I hope someone other then me can help better. All I can add is that the faction camp stuff has been put on hold, due to the interested programmer taking a break. A lot of stuff with it is wonky/unbalanced currently, and reading the 0.F stuff on github, nothing with NPCs seems to be a priority.
It may very well be that what you are looking for, stability I guess, is not really possible.
A giant question from you sir. I asked a similar one here when I was first learning the basics.
Long story short, make sure you have:
- Wrench
- Screwdriver set
- Hacksaw
- Duct tape and plastic chunks (butch a TV for plastic chunks)
- Makeshift Arc welder
- Lots of Med batteries and a way to charge them, for the welder.
Also, you will need spare car(s) built from the type of frame you want to use. Smaller cars use light but weak aluminum, larger ones strong, heavy steel.
Most people, after playing with it for awhile, would agree that the “Security Van” ( the one with the separate 1x3 cab and 3x3 space in the back) is a good mix between size, protection, and interior space. Larger death mobiles can be tricky to actually get mobile, with all the abandoned cars and crap on roads and in towns.
As for basic steps, most of your time will be spent repairing/replacing the frames and armor back to full health. Building the interior won’t take that much time, but scrounging for workstation pieces might. Basic stations inside include Kitchen, mini-freezer (or 2), a trunk/battery charger, Workbench, and maybe a welding station if you have the knowledge and books for it (makeshift welder works though, just a PITA with all the battery swaps). Also plan on a tank for water (don’t forget to add a faucet to the kitchen to use it), and a large storage battery to run things.
To actually kill things with it, you need at least rams on the front/back, and lots of armor around the whole thing. Then just point at them and hit the gas. Hitting anything with it will damage any vehicle tile, so be careful of things like wheels and solar panel placement.
If you are still having trouble, try asking about specific things that are eluding you, because this is a large and complicated topic.