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WOW!

I assume you modeled that, right? If so I really need to learn how to use blender.
If not then your fucking awesome at drawing.
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Yeah, I modeled it in Blender.
Here's some good sites
https://cgcookie.com/ - many good quality tutorials though it requires membership to view most of them, anyway it's not so expensive, I think
http://www.blenderguru.com/ - very useful and free tutorials on pretty much anything, tips, advices and so on, also Andrew has some in-depth courses that you can buy.
http://www.creativeshrimp.com/ - some composition and aesthetic advices
http://blenderartists.org/ - community forum for inspiration, troubleshootingm, socialising and sharing your works

Those are sites that were most useful for me. Also if you need turorials simply google it, there's a lot of tutorials, tips and timelapses on everything on Youtube.
And also be sure to practice a lot :3

The top part reminds me of spray cans

Man, my sides, spare them!

Well guys, I found this thread and thought "Screw it, I'm making a centipede". Looks like you gave me some inspiration

BEHOLD! Deadly tank, incredible war machine, THE CENTIPEDE!

Research doesn't really fit well into this mindset.

Well actually it can be called "research" as a group of actions that you should do before you can actually build something. Like making calculations on, for example, fuel consumption of a generator, it's power output, figuring out how you can build it with materials and tools that you have, then making blueprints for those who will actually build it.

Like in my graduation paper I was given some data on what should my hydraulic classifier produce, then I made calculations of what's happening inside it, what sizes it's sections shoud have to work right, how powerful should an engine be etc., then I made blueprints showing how it should be assembled, installed, what are the tolerances etc.
Those are things that you can't do without when making something more complicated than just stick and stone axe. At the very least you should have blueprints to keep track of what is done and what is not, maybe you can make something small and simple keeping all in your head, but there's no way you can build a geothermal generator without them, or if something is built by someone else you absolutely shoud have blueprints as a way to explain what exactly you want them to make if you want them to make it right.

The problem there is that it will require more resources. You'll need more than just wood as a resource to burn for fuel if you want to manage a fully low-tech colony. Not exactly an option without coal or something similar. Something you can't directly build with, but can use as a resource.

You can make charcoal from wood pretty easily. Look up channel "Primitive technology" on Youtube, there's a video showing the process. To manage a low-tech colony you'll basically need stoves to make food and warm living areas, a smithy to make tools/weapons/armor, stonecutting workshop and some fields to grow crops. Basic resources needed to make it possible are wood, stone and some metal. Wood used as building material, basic fuel and to make charcoal, charcoal to make basic metal stuff, even to make iron tools, though the process is very time consuming and ineffective, and stone to make stoves and workshops.
IMO that should cover all the basic needs: shelter, food and safety. At least for some time before colony can maintain high-tech machinery.

I think that to balance components there must be low-tech ways to do things: fueled stoves, cellars, traps, torches, so you could get by with it.
These solutions will be less effective, but you will have ways to avoid situations in which all your food spoils due to faulty generator and lack of components. And you will have a choice between "that shiny thingy that will make my life easier and safer but will need maintenance" and "this stone crap that is absolutely inferior but will work forever".
As of A13 it is partially introduced, but it's not enough to balance component demand. You still need coolers to keep food from spoiling, lamps to make your colonists not go insane, hydroponics to survive in harsh conditions and so on, and so forth and some of these are critical to survival so you have to use components and on some maps you get rekt because there is no steel or components left and traders are not coming any time soon.
If low-tech stuff will be fully introduced it will also keep balance because you still will be facing a choice: either you fight centipedes with sticks, stones and suicidal rushes or you find ways to get components to maintain your hi-tech colony.

Generally I think that components are good and challenging, but for now they are rather unbalanced with no workarounds.

It seems currently that if you have a map that has more hills or mountains you are at a massive advantage compared to those that have less.

I'll double that, these must be a way to get resources from underground. Either this or flat maps will be tough to play due to limited amount of resources and constant need for components. Though in late game when you have a legendary artist you can buy components easily they still come in very limited amounts and when you dig out every bit of steel you pretty much will get PWND by tribals and bugs suicide-spamming your colony, destroying your turrets and leaving you without components to even maintain your generators.

Though I think Z-levels will make game much, MUCH better. And I still hope Tynan will add them, though it's unlikely. IMHO modern PCs can handle the load of additional 2-5 levels at least.