I just started a new colony on a huge map and there was this great granite building nearby with nice resources. It was about eight tiles from the edge of the map . . . and normally it would be just inside the border of where you can build so I quickly outlined a stockpile and was really excited . . . until I went to place a door . . .
On the larger map size the edge seems to get bigger too . . . Turns out only ONE square of "my" building was inside the border. I could put a stockpile there, I could walk there, I could deconstruct the building . . . but as a starting shelter it was worthless.
Obviously this didn't ruin my game . . . I just wasn't FUN. So to prevent this . . . give me a map mode that shows the build borders; something I can turn on and off the same way I turn on and off room stats, or beauty. When we first land it should be on by default so when you pause the game and scan the map you plan around build able area.
The only reason I didn't have a complete tragedy here is because I'm paranoid. I tried to place at least a wooden door and some walls right away. I'd already found another granite wall and marked it for deconstruction. But I thought tearing down the wooden stuff was worth getting some miner first night bonus'.
If I'd been a bit meaner to my settlers, and more patient, then things would have gotten bad quick. I would have been soooo upset with myself, the game, whatever. ROFL. Thankfully instead we get quick suggestion thrown out onto the forum. :)
The map border pops up as soon as you hit the "construction" tab and select something to build.
I know. Like I said it's a good thing I was paranoid and started to build right away.
The alternative was actually really close . . . DON'T start building right away and instead haul all my goods into the ruin on day one and let my people sleep on the ground. I could always patch the two holes in that building with a granite door and wall later.
That actually would have been smart, but mean . . . I was very tempted. The only reason I didn't do it was because I had two night owls and a lazy person. I role played them insisting on a wooden wall and some beds first because it was the party colony.
Given a slightly different group it would have been:
One person hauling to a stockpile zone.
One person planting in a grow zone.
One person deconstructing walls so I'd have stronger defenses for that first raid.
And then . . . when I finally hit that build key on day two or three . . . BOOM . . . as you say it would automatically pop up and a colony that was on the path to min/max success would suddenly be in shambles. All that effort would have been wasted.
Suddenly I'd be rushing to build a room as my already degrading stores need to be under cover ASAP . . . Plus I'm rushing to deconstruct that granite building and throw it back up nearby . . . probably while throwing wooden beds outside as I would have already had crops growing and the other ruins were a ways away.
Complete disaster. My own fault . . . perhaps . . . but something that could have been avoided. In the future I'll always hit the build key every time BEFORE I lay out a stock pile near the edge of the map . . . even if I don't plan to build anything. But it would be nice not to have to do that. :)