SpaceCraft Base Building Guide: Planet Layout and Storage

SpaceCraft base building should start with flow. Steam describes creating and automating planetary bases, which means bases are not just places to decorate. They are production, storage, transport, and expansion systems. A clean base helps ships, automation, trading, and co-op players all work from the same plan.

Open the SpaceCraft guide hub for the wider route across resources, ships, planets, co-op, and trading.

Last checked: May 22, 2026. Planetary bases are confirmed publicly. Exact modules, footprints, power needs, storage links, planet limits, and production values need the live June 11 build.

Quick Answer

Build the first base around one chain. Place input access near processing, output near storage, and transport near ships or routes. Leave expansion space, but do not sprawl. A base that produces one useful thing reliably is stronger than a huge base full of disconnected modules.

Base Layout Template

Zone	Purpose	Placement advice
Input zone	Raw material arrival or extraction	Close to processing and easy to refill
Processing zone	Machines or production steps	Keep connected to input and output
Output storage	Finished goods and components	Separate build goods from trade goods
Ship access	Cargo pickup and delivery	Keep routes clear and readable
Automation spine	Repeated machine links	Build in a line or loop players understand
Expansion lane	Future machines or modules	Reserve room before filling every gap
Co-op work area	Shared tasks and handoff point	Put where everyone can find it

First Base Priorities

Priority	Why
Storage clarity	Prevents hidden shortages
One useful production chain	Makes the base valuable immediately
Transport route	Connects base output to ships and planets
Automation access	Lets machines scale without rebuilding
Expansion room	Avoids tearing down the base after one upgrade
Co-op rules	Keeps players from building disconnected corners

Compact Beats Huge Early

Early bases should be compact because the player does not yet know module sizes, throughput, planet yield, or traffic patterns. A compact layout is easier to fix. A giant layout with wrong assumptions can become a beautiful bottleneck.

Compact does not mean cramped. Leave space for the next machine, storage, or transport link. The point is to keep related functions close: input, processing, output, and pickup. If players must cross the base every time a material moves one step, the layout is doing too much.

Storage Categories

Use categories from the start. Raw resources, processed components, ship parts, base modules, trade goods, and protected upgrade materials should not all live in the same mental pile. If the live build supports labeling or filters, use them. If it does not, use physical placement: raw inputs near machines, ship goods near docking, trade goods in their own area.

Storage categories matter because trading and co-op can both accidentally drain the wrong goods. A trader should never sell the component needed for the next ship because it looked like surplus.

Base And Ship Connection

A base should answer a ship question. Does the ship need cargo? Fuel? Modules? Components? A route destination? If the base cannot feed a ship or receive goods from one, its role may be unclear.

Likewise, ships should serve bases. A cargo ship moves outputs. A scout finds the next planet. A construction ship brings modules. A trade ship moves surplus. Bases and ships are one network, not separate hobbies.

Planet-Specific Bases

Each planet should have a job. If a planet supplies one key resource, build around extraction, processing, and transport for that resource. If a planet is mostly a waypoint, keep the base small. If a planet becomes a production hub, then invest in storage and automation.

Do not copy the same layout onto every planet without checking what that planet actually provides. The best base shape depends on the chain it supports.

Co-op Building Rules

Rule	Why
One layout lead	Prevents disconnected zones
One automation lead	Keeps machine chains readable
One logistics lead	Protects storage and transport
Build from current bottleneck	Avoids decorative overexpansion
Label protected goods if possible	Stops accidental trade or spending
Review routes before expanding	Saves rebuilding later

Troubleshooting Base Problems

Problem	First fix
Machines idle	Move input storage closer or improve supply
Output piles up	Add storage or transport before more machines
Ships wait too long	Place pickup near output
Players cannot find goods	Separate categories and improve layout
New modules have no room	Stop filling expansion lanes
Trade slows progress	Protect build-critical goods from market storage

First Base Review

Before leaving a planet, walk through the base as if you are a returning pilot. Can you see where raw goods enter? Can you tell which container holds processed output? Is there a clear pickup point for ships? Is the next machine space obvious? If the answer is no, fix readability before adding one more module. A readable base is faster to repair, easier for co-op players to use, and safer when a patch changes production values.

Common Base Mistakes

Do not build around decoration first. Do not place machines without input and output plans. Do not mix trade goods with ship parts. Do not let every co-op player expand in a different direction. Do not turn the first planet into a megabase before you understand planet value, automation rates, and ship routes.

The best first base is the one you can explain in one sentence: “This base turns this input into this output for this ship, module, or trade route.”

Next Pages To Open

• SpaceCraft automation guide
• SpaceCraft resources guide
• SpaceCraft ships guide
• SpaceCraft planets guide
• SpaceCraft co-op guide

Sources

• SpaceCraft on Steam
• SpaceCraft on SteamDB
• Shiro Games official site
• SpaceCraft official YouTube channel