Base attack missions feedback (Spoiler: it ain't good)

[jeffQC12]

As others have mentioned in others posts, base attacks really need to be reworked or changed. But i'm really of the opinion that it should be changed ASAP because right now it really sours my game experience. I love X2 and what they have done so far, but base attacks mechanics are irritably boring, unfair and poorly designed as it is.

For having played a few, when a base attack come up i don't even bother anymore and just cheat the mission and win it instant.

You have no idea how enraging it is when you have a so many things to do and get done, as well as manage your strike teams only to have a BS base attack come up from nowhere.  They don't even make sense because if the aliens know your base locations, why would they even bother invading it at all and not just delete it with an orbital strike from outer space? They can already destroy huge population centers with it, certainly they can spare an orbital shot on what is arguably their greatest nuisance.

The old system where it was a UFO that could be intercepted was perfectly fine and allowed players multiples layers of protection for their main base and to cover their secondary ones with air forces.

I get it, you want players to explore the experience of base attacks, something some X1 players never experienced because they could always intercept the UFO's before they could get close. That doesn't mean you should force it upon players with an unavoidable, unskippable and nonsensical base attack mission that cannot in any way be intercepted or prevented in some manner before it happens.

------

Here are the main issues, and my suggestions:

1. Unavoidable. By far the biggest issue. Base attacks will happen no matter how good or how poor your performance was. You can't intercept the UFO's, the missions doesn't happen out of failure of achieving a requisite (Such as a specific mission type where aliens gather information in a military/government facility, which would compromise the location of your base) and there are no warnings beforehand (Such as an anonymous tip that someone fear your NA base will be attacked in 48 hours).

Fixing this is relatively simple; revert to an X1 system where it was interceptable UFO's with base attacks missions. If you fail to intercept the UFO before it reaches your bases, then it's fair to have a base attack mission. If you want to force players to experience a base attack mission in their playthrough at least once, you could make a specific event tied to cleaners chain missions early game; for example, when you kill/capture the VIP cleaner in that ambush mission, Cleaners could stage up an assault in your base in an attempt to either free the VIP (If you captured him) or in retaliation to his death. It would make a lot more sense and serve to introduce new players to base attacks mechanics, and remind them of the dangers of having your bases attacked and place soldiers and equipment in order to defend your bases.

It could also introduce the possibility of adding specific UFO's designed for base invasions, that could be stealthy and fast, in order to reduce your likelihood of interception. Or specific missions to protect your base location, etc... All kind of possibilities.

 

2. Lack of overwatch for the initial alien turn. You can already place your soldiers anywhere in your base (except where the rooms where aliens are), so that means that your soldiers are already in position and ready to fight. So there is no reasons none of them shoot the crap out of them when they come out of the doors during the initial alien turn. Having a perfect setup of machine guns and shotguns on standby by the door only for them to get blasted to hell because none have overwatched is really dumb.

 

3. This one is quite much more minor. Lack of base interactions for both aliens and player. It's your base, but you can't figure out where they are by using cameras, lock doors, place traps, etc... That would be way more interesting if you had more abilities like these. Perhaps it would be worth introducing a security room from where you need a xenonaut to be present in order to see the camera feeds, and the cameras could be shot down by aliens as well. Locked doors could be blown or shot open. Said security room could add bonuses such as the already mentioned cameras, free friendly security soldiers and pre-placed traps.

Invasions could be then re-balanced with more powerful aliens forces, either by numbers or equipment, to keep it challenging.

But i understand it would require quite an extensive amount of time and efforts to add those, so this one is merely an idea more than anything.

Edited May 23, 2022 by jeffQC12

[Chris]

Thanks Jeff. I'm actually having a think through this at the moment so it might be best to consolidate it in one of the other threads - specifically I just posted up what I'll likely be changing in the next build here: 

It's interesting to hear that your soldiers can't overwatch on the first turn. That's not intended, although now you mention it I think I know why it's happening. I'll take a look and see if we can get that sorted too.

I don't think we can add too much in terms of traps and extra base interactions though. As you say, it's likely a lot of work for a relatively small slice of the game.

 

[jeffQC12]

4 minutes ago, Chris said:

Thanks Jeff. I'm actually having a think through this at the moment so it might be best to consolidate it in one of the other threads - specifically I just posted up what I'll likely be changing in the next build here: 

It's interesting to hear that your soldiers can't overwatch on the first turn. That's not intended, although now you mention it I think I know why it's happening. I'll take a look and see if we can get that sorted too.

I don't think we can add too much in terms of traps and extra base interactions though. As you say, it's likely a lot of work for a relatively small slice of the game.

 

Oh, didn't see that, seems like you just posted it. I really like the mentioned changes, they seem much more in-line to what X1 was. Thanks a lot for reading my feedback!

[Komandos]

On 5/23/2022 at 5:43 PM, jeffQC12 said:

As others have mentioned in others posts, base attacks really need to be reworked or changed.

If there is air defense on a Military base, then a direct attack on the Base is basically impossible. An attack on any base should have several stages: 1. Ground landing and concentration of troops. 2. Ground assault of the territory above the Base. 3. Directly storming the base itself.

The military bases themselves should be above ground and underground. Ground bases are cheaper to build, more spacious (size 7x7, or 8x8, or 9x9), but can be destroyed from orbit. And they are stormed in 2 stages (and not in 3 stages, like underground bases).