Balance for Food & Water Biomods

Squeakings! As of the 1.1 Adaptive Measures update, once we have unlocked all 5 passive biomod slots, we are able to equip all 4 of the food & water biomods, which together give you an infinite source of food & water. We do not have to equip all 4 of these, but with how it completely trivializes the need to collect food & water and even use up more inventory slots for extra food & water, it feels almost silly not to. And if we were to increase base food/water loss rates, it would make the food & water problem in the early game even more challenging than it already is.

I propose a simple solution: decrease the amount of food & water we acquire from the water packet & algae block. By making this change, the early game struggle would remain, but then there would be a sense of satisfaction in not needing to collect food as often as before once these biomods are combined. Yet, there would still be a survival instinct that kicks since your food & water still deplete, just at a slower rate.

If we do NOT make this change, then I feel like the rest of the game afterwards will be akin to Freedom Mode in previous Subnautica games, where food & water are simply not a factor of concern at all. It would also, I feel, make obsolete any new additions of food & drinks made in future updates, since there would be no real need for them.

This may fix itself with the addition of more passive biomod options, however. If newer options are more enticing, then I and others may feel inclined to sacrifice some or all of the food & water biomods in favor of more helpful options. If the new biomods are not all that enticing, though, then many people may feel as though the new biomods are not worth even trying, which is one of the problems many people currently find with how useful the Dash biomod is compared to the other active biomods. So, then, this change may promote more build diversity in the biomod options people choose to equip, while not making the combination of all 4 food & water biomods obsolete nor essential.

I know this may not be a super popular suggestion (or maybe it will be!), but I am interested in hearing others’ thoughts on why this change should or shouldn’t be made.