Can You Disable the Gun Before the Sunbeam Arrives in Subnautica?
The short answer is: yes, technically, you can disable the Quarantine Enforcement Platform’s gun before the Sunbeam arrives, but it’s incredibly unlikely and not how the game is intended to be played. Successfully achieving this feat requires an incredibly fast and specific sequence of actions, essentially a speedrun, pushing the boundaries of the game’s intended progression. This article dives into the details, exploring what happens if you do, and answers frequently asked questions regarding the Quarantine Enforcement Platform and the rescue attempt.
The Quarantine Enforcement Platform: A Deadly Barrier
The Quarantine Enforcement Platform is the imposing alien structure on Mountain Island, responsible for the destruction of the Aurora, the Degasi, and ultimately, the Sunbeam. This massive structure is equipped with a powerful energy beam cannon designed to prevent anything from leaving or entering the planet, enforcing a quarantine due to the Kharaa Bacterium outbreak. This gun is the direct obstacle preventing the Sunbeam from landing and rescuing the player.
The Intended Sequence: Curing the Kharaa Bacterium
The game’s narrative and mechanics are designed in such a way that the player cannot deactivate the gun until they have cured themselves of the Kharaa Bacterium. The process of finding the cure is the primary driver of the game’s storyline. Curing yourself involves a long journey to other alien structures, research, and the hatching of the Sea Emperor’s eggs.
This curing process is intentionally placed towards the late-game, ensuring the player experiences a significant portion of the narrative and exploration before having the ability to disable the platform. Attempting to deactivate the gun before the cure is developed is met with failure as the platform’s internal controls will deny the player’s request due to their infection status.
Beating the Clock: Speedrunning the Cure
To disable the Quarantine Enforcement Platform before the Sunbeam arrives, you would need to achieve the steps of game completion exceptionally quickly. This would involve skipping a lot of the exploration and story elements and aiming directly for the critical resources to achieve the cure. Even with perfect execution, this is a challenging task and relies heavily on game knowledge and highly optimized gameplay.
What Happens If You Deactivate the Gun Prematurely?
If, against the odds, you manage to trigger the events to cure yourself and deactivate the gun before the Sunbeam makes contact, the game has a failsafe in place. Although the gun is offline, the Sunbeam still cannot land. This is because the game recognizes the significant amount of debris orbiting the planet. This debris field, created by the destruction of the Aurora, is not cleared when the gun is deactivated early. Thus, the Sunbeam’s crew, while avoiding being shot down, will communicate they are unable to land due to the debris and will send a message to Alterra requesting your rescue; a message that will not result in your immediate rescue. Essentially, the game provides a way to disable the gun early, but prevents it from having its intended effect due to the debris field.
FAQ: Understanding the Quarantine Enforcement Platform and the Sunbeam
Here are some frequently asked questions related to the Quarantine Enforcement Platform and the Sunbeam, expanding on key concepts:
1. How does the Quarantine Enforcement Platform work?
The Quarantine Enforcement Platform uses a powerful energy beam to destroy any vessels attempting to enter or leave Planet 4546B. This is a measure put in place by the ancient alien civilization to contain the Kharaa Bacterium. The beam was responsible for disabling both the Aurora and the Degasi before their crashes on the planet.
2. Why did the Aurora crash?
The Aurora was struck by an energy pulse from the Quarantine Enforcement Platform during a gravity slingshot maneuver around Planet 4546B. This caused significant damage to its hull, leading to a crash landing on the planet.
3. Why did the Sunbeam get shot down?
The Sunbeam was targeted and destroyed by the Quarantine Enforcement Platform’s energy beam as it approached the landing zone on Mountain Island. This was an attempt by the platform to prevent any contact with the infected planet.
4. Can you enter the Aurora before it explodes?
No, the Aurora is sealed off and inaccessible before the explosion event. It is only after the explosion that you can explore the ship via its damaged hull.
5. What happens if the Sunbeam arrives?
The Sunbeam will give you a 40-minute countdown before its arrival and provide landing coordinates. Upon arrival, it will be destroyed by the Quarantine Enforcement Platform.
6. What do you do after the Sunbeam is shot down?
After the Sunbeam is destroyed, you need to explore the alien structure on Mountain Island. This will lead you on the path to finding a cure for the Kharaa Bacterium, the next stage of the game. The deep grand reef Degasi base area and the alien facility in the green river area can also be explored to help.
7. What is the Kharaa Bacterium?
The Kharaa Bacterium is an alien virus that infects life on Planet 4546B. It’s the reason behind the quarantine and, ultimately, what you must cure to progress in the game.
8. Can you avoid getting infected by the Kharaa Bacterium?
No, you will be infected from the start. You can reduce the level of visual infection by knowing the spoilers, but that is not intended for a first playthrough.
9. How do you get rid of the Quarantine Enforcement Platform?
You need to cure yourself of the Kharaa Bacterium first before you can use the terminal inside the structure to disable the platform.
10. What happens if you try to disable the platform before curing the Kharaa Bacterium?
If you attempt to disable the Quarantine Enforcement Platform before curing yourself, your request will be denied. The internal controls of the platform will reject your command.
11. Are there weapons in Subnautica?
Subnautica does not feature conventional lethal weapons. Instead, the game emphasizes survival, exploration, and evasion. You are provided with tools like the Propulsion Cannon to push away creatures, but not to directly kill them.
12. Can you kill Leviathans?
While you cannot outright kill Leviathans with traditional weapons, you can use the Prawn Suit’s Grapple Arm and Drill Arm to defeat them. Additionally, a set of torpedoes can potentially defeat a Reaper if deployed correctly. The Repulsion Cannon can also repel Leviathans.
13. Can you outrun a Ghost Leviathan in a Seamoth?
It depends on the distance. A Seamoth can outrun a Ghost Leviathan if the Leviathan is far enough away. However, if they are close behind, your chances are very low.
14. What is the Sunbeam’s purpose in the game?
The Sunbeam’s purpose is to serve as a rescue attempt from the player. Although it tragically fails in its mission, the Sunbeam storyline is a significant plot device within Subnautica.
15. How does Subnautica end?
After curing the Kharaa Bacterium, the player disables the Quarantine Enforcement Platform and launches a rocket to escape the planet. The game implies that you have successfully escaped but the story ends with Bart’s log entry stating that he will most likely succumb to Kharaa.
Conclusion
While it’s technically possible to disable the Quarantine Enforcement Platform’s gun before the Sunbeam arrives, it requires a near-perfect speedrun and a deep understanding of the game’s mechanics. The game is designed to ensure that this rarely happens. Furthermore, even if successful, the Sunbeam cannot land due to the debris field, so the ultimate outcome is the same, highlighting the need to follow the intended progression and story of Subnautica. The Quarantine Enforcement Platform remains a challenging and critical element of Subnautica, shaping much of the player’s experience.