5 base-building tips for Once Human architects

Building an extravagant base in Once Human is a major part of your survival-crafting looter-shooter journey. Beyond the fantasy of living in a mansion within the game's post-apocalyptic landscapes, having a base is essential for placing various facilities that help you craft the necessary items to navigate the world and progress your character.

Whether you prioritize form over functionality or vice versa, base-building is a system you must engage with. With that in mind, this article will highlight five base-building tips for Once Human that you might not know.

Note: Some aspects of this article are subjective and solely reflect the writer's opinion.

Five base-building tips in Once Human that you might not know

1) Press L to hide wires and pipes in your base

Wiring and piping can be a mess in Once Human. (Image via Starry Studio)

As you progress into the mid to endgame and upgrade most of your facilities for better output and higher quality production, you will find that these upgraded facilities rely heavily on electric power, requiring multiple generators to function. You can build up to six generators at your base or seven with a certain Memetic Specialization.

However, the tangle of wires running between your generators and various facilities can make your base look chaotic and unappealing. The same goes for the pipes supplying water to your Irrigation system and Breweries.

While you can manage the wires using Terminals to create a more organized appearance, the same can't be done with pipes. Fortunately, there's a simple solution: open the Building menu by pressing 'B' on your keyboard, then click 'L' to hide all wires and pipes. This will make your extravagant base look less like a chaotic power plant and more like a cohesive and polished structure.

Also Read: Once Human weapons tier list

2) Place a Vending Machine in a Window Wall

Vending Machines are used to trade items with other players. (Image via Starry Studio)

Many players may not be aware of this handy trick for base building: you can actually place your Vending Machine in Once Human inside a Window Wall. This setup allows the machine to be accessible from both the outside and inside of your house, making it quicker to refill with items you wish to sell.

While there are no significant advantages to this approach—since you can easily create a separate platform to display your Vending Machine—it’s a useful tip for those who prefer a more clean and efficient setup.

3) Let your friends craft you boosted facilities

You have to give your friends permission to craft facilities at your base. (Image via Starry Studio)

Once Human Memetic Specializations offer some rare and powerful benefits. However, they are entirely random, and you can only choose 10 of them as you progress to the max level in the game. While the new Specialization Memory Fragment system allows you to choose the ones you want, you are still limited to a maximum of 10.

If you don't have a boosted Electric Furnace, Kitchen Set, Supply Workbench, or other essential facilities with better production, reduced power, and resource consumption, you can simply have your friends with the required Specializations to craft them at your base. This way, you can enjoy the benefits without needing to acquire the specific Specializations yourself.

Read More: All active Once Human Redeem Codes

4) Move your base to Blackfell Oil Fields

Blackfell Oil Fields is the best base location in Once Human. (Image via Starry Studio)

When choosing a location for your base in Once Human, you might consider factors like aesthetics, efficiency, and functionality. In terms of efficiency and functionality, Blackfell Oil Fields is the best choice. This location is ideal for passively farming and utilizing every facility in the game.

With access to Stardust pollution—indicated by the number displayed on your Cradle—you can place Water Pumps in the area to produce Polluted Water and Crude Oil. These can then be processed into Acid using an Osmosis Water Purifier and Brewing Barrels, and Barreled Premium Fuel using Refining Facilities.

Both Acid and Barreled Premium Fuel are among the rarest and most essential resources in the game, necessary for crafting endgame facilities, ammunition, and other key items.

Moreover, polluted areas allow you to use Deviation Energy Generators, which provide the highest energy output in the game, meeting the power needs of all the high-functioning facilities at your base.

5) Craft a portal

Portals can save you a lot of time when using multiple facilities. (Image via Starry Studio)

While having a grandiose mansion with separate areas for a greenhouse, kitchen, refinery, workshop, and bedroom is extremely satisfying, when it comes to quickly navigating between these facilities to craft the essential utilities for your adventures, a massive base can actually be a drawback.

However, with a Standing or Horizontal Portal, you can instantly travel to different parts of your base. That said, since you can only have one set of Portals, it's still wise to keep your facilities relatively close to each other.

You can craft these portals after you capture the Strange Door Deviant in Once Human and acquire the Shattered Strange Door material.

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Edited by Jito Tenson