I ended up abandoning my 1st base because the 3x iron nodes I had were on the side of a cliff and had fucked up pathing issues no matter how I tried to encircle it with a wall.
Got a new one up and running and it seems to be running well. I have 2 iron nodes that can handle 5 workers that isn't quite able to keep up with needs, but it seems close and I'm hoping some of the tech research will fix that. The only copper node I have nearby is outside of my walls and has a really long path to get there, so I don't have a good option for that. Luckily I don't need too much of it.
I'm doing cactus & chewsticks for food and that finally seems to be keeping up ok with needs.
Alright, now my tech advancement is at a roadblock because I need ancient books. Should I go find somewhere to buy them or can I farm them somewhere? I have 27 people total with 6 of them that have combat skills in the 40s and "well equipped". Am I good to take these dudes marauding?
edit: and I'm trying to keep my base well guarded at all times because I walk away from the computer all the damn time and I'm always going to miss an event or attack if it shows up (also because I run the game at the max speed while afk). I saved the game right before bed last night and left it running overnight, thinking I was going to come back to everyone dead. But all was good except for 1 fighter that died and 1 robot-leg gimp that I can't repair yet.
Usually a single iron/copper node is enough. unless you got really low quality ones? my current base has 1 iron node with 2 iron refinery's going off it alone.
yeah, things get much more efficient as you go. units get higher labor skill so are faster, and upgraded refinery's work faster with less workers. you can start pulling them off that, and put them on turret duty.
upgrade to dustwichs when you can. less inventory space per Nutrition. and more efficient with the crops as well. put a food storage next to your kitchen, then a second one nearby your outer gate. (medicrate there as well.) units have an annoying habit of unloading food, sleeping bags, splits, aid kits when they return to base. having storage near the gate, so you can select your squad, turn off jobs, and form up at the gates. Then, pull food/supplies from the nearby storage, is nice.
ancient science books, engineering research, and A.I. Cores, are primarily found in long lost ruins. particularly labs. yeah, form a squad, go explore the wilderness. (bring food, a pack animal, and sleeping bags.) bars, etc often have maps you can buy to reveal the locations of ruins. there are a couple special locations you have a chance to buy them. World's end, the tech hunter capital. may have one or two. they can be bought once, and don't restock.
most of the other special items you find, are vendor trash. cpu units, etc. some of the robotics stuff is used for robotics, and craftable. so can be kept for later, or sold.
t2 gate, and 6 t2+ mounted xbows facing the gate, should hold off most basic attacks. turrets get range and damage bonuses for height. so, on tall buildings next to the walls is even better then on the walls itself.
most attacks on your base will be humans or animals. Wakizashi are great for base defense. naginata katana as well. Sabers not bad either. Armor priority. merc armor, or drifters leather, samurai cloth pants, wooden sandles, straw/rattan or iron hats. leather turtlenecks.