Looking at all the great bases and a bit unsure where to build myself, I would love to hear from you as what things you look for when building "the" base.
I usually look for a pretty flat area near a thermal vent that has plenty of room to expand. I find that the thermal generator to be the most useful as you don't need to keep feeding it resources like you do the bio reactor or the nuclear reactor. I don't concern myself too much with fish supply as once you find the hanging fruit trees, fishing is really no longer needed. I did see on the trello, however, that they are going to implement you having to eat a variety of food in order to stay fed properly, but until they add that I stick with hanging fruit trees.
Also, I look for an area close to a semi-deep area so when I make the cyclops it has room to drop safely and has fairly easy access to park near my base.
I generally look for a reasonably safe place close to multiple biomes; I tend to build one base at the crosspoint between Safe Shallows, Sparse Reef and Kelp Forest, one in the Mushroom Forest east of the Safe Shallows and one in the Sea Treader's Path.
i always build my first base in the safe shallows until i obtain certain blueprints. then i look for somewhere that i can get a good source of power (Thermal vents, uranite, ect.) then i move to the location that i have chosen.
I look for a spot thats central to the best resource gathering areas (kelp forest, grassy plains, safe shallows) and preferably near a drop off so that when I build the Moonpool and Cyclops there is adequate room to maneuver close to the base. My current favorite spot is by the lava geyser SW of the Aurora's stern, in the most SE portion of the safe shallows.
The most important thing to me for building The Big Base is space. I tend to build large main bases so being able to design it without having to consider the terrain too much is helpful, though I imagine bases that have to deal with terrain end up being a lot more creative (though i would argue they are less efficient). Drop off areas between zones are really helpful for this, especially in the sparse reef region. The pillars in the grassy plateaus also make good build points as does the drop between the plateau and the creepvine forests. Both islands provide good starters for this as well.
Being able to get to it with the cyclops and seamoth mirrors the space issue. The one reason I haven't built in the lost river or ilz yet is because I can't find an easy way in. There is also the issue that the seamoth has a maximum depth of 900 meters which limits moonpool depth to 850 or less.
Safety is the third consideration. With large bases come lots of time outside building it and getting harrassed by sandsharks, ampeels, or others is rather annoying. The possibility of getting carried off by a reaper while doing a routine cargo transfer doesn't really appeal to me either. Then again, I also tend to keep aquatic gardens so getting eaten alive while harvesting some kelp seeds doesn't terribly appeal to me either.
Power. For the big base power is an issue for both the drain the seamoth can place on the base's power supply, large sets of materials to be processed, and for the sheer amount of suck that multiple water filters places on the supply. Of the above this is least because you can absolutely make a power station on the other side of the map and make relays all the way to your base, but still its kindof a pain. A surface base with access to large solar arrays works great for that, as does thermal with 2 thermal generators per water filtration system. if you don't use water filtration systems this is a non-issue. A bioreactor or two can handle almost anything you can throw at them and a fully stocked nuclear reactor will last forever.
Scenery. With such a low loading distance this is the absolute last on the list. Honestly, the big base I built is so large I literally can't see anything on the other side of it with any clarity. But still, its nice to look at the fishies every now and then.
Depth. I like building as deep as I can get provided its not a royal pain in the sphincters to get there.
I prefer cliffs at a depth of at around 40 feet. Any deeper and solar panels don't work so well (if at all) and too shallow and I may beach my Cyclops the moment I build it. And then there's the scenery. I've found one favorite place I like to build at... Pulled up the F1 menu so you can see exactly where I like to build at.
I look for a spot thats central to the best resource gathering areas (kelp forest, grassy plains, safe shallows) and preferably near a drop off so that when I build the Moonpool and Cyclops there is adequate room to maneuver close to the base. My current favorite spot is by the lava geyser SW of the Aurora's stern, in the most SE portion of the safe shallows.
My current base sits not to far away from that lava geyser also. Do you use the geyser as a power source?
I tried yesterday to install and use a thermal generator there. How do you manage to get the energy out of the geyser and to your base? Wiki says something like 100m can be covered with each transmitter. But even with way more used I could not visually confirm if I had connected the thermal plant to my base. Those energy "lines" just do not show up the way I like them to.
Could you please tell me how you install those transmitters effectivly? And sorry for going offtopic here.
I look for a spot thats central to the best resource gathering areas (kelp forest, grassy plains, safe shallows) and preferably near a drop off so that when I build the Moonpool and Cyclops there is adequate room to maneuver close to the base. My current favorite spot is by the lava geyser SW of the Aurora's stern, in the most SE portion of the safe shallows.
My current base sits not to far away from that lava geyser also. Do you use the geyser as a power source?
I tried yesterday to install and use a thermal generator there. How do you manage to get the energy out of the geyser and to your base? Wiki says something like 100m can be covered with each transmitter. But even with way more used I could not visually confirm if I had connected the thermal plant to my base. Those energy "lines" just do not show up the way I like them to.
Could you please tell me how you install those transmitters effectivly? And sorry for going offtopic here.
Something like this?
I use line of sight to install transmitters. Just use your habitat builder to build one and a line should appear to it from the power source as you move it around (but without constructing it). Just one thing though... don't put thermal generators or solar panel on foundations not connected to your base as those will recieve power instead. And don't plant those things in the path of the geyser's eruption. I've read that they can end up damaged if you do.
Ah the foundation was my problem then. I could not get the transmitters to emit upwards out of the geysers "hole". Thx will try this out when I get home.
At the juncture of the creepvine/red grass/sparse reef is a cut that runs to the grand reef. Drop down 175/200 meters and you have 3 smokers. It is not particularly flat, but one can build. There is the obligatory drop off for the moon pool. With 2/3 thermal plants this area is perfect. The floating island is a 1 minute swim. Still close to 3 foundational resource biomes. No predators. After the next update I plan to use this as my main base area.
I prefer cliffs at a depth of at around 40 feet. Any deeper and solar panels don't work so well (if at all) and too shallow and I may beach my Cyclops the moment I build it. And then there's the scenery. I've found one favorite place I like to build at... Pulled up the F1 menu so you can see exactly where I like to build at.
Now that I know your position , would you mind if I test my artillery a bit.
Thank you all for how you go about deciding on a building site. It is very informative. I thought most people build near the surface for light , but now it looks like resources location, building area (open) and close to energy is the drive.
Ah the foundation was my problem then. I could not get the transmitters to emit upwards out of the geysers "hole". Thx will try this out when I get home.
Yup. The foundation counts as a base, even though you haven't built any actual base structures on it yet, so the power won't relay anywhere. Someone posted a very informative guide to power relays a while back. I'll see if I can find it.
SidchickenPlumbing the subnautican depthsJoin Date: 2016-02-16Member: 213125Members
When choosing a base site, my chief concern is usually the moonpool, honestly. Resources and sustainable power are nice, but what I really want is convenience for me when coming and going, so a cliff or other spot that provides plenty of clearance is a must.
I found a nice spot on one of the larger underwater islands about 240m down, close to the wreck bridging two others. It has a geyser in the middle to provide for thermal power and plenty of space for moonpool access over the edges of the island.
There are a lot of bonesharks around so building the base can be tricky but, it's cool having them swimming about once you're up and running.
Coolness,
everything else is irrelevant and I make insane efforts to achieve said base even if going for the bloodkelp biome
That is what I thought as well seeing all the bases others have build, but to be honest being so deep down in the ocean I don't think it is cool ... it must be super cold.
Calarand77lurking in general forumsJoin Date: 2016-01-22Member: 211786Members
I always build my base close enough to the surface to still have day/night cycle as far as light goes, constant changes help keep things fresh. Second criteria for me is an interesting view outside - I like spending considerable amounts of time in my base so it's important to not get bored. For as long as we can still build our bases into the ground (not sure if it's still possible, haven't played in a while) I also make sure to have a steep cliff to hide the base in and enough space to make a "cave" for my underwater garden. My hobby is to make my bases as "invisible" as possible.
I usually look for a pretty flat area near a thermal vent that has plenty of room to expand. I find that the thermal generator to be the most useful as you don't need to keep feeding it resources like you do the bio reactor or the nuclear reactor. I don't concern myself too much with fish supply as once you find the hanging fruit trees, fishing is really no longer needed. I did see on the trello, however, that they are going to implement you having to eat a variety of food in order to stay fed properly, but until they add that I stick with hanging fruit trees.
Also, I look for an area close to a semi-deep area so when I make the cyclops it has room to drop safely and has fairly easy access to park near my base.
I do something similar and if you have the fruit tree, also you have the chinese potato. Viola, food variety. I plant a fruit tree and potato plant in the cyclops as well.
SidchickenPlumbing the subnautican depthsJoin Date: 2016-02-16Member: 213125Members
Yeah, they really need to rebalance farming. It's a great feature, and one that needs to stay in game, but it should be harder to stay fed and hydrated indefinitely than "have ONE hanging fruit tree", and I know from personal experience that that's all you need. So basically as soon as you visit the floating island, you never have to worry about food or water again (unless you do something stupid).
Yeah, they really need to rebalance farming. It's a great feature, and one that needs to stay in game, but it should be harder to stay fed and hydrated indefinitely than "have ONE hanging fruit tree", and I know from personal experience that that's all you need. So basically as soon as you visit the floating island, you never have to worry about food or water again (unless you do something stupid).
I am still exploring a bit to find a "perfect" spot to build. How long does the fruit last before rotten ? My staple food now is salted fish as it never go bad.
I am still exploring a bit to find a "perfect" spot to build. How long does the fruit last before rotten ? My staple food now is salted fish as it never go bad.
Wiki says it starts to rott after 2-3 mins. So fruits or veggies are just for your immediate needs you can't take them on a longer trip as a food ressource.
@Sidchicken I remember reading somewhere that they plan to introduce a kind of "diet plan". So that you may have downsides for just eating hanging fruit or fish only for example. I guess you will have to either mix in more vegetables like the Potatoes and Marble Melons or some fish. I think they will allow you to go for a vegetarian diet if you so desire with no downsides. But that is just my guess for now. Have no hard facts about this so far.
I've seen so many spots that look good for base building. I'm currently building one in the shallows inside a giant coral tube structure. It's big enough I was able to fit the Moonpool inside it on one end and I excavated the other end to be a submarine pen. I'm going to dig down into the rock to build the rest of the base underground.
SidchickenPlumbing the subnautican depthsJoin Date: 2016-02-16Member: 213125Members
@ThePassionateGamer That'd be cool. I saw a mention somewhere of "advanced recipes", where you'd craft a "meal" with various ingredients - i.e. a peeper, and some creepvine, and maybe some other plant into a food item with better yield than the ingredients individually. Not sure if that's actually coming but it'd be neat.
I always build my base in the same biome, i.e. the safe shallows, on any cliff facing the Kelp Forest (to leave room for the Cyclops), and to be honest I don't see any reason to build elsewhere at the moment...
Safe shallows are:
free of predators;
near the surface so lots of sunlight for energy and low pressure on habitat;
in the middle of the map;
close to all "immediately relevant" biomes (Kelp + Grassy) which give you most of your vital ressources (mushrooms, table coral, silver, titanium, quartz, lead, gold, creepvines);
full of fish, especially Airsacks;
relatively close to the ship once you have the anti-radiation suit.
So overall I don't see any reason to make a base anywhere else until you can get the Cyclops. And once you have the Cyclops, well you have a mobile base so your initial base becomes a giant power cell charging station and for that purpose, it's convenient for it to be located in the middle of the map so...
So really for now, and until the Lost River and Lava Zone are finished, I honestly don't see any reason (other than aesthetics) for building your base outside of the Safe Shallows. In the same way, building several bases also seems unnecessary.
i just started playing this game and my decision without looking anything up was to build a base on the cliff facing the kelp forest, the one that is between the large thermal vent and the shipwrecked pod. this was before i found the seaglide and i was wasting too much time going back and forth between the kelp forest and the lifepod. seemed like an obvious choice because all of these things were close by:
salt on the forest floor for bleach
creepvine seeds for a fabricator and creepvine for mesh
cliffs to search for ore
alternate access to the cave that has silver/copper/gold that is otherwise guarded by that nuclear manatee
it is also a good halfway point between the surface and exploring deeper into the forest
Comments
Also, I look for an area close to a semi-deep area so when I make the cyclops it has room to drop safely and has fairly easy access to park near my base.
Being able to get to it with the cyclops and seamoth mirrors the space issue. The one reason I haven't built in the lost river or ilz yet is because I can't find an easy way in. There is also the issue that the seamoth has a maximum depth of 900 meters which limits moonpool depth to 850 or less.
Safety is the third consideration. With large bases come lots of time outside building it and getting harrassed by sandsharks, ampeels, or others is rather annoying. The possibility of getting carried off by a reaper while doing a routine cargo transfer doesn't really appeal to me either. Then again, I also tend to keep aquatic gardens so getting eaten alive while harvesting some kelp seeds doesn't terribly appeal to me either.
Power. For the big base power is an issue for both the drain the seamoth can place on the base's power supply, large sets of materials to be processed, and for the sheer amount of suck that multiple water filters places on the supply. Of the above this is least because you can absolutely make a power station on the other side of the map and make relays all the way to your base, but still its kindof a pain. A surface base with access to large solar arrays works great for that, as does thermal with 2 thermal generators per water filtration system. if you don't use water filtration systems this is a non-issue. A bioreactor or two can handle almost anything you can throw at them and a fully stocked nuclear reactor will last forever.
Scenery. With such a low loading distance this is the absolute last on the list. Honestly, the big base I built is so large I literally can't see anything on the other side of it with any clarity. But still, its nice to look at the fishies every now and then.
Depth. I like building as deep as I can get provided its not a royal pain in the sphincters to get there.
My current base sits not to far away from that lava geyser also. Do you use the geyser as a power source?
I tried yesterday to install and use a thermal generator there. How do you manage to get the energy out of the geyser and to your base? Wiki says something like 100m can be covered with each transmitter. But even with way more used I could not visually confirm if I had connected the thermal plant to my base. Those energy "lines" just do not show up the way I like them to.
Could you please tell me how you install those transmitters effectivly? And sorry for going offtopic here.
Something like this?
I use line of sight to install transmitters. Just use your habitat builder to build one and a line should appear to it from the power source as you move it around (but without constructing it). Just one thing though... don't put thermal generators or solar panel on foundations not connected to your base as those will recieve power instead. And don't plant those things in the path of the geyser's eruption. I've read that they can end up damaged if you do.
Thank you all for how you go about deciding on a building site. It is very informative. I thought most people build near the surface for light , but now it looks like resources location, building area (open) and close to energy is the drive.
Yup. The foundation counts as a base, even though you haven't built any actual base structures on it yet, so the power won't relay anywhere. Someone posted a very informative guide to power relays a while back. I'll see if I can find it.
EDIT: Here ya go;
http://forums.unknownworlds.com/discussion/140553/powerlines-observations-rules-guide-and-fun
There are a lot of bonesharks around so building the base can be tricky but, it's cool having them swimming about once you're up and running.
everything else is irrelevant and I make insane efforts to achieve said base even if going for the bloodkelp biome
Can confirm, I destroyed my first thermal generator by putting it in the area of the eruption that damages you.
I do something similar and if you have the fruit tree, also you have the chinese potato. Viola, food variety. I plant a fruit tree and potato plant in the cyclops as well.
Wiki says it starts to rott after 2-3 mins. So fruits or veggies are just for your immediate needs you can't take them on a longer trip as a food ressource.
@Sidchicken I remember reading somewhere that they plan to introduce a kind of "diet plan". So that you may have downsides for just eating hanging fruit or fish only for example. I guess you will have to either mix in more vegetables like the Potatoes and Marble Melons or some fish. I think they will allow you to go for a vegetarian diet if you so desire with no downsides. But that is just my guess for now. Have no hard facts about this so far.
Safe shallows are:
So overall I don't see any reason to make a base anywhere else until you can get the Cyclops. And once you have the Cyclops, well you have a mobile base so your initial base becomes a giant power cell charging station and for that purpose, it's convenient for it to be located in the middle of the map so...
So really for now, and until the Lost River and Lava Zone are finished, I honestly don't see any reason (other than aesthetics) for building your base outside of the Safe Shallows. In the same way, building several bases also seems unnecessary.
it is also a good halfway point between the surface and exploring deeper into the forest