Building Beautiful Bases in Techtonica

We all know that the heart of Techtonica belongs to sprawling factories and clever logistics chains, but what happens when we step back from our creations and think “Why does this look like a pile of spaghetti that’s been barfed up by the dog and then covered in rivets and rusty paint?” Well Groundbreakers, we’re here to tell you that you’re not alone. Here are 9 helpful tips on how to build aesthetically pleasing structures in your very own playthrough!

Build Bigger

Nothing is worse than building out a whole structure and realizing that you’re a few spaces short of the perfect machine layout. They say measure twice, cut once, but really, who has time for measuring? Just build huge instead! We promise that once you’ve fit all of the embellishments, decorations, lights, and supports your bases need to look beautiful, that factory floor isn’t going to be quite as big as you thought it would be. Just throw down a few more of those 5x5 Floor pieces and you won’t regret it. Make that ceiling just a bit higher than you think, and your bases will start feeling airy and effective, rather than cramped and oppressive. We might be living in a cave, but we’re not dwarves, we’re Groundbreakers!

Mixing Materials

Now you may have noticed that the majority of base building pieces in Techtonica are made of two distinct materials, concrete and steel. That doesn’t mean that you’re stuck making bland boxes of gray walls with brown lines all over them! By mixing up your ratios of concrete pillars and metal beams, or pairing concrete walls with metal catwalks, you can create interesting patterns that outline your machine layouts in visually pleasing ways. In the Oops All Concrete! Pack we’ve even given you the ability to forgo metal supports altogether, allowing you the flexibility to frame your factories the way you want, where you want.

Lots of Layers

If there’s a single word that defines beautiful base building in Techtonica, it’s “layers”. What’s that? What does that even mean? Why do you keep saying it over and over while I’m just trying to build my main bus in peace? Well, it’s because that main bus could be a beautiful bus if you just listen! The key to crafting truly attractive outposts is all about creating patterns on top of patterns, supports in front of walls, beams under walkways, and wallplants overtop those very same beams. This is the reason you should be building bigger because that 1-voxel thick wall suddenly balloons into a 3-voxel thick facade that also somehow looks even better with a 5-voxel thick matrix of pillars and angled supports in front of it.

Repetition Repetition

The architectural assets in Techtonica are largely inspired by the design sensibilities of the Brutalist movement in the 1950s and 60s. The style is characterized by raw concrete, simple geometric shapes, and repeated patterns. The same holds true for building in Techtonica, and each base building piece lends itself to being used in large quantities. Why use 6 walls when 24 will look more imposing? Why design a 2-floor structure when you can build 8? Repeating patterns by spacing the same piece out over and over can not only help your buildings look sharp but also help you expand your buildings quickly and easily when it comes time to grow your factory.

Mesmerizing Motifs

Repeating one type of piece can boost your look, but what should you do when you want to enhance your architectural aesthetics even further? Try creating small designs