In terms of longevity, I suppose the idea is that
a) it takes time to build a big base with all mod cons. You have something to aspire to.
b) it means that to have a decent base, you can't just be a one-man SG. The active SGs with lots of members and a bit of organisation will be able to afford better bases.
Not so much complaining about the cost of things, its just that as you seem to be getting somewhere i.e. we've worked out to build telepads, lets build 3 of the buggers, something comes along and suddenyl hits you with a considerably more substantial price tag.
Instead of another 70k to build the 2 other telepads we now need almost 180k - which for our SG is a little less than a week's worth.
Just griping 
We'll get there eventually.
(\_/)
(O.O) Bunny: Our time is coming
(> <)
Living in ireland, I guess I more used to outrageous builder's and property costs and the shoddy workmanship that goes along with it. Maybe the Base system was modelled on the south Dublin property market? (1.5 million for a 1 bedroomed apartment with no parking and a 2 hour car journey from the city center? Bargain!)
No, it will never end... thank god!
The bases can be used for something... well, usefull! That is more than you can say about most games housing! (Daoc being the only other game that springs to mind)
I'm actually starting to find Pre income rather fine... we are earning pre fast in my SG (even though the core is only 6 or so high levels) The lower levels in the SG earns in their fair share as well, also counting Alts.
Achiving your goals is what this is all about.
Are you sure you loose the salvage if you delete a personal item? As far as I can remember I read, the item is returned to the crafter and the SG regain the Pre used in placing the item.
Our SG is but a month old, and we have a functional base... the pre is pouring in and people are happy 
What more could you expect! Just think of what it's gonna look like in a month...2 months... or 6 months!! Just cos you can't get the best of the best now, doesn't mean you won't get there
Enjoy!
OK, so you proudly get to the point where you've installed your basic workbench and have a look to see what you can make. You decide on a mission computer - 75k to place which displays a mission that isn't active yet and a Villains mission that shouldn't be there. It is, in fact, utterly useless - but it'll be useful one day, so you decide to keep it as in reclaiming the prestige you have to sacrifice the salvage that went into making it.
So you decide to focus on teleporters. After several days you've collected the 150k for the room and 15k to place the damn thing (this is, of course after you've pulled in half the SG looking for the right salvage and tech components) only to find that it costs ANOTHER 10k per beacon.
So you earn the prestige, buy the beacons and think to yourself. ok, this is pretty good. Lets build another couple of telepads.
And THEN you find you need more control at 106k before you can run another telepad, and so it goes on.
Is it just me or does it sometime feel the devs didn't really want us having bases?
Sorry for the rant.
(\_/)
(O.O) Bunny: Our time is coming
(> <)