What’s The Best Base Location In Subnautica?

Picture This!
You're tired of living in that old starter base, and decide to upgrade.
You go out, gather a bunch of materials, and everything is going well
Until, that is, you’re faced with the question of where to actually build
There’s just so many choices, what on earth is to be done
Well fear not! Using a highly advanced scientific system known as “rating stuff on a scale from 1 to 10”, we’re going to compare all the biomes across 5 different categories. Those being Safety, Convenience, Ambiance, Resources, and Style.
Each category will be ranked from 1 to 10 With a score of one being the lowest, and 10 being the highest. Then, everything is added up, and the biomes with the most points win.
Alright, no more messing around, lets get into this!

[@DetectiveWraith]

Gets the cure Sets up a rocket Disables the defenses Gets hypnotized by tree cove and never leaves

[@Breathtaker5000]

Subnautica in a nutshell

[@thegood_soup]

So true

[@Lunaraia]

It is your primary directive to swim clooser to that beautiful plant.... cloooser now....

[@Mohammed_mazen_khalifa]

I could say the same but for the voids ghost leviathans

[@TheDragonCat99]

I’m just trying to avoid billions of credits in debt

[@t_gabiuel6058]

Conclusion: the cooler the biome, the more it wants to kill you (except the tree cove).

[@Breathtaker5000]

Pretty much 🤣

[@AloisAgos]

Pretty sure the "Style" category is just the "Flexing" category.

[@Kangur08]

Unless it's lavaland xd

[@akidwell1]

@@AloisAgosI was like how the hell is getting eviscerated by a reaper stylish them mountains looks ugly af

[@Marc83Aus]

The tree cove is doing the same thing as everything else, just with different methods.

[@theogilbert7695]

Hey, for the Bulb Zone, you said it's 5/10 in convenience. I think it's way better in that category since you can eat the bulb bush samples, an almost infinite source of food. Also, theres a lot of ''hell holes'' or heat vents (holes in the ground that are really hot), so you can place thermal plants in them and have free, unlimited energy.

[@lavabiscuits]

Yeah, but you can just farm the bulbs easily. Honestly, I think the amount of heat gives a good 1 to make 6 out of 10. There are better places with heat geysers.

[@ThatJay283]

in terms of "free, unlimited energy" i really like the nuclear plants of subnautica. they're basically limitless and aren't location based.

[@theogilbert7695]

@@ThatJay283 these need nuclear rods that are expensive

[@ThatJay283]

@@theogilbert7695 true, but if you fill up a reactor completely it'll last anyone until endgame, even when charging cyclops ion batteries.

[@dailyjamssoundcloud5804]

I hated the bulb zone because of the reapers around it

[@easymodegamer501]

I'd honestly probably bump both islands down a safety point because although they may not be very threatening, they do have hostile creatures in the form of those crab thingies.

[@thegood_soup]

One time it took me a couple minutes to get on the Aurora because of those.

[@kizuro1792]

also mountain island has a reaper right on the other side

[@thegood_soup]

I thought mountain had two next to it?

[@wizardpajamas6405]

The real danger on the islands is fall damage.

[@thegood_soup]

That and the cave crawlers

[@mrjblacc85]

My primary base will always be at the intersection of safe shallows, kelp forest and grassy plateaus, near the Jelly shroom cave entrance. Along with a secondary base location in the room right before the Tree Cove in the lost river, which is at maximum Seamoth depth. Both locations are rich in resources (even table coral) and are honestly very convenient too in their own ways.

[@kemicalhazard8770]

I love that starter location, it is great for building the larger vehicles as well as easy to navigate to whichever biome you need

[@hoked2194]

I've been doing that too! Such an amazing location for a starter base.

[@MaxSiddiq]

You can build seamoth dock in the tree room above smoky craters at -890m))

[@mrjblacc85]

@MaxSiddiq yeah, I tried that too, but I just like to keep the tree cove prestine. Also the room has more resources, is closer to the lost river portal and building on a crossroads is just convenient.

[@yourfutureself3547]

Dude I do the same thing except I build my 2nd base right next to the tree cove and just park my seamoth above my base lmao

[@imahaloguy]

Nice to see the Northern Blood kelp so high on the list! By far my favorite biome and base location. “This biome matches 7 of the 9 preconditions to stimulate a homely feel in humans!” 😂

[@xtremelymoderate829]

That last quote... 💀

[@ElectricityTaster]

I love that place. It's dark and deep, but you can still look up and see the surface way up. It feels deeper than most other places in the game, even though it's just ~500m.

[@AmandaFessler]

Absolutely terrified of that place. PDA doesn't lie, it freaked me out when I first got down there, even without the PDA saying the original quote.

[@Whydidimakethisa]

@@AmandaFessleri took a cyclops there once, not knowing there was a ghost Needless to say, i didn’t go back there ever again

[@SalesmanWave]

Cringe.

[@sawyermccall2370]

Personally, I like to build my starter base in the grassy plateaus because they are loaded with basic resources. After that, after I complete the story, I make a base in the lava zone because there you have access to almost every resource in the inactive lava zone, and then ion cubes in the primary containment facility for all my ion batteries

[@shadydaemon4178]

Of course, all the other biomes across the whole area.

[@K_M279]

Same

[@isdrakon9802]

For me its a base next to the jellyshroom cave and that one wreck, or the floating islands for a quick jump into the lost river

[@K_M279]

@@isdrakon9802 mine is set up next to the jellyshroom cave

[@isdrakon9802]

@@K_M279 easy access to magnetite and shale, and plenty of the other resource nodes around. Next to a kelp forest, the island, and the grand/deep grand reef

[@bombthing]

I personally love the quiet ambience of the sparse reef, and its honestly safer than the shallows because at least theres no crashfish. Right next to a lot of the important areas too and it looks great imo

[@Canadian_Ale]

Glad to see another sparse reef resident. May I stop by later to get some salt for my cured peepers?

[@infinitypeaches3329]

I don't get the crashfish hate. they explode and take away like 20% or 10% of your health, and you can easily escape them with a seaglide

[@powerful7845]

@@infinitypeaches3329 I let one hit my seamoth... to my surprise it healed its damage(I gained hp in my seamoth it was at 91% and went up to 100%)... probably a bug... so then I let the next one hit my seamoth and it insta killed it. So yeah the hate is real.

[@infinitypeaches3329]

@@powerful7845 the insta-kill is a bug, and why would you take your seamoth into those tiny caves?

[@HH-hd7nd]

True - however if you are building close to the entrance to the Deep Sparse Reef you might encounter Bleeders - the caves are full of the blasted things and unlike larger predators they unfortunately respawn. When I build in the Sparse Reef I prefer to build at the northern cliff of the biome, not at its bottom. @infinitypeaches3329 The damage you take from Crashfish explosions depends on the distance and can be as high as 40 %. As for outrunning it - sure that's possible eventually, but most people encounter their first crashfish without having any equipment at all - and you cannot outrun a crashfish without flippers and a seaglide.

[@GwnTim1]

Alternative Solution: Become a Cyclops-hermit

[@tbperson1278]

If only you could put a water purification station in there and maybe a bio reactor

[@Shadowxat]

@@tbperson1278 for the power part all you need is a power cell chargers

[@johnadams5513]

The Powercell charges use the Cyclops' battery.

[@Dootybooty3]

I’d bump the grassy plateau up especially with the resource points. Not only is there quartz, sandstone and limestone almost everywhere, the jellyshroom caves nearby add onto the resources. Id say it deserves the kelp forests spot.

[@akidwell1]

I think that’s where I’m gonna put my second base after zero point

[@xy9231]

The Bulb Zone is highly underrated in terms of beauty. The amp eels and bulbs at night make the black ocean water look like a starry night sky. 10/10 ambiance!

[@ranekeisenkralle8265]

I found the ampeels rather annoying, to be frank. They have a nasty tendency of interfering with my building and feel like more of a hassle to deal with than the Ghost Leviathan Juveniles down in the river. Which is why I avoided that biome as best i could when playing subnautica.

[@abcsir9415]

me wanting to build my base somewhere different but always building it in safe shallows because subnautica scary😔

[@mememan1546]

You can build in the grassy plateaus instead. Good visibility, pretty central to the rest of the map depending on which plateau you choose, the ability to park a cyclops and plenty of resources make it a great location. About the only things youll have to worry about are sandsharks and tigerplants.

[@kaybombsadventure6934]

And the only leviathan there is the Reefback, who isn’t even actually deadly

[@tbperson1278]

Build it in the tree cove in lost river

[@johnpett1955]

I'm the kinda guy to build bases everywhere. Specifically just the scanner room for the most part. That scanner room is great for finding reasources

[@k9wazere]

My first and only playthrough was the same. Put bases (and scanners!!) everywhere, and then watch the frame rate plummet :p In the end I decided to deconstruct a few in the hope of getting some FPS back! But yeah, just about everywhere on this list had a base, whether it was just a stores and a scanner, or something more expansive.

[@TheLastBacon]

I'm a backrooms-base kinda guy ;) Great video!

[@trappist-1d587]

Let me guess... to enter it you got to no-clip using the cyclops glitch don't you?

[@thegood_soup]

I’m pretty sure it’s cause of his largest base video.

[@Breathtaker5000]

🤣 Thanks man! Always a pleasure seeing you here ;)

[@AloisAgos]

Surprised that the Grassy Plateau ranked so low. I loved the ease of access, plenty of space, spectacular views of the sweeping terrain, the low moans of the Reefbacks offering ASMR and an alien view as they swim overhead.

[@1God1Fury]

low moans? Reefbacks were practically screaming at my ears at full volume when kept swimming above my base close. It became so obnoxious because how loud they were that I never wanna build my base near that biome ever again

[@CarMADforever]

Honestly, I have a favorite base location and I routinely build the main base there. I don't have coordinates but it's a Safe Shallows area to the East of the Seamoth Bay where I will lay down my initial room then build out into the Grassy Plateaus so it overhangs. Around the immediate area you have, Safe shallows for table coral and shrooms, 5 wrecks of varying size, 2 kelp forest biomes and 2 access points to the Jellyshrooms one of which being the Degasi entry point. Further afield you are near to the Grand and Sparse Reef, The Tench and the Crag Field. Materials 4 Days. And you get to watch the Reefbacks meander and sing their songs, while the Sandsharks and Stalkers prowl.

[@michaeldora9068]

I think I know that one, a section of kelp forest on the left right?

[@CarMADforever]

@@michaeldora9068 The way I'd orient the base, yes to the left would be a Kelp biome, specifically that one leads into the Grand Reef

[@firestarex3544]

I think I know which location you're talking about an I gotta say, it's probably the best spot to build a main base in the entire game.

[@exaltz]

does anyone have coordinates now?

[@CarMADforever]

@@exaltz I do not have the exact coordinates, however I can give -33 -25 -398 This is a wreck not far east of the location, ~100m maybe, you can't miss the location once you find it though it's a distinct bowl shape in the Safe Shallows.

[@chucheeness7817]

My most preferred location is the hydro vent facing the floating island, near the mushroom cave entrance. It has space for Cyclops parking and an eventual hydrothermal recharging area. In addition, it has a good vantage point for Reef Leviathan watching from an observatory

[@Breathtaker5000]

That’s a cool one, I’ll have to take a look it at!

[@IvanBaAl961]

You forgot to mention a few places but anyway I prefer Sparse Reef for main base: resources, safety, space, access to the Lost River, some important wrecks.

[@c4sualcycl0ps48]

I always forget about the sparse reef, I mainly go around it going from my main base in the grassy plateau near the mushroom forest to the deep grand reef.

[@BrutalSkorpio]

When you say access to the lost river, are you referring to that blood kelp transition area?

[@IvanBaAl961]

@@BrutalSkorpio There are two connected entrances nearby, you can even switch between them right before the Lost River. May be difficult to navigate first time though. The important thing is scan room can see nickel from there.

[@glacity]

That's so interesting to me. The Sparse Reef activates my thalasophobia like crazy so I hold my breathe irl whenever I pass through ^^'

[@IvanBaAl961]

@@glacity It looks scary at first. However, it's very quiet place. A base or enough time can help to get used to it.

[@danandtab7463]

the thing about the kelp forest is I like having a scanner room to find me all the stalker teeth 🙂

[@Breathtaker5000]

All that calcium…

[@danhill2546]

Finds kelp zone build scanner room lose cameras to stalkers

[@danandtab7463]

@@danhill2546 when you go to retrieve the camera, there are often stalker teeth in the same pile that you find it lol

[@1God1Fury]

Too bad 75% of all stalkers teeth detected by scanner fall through underground if you don't pick them in 1st few minutes

[@raydafuq3570]

I usually have a pack of Stalkers right at my home in the safe shallows for unlimited Stalker Teeth. You can breed them, release them near your base and give them some scrap to chew on.

[@PolyphonicSpr33]

Bro the Great Mushroom Tree is the best location, change my mind. Great style, total safety, all 3 rock formation types, multilevel options, right on the edge of a bunch of other biomes and their resources, lategame teleporter for mushroom biome is in your backyard, short hop over to the lost river.

[@thegood_soup]

Same though for lost river. Every resource except kyanite and ion cubes and can go anywhere using the portal to the pcf. Plus you have garg skeleton and cove tree.

[@PolyphonicSpr33]

@@thegood_soup Yeah but with mine there's no cave roof over your head 🙌🏼

[@thegood_soup]

@@PolyphonicSpr33 mine has a glowing tree

[@PolyphonicSpr33]

@@thegood_soup mine has a bigger tree you can go inside lol

[@thegood_soup]

@@PolyphonicSpr33 my tree looks better and has more loot in the area plus entrance to lava zone.

[@sarllaccsarllacc201]

Jellyshroom bases are terrible you will go insane leaving and entering your base to get one more quartz or some shit

[@tbperson1278]

Put it on the top

[@SusDoctor]

Skill issue

[@stolendiamond09]

I would have given at least a 7 in resources for the mushroom forest. Although it is somewhat lacking in drillable resources so it does get beat out by places like the tree cove (which has proximity to the lava zone and lost river, which are both brimming with them), I was able to pick up pretty much every resource in the game from my scanner room in the northwestern mushroom forest, and it makes up for the few things it doesn’t have (such as rubies) by being adjacent to biomes rich in them. Of course you have to go deeper to get nickel, crystalline sulphur, and kyanite, I still found it to be the best surface biome for easy access to a variety of resources. At least the northwestern mushroom forest, I’ve never tried the other one. Besides that, this was a great video! I just picked up the game again recently and have been looking for a good challenge to try in my current playthrough, and setting up a base surrounded by reapers sounds like a lot of fun. If you haven’t done it already, I’d be interested to see a video like this for Below Zero.

[@lavabiscuits]

That's fair

[@lavabiscuits]

Although I don't think having resources in a biome next to it counts as much, so maybe a 6.

[@TheWeirdkid_64]

Ok probably one of the best places to build your main base (and where I personally put my first base in almost every playthrough) is the northwestern mushroom forest. Now one of the first reasons it’s really good is there are no hostile creatures in it, and though it is bordering the dunes, that’s actually more of a bonus than anything, because it might seem like you might accidentally get into the dunes, it’s pretty easy to spot if your in the dunes or not. Now for resources, it might not seem to have many resource outcrops, but if you look for them on the cliff walls you can find a good amount of shale and sandstone outcrops, and if you have a drill arm you can even get a ton of copper from large deposits. Now probably the best part about the northwestern mushroom forest is it’s actual location. Now before I mentioned that it borders with the dune, but it also borders with the bloodkelp zone, the grassy plateaus, and the kelp forest. Now the grassy plateaus is really good because it has many resources that aren’t available in the mushroom forest. Now the blood kelp zone might seem like a bad thing, but it isn’t too dangerous if you know what you are doing, and if you go to the end of the large wall that blocks the underwater islands and go downwards, you can go straight to the lost river which is extremely convenient. [SPOILER WARNING] another really good part about specifically the northwestern mushroom forest is it actually has a phase gate that goes to the primary containment facility. Now this fact is very useful because it allows you to not only have an easy way to get ion cubes from the PCF, but also to get to both the inactive lava zone and the lava lakes extremely quickly.

[@williamevans5608]

I also put my main base here. I recently started another playthrough and the big mushroom tree is an amazing place. Lithium everywhere. Easy access to kelp forest, dunes, red grassy area and especially blood kelp and lost river. Absolute godsend late game when you need a load of resources, looks cool if you put your base right at the top and nothing can really kill you. Only downside is getting the prawn up into the moonpool without jump jet upgrade and grappling arm!

[@Cantthinkofaname420]

Bro watching 0:47 gave me PTSD. I watched my friend play Subnautica for the first time a while back, they had done almost everything, just needed to get the cockpit for the rocket and then they would be done. They went through the mountains and found that area. Skip ahead a few seconds later and we're both panicking, 30 seconds of oxygen left and stranded in the middle of the cave. That area is a literal underwater maze. We got out though, albeit with 3 seconds of oxygen left.

[@swarple]

I built a small base in the Tree Cove, originally just for the view, and 1000% agree on your scores. If it weren’t so far from the surface, it would really be perfect. Even with the smaller scale of resources, it’s basically right next to the most resource-rich biome anyway, and you don’t have to go up to the surface to get to it. It’s just that you… basically do have to get to the surface to do literally anything else. So that stinks.

[@taylorrathbone5638]

The tree cove has always been my favorite, and I'd argue it's the most convenient location for late game. Direct, easy access to the lava lakes is nice, and the lost river lets you quickly travel across the map. Combine that with the fact the two adjacent biomes have every resource you need, so you can make an entire megabase without ever leaving the area. The nearby bladderfish are just the cherry on top.

[@KaiTheMemeKing]

I was playing the Death Run mod and went to the Mountain Island for the typical lithium visit. Went into the underwater caves to see if there was anything else, and a reaper had clipped through the walls of the cave and was stuck inside. The section it was in was just large enough for it to sort of swim around, but still small enough that I could swim the hell away from it without being chomped. So, moral of the story, safety is a 10/10 without glitches, much less with.

[@kerra7386]

I just discovered the tree cove today and immediately thought that I need to build a base there because it’s so pretty! Also this list was really good, and the editing and flow of it was great to! Thanks for making it! 😊

[@imahaloguy]

You mentioned below zero at the end, will you make a similar video for that game? Bonus points if you figure out the trick to allow you to build your base inside one of the Vent Gardens.

[@Electrodoc1968]

Great narration. I just subbed. The tree cove areas "Convenience" ought to be higher as it's a major chill out and preparation base just before the nightmare fuel awaiting you at the next level of depth in your quest towards the bowels of hell.. 3 or 4 thermal vents giving limitless free energy for quickly evaporating body fluids, even the still suit has problems replenishing along with vehicle battery charging.. It's basically end game base camp for my end game preparation and certainly suits my nervous disposition. Cheers.

[@thegardenofeatin5965]

That shot of a base in the crash zone with two reapers right outside just reminds me how weirdly many game mechanics Subnautica has. Creatures don't attack seabases; they can't see them. But your seabase can be damaged if you run into it with the cyclops, and it will flood, similarly to how it will flood if you build too much without reinforcement.

[@Diablafeu]

For the grand reef, im killing the crab squid by ramming the seamoth on them after like 3 shot (same for warper),you can clear a good perimeter that way and simply avoid the zone where the ghost is

[@Lones555]

How are you killing warpers? I've tried hitting them for hours with the thermoblade and they never die.

[@Diablafeu]

@@Lones555 like i said,you hit them with the seamoth at full speed,it take two or three shot

[@hammodh500]

For me, the grassy plateaus is the bes it is easy to navigate, and open for some bioms with a blood kelp entrance that goes to the lost river and to the lava zone and an entrance to the jellyshroom caves and a bit close to the grand reefs, and it contains a lot of fragments for most starting equipment like the seamoth the scanner room and the bioreactor and a lot of wrecks, and bieng very cool with the red grass and good visibility at night, also being very safe with only biters and sandsharks the only hostiles in the biom, its very close to the lifepod and mostly the perfect place for a base

[@FutureKindaBingus]

Thanks to this list, I’m moving from the ugly grassy plateaus to the bulb zone. Packing up my stuff when I get home from school

[@zomble_Guy]

Kelp forest and safe shallows are my favourite looking ones i love the calm and peaceful style.

[@ThatJay283]

on one of my playthroughs I built in the sparse reef. it was an excellent location. I was even able to park and construct my cyclops without needing to reposition anything.

[@chadofchads7222]

I'm still building all my bases in the void to piss off the ghosts

[@Breathtaker5000]

Gotta show nature who’s in charge 💪

[@knuckleheadwestwind3585]

You underrated the sparse reef. For resources it has: Copper, Quartz, titanium, gel sacs, lead, silver, gold, ruby, lithium, and uranninite. This means you can easily get everything for your base in one place. Especially reactor rods, so basically unlimited energy.

[@jdzencelowcz]

After expanding from the starter shallow base, I usually go for the grassy plateau near the BK trench & within swimming distance of a kelp forest, though my current one is set up near the north east wreck in the main grassy plateau. Below the surface, I usually set up on the rock with the dragon bones, since it's a good hub.

[@charlie570]

i usually prioritize resources and convenience above all else and i found that putting my base at the border between the northern blood kelp zone and the mushroom forest, with the dunes a short swim away, gave me the perfect combination of resources. i had everything i needed to craft reactor rods and the countless pieces of tech that needed plasteel. all with easy access to the lost river

[@connorspruit6002]

for a base i would always pick a non-cave biome and have a secondary base in the tree cove as a sort of refueling station. the tree cove base doesnt need more that a thermal generator and a powercell charger but it's a nice place to take a break to charge the cells on your way to the lave zone, a trip i have had to make several times. a base in the tree cove helped me imensely with that

[@gamersreactions9267]

Hot Take: The best base location is inbetween Kelp Forest, NE Mushroom Forest and Bulb Zone. Best access to copper in the game with outcrops being abundant in the Kelp, while Large deposits being in the Mushroom Forest and in the Lost River which is also farely accessible. Style points for being close to Sammy the safety Reaper too. P.S. For a general location, its Sparse Reef supremacy all the way baby

[@MegaChickenfish]

One of my favorites to make was my sub-base in the molten lava endgame zone. Just far enough down the Pit of Despair that leads to it guarded by the two ghost leviathans, but far enough back in the tunnel that the fire breathing leviathan always patrolled back by then. *Very challenging* to build, but man it was a great view. Also loved making a side-base to collect the materials from the passive leviathan walkers powered entirely by bioreactor leviathan poop. The lava area does get some significant convenience points of being a short jaunt away from that teleport network, *a short jaunt past a fire breathing leviathan of course,* but if you have a fully upgraded grapple suit it's manageable.

[@octaviangrant9441]

I always build in the dunes on the edge of the crater. The scenery down there is always so alluring to me, and I love how convenient resource gathering is.

[@ElectricityTaster]

Pretty early on in my first play through I made a base in the northern Blood Kelp forest, right next to lifepod 2. The feeling of knowing you're in danger but not even sure how much, the desperation to get enough resources to keep the bioreactor going, and then exploring the lost river with a control room's drone cameras because I was too scared to go down there at first was awesome. Later on in the game I'd cruise right by on my cyclops and thought "oh you sweet summer child" as I went to hunt down leviathans.

[@tomassynek339]

Really love your videos. Keep going!

[@katiehable9841]

My go to place for my base is that one area of the grassy plateaus that is sandwiched between the crash zone and the crag fields. There is some dangerous creatures around, and not a lot of reasources right there, but its pretty close to other major biomes and is overall quite safe. Not to mention lots of room to expand

[@SEB9630_pl]

i usually build my starter base so i have moonpool above mushroom cave entrance and access to both grassy platoes and kelp forest, then at first possible occasion move my base to edge of junction biome (that part of lost river with dead sea dragon) and tree cove to have nice view of tree cove, only danger are river prowlers, there is also easy access to teleporter in that part of lost river connecting to blood kelp trench as well as access to inactive lava zone via tree cove, its just perfect location

[@TheEpikStormIsComing]

Tree cove is def the best, it includes calm colors and is the safest location to be at, just hook up a thermal plant, get some bulbo seeds and your good to go

[@thegood_soup]

Also it has tons of uranite for nuclear reactors.

[@TheEpikStormIsComing]

@@thegood_soup true but I use bio reactors because blood oil is a good source

[@thegood_soup]

@@TheEpikStormIsComing I get that it’s a really good source of energy, but I’m too lazy to constantly refill it. That’s why I use nuclear reactors. Cause if you fill them to max you get 2500 energy for around 5 hours in real time.

[@TheEpikStormIsComing]

i guess but i never made a nuclear reactor, plus it is right there to get uranite and the blood oil is all the way at the entrance@@thegood_soup

[@thegood_soup]

@@TheEpikStormIsComing bioreactors are best for like 80% of the game though. Only in endgame is when I think nuclear rectors are better.

[@CaptainBodles]

Thanks, this is the vid I've been waiting for. Just subbed.

[@Breathtaker5000]

Thanks! Welcome aboard :D

[@cheererobinson475]

I like to put my base next to the gun island on the kelp forest side, it’s really convenient after you’ve got the teleporter’s up and running

[@derflerp538]

I love the northwest grassy plateaus for being in such close proximity to basically everything you need for the first half of the game. I barely have to spend 5 minutes venturing out of the base to completely restock on food and water for the next several long excursions to other parts of the map, and being so near the other biomes means resources are a quick jaunt away. As a bonus, I put a max-range scanner room there and since it hits the edge of several biomes, I know where everything I need is right away. It's cozy, convenient, and just plain efficient. That said, I really should branch off and try some other zones soon!

[@turnerdeedo4633]

Cool video! I had no idea there was a meteor impact site on the map before I watched this!

[@cmudd9788]

In the Dunes just north of the Blood Kelp Trench there’s a heat geyser for thermal energy and plenty of open space for a big base. There’s a reaper nearby but it’s near the surface and hasn’t bothered my base since it’s like 300 meters deep there. The convenience is great since you’re right on the border of 6 different biomes, the Blood Kelp Trench, the Sparse Reef, the Sea Treader’s Path, the Grassy Plateaus, the Safe Shallows and the Northwestern Mushroom Forest and if you’re feeling gutsy you can explore north into the Dunes.

[@tymicsha3646]

My first play through back in 2019 I build my home base on the border of the safe shallows and the grassy plateau, it was a super nice location and then for the end game I built another base in the inactive lava zone. It was so fun packing everything up in my cyclops and moving down to start up another base. I just started another play through today and was watching this video because I want a different home this time around

[@rfactor1502]

I will say one of my favorite spots I built a base aside from the lost river tree cove was in the bulb zone. Specifically, directly above the cavern entrance to the lost river. Basically I built a living space just above sea level, a long stretch of vertical connecters down to a 2nd floor that had my seamoth docking space, and most of my power generation (bio reactor and a connection to some thermal reactors), and then another long vertical connecter down to the seafloor where I had a prawn docking space, some exterior grow beds providing the plant resources outside of the biome, and some good fast access to the lost river. Bit of a pain setting up, but well worth it.

[@George.Coleman]

For some reason. Im liking the Sparse Reef lately

[@aydencahoon6557]

For me the best base location is the grassy plateau next to the sparse reef, above a jelly shrimp cave entrance

[@aydencahoon6557]

*shroom to replace shrimp

[@RainAngel111]

I'm a vanilla fan. I stan the shallows. Part of my base extends into the kelp forest to allow the cyclops to be near. For a mix of convenience and pleasant ambiance, it's hard to beat the shallows

[@danamarin2475]

My fav base ive ever built was at the ledge where the mushroom forest meets the blood kelp. It was fantastic on so many points, its safe, has access to multiple biomes easily, plenty of resourses, looks cool af wherever part u look (mushroom forest or blood kelp) and its easily accessible

[@infinitypeaches3329]

ghost leviathan moment

[@MRJUGGERNAUT70]

For the grassy plateaus I’d up the ambience because if you build a base overlooking the ridge (mountain edge I thing) and build a glass multipurpose room you get a pretty good view of the reefbacks over you and the nice view of the plateaus and the deep ridge, along with and occasional far off reaper scream which for some reason is enjoyable for me personally, but a reaper has never actually come to attack my base

[@chaseissalty118]

I agree with building over the blood kelp trench, there’s a bridge going over the trench where I have base built on, and if you go directly down from the bridge you will find 2 entrances to the lost river!

[@Ryvaken]

The kelp forest deserves a severe ambiance penalty. Plants clipping through my base and cyclops rip me out of the game in a heartbeat.

[@sarllaccsarllacc201]

When you place buildings the pieces of kelp are meant to get deleted

[@knellycornnan5132]

I think tree cove should be lower, because although the biome itself may be safe, in order to get to the biome at all you have to through the blood kelp reef and the lost river. And both have dangerous enemies on their way there. Same goes with exiting out of it.

[@stolendiamond09]

There are safer entrances to the lost river. If you go in through the bulb zone it’s a breeze getting in, and then the only danger you have to pass by is a juvenile ghost leviathan, which was pretty easy for me because I just put my cyclops in silent running and went right passed it without provoking it at all.

[@thegood_soup]

Plus the lost river has every resource in game, except kyanite and ion cubes. And ghost leviathans there are a breeze to get past. I honestly just killed them for fun in like 2 days.

[@raistlarn]

I go through the Grand Reef. It is pretty safe with the only thing you have to really worry about is the ghost leviathan if you make a wrong turn, and the little ghosts in the Lost River, but those are easy to dodge if you do it smart. Also this is if you use a cyclops (I don't go with a prawn so I don't know about that.)

[@thegood_soup]

With prawn suit, sea moth, or even cyclops on silent running. You can drive through with no damage, although in prawn you might take a little. But nothing serious.

[@stolendiamond09]

@@raistlarn won't the crabsquids pose a threat to your cyclops still?

[@kinggeorge2284]

Honestly, I was surprised to not see the Grassy Plateaus higher on the list. I agree that safety is pretty high because all you have to worry about is the little fish that attack you every now and then and just avoid the sand sharks. Convenience I also agree with seeing how central it is on the map. I don't really pay attention to ambience that much and all it really is that there are the reef backs that whale all the time and the occasional roaring of the sand sharks. Resources I don't agree with because with where reasonable locations to build your base are in the Grassy Plateaus you would have easy access to the shallows and the creep vine forests also you have the worm cave that will have resources in it as well. Style I kind of agree with because the redness is a little nice with all the blue around you and its simpler and easier to work with in terms of base design and location.

[@tiredspudguy6835]

I always build my first base in a junction of sorts between the shallows, plateaus, and kelp forests. After that, I tend to build one in the Sparse Reef.

[@FireFox64000000]

There's another style perfect 10 base local. I call it Lost River Falls. It's right before the Ghost Tree Cove and provides this perfect eerie atmosphere with these beautiful green "waterfalls" and several fossils. It's free from leviathans. And polar opposite of the Cove in beauty. Also convenience is less of a factor if you build little way stations anywhere you need to be near. With two or three mini bases in your favorite places.

[@Esiaa]

I always build my main base either atop the blood kelp (the music is just too good to pass up) or in the mushroom forest near the big tree (I think it's relatively close to all the most important places). My secondary base is always near tree cove.

[@TheGamingplayer12]

I normally end up building based on the safe shallows going into the kelp forest and in the lost river so I’d say this list is pretty accurate

[@WardyLion]

I always establish a base in the Tree Cove, specifically towards the back near the thermal spires and the entrance to the inactive lava zone. It’s beautiful, safe, has resources aplenty (and you can always pop out into the Lost River for more) and you can get free recharges on the Cyclops if you have the thermal generator and leave it parked close to the thermal spires.

[@Atoll-ok1zm]

My favorite location is at the edge of the dunes near the kelp canyon. Flat, thermal vent, sea treaders, lost river access, shallow enough to get light, the works. Sparese reef and path are great for farming resources. Only problem is that it's tecnhically in the dunes, so there is a reaper just at the very edge of yelling distance but he's never given me trouble. Bonus points if you get an observatory overlooking the drop-off down to sea treaders.

[@christianbloom7007]

The real best base location was the friends we made along the way... It's the primary containment! The fauna doesn't ever attack you, you can get straight to the shallow areas via the portal, it has cool ambience with the fauna and flora, it has good resources as you can take some ion cubes from the fabricator and also jump through any of the portals to get to many locations, it has really good style as it's unique and interesting!

[@jace-vo2xl]

I tend to build in one of the few intersections between Safe Shallows, Kelp Forest, & Grassy Plateus as my 'central base' and set up small outposts to use as beacons as i progress. its time consuming but its a neat task to fill the gaps between the somwhat linear progression of vehicle upgrades and radio transmissions.

[@Snellythedog]

I built in the fungal forest in my most recent play through and its the best I’ve ever done. I love it and it is a very good spot.

[@alextomkinson7669]

this is such a good idea, thank you

[@joshpatton757]

I personally build right at the entrance to the Lost River in the Blood Kelp Trench, and start this base pretty early. Rich resources, easy surface access, easy access to the depths, and the termination between the two biomes is pretty safe. I'll usually build a spire up to the surface that houses a solar array for early and mid game power and a Seamoth dock for surface level exploration, and extend the tower all the way down into the Lost River, where I have my cyclops and prawn suit docks for deep exploration.

[@MrJakySensei]

What i Love to do is build in the lost river just beside the north Kelp forest So you got loads of ressources, some thermic vents U are pretty close to giant tree too Love this spot

[@StreetComp]

Fun video :) Lost River but stay close to the trench that leads up to the surface is a great spot for a small base

[@Boskov01]

Personally my favorite base location is a spot to the south east of the starting area, the southern most entrance to the Jellyshroom caves. It's a perfect main base since it's in a safe locale (aside from a few sand sharks), it's right on the edge of a kelp forest for stalker teeth, within seaglide's distance of the safe shallows for food, just a few hundred meters north of the southern Blood Kelp forest, less than a thousand meters from the south island and the grand reef. And once thermal plants are researched, you can daisy chain a thermal plant up to your base from the heat zones straight down in the jellyshroom caves. The only Levis you have to worry about in this area are the Reefbacks.

[@jmwall24]

Right before the hole that leads to the ILZ that you get to from the mountain entrance of the Lost River. You never need to craft the cyclops. Can get to the ILZ/ALZ and back again with just the PRAWN and there's plenty of heat vents nearby for free power. Also can make a ghost leviathan observatory lol.

[@kevinlynch8614]

My favourite base location is the floating island, except that I didn't build topside but instead clinging to the underside from one of the islands stalactite 'roots', so to speak. A safe location I also built in was the Emperor Leviathan holding tank. Great for ambience, also easy access to an unlimited supply of Ion Cubes and relatively convenient access, by portal gate, to resource rich areas of the map...

[@Br3ttM]

I frequently build in areas with a significant straight vertical drop, because vertical connectors allow you to go up or down a significant distance all at once. Underwater cliffs and many cave entrances work. The view from the top of a cliff can be pretty good, too, while cave entrances are frequent locations to pass anyway. Having the top of a base just above some depth cutoff for a vehicle upgrade, to swap vehicles and go deeper, is nice. And the top of a cliff means an open area to pilot a cyclops right up to the base. I almost always use solar or hydrothermal power, so deep bases need to be near heat sources unless I'm just trying something different. There are heat vents all over the lost river, and you can use a few power transmitters to get that power to a spot with the best view. I found a very good base location in my last playthrough. A cliff where the Kelp Forest meets the western Mushroom Forest, close to a shallow trench with an alien arch. The mushroom forest has a lot of resources that I want a scanner room to find (fragments, lithium, and magnetite), the alien arch is good for end game convenience, the views from the top and bottom are great, and the bottom of the cliff provides a great spot to dock a prawn suit for mining the nearby large deposits.

[@MDClips2464]

The lost river is my favorite place in the game, building next to the sea dragon skeleton was actually very safe as the ghost leviathan wouldn't go over there and it was a nice point between the warp gates and the inactive lava zone

[@Judeauful]

The mountain island is underrated imo. In my 2nd game I built my main base right next to the portal exit in the water just outside the enforcement facility moonpool. It has close access to most important resources and my preferred lost river entrance is close by just over in the blood kelp biome. It has easier access to almost everything through the portals as you progress. Including the enforcement facility and the island itself. Which each connect to the inactive lava zone and the floating island respectively. It's also close to thermal vents just a bit away. Though there are reapers beyond the vents, the base is safe. And the closest reaper can be monitored with a scanner or observatory from a safe distance. So the relative less safety is made up for in style. But I also had a secondary base in the tree cove, because it's just too good of a location to not.

[@octodaddy877]

I built my base at the intersection of the Mushroom Forest, Grassy Plateau, and Kelp Forest on the western side of the map (the mushroom forest adjacent to the sand dunes). Plenty of basic resources nearby and both the blood kelp islands & jellyshroom caves are close by for some of the more advanced materials. Plus, there's always reefbacks passing by which sets a calming atmosphere.

[@brainlessteddy]

Mhm the Tree Cove needs to be way higher in convenience. Because you not only need to go to different locations on the surface but also to the Active Lava Zone for those ion cubes. And since the Lost River has exits in very important and ressource rich locations i'd say convenience is 7/10. But other than the Tree Cove I love the border between the Sparse / Grand Reef and Sea Traders Path. Somewhere in the middle between those three. All three are ressource rich. Easy access to the Lost River and relatively safe after the warpers get neutral. The crabsquids are way lower in the reef's caves and the ghosts are quite far from the biome border. But a towerbase in the Shallows is important. I need to see the sunsets over the ocean. Every now and then.

[@Luna-mo4bp]

The first build I created was in the Blood Kelp Trench, It's in a way the center of the game and close to the Sea Treaders. There should be a pocket within the wall of the trench you can build in, like a cozy hobbit hole. But that trench really teaches you how to drive the Cyclops without smacking yourself into 20 collisions.

[@empersian1234]

My favorite place to build a base so far has been in the Bulb zone at the edge of the Hellhole, there's a nice overlook cliff above it, or at least the one that made it into the final game. It's north of the Aurora, and close to the mountains, so yeah, there's definitely some reapers roaring in the distance, but not too close for comfort. I feel like people forget or don't realize a Hellhole exists, going from the surface down to the lava zone, with Reapers, a Ghost Leviathan, and a Sea Dragon all in the path. Quickest way down, but also the deadliest. It's fairly easy to make a straight shot to the Lifepod as well, but going through the Mushroom forest makes it feel safer

[@crsedgames]

I've found that the most optimal base location for me is in the Mushroom Trees on the port-side of the Aurora, somewhat close to the Bulb Zone. There's limestone, sandstone, shale, scrap metal (and also fragments to scan for titanium), tons of lithium, quartz, salt deposits, and it's also close enough to the natural island that utilizing the teleporters there isn't too inconvenient late-game. Only real downsides are the risk of encountering Reapers if you stray the wrong way, the radiation if you haven't repaired the drive core yet, and the Cyclops might be a bit hard to utilize effectively there (I never use the Cyclops, so this isn't a problem for me, at least).

[@emPtysp4ce]

I had three bases in my Best Base save file. A main base in the far northwestern Grassy Plateau cornering to the Floating Islands and Blood Kelp Zone, a secondary one at the end of the nearby tunnel entrance to the Lost River, and a glorified pit stop at the entrance point to the Inactive Lava Zone. It worked out well for me, although I did always feel like I had to run all the way back to the Shallows for table coral since I didn't know about the deep table coral samples and they were sparse anyway.

[@Speedj2]

I actually found the tree cove to be very convenient. its a very nice halfway point for staging resources and equipment before venturing into the lava zones. In my playthroughs its usually the site of my second largest base. and i like that its just high enough that you can park a seamoth there for quick runs to the surface if needed

[@cggnow]

I built in the Lost River relatively close to the Tree Cove. The only things I missed were my seamoth, and easy access to Titanium. Granted, it was down there, but it was much easier to find in other places. Other than that, the Lost River was an awesome place to live. I even got to punch a Ghost Leviathan from time to time. It was fun!

[@OsholitloTF2]

I feel like a video about a video about the fauna would be amazing, and rating them. One with the most points wins here too. Ratings are Danger, (would remove points) length, looks, speed, and camo. (Camo may vary, depending on biome.)

[@flashbang8673]

There's this spot where the underwater islands, northern blood kelp and mushroom forest converge. A plateau perfect for a base, overlooking the beautiful kelp, having the mushroom forest nearby for resources and the underwater islands for vents for energy or even more resources. It is a perfect spot in my opinion

[@AlrenClan]

I personally think that setting up a base by the QEP is the best, because you are right by the lava zone, and everything else ( through portals ) and the reapers can be gotten rid off easily but most of the time don’t attack you. You only hear a distant roar sometimes.

[@dagobahstudios3662]

I built my main base on a slope near the grassy plateaus, kelp forest, and safe shallows because it had easy access to all of those biomes and it was a nice looking spot. I built an outpost in the tree cove because it’s a safe haven for preparing journeys to the lava zone. Also, the tree cove is spectacular.

[@pikazilla6405]

I think the mountain island deserves a sharp increase in convenience and in resources due to the fact that the water surrounding it boasts a huge amount of shale nodes and lithium as well as the fact that the containment platform contains a teleporter that leads directly to the thermal plant giving insane convenience for going back and forth between the inactive lava zone and the mountain Island, no way on earth would I consider either convenience or resources to be below at least 7, its certainly my top pick due to it essentially being a hub for any and all story progression through the use of teleporters.

[@ieremias77]

I just beat the game for the first time, and my second base was in the tree cove. I actually found it to be not too terribly inconvenient, as it was centrally located for mid to late game exploration and resupply. The tree cove is also well within range of the lost river portal, even with a seaglide (with fully upgraded O2 tanks), which made navigating to my surface base even more convenient. The trickiest part was getting my moonpool high enough to be usable by my seamoth for rapid shuttling to the surface.

[@bksphantom7867]

I build at tree cove at every playtrough! Heat energy generation (infinite energy night and day without micromanagement), safe area, good looking area and access to nearly every ressources of the game when including the 2 nearest biomes (lost river and inactive lava zone) Also it is a nice "rest station" between the surface and the deepest layer so you can fully recharge the cyclop if you want to use the shield or silent mode without having the fear to be energy drained

[@Lil_Puppy]

Tree cove is best for subsurface, in the safe shallows there's a thermal vent at the edge of the shallows toward the rear of the Aurora that is really close to an entrance to the deep caves. You can also build a base inside the moonpool of the island gun or in the caves under the island gun or on the stargate below the gun. Anywhere that has a gate is a good place for a base.