5 seems a nice number. That way you can cover practically the entire world (make sure to cover the USA, Western Europe and Japan as quickly as possible, since those are your biggest sponsors).
Some people say they find it hard to manage 6 bases at the same time, so 5 might be best.
After half a year or so, when you've got plenty of engineers, money is no objection to building more bases.
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A sickened, sensitive shadow writhing in hands that are not hands, and whirled blindly past ghastly midnights of rotting creation (Nyarlathotep, H.P. Lovecraft)
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