X-COM Base

Viewing an X-COM base will bring up a layout of the currently selected base and a list of commands, your current funds, the base layout and facilities present or in construction, and a reduced view of all eight of your possible bases construction status. From here you expand your base, purchase, transfer or sell supplies, recruit people, view your troops, manage research, manufacturing, your air force, and strike teams. While managing a base, time does not elapse, and virtually all commands take time once they are ordered to be completed, so expect to be popping in and out of here frequently.

You can also change the currently selected bases or build new bases from this screen.

Soldiers

This brings up a list of soldiers with rank and equipped armour. Clicking a name display's the soldier's stats, rank, assigned transport, mission count, and kill count. Armour can be equipped on this screen. Additionally, this screen grants you the powers to rename your hapless soldiers at a whim.

Equip Craft

This screen displays the status (refueling, repairs, etc.) of all aircraft in Hangers at the base. Craft weapons, crew, and assault team equipment and armour are managed on this screen.

Outfitting Strike Teams

Troops transports need to be assigned troops and equipment (weapons, tanks, tools). The troops live in the base, but equipment assigned to a transport is stored onboard the craft and does not take up room in the base's General Stores. The transport also automatically restocks any expended/destroyed equipment from the base's stores as long as there are sufficient supplies in stock.

Build Facilities

Your first base is pre-made for you, but is nearly blind and cramped. You need to expand by digging into the rock around you and filling it with base components. These components must be built adjacent to your existing base and take a lengthy amount of time to complete. See Base Facilities.

Research

Research requires Scientists and Laboratory space in the base. Scientists require bed space in Living Quarters and draw a monthly salary. This is the screen where you assign Scientists to new projects, shuffle them among existing projects, and view progress of current projects.

Manufacturing

Similar to research, this is the screen from which you manage X-COM's (mostly arms) manufacturing business. Engineers require Workshop space to work and many products require specific materials to build.

Buying,Selling and Transferring Supplies

This is the goverment. Everything is accounted for, taxed, and signed for in triplicate. Well, almost. Every piece of equipment takes room to store, costs money, and can even be sold. Let us take for example, the life of a spare pistol clip.

1. The clip is originally purchased by Base#1 for $20. It takes 3 days to arrive.
2. Base#1 no longer uses pistols, so it is tranfered to Base#3 for $5 via fedex. It takes 2 weeks to arrive.
3. Base#3 loads it onto a troop transport-of-the-damned-cause-they're-using-pistols-the-poor-bastards.
4. The troop transport-of-the-damned-cause-they're-using-pistols-the-poor-bastards lands at a city being terrorized and Johnny picks it up before embarking.
5. Johnny dies two steps off the ramp, but Billy picks up his spare clip.
6. Billy fires off his pistol in the vauge direction of an alien.
7. Billy loads the spare clip into his pistol.
8. Billy manages to get back in the troop transport before bleeding to death with his unused pistol clip still in the pistol.
9. Back at base some unseen janitor unloads the pistol and the clip resides in the troop transport, taking up it's own unique space.
10. The clip is unloaded from the troop transport to make room for a bazooka.
11. Finally, it is sold back to the public for $3.

This is the level of detail that makes casual gamers bleed out of their eyes.

People are essentially supplies that need beds and get paid to breath.