I get that base building is mostly optional but I feel like that system could have benefited exploring these barren planets by actually setting up labs for environment testing etc.
I mean even the transport goods missions were few and far between to the point it wasn't really worth trying to build a huge transport factory across multiple planets to complete the orders.
I think if Bethesda actually made sure the systems they put in the game were utilized to a fuller capacity the game would feel much better.
Also the way to rank up skills was an interesting take but missed the mark by making a number of them extremely grindy to level as opposed to happening naturally. If they'd have put in separate conditions for ranking a skill up (allowing it to rank up via A condition or B condition) it might have taken the grind out of some of them. I know getting the explosives leveled took a lot of save scumming as half the time I killed someone with a grenade it wouldn't register that they died via an explosive.
It's like they had a bunch of small teams work on separate systems and didn't have them interact with the quest designers or the other teams and so you're left with a lot of things just there and not utilized. It makes the meme of Bethesda leaving it up to the modders to complete the game less of a meme and just a factual statement.
bases actually do extend your jump range if your route takes you through one with an he3 farm iirc. at least I remember seeing that on a tip. Never tested to see how true it is because I could literally jump from one side of the galaxy to the other since I had 1100 fuel and a 36ly jump range.