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Welcome to the '''Getting Started Guide''' for newer players |
Welcome to the '''Getting Started Guide''' for newer players who are having troubles or simply are preparing to survive in ''[[Subnautica]]''. |
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==How to get access to the latest build== |
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Subnautica is currently in an early access phase. To get access to the latest build (patched almost every workday) follow the procedure listed here: [http://steamcommunity.com/app/264710/discussions/0/626329186988367319/ Steam Subnautica Game Guides: Dev Updates & Progress] |
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Subnautica is currently in an early access phase. Although updates have no defined schedule, they often come out every month or two. [http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=355026171 This useful guide] explains how to download the latest update and also explains how to switch to the experimental branch, which is updated most days and has lots of content which is still in development and is not ready, or is too buggy for the stable builds. |
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==Getting started guides around the web== |
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== Reporting bugs and giving feedback: == |
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==Getting started videos== |
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As Subnautica is still in early access, you will be likely to encounter issues, or notice something that you think could be improved. [http://steamcommunity.com//sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=356376081 This slightly outdated guide] explains how to report bugs or other issues, and how to submit feedbackor suggest ideas through the in game tool (F8) and with some other methods. |
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A great video for new adventurers by MycroftCanadaNS,<ref>http://forums.unknownworlds.com/discussion/136240/build-10837-how-to-get-started-survive#latest ''Dated December 2016.''</ref> showing you the basics of survival in ''Subnautica''. |
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Please keep in mind that this is very outdated, and does not cover most of the things in the current version of ''Subnautica''.[[File:Subnautica 10837 How To Get Started & Survive!|center|500 px]] |
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==Other getting started guides:== |
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There are several other getting started guides out there, but most of them are outdated. The best guide I could find at the time of writing was this incredibly detailed and thorough and mostly up to date guide by Steam users Mango884 and firebirddudeguy. Another good option is [https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=393433444 this slightly outdated guide] by SdjK. |
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==Getting started |
==Getting started Guide== |
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If you start playing the Survival [[Game Modes|mode]] of ''Subnautica'', the main goal after being spawned into the world is to get Food and H2O (Water). |
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A great video for new adventurers by MycroftCanadaNS,<ref>http://forums.unknownworlds.com/discussion/136240/build-10837-how-to-get-started-survive#latest ''Dated December 2016.''</ref> showing you the basics of survival in ''Subnautica''. |
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After you spawn you'll sit at a level of 80% Health, 50% Food and 65% H2O - so it's time to hurry up and get the supplies rolling. Your [[Lifepod 5]] has a built in locker that contains two [[Nutrient Block|nutrient blocks]] , two [[Filtered Water|filtered waters]], and two [[Flare|flares]] |
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However, before being able to do this, you must extinguish a fire that has started in your Lifepod. Extinguishing this fire acts as a short tutorial to basic game mechanics, so food and H20 don't drop. |
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Your best bet is to get yourself some [[Fins]] to increase Swimming Speed and a [[Survival Knife]] to defend against predators and harvest life forms. You will need [[Basic Materials|materials]] to build them, for example [[Quartz]] and [[Titanium]]. Titanium is the most common material in the game that is used in crafting, and can be made out of [[Metal Salvage]], which can be collected from the seabed. [[Coral Tube Sample]]s and [[Bladderfish]] ([[fauna]]) can also come in handy to craft what you need, especially [[Filtered Water|filtered]] or [[Disinfected Water|disinfected water]]. |
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The game begins in a [[Biomes|Biome]] called the [[Safe Shallows]], and it lives up to its namesake indeed. It still provides you with all the things you need at this point so you don't need to stray off too far yet. Just don't venture into the caves, which are home to nasty [[Crashfish]]. |
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===Essentials:=== |
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From the first time you dive you should be on the lookout for a few materials to get access to necessary items and supplies. Here's two short lists for your focus: |
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''Priority List in Order'' |
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*[[Scanner]] Tool |
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*1x Standard O² Tank |
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*Food, especially [[Peeper|Cooked Peeper]] |
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*1x Survival Knife |
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*H20, like filtered or disinfected water |
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*Repair Tool |
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*Fins |
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To get these items here's what you should watch out for: |
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[[Gasopod]]s |
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[[Stalker]]s |
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Required Materials: |
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''Priority List in Order'' |
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*1-2 Metal Salvage |
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*Peepers or other fish (about 2-3 for starters) |
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*2 Quartz |
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*2 [[Creepvine Seed Cluster]]s (From adjacent biome [[Kelp Forest]]) |
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*1 [[Copper Ore]] |
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*2 [[Acid Mushroom]] |
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*[[Salt Deposit]]s (for Disinfected Water) |
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*Coral Tube Samples (a couple; also for Disinfected Water) |
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===How to get basic supplies=== |
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Metal Salvage - Huge pieces of metal found on the ocean floor |
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Fish - Found everywhere, hard to catch |
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Quartz - Shiny white crystals on the ocean floor |
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Creepvine Seed Clusters - Glowing yellow seeds found on Creepvines (Watch out for Stalkers) |
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Copper Ore - found by breaking limestone |
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Acid Mushrooms - purple mushrooms found growing on the ocean floor, usually in groups. |
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Salt Deposits - White rocks, similar looking to quartz. |
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Coral Tube Sample - Use a knife to cut coral on the sides of reefs |
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===The Lifepod=== |
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Lifepod 5 is where the player spawns and where he will respawn if he happens to die, until he enters a base or Cyclops. The lifepod will serve as a shelter for much of the early game. |
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An important component in the lifepod is the [[Fabricator]]. The fabricator serves as the main means of crafting in Subnautica and new recipes will be revealed when interacting with it while possessing different items in your inventory. Using the fabricator will slowly drain [[Energy]] from the three Self-charging Power Cells on the bulkhead. |
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The Lifepod also comes with a [[Medical Kit Fabricator]]. Every 30 minutes it will fabricate a new medical kit and start beeping to let you know it is complete. |
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Also of importance is the storage area behind the ladder where excess items can be stored. It will contain supplies, like mentioned above at the beginning of the game. However items can also be dropped on the seabed under the lifepod if the storage is full. Just be aware that [[Stalker]]s like to collect metallic items like salvage. |
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Until it is fully repaired by the [[Repair Tool]], the Lifepod can drift in the ocean. |
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===Scanner Tool=== |
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You need to get a Scanner tool for fragment scanning, because most important tools require fragments. To craft the Scanner, you have to craft 1 battery (2 acid mushrooms and 1 copper) and 2 titanium. |
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===Metal Salvage & Oxygen Tanks=== |
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Pieces of Metal Salvage are scattered about the ocean floor but be careful not to take them if Stalkers are near or you are in the Kelp Forest as they might belong to a Stalker and it might begin to attack you. Watch your Oxygen as you look for Metal Salvage and get yourself at least three pieces for your first Tank and potentially a Survival Knife. Then take the Metal Salvage to the fabricator and craft Titanium. This tank gives you 30 extra seconds of oxygen. They also take up four slots of your inventory, with the exception of the first tank, which you can carry for free. |
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Hint: As soon as you have the 2 Creepvine Seed Clusters, 2 Quartz and Titanium you should craft the Fins and Standard Oxygen Tank. |
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Please keep in mind that this is very outdated, and doesn't cover most of the things in the current version of ''Subnautica''.[[File:Subnautica 10837 How To Get Started & Survive!|center|500 px]]Another great video is by Youtube user [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIdgQMj7Q16r6dEOmwK6xwQ Morax], and covers most of the beginning, like building a Seaglide and a radiation suit, and is mostly up to date. |
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[[File:Subnautica - How To Quickstart Guide -July 2017-|centre|thumb|480x480px]] |
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=== Peepers (or other food fish) & Food === |
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==Getting Started Guide:== |
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When it comes to food the Peeper makes for a nutritious choice at +32 food points. It's easy to spot (big yellow eye) and can even be used as a lure to keep Stalkers away. Garry fish are easier to catch but not nearly as nutritious, weighing in at a measly +18 food points. |
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Subnautica begins with a quick intro where you launch your [[Lifepod 5|Lifepod]], but unfortunately you are knocked out by a loose panel and when you wake up a fire has started in your Lifepod, and you have to quickly get up and extinguish it. Luckily you have a [[Fire Extinguisher]], which you should pick up and quickly extinguish the Lifepod . |
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The downside to the Peeper: It's fast. Crafted your first pair of fins you should be able to catch a few. 1 Creepvine Seed Clusters should do the trick. |
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If you started playing in the Survival [[Game Modes|mode]] of ''Subnautica'', you should look at the HUD, which shows that you have around 80% Health, 50% Food, and 65% [[Food & Water|Water]]. After that, you should notice that your Lifepod is badly damaged, with malfunctioning secondary systems and a broken radio. |
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If you cannot find or catch any Peepers do not hesitate to catch any other smaller fish around you. Almost every fish in the Safe Shallows is edible. |
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In your Lifepod's [[storage]], you will find two flares, which can be used as extremely bright red lights or to ward of predators, you will also find two [[Nutrient Block|Nutrient Blocks]], which are rare, but will recover 75% Food, these should be saved for emergencies and should only be used when you are under 25% Food to avoid wastage, and finally, 2 bottles of [[Filtered Water]], which contain 6oz of water each and will restore 20% Water per bottle. As you will see, you have enough food for a 3-5 days, but barely enough water for even 1 day. You will also notice that your Lifepod will have crashlanded somewhere in the [[Safe Shallows]], a lovely [[Biomes|biome]] which is near the surface of the ocean, has abundant lifeforms, and several types of useful [[Fauna]] and [[Flora]], and has very few dangerous lifeforms, the only real risks being [[Crashfish]], which hide in caves, and [[Gasopod|Gasopods]], which hang around in herds. |
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Bladderfish are also an ideal food source for beginners due to their slow speed. They can also be used to craft Filtered Water. |
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You should then proceed to leave your Lifepod, and jump into the huge oceans of [[Planet 4546B]]. Your immediate goal should be to pick up a few pieces of [[Metal Salvage]], which you can use to create 4 pieces of [[Titanium]] in your [[Fabricator]], which will be incredibly useful. After diving, you will notice that you have only 45 seconds of [[Oxygen]], and you can't accomplish much underwater because you have to keep resurfacing for air. Luckily for you, if you head back to your Lifepod you can use your Fabricator to produce a [[Standard O₂ Tank]], which will extend your Oxygen supply by 30 seconds, which should help with your exploring efforts. After fabricating your Standard O₂ Tank you will unlock the blueprint for the [[High Capacity O₂ Tank]], which gives you 135 seconds of Oxygen. You will also notice that your Fabricator has used some [[energy]]; your Lifepod has 75 energy, which is supplied by three solar powered power cells, which are exclusive to the Lifepod and cannot be built anywhere else. In your Lifepod energy shouldn't be a problem, as your Lifepod should normally charge itself faster than the Fabricator can drain it. You should also put some of your stuff into your Lifepod's storage, preferably emptying most of your inventory. |
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Hint: When you catch any fish, you take them to the fabricator to analyze the fish and cook/cure it. If you just eat a normal Peeper you will lose -15 water. Cooked fish will rot over time, however, if you don't eat them immediately; the advantage to curing fish is that they'll be preserved, but you need salt to cure them. |
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Your next priority is swim to the nearest [[Kelp Forest]], which is a neighboring biome to where your Lifepod landed. You can tell where the Kelp Forests are, because they are filled with tall [[Creepvine|Creepvines]], and are often covered with Metal Salvage, because [[Stalker|Stalkers]], the local Fauna, often collect salvage. You will want to grab several [[Creepvine Seed Cluster|Creepvine Seed Clusters]], at least 4, and then return to the Lifepod quickly, because the Stalkers are aggressive, especially when you get too close or take their Metal Salvage. After you reach the Lifepod, fabricate a few pieces of [[Silicone Rubber]], and make some [[Lubricant]], then you should use the Silicone Rubber to create a [[Survival Knife]], which is completely essentially for this game, and you should craft a pair of [[Fins]], which will increase your [[Swimming Speed]]. You will then want to fill up any spare space in your Lifepod's storage, to empty out as much of your inventory as possible. |
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=== Titanium & your Survival Knife === |
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At this point you should leave your Lifepod again, and break several resource outcrops, [[Limestone Outcrop|Limestone]] will give you Titanium and [[Copper Ore|Copper]], and [[Sandstone Outcrop|Sandstone]] will give you [[Silver Ore|Silver]], [[Gold]], and [[Lead]]. All of these resources are useful, but some are more useful than others. As well as harvesting these resources, you'll need to collect lots of [[Quartz]], which is useful for making glass. Along with everything else, you will need some [[Acid Mushroom|Acid Mushrooms]](Purple mushrooms found commonly in the Safe Shallows), some [[Table Coral Sample|Table Coral Samples]](Coral discs found hanging from terrain in the Safe Shallows), some [[Creepvine Sample|Creepvine Samples]](Knife some Creepvine), and some [[Cave Sulfur]], which is probably the most difficult thing to collect as you will need to find a [[Sulfur Plant]] in a cave, and survive the explosion from the Crashfish that inhabits it, and then harvest the Sulfur from inside the plant. You should aim to collect 1 Gold, 2 Silver, 2 Quartz, 12 Copper, 1 Cave Sulfur, 2 Table Coral Samples, 4 Creepvine Samples, and 20 Acid Mushrooms at the minimum, before returning to the Lifepod. You should craft 7 [[Battery|Batteries]], 2 [[Copper Wire]], 1 [[Wiring Kit]], 2 [[Fiber Mesh]], and then a [[Computer Chip]]. With these you should craft a [[Flashlight]], a [[Scanner]], a [[Repair Tool]], using the Silicone Rubber from earlier, and a [[Habitat Builder]]; after this you should head out again, and scan as many [[fragments]] as possible, you should try to unlock at least the [[Seaglide]], the [[Grav Trap]], and the [[Beacon]] by scanning their respective fragments. After returning to your Lifepod, you should craft a Seaglide using the Lubricant you made earlier, and a Grav Trap. Optionally, if you have the extra ingredients, 1 piece of Silver, 4 units of Titanium, and 4 Quartz, you might want to fabricate 2 pieces of [[Glass]], and then craft a High Capacity O₂ Tank, which will give you 90 seconds more Oxygen, which is 60 seconds more than the Standard O₂ Tank you have already. (Make sure you take the Standard O₂ Tank off your [[PDA|Paperdoll UI]], and place it into your inventory before you craft the High Capacity O₂ Tank.) |
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While you are looking for metal salvage, try and see if you can spot a [[Limestone Outcrop|Limestone]] [[Harvesting Node|node]]. With some luck you'll find Titanium within the first couple of nodes, looking in enclosed areas like in large tubes or caves may increase chances of finding Titanium. These nodes also contain copper, which will be useful for building [[Battery|batteries]] for your tools. |
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As soon as you get your titanium and a Creepvine Seed Cluster (= 2x silicone rubber) you can craft a Survival Knife. Watch out: Stalkers will try to steal it if you keep it out all the time. Put it away if they are nearby. |
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You should now proceed to release the Grav Trap outside your Lifepod, as it will suck small [[items]], including fish, towards it. One of these will make it much easier to capture fish, for preparing Food & Water. |
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=== Coral Samples & Water === |
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By now you will most likely be hungry and thirsty. If you want, you could just eat your Nutrient Blocks and drink your Filtered Waters, or you could swim around and catch some fish. (If you already released the Grav Trap, this will be made much easier as it will have attracted several fish, but if you haven't built it yet, or got hungry before you had the materials for it, you can just swim around, and grab one when you get close enough to the fish you are trying to catch.) In the nearby area, you can find several fish, for example [[Peeper|Peepers]], which are the best fish for Food when cooked, restoring 32% Food, but they are also the fastest; you can also find other fish, like [[Garryfish]], which although they restore the least amount of Food when cooked, 18%, they are the slowest. After catching a couple of Peepers, or several Garryfish or some amount of other fish, you can cook them in the Fabricator, or cure them with some [[Salt Deposit|Salt]]. Curing prevents your Food rotting, but makes your Food remove Water. Now, to restore your Water levels, you can either capture [[Bladderfish]] and fabricate Filtered Water from them, which as stated earlier, restores 20% Water per bottle, or you could collect some Salt, and collect some [[Coral Tube Sample|Coral Tube Samples]], which can be gathered by knifing [[Giant Coral Tubes]], which are useful because 1 Salt, and 1 Coral Tube Sample can be used to create 2 bottles of [[Disinfected Water]], which restore 30% Water per bottle. It's clear which option is most profitable, as the Salt and Coral option restores 60% Water, while the Bladderfish method only restores 20% Water. |
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As you now have a survival knife, it's time to get some Coral Samples. Look out for a Coral (the big coral tubes you can also swim through) and strike it with the Survival Knife. After you've done that, you'll need to craft [[Bleach]] with the Coral Samples and Salt Deposit. Now you can craft disinfected water, which adds +30 to H2O. |
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If you can't make it and it's an emergency, just go after some [[Bladderfish]]. They can be used to craft filtered water. Not as good as our initial plan but still a solid +20 to H2O. |
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After collecting your Food, you will want to use some of your new [[Tools]]. If you use the Repair Tool on the [[Radio]] and on the Lifepod's damaged secondary systems, you will repair the Lifepod, which gives you a full environmental scan, fixes the lights, and prevents the Lifepod from drifting. You can also use the Flashlight to light up areas, the Seaglide to increase your Swimming Speed, and you can scan things with the Scanner, and perform a self scan with F. Your Habitat Builder is useful to build [[seabases|Seabases]]. |
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=== Dealing with Radiation === |
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You can build Seabases, by right clicking while holding the Habitat Builder, which opens a menu, with this menu you can choose which [[Blueprints|blueprint]] to build. Early in the game you will only have basic stuff, like L Comparments and [[Foundation|Foundations]], but later in the game you can find the [[Multipurpose Room]], the [[Wall Planter]], the [[Bulkhead]], the [[Composite Plant Pot]], the [[Exterior Growbed|Exterior]] and [[Interior Growbed|Interior]] Growbeds, and the [[Spotlight]] on the [[Floating Island]]. Other [[:Category:Seabase Module|Seabase modules]] can be found elsewhere, like in [[Wrecks]] and in abandoned Seabases in some of the more creepy, dangerous and deep biomes. |
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Once the [[Aurora]] explodes, harmful [[Radiation]] will spread into the waters surrounding it, extending almost one kilometer out from the Aurora. The radiation will keep you from exploring large areas near the Aurora but can be circumvented by crafting a [[Radiation Suit]]. The radiation suit requires two [[Fiber Mesh]] that can be crafted from four [[Creepvine Sample]]s which can be acquired by hitting creepvines with the survival knife, and two [[Lead]]. Lead can be harvested from Sandstone Outcrops. Once the radiation suit is crafted the radiation suit, radiation helmet, and radiation gloves will be acquired. All three of these items must be worn to fully protect against radiation damage. The radiation can be stopped but that is up to the player to figure out how. |
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== You've made it! == |
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After a while of surviving, you'll likely go near the [[Aurora]], where you will notice that the [[Crash Zone]] is badly [[Radiation|irradiated]]. Radiation does damage to the player, and although it only covers the Crash Zone at first, it spreads out to cover a larger area after the Aurora undergoes a Quantum Detonation and explodes. The Crash Zone is an extremely creepy, dangerous, and inhospitable biome filled with mostly hostile Fauna, but is often worth the risk because of the sheer amount of resources, scrap, and fragments. Although you could just avoid the irradiated biomes, eventually you will need to explore this area, and if you want to find one of the lategame [[vehicles]], you will need to explore the crashed spaceship. To explore the Aurora, the Crash Zone, and other affected biomes, you will need a [[Radiation Suit]]. A Radiation Suit can be fabricated out of 1 Titanium, 2 Lead, and 1 Fiber Mesh, and takes up the head, body, and glove slots in the Paperdoll UI, but when you are wearing the full suit it grants you full Radiation resistance, letting you explore irradiated areas without taking damage. Eventually you can stop the Radiation, but that's spoilers and not part of a [[Getting Started]] guide. |
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If you made it here you'll be able to survive your first days and nights in the alien world of ''Subnautica''. Feel free to keep this Wiki open in case you get lost or need some information - but most importantly at this point - start exploring and enjoying the game. :) |
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== What to do next? == |
== What to do next? == |
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Now that |
Now that your more immediate needs have been taken care of, you'll want to start exploring - however, your ability to explore is limited by how much equipment you've discovered and built. The biomes surrounding Lifepod 5 gradually get deeper and deeper, as well as more dangerous. While it's not required to discover every available piece of technology or point of interest, it will definitely help you along the way. Here's some suggestions for how to proceed, in no particular order: |
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* Find and scan [[Seaglide]] [[Fragment]]s and build a Seaglide to increase your speed and exploration range |
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* Locate the other [[Destroyed Lifepods|Lifepods]] for extra provisions and even a full Radiation Suit, if you haven't built one already - the Lifepod's Radio will send you messages where they are located(Not all of them give coordinates, but they all give you a method to help you find them), assuming you've repaired it. |
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* Locate the other [[Destroyed Lifepods|Lifepods]] for extra provisions and even a full Radiation Suit - the Lifepod's [[Radio]] will send you messages where they are located, assuming you've repaired it. |
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* Find the Multipurpose Room fragments from the [[Degasi Seabases]]. |
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* Find the [[Multipurpose Room]] fragments from the [[Degasi Seabases]]. |
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* Build a Seabase, if you haven't already, to store your inventory, grow food and have access to more tools than the Lifepod provides. You can also improve and expand your base if you already have one. |
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* Build a [[Seabases|Seabase]] to store your inventory, grow food and have access to more tools than the Lifepod provides. You can build [[Waterproof Locker]]s as temporary storage (should you need it) |
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* Build [[Waterproof Locker|Waterproof Lockers]] as temporary Storage. (If you can, build [[Locker|Lockers]] in a Seabase instead, as they are bigger and more useful. |
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* Explore Wrecks for Fragments and supplies; most of the more advanced equipment and technology you will want |
* Explore [[Wrecks]] for Fragments and supplies; most of the more advanced equipment and technology you will want, can be found in these locations |
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* Build a [[Mobile Vehicle Bay]] and a [[Seamoth]]; so you can easily explore deeper waters and other biomes farther away from the Lifepod |
* Build a [[Mobile Vehicle Bay]] and a [[Seamoth]]; so you can easily explore deeper waters and other biomes farther away from the Lifepod (requires you have found the blueprints in the appropriate wrecks first) |
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* Build a [[Cyclops]] as your mobile base (requires |
* Build a [[Cyclops]] as your mobile base (requires you have found the blueprints in the appropriate biomes first) |
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* Explore |
* Explore alien bases to progress in the story. |
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* Explore the wreckage of the Aurora |
* Explore the wreckage of the Aurora (requires a [[Radiation Suit]]) WARNING: There are very dangerous creatures around the Aurora, so be careful! |
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* During exploration of the Aurora, you can find all |
* During exploration of the Aurora, you can find all fragments of the [[Prawn Suit]]. You can use it to build the Prawn Suit for exploring deeper Biomes or for mining [[Large Resource Deposits]]. |
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While you can play the game at your own pace, the game will direct you towards certain story events that need to be completed in order for you to progress further and eventually escape the planet. These events can be completed at any time, but will |
While you can play the game at your own pace, the game will direct you towards certain story events that need to be completed in order for you to progress further and eventually escape the planet. These events can be completed at any time, but will oftentimes steer you to new locations and require you to have found certain items (whether it be a vehicle that can go deep enough, or various keys) to access them. |
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Revision as of 08:32, 16 January 2018
Welcome to the Getting Started Guide for newer players who are having troubles or simply are preparing to survive in Subnautica.
How to get access to the latest build
Subnautica is currently in an early access phase. To get access to the latest build (patched almost every workday) follow the procedure listed here: Steam Subnautica Game Guides: Dev Updates & Progress
Getting started guides around the web
Getting started videos
A great video for new adventurers by MycroftCanadaNS,[1] showing you the basics of survival in Subnautica.
Please keep in mind that this is very outdated, and does not cover most of the things in the current version of Subnautica.
Getting started Guide
If you start playing the Survival mode of Subnautica, the main goal after being spawned into the world is to get Food and H2O (Water).
After you spawn you'll sit at a level of 80% Health, 50% Food and 65% H2O - so it's time to hurry up and get the supplies rolling. Your Lifepod 5 has a built in locker that contains two nutrient blocks , two filtered waters, and two flares
However, before being able to do this, you must extinguish a fire that has started in your Lifepod. Extinguishing this fire acts as a short tutorial to basic game mechanics, so food and H20 don't drop.
Your best bet is to get yourself some Fins to increase Swimming Speed and a Survival Knife to defend against predators and harvest life forms. You will need materials to build them, for example Quartz and Titanium. Titanium is the most common material in the game that is used in crafting, and can be made out of Metal Salvage, which can be collected from the seabed. Coral Tube Samples and Bladderfish (fauna) can also come in handy to craft what you need, especially filtered or disinfected water.
The game begins in a Biome called the Safe Shallows, and it lives up to its namesake indeed. It still provides you with all the things you need at this point so you don't need to stray off too far yet. Just don't venture into the caves, which are home to nasty Crashfish.
Essentials:
From the first time you dive you should be on the lookout for a few materials to get access to necessary items and supplies. Here's two short lists for your focus:
Priority List in Order
- Scanner Tool
- 1x Standard O² Tank
- Food, especially Cooked Peeper
- 1x Survival Knife
- H20, like filtered or disinfected water
- Repair Tool
- Fins
To get these items here's what you should watch out for:
Required Materials:
Priority List in Order
- 1-2 Metal Salvage
- Peepers or other fish (about 2-3 for starters)
- 2 Quartz
- 2 Creepvine Seed Clusters (From adjacent biome Kelp Forest)
- 1 Copper Ore
- 2 Acid Mushroom
- Salt Deposits (for Disinfected Water)
- Coral Tube Samples (a couple; also for Disinfected Water)
How to get basic supplies
Metal Salvage - Huge pieces of metal found on the ocean floor
Fish - Found everywhere, hard to catch
Quartz - Shiny white crystals on the ocean floor
Creepvine Seed Clusters - Glowing yellow seeds found on Creepvines (Watch out for Stalkers)
Copper Ore - found by breaking limestone
Acid Mushrooms - purple mushrooms found growing on the ocean floor, usually in groups.
Salt Deposits - White rocks, similar looking to quartz.
Coral Tube Sample - Use a knife to cut coral on the sides of reefs
The Lifepod
Lifepod 5 is where the player spawns and where he will respawn if he happens to die, until he enters a base or Cyclops. The lifepod will serve as a shelter for much of the early game.
An important component in the lifepod is the Fabricator. The fabricator serves as the main means of crafting in Subnautica and new recipes will be revealed when interacting with it while possessing different items in your inventory. Using the fabricator will slowly drain Energy from the three Self-charging Power Cells on the bulkhead.
The Lifepod also comes with a Medical Kit Fabricator. Every 30 minutes it will fabricate a new medical kit and start beeping to let you know it is complete.
Also of importance is the storage area behind the ladder where excess items can be stored. It will contain supplies, like mentioned above at the beginning of the game. However items can also be dropped on the seabed under the lifepod if the storage is full. Just be aware that Stalkers like to collect metallic items like salvage.
Until it is fully repaired by the Repair Tool, the Lifepod can drift in the ocean.
Scanner Tool
You need to get a Scanner tool for fragment scanning, because most important tools require fragments. To craft the Scanner, you have to craft 1 battery (2 acid mushrooms and 1 copper) and 2 titanium.
Metal Salvage & Oxygen Tanks
Pieces of Metal Salvage are scattered about the ocean floor but be careful not to take them if Stalkers are near or you are in the Kelp Forest as they might belong to a Stalker and it might begin to attack you. Watch your Oxygen as you look for Metal Salvage and get yourself at least three pieces for your first Tank and potentially a Survival Knife. Then take the Metal Salvage to the fabricator and craft Titanium. This tank gives you 30 extra seconds of oxygen. They also take up four slots of your inventory, with the exception of the first tank, which you can carry for free.
Hint: As soon as you have the 2 Creepvine Seed Clusters, 2 Quartz and Titanium you should craft the Fins and Standard Oxygen Tank.
Peepers (or other food fish) & Food
When it comes to food the Peeper makes for a nutritious choice at +32 food points. It's easy to spot (big yellow eye) and can even be used as a lure to keep Stalkers away. Garry fish are easier to catch but not nearly as nutritious, weighing in at a measly +18 food points.
The downside to the Peeper: It's fast. Crafted your first pair of fins you should be able to catch a few. 1 Creepvine Seed Clusters should do the trick.
If you cannot find or catch any Peepers do not hesitate to catch any other smaller fish around you. Almost every fish in the Safe Shallows is edible.
Bladderfish are also an ideal food source for beginners due to their slow speed. They can also be used to craft Filtered Water.
Hint: When you catch any fish, you take them to the fabricator to analyze the fish and cook/cure it. If you just eat a normal Peeper you will lose -15 water. Cooked fish will rot over time, however, if you don't eat them immediately; the advantage to curing fish is that they'll be preserved, but you need salt to cure them.
Titanium & your Survival Knife
While you are looking for metal salvage, try and see if you can spot a Limestone node. With some luck you'll find Titanium within the first couple of nodes, looking in enclosed areas like in large tubes or caves may increase chances of finding Titanium. These nodes also contain copper, which will be useful for building batteries for your tools.
As soon as you get your titanium and a Creepvine Seed Cluster (= 2x silicone rubber) you can craft a Survival Knife. Watch out: Stalkers will try to steal it if you keep it out all the time. Put it away if they are nearby.
Coral Samples & Water
As you now have a survival knife, it's time to get some Coral Samples. Look out for a Coral (the big coral tubes you can also swim through) and strike it with the Survival Knife. After you've done that, you'll need to craft Bleach with the Coral Samples and Salt Deposit. Now you can craft disinfected water, which adds +30 to H2O.
If you can't make it and it's an emergency, just go after some Bladderfish. They can be used to craft filtered water. Not as good as our initial plan but still a solid +20 to H2O.
Dealing with Radiation
Once the Aurora explodes, harmful Radiation will spread into the waters surrounding it, extending almost one kilometer out from the Aurora. The radiation will keep you from exploring large areas near the Aurora but can be circumvented by crafting a Radiation Suit. The radiation suit requires two Fiber Mesh that can be crafted from four Creepvine Samples which can be acquired by hitting creepvines with the survival knife, and two Lead. Lead can be harvested from Sandstone Outcrops. Once the radiation suit is crafted the radiation suit, radiation helmet, and radiation gloves will be acquired. All three of these items must be worn to fully protect against radiation damage. The radiation can be stopped but that is up to the player to figure out how.
You've made it!
If you made it here you'll be able to survive your first days and nights in the alien world of Subnautica. Feel free to keep this Wiki open in case you get lost or need some information - but most importantly at this point - start exploring and enjoying the game. :)
What to do next?
Now that your more immediate needs have been taken care of, you'll want to start exploring - however, your ability to explore is limited by how much equipment you've discovered and built. The biomes surrounding Lifepod 5 gradually get deeper and deeper, as well as more dangerous. While it's not required to discover every available piece of technology or point of interest, it will definitely help you along the way. Here's some suggestions for how to proceed, in no particular order:
- Find and scan Seaglide Fragments and build a Seaglide to increase your speed and exploration range
- Locate the other Lifepods for extra provisions and even a full Radiation Suit - the Lifepod's Radio will send you messages where they are located, assuming you've repaired it.
- Find the Multipurpose Room fragments from the Degasi Seabases.
- Build a Seabase to store your inventory, grow food and have access to more tools than the Lifepod provides. You can build Waterproof Lockers as temporary storage (should you need it)
- Explore Wrecks for Fragments and supplies; most of the more advanced equipment and technology you will want, can be found in these locations
- Build a Mobile Vehicle Bay and a Seamoth; so you can easily explore deeper waters and other biomes farther away from the Lifepod (requires you have found the blueprints in the appropriate wrecks first)
- Build a Cyclops as your mobile base (requires you have found the blueprints in the appropriate biomes first)
- Explore alien bases to progress in the story.
- Explore the wreckage of the Aurora (requires a Radiation Suit) WARNING: There are very dangerous creatures around the Aurora, so be careful!
- During exploration of the Aurora, you can find all fragments of the Prawn Suit. You can use it to build the Prawn Suit for exploring deeper Biomes or for mining Large Resource Deposits.
While you can play the game at your own pace, the game will direct you towards certain story events that need to be completed in order for you to progress further and eventually escape the planet. These events can be completed at any time, but will oftentimes steer you to new locations and require you to have found certain items (whether it be a vehicle that can go deep enough, or various keys) to access them.
Good luck!
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