What’s wrong with my base?

[BlackSpectre]

What’s wrong with my base? Why don’t I ever win any base contests? I think it’s awesome!  Am I crazy???

 

Go ahead and look around. Would love some suggestions. Make sure you click on things that you might not usually think to click on. 
 

On excelsior. Base code = SI-7230

[Easter Bunny]

I wouldn’t say there’s anything wrong with your base. Just like with art, base building is subjective, and you’ve created something that reflects your vision - so it can’t be “wrong.” The fact that you haven’t won a base contest doesn’t necessarily mean your craftsmanship is lacking; rather, it speaks to the incredibly high level of skill and competition within this community.

 

That being said, there’s always room for growth for all of us. One thing I really admire about your base is the interior of your Savings & Loan - the curved walls are a fantastic touch! If you’re looking to refine your build even further, one immediate area to consider is flickering textures. Cleaning up those spots can make a big difference in the overall polish of your base.

 

If you haven’t already, you might find the City of Base Building Discord helpful. There’s a perma invite link in my signature, and it’s a great resource for builders of all experience levels. You’ll find plenty of tips and tricks, including ways to mitigate flicker, as well as a supportive community to exchange feedback and ideas with.

Edited Friday at 02:53 PM by Easter Bunny

[Techwright]

I hope it is a compliment to say that despite only having a minute to look I found several ideas that are making me rethink my base. 

 

I like your vault and safe box area, and appreciate that your base has corners and back stairs to investigate.

 

Was it meant to be viewed from outside as well?  I tried going up the ramp in the vehicle garage but was stopped by the invisible ceiling.

[lemming]

That's a very nice base.   Couple rough spots like a floating pipe in the garage, but way beyond my skill level. 😄

 

I really like what you did.

[JKCarrier]

It's a very cool base, I like the way you incorporated the functional items into the décor. "Branding" your teleporter room as a branch of Portal Corp. was a clever touch.

E.B. is right, there are so many eye-popping bases around these days that it's hard for anyone to stand out. But you clearly put a ton of work into this, and I'm very impressed.

(But what do I know...my base is literally an entrance, a room full of teleporters, and a third room crammed full of storage/crafting/vendors...)

[Elfis]

It's a top tier base.  Definitely one of my favorites.

 

But you can't care about contests.  I've never won a costume contest, but most of my coustumes I wouldn't trade for anyone else's.

 

  I wouldn't trade my base for any others.  It's to my taste.   I just transferred to Excelsior and am only about 25% done with the base and I already wouldn't trade it for any others.  I got all the amenities within 20' of the entrance portal and beautiful scenery beyond.  1-34841

[Dacy]

I haven't looked yet, but honestly, as to winning contests, besides the huge and amazing talents that are in this community that are hard to beat, there are really very few contests. So, there are very few chances to win. I know fantastic top tier builders that have not won, either, and it certainly is not because their bases are lacking. It was that someone else's in whatever competition was just the tiniest bit better in some way on the scoring of the many many considerations that can be evaluated.

 

My name is well known in the building community, and yet, if I were to enter a contest, I'm really sure that most of my bases would not win any category I might enter them in. Not up against the ones I know they'd be up against. And that's okay. That does not make my bases less, that just means that I know they're not going to rate above certain other bases that are exceptional.

 

EB mentioned seeing flicker. Flicker, or what some call glitches, are a huge eyesore to most, and even worse, direct and distract attention away from what you accomplished. I've known people to leave bases just because they could not tolerate the flicker, and it's easy to correct. I can show you how. I plan to do a video on it soon.

 

The winners of the contests tend to be builders who push the limits of base building and dedicate a lot of time to building and learning about what they can do. Stay tuned, EB and I are working on ways to give more people a chance. However, contests are always about sorting through contestants and finding the "best" of what was entered, and the people who wind up with the "best" entries (as determined subjectively by people with their own opinions) are typically those who are always learning and trying to improve. Only you can answer that about yourself, but that is pretty much what it takes. Do you want to improve, and what are you doing to achieve that?

 

Again, I have not seen your base, and this is not just for you, but for anyone who wants to rise to the top: some things to consider.

What do we look at, when judging bases? (we've now got rubrics that help guide us in what to look at, look for, and in how much consideration to give what, so it helps objectify things a little, on a very subjective topic!)

• Technical skills- are things placed close to the way they come out of the editor, or angled, sunk, and positioned carefully? Do objects look like they are laying on things, or are they floating above or partially buried? Are spaces planned, and efficiently and naturally filled, or are they barren and too large? Did the builder start filling the area with stuff just because they clearly thought it looked cool, or does it fit with the theme and have a purpose? Do things look cohesive and make sense? Are there created items, and are they well done? Did the builder build things according to what they wanted to create, or did they let the editor's selection dictate size and what was built?
• Artistic skills- How's the lighting? Does it help to create the focus, mood, and even the flow of the base? Is there a color scheme? Are contrasts and lighting used to highlight areas of interest? Are created items clear in what they are meant to be? Is space used well, and is the composition pleasing? Does the base draw you in and make you a part of this world? Is it a believable place, with immersive details?
• Functionality- How's the flow? Intuitive, or confusing? If services are offered, are they straight out of the editor, or did you incorporate them into the theme of your base? Or did you make your theme adjust to what the editor offers? How accessible are those services? Are they where you'd expect to find them if you did not know the layout of this base? Are doorways easy to find? Pathways and other locations marked in some way, or intuitive? If things are not marked, they'd better be intuitive.

Most of these considerations are not things entry level builders ever think of. (Some of these thoughts came from the rubric that EB and I and others have created, and some came from some thoughts shared by Gizmouse/aka @Cosmic Cat recently) I certainly did not consider any of this when I was first building (or even much later). I think an exceptional base boils down to, "did the builder create something from what the editor offered, or did they make the editor do what they had in their mind's eye?" There is a huge difference in what each of those bases will look like. The editor wants only certain things to be floors, and certain things to be walls. Rooms are a certain size, like the size of a floor tile, or a couple of them. Walls are a certain height. Rooms are a certain variety: gyms, bedrooms, kitchen, bathroom, living room, office, maybe you have a grocery store, a donut shop, a pizza place.... And so that's what you get. And then you get the bases that aren't straight out of the editor. Rooms that are the size of what you need, instead of the size of the pieces the editor offers. Walls made from various materials because you prefer how those materials make the room feel. Bases that do not feel like bases when you step into them: you are transported into another world, with its own life, immersion, and detail.

 

There is nothing wrong with a base straight out of the editor, mind, especially if that was what you wanted! However, bases built according to what the editor offers tend to look a lot like other bases built according to what the editor offers. But if you're talking about wanting to win contests...look to do more. 🙂

 

So that's my say on what it takes to compete in base building. That, and, winning those contests is hard! But that doesn't mean we don't try, because at the least, we get to show off what we've done. 🙂 And I value all the effort and work, no matter if you win or not, because I know how much most people have put into their bases. And I think the people who tour the bases also love seeing the amazing work that people put in, and that's not just for the ones that win.

Edited Saturday at 10:47 AM by Dacy

[ShardWarrior]

On 3/20/2025 at 11:35 PM, BlackSpectre said:

What’s wrong with my base?

 

Absolutely nothing.  I think it very nicely done and enjoyed visiting.  You have done a wonderful job with it.  So long as you are happy with your base, having fun building it and proud of your work, that is all that matters.