what is the purpose of the foundation?

[NightEvolved]

Hi, I'm new to Subnautica. I don't have experience with building bases and I'm wondering what the purpose of the foundation is. Is it better to build on foundation than to let the modules rest on their own pillars?

[Arondil]

Foundations increase your base's integrity (once integrity drops to zero or below, holes will appear and your base will begin to flood).

I also use them for aesthetic purposes - I prefer to arrange (for example) solar panels and external growbeds on foundations so they look tidier.

[RCMidas]

Primarily their use is to add structural support. They can also make it easier to visualise how other modules fit together, make it look aesthetically pleasing, place things like external growbeds, and hold items that you briefly drop due to inventory problems without risking them floating all over the place.

Plus if you are using them to block off fish from going up or down, they cost fewer resources and have a larger surface area than other structures. A niche purpose, but not unheard-of.

[Coops]

Early in the game you might have titanium and lead to build foundations but be missing some blueprints or materials to make more robust support.
Later you can find lithium for structural support panels and by the time you scan bulkheads you should already have the rubber and titanium required.
But it is a narrow window where foundations are all you can make. Afterwards, use them as others have suggested for planter beds and feng shui. And since lead can be difficult to find for vehicle applications you might consider cannibalizing the foundations.

[cwsumner]

Also, they help prevent small things from falling through the ground surface and being lost. Or, getting embedded in the ground.

However, that was several months ago and might have been fixed by now. I have not seen it happen lately.

[Shivvi]

I find they are also useful for parking seatruck modules on when they aren't in use, or for putting below the moonpool to have something for the PRAWN suit to enter/exit safely.

[Nuggs]

foundations are useful for putting your bases main building pieces on. They increase the base hull integrity so you dont constantly have walls collapsing and stuff breaking. Which in the long run having your base sitting on some foundation plots will save you some resources in the long run over not having them and only relying on other building add ons to maintain the hull integrity

[Andrew]

I use the foundation for two functions. A landing pad for my PRAWN Suit and home to my exterior grow beds.
SN
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2363267050
BZ
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2363274126

I get tired of miss jumps to dock a prawn suit only to bash holes in my moonpool and flood my base. So I use the foundation as a marker to easily drop and dock my PRAWN Suit. Also, a little while ago, anytime the prawn suit touched the ground, there was a chance that it would fall through the ground into the void. Playing Hardcore meant this was game over, unless you activated console commands which also meant game over to a legitimate game play in steam's eyes. Foundation prevented the fall through.

Secondly, I enjoy using grow beds. These are crucial for building. No more travel to make Aerogel, or hydrochloric acid. I supplied two photos showing my use us of the foundation in SN1 and BZ.

Don't use the foundation for integrity, use Bulkhead Doors, which are much easier than using Lead which is harder to get in BZ.

A third reason to use a foundation is to elevate the base off the sea floor and bring it closer to the surface for solar power.

[cwsumner]

The Foundation and the Reenforcement Panel both boost Hull integrity, but they use different metals to build. So the real answer is: It depends on what resources you have found.

[Andrew]

I prefer reinforcement, Lithium and titanium has always been easy to find. But until then, I use Bulkhead doors. Silicone Rubber and Titanium are always near your starting point. And the recipe for bulkhead doors is always found within the first 2 hours of game play, and usually with the Multipurpose room.

I prefer to start my base with the moonpool personally.

But I do use at lease 2 foundations for the landing pad of the moonpool and to put exterior grow beds on