Well, as an a mateur who mostly makes chilly melodic trance and one goa track...
Good FX for goa are phasing and flangers, anything that makes the sound sound "alive". Actually splitting the melodies into different layers with different effects (eg left/right earphone) is good too.
A bassline is not needed, but it tends to sound minimal without. I usually use a "boom-mmufp-boom" type of simple beat. (drum-bass-drum)