Envisioning Prime Base-First Principals

[tsofian]

So there appears to be a HUGE amount of confusion about Prime Base. There is what was in canon for 1st-3rd editions (I don't think any canon changed during this period. There was the addition of the skill rules and some different artwork in the rule book but that is about it-I think)

The rule book makes mention of a playtest Prime Base. This had X levels and Y people and I took as nothing except rumor. Then there is the Module, which has a total of over 33 levels in several discrete structures and hosts several hundred people.

Then there is 4th edition and I haven't looked through everything there yet.

But let's go back to first principals.
What are Prime Base's Missions?
How do those missions change through time?
What does it need to have to directly support those missions?
What does it need to have to provide indirect support for those missions?

f these can be agreeded upon maybe it would be easier to design the base?