Upgrade basebuildings - another way

[tomvondeek]

one way, to defend a base is building structures like rocket or laser defence...

i would like two different other ways:

installing security cameras in any structure (some kind of main base improvement)
it makes all alien movement in the base visible! i find it some kind of weird, when aliens enter your home base und you have to search for them!

you should be able to research "better base defence" and after this, when you have the mission to defend your base, you see the aliens all the time, they can't hide!

the other way: install selffiring turrets (like for example in a tower defense game). they have no time units and cannot be controlled by players. but they have a reaction fire and can be equiped with any weapon a soldier can carry. so you can have save corridors, when aliens want to move through the secured corridor is a chance they trigger the turrets reaction fire.

(sorry my english is not so good, i hope you know what i am trying to say

[EaglePryde]

Sounds like a nice idea  Both should be destroyable to atleast make it more realistic. Some base defense could be used by aliens too 

[val]

Actually the turrets shouldn't be able to mount infantry weapons.  Probably should instead use a separate arsenal of weapons.

[Thrashard96]

i agree: it wouldn't be possible to find a turret with 'insert weapon here ->' sticker.

[Hertzila]

Frankly I'd prefer having them already installed (at least in the main base) since your bases are supposed to be secret, secure installations. Tech could naturally upgrade your detection methods and turret weaponry so they'd be capable of inflicting some damage to armoured aliens too.
Also, at the very least door controls should be standard-issue stuff for every base with a CC and most likely some motion sensors (those IR-sensors commonly used in buildings with automated security) that would either give you (fuzzy) IR-goggle picture of the room it watches or at least tell if there is anything in there.

All destroyable and possibly circumventable later in the game by the aliens.

[Bartleby]

i like the idea with the "security cameras".

[val]

Anyone think the turrets should be customizable?  Not during a mission, but it'll allow a more open ended tech tree by nature.

[vulkus]

The only way I think 'cameras' would be a good idea, is to install them in the alien containment lab. Alien incursion in to your base, let them get in to free their friends and you gas them and watch them die a horrible death on the CCTV.
Other than that cameras would be pointless, one plasma blast and you have no coverage. Plus you would need a heap of intersecting angles to get decent coverage. Again sounds good but pointless.

[Hertzila]

The only way I think 'cameras' would be a good idea, is to install them in the alien containment lab. Alien incursion in to your base, let them get in to free their friends and you gas them and watch them die a horrible death on the CCTV.
Other than that cameras would be pointless, one plasma blast and you have no coverage. Plus you would need a heap of intersecting angles to get decent coverage. Again sounds good but pointless.

I disagree. I'd think having some sort of camera security inside and outside the base would be standard issue for detecting possible traitors, spies and basically everyone who should not be there. External cameras would also free your men from having to patrol outside the base, possibly exposing the location. Also what do you mean that there would have to be lots of them? Maybe they buy models with servos and place them well so that there only needs to be a few?
Destroying a camera would already do the camera's job, even if not as well: telling you if there are enemies there.

What would you think about IR sensors?

[vulkus]

By lots of them I mean you have a + intersection of hallways, unless they are using a type of omni lense that is where one could see in multiple directions at the same time, which might be a cool feature at some point after researching alien corpses. But basic CCTV coverage is at best a fish eye lense, sure you'd have PTZ (Pan Tilt Zoom) function but that requires human interaction at first. So you have your intersection to get good coverage you need at least 4 cameras for each intersecting angle, sure you could have just one covering that intersection but you will still need 3 more to determine their actual direction.

PIR or Passive Infrared is a good idea but could be defeated by alien physiology, what if ortoks for example radiated no heat or wore as I read somewhere else a form of stealth suit. That would also render the motion detecor obsolete.
They might make nice graphic curios but IMHO they serve no useful purpose. Once you disassemble an alien vessal you gain the means to greater detection.

[Hertzila]

By lots of them I mean you have a + intersection of hallways, unless they are using a type of omni lense that is where one could see in multiple directions at the same time, which might be a cool feature at some point after researching alien corpses. But basic CCTV coverage is at best a fish eye lense, sure you'd have PTZ (Pan Tilt Zoom) function but that requires human interaction at first. So you have your intersection to get good coverage you need at least 4 cameras for each intersecting angle, sure you could have just one covering that intersection but you will still need 3 more to determine their actual direction.

The thing is, you do have (a) human(s) looking and controlling the cameras, which means you could easily control where they're pointing and their zoom (though I think it would be best to leavo zoom alone as far as gameplay mechanics are concerned).

PIR or Passive Infrared is a good idea but could be defeated by alien physiology, what if ortoks for example radiated no heat or wore as I read somewhere else a form of stealth suit. That would also render the motion detecor obsolete.
They might make nice graphic curios but IMHO they serve no useful purpose. Once you disassemble an alien vessal you gain the means to greater detection.

At the former: they would have to be at exactly the room temperature to appear invisible to infrared right? If they're lower, they'll just appear as a lower temperature blob just like a human would appear as higher temperature blob because of the background. I think the odds of being at the exact temperature (especially since it could vary between bases depending on location) is rather slim.
At the latter: how would they know at first that there is any security in the base, aside from the soldiers? It might be logical to us but who knows about their hivemind. Afterwards, we might already have a different detection method that beats stealth suits. No reason not to still have them.

BTW, why would a multiple direction camera be available only after research of corpses?

[vulkus]

If the purpose of the cameras for example were to reduce the number of humans patrolling then yes I conceed it would be a useful addition until the aliens were smart enough (if they aren't already) to understand the concept of CCTV. At this point they would simply use some type of scrambling/jamming device or worse still deploy and EMP weapon and disrupt all our electrics.

The omni directional camera would make a useful addition to the game if you were to implement this feature. As one camera many lenses not unlike a flys eye. The reason I suggest alien autopsies is another useful reason to have multiple dead/living aliens hanging around your base. After researching their visual cortex, and alien sensor arrays it may then be possible for example to reaserch the Omni Sensor Array (OSA). Which would basically be a multi lensed camera that also implements motion detection, differences in temperatures and to top it has an IFF sensor (Identification Friend or Foe). Also afer researching aliens naturally this would be added to your database and when alien incursions of your base occur, the aforementioned aliens would be immediately identified due to the IFF signature.
At the moment IFF systems only identify friendlies and not foes, if you get no reply then the interogated vessal is considered suspect.
But we are in 2084 and IFF has changed after research of the OSA, allowing a database of alien entities to be designated Foe.

[Hertzila]

The omni directional camera would make a useful addition to the game if you were to implement this feature. As one camera many lenses not unlike a flys eye. The reason I suggest alien autopsies is another useful reason to have multiple dead/living aliens hanging around your base. After researching their visual cortex, and alien sensor arrays it may then be possible for example to reaserch the Omni Sensor Array (OSA). Which would basically be a multi lensed camera that also implements motion detection, differences in temperatures and to top it has an IFF sensor (Identification Friend or Foe). Also afer researching aliens naturally this would be added to your database and when alien incursions of your base occur, the aforementioned aliens would be immediately identified due to the IFF signature.
At the moment IFF systems only identify friendlies and not foes, if you get no reply then the interogated vessal is considered suspect.
But we are in 2084 and IFF has changed after research of the OSA, allowing a database of alien entities to be designated Foe.

Simply giving bodies a new reason to exist out of thin air seems like the wrong way to do it.
The Omni Sensor Array and the related tech/research make sense, though.

[vulkus]

Not really out of thin air, in the ufopedia under ortnok, it states that The eyes are covered with surgically implanted lenses that increase the ortnoks already excellent vision. One would assume that with further research of a live specimen would yeild more useful data. This would be part of the requirement for the OSA. Further autopsie information would suggest that some of the array information could be gleaned from the ortnok alone.
Taman autopsies give rise to the possibility of further study of their optic system.
The useful information and possible research requirements are already present in the ufopedia, basically they are just a prerequisite on the tech tree for the OSA.
It might even be possible to scale it down to a hand held device reminiscent of Xcom's motion detector. Or failing that as an add on to the dropship, allowing a visual and IFF survey before releasing the squad.

[Hertzila]

Not really out of thin air, in the ufopedia under ortnok, it states that The eyes are covered with surgically implanted lenses that increase the ortnoks already excellent vision. One would assume that with further research of a live specimen would yeild more useful data. This would be part of the requirement for the OSA. Further autopsie information would suggest that some of the array information could be gleaned from the ortnok alone.
Taman autopsies give rise to the possibility of further study of their optic system.
The useful information and possible research requirements are already present in the ufopedia, basically they are just a prerequisite on the tech tree for the OSA.
It might even be possible to scale it down to a hand held device reminiscent of Xcom's motion detector. Or failing that as an add on to the dropship, allowing a visual and IFF survey before releasing the squad.

Sorry, I didn't remember that part about the ortnoks. That clears things up nicely.