Manually Starting a Fresh Game with Custom Setup <A Suggestion>

[odie]

Hi,

This is a brought over from a discussion earlier with Kenner.

*snip*... on Manually Starting a Fresh Game with No buildings / employee custom setup.....

but it makes no sense to me that the option is there. Why would you ever sacrifice time and cash to build your first base, when you can have your base pre-populated with buildings. Personally, I think the option to build from scratch should just be removed from the game. From a storyline perspective, it makes sense to have at least one functioning base at the start of the game.

Hi, my insights earlier as such:

I am a micro-manager..... well, at least i love 4x space strategic, Romance of the 3 kingdoms (played all 12 series), and the such type of games. I looooooove micro-management -> Where u get ABSOLUTE control over everything..... well.... OCD? Lol.

Anyway, the practical part is this: We are assigned the role of Supreme Commander of Phalanx. We are given the option to setup a base ANYWHERE in the world. Why cant we get to choose what facilities we have? Thats 1.

Next, the original preload DOES NOT come with the ALMIGHTY hospital! OMG. How can that be, when the pedia mentioned that w/o one, the PHALANX's members are at mercy of sub-class hospital. Anyway, in actual military sense (i served in my country's full time for 2.5 years and is still going back yearly for reservist's training), there is always a medical centre, medical hospital, even mobile hospitals. Yupz. So, it makes sense that the hospital is inside.

Next, according to military sense, u will never want your vulnerable hanger n labs right beside the easily accessed gate rite? Its usually inside, way inside..... the auto startup sometimes do not do that properly, and u have vulnerable objectives beside the lift.....

Also, i prefer having the idea of labs beside UFO hangers, workshops beside or close to storage, and missile silos beside command centre..... and well, the very fragile and ALL IMPORTANT powerplant way inside the core of the command base.

Therefore, does it make sense to retain the custom feature?

Still on the same topic, if we are intending to do this, then the custom amount of cash startup for normal game should be improved, because there seemed to be less money for the Commander to use than a pre-set base.

[geever]

According to the story you got the control of Phalanx, not  you're building it up from nothing. If we follow this line first base's position should be fixed either. BTAxis?

I agree that the default base could have a hospital.

-geever

[BTAxis]

Yep, sounds sensible to me. Plus, I feel the instabuild option is an exploit.

[odie]

Yep, sounds sensible to me. Plus, I feel the instabuild option is an exploit.

Yupz, i do agree to a certain extent - this exploit. Lol.
But pls do implement adding a hospital. lol.

And oh yar, are we able to default having at least 1 large UFO hanger and 1 small UFO hanger too? Sounds logical.

On Large and Small UFO hanger, since this are different from our required Large / Small hangers (which requires different fuelage and stuff), i recommend that Large UFO hangers can house between 2-4 small UFOs, while Small UFO hanger, well, just 1 or 2.

What do u think? I mean afterall, its a working space (to think of it, its more like a de-assembly area, that can be easily split up into 2 de-assembly teams should 2 small UFOs come into a Large Hanger).

Maybe can just call it UFO Parking Lot (nah, just kidding) for X Meter Squared (where you can either actually position the ufo (like battleship), or simply (for programming's frustration's sake) - have either 2 large UFOs or 4 small UFOs or 1 Large + 2 small.

[geever]

UFOHangars will be removed (once). UFOs will be stored in offsite Installations.

-geever

[DuKe2112]

I thought the ufo hangers are still needed for the disassembly of ufos and the offside yards are for storing extra aptured ufos, while the hangars are full.
Because if you move the disassemply outwart you could as well move the research and production to offsite bases, too.
That would also get rid of the need for bigger bases.

[BTAxis]

We've been over this. UFO hangars will be removed.

[odie]

We've been over this. UFO hangars will be removed.

*nods*. Understood. Good idea. No point having a whole earth but no one able to temp store any priced UFOs thats been captured.

[geever]

Read: Off-base UFO Yards

-geever

[odie]

Read: Off-base UFO Yards

-geever

Nods. Thanks geever. This sure sounds interesting! Yupz, every bases' resources can be and should be directed at this one central de-assembly and research area. Very nicely written.

Thanks geever again.

Okie, so for this post summary again.
1) We should consider fixing startup base - in terms of fixed assets, buildings.
2) We should consider a hospital.
3) We should disable the custom build base option.
4) We will do without UFO hangers (large or small) in favor of external UFO Off-Base yards.
See Off-base UFO Yards


Thanks geever and BTAxis!

[homunculus]

[...]
3) We should disable the custom build base option.
[...]

this is strictly my personal opinion, but i absolutely don't see it as an improvement, as it reduces variety.

for example, i might want to entirely skip alien containment in the beginning to save some extra cash and see how it goes.
if i feel like being really pro i might also want to skip hospital in the beginning (even if the medikits didn't work like they do atm).
i might want to skip small hangar.

what is wrong with letting players make more gameplay choices, and being able to experiment with a variety of different starting circumstances?
if there is some way to exploit it for cheating, maybe the problems are elsewhere?

[BTAxis]

I consider the instabuild at the start of the game an exploit. For a while now, I've been advocating a far more rigid start of the game. No random equipment, a fixed base composition (layout is debatable) and, certainly, the same amount of credits in the player's reserves every time. I intend to see this realized.

[homunculus]

if the base is built before the player becomes the commander...... you are not thinking about fixing startup base location, are you?

[BTAxis]

Certainly not.