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XCOMUFO & Xenocide

Initial Base Layout


SupSuper

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has it been discussed what the initial base layout will be like? whould it be like in ufo, should it be completely different, should it just have some improvements?

 

personally, i think ufo's initial base could use some extra facilities and some in different positions. what do you think?

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Maybe we can use the improved starting base from xcomutil?

Or we can base starting base on difficulty level ,the harder the level you choose the poorer the base :)

Or we use Micah's base :LOL: http://www.xcomufo.com/forums/index.php?sh...l=snicker&st=35

And otherwise we'll have to ask our official Xcom base designer (aka Stewart)

Edited by j'ordos
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For version 1 we're sticking to the existing facilities, my understanding is that you get to place the access lift wherever you like and then build off of that, same as the original.
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I suspect we'll go for the orginal prefab they we/ve grown to know and hate ...er... love I mean.

 

Deviating from that while not a lot of work to be sure I should think would be early post V1 stuff.

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  • 8 months later...

Yeah, I definitely love your base layout a lot more... (your trademark avatar) It became my standard layout for all my secondary bases :D

As for the starting base, first thing I do is build a GENERAL STORE, then Alien containment and Living Quarters, Large radar, and two Hangars on the top, to replace the undefendable ones at the bottom. I eventually come up with only the access lift connecting the hangars and the rest of the base :LOL:

Almost as easy to defend than the "Avatar Base" perfect design... :D

Edited by Paladin
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  • 6 months later...

How about this: We start with dirt.

 

That's right, dirt.

 

Then we put the base together like lego in a base editor before the game even starts. And you cannot leave the base layout editor until all the essential base facilities are down (essential being an access point, storage space and living space). This gives the players who want to have a harder game by starting with only the barest of necessities, or for those who want to start with a fully operational base (fully operational for a starting base - no high tech facilities) a chance of playing the way they want to play.

 

Or for those that are impatient like myself - select from a small selection of pre-fabricated layouts (with one custom layout that we can set) or the previously used base layout.

 

CRPG players who love to spend 3 hours just creating a character would just love this :D

 

All this happens before the clock on the Geoscape starts. We can pretend the base planning was done months ago.

 

Options are good.

 

The other option is to start the game many months before the real invasion of earth begins (i.e. no UFOs) and allow the player to build the base up literally from scratch. A bit too hard core even for me, but it's still an idea to be tossed onto the idea pile. ;)

 

- NKF

Edited by NKF
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Well, you could also say that as commander, you were not given the job until the base was actually done. Most of its construction was kept under wraps, and you've just been given the assignment when it was ready to go. The starting base should be makeshift and small, to give plenty of room for expansion. You can't start the player off with the best stuff.

 

But, what essentials does a starting base need? You'll definately need:

- The access lift. Duh.

- 1 Living quarters. Gotta have that.

- 1 Storage facility. More are quickly built.

- 1 Small radar. The bare minimum to detect UFOs. There's no way a base would be built blind.

- 2 Hangars (one for the fighter, one for the transport)

 

Then, there's stuff that's really important. A new player will not do well without them. Their mere presence will give important insight as to what he'll need. Maybe these facilities should be left out in harder games, but kept in easy ones:

- 1 More Hangar (And additional fighter. That first fighter will be getting dinged up, so there should be backup.)

- 1 Research lab (so the player knows he can research stuff)

- 1 Engineering lab (so the player knows he can make stuff)

- 1 Missile defense (So the player knows his base can be attacked.)

- 1 Alien containment (So the player knows he can capture aliens. Maybe building it could be included in a tutorial?)

 

Then, there's extras. Stuff that veterans know they'll need, and often build in the first month anyway. These may be included in a beginner game, but completely left out in harder games.

- 1 Extra Storage facility. The first one fills up so fast it's crazy.

- 1 Extra living quarters. There isn't enough living space for everything at the start.

- 1 Extra Hangar. (empty)

- 1 Long range radar.

- 1 New listening post. Just an access lift and radar.

- 1 Extra research lab. Well, I build it ASAP at least.

 

So, which facilities will the first base start with? There should be enough stuff so that a new player won't miss out on something essential. But on harder difficulties, it'll be fine to start with barebones. After we decide which facilities are needed, we can vote on base layouts.

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  • 2 months later...
I like the original layout. It's classic. It should be the "normal" starting base. Easy will start you with a really good "bells and whistles" base. Harder difficulties should start you with less and less. The hardest is just the access lift. The rest comes out of your funding, though it is built instantly so that your not waiting around doing nothing for 25 days.
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  • 1 month later...
i think the base should be like in apocalypse or start from scratch with a certain amount of facilities like maybe 2 hangers, a small radar system, a workshop, a lab, general stores, and an access lift obviouslyand just place them where you want them Edited by Arkhaine
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The unnoficial XCOM FAQ listed a "most secure" base layout. Basically it was set up so that the only structure connecting the hangars and the rest of the base was an access lift. That way the only entry point to the main guts of the base during an invasion was that access lift door. Edited by sAdIsTiCmAcHiNe
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The unnoficial XCOM FAQ listed a "most secure" base layout. Basically it was set up so that the only structure connecting the hangars and the rest of the base was an access lift. That way the only entry point to the main guts of the base during an invasion was that access lift door.

 

true but also having it like apocalypse is more challenging and also having the city getting mad and doing stuff to you was also a cool concept

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If you have enough time to activate defenses then you should have enough time to get ready and be ready to fight around the time the aliens come in, they aren't going to surprise you or anything in this game, you can see them coming
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  • 7 months later...

The regular XCOM1 starting base, while it does make a pretty StarTrek Insignia kinda shape, sucked donkey to defend. I think it should be re-arranged to look like the following:

 

XXXXXX
XXXXXX
XXXXXX
  A    
HHHHHH
HHHHHH

A = Access Lift
H = Hanger
X = ...Whatever

 

At least on easy, which gives newbies an idea on good base defense layouts. On Superhuman, the starting base should look something like:

 

HHXXHH
HHXXHH
XXAXXX
XXXXXX
HHXXHH
HHXXHH

A = Access Lift
H = Hanger
X = ...Whatever

 

Which would be a nightmare to defend (Even worse than Micah's seemingly random setup), as you are quite literally surrounded on all sides. Imagine, every direction you turn is a sectopod and 2 ethereals reaction-shooting you. You run for cover, and right as you hit end turn, you get blaster-bombed. Even hardcore XCOM vets fear it.

 

Or perhaps the blank base idea...

Edited by Dover
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  • 9 months later...
Blank base idea is what I like the most. Just have the player start with building a base, and then placiing an access lifet etc themselves, just like when you were creating a new base on the original.
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Even if you start with dirt, there's a way to tell the newbie what to do visually on the base screen. I don't know how this design for this game will do it but I was thinking along the lines of drag and dropping modules from a side menu to the dirt tiles. All you have to do is put a "x1, x2, x3" etc. on top of the module graphic to be placed.

 

That could tell them graphically anyway what they're allowed to place before costs add up for something else and that this is what the default base allows for. First one being the access lift will be the default first structure so it could be brightly lit up and would have the "x1" identifier in the menu for instance.

 

The module graphic to be placed can be further differentiated between modules that can't be placed until something else is, just by dimming it down a bit or graying it out (but leaving the x1, x2 etc identifiers so they know what's next in line).

 

Still, for the base design challenged, its a good idea to have a couple single click base design selections to choose from. Knowing where aliens can enter the base from which module, they'll learn pretty quickly what works for them and what won't.

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