Best biome to settle in. (SPOILERS)

[JakeZKAM]

With all of the changes to survival in certain biomes (Spiders, and Witches, and Hatsies oh my!) it's become a bit of a struggle finding the perfect place to settle down. The safest biomes in general tend to be Plains, Mountains, and Taiga even if they're all fairly sparse for resources. Forests, Swamps, Jungles, and now anything near the shoreline are now basically a no go. So I ask where does everyone tend to settle for their main base?

Personally I prefer Taiga. Wood is sparce but building up a basic farm isn't too hard, finding a nice hill to build a fort into isn't too hard and water while frozen isn't too rare. I haven't run into any wolves unless I got too close to a forest and snow can become a useful material for building basic walls.

Edit: Thanks to whoever added spoilers to the title, my bad :/

[FlowerChild]

I added a spoilers declaration to the thread title, as the conversation is bound to go there :)

I don't think settling near the shore is a no go, and will probably be continuing to do so myself in the future. Yes, there's added danger at night until you deal with it (and you can certainly defend against it), BUT, the easy availability of water for automation tasks and farming is still of huge enough benefit IMO to more than make up for it. Unless you're going outside at night in the early game, which you probably shouldn't be doing anyways, I still think easy access to water is one of the primary considerations in setting up a base.

I wouldn't suggest mountain biomes as being a particularly good choice as despite being free of biome specific dangers, the amount of hunger (and/or dirt) you will inevitably consume navigating the landscape will be a pretty major burden.

Also, with regards to Taiga, don't forget you have the wolves to deal with. You may have gotten lucky with your spawn, but they're usually quite prominent there. You're also going to have to deal with the movement penalties associated with snow in one way or another.

Really, if I did my job right up until now, there really shouldn't be a biome in the game that doesn't provide its own set of challenges :)

[ryoloth]

personally, I tend to start my main base on the border of a plains/swamp right next to water,for farms/automated purposes, that way I have an abundance of mushrooms during the day but can be safely back into the plains just before sundown. I chop down a few trees in the swamp and start a tree farm in the plains. Then to avoid the nasty Hatsies I just build nice bridges that are two blocks above the water (not sure how far the Hats can reach but they haven't got me yet)

[JakeZKAM]

It's very odd then as I've explored the Taiga I'm in extensively and haven't found a single one.
Edit: Scratch that I'm in a tundra not Taiga. I normally think of them as just snowy forests :p

Mountains/extreme hills I like because usually the lowland areas are fairly flat and tend to gather small lakes or water nearby them, reducing the amount I end up jumping by just hanging out in the valley.

As for the shore I'm paranoid about hatsies I don't trust them in the slightest ;) at least not in the early game.

[FlowerChild]

As for the shore I'm paranoid about hatsies I don't trust them in the slightest ;) at least not in the early game.

Keep in mind they're new though, so you've probably yet to become accustomed to the realities of what they do to play. It's inevitable that after just a couple of encounters and limited information on how they behave you'll be paranoid about them :)

Knowing how they work, I've not been at all inclined to move my main base away from the water. I've had a couple of "oops" moments while I adjust my playstyle, and plan on walling off and lighting up a portion of the harbor area around my base so the squid can't get in or spawn within it, but I consider that to be just another interesting project to work on while I develop my base.

[FlowerChild]

Then to avoid the nasty Hatsies I just build nice bridges that are two blocks above the water (not sure how far the Hats can reach but they haven't got me yet)

That's good news for me there. One of my design targets with the squid was to make the building of bridges more of a thing.

[ryoloth]

Then to avoid the nasty Hatsies I just build nice bridges that are two blocks above the water (not sure how far the Hats can reach but they haven't got me yet)

That's good news for me there. One of my design targets with the squid was to make the building of bridges more of a thing.

I would say you hit the nail on the head then, before the hats I would just take the extra little bit to swim across my river, after my first encounter with them I fear the water more than I probably should and bridges are a necessity.

[JakeZKAM]

Hmm I'll keep that in mind next time I find an ocean or lake. Still wary though ;). As for bridges with the combination of Speed boost, Sinking in water while wearing armor, and our tentacled friends I'd much rather build a bridge before trying to swim.

[DaveYanakov]

For me, a nice gentle curve in a river on a flattened plains biome is best due to the minimal need for landscaping.

I have been reducing the risk near the shoreline by burrowing under the riverbed, planting a block of glass and then torching it right up. Glowstone is not the only answer.

[FlowerChild]

I would say you hit the nail on the head then, before the hats I would just take the extra little bit to swim across my river, after my first encounter with them I fear the water more than I probably should and bridges are a necessity.

Yup, I've been noticing that in my own play as well, but it's always good to hear outside confirmation :)

I'm running into a lot of "hmmm...I should build a bridge here" moments in my own world now that simply weren't there before. Also, the squid provide their own design constraints to bridge building, which IMO serve a similar purpose to what spiders do in wall design, that I think will become more evident with time. Even with small rivers where you knew you could just cross walking on the bottom with iron armor previously, there's the desire to avoid risking accidentally falling in and going too deep now.

The feature is still very new, but like I sad, it's gratifying for me to see it begin to have its intended impact on play.

[Gabecraft1234]

Plains are the outlier here. No biome specific danger or movement penalty (except from tall grass) plus the added bonus of villages. If they are available I will always settle in plains with in sight of some trees for the early game. Once I have an iron pick and some food reserves I will usually pack up and move to a location with more water for large scale farming and automation.

[FlowerChild]

Plains are the outlier here. No biome specific danger or movement penalty (except from tall grass) plus the added bonus of villages. If they are available I will always settle in plains with in sight of some trees for the early game. Once I have an iron pick and some food reserves I will usually pack up and move to a location with more water for large scale farming and automation.

The lack of trees is the disadvantage there, and as you say yourself, you need to find an area probably bordering on another biome to compensate for that.

[JakeZKAM]

Plains near forests also have the habit of getting infested with wolves...

[Taleric]

Early I gravitate to any flat lake area. I have found it helpful to keeping a mountain range in sight as a guide back :P

Later I like to upgrade a village to a full on facility and have a separate grinding facility with my complex machines.

This run has been crazy. I am stuck hunting for a fortress doing all I can in the tech tree before hibachi to advance. It is really challenging and fun. I might have to build an early grinder just to use reclaimed tools/armor.

I tend to never settle in snow or in the mountains due to the heavy terrain penalties.

[SterlingRed]

Early game currently I'm in the foothills of an extreme Hills biome within sight of a wooded area. Originally I spawned in a tiaga, and after spending one night there haunted by the constant howling, I got the hell outa dodge.
As far as permanent base goes, once I find spawn (mistakes were made, playstyle had some adjusting to do) I plan on seeing if i can track down a swamp nearby. Bordering on a extreme Hills biome with a high water source if I'm lucky. The prospect of building a mob farm that's all inclusive to hostiles with the exception of endermen is highly attractive. For me at least, it's incentive enough to take on the environmental challenges in a swamp.

[jkievlan]

The only biomes I actively avoid for early game building are mountains, jungles, and deserts -- mountains because I can't afford the hunger, jungles for hunger as well and for the spiders, and deserts because there aren't any resources to speak of. Otherwise the various dangers are all manageable, if challenging. Even swamps really aren't that bad as long as you look out for witches. And I agree with what's been said before...even considering the hatsies, shoreline bases are always best.

[DiamondArms]

Early game, I like settling as close to or on spawn as possible. It may be a habit from before HC Spawn came out, but it's also useful for returning from the End.
Preferred Biomes for this are River+Forest, Hilly Plains, Islands and Swamps. I used to find natural caves to set up in quickly, but torch changes have since made things different.

Mid-Late Game, I like Swamps. A lot. Swamp Islands are small and easy to light up quickly. Mobs usually don't stray into the water unless you get too close. With a bunch of small islands around, you can set up a Compartment on each island and distribute the Factories to each one. It also makes developing the area somewhat easier without having to deal with expanded security like walls immediately.
Clay is also really east to find in swamps, as water depth is less of a concern. lighting up the water is also relatively simpler, worrying less about water's light dampening properties.

[FlowerChild]

Yeah, I should mention that plunking down within a short distance of spawn is of course a priority for me as well. As the only fixed point in the world that you can reliably find your way back to, that's of course a rather big deal :)

[DaveYanakov]

I was assuming by settle we were discussing later stages of development when you could bring saplings along. Lack of trees is one of the easier issues to overcome.

[FlowerChild]

I was assuming by settle we were discussing later stages of development when you could bring saplings along. Lack of trees is one of the easier issues to overcome.

Well...until next release ;)

[matty79321]

Strangely enough, I actually prefer ocean islands in the late game. Usually by then though I can set up at least a tier 1 SFS beacon to compensate for how far I am from spawn. And the hats aren't too bad when you have the right security measures (IE lighting up the water, building bridges to everything, etc.). As for the early game, I like to settle down at spawn, provided its not a jungle biome. I can deal with the wolves in forests, but I just hate jungles.

[PatriotBob]

I was assuming by settle we were discussing later stages of development when you could bring saplings along. Lack of trees is one of the easier issues to overcome.

Well...until next release ;)

Why... Why must you do this to us...

[dawnraider]

Wolves have never been a big deal for me, I just pop them a few times with an axe/sword and get a meal, so I prefer forests for the trees and scenery. Wolves have scared me out of my pants to the point where my friend asked me if I was ok because I jumped so much IRL, though, which was pretty hilarious.

[FlowerChild]

Why... Why must you do this to us...

As I've said before, I was raised by wolves, who abused me horribly as a child. I have a lot of pent up aggression to direct somewhere, and directing it towards you guys is a safer method than most. True story.

[Detritus]

Personally, I find that my favourite biomes to settle in are mountains, plains and forests, preferably with a river running nearby. However, this doesn't really have any relation to what's best; I just find them to be very nice and picturesque, convenient to navigate, along with easily accessible resources. An ideal location for me to settle in is in a sort of hilly forest with a river running through, and a plains biome close by for flat construction areas. Wolves be damned!