How to build a base

[Chogathmainop]

I'm about to start on a new colony (Current one is around cycle 850, doing fine) but I want to try something different. Specifically, I want to try a different overall style of base, and I wanted to ask you all for pointers.

As it stands, I tend to build my base in 26x4 "compartments" giving my base a grid-like shape. This is great early on since most rooms usually have a max of 96 squares (last square on each piece is for the door), and makes movement efficent, but it gets a little messy late game when things tend to fall at the bottom of a very long firepole. It also makes things difficult on heatmaps such as Rime and Verdante when managing temp early on is an issue.

I suppose if nothing else, the big thing I'd ask is where do you all put your storage boxes? I've been digging a lot of material lately, and I have entire floors filled with storage.

Thanks

[Coffee Cat]

I think my highest is around 300 and I still haven't gotten steam or plastic.
So uh. Good luck.

[Ender's games]

Ideally storage should be decently near the base so that duplicants can get what they need from them fast enough but at the same time it should be on the side or low enough that your dupes don't spend too much time near it because of the decor problem.

[Ekimmak]

I use the empty space in Hatch Ranches for storage. At least, all the things that hatches aren't liable to eat.

Going for a 100% achievement run definitely changes how you approach playing the game, but I don't know how much it'd change designing your base.

[Ender's games]

Originally posted by Ekimmak:

I use the empty space in Hatch Ranches for storage. At least, all the things that hatches aren't liable to eat.

Good idea, specially if you have horizontal ranches.

[Peez Machine]

I run a similarly standardized setup, a single column of rooms near one edge of the map (eventually -- early one you gotta build where you are, you know?), with the rest of the map (the vast majority of it, minus the occasional transportation column) filled with a neatly organized bus for all manner of pipes. I use 33-wide rooms (35 including the end walls) instead of 24/26. Those get broken out into either 2 16-wide rooms or a 24-wide room with an 8-wide bonus room. That room might support the big room next to it -- suit docks for hazardous rooms, egg and meat management for ranches, etc -- but if there's nothing that needs to go there, it's a good place for transformers or storage. Maybe you could do something similar with your bonus space next to your 16-wide rooms.

[Angpaur]

This is how I set up my base. There are natural parks, which dupes will have to visit at least once per cycle. Mess hall and recreational buildings are in central place. One of goals was to reduce dupes travel time between bathrooms and bedrooms. Dupes route is limited to minimum:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2797737692

Dupes wake up, go to toilet, use shower and then go to eat and use recreation buildings.
This requires adjusting schedules:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2797737716

[Ender's games]

Originally posted by Peez Machine:

I run a similarly standardized setup, a single column of rooms near one edge of the map (eventually -- early one you gotta build where you are, you know?), with the rest of the map (the vast majority of it, minus the occasional transportation column) filled with a neatly organized bus for all manner of pipes. I use 33-wide rooms (35 including the end walls) instead of 24/26. Those get broken out into either 2 16-wide rooms or a 24-wide room with an 8-wide bonus room. That room might support the big room next to it -- suit docks for hazardous rooms, egg and meat management for ranches, etc -- but if there's nothing that needs to go there, it's a good place for transformers or storage. Maybe you could do something similar with your bonus space next to your 16-wide rooms.

Another very good idea. Thank you.

[Junky Juke]

I love more building new colonies than tech advance and "late game". I usually stop playing a colony when I reach the surface and render my colony almost 100% self sufficient food, water, energy and temperature wise.
That said every time a start a new colony I try to set some guidelines such as "I want my base to be as small and efficient as possible", "I want my base to synergize with biomes", "I want an overcrowded base", "I want my dupes to live in separate sub-bases" and so on.
If you think about it a single statement above can dramatically change the outcome of your base. So set a roadmap and follow it.

[Fardy McShiddpants]

I have a column of rooms in my base that is dedicated entirely to storage containers. Something between 8-16 storage containers is enough to hold all the materials resulting from a row of excavation from the left side of the map to the right that is 4 tiles high.

[POWER WITHIN USER]

Originally posted by Chogathmainop:

I suppose if nothing else, the big thing I'd ask is where do you all put your storage boxes?

Depends on the material. I tend to build smart storage bins with important materials, restrict them after they fill up, lower their max storage and hook up a not gate+alarm so I know when they've emptied out and need refilling. It takes some manual management but beats seeing a dupe (with high store priority) stop everything they're doing to restock 10kg of sulfur off a bin that's at 19990/20000 when they'd be more productive doing lower priority things like say digging or building.

Bleach stone or slime are outside of the "main base" in an area where they wouldn't release chlorine/pOxygen.
Everything else that's considered trash is taken to automatic dispensers dropping things into an area that duplicants can't reach.

Late game I handle resources (say, metal ore) with conveyor loaders -some, duplicant operated- sending things to literal 'logistics' rooms that serve as storage, distribution centers and tell me when something runs out as almost everything is dropped into weight plates. I've also found those useful to control when refineries get metal ore shipped to them.

[joebruce185]

I build an automatic dispenser somewhere convenient and dump all materials into a single spot on the floor. No need for rooms dedicated to dozens of storage bins.

I'll use storage bins for temp cleanouts (build a few near a project site, deactivate or deconstruct when done), or for certain materials that offgas or melt; place those in a liquid or in a cold place, respectively.

[VanGuard]

Just an idea that came to my mind while I was reading the post. İf you put storage boxes in a natural reserve, dupes will benefit from going there.

[caseyas435943]

Originally posted by Chogathmainop:

I'm about to start on a new colony (Current one is around cycle 850, doing fine) but I want to try something different. Specifically, I want to try a different overall style of base, and I wanted to ask you all for pointers.

As it stands, I tend to build my base in 26x4 "compartments" giving my base a grid-like shape. This is great early on since most rooms usually have a max of 96 squares (last square on each piece is for the door), and makes movement efficent, but it gets a little messy late game when things tend to fall at the bottom of a very long firepole. It also makes things difficult on heatmaps such as Rime and Verdante when managing temp early on is an issue.

I suppose if nothing else, the big thing I'd ask is where do you all put your storage boxes? I've been digging a lot of material lately, and I have entire floors filled with storage.

Thanks

Why use storage boxes? They are a waste of space. Just drop everything onto 1 tile. You can storage every piece you dig up on the whole map on 1 tile.

Or you can have 5 million storage containers whichever is easier:)

I've pretty much used 1 tile storage since day 1. I found it silly when I see playthroughs online and see 90% of a base taking up by storage containers.

Just why?

1 tile will work just as well and not take of 90% of your base or map space for storage containers.

Once you've used 1 tile storage, you'll never use storage containers again. There is zero never for them as your main storage.

Sure, you use a storage container by a coal generator with an auto sweeper. But for any mass storage it's 1 tile all the way.

[caseyas435943]

Originally posted by VanGuard:

Just an idea that came to my mind while I was reading the post. İf you put storage boxes in a natural reserve, dupes will benefit from going there.

Never seen a reason for a nature reserve.

You'll end for with dupes having 50+ morale easily without them.

I found them not worth the pain to setup.

But to each his own.

Base I'm running now. Cycle 154 and morale averages 54 on my dupes.

That's without really good food yet. Only BBQ.

Stuffed Berry is easy and is pretty good food. At a +4 quality. To BBQ which is +3.

I usually which over after I guess everything setup. BBQ is great food that you can have up 24/7 by cycle 80ish or so. By 100 cycle easy.

I you get lucky with stone hatches egg lays you can be 24/7 by cycle 60ish.