Mistakes To Avoid When Building A Base

Highlights

• Utilize purposeful base building with Harvesters.
• Remember weather affects multi-storey bases.
• Avoid dangerous flora and fauna near bases.

No Man’s Sky has come a long way since its turbulent, initial release in 2016. Many games that suffered disastrous launches fade away never to be heard from again, but Hello Games’ epic space odyssey has endured and continues to receive regular updates, fixing bugs and issues and adding new content.

With all the new mechanics and possibilities, there is a steep learning curve, and it can take players a while to learn everything and work out their preferred playstyle. Base building is an integral part of No Man’s Sky and learning how to efficiently use the game’s construction mode will save a lot of time, resources, and headaches.

Updated on March 12, 2024 by Rhenn Taguiam: With Hello Games introducing major overhauls to the No Man’s Sky formula via its Omega Update, fans and newcomers to the space-faring experience can experience a reinvigorated title with new pirate freighters, on-planet missions, and various new expeditions. The game also offers a more consequential Atlas Path main mission, adding a more impactful take on the game’s short but condensed story. However, fans who want to enjoy No Man’s Sky for its expansive base-building feature may enjoy the Omega Update for its host of potential new locales for their intergalactic home. In this regard, base-building mistakes for players to avoid include ignoring their base limits, forgetting to maximize the idea of multiple bases, and how weather can still affect multi-storey bases.

Mind Base Building Limits

Consider The Hard Limit For Bases

While No Man’s Sky gameplay allows players to create multiple bases across the galaxy to store their valuable items and resources, the game does set a hard limit per play on how much of the galaxy they can populate with their settlements. It’s important to consider these limits when building multiple bases, or even just one grand base on a planet. Here are some numbers to consider should players consider being architects in No Man’s Sky:

• Number of Bases (per save): 402, including one Freighter and one Planetary Settlement
• Base Objects (per save) 16,000
• Component Upload (per base): 3,000

Going For An All-Around Base

Use Harvesters To Build Bases For Specific Materials

Much like how a ship in No Man’s Sky is the go-to exploration vehicle for any player, there’s the implication that a base is the home players come back to for relaxation after a busy day adventuring. As such, there’s a tendency to build a base that fulfills all-around functionalities for players. While this is a perfectly viable reason to build a base, this may cause unnecessary stress on the part of players to find “the right” planet with just enough resources to last them for years but also safe enough to stay for prolonged periods of time.

Instead of focusing too much on building a do-it-all base, players should instead assign functions to specific bases they build. Thanks to Harvesters, players can theoretically create bases specifically to help them collect specific materials for both trade and construction. This way, players can create small but purposeful bases around the galaxy, with clusters of mini-settlements they can stay safe in along the way.

Getting Creative With Half-Items Can Get Annoying

There’s No Consistent Way Of Getting Half-Items To Snap In Place

Once players have enough units in No Man’s Sky, it can get tempting to just showcase their wealth in an awesome crib with complex parts. However, much like how it takes experimenting to pull off unique structures in The Sims, so too does it take a lot of testing to get certain base elements in No Man’s Sky correctly. It’s been a known problem for the game to not work consistently with half-width stairs, half-panels, and even ramps.

There are ways to “snap” them in place, usually in the form of temporary ceilings, walls, and floors that are removed when finalizing the build. However, the experimentation required to figure out which temporary parts hold these elements in place can waste the player’s time, making it more practical to just opt for whole structures when combining base elements.

Weather Still Affects Two-Storey Bases

Too Big Of An Inside Space Counts As Outside

Despite the in-depth base-building mechanics that exist in No Man’s Sky, the rather flexible nature of this feature can lead to some wonky effects should players opt for extremely grandiose bases. At its core, one problem players have with the current housing system is how weather can still affect the inside of their base – defeating the purpose of building a base in the first place. This problem often occurs when players have two-storey bases, especially when each storey is taller than the game’s hidden limit.

As fans have noticed, the rule of thumb for weather not affecting bases would be two walls high for any vertical structure. In the case of multi-tiered bases, any storey in the player’s base should only be two walls high and should be followed by flooring or roofing.

Going Big Too Fast

Base Management Can Get Complicated In Large, Unplanned Spaces

With the game’s New Settlements update allowing players to create bases that occupy up to 1000u of space, it’s extremely tempting to maximize land as early as possible. However, newcomers to base building in their No Man’s Sky gameplay may want to consider building their base in a smaller patch of land before expanding to cover larger portions.

Similar to a city builder, players should ensure that their small area is sustainable before expanding, so they can easily identify issues to fix along the way. This “slow but sure” process allows players to make a functioning base where they understand all components, which they can then use as a basis for a larger base in a new location.

Forgetting Hotspots

Hotspots Can Provide Limitless Energy

Electricity plays a crucial role in base management in No Man’s Sky gameplay, with equipment requiring a set amount of power in order to function. Unfortunately, finding locations with a stable source of electricity can be tricky when building a base for the first time, and skipping out on Power Hotspots can ruin a base’s long-term survival.

In the game, Hotspots supply an infinite amount of electricity. To secure this beneficial location, players need to upgrade their Analysis Visor with the Survey Device in order to activate Surveying Mode. It’s through this special interface that players can detect hidden terrain resources, which include Power Hotspots. Players know they’re near a Power Hotspot once they detect electromagnetic radiation in the form of pulsing signals, with the Hotspots themselves marked by lightning bolt symbols.

Forgetting About Stellar Neighbors

Maximize Base Potential By Considering Resources From Other Planets

Players interested in building a base in their No Man’s Sky gameplay will likely choose their version of a paradise planet in any galaxy provided they have enough resources to sustain the player’s base-building efforts. However, one common mistake players make in this regard involves focusing too much on the right planet but not on the right neighborhood.

Remember, while there are ideal No Man’s Sky planets to build bases on, not all of these planets have resources players need to sustain them in the long-term. If players still have to go to distant galaxies to harvest resources not sold in Galactic Terminals, their base may end up being a basic outpost. To solve this problem, players need to check for galaxies with the highest number of planets. That way, players will likely find a closer planet for any rare commodity they’re looking to find.

Not Flattening Terrain

Skip On Complicated Flooring For Easier Builds

Gamers who played their fair share of large-scale simulators such as Cities: Skylines know that they can’t build their ideal homes in improper terrain. Realistically speaking, uneven ground can’t become foundations for long-lasting structures, and No Man’s Sky gameplay doesn’t allow outposts to be built in uneven terrain. In that regard, players need to secure their Terrain Manipulator as soon as possible to flatten spaces before base-building.

To do this, players simply need to activate their Terrain Manipulator and set it to “flatten.” This allows the Manipulator to fix uneven surface and turn them to massive open fields, which can then become suitable foundations for larger outposts and multi-floor bases.

Building Near Hostile Flora And Fauna

Build At A Significant Distance From Dangerous Beasts

To call the universe in No Man’s Sky large would be an understatement of the greatest order. With so many worlds, it’s inevitable that many of them will be populated with strange alien life. It’s equally inevitable that much of that alien life won’t be thrilled about the player setting up shop in its backyard.

Once the player is further into the game, most flora and fauna no longer pose much of a threat. When building bases early on, however, the presence of dangerous plants and wildlife is a consideration that players should take seriously, especially if playing with permadeath enabled. If the local critters are of the toothy variety and will be able to creep right up to the player’s front door, it might be a good idea to relocate.

Not Building Storage

Get Storage Rooms To Stockpile Resources

In the beginning of No Man’s Sky, the player will struggle for resources, but that struggle will soon be replaced by a different problem: storing the innumerable resources, relics, and other items that the player will collect throughout their travels. Though the player’s suit and ship can hold many items (especially when upgraded), storage will eventually become an issue.

Failing to address the storage concern is a common mistake, and a frustrating one. Whether the player is trying to make millions with a Chlorine refinery or just build a cozy winter getaway in which to relax, they’ll probably need a place to store their excess goodies. Building a large storage container is cheap and easy, and the player will probably regret not doing so, at least at their main base.

Ignoring The Landing

Secure A Landing Pad To Guarantee Safe Landings

The player’s ship is arguably the most important thing in the entire game. Without a ship, traveling the vast universe is immeasurably harder. Escaping from pirates, smuggling cargo, surveying strange flora, and just taking in the beauty of new planets all depend on having a quality ship to get around.

While bases hidden in caverns or nestled between mountain peaks can be beautiful, they sometimes make landing one’s ship an issue. Few things in No Man’s Sky are as frustrating as having to awkwardly run and jetpack around in order to find a place where one’s ship can be summoned. When building a base, it’s always important to leave space for a landing pad, even if it’s going to be suspended in the air on a delicate tower.

Forgetting The Terrain Manipulator

Secure A Terrain Manipulator To Build A Base

In order to build their first base, players will need a Terrain Manipulator for gathering resources. Building walls and other structures will consume a lot of materials that can be mined by hand or purchased from vendors if players have enough units. The Terrain Manipulator is essential to gather raw materials for the base, so this is the first thing players should secure if they want to create a base to call home.

Constructing a base will require a base computer, which can be made from 40 chromatic metal and 80 copper. Once players have gathered these materials and built the computer, it will automatically create a plot of land where structures can be built. Inside the base computer’s archives, players will find the blueprints for building their first base which will require:

• Wooden Walls
• Wooden Door Frame
• Wooden Floor Panel
• Wooden Roof
• Flag 2
• Lamp
• Flora Container

Going Big Instead Of Small

Smaller Bases Are Easier To Manage

No Man’s Sky is a game of exploration and discovering new horizons. As such, while players may want to focus on constructing a single ‘main base’, it is often necessary to place smaller, ancillary, bases across the galaxy. These bases tend to be easier to manage, and cost less to both create and maintain.

Large deposits of natural resources, quest locations, and portals are all areas the player will want to visit again and mark with a base. Not every base has to be a large, multi-functional facility, and often a single room with a teleport station will suffice. It is easy to make mistakes when starting No Man’s Sky and being able to fast-travel back to important areas will help make the galaxy-sized sandbox much more navigable.

Sticking To Base Limits Too Much

Maximize Limits Through Object Placement

All construction in No Man’s Sky must take place within a set radius (normally 300u) from the base computer. However, there is an easy way to extend this limit. Doing so will require the player to unlock their base boundary, which can be done by saving the game and restarting.

To extend the base boundary simply place an object just outside it while standing within the circle. This new object will create its own buildable area around it of about 25-30u. By placing objects just outside the limit, players can extend their base up to 1000u away from the base computer both horizontally and vertically.

Building In Dangerous Planets

Make A Base In A Nearby Planet Instead

As with any game that includes base-building mechanics, location is everything. Of the countless planets in the game’s universe, some are far more hospitable than others. Building bases on planets with extreme climates will require better technology and materials to keep the player safe. However, players should skip risking the dangers of a hostile planet when it has neighbors.

Players should construct bases on planets in systems with varied planet types, as this provides greater access to different types of resources. Should they eye a dangerous planet with decent resources, a base on a moon or another nearby planet could provide players with an accessible vantage point.

Forgetting A Save Station

Reload Saves From Accidents Quickly

No Man’s Sky allows players to explore a universe full of wonders and hazards. Hostile alien lifeforms, space pirates, and extreme weather are just some of the dangers players will face in their cosmic odyssey. As such, a player who already has made significant progress for the day can find it annoying if an encounter with a hostile environment suddenly wastes the day’s efforts.

One essential feature to build at any base is the save point. While the game will autosave every time the player enters or exits their ship, save points are the only way for players to manually save their game. Building this base feature will require 2 pieces of metal plating and one Di-hydrogen Jelly.

Going For Messy Wiring

Manage Power Sources And Gadget Receivers More Efficiently

Wiring up electronic machines in No Man’s Sky can quickly get messy. Unless players plan to only occupy a living ship, they will have to use wiring at some point, and it is tempting to connect items directly to the power source with a single wire. Not only does this look chaotic, but it often makes it difficult to fix things when they go wrong.

Wires can be made of any length, don’t use any resources, and can clip through walls or floorboards. Using multiple wires and connecting them together allows the player to hide them out of sight by running them along walls or through the floor panels. This will make bases look much tidier and should help with easily identifying problems when they occur.

Not Raising Floors

Underground Components Fit Easier On A Flat Surface

There are 11 different types of planet players can find in No Man’s Sky and very few of them are perfectly flat. This can present problems for base-building as floors will often clip onto the planet’s surface.

Raising floors off the ground not only helps with making them flat and consistent but also provides a useful space under the base for running wires and pipes. The easiest way to raise floors is to place them on the short walls available from the Structures menu.

Forgetting The Teleport Module

Travel Between Locations Quickly

With numerous bases scattered throughout the game’s expansive universe, some players may encounter the problem of not being able to find all the important locations they have marked. Thankfully, it is possible for players to build a device that will allow them to travel quickly between their bases.

The base teleport module only uses 20kps of power making it an essential station to build on any planet the player wants to revisit. The blueprint for this module can be purchased from the Construction Research Unit for 2 pieces of salvaged data. To build a teleporter players will need the following:

• 4x Metal Plating
• 2x Carbon Nanotubes
• 40x Sodium

Relying On Reactors As Best Power Sources

Go Renewable For Sustainable, Cheaper Power

When tackling the issue of how to generate power for a base, players may be tempted to use biofuel generators as they are cheap and relatively easy to find fuel for. However, there are much more efficient means of providing a base with all the power it needs.

Solar panels don’t require constant fuel input and are relatively easy to unlock in the early game. Combining them with batteries allows the player to store up excess power generated during the day to keep the base operational through the night. With enough panels and batteries, this method will easily sustain even the largest bases.

Excavating To Build Underground

Use A Pre-Existing Cavern To Avoid Growing The Land Back In The Next Save File Load

Players can build bases in the planet’s upper atmosphere should they wish, however constructing subterranean facilities is slightly trickier. As one of the biggest open-world games available, the planets in No Man’s Sky have a variety of biomes including mountain ranges and intricate cave systems. However, if players wish to build underground, they should always aim to do so in a pre-existing cavern.

Using the terrain edit tool will only alter the planet’s surface for a brief amount of time. Should the player flatten out an area, or try to create a hollow to build in, the terrain will often grow back when they reload. Any structures placed will be buried and need to be re-excavated each time the player loads the game.

Manually Harvesting Resources

Buy In Bulk To Save Time

Players of other survival games may be used to building their bases from resources they have gathered and mined themselves. While this is also possible in No Man’s Sky, there are much faster ways of acquiring resources without the need to spend hours grinding in a mine shaft.

If players want to have the resources for bigger bases or enormous recreations of Rapture from Bioshock, they will find it far more efficient to buy materials in bulk from the markets on space stations. Earning units is easier than manually gathering resources and following the main quest will provide numerous opportunities for players to quickly accumulate units.

Leaving Large Rooms Exposed To The Outside Environment

Avoid Large Spaces As They Count As Part Of Outside

No Man’s Sky is a game where players can set their own path, be it intrepid space exploration or dedicating a whole planet to virtual dance raves. As such, creative players will probably want to build large, impressive, structures. However, any open space over a certain size counts as being outside even if it is not, which can make enormous rooms difficult to utilize on stormy planets.

Storms will spawn inside any room that is large enough to count as being outside, meaning players should only ever seek shelter from natural hazards in small contained rooms. Breaking up large spaces with dividing walls or objects is one way to regain the room status, but it is often best to save big buildings for lush or stormless planets.

Forgetting To Glitch-Build

The Adjacency Glitch Can Pave The Way For Interesting Structures

The building engine in No Man’s Sky has come a long way since the game was first released. That said, there are still some bugs in the system and ingenious players have found many ways to turn them to their advantage.

Adjacency glitching is a useful skill that allows the player to place an object in a way that the building engine would normally not allow. To do this, simply choose an item immediately before or after the desired structure in the menu. The item must be green and placeable (which may require some temporary scaffolding). Clicking the arrow to move to the desired item and the build button simultaneously will adjacency glitch the object into the correct alignment. Glitch-building can be used to make a variety of interesting structures that the game would otherwise not allow.

Waste Power Without Proximity Switches

Use Proximity Switches To Maximize Power Usage

No Man’s Sky has grown more and more complex as it has evolved with the latest update adding alien pets for the players to adopt. Wiring up devices to power sources as an inexperienced builder can lead to power wastages and gadgets not getting enough power. However, there are numerous sensors and switches available to make things easier and more functional.

Proximity sensors are most useful for making automatic doors, which are a must-have for any base. They can also be connected throughout a base to turn off whole sections when they are not in use. This will help players who are struggling to generate power and want to avoid wasting their precious electricity.