by akkamaddi » Tue Aug 15, 2017 9:17 pm
One way to read this would dismiss EmeraldPlay's concern, if I read this correctly, is that the sub is "on rails". It sounds like you feed the sub plorts for fuel to "keep going", but you are not going anywhere specific, just "keep going".
Think of it this way: Entering the "short range teleporter" that sends you to the sub docked by your Ranch actually sends you to what is effectively a small non-contiguous new map, like the vaults, that may even be randomly generated. Think of it as "You found a safe/interesting spot". You can float about, sucking up things, spitting out things you don't need. Eventually you take the option "Return", which takes you back to the Ranch, or feed some plorts and "Go Further", which has a transition screen while a new small region is created and 12 or 24 hours (or some pseudo-random amount) on the clock advances. You can then float about, deciding what you want, and then either return or "go further".
So, to EmeraldPlay, the Slime Sea would still be a barrier because you are not actually traveling on the main map. You are just progressing through small randomly generated micro-maps that do not directly connect to the main map.
There could be rare new resources or treasure pods with slime science blueprints on specific "depth" ("levels"). Aquatic slimes could also start appearing after specific depths. Also, to zm78's idea of "a far away land", once you cross different depth regions, the Return could give you the option of "Return to ranch" or, say, after depth 3 you've gone far enough you also get the option of "Surface at The Wilds", and after depth 5 you get the third option of "Surface at Volcanic Ruins". Essentially, it mimics travel in that if you progress far enough, the Return option starts giving you different locations, be they existing or completely new locations.