Suggestions for the next update:
Replace the ambient sound while driving the Tadpole. I’m not referring to the vehicle’s engine itself, but to the constant background chime sound that plays while you’re inside it. It sounds more like Christmas bells than underwater ambience, and it becomes quite tiring after listening to it for a while.
Add a light switch for every base module. Why can’t I turn off the lights in individual rooms to save on the electricity bill? It would also improve immersion and let players customize the atmosphere of their bases. Add craftable motion sensors for base lighting. Players could place them on doorways, stairways, and other entrances so that the lights in each base module turn on automatically when someone enters and switch off again after about two minutes. This would make bases feel more alive while also helping with power management.
The exterior floodlights for bases don’t feel right. They don’t illuminate the surroundings very well, but they create a lot of glare. The very bluish color is also quite harsh on the eyes. I would suggest using a warmer lighting style similar to the one in Subnautica 1—bright enough to illuminate the area effectively without blinding the player.
Remove the red boundary walls and replace them with an audio warning, like in previous Subnautica games. Even in Early Access, this would feel much more immersive than an invisible red barrier.
Add all the decorative items found in abandoned bases for players to build, including the shower, bar, and other furniture. Also miss having a Water Filtration Machine. It was one of the most useful and satisfying late-game base modules in the original Subnautica. Bringing it back would give players a reliable long-term source of clean water and make permanent bases feel more self-sufficient.
Fish are far too easy to catch. I think the original Subnautica mechanic should return: fish should be difficult to catch during the day but much easier at night. To balance this, predators should become much more aggressive at night and more sluggish during the day.
Make some Leviathans roam the entire map instead of staying in fixed territories. In all three Subnautica games, Leviathans tend to remain in the same areas, making their behavior predictable over time. It would be much more exciting if one or two Leviathans could patrol the map randomly, creating unexpected encounters and making every expedition feel more tense and unpredictable.
Limit power transmitters to 25 units/second of bandwidth and allow no more than two generators per transmission line. Personally, I would even prefer limiting each transmission line to a single power source.
The Tadpole’s Solar Charging Upgrade charges too quickly. I would reduce its charging speed by about half. It should recharge while stationary or moving slowly, but at the same time its energy consumption at top speed should be reduced so it drains much more slowly.
Add a water turbidity option in the settings menu with two presets: Normal and Murky. This would let players choose between better visibility or a darker, more atmospheric underwater experience.
Thalassophobia is essential. The fear of the unknown is one of the things that many Subnautica fans love most. The game should continue to embrace that feeling of venturing into deep, dark waters where you never know what might be waiting for you.