Thing is like I wrote, our experiences and modes of play shape our viewpoints. You and I play PVP. We know what is required, how the game mechanics have changed things, why we need to do the things we do.
Sometimes people don’t think beyond their own purview though.
In this thread @Bourbon states:
Subjective really, what is “huge” to them?
But then it’s countered by @DeaconElie:
And proceeds to explain what they do with building.
Now, this is specific to their play style and mode of play. Without considering the other modes or playstyles or even what “huge” means.
So, for you and me, wanting to be effective in PVP, means that we need to use the best benches available to us. They’re big and understandably so for immersion purposes.
Using T1 and T2 will yield less production. We’ll be inefficient and because time is so important, even more loss could result. Like not having enough extra good kits and weapons, or build mats to build/repair, enough DP to counter raid, having a vault or enough potions to heal during combat.
I certainly miss the smaller benches and many of the systems… but we’re PVPers, we adapt to loss right?
That is basically what I was saying even though “big” is subjective. You CAN cram all your production into a permastructure like Keyhole and add a maproom inside. When bubbles were a thing, you always chose Yog because it had the smallest hitbox and fit that in there too.
But it’s the rest, whether it be Keyhole, Gutter, the docks, Barracks, etc.,… defence is required to survive and it can’t be 1 wall thin because of exactly the issue: building damage from explosions. If you want to have all the rest of the expected things like animal pens, stables, wheels, etc.,… it will extend outward. Or, you build additional bases which seems to be a matter of contention with many people on the forums.
Sure you can build vertically but it won’t necessarily be defensible.
Then add the consideration of performance on top of it all. What really is “too many building pieces”? That is very situational. I’ve been on so many servers in the last 6 months. Some have what I consider to be huge bases. The only ones that affected me were the ones that were decorated.
Except for 1530, no one can raid or defend on there effectively due to lag. Someone always gets the shit end of the stick because there is something very wrong with that server.