How to Build a Base on a Lake?

[Weihunglo]

I'd been playing the game on GOG, but am now starting over on Steam. I'd like to build a base that is on a lake vs solid ground.

My question concerns getting started. If you have to drop a Base Computer to begin building do I have to drop it on solid ground to begin? I'd much rather build a platform on the water, then put the Base Computer on the platform, then start building from there...but I'm thinking I can't put the platform down UNTIL I've put down the Base Computer?

Will this work? --> I find a little tiny island. Put down a base computer. Then use the Terrain Manipulator to destroy the island? WIll I be able to put a platform under the (presumably floating) Base Computer? Will the island come back (as the grass and trees have been known to do)? Is there a way to *move* a Base Computer after you set it down?

Thanks!

[Jyin]

Yes you can.

But better way is to build the island and put the BC, then remove the island afterwards.

J

[Weihunglo]

Let me ask you for clarification: You seem to be saying to build the island first? How do you do that? I'm guessing Terrain Manipulator...but I've never used it to *add* land. Do you start from the bottom of the lake and build up to the surface?

[Dragorin]

And when you portal to such a base from somewhere else is your Ship at the bottom of the lake?

[Cougarific]

Originally posted by DamianHart:

Let me ask you for clarification: You seem to be saying to build the island first? How do you do that? I'm guessing Terrain Manipulator...but I've never used it to *add* land. Do you start from the bottom of the lake and build up to the surface?

Yes, use MMB to access "advanced" terrain manipulation features.

[Lucifer69]

Be careful changing terrain as it will revert once you leave the area. Terrain changes such as mining, terrain manipulator, building a structure that auto levels the ground, etc will reset and end up inside the base.

Best thing to do is build a "floating" base. Find a nearby island and place the computer on it with any other needed portable tech. Then swim out a bit and use walls to build up and place a floor at water level. You can also use the terrain manipulator to make this faster but it will reset the terrain.

Building underwater works too but is buggy as all hell.

[Jyin]

Originally posted by Dragorin:

And when you portal to such a base from somewhere else is your Ship at the bottom of the lake?

I have to try that tonight. My on-the-lake base was close enough to shore that my ship is only half submerged when I teleport to it.

J

[LoboFH]

The base terminal can't be in water or underground, your ship will spawn near when you teleport to the base.

You need to place on a real island. Now you can build the base in the sea.

[Lucifer69]

When teleporting to a base near water or over water you will likely spawn in the water with the ship underwater as well.

Not a big deal though as you can always summon the thing out or just jump in it while underwater and fly it out.

Edit: Teleporters pick a spot near the base computer. However it's hard to say for sure as I never teleport to the exact same spot at my ocean base. Usually I spawn in the water with the ship at the bottom even though there's an island nearby with the computer on it. I've yet to spawn on said Island. Sometimes I spawn on top of the base with the ship.

[LoboFH]

They need to code the game so our ships spawns on a landing pad if we build one. This would fix lot of these issues.

[Weihunglo]

Edit: I see some of you talked about this even while I was typing it...

>>> "your ship will spawn near when you teleport to the base"

I noticed that in the GOG version. Is there an indication to how close the ship spawns? If I put the Base Computer in a building or somthing that was, itself, on a large platform...would the ship land on the platform?

In the old game I had a landing pad and often wandered why the ship didn't land THERE instead of landing out in my yard.....

[Jyin]

Originally posted by LoboFH:

They need to code the game so our ships spawns on a landing pad if we build one. This would fix lot of these issues.

That would be nice.... But considering all you have to do is call the ship from the pad, I think there are other things HG can work on first.

J

[Lucifer69]

Originally posted by LoboFH:

They need to code the game so our ships spawns on a landing pad if we build one. This would fix lot of these issues.

They need to fix the dam game first before adding more features that will inevitably be broken upon release.

That said I agree 100%.

[Zandbergen]

Can you build aquatic structures? Sub-sea bases or will they be full of water?

[Jez Hammond]

Originally posted by Dragorin:

And when you portal to such a base from somewhere else is your Ship at the bottom of the lake?

Yes, I built on top of a hollow cylinder with water mostly everywhere else. I spawn underwater beside Kelp, and my ship spawns underwater half fused with the cylinder's interior!

I built a tunnel and some features around the quirks. Tried to plant stuff at spawn locations but the game just finds another spot (that isn't actually on the land around the BC).

When I first load the game it spawns at the save point which I used last time. But not when I warp in.

[Lucifer69]

Originally posted by corneliszandbergen:

Can you build aquatic structures? Sub-sea bases or will they be full of water?

You can build underwater but I'd advise against it as this game has bugs galore. Hell the junk Bethesda releases has fewer bugs than this game.