Well to me, the game isn't about building. Yeah if you want to build giant sized things you need giant sized amounts of materials. If you don't want to build giant sized things and take all that time, then don't. You aren't forced to. To me, it's an exploration/survival game. You build whatever you need to survive, and it doesn't have to be that much. I have a main base built in rather disorganized bits and bobs over time, which is larger but not fancy, and everywhere else I just drop simple cabins or take advantage of old stone ruins. In ruins which are intact enough, you just need to put up some roofs to keep the rain off and provide minimal cover for bed/workbench, make a fire, and that's it. Nice thing about ruins: the walls and floor are built so you can make it quick and dirty.

Some people like making showcase palaces, but don't think you're obligated to do that. In fact, those who make showcase palaces are more apt to take pictures and post them places where people see them because that's what they like to do, which may lead people to think that's the game. It may lead to slanted perceptions. You probably never see all the "normal" games people play and the way people play them. I've definitely had some expeditions to harvest materials, but I've never had the feeling that's all I'm doing. I've spent way more time exploring than harvesting. You can keep it simple.