Zonar

Sunless Sea
1

So how useful are people finding zonar? I know I spam scouting bats when on the surface, but I’m not sure the zonar returns the sort of useful things bats do. Bats give me a target on my map I can steer towards, zonar seems to only show me things on-screen. I’m wondering if there’s really any advantage to keeping it on at all?

I suspect my second thought on zonar simply isn’t relevant but here it is. In real life one does not just ping the surrounding world, pinging is loud and Very noticeable. (when ships in port conduct pinging tests you can’t sleep aboard from the noise, it’s REALLY LOUD) I have not yet gotten the impression that the game homes enemies in on your zonar pings but I simply cannot shake old habits. One simply Does Not go around with active sonar on, that’s nuts.

I’m pretty sure I’m over-interpreting. But if people have impressions about encounter rates with zonar on versus off I’d love to hear them.

Oh, and I ought to add, I’ve limped back into Pigmote Island with under 30 hull twice now since zubmariner came out – and I haven’t done that in months of SS play prior. I am 100% certain something is about to kill me dead Real Soon Now.

(and I’m loving it!)

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edited by absimiliard on 10/12/2016

2

Zonar does tell you if there’s an underwater settlement within the bat range. Occasionally. I’m not 100% certain how it works.
edited by suinicide on 10/12/2016

3

I’m not on a new map alas, so I saw the settlement markers on my map already – for places far from my zonar as well. (though it doesn’t put the name of the settlement down until you find it your map does have the marker for it, like with lightships, same marker)

I’m still figuring out the zonar as well. That’s why I’m hoping to hear more input and experiences with it.

4

It does ping things a bit outside your screen, but not much - and good luck figuring out which way the ping came from. I haven’t noticed any reaction from enemies to being hit by my zonar.

Also, I feel like my bat’s range has greatly decreased with Zubmariner, but I also switched from my usual windowed mode to fullscreen, so it might just be in my head and sizes/distances feeling off because of the bigger screen.

5

I’m not too bothered by how the zonar works, but I would like to see it affect enemies’ capability of spotting you like your lamp does on the surface.

This would also open the opportunity to add new buyable zonars (new slot of course) similar to lamps which might give +veils for example.