Base Building Guide

## **Overview**

Bases or "BAs" in Empyrion: Galactic Survival allow the player to establish a base of operations on a planet for temporary or permanent use. A base provides shelter and defense, and allows the player to access more crafting options and other more complex features of the game. Bases can be very small and efficient in regard to power usage, or incredibly massive structures that require lots of energy to run. The bottom line is a base can be just about anything you want it to be. You are only limited by your imagination and resources.

### **Locations**

You can build a base just about anywhere on a planet so long as you have enough flat terrain to deploy the starter block. Some locations are more advantageous than others so let's cover a few of the basic locations first:

1. **Water/Beach Locations** - These locations are almost always flat and in low-lying open areas. They won't require much work (if any) to flatten out to place your Base Starter Block either. Your access to water is a requirement to survive in Empyrion as water allows you to create oxygen and purified water for growing plants. Typically, you will find varying types of flora and fauna around water so this can also be advantageous for food and medicine as well. The only real disadvantage to building near a large, open water source is to consider security and natural terrain defense in regard to enemy activity such as NPCs and/or hostile players. There may also be visibility (line of sight) issues and fewer mineral resources within your immediate vicinity if you are in a low lying area surrounded by hilltops. Tactically speaking, this area will be much harder to defend so keep this in mind if this is a concern on the planet you wish to build on.
2. **Mountain/Hilltop Locations** - Visibility is key for hilltop and mountain locations and many players will make use of the natural terrain to shield or hide their base from view. You may also find various mineral resources to mine and flora/fauna to harvest. This will greatly depend on the elevation and planet however so make sure you do a thorough recon of the area first. One disadvantage to high elevation bases is a distinct lack of water for oxygen and purified water production. This is not always true but make sure that you weigh your options carefully. Another concern could be the type of fauna that may frequent this area at night. High elevation areas have been known to house larger, more dangerous creatures.
3. **Underground Locations** - If you have the time and enough drill charges you can build a base underground and create your own bunker-style, secret base. This is a great way to hide your base from NPCs and hostile players but it can make logistics a bit more challenging if you have Ground Vehicles and/or Small Vessels that need to land on the surface. Essentially, you will be giving away your location unless you can hide vehicles as well. Underground bases are more limited in their size due to the depth restrictions (300 meters or so vertically) if you want to dig very deep. Also, plan for power outages! If your base runs out of fuel you can not make use of natural lighting and it can get *very* dark underground.
4. **Concealed Locations** - Think of these locations as thick forests, jungles and similar areas where vegetation is more prominent. You should have a good chance of finding water and plenty of resources in areas like this but there is always a trade off. Depending on the terrain, you may have to spend a lot of time with the Filler & Flattening Tool working the land just to place your starter block. The thick vegetation will actually help to conceal your base but you may have to use the Remove & Repair Tool to clear out nuisance flora to make room for your hull blocks. If you get too crazy with either tool you will end up highlighting your location by creating a nice "void" for hostile players that may look for disruptions in the terrain. Camouflaging your base with the Color Tool should be relatively easy so long as you try to match the color of the vegetation or terrain that surrounds you. Focus on breaking up patterns and making things less recognizable from the air.

### **Base Classifications**

We do not *currently* have classifications for bases in Empyrion but many people find it useful to classify a base based on its capabilities and limitations. As the game matures we may see actual classifications for bases that tie into the tech/upgrade/research portion (planned future development) of the game. Until that time, we will use common terminology to describe the size and "mission" of each base type for reference and planning purposes only.

* **Camps** - A camp can be considered a temporary or semi-permanent type of base that possesses the absolute *bare* minimum of required components to function. Camps are typically undefended (turrets) locations that serve a very specific purpose such as; resource collection/refinery points, expedition/reconnaissance shelters, hunting party waypoints, etc. Camps provide the base essentials to survive or accomplish a very specific mission but are limited as to their capabilities.
* **OutPosts** - An OutPost can be considered a semi-permanent or permanent type of base that is tailored for a specific mission but also affords more than just shelter. Most player structures can be considered OutPosts as they provide shelter, defense and are driven by resource quantity and size. OutPosts can be further classified by their purpose as the following:
	+ **Combat OutPosts** - "COPS" or **C**ombat **O**ut**P**ost**S** that are heavily fortified and defended for the purpose of territory, resources or factional superiority.
	+ **Listening/Observation OutPosts** - "LP/OPs" or **L**istening **P**osts/**O**bservation **P**osts may or may not be heavily defended and/or fortified locations that exist for the express purpose of collecting intelligence. They are typically tower-like constructions with a clear line of sight of their targeted location/region.
	+ **Trading OutPosts** - Trading or "Commercial" OutPosts exist as free trade hubs where players may conduct trade negotiations for supplies, resources and/or territory. These OutPosts may be defended by neutral factions or trade conglomerates that profit on the exchange of trades in their facilities.
* **Fortresses** - A Fortress is an immense structure that is heavily defended and reinforced. A fortress can be controlled by a single player or it can also be a conglomeration of several player structures (each with their own player core) that have grown together for security, safety and the sharing of resources. A fortress may be supported by Capital Vessels and/or fleets of Small Vessels and/or Ground Vehicles.
* **City** - Cities do not currently exist in Empyrion but the developers have not said that they will *not* exist either. The biggest issue with cities is their construction and the time involved to create one. Ideally cities would be long term community build projects that *could* be blueprinted and imported into the game. So, if you want to see cities in Empyrion, get started on a build and share it with the community!

### **Base Components**

In order to build a fully functional base we will need a few required components:

1. 1x Base Starter Block (Requires 1x Player Core and 8x Hull Blocks.)
2. 1x Generator (Large or Small.)
3. 1x Fuel Tank

**Note**: *You can have more Generators and Fuel Tanks depending on the size of the base you wish to build but at least 1 of each is required to power up the base.*

The following components are are provided to give you an idea of what you need to plan for if you wish to build one of the following types of structures.

* **Camps**
	+ 50+ Hull Blocks (Linear or Curved Styles)
	+ 1-2+ Automatic Door(s)
	+ 25+ Windows (Optional)
	+ 1+ Light(s)
	+ 1+ Constructor(s) and/or Food Processor(s)
	+ 1+ Cargo Box(es) and/or Refrigerator(s)
* **OutPosts**
	+ 100+ Hull Blocks (Linear or Curved Styles)
	+ 2-4+ Automatic Door(s)
	+ 50+ Windows (Optional)
	+ 10+ Light(s)
	+ 2+ Constructor(s) and/or Food Processor(s)
	+ 4+ Cargo Box(es) and/or Refrigerator(s)
	+ 5+ Defense Turrets (Small)
	+ 5+ Defense Cannons (Large)
	+ 10+ Elevator Blocks
	+ 10+ Planting Soil (Optional)
	+ 3-5+ Grow Lights (Optional)
	+ 10+ Planting Buds (Optional)
	+ Furniture (Optional)
* **Fortress**
	+ 500-1000+ Hull Blocks (Linear or Curved Styles)
	+ 10-20+ Automatic Door(s)
	+ 100-500+ Windows (Optional)
	+ 25-50+ Light(s)
	+ 4-8+ Constructor(s) and/or Food Processor(s)
	+ 10-20+ Cargo Box(es) and/or Refrigerator(s)
	+ 10-25+ Defense Turrets (Small)
	+ 10-25+ Defense Cannons (Large)
	+ 50-100+ Elevator Blocks
	+ 25-50+ Planting Soil (Optional)
	+ 25+ Grow Lights (Optional)
	+ 25-50+ Planting Buds (Optional)
	+ Furniture (Optional)

### **Building a Base in Survival Mode**

There's no *wrong way* to build a base as it's entirely up to you, your imagination and the amount of available resources you have. There are some ways to make it a bit easier and faster so that is what we will concentrate on with this guide.

* **Location**
	+ Use the "Locations" guide above to help determine where you want to build your base. Remember, if you are a new player you may want to be fairly close to the escape pod and water.
* **Type & Purpose**
	+ Use the "Base Classifications" guide above to help determine what size, type and mission your base will have. This can be very helpful in keeping your build goals, *realistic*.
* **Proof of Concept**
	+ Ever wished you could "try it out" before you commit the resources to it? Well, you can do just that in Creative Mode! Use Creative Mode to experiment with your builds and "proof" a concept before you discover that it won't work like you envisioned in Survival Mode. The worst feeling in the world is to discover that your "great idea" just isn't feasible and realize that you've wasted a ton of resources and time. So, try it out in Creative Mode first and you'll be amazed at how fast you can replicate the work (with improvements) in Survival Mode after you verify your design.
* **Think Modular**
	+ This is fairly self explanatory but it pertains to the way you approach building. For instance, let's say you plan on building a small Camp first but then later decide to upgrade it to an OutPost. This will be fairly easy if your rooms are all roughly the same size. Your base doesn't have to be perfectly square, boring and cube-like but, you may want to consider having some symmetry to your build if there is a chance for upgrading later. This can prevent a lot of demolition and allows for quicker building/expansion.
* **Build a Foundation**
	+ If you find yourself lost as to how to start your build, just start adding Hull Blocks around the Base Starter Block to widen it out. Use the core as the center point and work your way out from there to get started. Sometimes it's easier to add 4 more "rows" of blocks on each side to bring your final foundation size to 11 x 11 blocks. That makes for an adequate space to place walls on every 5th row from the center.
* **Expand to a Frame**
	+ Once you have your foundation filled out start marking the corners and frame the structure. Framing allows you to get a better idea of what the structure will look like without having to throw complete walls up. Keep in mind that walls will need to be at least two blocks high to be able to place larger objects like Large Generators, Oxygen Tanks, Oxygen/Medic Stations, etc. Your character can navigate spaces as small as 1 block high but it can be very challenging to adequately use such a small space. Larger open rooms provide a bit more freedom so keep this in mind as your frame out your base.
* **Use the Paint Gun**
	+ The paint gun isn't just for coloring blocks! It can be a *very* handy reference tool for marking center lines, dividers and inclusion/exclusion zones. Think of it as a chalk line or carpenter's pen and use it wisely! White and Yellow tend to stand out very well even in low light conditions so make sure you establish a color code for your build and stick with it.
* **Planar/Axis Building**
	+ This is the one feature that you may not wish to use in Survival Mode unless you have ***plenty*** of resources for your build. This feature allows you to mirror build on 3 different planes/axes which greatly increases your speed and accuracy but it can deplete your materials faster as you are using 2x blocks for every 1 block you place.. To enable this feature simply aim/look at the block row or column location you wish to set as your linear intersection with your mouse and hold "N" down on your keyboard. This will open the **Build Settings** window on the right side of your screen. While holding "N" down you may then chose one of the following symmetry plane options:
		- **None** - Removes Plane Selection.
		- **XY** - Vertical Building (Blue Plane.)
		- **XZ** - Horizontal Building (Red Plane.)
		- **YZ** - Vertical Building (Green Plane.)
* **Take Breaks**
	+ Building can be frustrating especially for more complex jobs that require a lot of attention to detail and focus for the block placement. To make matters worse, once you begin to get frustrated you will find that you make more mistakes. So, if you get frustrated, take a break! Grab your hunting gear go out and terrorize the local fauna. Don't let the building process get to you and remember to keep topping off your Oxygen and Food levels!

### **Building a Base in Creative Mode**

Creative mode offers the promise of unlimited resources and complete freedom to build whatever your imagination can come up with. The only real drawback is that you cannot *currently* convert a Creative Mode game save to Survival Mode and vice versa. The developers have stated that this feature may be available as the game matures so check back regularly! As for building a Base in Creative Mode please refer to the tips referenced above in the "**Building a Base in Survival Mode**" guide. The principles are the same except you don't have to worry about time, defense and resources. Creative Mode also allows you to test out and refine Base Builds for use in Survival Mode. Helpful things like Planar/Axis Building and Blueprinting make Creative Mode a lot of fun to tinker around in.