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Survival

Oxygen & Survival Fundamentals

Oxygen Management

TL;DR Quick Summary
  • Oxygen Management
  • Food & Water Systems
  • Health & Damage
  • Temperature & Depth Hazards
  • Sustainable Survival Setup

Oxygen is your most critical resource. Without it, you have seconds to live. Understanding how to manage and extend your oxygen supply is the difference between life and death.

Oxygen Tank Upgrades

Tank TypeO2 CapacityHow to Obtain
Standard O2 Tank75 secondsCrafted at fabricator (Titanium x2)
High Capacity O2 Tank135 secondsBlueprint from data boxes
Ultra High Capacity Tank225 secondsModification station upgrade

Oxygen Conservation Tips

  • Swim efficiently: Avoid sprinting unless necessary. Sprint drains O2 faster.
  • Use air pockets: Caves and certain structures have breathable air.
  • Plan your route: Always know the fastest way back to surface or base.
  • Rebreather: Reduces O2 consumption at extreme depths. Essential for deep diving.
  • Vehicle oxygen: Vehicles provide unlimited O2 while inside. Park strategically.
Drowning Warning

When O2 reaches 0, you have approximately 5 seconds before death. Always keep an eye on your meter and surface with at least 20 seconds remaining as a safety buffer.

Food & Water Systems

Early Game Food Sources

Food SourceFood ValueLocation
Peepers+32Shallow areas, very common
Garryfish+42Grassy areas, day time
Holefish+28Near caves and rocky areas
Creepvine Samples+15Creepvine forests

Water Sources

Water is more critical than food. Dehydration kills faster than starvation.

  • Bladderfish: Catch near surface. Turn into Bladderfish Water at fabricator.
  • Disinfected Water: Crafted from salt + coral tube sample.
  • Water Filtration Machine: Base module for unlimited water. Priority build.

Best Food & Water Strategy

  1. Early game: Catch bladderfish for water, peepers for food.
  2. Mid game: Build water filtration machine + indoor growbeds for sustainable food.
  3. Late game: Marblemelons and Chinese potatoes from growbeds are the most efficient.
Pro Tip

Build an indoor growbed as soon as you have a base. Plant Marblemelons โ€” each plant gives 4 fruits that provide both Food and Water, making them the most efficient survival crop.

Health & Damage

Taking Damage

Your health bar depletes from:

  • Creature attacks: Varies by creature size and aggression.
  • Drowning: Rapid health loss when O2 depletes.
  • Environmental hazards: Heat, radiation, crushing depth.
  • Starvation/Dehydration: Slow health drain when needs are at 0.

Healing Methods

MethodHealingNotes
First Aid Kit+50 HPCrafted at fabricator. Carry 2-3 at all times.
Medkit Fabricator+50 HPBase module. Auto-generates medkits slowly.
Regen bedFull healAdvanced base module. Sleep to fully heal.
Food+5 to +15Small heal from eating cooked food.

Temperature & Depth Hazards

Depth Pressure

Going too deep without proper equipment causes damage:

  • 0-100m: Safe for unprotected diving.
  • 100-200m: Need reinforced diving suit or vehicle.
  • 200m+: Requires vehicle with depth module or special suit upgrades.

Thermal Hazards

Some biomes have extreme temperatures:

  • Thermal Vents: Can cause burn damage. Approach with caution.
  • Lava Zones: Require reinforced suit or vehicle shielding.
  • Cold Depths: Some deep areas drain body heat. Carry warming items.

Sustainable Survival Setup

Once you have a base, set up these systems for indefinite survival:

  1. Power: Solar near surface, thermal near vents, bioreactor as backup.
  2. Water: Water Filtration Machine (requires power).
  3. Food: Indoor growbeds with Marblemelons + Exterior growbeds for creepvine.
  4. Healing: Medkit fabricator or keep first aid kits in storage.
  5. O2: Base provides unlimited oxygen. Build multiple bases for exploration.
Pro Tip

Build small outpost bases at strategic depths (100m, 200m, 300m+) with just a multipurpose room, solar panel, and hatch. These serve as safe oxygen refuel stations during deep exploration.