A simple guide to making the Cyclops as self-sustaining as possible.
Foreword
Despite its flaws, Subnautica remains one of the best submersible games of recent years. However, despite offering a spectacular submersible in the Cyclops, it provides a battery bank instead of a generator and only supports one mode of charging natively. The intent, of course, is that the player is not supposed to abandon his bases and live eternally on the move.
A few mods agree with me that this intent can stuff itself. But that leaves the question: what does it take to make a self-sustaining Cyclops without mods?
In practical terms, you’re best off with at least one large base, backup power cells, and a weather eye on the power gauge to go back to where thermal and nuclear power can take care of all your worries.
But maybe you aren’t interested in practicality.
The Locker
Place in your Cyclops one reasonably out of the way wall locker, probably high up on the wall near the hatch. This locker should contain
- 13* titanium
- 1 quartz
- 2 rubies
- 1 lubricant
- 1 wiring kit
- 1 advanced wiring kit
*You can get by with 11 titanium if you also dismantle the locker itself in removing supplies
Do not touch this locker unless you are making camp. These are emergency supplies, to be available when you need them in an emergency.
You will also need
- A habitat builder
- A battery charger
- A growbed* with plants**
*I recommend planters over growbeds. It’s easier to put four planters in out of the way places than to eat up a big chunk of floor with one growbed.
**At least one bulbo tree is highly recommended.
Making Camp
The camp is a small base designed for a single purpose: refueling cyclops power cells. The Locker supplies are used to build:
- Multipurpose room
- Hatch
- Bioreactor
- Power Cell Charger
At any depth, this base will have positive integrity. No reinforcement is required. But let’s talk about the design choices.
Why a bioreactor? It’s the only power source that fits. Solar is laughably limited. Thermal is similarly restricted, and the cyclops likely has access to thermal power of its own. The only other option is nuclear, which is a long-term power source not appropriate to a camp that will be torn down and shoved back into a locker in a matter of minutes.
Why only one cell charger? Because of the bioreactor’s small power output, only one cell charger is needed. Adding more chargers won’t help speed up things.
Why only one room? Adding a second multipurpose room, bioreactor, and cell charger would add 20 slots to the camp size. It would no longer fit in a single wall locker. The idea here is to have a small, unobtrusive, quick-build structure that you can plop down and pick up when you’re done with it.
What’s the point? If something happens and you run out of power 500 meters from base, do you want to swim home or have a recharge option where you are?
Credit to: Ryvaken Tadrya