I know i already chimed in, but you legit don't need to build a base at all until you are collecting Copper and tin to make bronze. While the first set of equipment upgrades can be useful, the fact of the matter is, naked vikings armed with sticks and burned meat can kill the first boss.

You also generally want to choose your first major base location carefully. You want it near the ocean, in close proximity (But not too close) to black forest. You'll want the coastal water to be deep enough so a longship won't bottom out (So avoid shoals), and you'll want the land itself to be relatively flat, but too high is better than too low, as raising land is more expensive than flattening and lowering.

This base will see you through half the game, from the Meadows to the Mountains. Some people elect to stay longer, but I personally like making a second base in the plains, somewhere close to where Mistlands begin spawning.