So, I have been updating some blueprints in creative, and it got me wondering about everyone's favorite base they use for space operations. Without further ado, what is everyone's go-to multi-purpose space station? I have one that my friend initially designed, but I made many improvements through the years while keeping the fundamental feel of the original design. My friend called it Skylab, so I took that and called it Skylab Station in the final design. It has three levels: the top holds the medical area and constructors, the middle level holds all the grow plots for gardening, and the bottom has the food processors, oxygen tanks, and solar capacitors. Show me your space station!
I was using this station I setup but found it had more than I really needed and it had a pad designed for a CV I wasn't always using . So I built this station which is almost the bare minimum and is slightly better armored. The drydock portion is all carbon and trussing. The interior is just one room and there's no hangar so I feel like it's a bit of a failure in terms of overall execution. It does have 2 full grow plots, advanced constructor, small constructor, gravity and a shield with probably just enough cpu to add a decon though. I may start over from scratch again. I find it difficult to set up something in the T2 range that has everything I need plus a bit of fluff that I want. I've scoured the workshop and there are certainly a lot of great options on there but most of them are very expensive and large. I did find Apartment 15 A12. Which does check all boxes when upgraded but it isn't very defensible at spawn in. I find as Empyrion updates space is becoming increasing hostile. Not sure how likely it is one of the faction ships flying around would actually attack a station but it is a chilling thought. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2174690850
I might look into adding shields and outer turret defenses, but that increases the cost of the station, as well as the tier. Probably will make a station that is meant to be a strong defensive point against powerful enemy patrols.
I like your thinking, and have encountered the exact same. Not much love in the T2 arena for space stations. (though a special shoutout to jrandalls MCRN Skywatch station, and its variants by others) It's my go-to space station when I use them, which admittedly is rare, I seem to restart too often. haha. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2005522884
I build my own, and the two I build most often: 1. Orbital Shipyard - a fairly simple structure with a couple constructors and storage bins for building a CV, because it's annoying having them fall down trying to build them on planets. 2. Teleport Relay Station - a very small structure with a Food Processor, Fridge and Teleporter to link one system to another, allowing for travel without use of a ship.
I went ahead and made another attempt at a station which I'm testing in survival now. I wanted something starterish but it ended up getting a bit out of hand. It's still really cheap comparatively. It's body is concrete sleeved in carbon for texturing. I have it designed so 1 ventilator oxygenates the whole thing with most areas compartmentalized. If you remove the gravity generator and hangar doors it can be spawned without rare resources. It's surprisingly T1 base with large constructor, 1 cannon, 2 miniguns, armor locker, o2 station, clone chamber, fridge, food processor, ammo box, 1 incomplete container controller (because of CPU), 1 T0 gen, 2 small fuel tanks, 2 Solar Capacitators and room for 2 full grow plots. There's space for a bunch of add-ons including a shield which is why it ended up so huge. I have the core down by the cannon turret on the bottom in case of unlikely attack. Better it be cored than utterly demolished Now to figure out how to make a CV that actually has a docking collar to go with this...