Currently there is no reason to make a large base on any planet as the ship is simply better in every way. My thoughts on what could be done is to give bases on planets special equipment that the ship cant have. Say you create a base of a certain size, you could create a radar array to complement the base that scans nearby stars and gives you basic information about the planets that inhabit them. Other devices could be something that reduces the cost to jump to nearby planets and star systems, or something that slightly increases movement speed (among many more ideas). Basically, creating devices that can only be placed on planets and require a base to function. This could be done much the same way Terraria recognizes when a house is fit for an NPC. When certain building requirements are met for a structure these nifty little devices can be crafted and placed down. They would help the player settle down in a certain area of the universe and at the same time give them incentive to explore nearby planets due to extra buffs and information and what not. I think this idea could be tied in with a lot of others floating around. Thoughts?
While this is a somewhat new idea, I feel like any sort of buffs they could give buildings still would be outweighed by the disposability of planets.
Unless they provided you with a late tier refueling station in orbit of a planet (solar powered and refilled over time). You would always go back to that planet to fill up. Or Robot+Growing Forest+furnace+chest and head back to pick up the coal X 3-style.
