the frustration about base size

[betatester]

I love the mod but the size of the bases is one of my biggest frustration
You only have 36 squares for each base in a 6x6 grid
There's many things we will not build because we lack space
- Radar craft because we have at most 3 hangars (1 for interception, 1 for troop transport and 1 for construction or undercover operations)
- base defense automatic systems
- missile defense (you really need many of them be effective but no place)
- laser, plasma, fusion defense, gravity s  mind shield
- hallways. I really want to design a base but no place for them
- auxillaries armor testing because they are huge and you lack space even with a 2x2 hangar
- huge versions because it's hard to put a 3x3 structure on any base

My idea a 8x8 grid or a multi level base (there's a little space above the grid for level buttons)
I know it's a lot of work but a bigger base is what we really need I think.

[Barghum]

this is more a problem with OpenXcom in general

how ever it is exacerbated by X-com files

I do agree it would be cool to have multi level bases however that is more an issue for a branch dev (e.g. Meridian or Xilmi)

this thread is built around the idea https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php?topic=7851.0 albeit you may not like the results of the discussion...

[psavola]

The current design of facilities provides a lot of tradeoffs. This is a good thing because players have multiple viable options how to go about their bases, not just one or just put everything in it. Because you can have 8 bases and you can cover the most important areas with 4-5 bases, you have some to spare. So actually the answer for you is that you don't need to try cram everything in single base (or all of your bases) but you need some variability.

[Jimboman]

The current design of facilities provides a lot of tradeoffs. This is a good thing because players have multiple viable options how to go about their bases, not just one or just put everything in it. Because you can have 8 bases and you can cover the most important areas with 4-5 bases, you have some to spare. So actually the answer for you is that you don't need to try cram everything in single base (or all of your bases) but you need some variability.

Agree.  You don't need every facility on every base.  I personally have one main research base with one or two hangars and my main elite 'action squad' based there, one main construction/storage base (usually in Antarctica) with one hangar to build craft, and the rest are interceptor bases with a secondary mission craft function for when the mission is on the other side of the globe from the main base or if there are multiple missions at once.

[Jimboman]

Agree.  You don't need every facility on every base.  I personally have one main HQ/research base with one or two hangars and my main elite 'action squad' based there, one main construction/storage base (usually in Antarctica) with one hangar to build craft, and the rest are interceptor bases with a secondary mission craft function for when the mission is on the other side of the globe from the main base or if there are multiple missions at once.  When you get large prisons one of the interceptor bases can function as the main prison to hold prisoners and send them to the research base to be 'interrogated'.  Before that I have at least one holding facility and animal pen at each base for the 'overspill' from the HQ.

[Barghum]

if anyone wants more bases brutal ai https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php?topic=11663.0 has the option (i use 20 bases just to hold stuff... yes i am a hoarder)

[Rag]

Rest in peace Rat Farm, how I wish I could find an excuse to make you, but that facility spot is too valuable

[zee_ra]

I love the mod but the size of the bases is one of my biggest frustration
You only have 36 squares for each base in a 6x6 grid
There's many things we will not build because we lack space
- Radar craft because we have at most 3 hangars (1 for interception, 1 for troop transport and 1 for construction or undercover operations)
- base defense automatic systems
- missile defense (you really need many of them be effective but no place)
- laser, plasma, fusion defense, gravity s  mind shield
- hallways. I really want to design a base but no place for them
- auxillaries armor testing because they are huge and you lack space even with a 2x2 hangar
- huge versions because it's hard to put a 3x3 structure on any base

My idea a 8x8 grid or a multi level base (there's a little space above the grid for level buttons)
I know it's a lot of work but a bigger base is what we really need I think.

It's possible to have more than 8 bases in the BAI (= Brutal AI) fork of OXCE.

Note that it really seems that there is actually too many hangars possible per base.  At least 4 per main assault base.  The research and manufacturing occur at their dedicated bases, of course.  To have a full global coverage, with just a small region in Pacific uncovered, it suffices to have 10 bases.

With 8 bases, it is possible to have a nearly global coverage, with portions of Atlantic and Pacific remaining uncovered.

Note that I actually have worked out a way to make space requirements per base even more constraining by modding in a 3x3 hangar for space-capable crafts, reducing the total number of hangars per base to 3, and this does not feel like a limitation.

[Solarius Scorch]

I plan to add small hangars when it's possible. That should save some space.

[hairybert]

It's possible to have more than 8 bases in the BAI (= Brutal AI) fork of OXCE.
With 8 bases, it is possible to have a nearly global coverage, with portions of Atlantic and Pacific remaining uncovered.

That's interesting. Where do you place the bases for optimal coverage?

Some time ago I played around a bit on this. I came up with

Hawaii (pretty mandatory to cover the Pacific)
Newfoundland
Sri Lanka
Africa: somewhere close to the border Gabun-Kongo
Australia: Queensland, NE coast
Russia: more or less in the center
Peru: at the cost, pretty much in the south
south pole

[psavola]

These are usually the ones I have built.

India
Cuba or Ecuador
Greenland/Arctic area
Africa (Congo)
Australia
Antarctica
Hawaii

Hawaii is only necessary to cover most of the Pacific, it doesn't really give you any land mass. Whether you detect aliens over the pacific is essentially useless. And Antarctica is also rather useless. So you could just skip the last two if you want to.

India is a great starting location because you can get with Helicopter and Osprey to almost all Black Lotus, Red Dawn and Dagon locations (essentially ignoring some parts in New Zealand or so). And because you want to terminate BL first, you'll want you base to be in location where you can get to the shrine and the HQ quickly. In addition to that you just have to build something in the Americas to get Exalt. And once you get Promo III and Kitsune all of this becomes meaningless.

[hairybert]

Thanks, so essentially we have the same base placement layout.

In my current (and indeed my first) XCom Files run, I placed the first base on Newfoundland (corresponding to your Greenland/arctic position, covering EXALT area) and I immediately created a second base on Sri Lanka (which is the island close to India). Did not regret it so far...

[Rag]

Personally I always like starting in Europe in the base game so try it for this mod too, not sure if its a good start or not but I put the first base in the centre of the mountain next to Budapest between Hungary and Slovakia so that Africa is in the centre of the map when looking at the base (it just feels nice to look at the map that way). It puts the Osprey in range of Dagon HQ and Red Dawn HQ (at least from the ones I got so far not sure if any spawn further away), I heard the North Pole might be a good start due to good coverage of the northern hemisphere, but its weird to be taking public transport from the north pole...

[hairybert]

I partially agree: If forced to go with a single base, I would place it somewhere around SE Europe (or maybe still India?).

But in my game, I decided to immediately build a second base (and I think this was a good idea). Now Europe is not good anymore, since on the one hand it's too distant from America and on the other hand it is to close to justify the placement of the second base in America.

In my 2-base layout, the coverage of Europe is mainly done by the Newfoundland position (this is the island in the very east of Canada), but it can also be accessed from the Sri Lanka (think India) base, in particular the SW parts.

The first base went to Newfoundland since it it more expensive to build there and you get the first base for free. Without the money argument, I would have chosen Sri Lanka as the first base, for better early coverage of "hot" regions.

[Rag]

I partially agree: If forced to go with a single base, I would place it somewhere around SE Europe (or maybe still India?).

But in my game, I decided to immediately build a second base (and I think this was a good idea). Now Europe is not good anymore, since on the one hand it's too distant from America and on the other hand it is to close to justify the placement of the second base in America.

In my 2-base layout, the coverage of Europe is mainly done by the Newfoundland position (this is the island in the very east of Canada), but it can also be accessed from the Sri Lanka (think India) base, in particular the SW parts.

The first base went to Newfoundland since it it more expensive to build there and you get the first base for free. Without the money argument, I would have chosen Sri Lanka as the first base, for better early coverage of "hot" regions.

How are you finding handling funds with 2 bases from start? With just 1 base I ended up with enough to buy scientists for the bio lab, intelligence building and science lab but didnt have much left over money so ended up delaying a 2nd base to get more, not sure if just got unlucky with never getting money bags or many money briefcases though. Not sure if I should try 2 bases to begin with also to have double science or if it would be hard to deal with the limited funds