (1). The first two equipments help me move faster and the third lets me go much longer without replenishing oxygen, making the game much easier! (QoL) The sooner I get each of them, the more efficiently I'll be able to complete checks in my game.

Immediately after using the !hint command 

I initially prioritize gathering resources and fabricating the essential equipment listed above that starts unlocked by default. I'll repair the damaged systems in the lifepod and periodically check its radio for new messages. Then I can start scanning creatures and follow the logic and radio messages to nearby checks. I'll prioritize locations that have been revealed via players' hints as much as possible throughout the AP.

There are a couple of areas that require either the Propulsion Cannon (2 fragments) or Repulsion Cannon (1) to fully access. If necessary I can visit those areas and do the other checks, but I prefer to wait until I have one of these items so I don't have to go back.

I'll want to build a Scanner Room in an area where it will be able to help me find Stalker Teeth (aka in/near the Kelp Forest). It can be part of a larger base, or my main base can be in another location. I usually like to build in the Northwestern Mushroom Forest, but I might come in closer to the center of the map (or start closer and move outward). I have an inventory expansion mod, so I don't really need to worry about my main base until it's time to build a Moonpool, or if someone needs something off a creature scan that requires me to build the Alien Containment (1). That requires either the Multipurpose Room (1) or the Large Room (1).

(I got the inventory expansion mod because in previous APs I was receiving more resources than my inventory could handle. I couldn't build storage because I was unable to pick up the specific resources required because my inventory was full. At one point it got so bad that dropping excess resources caused me to glitch through the map! The mod prevents this problem and allows me to focus more on completing checks.)

(While we're talking about mods, I also have a mod that prevents me from dropping items on death and another to expand my quick slots.)

Mid-Game

I'll build a Seamoth (3) as soon as I can and upgrade its maximum crush depth at least once to make getting around surface biomes easier. This will also extend the dive logic for checks by 200-300+ meters, opening more possibilities. Checks in deeper waters will be more spread-out and dangerous, so I'll rely more on hints to determine where (and whether) to go. (There are select locations I will only visit if a hint specifically requires me to go there, either because they are especially dangerous or because I tend to have difficulty finding them.) My focus will turn increasingly to finding the specific items I listed when describing what I need to accomplish my goal.

There are some things I will need to gather in my world that are not included in the AP randomizer, so I can only acquire them locally. I will need to make sure I have at least 1 (preferably 2) Purple Tablets and at least 4 Ion Cubes set aside before I venture into the end-game areas. There are also organic samples I could wait to gather, but gathering them as I explore their respective biomes will save time.

Normally I would wait to build the Prawn Suit until I can drop it near my preferred entrance toward the deeper areas, but I've found that it can jump and glide a lot higher and farther than I initially thought - especially with the Jump Jet Upgrade. That is a default blueprint unlocked with the Vehicle Upgrade Console, so I'll need to gather materials for it. But if I find / receive the Prawn Suit Drill Arm (2) I can use the suit to more easily gather large amounts of resources. That could be particularly helpful if I decide to build a new base and need titanium, for example. So I might build the Prawn Suit sooner - expanding the dive logic to 1300 meters.

The need for rare resources to upgrade vehicles, the current dive logic, and possibly hints will likely send me into deeper areas before I have Go Mode. I'll do what I can - probably short runs - while being cautious not to venture too far...

Go Mode!

Go Mode is when an AP player can complete their win condition without needing to acquire any additional AP items.

To achieve Go Mode I will need to upgrade the crush depth of a Prawn Suit at least once (ideally 2x) or Cyclops at least twice (preferably 3x) using the Moonpool, Vehicle Upgrade Console, and Modification Station (which are built using the Habitat Builder). I will need to be wearing the Reinforced Dive Suit and Rebreather (which is unlocked by crafting a High Capacity O2 Tank). I'll also need at least 1 Purple Tablet (2 will let me show more of the story) and at least 4 Ion Cubes. Ideally I'll have gathered all of the organic samples.

There are 2 ways into the 2nd-deepest area. However I decide to enter the 3rd-deepest area, I think I should enter the 2nd-deepest area via the entrance closest to my goal. It might be more dangerous but I usually find my way a lot more easily.

When I unlock the room that requires the 1st Purple Tablet, I should scan the room's contents before I pick anything up. The 2nd Purple Tablet is used on the lower level. Then I can go to the deepest area (N-NW or S-SW), where spoiler spoiler spoiler spoiler!

Sorry folks, the story is too good and meaningful to me even after completing this goal several times. I really don't want to spoil it (any more than I might have).

Close

I will do my best to stream and/or record my AP playthrough, finding a balance between story and some fun interaction with other players. I hope you've found this post interesting / entertaining / informative / potentially inspiring to try for your own AP? Please let me know if you do.

Reflections on Subnautica: Below Zero

 SPOILER ALERT for Subnautica: Below Zero

This post contains a minor spoiler for something that can happen early in Subnautica: Below Zero depending on the player's choices. If you want a spoiler-free experience, do not read any farther.

Disclaimer:
It's been a while since I played and I have not completed the subplot in question. :-/

...

For info on Subnautica: Below Zero check out the Wiki. Also check out the interactive map, which I've found to be an invaluable resource while playing both Below Zero and the original game.

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In Subnautica: Below Zero, Robin Ayou (the player character) visits the frigid polar region of Planet 4546B to investigate the disappearance of her sister, Sam. Depending on player choices, Robin likely encounters an Architect, AL-AN, whose storage device is failing. If AL-AN does not transfer to a new storage device immediately, they will perish. Robin offers her PDA. In a hectic scene with limited communication, it is reported that suitable storage has been identified and the transfer is completed.

Robin is very upset when she realizes AL-AN has downloaded themself not onto her PDA but into her brain. ... Personally when I first encountered this scene I realized immediately that there was no way a sapient consciousness(es?) would fit on a PDA! I was not surprised at all to learn AL-AN had actually been transferred into Robin's brain. I suppose I can sort of understand her being upset that the situation was not clearly explained and she had not been given the opportunity to freely consent. But considering it was a life-or-death situation for AL-AN I can kind of understand their actions, and they did mention the cybernetics in Robin's brain...

Anyway, Robin is upset about having an Architect in her brain. She, the first human to make direct contact with the Architects, is UPSET to have a direct telepathic connection with one who is grateful to her for saving their life and very considerate - I'd say friendly. She wants to get them out her head ASAP. To be fair I think AL-AN also considers the situation to be sub-optimal and wants their own body so they can at least attempt to return to their people. But mostly I think their drive to leave Robin's brain ASAP is out of consideration for her.

Once the shock wears off the two engage in cultural exchange. Their interactions are one of my favorite things about the game... possibly my absolute favorite. They certainly set Below Zero apart from original Subnautica and most other games I've played. I completed the Sam subplot but not the AL-AN one. In part because at some point I had to end my play session and didn't pick the game up again (and I found navigating the cave systems difficult and frustrating). But also because I'm reluctant to separate the two characters. Based on some of the info I've gathered in-game, I expect it to be bittersweet at best. (Please no spoilers.)

Still with me? Great, now we get to why I actually wanted to write about this game. I did not understand why Robin was upset to have AL-AN in her brain. Why would she want them out ASAP? I thought it would be great to have someone you could communicate with at any time just by thinking. Feeling. Dreaming. Someone who's always there for you. To exchange ideas with. Learn from. Obviously you would want this to be a friendly and not hostile entity. And well I can understand wanting some privacy too. Some peace and quiet, even, maybe, sometimes...

But overall, who wouldn't want a brain buddy?

... I wonder if perhaps my thoughts on the matter might not be typical, nor what the developers intended. Are players supposed to at least understand why Robin wants AL-AN out of her head, even after the two characters start acting more like friends? I've had strange reactions to things before. When I was a kid my parents took me on a haunted hay ride and some witches invited me to join them. I seriously considered it, but decided I would miss my parents too much and calmly declined. Then I saw the other kids screaming and cringing and realized I was supposed to be scared. But I wasn't scared and I was not like "pfft this isn't real" - I was genuinely considering what I thought (hoped?) was a legit invitation.

I'm an only child and have spent a lot of time playing with imaginary friends. My thoughts have taken the form of a conversation among 2 or more people for as long as I can remember. I've always been intrigued by hive minds and collectives and curious what it would be like to be a part of one - not completely losing my self, but sharing consciousness beyond it.

When I first learned about plurality I was fascinated. Not so much by the "having a diagnosable mental disorder caused by severe childhood trauma" part, especially as it's clinically portrayed. (I have a B.A. in Psychology and was all-but-thesis for a M.A. in Music Therapy before I switched concentrations). Though according to the page I linked to above, not all plural systems are created via trauma.

I'm fascinated by the "multiple entities sharing one body" part, and the idea that they can learn together and support each other (more intentionally). How cool would that be? Could it help explain my experience of thoughts-as-conversations? Could it possibly explain some of my other experiences, like occasionally wondering how I ended up trapped in this body with this identity and life? Sometimes feeling much younger or much older than my actual age? Rarely (thank goodness it's rare) mourning the fact that I'm limited to this one body's perceptions, when the entire universe should be within my consciousness... 

I've been wondering about these things for years, especially the thoughts-as-conversations one. Recently I found How to Know If You Are Plural by The Plural Association, related to that, watched a bunch of their videos, and tried journaling.

Based on the results... I can kinda understand Robin feeling overwhelmed and needing time to adapt to having another entity in her head... even though, if what I think is true, mine have been here helping me for as long as I can remember - probably longer. Call it denial but I hesitate to take on a label, especially publicly (oops), even though it's free to use by anyone who (genuinely) self-identifies.

I have some concerns that this could have been caused by trauma - and that trying to understand said trauma will make my mental health worse (or at least distract from finishing my degree) - but maybe it wasn't! Maybe I've just always been like this. Let's go with that explanation. It makes things much simpler and lets me stay focused on the positive side, the possibilities.

Ahem... if this is true... if we are a ... if this is true, I hope that contacting each other, striving and learning to communicate and work together more effectively, will be helpful. It might make tasks easier. Perhaps reduce our anxiety and depression symptoms. Help us be happier.