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XCOMUFO & Xenocide

Architecture


Fuegan

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One thing that always struck me from the Enemy Unknown was how schematic your base was when it came to a base defence mission. As an architect myself, it always made me wonder what the base inhabitants actually did in their downtime, or how the base would work on a day-to-day basis. Sure, there were always going to be some limitations with the engine and especially the graphics.

 

Anyway, what about base facility modules coming with various other sections? That is, in Enemy Unknown the actual facility was upstairs and downstairs there were a series of much smaller rooms which kind of looked like they might have some function but ultimately served as filler. Or places for your soldiers to stand, depending on your viewpoint ;)

 

What springs to mind is how the X-Com bases were basically a functionality nightmare. Not only that, but they weren't serviced in any way. That is, there were no real 'offices', no real command nodes (with world maps and so forth), no mess halls, no kitchens, no storage of anything other than military equipment, no obvious way of getting things in and out (well, there was the Access Lift but you couldn't get to the upper level without a flying suit...). There certainly weren't any toilets or other sanitary areas.

 

How about being able to incorporate a number of these 'basic' facilities as pod modules? It would be unlikely that a base would do without them, no matter what its primary function was (strike base, listening post etc.) Perhaps there could be a 'service core' module you would have to build as part of a functioning base which incorporates things like showers, toilets, duct risers and things like that. These would have to be expanded as the number of base personnel increases (I assume a number of admin/support staff per 'working' staff. Perhaps a 'command' node module can increase your interception efficiency, but that could also be a target of any alien raids just as the command table room was in Enemy Unknown.

 

The net result of this is a more complicated base design system - something that obviously appeals to my architectural background, but can set up (or at least help to set up) some tenser base defence missions as there are tighter rooms, more obstacles but more of a thought of "this is our home dammit, we'd better protect it!"

 

Maybe if there were a bunch of these sorts of things, then once an attack is repelled there is a period of time/cost involved in putting damage right, reducing efficiency of various activities. That way even in defeat the aliens would have some sort of effect. Maybe then another attack during this time would result in reduced moral or whatever. But this is straying from the point, better covered in some other threads in this section.

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I was worried about the same problems when helping to write the living quarters CT. Basically, most of these things are integrated into the walls of the living space itself. When you need to use the bathroom, for example, you fold down a door, step in and do your business. I doubt we will make these areas accessible in a base defense mission as that would require a new artwork model. ;)

 

- Zombie

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  • 4 weeks later...

I'd love to be able to design (not necessarily in a base editor, more like in basescape view for lack of a better term while game is running) elaborate bases.

 

I think part of the idea not working though depends on what you can get the AI to do, but for starters: Differently shaped corridors as objects might help the concept along. Second thing might be being able to carve in access points to hangers or access lift to help the aliens use those paths. Or ascribe some random alien AI action to one of the areas depending whether its using some kind of seek function to go after a unit you might have there.

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