XCOM Headquarters (EU2012)
In Enemy Unknown (2012), the Headquarters is the single base from which XCOM fights the alien invasion. Nicknamed the Ant Farm by the design team, the base is presented with a side view cross-section that allows the player to access the main game options and also to zoom in on the different facilities. The entire base is dynamic and will show soldiers and staff interact within it.
Basic Facilities
The HQ view displays the Time and Date, the number of Credits(§), Monthly Funding, Alien Alloys & Elerium (if any) and an Event List. It also allows the Commander to quickly access XCOMs six main areas of operations and their options through the following buttons:
- Mission Control - Scan globe for alien activity and launch missions.
- Hangar - Manage you air crafts and interceptor bases.
- Research - Manage your research projects and view archive.
- Engineering - Engineer items, upgrades and build facilities.
- Barracks - Equip and train soldiers.
- Situation Room - Manage country panic, satellites and funding.
Base Expansion
In Engineering you may Build facilities to expand your base. The base has 24 expansion slots available underneath the starting facilities. The position of some facilities in relation to one another will provide bonus to their output. Most slots must be excavated (5 days, §10-§80 depending on the depth) in order to build a new facility. Facilities may also be dismantled for §5. The lower base level ground bonuses are randomized for each game. Excavating them may reveal Steam Vents (visible on easy, normal and classic difficulty), which provide extra energy required to deploy Thermal Power Generators.
Additional Facilities
- Access Lift - Access and power to lower levels.
- Alien Containment - Interrogate live captured Aliens
- The Foundry - Large manufacturing projects, improving manufacturable item attributes
- Laboratories - Boosts Science Lab
- Officer Training School - Acquire additional Squad abilities
- Power Generator - For additional power required to power new base facilities.
- Satellite Uplink - Allows new satellites over other countries
- Satellite Nexus - An alternative to Uplinks allowing more satellites at increased cost
- Thermal Power Generator - More power, require steam vent
- Workshop - Boosts Engineering, resource rebates on projects.
Base Design
Be considerate of the available expansions slots you leave in the long-term. As an example, building several Satellite Uplinks for an overall lower monetary and resource cost than a Satellite Nexus. However, the Nexus takes up less physical space. As you near the end of the game you may run out of space and have to remove facilities, so utilize your space as best possible. Depending on factors like Steam Vents, Research, Satellites and so on, you will have to decide what to cut back on. Also note that you do not have to build facilities sequentially out from the Access Lift; you need only excavate out to the slot in which you want to build a facility (i.e., all the slots between it and the Access Lift are excavated but may be empty).
Adjacency Bonuses
The position of the facilities in relation to one another will provide bonuses to their output. For example, building Labs next to each other provide an adjacency bonus that increases the speed of research. Note that a facility next to two other facilities generates two adjacency bonuses. For example, four Satellite Uplinks in a 2x2 square would allow 12 satellites (8 regular + 4 bonus). A green plus symbol on the dashed border between two facilities in the Build Facilities screen indicates an adjacency is in effect.
Steam Vents
See Also
- Base Facilities - For a list of base expansion projects and cost/requirements
- Base Management - Information on how to maximize the HQ's potential
- Build Facilities - For a list of base expansion projects and cost/requirements