PSA: This is how you power multiple bases from 1 hotspot

[DrummahMike]

I got tired of explaining this to threads with OP's that don't pin answers, and everyone keeps asking the same question, so here it is:

I'm going to explain what I did, I don't have a video, but I'm going to make it simple and pose a setting:

1. Find power hotspot that you want and place a new base computer on it. Let's say you name it
"Electric base " for easy reference. Do not place a generator yet.

2. Go back to your home base, let's pretend you named it "home base" in the computer for reference. Select wiring in your building menu "power" tab. Make sure the tooltip say's "editing home base". Start from home base running the wire to the power hotspot.

3. Once you get the wires to the hotspot, just leave them on the ground unconnected. Finally, you select your electromagnetic generator in the build menu. But, since now you're in the realm of the "electric base" base computer, you will have to make sure the tooltip for the generator says "editing home base" and not "editing electric base" before you place the generator. You do this by pressing middle mouse to scroll bases. Once the generator is editing the proper base, place it down and connect the wire, also making sure that the last of the wire is editing home base.

You can't have a generator designated for "electric base" but wires designated for "home base". They all have to be congruent or it will not siphon power. Now "home base" will be powered by "electric base" because the generator + wires are all editing home base.

If you want to run power from this same hotspot to another base, just repeat the steps: run wires from the other base to the hotspot, plop down a 2nd electromagnetic generator but make sure the new generator says it's editing that new base in the tooltip just before you place it.

The problem people are having is probably connecting wires that are editing one base to a generator that's editing another because they are not paying attention to which base the tooltip is editing. Don't cross the streams.

[HylomorphicBeing]

I think there's a bug that won't let you CONNECT on a LAID POWER Line if you are to near it (the Line to Connect to) And when you are to FAR from your Base Computer... (Extending Your BASE Range works on Normal MODE, unfortunately ON SURVIVAL & PERMADEATH It does NOT work)... Also YOU CAN'T USE the Power of BASE 1 to POWER Base 2... (in other words NO INTERCONNECTION even if You Own the two Bases)...

[DrummahMike]

Originally posted by HylomorphicBeing:

I think there's a bug that won't let you CONNECT on a LAID POWER Line if you are to near it (the Line to Connect to) And when you are to FAR from your Base Computer... (Extending Your BASE Range works on Normal MODE, unfortunately ON SURVIVAL & PERMADEATH It does NOT work)... Also YOU CAN'T USE the Power of BASE 1 to POWER Base 2... (in other words NO INTERCONNECTION even if You Own the two Bases)...

I play survival only and following the method in my post, which doesn't involve piggy-backing batteries across the map to the hotspot, I consistently power my bases and I don't run into any issues. I have 1 home base and 3 extraction hotspots all hooked up to their own designated electromagnetic generator on the same hotspot. None of them are close. I never once had to place battery after battery to "extend" my base. I just ran the wires from the base to the hotspot and not the other way around, then when I got to the hotspot I'd place the generator down that is editing the base in question. Works 100% of the time.

Once I discovered that pressing middle mouse cycles the different nearby bases from the bulding menu tooltip, now I was able to match the placed items to the base they belong to and it always works.

And one last thing, I stopped laying wires by holding ctrl, which is supposed to be a shortcut, but instead, it keeps you from seeing which base those wires you're about to place belong to. So I go through the power tab of the building menu and when I select wires from there, it will tell me which base they belong to so I don't hook the wrong bases wires up to another's generator. That's when you run into problems.

You also can't hook multiple bases up to the same electromagnetic generator. You can use the same hotspot but you have to place a separate generator for a separate base. Just make sure that generator is editing the proper base.

[DeadMeat]

How far are the bases. I here you can build from home base at 1000u, so you don't need Electric base, just drag the wire from home base. Now if its more that 1000u and this works, then that's a great trick to extend build area.

[Mosey]

Good information, I'll have to try that out. Hopefully the middle mouse wasn't overwritten by any of my other bindings.

[Adjorr]

latest patch seems to have broken my ability to do this

[DrummahMike]

Originally posted by Mosey:

Good information, I'll have to try that out. Hopefully the middle mouse wasn't overwritten by any of my other bindings.

Originally posted by Mosey:

Good information, I'll have to try that out. Hopefully the middle mouse wasn't overwritten by any of my other bindings.

I didn't know it existed until I noticed under a building item tooltip, it said, "editing such and such base" and under that, it said "switch base" with no keybind. So I just started pressing buttons on my m + kb until it worked. Turned out to be middle mouse button.

So as I sat there on my power hotspot with the wires from my copper extraction base, my sulphurine extraction base, and my home base, I was able to scroll through all 3 and pick which base's generator I wanted to place. I think as long as you have multiple base's items nearby, in this case all the main wires coming from them to the hotspot, you can use this "switch base" mechanic. From that discovery, all my issues were solved. It didn't matter the distance, my sulphurine extraction base was almost 900u away. When I ran that wire, that's when I knew there weren't going to be boundaries as long as I followed this method.

[Zuleica]

If you're going to go to that trouble why not just use the BaseBoundaryPLus1.1 mod which lets you extend to 1,000u.

Place your base computer at the hotspot along with the generators and you can reach any mining location in a 1,000u radius. And you can put satellite bases within that radius with short range teleporters so you don't have to run out. Or just pipe all the locations back to a bank of silos.

[DrummahMike]

Originally posted by Zuleica:

If you're going to go to that trouble why not just use the BaseBoundaryPLus1.1 mod which lets you extend to 1,000u.

Place your base computer at the hotspot along with the generators and you can reach any mining location in a 1,000u radius. And you can put satellite bases within that radius with short range teleporters so you don't have to run out. Or just pipe all the locations back to a bank of silos.

Because there's a mod to do anything, so it would be redundant to even mention that. The questions I'm answering are for people that are trying to understand how the devs designed their game.

And it's really not all that trouble, it's just hard to make clear in a forum post so that everyone understands. In practice, it's actually easy once you know what you're doing.

[Zuleica]

Originally posted by DrummahMike:

Originally posted by Zuleica:

If you're going to go to that trouble why not just use the BaseBoundaryPLus1.1 mod which lets you extend to 1,000u.

Place your base computer at the hotspot along with the generators and you can reach any mining location in a 1,000u radius. And you can put satellite bases within that radius with short range teleporters so you don't have to run out. Or just pipe all the locations back to a bank of silos.

Because there's a mod to do anything, so it would be redundant to even mention that. The questions I'm answering are for people that are trying to understand how the devs designed their game.

Ahh, OK, thought you were suggesting a practical method.

[DrummahMike]

Originally posted by Zuleica:

Originally posted by DrummahMike:

Because there's a mod to do anything, so it would be redundant to even mention that. The questions I'm answering are for people that are trying to understand how the devs designed their game.

Ahh, OK, thought you were suggesting a practical method.

This is more practical than managing mod folders and dealing with incompatibilities or waiting for mod authors to update their scripts. Or how about when HG just turns some of them off. That hardly sounds practical.

[Cactomondo]

My base is better because of you. Original tips posted here are working great for me on PC, survival mode.

[🅶ila]

This should be stickied. I spent a good half-hour running around trying to figure this out last night.

Thanks!

[KQ7]

Originally posted by DrummahMike:

I got tired of explaining this to threads with OP's that don't pin answers, and everyone keeps asking the same question, so here it is:

I'm going to explain what I did, I don't have a video, but I'm going to make it simple and pose a setting:

1. Find power hotspot that you want and place a new base computer on it. Let's say you name it
"Electric base " for easy reference. Do not place a generator yet.

2. Go back to your home base, let's pretend you named it "home base" in the computer for reference. Select wiring in your building menu "power" tab. Make sure the tooltip say's "editing home base". Start from home base running the wire to the power hotspot.

3. Once you get the wires to the hotspot, just leave them on the ground unconnected. Finally, you select your electromagnetic generator in the build menu. But, since now you're in the realm of the "electric base" base computer, you will have to make sure the tooltip for the generator says "editing home base" and not "editing electric base" before you place the generator. You do this by pressing middle mouse to scroll bases. Once the generator is editing the proper base, place it down and connect the wire, also making sure that the last of the wire is editing home base.

You can't have a generator designated for "electric base" but wires designated for "home base". They all have to be congruent or it will not siphon power. Now "home base" will be powered by "electric base" because the generator + wires are all editing home base.

If you want to run power from this same hotspot to another base, just repeat the steps: run wires from the other base to the hotspot, plop down a 2nd electromagnetic generator but make sure the new generator says it's editing that new base in the tooltip just before you place it.

The problem people are having is probably connecting wires that are editing one base to a generator that's editing another because they are not paying attention to which base the tooltip is editing. Don't cross the streams.

Thanks for the good article. I have been using the same power system for 3 months and suddenly all my EMags and batteries just quit connecting to each other. I thought it was unpatched or something. Honestly I think the power aspect of building should be optional.
you should just be able to got to Cofgiuration and say Use Power for bases YES or NO simple and No hours of pain. If you want to play with power do it. If you don't think it is necessary for the game Just say NO , "just like drugs"
LOl
Peace

K

[JimDFTW]

has this been "patched out"? I do not get a selection to change bases when i try to place my first electro generator in my electro base, it only lets me lay down the generator under editting of the electro base

[🅶ila]

Originally posted by Comma 8 Comma 1:

has this been "patched out"? I do not get a selection to change bases when i try to place my first electro generator in my electro base, it only lets me lay down the generator under editting of the electro base

Nope, you have to lay the wire first to be able to drop the generator. See, when you lay down a "piece" to another base, it expands the area of influence of that base by a certain radius. So if you're laying down a wire from one base to another, you have to expand the area from the base you want power TO first in order to be able to place the generator under that base's ownership.

If you walk outside of the area of influence, it will automatically switch to the nearest base; meaning that you have to backtrack until you're back in the desired base's influence. Then you'll see the option to "switch bases" and can start laying wire down again.

This is incredibly stupid. Whoever designed this portion of basebuilding obviously didn't do much building themselves or they would have found this and fixed it...