User blog:Zoopster/Miscellaneous Tips

ROUTES TO THE LOST RIVER

·         Northern route (Underwater Islands ) is the best. Approximately 1000m west of the Quarantine Enforcement Platform. Cave entrance is just south of the wreckage of Lifepod 2. This route has the fewest enemies, is fairly navigable in the Cyclops, and is rich with drillable ore essential for upgrades (gold , silver , copper , uraninite , lead, and more ) as well as plenty of minerals and gems you can just pick up from the sea floor. Also offers the most direct route to the Giant Cove Tree. A ghost leviathan patrols in the main chamber but can be safely bypassed in Seamoth or Prawn Suit if you stay to the left hand side going in. It may notice your Cyclops though, so a Cyclops Shield Generator is a good idea.

·         Southern route (Deep Grand Reef ) is second best, since it features the wreckage of a Degasi survivor base where you can scan the Alien Containment, as well as the Orange tablet. Watch out for numerous crabsquid in this area though. Entrance located directly beneath the southern floating island. Moderately navigable with the Cyclops, but very dark. Sonar is recommended.

·         Western route (Blood Kelp Trench ) is the most treacherous. Very low light conditions, hard to get back out of in the Prawn Suit due to the sheer cliffs, extremely difficult to navigate with the Cyclops. Also easy to get turned around; the compass is a must here. However, it also offers the most direct route to the alien lab, where the Orange tablet you found in the Degasi base mentioned above can be used to gain access.

STRAIGHT TO THE INACTIVE LAVA ZONE

There lies a more or less direct route to the Inactive Lava Zone with the entrance about 900m east of the Quarantine Enforcement Platform, in the Bulb Zone. Large cave system easily traversed with the Cyclops, but extremely dark (sonar is a must here). There is a ghost leviathan about halfway down the tunnel that can't be avoided, so a Cyclops Shield Generator is also highly recommended. Has several thermal vents along the way as well, in case your Cyclops (or Prawn Suit ) is equipped with the Thermal Reactor and needs a quick recharge.

There is a kind of alcove near the bottom with a lava pool ideal for constructing a small thermally-powered base. However, be wary. A sea dragon leviathan patrols in the next area, and once you emerge from the alcove (no matter what vehicle you’re in) it WILL spot you.

[EDIT]: This tunnel actually splits into two paths. The passage that takes you to the Inactive Lava Zone is the one leading down. However if you continue to take the tunnel straight ahead, you will encounter another ghost leviathan, and in the next chamber after him will be the Disease Research Facility. So, this passage turns out to be a fourth way to get to the Lost River as well.

IN CASE YOU LOSE YOUR RIDE...

In deep places like the Lost River and Inactive Lava Zone it's possible your vehicle could run out of power, or be destroyed by natural hazards or creature attacks. If that happens you can reduce the chance of being marooned far from the surface by planting external growbeds with a combination of Brain Coral (which periodically puts out bubbles of air that restore your oxygen tank) and Creepvine (to make them easier to spot from a distance) in various places as an “escape route” back to the surface. If spaced properly, and you have an adequately charged Seaglide, you can swim back to the surface from even the deepest places without a vehicle, by hopping through these "waystations" replenishing your oxygen as you go. If you have the Ultra High Capacity Tank then you will have almost 4 minutes of breathable air, so plan the spacing of your growbed locations accordingly. You will also want to construct them in relatively "safe" areas, since you will likely have to spend at least a minute or two over each one, replenishing your air tank before moving on.

Alternatively if you lose your vehicle in the Inactive Lava Zone, make for the Lava Castle. Specifically, the Alien Thermal Plant inside. With a Seaglide you should be able to get to it before your air tank runs out no matter where in the region you happen to be (mark the entrance with a beacon if needed). The facility has air inside as well as an Alien Arch  that you can use to teleport to the Quarantine Enforcement Platform on the northern floating island. From there it's an easy swim to the surface, or you can just walk out the front door provided you disabled the forcefield with the Purple tablet.

'''BEACONS? SURE.'''

You ever try dropping a beacon in a somewhat unsafe area, and have trouble typing a label for it while enduring unsafe temperatures or creature attacks? Try this instead. Drop it first in a "safe" area, rename it there, then pick it up again. When you drop it again in the area you really want to put it, it will still have the name you gave it earlier.

Just be careful if you plan to deploy more than one in a single trip. Your custom name doesn't appear on the object while it’s in your inventory, so it's possible you may drop the wrong one. To reduce confusion, keep the first one you want to drop in your own inventory, and the other(s) in your vehicle storage.

Happy exploring!