Question: Do bases ever look "sci-fi" and worlds look alien?

[Mr. Toaster]

Every screenshot I see makes it look like it's all low tech, wooden palisades and stuff. Do you ever get to make an advanced base with metal walls and tech?

I also wonder if any of the maps you build on look like a different world much? The screens I see look mostly earthlike with earth trees. Any more hostile or alien looking worlds to survive on? If not, do we know if the devs are working on more worlds?

Thanks for any info!

[Zep Tepi]

You can build with concrete and eventually carbon fibers (black and futuristic blue), though both of those take some research and you probably will start with wood. The biomes are pretty earth-like, but the animals and some of the plants are definitely alien. It's a mix of both.

Added: If you manage to kill a shrieker nest, you'll get carbon faster. Those are the red scorpion things that throw spikes. So there's your aliens while you're at it.

[Flin Fredstone]

iirc there was a discussion at the beginning of early access about the earth like look in some aspects of the then only available Sobrius biome.
No quote, but i think the reasoning was that it would look to confusing for most players if there are no known references at all for resources. It was a compromise to ease into the game a bit easier.

As for bases, there are some that look high tech when the main resource used is carbon. Though it would require a lot of it.

[starlight78sso]

Palisades of wood are a lot cheaper to build, there is a bigger amount of wood on the worlds then there is carbon. My houses I build of wood because I love the look of it, but my storage areas are done in brick for insulation purposes. Both can eventually be done in carbon, but again its more of a finite resource than wood is.

[Mr. Toaster]

Awesome. Thanks guys! I hope eventually we see some new biomes, like a mars like world, or something more hostile to survive on, but it sounds like there is a reason for it to look earth like.

Thanks also for confirming there are more than just wooden structures and there are aliens!

I think I'll give it a whirl. Those are the only things that kind of worried me about its variety. I worried based never really would look futuristic and your bases never ended up more than old west fortresses or something.

I get we're stranded and have to start like that, but at some point we're a colony who knew there was higher tech in the future.

[Flin Fredstone]

Mind you, there are no aliens in the sense of Humanoid lifeforms.
You get bug attacks mainly. In one scenario those attacks are replaced by robot assaults.

There is a mod that lets you have both kind of attacks in any scenario.

Edit: if you want to have a look at various bases or settlements, check the screenshots tab above and set the display to popular of all time. Just to show a few,

[Zep Tepi]

Originally posted by Mr. Toaster:

Awesome. Thanks guys! I hope eventually we see some new biomes, like a mars like world, or something more hostile to survive on, but it sounds like there is a reason for it to look earth like.

The desert and tropical biomes aren't bad. The desert one has extreme temperature changes between day and night. (Manageable by keeping a fixed schedule and some fires handy.) In the tropical biome the weather is nicer, but you will have to contend with food rot and farm blight. They have different playstyles from the default Sobrius.

[Skorne Tet'Zu]

Just Food for Thought: Alien World or Not, You're always going to be using Base Materials; such as Wood, Stone, Baked Bricks, Iron Ore, etc., as these are simply the Materials of this Plane of Existence. While Evolution from One Planet/Solar System to the Next may change the General Appearance of Plants, Animals and Even Minerals (to a Point), they will still be made from the Same Basic components. Thus... whether You Accidentally Crash Land on an Alien Planet or Choose to Land their, and Build Your Future (Carrying a Limited amount of Resources due to Weight and Physical Space Limitations), your initial Camp/Village/Town/Etc. is going to look like a Tiny Town in 1860s Eureka California. :) (Exceptions being: If you live far enough in the Future (Jetsons) where you can pull a Small Box out of your Pocket, push the button on the box, and *BAM* Instance Two-Story Home with Electricity, In-Door Plumbing, and a Swimming Pool.... Complete with a BBQ already Grilling-Up a Few Steaks!!!)

Of course, that's not to say You still wouldn't expect a few Futuristic Odds and Ins... Here and There; but they would be the Odd Repurposed items, like a Shuttle Door; Now a Titanium Dinner Table outside your Pelt & Hide Tent.

So... if you think about it; this is actually what the Future would look like if Crashing On To... or Colonizing... an Alien Planet. If I was Easy... Everyone would do... Not just Fearless 'Gamers' :)

[Mr. Toaster]

You have a good point Skorne Tet'Zu! I agree. I just want to eventually be able to build more impressive structures using the tech they've learned, that's all! I can imagine it'd start out crude, especially if there are no advanced skills and knowledge in the group!

[Paraleo]

Originally posted by Skorne Tet'Zu:

In-Door Plumbing, and a Swimming Pool....

I think Luke has some mods close to that xD, but I suggest play the game without mods one time at least to figure out what you like or not like.

[NTense]

Originally posted by starlight78sso:

Palisades of wood are a lot cheaper to build, there is a bigger amount of wood on the worlds then there is carbon. My houses I build of wood because I love the look of it, but my storage areas are done in brick for insulation purposes. Both can eventually be done in carbon, but again its more of a finite resource than wood is.

Idk if it’s just my seed but there is next to zero trees in the desert world and they take forever to grow. Plenty of stone though

[Flin Fredstone]

Originally posted by NTense:

Originally posted by starlight78sso:

Palisades of wood are a lot cheaper to build, there is a bigger amount of wood on the worlds then there is carbon. My houses I build of wood because I love the look of it, but my storage areas are done in brick for insulation purposes. Both can eventually be done in carbon, but again its more of a finite resource than wood is.

Idk if it’s just my seed but there is next to zero trees in the desert world and they take forever to grow. Plenty of stone though

There are several desert seeds that have large amounts of trees. Mostly though it's stone and carbon that will be your building resource yes. :-)

https://steamcommunity.com/app/1324130/discussions/0/4029095281636231018/#c4029095281636287784

[Sabaithal]

The tropical biome looks the most alien if you ask me. Plenty of... exotic plants in the area alongside some of the mundane ones mainly.

Meadows is basically temperate plains/forest/mountain without too much different.

And desert is hard mode due to lack of building materials.

Still think they need to make a boreal/taiga map though.