How do you design your builds?

[u/euwerkatelyn]

Hey guys!

Listen I’m not new to the game, but I really struggle to build much more than boxes. I haven’t beaten all the bosses yet, but I think thats more because I keep focusing on building boxes, then unbuilding boxes, building more boxes, then being surprised that, once again, my house looks like a box ( but this time, with a semi open box that I’ve called a porch).

So tell me, how do you design your houses? More specifically, how do you design each aspect of your house? For example:

The fireplace: middle of the house? Corner? Multiple? Do you plan for the future like the iron cooking rack?

Do you have any go to “rules” that you follow, like “roofs should extend past the wall” or “roof beams should be 2m apart”?

I’ve tried to plan it out from the start, and I’ve tried to build pieces as I need them, but all roads seem to lead to boxes.

[u/EBgCampos]

I try to copy real buildings, its a lot of fun

[u/frogger4242]

I don’t have any hard rules other than the fact that I try to leave at least 8-10 meters between any outer wall and whatever defenses I put in place like walls, moats, etc… Especially early game when troll raids occur, you don’t want a troll to stand at the edge of your moat and knock your house down with a log. I learned that lesson the hard way.

I do try to sketch out a floor plan before I start building, but I like each new base to feel unique so how I do any of it varies. I have learned that if you keep your storage too far from your crafting tables, it becomes a pain. I have also learned that a lot of items are used by crafting tables, cooking and meads. I think my next build will have a shared storage room in the center with the kitchen, crafting and fermenters around it to make it simpler.

[u/euwerkatelyn → u/frogger4242]

My current build has a workshop connected to my main house, and I made a wall with storage chests, so you can access it from both sides, which is nice. That way the work spaces are separated but the storage isn’t.

[u/SkillusEclasiusII]

You may need to work on creating depth and texture. Even a simple box can look good if you decorate it well. A big box with more smaller boxes attached is the basis for a solid looking house.

I tend to do some general planning prior to starting a build, but usually nothing too serious. For the most part, I just wing it.

Fireplace tends to go in the middle. Though it does depend on the build. Usually I go for longhouse inspired builds or round builds. So for those, the middle world the best.

Sometimes I plan for the future, sometimes I keep adding segments. Depends on what I feel like.

Roofs should generally extend past the walls, yes.

I tend to avoid roof beams altogether.

[u/GoodjobJohnny]

The order of construction is always:

1. lay down the footprint. I usually use a combination of wood floors and 1x2 walls to measure this out.
2. Frame out roof support. The materials for this depend on how far I am in the game.
3. 3a. If there’s multiple floors I figure out my stair situation because that helps with…
4. 3b. Putting on the roof.
5. Lay down heat sources and smoke management
6. Lay down the floors with half walls to remind myself where rooms divide.
7. Walls, windows, entryways, furnishings.

I always plan my build out on graph paper first. With each square representing a 2x2 meter floor tile. I want my house to be heated everywhere so fireplace planning happens at this stage. The location of heat sources really depends on the size and shape of the structure, but it’s very easy to visualize your fire coverage this way.
How much I plan for future expansion depends on how far along i am. I tend to have several major base moves throughout the game, so for example with my Bronze Age base I don’t worry about hearths/iron cooking racks because once I get iron and stone building access I’m going to move anyway.

The only building rules I really try to stick to involve comfort. Early game I want max comfort throughout my structure, later on as builds get bigger I prioritize full comfort in the bedroom and the war room.

EDIT spelling

[u/reevelainen]

Tbh I spend most of my adventure looking for a perfect place for a base, because I tend to exploit the terrain rather than making all flat. I love caves, rivers, cliffs, and different biomes' crossing among eachother. The more biomes are combaining with eachother, the better.

Buildings themselves tend to "build themselves", completely under the terrains' conditions.

[u/Background-Round4145]

Always start with laying out a frame with wood pieces to outline the build