More tidbits for base building, because I've now joined a server and dear god these bases are making my eye twitch.
The palbox can be moved and it doesn't automatically destroy the base. It apparently destroys some objects (unsure of what, haven't seen it do that yet) and it shoves all the pals that are out into your personal storage (you should take them out manually first though by finding an empty page and filling it up. then you can easily put them all back) Do be quick putting it back though because everything slowly takes damage while outside the base area.
The palbox footprint is so freakishly large because there is a spawn area directly behind the palbox. That's where the players and pals spawn when fast traveling or summoned. They always spawn at the lowest point below that spawn area. So you can place it five stories up with the spawn area off the ledge and have people/pals spawn on the first floor. Sounds hilarious, must try in a server.
The palbox ring is really more of a vertical cylinder of control, not a sphere.
foundations can be raised and lowered easily if you try to build it as far from your body as you can
If you need to build a bit over a body of water, build a foundation as LOW as you can go, as far into the water as you can. Build a wall on the water side of the foundation, you can then build two roofs forward into the water and a roof and stairs towards the land. Extend that left and right as much as desired. It can look cludgey, but when every bit of space matters you can easily fit a ranch or farms on it. You can even throw the beds underneath this platform.
Quarries and lumbermills take priority. Pals seem to do tasks from left to right, so if you have a quarry, they don't do anything to the right of mine, and they don't mine anything but a quarry. Same thing with a lumbermill. 3 pals fill a quarry or lumbermill.
You don't need quarries and lumbermills, Especially on a server, just leave an area of trees and stone. You can mine boulders and trees for stone and palladium, and wood and fiber. All without a grinder. Yes it makes it slower, but also when everything is gone pals will do other shit while it grows back. Making it superior in many ways to a quarry or lumbermill.
Couple of interesting tidbits I've discovered during base building, because I just love the basebuilding aspect of this game.
Pals can't pass through closed doors, meaning you can actually turn off an automated task if you put it into a room with a door. So you can easily turn your wood or stone quarry on or off by opening/closing a door. Or just make a private pal proof area.
Pals can be too tall to enter a building. Two stories a floor is a good buffer to make sure everyone fits so far. (This happens so much faster than you think. Even a penking is too tall) It's an incredibly stealthy buff to the beginner small pals. (also it's a great way to filter out certain pals from doing things)
Grapple gun still works when you're encumbered, so load up on stone and wood, grapple to your palbox, fast travel to the new base, and shove all your wood and stone into a barrel. Your second base will be SOOOO much better than your first.
Speaking of barrels (they're in the early furniture research very easy to miss) they stack, and hold inventory! and you can put a chest on top of a barrel, then delete the barrel and place another chest where the barrel was.
Lot's of furniture holds inventory like the wall cabinet. It only holds two things, fill it with stone and wood and don't ever worry about someone sticking random shit in it.
You do level by building, quite quickly as a matter of fact if you have the resources. Don't be afraid to build massive buildings or towers.
shadow type pals don't sleep. Meaning if you compare a Depresso and a Cattiva, a Depresso mines more.
I'm not entirely certain but I think pals choose their tasks from left to right (meaning they seem to kindle first, transport last)
Things to avoid
Cliffside construction. Their adamant stance on "no clipping in any instance at any time" means that it will never be flush against a cliff. Mountaintops? fantastic. Plains? awesome, but good lord any vertical surface sucks, maybe satisfactory spoiled me.
Honestly, I find their pathfinding greatly improves with flat terrain and walls. A chaotic collection of beds next to a river or cliff can be a death sentence for a pal. Remove all aesthetic rocks and ruins by flattening it all with a raised foundation and stairs, Don't use doors for major throughways. Just large flat open rooms that are two high. That makes pals more intelligent, at least that's what it seems.