Base Contruction

[Kosa]

Hi Vardek!
The link by Kauket sums it up nice. Some info may be out of date but it's mostly correct. Here is a short summary though:

Pros:
- Very cheap to place just to try it out.
- It is a base you own. You can set commodity and equipment prices at your own terms. It's an opportunity to set up a trading / mining post. You can also restrict who can land there.
- You can build modules: Factories to construct cloaks, jump drives, etc.
- You can swap equipment and cargo between your vessels without a help of another player.
- The feeling you own a little chunk of the Freelancer universe

Cons:
- Quite expensive to keep supplied!
- Prior to construction you have to obey local authorities' laws and pay a one time / recurring fee. Or pay taxes to the local pirates - depending on who's in charge in the system. You can also hide your base but it makes resupplying it a lot harder. Prices vary but it's usually around 50M$ - 100M$ a month.
- You have to resupply it. The above link (by Kauket) provides details on it. You should have one or more 5k transports and a lot of money to sustain it. Sure you can place a base 200K off plane for noone to ever find it but keeping that base alive will make you crazy.
- Sometimes you have to defend it. Often one of the pirate / lawful factions will try to siege and destroy it if you're not careful about the location and who you pay taxes to. Your base will fall if you're alone - you need others to help you defend it. You also need to build a shield, build weapon platforms and upgrade the core level to stand any chance.

In short: Building a base is a big effort in time and money and a lot of people frown upon it. Only do it if you absolutely know what you want. Not recommended for new players. If you want to take part in the Player Owned Base experience easily, the best way is to join a faction that already has one or plans to build one. On the other hand if you just want to build one just to see what it is and how it looks it's pretty cheap to place and you can do that anytime. But don't be surprised if it becomes a thorn in someone's eyes and they come and destroy it.

Have fun!
Kosa

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