My Modular Base Design Rules Part 1

[Enginator]

I mentioned in an earlier post how I was assembling a base using a more modular design vs my normal "squish everything into as small a place as possible. I have found that this does not really pay off and it is not very aesthetically pleasing for me (it makes my pipes messy).

A less formal version of the rules I am about to propose can be seen in my last modular base:

In this post I wanted to outline a build protocol for a modular base. By protocol, I mean I want to outline the principals of the modular base and why they are important. As its name suggests a module will be designed to be a self contained unit that provides a single or multiple functions to the base. Early on, the modules will act similar to early game rooms. In late game, my intention is that these will become fully contained habitats for specialised duplicants.

After starting base after base, I wanted to use this as an experiment for me to have a single persistent base and continue to work on it until at least the next update.

Dimensioning

Rule 1: All rooms must be four squares high.

I have found that it is best practice to make rooms 4 squares high. This allows basically all buildings to be accommodated on a single floor without eating into the remainder of the base. It also allows decor buildings to be built above many other buildings if required. With this in mind, wherever possible we will construct buildings with 4 square floors. This will also mean that stacking will also be acheivable with minimal intervention.

Utilities

Rule 2: Utilties will be supplied and controlled from the Utility zone. This is a three square zone that extends out from the outer wall of the module.

One of the major constraints I have when constructing using minimal space is routing utilities. This is mainly because I have pipe OCD but I have found that giving your self plenty of room rarely causes problems. The utility zone provides the space I need to move supply lines and control circuits that do not impede on duplicants. These are ugly areas, but the thought is that eventually, the duplicants will be trapped in their little caves of happiness and this will not bother them.

Arrangement

Rule 3 : Modules shall be arranged alongside a around a supply tree/bus

These access columns provide a convenient way to get stores around the base. They will also be the core of the utility supply system, with any utilities required between modules running off the central column like branches. This dramatically simplifies utility construction.

We can see a vanilla implementation of these first three rules in the image below. Utility Zones are yellow with stripes. Supply trees/busses are in blue.

Depth

Rule 4: The depth of a room shall be at least 17 tiles wide and shall not exceed 25 tiles width.

This allows a 64 tile room + a second 16 tile room adjacent to it. By constraining room size, we are able to achieve a more consistent module column and avoid wasting space.

Empty Space.

Any space between a module and the square that otherwise would have been occupied by a full width module is considered empty space. Empty space shall be used as storage for liquids or gasses as they can change shape to fill these voids. They may also be used for equipment storage using compactors where convenient.

Rule 5 : Empty space is to be used for liquid or gas storage only.

Since liquids and gasses are inherently simple to handle, they do not require a utility zone around them

These next two rules can be seen implemented in the image below. The left side has implemented the width control with space filling, while the right size has only implmented width control.

As my new update base comes along I will add some more rules and base screenshots to see if you like how it works in game.

Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated.

UPDATE. Part two is now up.

[Neotuck]

Very interesting, I have some ideas I would like to share on this thread tonight when I get back home 

[blash365]

I'm using a few similar rules, however i dont see it working with the 3-tile utility shaft.

Let's say you have a room with a oxygen output above a room with a polluted oxygen output above your ng-plant.

This means you need 4 lines of vents (o2, po2, ng, co2) and you have 3 tiles width.

 

Could you show an example where you transfer all elements across your base (in both directions (supply/exhaust) if possible)?

[Enginator]

23 minutes ago, blash365 said:

I'm using a few similar rules, however i dont see it working with the 3-tile utility shaft.

Let's say you have a room with a oxygen output above a room with a polluted oxygen output above your ng-plant.

This means you need 4 lines of vents (o2, po2, ng, co2) and you have 3 tiles width.

 

Could you show an example where you transfer all elements across your base (in both directions (supply/exhaust) if possible)?

I see what you are saying, thank you for the input.

In my old base I had this as six tile utility zone (yellow) all around but I found it a bit excessive and wastes space. I have just started a new base ( about 20 turns in).

I have to concede that the supply busses will actually have to be six across. When you consider you also have the other supply bus on the adjacent module with another 6, that is 12. 

I dont have it in game yet, but this is how I see it happening. There are two blue ones next to each other to keep symmetry about the portal, but the input and output busses I see as blue and orange, and we abolish the utility zone at the front of the modules. There is plenty of room on the top and bottom for routing and control mechanisms.

 

 

The other change I will have to make is that free space fillers (like that water tank in the top left corner, will have to be cut down to not impede on the supply bus. This is more aesthetic more than anything else.

[DyingCrow]

Ive been following these rules more or less for quite a while, in the sense of organization, capability and adaptability. Building from start with modular in mind will allow for a later reorganization of the space as needed, while any temporary installations will be perfectly functional and clutter free.

Im also completely adverse to having networks of unnecessary pipes running across the main living area. I define these in 3 categories: water, polluter water and oxygen. Everything else is foreign.

In this example, rooms to the sides of the main shaft are 96 tiles long, and 4 tiles high. Most of what has been built inside the main living area is just temporary. Progress has been slow with the lack of exosuits (and dupes properly  trained to use them), and an overwhelming presence of slimelung outside. Out of 12 dupes, ive been having some 3-4 dupes sick every other cycle, with lots of work that needs to get done, along with odd bugs and crashes, progress has been slow, but promising.

Summarizing, i have a power production/storage/refinement area, that is still being built, to the bottom right. This will be extended vertically and/or horizontally later, to accommodate plastics, oil, and any other utilities that produce pollution or heat. The main living area still has lots of temporary storage along the main shaft compartments, which will be moved out later on for the sake of aesthetics, and replaced with either a vertical ranch with glass walls, or simply stuffed with decor items. The empty room to the right of the main water tank will be converted into the main access airlock, which will be able to provide exosuits docks for a large amount of dupes, as the colony grows in numbers. The small mushroom farm to the left of the water tank will also be expanded to the width of the outer wall, and downwards to accommodate more production and misc storage for cooking ingredients in a sterile environment, with co2 supplied by some backup coal generators. I recently discovered a co2 geyser that emits a very small amount of gas (53g/s) at -55c, so i might inject some of that for temperature control as necessary.

As for the main living area, most of it will be relocated when the power and water situations have been completely tamed.

To the right of the main shaft, the temporary battery room and transformers will be removed and replaced (from bottom to top) with a single, larger semi-automated commons latrine with lavatories and only 1-2 sinks, maybe a commons shower room controlled by a timer, a proper kitchen, and 2 mess halls each with their own freezer, which will be locked and use sweepers to move food in and out to fridges in the mess halls. This will greatly limit conveyor clutter. 

To the left, i'll move the berries farm one floor down, or leave the current as is, and use the lower floor as a rec room with access to the ranches and hatchery, that will be built vertically just enough tiles wide and as tall as necessary to accommodate full numbers. Ive been using this vertical stable design since ranching came out, and i prefer it to the long, horizontal option. Above that, the current walk in freezer and mess halls will be dismantled, and all that space will be expanded upwards to build single rooms for each dupe, each with their own private shower, lavatory, sink and comfy bed. If they missed the end of day shower timer, they can still be cute in their own privacy later.

Below the base will be the oxygen production, providing air for the exosuit docks right above, and the main living area. The Hydrolizer rooms are self cooling and very efficient at that, since i keep them running at low efficiency to control temperature build up, I will later build a couple extra as the water situation allows, one of those being a backup in case one needs to be serviced, as internal access will later require repriming, which can take a few cycles. As most dupes will be spending most of the time outside, its more important to keep the exosuit docks topped off and as quickly as possible. Right above the hydrolyzers is where he transformers will go, providing power to any utilities inside the main living area. Everything else outside will be mostly heavy wire, with none inside at all.

Maybe this wall of text was garbled and boring as heck, but that sums the way i build my colonies, spacey, functional, organized and aesthetically pleasant, instead of just cramming stuff wherever it fits. Whenever i watch someone on twitch or any other means, i always cringe and ask myself why they just build stuff chaotically and without any sort of planning,

Makes no sense but i cant judge, not everyone cares about roleplaying dupe quality of life like i do

[abud]

3 hours ago, Enginator said:

squish everything into as small a place as possible

Sounds like what I'm doing so far...

[vonVile]

I've been doing this strategy for some time and think I pretty much have it figured out. My standard practice was to make 6x14 (4x12 interior) cubes and all building that need to be taller I just stack that dimension. On my current build I decided to go with 6x13 and it seems to be working so far and simpler in design. Old version I gave each Dupe their own personal bathroom, but took that away just to give them a communal bathroom. All Dupes have now are 4x4 cubicles to sleep in.

[BlueLance]

My base is pretty modular as well, Will post a picture when i get home!

[AnotherBoris]

I'm still new to this game, because I still have quite a few temporary buildings on the base, but nevertheless I will share my design of the base for six duplicants.

The base consists of blocks with an internal size of 16x4 and is divided into two zones: residential and technical. Residential includes Latrine with Lavatioryes and Showers, Barracks, Med Bay, Exosuit Docs room and Carbon Dioxide pumping room. In the technical area there are two farms, Recreation Room, Mess Hall, several warehouses and Polluted Water cleaning.

Inside the whole structure consists of only three pipes: oxygen, oxygen and oxygen And 2k wire for power. Oxygen fills the living area, and the technical area is filled with Carbon Dioxide. Carbon Dioxide is suitable for all food plants, it does not spoil the food and it is the heaviest, so that other gases will be pushed to them upward. Accordingly, the lower entrance to the base is closed by Airlock, and the base is open from above.

With regard to the screenshot, there is not enough Carbon Dioxide to fill the entire technical area, so the food warehouse is still in the temporary basement. Also, the Swamp biome has not been completely dug up to the right, so Med Bay and the second Barracks are still not built in the residential area.

 

[Neotuck]

On 6/14/2018 at 3:40 PM, Neotuck said:

Very interesting, I have some ideas I would like to share on this thread tonight when I get back home 

I made a thread on my rooms