Best Place to Build?

Blatherscribe · December 2016

While engaging in another round of giving myself fits and headaches trying to place a moonpool, I began to wonder whether the shallows near the Aurora wreck is really the best place for a seabase. I had originally thought to put a small one there from which to launch larger explorations, and eventually find a more permanent and expansive home, but now I'm not sure I want to build multiplicatively.

So where do you all build your seabases? What's the best biome / best spot? I'm mostly interested in aesthetics, as I imagine that strategically it's all about the same, especially as the game is still evolving.

Thoughts?

Rezca · December 2016

Can always check http://forums.unknownworlds.com/discussion/138992/seabase-showcase this thread for some inspiration

Myslef, I build a base in a different location every time. I've liked building one in the southern'ish Kelp Forest, near a crashed lifepod that my Lifepod loves to start near or even on top of, since its rather devoid of aggressive fauna with the exception of a sandshark that sometimes wanders around nearby - but there's no Stalkers, Bleeders, or Mesmers around. So it's pretty, offers easy access to Silver and Seedpods, and is near the Floating Island and the surrounding important areas.

I've built a few bases in the Scarce Reef, and my current one is placed by some of its caves a little south of the BKZ Trench; though I'm going to relocate it a bit closer to the trench later on.

I don't think there's really any 'best biome' or 'best spot' to be honest. Early on, the best in terms of efficiency would probably be the Safe Shallows or nearby Kelp Forests, if only because of the resources they offer and being able to take full advantage of solar power. Plus, they both look - to me - quite pretty and also have some good music.
The Grand Reef has few dangers in it and is quite tranquil and pretty, the Koosh Zone is pretty but definitely not as safe, and I kinda like building bases in the Blood Kelp Zone because I've got a fascination of abyssal ocean biomes like that and its one of the thjings that got me looking at Subnautica way back when - my love for the deep ocean ^^

So, really there is no right or wrong answer here ^^

HYBRID1313 · December 2016

In the mushroom forest near the edge of the Crash Zone, there is a cave system full of blue bioluminescence along with a platform perfect for small bases. I'll link a video to give you a taste, but I don't have the coordinates - sorry! Nevermind cheers to Phaota in the comments! Warp location: 729.5, -230.1, 521.5
Video:

HiSaZuL · December 2016

Current save has a base in deep grand reef, sort of close to abandoned sea base. There is a "perfect" balcony type alcove near thermal vent galore. Spotlights+crabsquids... we party all day long.

But on a more serious note, it really is down to your own preferences. I don't like idea of having reapers anywhere near my base but I can live with that idea but not having a thermal power source? Oh hell no. Sadly all the other places with plentiful heat either have ugly wrecks near them, and currently every time it's loaded there is a risk of damn thing duplicating ad infinity speeding up bloating of your safe. Good spot near floating islands... waaaay down below them... but it is literally barren and you have giant rocks above your head. The only other good and plausible spot I have is actually one of two volcano holes in safe shallows, the one that isn't right smack near giant leaking burning space ship.

Blatherscribe · December 2016

Thanks -- I'd been looking through the Seabase Showcase thread, but in most of those you can only see a wee bit of the surrounding scenery. I was wondering what biomes appeal to people, aesthetically. The problem I keep having is that I'll find something interesting and then think, yes, but do I want to look at that all the time?

That and every time I find a spot I like, I can't seem to put a moonpool down properly.

HiSaZuL · December 2016

Yeah the damn moonpool... Seriously of all the things, that should have been made rotatable a LONG time ago.

mndfreeze · December 2016

Months ago when I played I always would put my base on the edge of the grand reef and kelp forest/safe shallow border where that trench goes from shallow/kelp down into the grand reef. I'd put it down near the thermal vents you would find. Back then it was riiiiiiight at the border of the limit of the first seamoth you build so you could start making it fairly quickly and early on in the game, but this is also before you had to scan the multipurpose room, etc..

Now that there is a much more planned out path of things you have to find fragments for from wrecks, etc my last 2 (new) saves have been both in the safe shallows. Current one is near the back of the Aurora thrusters but before it goes into the back side crash zone where the reeapers are, and not quite up the side towards the front entrance where they spawn either. I always pick a spot that has a big enough of an edge that I can put a moonpool sticking off of it and have enough room to easily get my moth/prawn in and out of it without banging into the ground or have obsticles in the way. I pretty much always pick a spot regardless of biome with that sort of cliff/drop off feature for this purpose.

I just went through the lava zone and lost river, etc for the first time about a week ago and almost moved my base to the big tree down there, and still might. Its just a matter of doing all the damn work to move it, or completely rebuild it, but I have a decently large base and all the crafting stations etc so I'm not sure if I'll want to move it all down there or not being it takes so much time and effort to get back to the surface from there and who knows if once all the story is finalized how much time you REALLY need to be down there versus the surface. I tend to get annoyed when I have to resource hunt even just a biome or two over, let alone a full cyclops run through tight caverns and barely lit passages to get back up. lol.

tl;dr, Anywhere on the surface is pretty much the same since travel time is quick with a moth. Just pick a spot with a big enough of a drop off for your moon pool that meets your power supply requirement choice and beauty options.

MrRoarke · December 2016

I always build my main base near my spawn point which recently has been on the southern edge of the safe shallows near the intersection of kelp forest and grassy plateaus. There's a nice edge to hang your moon pool over, and a vent nearby for power. I like the look of that area, because it most closely resembles actual reef diving I've done.

I also build satellite bases elsewhere for storing supplies and powercell chargers. I build a really extensive base in the grand reef shortly after it was introduced. It's really pretty down there. I also have built bases on both above-water islands, bridging them down into the water with moonpools.

I love putting a base in the lost river on the flats beside the skeleton. I discovered a way to build an elevated base by building up from the floor several stacked multipurpose rooms, and then removing the lower ones, leaving the upper levels standing on stilts. This allowed for an elevated moonpool, and a better view of the surroundings.

I even seeded the water around there with imported fish to add life to the area before they updated it all.

As far as your moonpool, the way you place your first habitat section or foundation will ultimately decide how your moonpool will lay, so plan accordingly and mess around with a few configurations before you start adding equipment inside.

Have fun.

J

Fluffers · December 2016

I have a spot that I always build on, there's an area on the border of the shallows, the kelp forests, the grand reef and the red grass planes that has a moderately large plateau with a flat sandy area, and some small grass hills behind it with a trench just beyond that filled with limestone chunks. It's near the thermal vent in the safe shallows.

04Leonhardt · December 2016

I like building on top of the tall pillars in the Grassy Plateaus
I like having the big open ocean all around me. Plus its still shallow enough for solar panels to work as backup power.

Blatherscribe · December 2016

Excellent suggestions, thank you! I shall try to find them all to have a look.

DrownedOut · December 2016

Strategically, the center of the map will always be the best place to set up camp. My favorite spot is the slope from the Safe Shallows towards the Kelp Forest just North of the grotto entrance to the JSC and a small debris field. Lots of space to build and room to park a Cyclops.

Due to the game's current inabilities to not render bases and to forget base components unless a base is deleted in its entirety, I've been holding back on experimenting much with base locations, doing only one or two additional ones per save file.

I used to build one on the sandbank plateau near the Aurora's engine (I assume that's where you have one too?), but haven't done so in a while and probably will skip that location in the future in favor of the cliffs on the other side of the Aurora. Currently waiting on the updates to the Crash Zone to be completed.
North of where the Southern Mushroom Forest meets the Koosh Zone, there is a bridge. I've built atop it once or twice, mostly for aestethics and partially to study the reaper a little further North. I rather like it.
There's a layered hole in the Dunes that's full of life and aesthetically pleasing. I'm planning to try building a base there eventually. The reaper that patrols the area at least doesn't notice you if you're at the bottom of the hole.
For travel purposes, it's always useful to have a base in the LR. I reckon most people currently pick the Junction as base location, but in case that spot will get something implemented one day, I'm keeping an eye on a nearby plateau just around the corner in the Bones Field.
I've built a base in the (Deep) Grand Reef once, across from the pillars that give access to the LR and LZ. With the odds that the TB will one day be implemented in that general area, I keep it in mind, but I currently don't build there anymore. I've screeched about the reason why here.
Island bases are always popular. I've made some myself, always on the beaches, but I've grown tired of that due to the game not having the tools to properly build above sea level yet (eyeing the jetpack card) and could do with some surface specific structures.

Michlo · December 2016

I build at the thermal vent near our starting point.

TenebrousNova · December 2016

Aesthetics-wise, I do like the jelly mushroom caves.

I like the idea of building on the underside of the Floater Island, maybe on the stalactites by the pool in the middle. Haven't got round to that.

Blatherscribe · December 2016

Wow, very purple!

I thought about trying to build under the floating island, but I couldn't work out how. I've also considered the undersea floating islands, a series of baselets connected by tubes. But again, not really sure how it would work.

Today, some exploring....

saltyspecula · December 2016

I went for broke and since we'll need to get to a certain area of the game in a later update to progress the story, I decided I may as well build a base there while I wait. Most of it's built inside the cliff face, but the front hatch, main lab/observatory and two moonpools are exposed for easy access.

Ralij · December 2016

I used to build in the Grand reef, but with the addition of the warpers in that location I'm less keen on building my primary base there. Now I'm building primarily on the cliffs of the Shallows facing the southern kelp forests for centrality and ease of access for the cyclops and resource gathering. For observation/research/refueling bases I usually look for an area that is aesthetically pleasing and am aiming for a small base in every biome.

Blatherscribe · December 2016

Yeah, I keep coming back to the safe shallows, myself. Last night I tried to build on the bridge between the mushroom forest and the koosh zone that was suggested in this thread -- a really neat location, but I couldn't place a moonpool such that it didn't irritate me. I could drop down to the seafloor under the bridge, but then I'd lose all the nifty bridge-ness. Also, I like sunlight.

I'll probably put my main base in the shallows, near a kelp forest (but not so close the water goes green). I'd love to build on one or several of the towers in the red grassy areas, but there's just not enough scenery there for me. Too much red grass, not enough other stuff. I know, I'm too picky.

And I like the idea of satellite bases, just a refueling/observation base. I can see putting those down in several locales.

0x6A7232 · December 2016

Edge of the Safe Shallows, next to the red grass area, as well as next to or very close to a Kelp (Creepvine) forest, I think is the best spot. If you can also be near caves, great. If you also happen to be by the Jelly Shroom entrance, fantastic.

Camera world position:
-185.5, -56.6, -270.2 (batch# 11, 18, 11)

QuillQuickcard · December 2016

I always build at least a starter base off the beach of the floating island and into the water. The huge expanse of water allows for unlimited size, and it has immediate access to the deep reef for exploration.

Blatherscribe · December 2016

I think part of my problem is I'm running up against the limitations of an unfinished game. I keep asking myself, OK, what do I want to do with my seabase? Build it and make it purty, obviously. But then? Use it as a base for exploration... of what? Once I've seen a biome, is there more to do? The deep reef has nifty-looking floaty ball things, and strange aliens who warp you places, but once I've seen those... then what do I do? What do I use the base FOR?

I think this is why I keep coming back to the shallows and searching (thus far in vain) for a place that strikes me as particularly beautiful and in which I can build successfully. Because it would give me something to look at.

I just don't know what I can do with/in a biome other than look at it.

Ralij · December 2016

Personally, it's a head canon role play aspect. I figure I'm one of the passengers on the aurora who was brought along for ecological surveys and such so building observation and research outposts is just me doing my job. Besides, pretty fishies.

0x6A7232 · December 2016

Try building something like this. (Observation bases for both the Mountain Island Precursor base and the Aurora). Also, there's Far Base One, the Aurora forward base, Mesmer Cave base, and some others.

Just unzip all four file into a blank slot save game directory. You'll probably want to spawn a terraformer to clear dirt (item 514).

It's not in it's final state, and I'll probably have to start over once they remove terraforming.

Best Place to Build?

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