Reasons for building X-Com HQs

[tris85]

HQs are just awesome expensive and I don't really get their value. The virtualized one now costs me 4 millions - is it really worth it? Is it even necessary to build more than one in any base? To me it seams like it is just a super expensive lab.

[Stone Lake]

It's a money vs base space tradeoff. HQ packs a little of everything, and allows researching/manufacturing things that need intelligence center / biolab.
Virtualized HQ allows building drone bays, powerful base defense tool. Around 99-00 4$ m becomes peanut money, so yeah, it can be worth it.
Also you can't have more than one HQ (per base), so you build one over another.

[psavola]

One of the big selling points for virtualized HQ is Huge Storage Facility (3x3, giving 1500 storage). It is much more space-efficient than even large storages. While you can do without one, it greatly helps to have at least one base with such huge storage capacity. For bases where you don't intend to build one of those it's more a matter of taste and available money. If you have some surplus, it could possibly be better invested in improved labs (6M each) or advanced labs (20M each).

[Asheram]

A Question in addition to this.
The HQ has a 2% radar chance of world-wide range. Is there a benefit to building multiple HQ's to roll the dice for early aliens or discovering manors?

[Juku121]

Not sure, but I think HQ radars stack. Well, all radars should stack, regardless of type. Although HQ radar detection chance is so poor it isn't really worth it. It's meant to not lose UFOs detected via other means, not as detection in and of itself.

Manors and other bases don't get detected via ground radar. Well, they could, but XCF doesn't use that functionality. So you need to either patrol or rely on the monthly 'pity detection' by unnamed agents.

[Asheram]

Thank you kindly. You have saved me 3 million right there.

[tris85]

Super cool, thank you for your answers!