XCOM Headquarters (EU2012)

In Enemy Unknown (2012), 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 Base Facilities.

XCOM Headquarters - the 'Ant Farm'

Headquarters View

The HQ view displays the Time and Date, the number of Credits/Monthly Funding/Alien Alloys/Elerium (if any) and the next scheduled Events. It also allows the Commander to quickly access XCOM's seven main areas of operations and their options through the following buttons:

XCOM Headquarters view

• Mission Control
  • Scan For Activity
  • Launch Missions
• Hangar
  • Equip and deploy Interceptors
• Research - Science Lab
  • Manage Research Projects
  • Access Research Archive
• Engineering
  • Engineering Projects
  • Build Facilities
• Barracks
  • View and Costumize Soldiers
  • Hire/Sack Soldiers
  • Visit Soldier Memorial
• Situation Room
  • Launch Satellites
  • Receive Messages and Reports from the Funding Council
  • Consult Finances
  • Visit Grey Market
  • View Council Pending Requests
  • Review Objectives
  • World News ticker
  • Country Panic levels
  • Doom Tracker - Number of countries who have left the XCOM project

In addition, Headquarters will also start with the following facilities:

• Infirmary - Injured Soldier recovery after combat missions
• Armory - Equip Soldiers with armor, weapons and other equipment

Base Expansion

The base has 24 expansion slots available underneath the starting facilities to construct new ones. The position of the facilities in relation to one another will provide bonuses to their output. Each slot must be excavated (10 credits, 5 days) in order to buld a facility. Facilities may also be removed at a 5 credit cost. The lower, unbuilt base level ground bonuses are randomized for each game. Escavating them may reveal Steam Vents, which provide extra energy required to deploy Thermal Power Generators.

Additional Facilities

• Satellite Uplink - Allows new satellites over other countries
• Satellite Nexus - An alternative to Uplinks allowing more satellites at increased cost
• Alien Containment - Interrogate live captured Aliens
• Laboratories - Boosts Science Lab
• Workshop - Boosts Engineering, resource rebates on projects.
• The Foundry - Large manufacturing projects, improving manufacturable item attributes
• Access Lift - Access and power to lower levels.
• Power Generator - For additional power required to power new base facilities.
• Thermal Power Generator - More power, require steam vent
• Officer Training School - Acquire additional Squad abilities

Base Design

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.

Be considerate of the available expansions slots you leave in the long-term. As an example, you could build several Satellite Uplinks for an overall lower monetary and resource cost than a Satellite Nexus. However, the Nexus takes up less physical space. Getting near the end of the game and finding out your limited on space, need to remove facilities (at cost), and then wait for new ones to build could cost you the game. On the flip side, there may be reasons you end up with 'extra' space: you may get lucky and have a lot of steam vents, you may be really good at combat such that you don't need as many research and manufacturing facilities, or you might just choose to protect a select few countries with fewer total satellites.

(This would be a great place to talk about adjacency once we figure it out; 2x2, plus shape, all-in-a-row, etc.)

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
• XCOM
• Mission Control
• Situation Room
• Soldiers
• Hangar
• Research
• Engineering