I normally build my base in the lilypad zone near the entrance to Marg’s base, the deep lily zone, and the Crystal Caves. I’m also building a base at the edge of the void out of spite.

I built mine on the edge of the purple vents and the volcanic biomes, near the delta station. There is a ton of resources of every type in close proximity and not very deep either. Plus you can track the Chelicerate with the scanner room. Also close proximity to everything else on the map since it's kind of a central location on the map.

I like building on lillypads and have moonpool be under water

Built mine in the Purple Vents below the Chelicerate.

I built a medium-sized base 300 ms south of Delta station dock above a drop into deeper Twisty Bridges, mostly because I take lots of round trips and it's decently close to a lot of resources. I have another similar-sized base at the starting area of Glacial Basin (the one near the Seatruck docks).

I also have a teeny tiny base (one X-connector + scanner room) above some bigger rocks in the Lilypads, because damn that biome is MASSIVE and it's a pain collecting the fragments. I used to go there for ruby but not since I built a fully-upgraded Prawn.

I like to build in the grassy plateau, the hill on the far side from the safe shallows, right where the plateau meets the sparse reef and the blood kelp. The view is amazing, there's tons of resources, and the reefbacks are there to sing to you.

I made mine in the Sparse Reef, for easy access to the Grand Reef and Blood Kelp.

You realize that you are not limited to 1 base. Build a base in every biome!

the top of the floating islands was my fav, easy access to rare material below you, close to vine forest cor scrap and nice scenery

If you are making an early game one, floating islands, late game, make it in the lost river, near the big tree but far enough away you can get some thermal vents

Definitely the tree chamber thing (whatever it’s called) in the lost river

Down bu the side of the secret island.

Edge of the BK Trench is my favorite spot.

Very easy access to all resources. Lost River and thermal power nearby.

Just… don’t go too far north.

I normally build in the sw grassy plateaus or the nw mushroom forest

I usually just make a cyclops into my base.

Blood kelp trench (option 3) ftw

I’ve built at spot 2! Near the blood Kelp and those two mountains near the floating islands is a good outpost imo, but I struggled with materials a small bit. My main base was elsewhere. The locals are nice, you’re not far from the shallows, not far from the deep end.

It’s a good spot for later game play with quick access to relevant areas. >!The cyclops has a path into the LR!< near that area, but I’ve never personally >!driven my cyclops into the lost river through that tunnel thanks to the Friend outside it!<

I really like setting my deep base up at either the tree of life or the waterfalls entering lost river near the ghost leviathan.

I don't know where you should set up your base, but I now where you SHOULDN'T, please, DON'T PUT YOUR HOUSE IN CRAB FIELD

Grassy Plateaus, although basic is convienent. Go to the beacon for the 200m Degasi Base, and go a little south, near the border of (I think) the crag field. Theres an extremely pretty cave system there that can make for an excellent base. Theres also one near the blood kelp trench, which could prove useful later and is close to the sea readers path and other areas. (can send screenshots later if you need)

The Bulb Zone, although far from everything can be a good late game base due to it's relative safety (ampeels are chill if you give them their space, and bonesharks can be dealt with easily), titanium outcrops, thermal vents and lost river entrance. It's also pretty and has food sources nearby in the form of bulb bushes. If you have a cyclops (or when you get one) park it in shallower waters to prevent ampeels from attacking it.

Either of the mushroom forests (I prefer the NW mushroom forest) are pretty good. Easy access to the center of the map and the later game areas, whilst being pretty to look at. It's proximity to the blood kelp, underwater islands, bulb zone, shallows and other areas makes it a good hub spot. It looks cool too, and can be placed near purple pinecones for a flex or smth.

The sparse reef, although not pretty is resource rich and slightly close to later game areas, although its not one i'd recommend for a main base, and is pretty ugly tbh. Not a good place for a main base, but if you need resources build a scanner room and a small I beam or smth.

Jellyshroom caves are honestly really good. Get rid of crabsnakes if they annoy you, build a base and you're good. Shale outcrops, magnetite and lithium are all nearby, along with a good view and proximity to several other biomes.

I always build my first base right at the escape pod. Then I build mini bases the deeper I go.

My favorite spot down below is at the gargantuan leviathan skeleton, it’s kind of a cross roads where you can go anywhere down there.

There is a thermal vent off to the right of the aurora. It’s close to the escape pod at the beginning of the game. I built a grain silo type base right in the middle of the vent, and a moon pool off to the side. It’s probably like 200m away max from the escape pod. Great early base, and it’s near a lot of late game stuff if you know where the deep entrances are.

But also, multiple bases works. And the big submarine is excellent.

I put mine in the red grassy area next to the Jellyshroom caves. It's a reasonable distance from the starter area, kelp forest, and blood kelp forest. The Jellyshroom caves are loaded with magnetite, too. And they're pretty :)

Bulb zone is pretty good for many different resources.

Jellyshroom caves for specialist resources like Magnetite and Lithium

My first base was right next to gasopods at the very edge of Safe Shallows. I liked the spot a lot. Close to the center of the map, lots of sunlight, lots of resources, chill, and shallow enough to have solar panels above the surface.

My other base was by the Great Cove Tree at around 900m and it was priceless for the endgame.

I built right by the life pod and have not felt the need to build another or anywhere else

I only ever did one pmaythrough of BZ. And I chose to do it ontop of a few of the floating islands near outpost zero. Huge mistake, because it was far from basically everything besides late-late game story elements. My advice would be to build somewhere around delta island, as its close to everything early to mid-game, and a bit far from only the very last parts of the game.

The map is small enough you could build in any place and be fine for the most part, I built by the lifepod and had no trouble prawn suit walking to anywhere.

If you wanna minmax, delta island is probably the best most central spot that has plenty of nearby resources and is relatively safe once you get any vehicle (especially prawn suit) and you’d only really need to go to the northwest once or twice so it’s not essential to be near there

The most work I did was border of the Grey and purple vents near the chicky. But I e mentally settle in the eye jelly zone because I liked the mild attention, until I found they can clip in and tag me.

For BZ, I built above the lily pad crevice. Basically above the big floating rock where the pilots last known location is. It was only the second base I built. The first was in the shallows. It was the perfect forward outpost for mid to late game stuff, a great location to push the plot forward.

The upper area near the lily pads themselves are pretty safe, you gotta deal with some glo whales, and the occasional lillypadder I usually hit with my truck.

But a great location for resources, and you’re really not that far from delta island which I use as my main landmark (free beacon may as well use it). It’s also pretty close to some of the deeper biomes you’ll have to visit.

Mid/late game has to be the cove tree. It bridges the Lost River and deeper end game areas. It's a perfect depth to use the seamoth for one half and prawn suit for the other. It's scenic and surrounded by passive mobs. I almost exclusively build there when I have progressed far enough.

I used to build in the safe shallows for base 1, but I've shifted to the entrance to the jellyshroom caves recently. Close to the beginning zone for resources, but you dont have to make an expedition for the jellyshroom resources.

Second base is usually at the lifepod in the bulb area. Thermal vent nearby for all your power needs,, and an entrance to the next tier down isnt that far away.

That spot is where I pretty much accidentally built my first base in my first playthrough before moving to a much worse location

Still cant really believe that I'd set up at one of the best starter base locations, by complete chance. I just wanted to build sort of near the lifepod

I often build there. Recently I’ve been building further north near the junction of grassy plateaus and the eastern mushroom forest

I think that objectively the best place for building the main base is the South-western grassy plateaus.

Reasons:

- Can use light as energy source in early game.

- Relatively safe place, sand sharks and biters are a joke.

- Very close to kelp forest, Jellysroom cave, sparse reef, blood kelp trench and sea trader's path. All are zones with valuable resources and even a entrance to the lost river in the blood kelp trench.

- Not too far away from the center of the map, so nothing is too far away.

The only drawback is the pressence of the reefback leviathans which are too noisy, haha.

Don't sweat it too much. The nice thing is, if you don't like the location, you can deconstruct the base and rebuild it elsewhere.

My first base was in the Grassy Plateau, but then I moved it to the edge of Safe Shallows, near the gasopods. It ran on solar panels (the roofs actually stuck out of the water, but they don't have to) and a backup bioreactor powered by gel sacks I planted just outside.

My second base was in the Lost River, by the Grand Cove Tree, running off geothermal.

I personally like the south western grassy plateau, since it has a LR and JSC enterances nearby and you can easily wire geothermal from the nearby geyser.

But since you already have Cyclops, you could go for the real mans base and build at the dunes

There's a spot a short distance north of the jellyshroom cave where you are bang on the intersection of the safe shallows, the kelp forest and the grassy plateau. So you have access to a lot of different resources making it perfect for your scanner room. You are also fairly central with two entrances to >!the lost river!< not far away and in the late game if you go a bit further north there is >!an alien entrance!< that cuts out a lot of back and forth travelling time.

Nothing wrong with the shallows. If you can find a spot with enough space to build, there's really a lot going for them. Good resources, minimal predator concerns, centrally located (you're going to be taking trips all over the map, so...)

Here's a longer post I made a bit ago because I was seeing this question so often.

Did you really get a whole cyclops before building any kind of base?

How did you store all your junk? How many flat batteries and powercells do you have?

There is no one ideal base location. As long as it's safe to get to, and easy to travel from there to wherever.

Mushroom forest is fine.

There's nothing to stop you building multiple bases, and the cyclops is big enough to haul supplies.

You have to check it out! It’s really beautiful. When you get there go ahead and give the cyclopse horn a good honk. It unlocks a cool achievement.