PDA

The PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), also known as a Survival PDA, is a multipurpose device that the player keeps with them at all times.

The PDA currently has five tabs that have different uses. They are:

• The Inventory Tab: Includes Storage with 48 item slots on the left and a Paperdoll UI with Equipment slots on the right.
• The Blueprints Tab: Displays all currently unlocked Blueprints along with their recipes.
• The Log Tab: Contains all the text and voice messages that the player receives.
• The Gallery Tab: Displays all the pictures the player has taken using the F11 key. These pictures can be put in Picture Frames.
• The Data Bank Tab: A tab that contains an encyclopedia of things the player encounters, such as Fauna and Data Downloads.

By default, the player can access the PDA by pressing the TAB key.

Abandoned PDAs can be found inside Abandoned Seabases, the Aurora, around Destroyed Lifepods, and inside certain Wrecks.

Log messages (WIP)

PDA bootup sequence:

• Greetings Survivor, great job not dying! To assist your further survival in emergency situations you have been issued this Personal Digital Assistant, the interface visible now,will organize inventory, display currently available construction blueprints and other valuable data, please take a moment to familiarize yourself with it.

Day 1:

• Environmental analysis complete. Zero clean sources detected. High priority: find means to purify drinking water.
• Your vital signs and environment are being monitored, and advice will be issued as necessary. For more information see the survival booklet (WIP).
• You have been equipped with environmentally appropriate clothing and a PDA preloaded with this survival program.
• Your lifepod should be equipped with a storage locker containing some basic survival equipment.
• Status report. Catastrophic hull failure occurred during Aurora descent. Cause unknown. No survivors detected.

(Note:These are taken from game files, not all are in the game yet, even experimental)

Construction:

• When constructing Bioreactor-"A reliable power source is a crucial step toward self-sufficiency. If you are not already, consider keeping a photo-journal of your achievements to remind you how far you've come since washing up here.".
• When constructing Nuclear Reactor-"Exercise caution when handling radioactive materials. In the event of exposure, there is a risk that at the data on your PDA recording the circumstances of your death will be permanently erased".
• When constructing an Observatory-"Unless constructed with a specific research task in mind, observatories and other glass modules are imprudent for survival purposes.

Tools and Crafting:

• Builder-"The builder is designed to construct habitats capable of withstanding extreme environmental conditions."
• Bleach-"Bleach is an essential chemical used for cleaning wounds and purifying water."
• Disinfected Water-"Preparing the day's water ration, ahead of time, will help ensure against dehydration, and eventual death."
• Cooked Peeper-"The fabricator cooks small organisms, while disposing of the skeletal structure, bodily fluids and internal organs, thus rendering them safe for human consumption"
• Scanner-"The handheld spectroscope scanner can be used to synthesize blueprints from salvaged technology, and to record alien biological data.",

Environment:

• When entering Dunes-"Detecting multiple Leviathan class predators in this region. Are you sure whatever you are doing is worth it?"
• When entering Underwater Islands-" Erosion patterns on the landmasses suspended here suggest they once floated on the surface"
• When entering a complex cave in the Kelp Forest-"The most common complication for cave divers is asphyxiation after becoming lost or trapped. Just so you know."
• When entering the Mushroom Forest-"The biomass in this area is dominated by plantlife. Picking up faint Alterra technology signatures."
• Entering a Safe Shallows Cave-"Cave systems pose substantial drowning risk. Consider fabricating additional air tanks."
• When entering Kelp Forest-"Life on this planet grows in unusually distinct and diverse ecological biomes. Further study recommended."
• When entering the Grassy Plateaus-"Short range scans suggest this grassy biome supports extensive biodiversity both above and below the surface."
• When entering the Jelly Mushroom Caves-"The conditions in this cave may support a microcosm of unique, possibly predatory lifeforms. Try to counter unanticipated threats by anticipating them"
• When entering a Mushroom Forest cave-"You are currently inside a long-calcified root system. Evidence suggests it was eaten away by other lifeforms over many centuries to form these natural caves."
• When entering Koosh Zone-"Detecting volcanic activity, and several unusual electromagnetic signatures in the region. Exercise caution when diving deeper"
• When entering the Floating Island-"Picking up multiple faint energy signatures on the surface of the island"
• When entering Mountains-"Detecting massive energy signature in the region. Cannot identify."
• When entering Mountain Caves-"Local scans indicate an abundance of mineral deposits in this area"
• When entering Sparse Reef-"Biodiversity in this region is unusually low. Cause unknown"
• When entering the Sea Treader's Path-"Damage to plantlife on the seafloor suggests this may be the migration path of a huge, bottom-dwelling lifeform".
• When entering Blood Kelp Zone-"This ecological biome matches 7 of the 9 preconditions of being objectively creepy."
• When entering Deep Grand Reef-"Detecting a titanium mass somewhere in this area. Unable to confirm whether it originated on the Aurora."
• When entering Lost River-"Terrain scans indicate this biome contains unusually high concentrations of organic and fossilized remains".

Aurora

• When entering the Aurora Drive Room-"Warning: local radiation at maximum tolerable level"
• Upon exploration of Aurora(In order of being received)-"Warning: ship's structural integrity is low. Exploration is not advised." "Detecting an extended debris field." "Caution: the digestive tracts of nearby lifeforms contain trace human tissues." "Systems are running on local reserve power. Unable to remotely download black box data." "Assessing internal damage. Damage pattern does not match any known offensive technology." "The drive core shielding sustained moderate internal damage during collision. Do not attempt repair without appropriate qualifications"

Vehicles:

• When constructing a Seamoth-""While the seamoth submersible is a fast, safe mode of transport, try to continue to meet your recommended weekly exercise quotient. Swimming is fantastic for your glutes and endorphin levels."
• When constructing a P.R.A.W.N Suit-"It is normal when first piloting a PRAWN suit to feel a sense of limitless power at your fingertips. Professional PRAWN operators receive weeks of training to counteract this phenomenon. You will have to try not to let it go to your head."
• When constructing a Cyclops-"Warning: the cyclops is designed to be operated by a three-person crew. Only experienced helms-people should attempt to pilot this vehicle solo."
• When constructing a Seaglide-"The seaglide will increase your effective exploration range. For your safety please pack supplies for long journeys, and always stay within 5km of the nearest lifepod or habitat."

Misc:

• When grabbing a Bladderfish-"Alien lifeforms may have unexpected characteristics and applications. Utilizing alien resources is a proven survival strategy. Good job."
• When grabbing copper-"Copper is an essential component of all powered equipment. Your probability of survival has just increased by 11%."

Future:

• There will be a message when entering the ring room in the Aurora.
• There will be a message when you discover the huge mushroom tree.

Paperdoll User Interface

The Paperdoll UI provides slots to place certain equipment onto the player. The available equipment slots are a head slot, a body slot, a feet slot, a hands slot, a tank slot, and two chip slots. This system allows the player to choose between different equipment and the effects they have on the player. The following equipment will only give the player their effects when equipped to its corresponding slot.

Image	Name	Description	Placement Slot
	Radiation Helmet	Partial protection from Radiation	Head Slot
	Rebreather	Ignore depth and environment breathing effects	Head Slot
	Dive Suit	Basic diving suit	Body Slot
	Radiation Suit	Partial protection from radiation	Body Slot
	Reinforced Dive Suit	Dive suit that provides 50% physical protection	Body Slot
File:Still Suit.png	Stillsuit	Produces Reclaimed Water to conserve Water	Body Slot
	Fins	Increases swimming speed	Feet Slot
	Swim Charge Fins	Charges your held Tool while you swim	Feet Slot
	Ultra Glide Fins	Greatly increases swimming speed	Feet Slot
	Radiation Gloves	Partial protection from radiation	Hand Slot
	Compass	Displays the cardinal directions on the HUD	Chip Slot
	Scanner Room HUD Chip	Displays Scanner Room data on the player's HUD	Chip Slot
	Signal	Signal of a land mass, caves entrances, a large organic mass or a heat signature.	Chip Slot
	Thermometer	Displays temperature information on the HUD	Chip Slot
	O₂ Tank	Gives the player 60 seconds of Oxygen	Tank Slot
	High Capacity Tank	Gives the player 120 seconds of Oxygen	Tank Slot
	Plasteel Tank	Gives the player 60 seconds of Oxygen with a reduced weight	Tank Slot

Data Bank Entry

If you are reading this, then you have survived an emergency evacuation of a capital-class ship equipped with Alterra technology. Congratulations: the hard part is over. Your PDA has automatically rebooted in Emergency Mode. This operating system has one purpose: to keep you alive. If that is not possible it will alert salvage teams to the location of your remains. It features: Full monitoring of vital signs for timely survival advice Blueprints for fabricating a range of essential survival equipment Onboard camera, microphone and OCR technology for short-range situational analysis Cross-compatibility with all Alterra-compliant products Follow its directions and we will bring you home alive. NB Your personal and work files have been encrypted and may be retrieved at a later date by a licensed engineer.

Gallery

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  The PDA Inventory tab and PaperDoll UI.

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  The "Blueprints" tab on the PDA.

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  The "Log" tab on the PDA.

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  The "Pictures" Tab on the PDA.

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  The Encyclopedia tab, with Gasopod data

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  Early PDA concept art