Overview
Simple navigation in Stranded Deep.
How to Navigate and How to find your way home if lost at sea:
I made up a standard map to use in Stranded Deep. Shown is 2 versions of the map.
Islands are numbered 1 to 25 with north at the top.
Map shows the compass bearing to steer to get to other islands.
The A4 sheet to the right shows island details for that particular map seed.
If you use a different map seed then just replace the sheet with a blank sheet & start recording each islands details again.
If you have not found a compass yet then use the following method.
The yellow rubber dinghy has 8 sides so 2 sides away from a point of reference is 90 degrees.
4 sides away is 180 degrees. 1 side away is 45 degrees.
Use sunrise to set southeast, sunset to set northwest. (unnatural but that is the game).
Also I think you find a compass on one of the 7 islands surrounding the center spawn island.
I have noticed this after playing several games.
Throw a spear into sand to point to previous island or wherever & also to indicate that you have
previously visited that island.
You spawn at center island, island 13.
For your information & to get your bearings as soon as you arrive on center island 13:
The dinghy spawn point is always northwest of the center spawn island so row straight for the center of the spawn island observing roughly where the origin of the raft was. If you look back where the raft originated from then this is northwest. Next island clockwise is north, next island clockwise is northeast, next island clockwise is east, etc around the island. Dont forget you can still use the sides of the 8 sided rubber dinghy – each side represents 45 degrees.
(I spent 25 years in the navy navigating).
HOW NOT TO GET LOST IN STRANDED DEEP:
Whilst on your home island save & exit the game
then go to cartographer & you will see your home island highlighted.
Now you know where your home island is.
If you get lost at sea, go to nearest island & craft a shelter
then save & exit the game
then go to cartographer & you will see which island you are currently on
& you can get an idea which direction to take to your home island.
In this game the sun rises in the southeast & sets in the northwest which
is completely unnatural but that is how the game is.
If the sun rises in the southeast you would be in the northern hemisphere
& the sun would have to set in the southwest.
Also it would be much easier for players if the map was orientated to standard
convention with north at the top, south at the bottom etc.
I have noticed that the game Subsistence also shows the map with North orientated
45 degrees clockwise from top position – quite weird.
Anyway watch where the sun rises or sets & set your course from that
observation back to your home island.
WANT TO PERMANENTLY & SECURELY CARRY 7 WOOD CRATES SAFELY ON YOUR RAFT?
Build raft 3×3 (9 bases), with no floor on the center base only. Carries 7 crates sitting on their sides fitting securely in the center base with no floor. Have tested this 3×3 raft & it sits a bit lower in the water with the 7 crates onboard than if carrying no crates but it sails quite well. I use one crate filled with 12 buckets fresh water & another crate with smoked meat & coconuts. This enables extended journeys away from home island. Raft is too big for sharks to bother you.
Needs sails front & rear pointing towards center base, because the large raft does not turn easily. When you are sailing you can see the other sail ahead of you & all 7 wood crates.
Refer to the photo.
This means that you have 7 wood crates permanently stored on your raft & you can also
carry in your back pack another 9 wood crates. This gives 16 wood crates in total with 48 slots.
Each slot can carry up to 4 of the same item & one slot can carry 24 fibrous leaves.
Makes life in stranded deep very easy.
Or build raft 3×4 (12 bases), with 2 center floors missing. Carries 14 crates. Put sails front & rear pointing towards center bases. Have not built & tested this raft but i am in the process of building it & will keep you updated.
UPDATE: Have built the 3×4 raft & it carries 14 wood crates.
Rides low in the water & water can come over the crates in heavy seas but sails well & the
crates stay in position in their recess. Refer photo. In a heavy swell it may be better to lay the
crates down on their bottom & not on their sides.
UPDATE: My raft of choice for stability after careful testing is the 8 base raft with 7 wood crates laying on their bottoms not on their side.
Also shown in the photo is an 8 base raft which sails well & can carry 14 crates sitting on end.
A 20 base raft (raftzilla) is also shown in pic above. This design is by Wardred101, a great youtube streamer. He has given me permission to post the pic here. His design was brought about by the fact that he had already built his raft prior to seeing this guide so he added sections to his raft to enable many wood crates to be carried. I think he did really well. Here is the link to his youtube video on stranded deep:
An important word about climbing onboard a raft:
Approach the raft & look down at the raft top, you will receive a prompt
‘HOLD [JUMP] TO CLIMB’
Only climb onboard after you have received this prompt. If you try to just run & jump onto the raft you may knock the raft about 100 feet out to sea. You can safely recover the raft without swimming out to it if you have another raft (or maybe the yellow dinghy). Use the other raft to sail or motor out to the raft & just push it to the shore.
Never push the raft from behind into the water because the same thing may happen, the raft can be propelled 100 feet out to sea. To get a raft safely into the water grab the raft from the front or the side using the right mouse button & drag it into the water.
There is nothing worse than seeing your raft flying way out to sea because you did not handle the raft correctly.
Sorry guys but i uploaded the map correctly & tried several times but it keeps getting inverted. When you view the map there is a small sloping arrow at top, clicking it will correct the map.
A cool & clean place to store your smoked meat is on top of a solar still.
I hunt seagulls & stingray with a bow/arrow. Takes 1 arrow to kill a seagull & 3 arrows for the
stingray. Have to go in the water to drag stingray ashore but beware of sharks.
Please rate this guide. Spread it around. It is going to be very important when the endless procedurally generated world arrives!
Note: guide has been updated as at 25april2017