Editing User:Gottoni/User guide/Colony Building Guide

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This guide is the ultimate go-to guide to building your base, for all stages of the game.

== Base Types ==

There are different ways to build your base. In all different designs one can opt to either predefine each room role or make modular rooms which are easier to expand but also less efficient.

=== Superstructure base ===

A superstructure base is a base where everything or almost everything is in one large building rather than smaller separate parts.

This is a common method to build bases, and is generally the recommended way to do so.

'''Pros'''
* Saves building materials and space.
* Easier to control temperature.
* Easier to defend against raids.
* More resistant against [[Events#Toxic_Fallout|toxic fallout]].

'''Cons'''
* Patches of deep water can limit the design and patches of soft sand will require [[moisture pump]]s before building, but not marshy terrain since they can just be covered with [[bridge]]s.
* Some areas might need to be unroofed to prevent cabin fever.
* Some large hallways might be needed to help defend against raiders dropping on top.

=== Separate structures base ===

Build everything in separated buildings, just like building a small town.

It is easier for starting off, but it is overall more vulnerable, so usually does not scale as well into late game.

'''Pros'''
* Easier to avoid areas with building restrictions.
* Naturally gets rid of cabin fever.
* Naturally offer areas in between buildings to fight raiders that drop on top.

'''Cons'''
* Requires more space and building materials overall.
* Harder to control temperature.
* Harder to defend against most raids.
* Vulnerable to [[Events#Toxic_Fallout|toxic fallout]].

=== Mountain base ===

For mountainous maps where you have less space to build, you can opt to dig inside the mountains instead.

Also very easy to start off, used to be the most popular kind of base but now depending on how bad the [[Infestation]]s are it can be good or impossible late game.

'''Pros'''
* Saves a lot of building materials.
* Easier to control temperature.
* Easier to defend against raids.
* More resistant against [[Events#Toxic_Fallout|toxic fallout]].
* Free, beautiful [[Smooth stone|floor]] and walls.
* Immune to sieges and raiders dropping on top.

'''Cons'''
* Infestations inside can be impossible to deal with.
* Cabin fever can be a real problem.

== Base Structures ==

Different structures suit the different needs of your colony.

=== Dining room ===

Dining rooms are rooms with table and chairs for colonists to eat in.

It is usually a good idea to have the main dining room near the food storage so your colonists will actually use the dining room, instead of eating on the floor.
It is also a good idea to have a minor dining room near the colonists bedrooms or they might eat their breakfast on the floor since colonists tend to go to bed with food and eat as soon as they wake up.

In big bases, dining rooms can be partially unroofed to get rid of cabin fever since colonists do not mind eating in hot or cold rooms.

Good dining rooms give good mood modifiers so they should have plenty of art, light, good flooring and high-quality furniture. It does not need to be temperature controlled. [[Nutrient paste dispenser]]s are very useful on dining rooms to ensure that nobody needs to eat raw food, they are usually placed half in the dining room and half in the freezer.

Dining rooms can be combined with recreation rooms.

=== Recreation rooms ===

[[File:dinningroom.png|400px|thumb|right|Example of combined recreation/dining room. The middle is unroofed to get rid of cabin fever and to accommodate a telescope.]]

The recreation room is a room with sources of [[joy]].

Colonists get bored of using the same joy source repeatedly, so you should have as many joy sources as possible in the recreation room.

In the early game, all you need is a [[horseshoes pin]] and a [[chess table]]. During mid-game you can add a [[poker table]], a [[billiards table]] and a [[tube television]], then upgrade it to a [[flatscreen television]]. Later, buy a [[megascreen television]] and a [[telescope]] from traders.

In big bases, recreation rooms can be partially unroofed to get rid of cabin fever since colonists do not mind playing in hot or cold rooms.

Good recreations rooms give good mood modifiers so they should have plenty of art, light, good flooring and high-quality furniture. It does not need to be temperature controlled.

Recreation rooms can be combined with dining rooms.

=== Barracks ===

The barracks is a room with multiple beds.

They are usually a good option early-game when resources are limited, or during late-game to deal with an overflow of people. Overall, it is better to have separate bedrooms since barracks give a lower mood modifier and cause a lot of 'Disturbed sleep' penalties.

Good barracks give good mood modifiers so they should have plenty of art, good flooring and high-quality furniture. It should be temperature controlled for better moods. [[Dresser]]s are a very good addition to barracks since they increase the comfort of many beds at once.

Colonists like to eat as soon as they wake up, but do not place table and chairs inside the barracks or colonists will use the tables at night and cause 'Disturbed sleep' penalties, instead barracks should be built close to dining rooms.

=== Bedrooms ===

[[File:bedrooms.png|400px|thumb|right|Example of bedrooms. Table and chairs should be right outside.]]

Bedrooms are rooms with only one bed.

Only couples like to share a room, and all sleeping colonists will get disturbed by non-lovers walking about in the same room while they sleep, so once you have the resources you should upgrade to individual bedrooms for each colonist or couple.  For couples, it should have [[double bed]]s so they can sleep together. It is actually recommended to have [[double bed]]s in all rooms because couples are not smart enough to assign themselves to bedrooms with [[double bed]]s, so if you have some bedrooms with normal beds and others with [[double bed]]s you have to manually re-assign the couples every time they go out on a [[caravan]].

Good bedrooms give good mood modifiers so they should have plenty of art, good flooring and high quality furniture. It should be temperature controlled for better moods. [[Dresser]]s and [[end table]]s are recommended in bedrooms to increase the comfort of the bed. [[Royal bed]]s are particularly good to have in bedrooms if you can afford it.

Colonists like to eat as soon as they wake up, but do not place table and chairs inside the bedrooms or colonists will use other colonists tables at night and cause 'Disturbed sleep' penalties, instead bedrooms should be built close to dining rooms.

=== Storage ===

The storage is a room with a stockpile. It is not an official [[room roles|room role]].

The storage is usually the biggest room in the base. It should be covered by [[orbital trade beacon]]s so you can sell your stuff to trade ships.

The [[electric crematorium]] and [[electric smelter]] may be placed here. Also, if you making [[chemfuel]] with [[wood]] you may place the [[biofuel refinery]] here.

It does not need to be impressive or temperature controlled and should be built close to the workshop to minimize travel times.

=== Freezer ===

[[File:freezer.png|400px|thumb|right|Example of a freezer. The colony keeps a large reserve of food for caravans and corpses of important dead colonists are frozen inside for future [[resurrector mech serum|resurrection]].]]

The freezer is room with a stockpile that is kept cold by [[cooler]]s. It is not a official [[room roles|room role]].

This is usually the second biggest room in the base, it is where you put your perishables that would otherwise spoil in the storage like food and corpses. It should be covered by [[orbital trade beacon]]s so you can sell your food to trade ships.

[[Butcher spot]]s, [[butcher table]]s and [[crafting spot]]s can be placed inside the freezer to butcher corpses, make [[kibble]] and make [[smokeleaf joint]]s- since the work to make those is so small and the ingredients are in the freezer your colonists might as well do it there. However, for mass production, it's better to have it close but outside the freezer due to the work speed penalty. 

[[Nutrient paste dispenser]]s are usually placed half in the dining room and half in the freezer.

Even though food freezes at {{Temperature|0}} you should have your freezer at least set at {{Temperature|-5}} since it will lose temperature whenever a colonist comes in. It is common to make airlocks in the entrance of the freezer to reduce that temperature exchange. It is also common to make the freezer with double walls to increase insulation. The freezer is vulnerable to [[Events#Solar Flare|solar flares]].

To save power it is a good idea to have the [[cooler]]s set to different temperatures. For example, if two [[cooler]]s are set to {{Temperature|-5}} then both will always consume power, but if a [[cooler]] is set to {{Temperature|-5}} and another is set to {{Temperature|-8}} then the first will only consume power during hotter times when the second is not able to keep the temperature bellow {{Temperature|-5}} alone.

It does not need to be impressive and should be built close to dining rooms and kitchens.

=== Kitchen ===

The kitchen is a room with a stove or a [[butcher table]].

The kitchen is where your colonists turn raw food into meals. The room should be clean to avoid [[ailments#food poisoning|food poisoning]], so the [[butcher table]] may be placed nearby in a different room instead since it creates a lot of filth. Also, zone out colony animals.

Besides stoves, the kitchen should include chairs, light and [[sterile tile]]s. You might want to add a little vegetable stockpile inside to save travel time, as plants take awhile to spoil.

Since the kitchen is placed near the freezer, some crafting stations which include plants ingredients may be also placed in here. The [[brewery]] and [[drug lab]] are good choices and if you do place them here you should also add [[tool cabinet]]s and little stockpiles for [[hops]], [[smokeleaf leaves]], [[psychoid leaves]] and [[neutroamine]]. Also, if you making [[chemfuel]] with food you may place the [[biofuel refinery]] here.

It does not need to be impressive, but it is usually a good idea to add a little art since colonists tend to stay there for a long time. It should be temperature controlled for better working speed.

=== Workshop ===

[[File:kitchenworkshop.png|500px|thumb|right|Example of a kitchen and workshop. Art keep people happy while working.]]

The workshop is a room with crafting stations.

The workshop is where your colonists turn raw materials into advanced products. Besides crafting stations, the workshop should include chairs, light and [[tool cabinet]]s. A lot of different little materials stockpiles may be placed inside to save travel time.

Early game crafting stations include the [[stonecutter's table]], [[sculptor's table]], [[hand-tailoring bench]] and [[fueled smithy]]. Mid game crafting stations include the [[machining table]], as well as the electric versions of [[hand-tailoring bench]] and [[fueled smithy]]. Late game crafting stations include the [[fabrication bench]].

The [[brewery]], [[drug lab]], [[biofuel refinery]], [[electric crematorium]] and [[electric smelter]] may also be placed here.

It does not need to be impressive, but it is usually a good idea to add a little art since colonists tend to stay there for a long time. It should be temperature controlled for better working speed.

It should be built close to storage.

=== Laboratory ===

The laboratory is a room with a [[simple research bench]] or a [[hi-tech research bench]].

Research speed is affected by the cleanliness of the room which is why it might be worth making a separate room for it.  It should be isolated to avoid other people walking in dirt. Zone out colony animals.

Besides the research bench, the laboratory should include a chair, light and [[sterile tile]]s. After you get the [[hi-tech research bench]] you can also get a [[multi-analyzer]].

It does not need to be impressive, but it is usually a good idea to add a little art since colonists tend to stay there for a long time. It should be temperature controlled for better working speed.

=== Hospital ===

[[File:smallhospital.png|310px|thumb|right|Example of hospital. Small and efficient.]]

The hospital is a room with a medical bed. It is a place specialized in treating your colonists. If you do not have one, colonists will be treated in bedrooms. The room should be clean to avoid [[infection]]. Zone out colony animals.

In early-game all you need is [[floors]], [[bed]]s and a light source. During midgame you should replace your floor with [[sterile tile]]s and your beds with [[hospital bed]]s, and add [[vitals monitor]]s. All these will increase treatment quality.

Store medicine in or near your hospital so your doctors can quickly patch up your colonists.

Good hospitals give good mood modifiers so they should have plenty of art and high-quality furniture. It should be temperature controlled for better moods and to prevent heatstroke or hypothermia from visitors. Since injured colonists will likely spend a lot of time in the hospital it is a good idea to add televisions which they can watch while in bed. If you do not have televisions, other colonists will go to the hospital to cheer them up to provide [[joy]].

It should be built close to the base entrance for quicker rescue.

=== Armory ===

The armory is a room with a stockpile for weapons and armor. It is not an official [[room roles|room role]].

Often your colonists need to change their guns and gear to better fight different kinds of raids. Having an armory helps to keep your gun and gear stock under control and puts them in a more accessible position for your colonists to grab them quickly.

It does not need to be impressive. It does not need to be temperature controlled.

It should be built close to your defenses for quicker reaction to raids, and should also be far away from the prison.

=== Barn ===

[[File:tamingbarn.png|250px|thumb|right|Example of taming barn. Even [[Megaspider]]s may be tamed if they show up as an [[events#herd migration: (animal)|animal herd]] but you will need to beat them down and bring them in to have time to tame them and do it safely.]]

The barn is a walled area with [[animal sleeping spot]]s, [[animal sleeping box]]s or [[animal bed]]s.

Barns help ensure that hauling animals will go back to your base at night for safety and that fragile animals will be isolated from predators. They are also used to ensure that animals products will drop near your base for quicker hauling.

They should include stockpiles of [[hay]] or [[kibble]] for the animals, if they are placed outside they should be in a [[shelf]] to avoid deteriorating. Since animals go back to their boxes or bed for healing it might be a good idea to store medicine near your barn for quicker patching up, again if placed outside they should be in a [[shelf]].

Sometimes, it is good to have a second small separated barn to bring in wild animals that you want to tame. Wild animals might go away or die for many different reasons, but if you keep them in an isolated room with food they will stay there forever. A good example is an [[events#herd migration: (animal)|animal herd]] passing through the area. You will not have time to tame them, but you can beat them down and bring them to your base and have all the time you need to tame them. Also prevents them from causing damage if the taming fails.

It does not need to be impressive, indeed it is better to not put down floors to avoid animal filth. It does not need to be indoors but you might want to at least partially roof it in case a [[Events#Toxic_Fallout|toxic fallout]] happens. It does not need to be temperature controlled unless if your animals cannot handle the local temperature.

It should be built close to freezer or stockpile.

=== Prison ===

The prisons is the place where you put your captives of war. Better prisons make it easier to recruit people. Still, they are not consistently used, so one should consider how much effort and resources should be invested in it. During mid-late game, prisoners without immediate use can be kept for free inside [[cryptosleep casket]]s instead. 

Basic features:

* Enclosed by walls.
* [[Bed]]s or [[sleeping spot]]s.
* Safe temperature.

[[File:fullprison.png|400px|thumb|right|Example of prison. The hospital/barracks gives a better mood than the cells and have access to a [[nutrient paste dispenser]] but the prisoners in cells are less likely to try to escape.]]

Good mood features:

* Light source.
* [[Floors]].
* Table and chairs.
* Art.
* Comfortable temperature.
* [[Dresser]]s and [[end table]]s.
* [[Psychic emanator]].

Convenience features:

* Food stock.
* Medicine stock.
* Uniform stock.
* [[Nutrient paste dispenser]].

Medical features:

* [[Sterile tile|Sterile floor]].
* [[Hospital bed]].
* [[Vitals monitor]].

Safety features:

* Isolated from the rest of the base, but not close to the map edges.
* Isolated from any potential weapons, even [[wood]] and [[beer]].
* Doors connected to an empty walled area, possibly guarded by [[Mini-turret|turrets]].

Prisons can have the following rooms:

==== Prison barracks ====

Barracks are rooms with multiple prisoner beds.

They are cheaper than cells and allow for features that are unreasonable to have in every single cell. The barracks mood modifier is lower than the cell but the barracks usually provides the 'Spacious interior' modifier and better dining room modifier, so they arguably offer better mood than cells since prisoners do not get 'Disturbed sleep' penalties. However, if a [[Events#Prison break|prison break]] happens all prisoners in the same barracks will break out together.

==== Prison cells ====
 
Cells are rooms with a single prisoner bed.

Cells offer only slightly better mood improvement than barracks and usually are much more limited in what they can have. The major advantage of cells is that if a [[Events#Prison break|prison break]] happens, not all prisoners in nearby cells will join. They also prevent fights between prisoners.

If you are lacking space for prisoners, a colonist bedroom can be temporarily turned into a cell.

==== Prison hospital ====

The prison hospital is a room with medical prisoner beds. It is not an official [[room roles|room role]].

Prisoners often first enter your prison injured, so having a proper prison hospital can help avoid unnecessary deaths and infections. They are like a regular hospital attached to the rest of your prison, however, you do not need to have televisions in it since prisoners are not affected by [[joy]].

The prison hospital does not need to be a separated room only for healing. It can be the barracks but with medical features.

==== Prison freezer ====

The prison freezer is a room with a stockpile kept cold by [[cooler]]s inside the prison. It is not an official [[room roles|room role]].

For storing stocks of food and [[herbal medicine]] to prevent spoilage. If you have a [[Nutrient paste dispenser]] you can place half of it and all the [[hopper]]s inside.

=== Tomb ===

The tomb is a room with [[sarcophagus|sarcophagi]].

Not the most important of the rooms, but colonists do go visit sarcophagi or graves filled with dead colonists for [[joy]] so you might want to give a nicer room for them to do that.

It does not need to be impressive or temperature controlled and can be built anywhere.

== Production ==

You will need fields, buildings and animals to provide the raw materials that your colony needs.

=== Crop fields===

[[File:biggreenhouse.png|300px|thumb|right|Example of greenhouse. The top [[sun lamp]] has 24 [[hydroponics basin]]s which is the maximum number possible. They are particularly important in cold [[biome]]s.]]

''See also: [[Food production]]

Crop fields are growing zones or [[hydroponics basin]]s, designated to the desired plant type.

Depending on the soil fertility different plants might generate the best productivity, for example:

[[Potatoes]] and [[berries]] grows better in poor soil.

[[Rice]] and [[corn]] grows better in rich soil.

Crop fields need to be protected from raiders or they will burn them down, which can be hard on harsh [[biome]]s where the fertile soil might be far away from your base. They also need to be protected from animals, both wild and domestic. Crop fields are vulnerable to [[events#blight|blight]]s and [[Events#Toxic_Fallout|toxic fallout]]s.

Ideally, they should be made near your freezer.

=== Greenhouses ===

Greenhouses are a protected version of crop fields. They are growing zones or [[hydroponics basin]]s in a temperature controlled environment. Since they are indoors, they also require [[sun lamp]]s.

They are much more expensive than fields but they allow crops to grow all year in cold environments. It is common to make airlocks in the entrance of the greenhouse to reduce temperature exchange and make it with double walls to increase insulation. They are vulnerable to [[events#blight|blight]]s and [[Events#Solar Flare|solar flares]].

To save power it is a good idea to have the [[heater]]s set to different temperatures. For example, if two [[heater]]s are set to {{Temperature|18}} then both will always consume power, but if a [[heater]] is set to {{Temperature|18}} and another is set to {{Temperature|21}} then the first will only consume power during colder times when the second is not able to keep the temperature above {{Temperature|18}} alone.

Ideally, they should be made near your freezer.

=== Mines ===

Mines are areas your colonists go to mine. 

If you are mining the stones in the outside layer of a mountain then you got nothing to worry about. However, if you decide to mine deep inside a mountain, then you need to build a proper mine as you mine out the stones to avoid rocks collapsing on top of your colonists. [[Wood]] is usually a good cheap material to use to make mines.

Another thing to worry about when making mines is [[infestation]]s. You can build doors inside your mine to create choke points where you can fight the insects and help your colonists running away. Alternatively, you can fill up the whole mountain with wood so [[infestation]]s can not happen at all.

=== Drilling rooms ===

[[Deep drill]]s are often placed far away from your base and similar to mines that they can also cause [[infestation]]s. So you might want to enclose the area with walls and doors to create choke points where you can fight the insects and prevent predators from attacking your isolated colonist.

=== Animals ===

{{main|Animals}}

Animals have a variety of uses, therefore herding some of them in your barn can be very helpful. Of course all animals can be used for different reasons, but it is worth mentioning some of them because they are either particularly useful or versatile: 

* Produce raw food: eggs, milk or meat. [[Chicken]], [[Cow]], [[Dromedary]], [[Muffalo]], [[Pig]].

* Produce textiles: leather or wool. [[Chinchilla]], [[Alpaca]], [[Dromedary]], [[Muffalo]], [[Megasloth]].

* Produce fuel: chemfuel. [[Boomalope]].

* Haul animals. [[Pig]], [[Wild boar]], [[Elephant]], [[Megasloth]].

* Pack animals. [[Alpaca]], [[Dromedary]], [[Muffalo]], [[Elephant]].

* Combat animals. [[Wild boar]], [[Elephant]], [[Megasloth]].

[[Chicken]], [[Cow]], [[Chinchilla]], [[Alpaca]] and [[Boomalope]] are really profitable.

[[Pig]], [[Wild boar]], [[Elephant]] and [[Megasloth]] are the only ones that can graze and haul.

[[Dromedary]], [[Muffalo]], [[Elephant]] and [[Megasloth]] are really versatile.

One should notice that combat animals are much better at defending caravans than defending your base.

== Power ==

Your colony needs power, so you should provide generators and protect them from attacks. Therefore, it is better to place them inside your base walls. Your options for power generation include the following.

=== Solar power ===

[[Solar generator]]s provide power only during the day. It provides 1700W during peak hours near the equatorial line, but less near the poles. They are particularly good to power up [[sun lamp]]s since those only consume power during the day. They should be used together with [[battery|batteries]] so you may still have power during the night. They are vulnerable to [[events#Eclipse|eclipse]]s.

=== Wind power ===

[[File:windsolar.png|450px|thumb|right|Example of solar-wind setup. It is more efficient to place the wind turbines with their exclusion zones overlapping.]]

[[Wind turbine]]s provide unstable power throughout the day. It can provide up to 3000W, but it usually gives less than that. They should be used together with batteries to make up for the instability.

It requires plenty of open space for maximum efficiency and any obstacles can easily reduce efficiency. To prevent trees from growing and obstructing the turbines, you may put down floors. Another more productive use of the space is to grow crops underneath the turbines or fill in the gaps with solar generators.

=== Fueled generation ===

You can get the [[wood-fired generator]] which runs on wood, or the [[chemfuel powered generator]] which runs on [[chemfuel]]. Both provide a constant 1000W of power, so it is a good idea to have some of these as a backup power source, or even as your main source in biomes that are loaded with trees. Since they are stable they do not require batteries.

Chemfuel is significantly more efficient than wood, so once you research the [[biofuel refinery]] it is better to refine wood into chemfuel before using it as fuel.

==== Boomalope setup ====

[[Boomalope]]s generate enough chemfuel to run 2 generators. It is very easy to run an entire base on that setup since they easily generate more energy than you spend to grow food for them.

==== Infinite chemreactor setup ====

[[Infinite chemreactor]]s generate enough chemfuel to run a generator, which in turn generates more than enough power to run the chemreactor.

It is overall an amazing setup but [[infinite chemreactor]]s are hard to come by, so you should not expect to run your whole base on that.

=== Geothermal power ===

[[Geothermal generator]]s constantly gives 3600W of power after being built on a steam geyser. 

While powerful, it has one big issue; you can not choose where the steam geysers will be, so if you do not have one inside your base you need to cover them with walls to protect them. If you wall off your [[geothermal generator]] completely with double walls the raiders will ignore it most of the time. They will, however, sometimes randomly attack your walls, but it is really unlikely that they will destroy both walls and reach the generator.  As it can break down, you should still add one door so colonists can enter, better to use stone doors because they are durable and raiders can not ignite it.

Another problem is, raiders will likely destroy the conduits connecting the generator to your base, so build multiple conduit lines to reduce the likelihood of raiders completely severing the connection. Also, even though they do not need batteries, you should build some in case it gets disconnected during a raid.

Note that they generate plenty of heat, so they should be unroofed or they will catch on fire.

=== Watermill generator ===

[[File:watermills.png|500px|thumb|right|Example of watermills setup. It runs a big base without batteries.]]

The [[watermill generator]] constantly provides 1100W of power but has to be placed next to rivers. So you must include the river inside your base design. However, that is usually quite simple since rivers tend to cross the whole map edge to edge. It does mean you will have to wall off a larger area, but it is well worth it since the watermill is quite reliable and lots of them can be placed on the same river.

It is quite easy to run a base just on watermills but of course, rivers are not available in every map. Since they are stable they do not require [[battery|batteries]].

=== Vanometric power cell ===

A [[vanometric power cell]] constantly provides 1000W of power and can be placed anywhere. Like the [[infinite chemreactor]], they are hard to come by, so you should not expect to run your whole base on that.

They are particularly good for starting off new bases, or sometimes powering isolated objects such as [[deep drill]]s.

=== Power storage ===

[[Battery|Batteries]] store surplus power.  They're recommended for when you rely on power sources that are not constant, such as wind or solar power. They allow for power storage during times of excess to be used during times of demand. For instance, this makes them useful to store spare power generated during the night from fueled generators in order to supply [[sun lamp]]s during the day.

Not having batteries is also beneficial, if you have reliable power sources, since it almost nullifies the [[events#zzztt...|short circuit]] event, igniting a little fire instead of causing a huge explosion.

Batteries need to be placed under a roof to prevent short-circuits during rain and should be placed indoors to protect them from external threats. Connect them to the grid via switches and shut off part of them after they are filled to reduce the impact of short circuits and have back up batteries in case of emergency.

=== Power network ===

You should build a power network with redundant pathways so that the grid will continue to function even if there is a break. It also recommended to split the power network of your base. Having more than one power network makes power management harder but the [[events#zzztt...|short circuit]] event will be much smaller since it will not affect your whole base and all your power reserves.

== Defenses ==

Unless you are playing on peaceful difficulty, you will eventually encounter major threats, so you will need to prepare your defenses for that.

=== Static cover ===

[[File:cover.png|300px|thumb|right|Example of different ways to setup static cover. In this example the white colonists can only shoot 90 degrees in front of them while the brown colonists can shoot 180 degrees in front of them.]]

At the very least you must have some sources of cover in your base. This includes sandbags and sometimes walls. They are only enough on early game or on easy difficulty.

In a static cover, it is better to combine two different types of cover structure, one using walls and another with sandbags. The walled cover should be used where the enemy will engage, as the walls restrict the attack angle. Sandbags should be used at the sides to allow for a more flexible attack area.

The major problem of basic static cover is enemies with long-ranged weapons. They will have a lot of time to shoot at you while you are busy with the rest of the raid party. This is particularly true for raiders with [[triple rocket launcher]] and [[doomsday rocket launcher]], relying on static defenses against them is more than bad, it is suicidal. For those reasons you might want to enclose your combat area into a killbox.

=== Killbox ===

A basic yet powerful defense setup is the [[defense structures#killboxes|killbox]]. It is a walled area full of [[deadfall trap|trap]]s and [[turret]]s where you fight your enemy, making sure they do not out-range you or have cover, while your colonists have plenty of cover. It only works if it is the only entrance to your base and your whole base is surrounded by double walls.

Turrets should all be connected to your power grid by [[power switch]]es. Put them in front to distract enemies such that they go for them before your colonists. They should be switched off if a [[events#manhunter pack|manhunter pack]] shows up, as it is better to let them die by your traps and finish them off by melee blocking them.

If a full-melee raid with [[shield belt]]s or a [[scyther]]-only raid shows up, throw [[EMP grenades]] at them while they gather around your turrets as it will significantly weaken them.

[[Centipede]]s with [[inferno cannon]]s are one of the major threats to killboxes, since the fire makes your colonists lose control and run out of cover. Having some [[firefoam popper]]s inside your box helps a lot with extinguishing fires and preventing future fires. [[EMP grenades]] also weaken them a lot if you can get close enough to throw them.

Another threat to killboxes are raiders with [[triple rocket launcher]] and [[doomsday rocket launcher]], at least here they will be in range for you to focus them down, but if they manage to shoot inside your killbox the damage can be massive. One safety measure is to keep some [[psychic shock lance]]s or [[psychic insanity lance]]s nearby and use them if you see that they will not die fast enough.

Some enemies do not run into your box, but can be lured into it, such as raiders from sieges or mechanoids guarding crashed ships. Snipers can safely poke them from far until they aggro and bring them to the box.

Killboxes do not protect against sappers and raiders dropping on top of you. For those, you will need another strategy.


[[File:killboxmanhunting.png|500px|thumb|center|Example of colonists in a killbox fighting a manhunting pack. Turrets are deactivated and colonists wait inside while most animals die to traps. After a while, colonists gather together in the main entrance to fight the survivors. The front colonists are fully armored and all are equipped with close-combat shotguns. It does not works against melee raiders, as they will destroy the turrets even deactivated.]]

== Temperature control ==

Some rooms should have its temperature regulated by some method or another, so as to keep a comfortable temperature for colonists to work and sleep in and protect them from extreme temperature conditions such as [[events#heat wave|heat waves]], [[events#cold snap|cold snaps]] or simply the outdoor ambient temperature.

Larger rooms such as your kitchen and workshop should have their own [[heater]]s and [[cooler]]s. If they are interconnected you may want to open doors for faster colonist access and temperature exchange.

Smaller rooms such as your bedrooms should be thermally connected to a larger central space through [[vent]]s. Your [[heater]]s and [[cooler]]s should be all placed outside the bedrooms. This reduces the number of [[heater]]s and [[cooler]]s you need to build while keeping your bedrooms at a comfy temperature at the same time.

Keep in mind, that you will also need to be prepared in case of unusual temperature events, such as [[events#heat wave|heat waves]] or [[events#cold snap|cold snaps]]. Which, in severe cases, will cause heatstroke or hypothermia. [[events#heat wave|Heat waves]] will also spoil your food and corpses.

[[File:coolers.png|300px|thumb|right|Wall coolers (top) and inside coolers (bottom). The wall coolers create a weak spot for raiders to break into your base.]]

=== Protected coolers ===

Coolers are very fragile, and raiders will see them as a weak point in your wall and will focus to destroy them. Protecting the coolers helps fortify your base against enemy raids by avoiding weak points. This is done by walling the coolers off while giving it unroofed space in front of the hot end to vent away heat. That unroofed area can be placed within an existing structure, such as inside the freezer. For maximum spatial efficiency the strips of unroofed area should be one tile wide, surrounded by coolers.

If your colony is in a cold [[biome]], consider venting the heat from the coolers into your living spaces instead.

=== Temporary temperature control ===

If your regular [[heater]]s or [[cooler]]s are not enough or there is a temporary power outage or you are a tribe without the ability to harness electricity yet, you can use [[campfire]]s or [[passive cooler]]s to heat or cool down your base respectively. Both have the same effect as their electric variants, except that they need to be refueled and are limited in their available temperature range: campfires can not heat above 30°C while passive coolers can not cool below 15°C.  Also, their temperature effect is full and cannot be controlled.  Depending on what gear your colonists are wearing, it is possible for them in a room heated with campfires to complain about it being too hot.

These are best used to keep colonists comfortable during [[events#heat wave|heat waves]] or [[events#cold snap|cold snaps]]. If you always encounter uncomfortable temperatures during summer or winter then it is time to get more [[heater]]s or [[cooler]]s.

== Miscellaneous ==

[[File:crops.png|300px|thumb|right|Before a beach (left) and later a crop field (right). Extreme desert with coast, turned a patch of shallow ocean water into a huge crop field using [[moisture pump]]s.]]

=== Do not rush flooring ===

Until you have enough manpower to spare for cleaning jobs, instead of building any floors, you can use the terrain as floors. Terrain does not generate animal and human filth and filth trailed on constructed floors makes for a much worse beauty penalty than using dirt floors, so this can actually make your rooms look better.

However, for places like hospitals, it is always better to use sterile tiles and manually clean them instead.

=== Flooring outside ===

To reduce the amount of dirt inside your colony buildings, put any kind of flooring covering places where colonists and animals frequently walk. This reduces the amount of dirt brought inside your base. 

This should obviously be done only if you have enough janitors.

=== Moisture pumps ===

[[Moisture pump]]s clear out moisture from the ground around them, creating dry land suitable for construction and agriculture.  They are excellent in swamp biomes for clearing out shallow water, marshy soil and mud in order to build structures.  Their effect is permanent, so they can safely be deconstructed once the land you want to use is dry.  Note that shallow water will be converted to stony soil, which only has 70% fertility.  Still, this can be the only way to farm in the ground in [[biome]]s like Extreme Desert and Ice Sheet. Can not be used for farming in Sea Ice since it creates ice ground.

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[[Category:Gameplay]]