Build in the light
The Shroud is lethal. Place your base in the safe fog where your health regenerates and you can plan in peace between delves.
The armor database shows the gear you will craft at that base, so build near the mats you need first.
Core then comfort
Altars, storage and a cookfire come first. Add crafting stations as you unlock them, and comfort bonuses once you feel settled.
Keep it central
A base near a fast-travel point saves every future trip. Move once, build well, then expand in place instead of relocating.
Expand in rings
Grow the base outward by function: craft, farm, rest. A planned layout scales; a messy one chokes your movement and mood.
The consumable database keeps food close so you never starve on the walk back from a Shroud run.