Collected information about base defence missions

As there’s quite a bit of argument going on about base defence missions, I thought it would be nice to collate what is known (on the forum) about Xenonaut base defence missions. Please note, this post is for INFORMATION ONLY. If people start an argument on this thread, I will ask the mods to lock it.

Mission Design

Aliens are intended to be few in number, but well-equipped with an aggressive nature. The mission is intended to be proactive like other mission types. You go and find where the aliens have breached the base, and you clear them out [1]. There are two loose conditions. If all soldiers die (default loose), or if the command centre is destroyed [2]. The win condition is if all aliens are killed.

Map Design

Soldiers will start in the Command Center, which is composed of a inner control, and an outer defensive ring. They can be deployed in the Command Center wherever the player chooses to deploy them [2][3].

Rooms will be small and densely packed. Cover will be plentiful, but will only protect from one direction. The intention is that one room can be flanked from another [1].

Map Features

Rooms can be damaged, and even destroyed. Each room has a set of key props which if damaged/destroyed, set the building to a % of (re)building completion. The room cannot be used unless it is at 100% completion, so serious damage caused to 1 room can set it’s use back for days [2][4].

There will be no cameras, sentry guns or lockable doors [5][6].

Additional features

Base defence batteries will also injure/kill alien crew on a invading UFO, according to a certain formula [7].

[1] Source: Level Design Principles

[2] Source: Easter Progress Update

[3] Source: Musings on aesthetics of base design

[4] Source: Base Defence

[5] Source: Base Defence (different post)

[6] Source: Base Defence (different post)

[7] Source: May Development Update

Part 2!

This information is drawn from the current alpha, so be advised it's subject to change and will most definatly change during the beta. That being said, in the current version:-

Base attack missions are initated using the master ticker, just like all other alien mission types. A base attack mission may occur in any wave of UFOs after the first large craft appears, however it is much more likely that the next class of large craft will be assigned a base attack mission than the first class. All large craft types except one may be assigned a base attack mission, but only one base attack mission can ever occur in a wave. The chance of a base attack mission occuring is very, very small. I could not determine if there are any additional prequisites for a base attack, but experience suggests there is, as terror missions and base building missions are far more likely to occur than a base attack mission. As of the latest version, you can be attacked by all racial types currently released with a support racial type suitible to the dominant species (not yet released).

I like the % of room destroyed mechanic. In the old EU you could just blast away with rockets etc. safe in the knowledge that if you saved the base, you saved all of it at no cost. This should stop you leaving proxy grenades lying around everywhere (if there are such things in xen).

The cameras and sentry guns thing can be explained away by the fact that the aliens have sophisticated ECM jammers which disable them anyway.

Xenonauts is turning out to be one really complex labour of love - which is how a game should be (not some piece of software churned out to coincide with a strict deadline *COUGH* Firaxis)!

In the old EU you could just blast away with rockets etc. safe in the knowledge that if you saved the base, you saved all of it at no cost. This should stop you leaving proxy grenades lying around everywhere (if there are such things in xen)

It's not true, actually. Old one has similar mechanic, It's just was not very noticeable

Hmm... Interesting! This never happened to me once in the original. Did it actually happen to anyone else? I found that most of the fighting took place at ground level anyway, so as you say, I didn't really notice this mechanic.

I suppose it was put in to stop you hiding away deep in your base.

According to the official strategy guide - "The most important environmental factor, no matter how your base is designed, is that X-Com bases are indestructible. No matter what kind of damage you do to the base facilities during a base defence, the base continues to operate at 100 % efficient after the defence is complete."

Perhaps it was added late on? I've always been careful not to blow anything up in the base, but that's just how I play it, rather than there ever being a feeling that I need to be careful.

Still, the UFOpedia article is very specific about what can and can't be destroyed. Perhaps the guide author was thinking of certain modules that can't be destroyed.

"the Access Lift, Alien Containment, General Stores, Hangar and Living Quarters - are completely indestructible, and can take any amount of damage without danger of collapse. "

Seems to me you're going way overboard on the feature creep here. Easy on the high-concept design and the rest of the game will carry itself, going overboard on this will just bog down development. More power to the bug fixes and smoothening out everything else to a fine polish.

Down with feature creep! Up with polish! Rah! Rah! Rah!

Well, I'd call it attention to detail rather than feature creep (for everything you do there is a consquence - which is good) but I see what you mean! This particular feature, however, is a good reason not to trash your base by bombarding the hangers etc with rockets like I said.

It's a bit late to be talking about feature creep, when all of these features were incorporated into the game 4-5 builds ago (we just haven't seen them in the public alpha yet).

When a base attack has been defeated ( I might be wrong here) but I do not remember the after action report saying that I have received recovered equipment... alloys weapons tech etc from the landed UFO's

I think you just got the weapons/alien bodys that were in the base.

I think you just got the weapons/alien bodys that were in the base.

If you successfully defend the base then surely you should also capture their vehicles too

Donno - i always assumed the UFO was just a dropship, which would come back and pick the aliens up after they had destroyed the base (i.e. crewed).

I like this!! its a alien green beret squad. so there going to be tougher then normal and maybe wear all black lol jk a normal costume or naked which alien slave race it is. they will carry many alien granades and heavy plasmas!!

Donno - i always assumed the UFO was just a dropship, which would come back and pick the aliens up after they had destroyed the base (i.e. crewed).

Hmm, if that is the case (would make sense as they are prepared for the assault and even if the UFO lands they could take off on a moments notice) you should have the ship leaving on Radar, even if only briefly while it rockets skyward. Perhaps a chance to intercept if you have fast enough fighters? It'd be nice to at least have a chance at getting ship components etc from a base attack, even if it requires another crash mission to get them