Sorry, didn't mean to ignore this, I don't always get email notifications on some threads. There are some really cool ideas you had here. All of it duly noted, and greatly appreciated!
One that you mentioned that I've also been thinking about, is the whole starting base configuration. Because it'd be nice to start on a truly empty/barren planet. Yeah, using your lander as a crude workbench that can make some of the bare necessities might work - or letting you craft some items "by hand" without requiring that you use a base module at all (think crafting a workbench in Minecraft), could also be cool.