Building is underwhelming

[Sinistra]

Most of the times my outposts consist of a single room with a door and one or two storages and my main base is a few 1x1 or later 2x2 rooms with two layers, because things like domes or labs take up to much space to fit. Its more of a space-efficient building style. Now was the first time I reached the "end game" and kept playing. I wanted to build a cool base, now that I had resources to spare. But too be honest, I'm not amazed. For what the 3x3 room costs to unlock and how late you unlock it, it is really not that great. Slapping two 3x3 rooms together results in three 1-wide doorways next to each other. Windows are also not seemless when put next to each other. The ground is uneven, so most of the time half of the bulding is floating in the air, no matter what. I then wanted to build it onto metal floors, but they didn't clip together. Even worse: The size of compartments and this metal frame don't match. The 3x3 room has a footprint of about 4x4 metal floors and the hight of a metal thingy is less than the height of a compartment. So they aren't really compatible. 2x2 and 3x3 compartments don't have a flat roof, so don't even think about building cool terraces. Also the 3x3 is also only available in 1-story height, so the interior feels super squished. Doorways always stop me from gliding through the building with a yetpack. But aside from all that, even building itself is weird. Finding the right direction of a lab need a few tries, sometimes. 2x2 and especially 3x3 really don't want to be build next to each other. I end up build a few 1x1s and then clipping the 3x3s to them, so everything is aligned. Often there is a rock in the way, so the entire thing can't be build, like I planned. You really can build fusion reactors and teleporters, but this asteroid piece or random stone is indestructible? But there is no need to build big. After getting breathable atmosphere you don't need compartments anymore, except for when it rains asteroids for the 37th time this hour. So my new (still empty) building complex feels like a waste. Then I wanted to build a spaceport with some trade rockets. Turns out they really don't like to clip to each other or to the metal floors and often leave a gap. Also the NEED to be build on the ground, so you can't line up 5 of them next to each other, because they will be a different height. Also outdoorfarms are the size of a metal floor but don't clip to them, so the are always a tiny amount off of each other if you build multiple.
I would like:
The metal floors should be the same (standard) size as the compartments.
The clipping of like anything to anything needs to be fixed. Having a "clip to"-button could help.
Smaller stones, rocks, ponds, (temporary) asteroids parts, etc. should be removable for better building.
In a game about terraformation you should be able to level the ground (for buildings, etc.).
Trade Rocket ports should be able to be placed in any height, so you can align them better. Same with extractors, to a degree.)
There should be variants of the 2x2 and 3x3 compartment, that are 2 floors high and they should have seemless archways and windows if next to another.
A global "grid" would be nice, so buildings, farms, etc. can be clipped to that and fit perfectly.

So all in all: In the end I will still play or build in the same "dirty-but-effective" way like I did from the start, because building feels janky and building "clean" doesn't feel worth the hustle.

[BRO46]

1. The bases do not have to be on a metal frame.

2. After multiple games started I would just start my first base by building 4 1x1 rooms in a single file then at the last room I would build 3 41x1 rooms going either right or left, at the last room I would build 4 1x1 rooms and so on so that I had a open square in the middle that would fit the 3x3 room when it became available. This would end being a base 4x4, a single large are in the middle with a corridor around the outside.

3. If you build the next room from the inside you will see a paperclip indicating it is lined up.

4. You can build build trade rockets or ore extractors next to each other and at any height you want. By manipulating them up or down or right or left the can attach to each other.

5. Each building an be placed exactly on top of each other but it may take a few tries.

[Sinistra]

I know, that bases don't need to be on frames, but I wanted to do that, because it seemed strange for the rooms to somewhat float above the ground, if the ground was uneven. But, as I said, that didn't quite work.
"Manipulating" trade rockets and ore extractors does only work to a certain degree. At least with ore extractors it makes sense, that it need to be build on the ground and only has like half a frame of margin to clip to other extractors. But this half frame is the same with the trade rockets. I was able to build 3 exactly next to each other at the same height (where I wanted them to be) but then the difference in ground level got too much. An important side note: Compartments and frames can be build free floating. But things like extractors and trade rockets cannot. They can only vary in height (through clipping) to a certain degree. About half a frame, I think.

[JosephMS.1970]

I hear ya and what's up with the foundation grid, you can build a ground level just fine but if you want to make it two levels high it's off by a few inches.

[Thiesen]

Wait untill you try to place the out door garden plots onto the foundations... they don't align to the foundations... my OCD gets triggered...

Everything else seems to have a grid that they happily snap to but not the garden plots...

My whole main base and the manufacturing facility is magically defying gravity because the game is made that way... screw those rock formations... :-)

[Sinistra]

The thing is, changing sizes of the formation or make buildings align with a global "grid" would screw basically all savegames. So either it will be done for version 1.0 or it will never happen and forever make me sad

[zombygunner]

i just picked up the demo and im going through all posts about the game first...if what people are saying is true how does a game company that has building as one of its core attractions have such terrible building choices?

[Silent Nightmare]

The entire game is underwhelming. No replayability at all.

[Sinistra]

Originally posted by Silent Nightmare:

The entire game is underwhelming. No replayability at all.

Well, this is not about replayability. Even after one "complete play through" I think you got your money worth of fun and play time, imo. But better building could definitly enhance the over all experience.

[Sinistra]

Also placing structures (like tree spreader for example) were trees stand should be possible, imo. It's annoying to have to wait with the tree planting until you are finished building or taking the seeds out of the spreader everytime I want to plant something.

[CrazedBumblebee]

I have a work-around for this.

My base consists of a bio-lab, a biodome t1, and a biodome t2, sitting on the water, next to eachother (separate entrances, not connected).

I have foundation grids in the water to make a footpath, usually so that they are just popping out above the water surface, or just below it.

All of my farms, power, heaters, storage, crafters, gas extractors, everything go on foundations in the water. It's nice and flat and everything fits really well.

You can place as much algae as you need right around it. Then you just need to place extractors, butterfly farms, trade rockets, frog farms, launch platforms etc... on the ground, and you'll have a lot of space to do that with no other base structures in the way.

You still run in to the same issues with the trade platforms and ore extractors, but it's much reduced around your base. I don't have a single 1x1 or larger structure in my base.

You can place your t1/t2 crafters in the biodome as well as dna manipulator etc...

[Major Trubble]

I have done literally to opposite of that , my Drills , Heaters and Generators are all sitting near the edge of the map , it's a bit of a pain at 1st but once you get teleporters it becomes quite easy , this way I don't have a big clutter with moving parts or light effects causing lag .

[Mckillalot]

Has anyone solved this problem: - I can't get the rounded living accommodation with dome snapping neatly onto the rounded living accommodation so that it doesn't 'stick out'. I can't even get two rounded accommodations to snap together vertically (there is always a little shift to one side or another). In addition, if you try to get round this error by using single units, they do not snap neatly so you have to be careful how you set ladders up. Perhaps I am making some kind of mistake but after hours of trying to use them building upwards and downwards (to reduce land space) I've hit a wall with it. Anyone found a workaround?

[Sinistra]

Originally posted by Mckillalot:

Has anyone solved this problem: - I can't get the rounded living accommodation with dome snapping neatly onto the rounded living accommodation so that it doesn't 'stick out'. I can't even get two rounded accommodations to snap together vertically (there is always a little shift to one side or another). In addition, if you try to get round this error by using single units, they do not snap neatly so you have to be careful how you set ladders up. Perhaps I am making some kind of mistake but after hours of trying to use them building upwards and downwards (to reduce land space) I've hit a wall with it. Anyone found a workaround?

Well I just tried out the rounded 3x3 (without dome) and I have to say, they worked far better, than the 3x3 squares. Snaped together easily, without anything else to attach to:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3174785484
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3174785435
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3174785362
I used round 3x3 with dome aswell before. Worked great as well (compared to square 3x3) but this was already off of the floor and in an empty 3x3 space. So my experience favours rounded Compartements. But If you worry about footprint of buildings, why even bother with rounded rooms? Isn't that a waste of space? I feel like, the way to go is, to make a big platform over the dessert, where machines can go and farms and such go on the floor. You don't need "houses" after all. As soon as the teleporters are available, they are just for asteroid protection

[Mckillalot]

Thanks for the effort and the the pictures Sinistra. Mine looked like that when I was about to snap but then when I went around the sides, one side would be slightly off. I'll try again and see what happens. I wanted a big lake house with some storage and ability to make new things. I have 4 teleports to outer areas and I put my drills and heaters far away.

[Martimus Prime]

What exactly do you want out of building to make it whelming?