Less Colonist References
Subnautica 2 really misses isolation, and I think that’s because of the constant voice logs and references to the past colonists. Maybe tune it down a little, remove some bases (as they take all the amazing space to make my own), and lower the amount of voice logs. I hope this isn’t too much to ask, but the game is still GREAT!
From someone in the disagree camp:
The bases are a natural way for players to progress through the tech tree, They also seem to form a part of the story. The bases transition from simple sets of corridors to a few rooms to a multistory base, This might show the progression of the team from reprint to reprint as they eventually became established, The consecutive discovery of the bases also allows for the story to unfold more slowly. I suppose one solution would be to make the map larger and spread things apart more, but then there is a lot more time spent travelling. The current density also has the advantage that you can pretty much always see a new destination from any other. This helps with progression, as you are naturally drawn from place to place.
As to the voice logs (broken tablets and other pieces of environmental storytelling), many engage with a game like this primarily as a form of storytelling. The devs have laid out an interesting premise and start to the story. Each of the voice logs contributes to that central story. I am intrigued as to where they are taking us. I do hope they continue to keep the voice logs focused on the central story (even if from different perspectives - we are getting some of the tailings perspective). The previous entry in the franchise felt like it had too many stories running at once that were only tangentially connected with many of the side stories seemingly inconsequential to the main plot. And the two main stories overlapped in a very awkward way. The new entry feels more like the first to me as far as how streamlined the story is.
As to the isolation, like you, I like the solitary experience of the first entry, but I think they are doing a decent job of maintaining that. So far at least, the only entities the player/character talks to directly are NOA and the PDA, both forms of artificial intelligence. And I’m not sure about you, but I don’t trust NOA.
Those who want to engage more with the resource gathering/crafting/base building side can ignore the story. In the same way, people who are more interested in the story will probably ignore much of the resource gathering/crafting/base building side (I’m not sure if the devs keep stats, but I suspect that a non-trivial percent of players have never built a bed or a poster). Part of the reason there are a lot more YouTube videos at this point on base building than on the lore is that the lore is caught in limbo, so people are excited about the parts of the game that they can continue to engage with in new ways.
For your consideration
comment above makes sense, but it still feels excessive. I really just want to feel .. alone, like no one has ever seen this place before. that’s what’s great about Subnautica