Jump to content
XCOMUFO & Xenocide

Dos V2 Tftd Base Defense:


Recommended Posts

Hello everybody.

I'm playing a Veteran campaign of Terror from the Deep (DOS version with v.2 update under DOSBox 1.65).

Normally, I try to avoid base defense by shooting down scout UFOs when they're on "Floating base attack" missions. But nevertheless, I build bases with a well-known defense capable layout and keep a good crew in case an USO will get through.

My bases are built this way:

3 Sub Pens in the bottom row, an Airlock on the far left right above 1st Sub Pen. From the Airlock goes up an isolated corridor of General Stores. And all other structures (Living Quarters, Workshops, etc.) isolated from Sub Pens and Airlock. A common layout you can find in strategy guides and on the forums. And also a Transmission Resolver on the right of Airlock (not connected to anything else - I wanted the TR to be online ASAP).

Yesterday I decided to have fun with a battle on one of my bases. 4 Sonic Displacers, 20 well-armed soldiers, good base layout. And gave a Gillman scout a chance to find my base. I've had base battles before, but it should have been my first base battle in a base, specificaly built defensively.

After a Dreadnought landed, to my great surprise, I've found lots of aliens spawned in Living Quarters and General Stores, right among my soldiers. WTF I thought they'll all spawn in Pens and Airlock and I'll take them out in one place. It wasn't a big problem this time with Gillmen, taking into consideration I had hudge forces right near them, and a right for the first turn. But I certainly don't want it to happen with Lobsters, for instance.

But I wonder is this just a rare random bug that aliens spawned where they're not supposed to be? Or is it a known problem? Anyone experienced this before? Anything I can do with it? Now I wonder, if the defensive layout is really worth the extra time required to build it.

P.S.I can post a base screenshot later, if needed.

Edited by Bullet-Tooth Tony
Link to comment
Share on other sites

You should have had more than enough spawn points in the base for the Gillmen to appear in the air lock and the sub pens without having to borrow X-Com spawn points.

 

However, in TFTD, the aliens tend to not only spawn in the entry points, but they also appear to get to spawn in modules adjacent to the entry points. This simulates the aliens getting a free turn, I suppose.

 

Just how far in was the Gillman? Was it upstairs, or downstairs and in the corridor?

 

- NKF

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pretty far from Airlock/Pens. I wouldn't be surprised much to see them in GS adjacent to Airlock, for instance.

The base looks like this (I'm not at the PC on which I play the game now, and I can't check it exactly right now, but it's close to that):

SLL?????

S-L?????

S-LL????

AT------

HHHHHH

HHHHHH

A = Airlock; S = Stores; H = Hangar (Sub Pen); T = Transmission Resolver; L - Living Quarters; ?? = something else (workshops, PSI-labs, addiational stores).

I put a Transmission Resolver there, because, AFAIK, my soldiers don't spawn there, and it won't do any harm, because it's not linked to anything but Airlock, and not giving aliens any more entry points. But I wanted to get the TR online as fast as possible, so I could "see" the area.

So, as I've written, aliens spawned massively in the Living Quarters block, right near my units. It was like this: on the first turn I'm picking a soldier to move, and he instantly sees an alien about 5-6 squares from him.

I wonder, maybe a Transmission Resolver caused this problem? And when you noticed "spawn points" I've got another idea - maybe one Sub Pen (the very right one) was there, but under construction - I didn't pay too much attention to that.

I'll check it later, when I'm at my computer.

Edited by Bullet-Tooth Tony
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I usually experience 3 invading aliens that seem to start inside the base regardless of my defensive configuration. The usually start on the main ground floor but can move upstairs.

 

They can start quite far away from the normal points of entry ie, the opposite corner of the map !

 

I suspect they start as a group - ish - I can't quite remember, but if you kill 2 the third is probably nearby.

 

If you post guards in the corridors you can shoot some with reaction fire down the length of the corridr with only a few personnel, otherwise hunker down and root them out once the main attack is thwarted.

 

They sometimes panic or otherwise have their location given silently during the enemy turn, so watch the screen carefully, because you often get only 1 clue.

 

Overall I don't like base missions, too long and clumsy, but they did once give me the guys that are on the path to melee weapons (not gillmen, the guys in the suits), so I can't complain too much.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...