What drew you to play No Man's Sky initially?

A space game? with the vibes of Sci-Fi comics? a map the size of a galaxy? Space combat? Odd Creatures? Of course, I'm in!

Now that you're an experienced NMS player, what do you think of the game?

The game evolved a lot over the years! Updated regularly, it's still fresh and lively! Furthermore, No Man's Sky was already years in the future when it launch in 2016

How did you become interested in base building?

"I was bored, and for a few weeks I was daydreaming of an antique city in ruins in NMS. So one night, I started building it!

Few days later, I did find funny to have spheres falling on players like that scene from Indiana Jones. And, then, traps. And a puzzle. And a story. And .. And... ... And that was the beginning of my builder's journey

I wrote a full story, entangle deep in the Lore of No Man's Sky, design the character of space adventurer 'Mateo Keroual' and build bases with a design and a purpose in mind.

Playable bases, with puzzle and games, and a simple story.

What is it about building bases that you enjoy most?

I do love building logic circuits with electricity. they are integrated -even hidden- in the builds. Push a button, open a door, avoid a trap, find a secret, .. it's game designing and building :)

Because logic in No Man's Sky is -let say- archaic, it feel like creating mini video games from the '80s.

Like any creative endeavor, building bases involves struggle, problem-solving, catharsis, and a sense of accomplishment and enjoyment from seeing the results of all that effort, virtual though it may be. That, and possibly creating a sense of wonder for base visitors.

How would you describe your design aesthetic?

Balaron High Era, First Spawn Gek Architecture.

Where do you find your design inspirations?

Sometimes from European comics (Mœbius, Jodorowsky, Schuiten & Peeters ...), sometimes from real world building (Pompeii, Tulum, ..) and of course, from visiting bases from the NMS community!

Do you usually have a clear picture of what you're going to build before you start?

Not really. I start building a new base with a simple idea like "I want a tower", "a city", "a refinery", "a lab" .. It depends on the mood and the need for the Mateo Keroual story :)

How do you choose locations for your builds?

I try to find place with a peculiarity and I often build near a game element, to make it more life alike (archive, trade outpost ..)

Finding the right place could take time, so when I encounter a odd place, I usually put a base computer.

Tell us a little about your thought process when you begin a build.

I do love this moment of sheer creativity when you start building and let your mind created a place out of nowhere. Even if most of the time, I have to delete afterward at least the half of it!

What techniques and tools do you use?

Nowadays I builds in creative mode. I don't glitch, but with exceptions for scaling parts. I use the save editor to backup bases, and setup new save for building-only

How do these techniques and tools fit into your process?

When I need to quickly setup a new save to build, I use creative mode and edit the save to get all the building parts (my main saves are legit)

What are the pros and cons you encounter by using these techniques and tools?

For glitching, if overused, you can have rendering issues (especially for old gen). Save editing is still frightening, I always hope I don't break my saves!

What do you find most challenging about building in NMS?

To choose what to delete when you get to the 3000 parts limit. You have to make choices, cuts, and that'll change the shape of your project. It's really an interesting (and underrated) moment in the building process

How do you deal with a design that just isn't working?

I come back later to decide :) I usually opt to delete all parts and rebuild from scratch!

Has there been any specific design type or style you've not found a way to create?

I don't know yet. But, yes, sometimes the game is frustrating

How would you recommend someone new to NMS begin learning to build?

Start simple and keep at it. If you have any knack for building, the persistence will pay off.

What additional advice would you give to new Builders?

"You can create beautiful bases without glitching. Use parts as "scafoolding" that you can delete later. The you can just put the part you want, where you want it!"