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MicroProse@compuserve.com.

If there is one, it'll probably be for the Amiga. There IS an XCOM (or
UFO, its European name) for Amiga.

1.5.3 How about XCOM fiction? Can I write my own?

Here's the REVISED official word from MicroProse

------

If you are interested in writing fictional stories for X-
COM, please write a letter which includes a clear outline
and proposal for our marketing and public relations staff.
[see address below]

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XCOM: The UN-official Strategy Guide Kuo-Sheng "Kasey" Chang

Understand that we have an in-house writer (John
Possidente), so you may want to see what track our stories
have taken by looking at our WWW page, at

http://www.microprose.com

[Editor's note: you can also find the stories at the UN-
official XCOM Homepage. ]

Although we do our own stories, that is no reason you could
not submit a story to us.

Please include a rough outline of your story ideas, and your
intent for distribution (free, on web page, for money, etc.)

Tim Patterson, MicroProse Software

MicroProse@CompuServe.com

------

[Sorry, Tim, for quoting you out of context last time! ]

1.6 Where can I find XCOM related stuff?

The MicroProse Homepage is at

http://www.microprose.com

This contains patches, updates, drivers, stories, and more. The ftp
archive site is

ftp.microprose.com

The UN-official XCOM Homepage is at

http://www-star.st-and.ac.uk/~aa1/XCOM/xcom.html

It is maintained by Alasdair Allan (aa1@st-and.ac.uk)

2.0 BASES AND GEOSCAPE

The GeoScape screen is where you will control the interceptions and
provides access to the BattleScape and the base controls. But since
you must establish a base first, let us talk about that first.

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XCOM: The UN-official Strategy Guide Kuo-Sheng "Kasey" Chang

2.1 Bases

2.1.1 Where should I put my first base? Later?

There are several things to consider while placing your first base.
Keep in mind that your first base will be your only base for a while,
so make sure you place it where you get maximum coverage of the
sponsors, who also pays the most.

The problem is how to maximize the country coverage WHILE maximizing
the covered countries' total payment. We know that the US pays the
most (always), so a base near US is usually a good idea. Something in
the Gulf of Mexico further out is good.

2.1.2 How should I name my bases?

I personally name bases based on the ocean they are in, plus the COM
suffix (stands for Command). Ex: PacCom (Pacific), AtlanCom
(Atlantic), IndCom (Indian), etc. If there are more than one, one gets
No (North), So (South), etc. prefixes.

Naming bases is important because it means less confusion on the
Intercept screen on choosing which base to launch the fighters and
transports. Launching from the wrong one means the craft will not get
there in time, run out of fuel before getting there (never get there
since it will come back first), etc. This is important since XCOM2
crafts seems to have shorter ranges than XCOM1.

2.1.3 What should I add to my base at first? Later?

Initial modifications you need for the main base are: alien
containment (prisoners), general stores (ammo and captured artifacts),
and long range sonar (detection). Later, with more money, add labs,
llving quarters, workshops, and defense, in approximately that order.

Defenses comes last usually since you can defend with aquanauts and
SWSs. Of course, don't clog up the 80-items list.

If you have lots of money and the necesary techs to build a craft, try
to keep an sub pen available,

2.1.4 What types of bases should I build?

I use about 5 types of bases. You can "grow" from one to another, but
usually finances will limit your growth...

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XCOM: The UN-official Strategy Guide Kuo-Sheng "Kasey" Chang

2.1.4.1 Sonar base

The sonar base just have sonars, and later, Transmission Resolvers.
Remember to put in a storage space (for SWSs and their ammo) and a
living quarter (for expansion and a few aquanauts as guards). Stock it
with a SWS and a few aquanauts for defense, add one defense station
when you can afford it.

Each sonar has a 10 percent chance of detecting an subs within its
detection radius (just like the UFOpedia says), so you don't need both
regular and wide sonars, just wide will do (unless you run out of
money! ). Five sonars means 50% chance of detection, etc.

I suspect that Transmission Resolver detects 100% of alien traffic in
the effective range, but cannot confirm it.

2.1.4.2 Intercept Base

Intercept Base is a Sonar base with a hangar housing a fighter sub.
Watch the storage space since fighter subs needs its own weapons and
ammo. Add one if needed.

Consider adding defense now (or assign more guards and SWS) since
aliens may get mad seeing their USOs getting destroyed in your area.

2.1.4.3 Strike Base

Strike Base is an Intercept Base with a second hangar housing a
transport. Remember to add storage (weapons and ammo, plus loot) and
alien containment (prisoners) when needed.

Consider adding more defense, esp. when the aliens will get really
mad as you attack more of their USOs and/or bases in the area.

2.1.4.4 Research/Manufacture Base

A base should specialize in either research or manufacture, not both
(doing so is putting too many eggs in one basket). Add living quarters
and either workshop or laboratory as needed. Manufacture base needs
more storage space or an empty hangar (if building crafts) so make
sure you have enough or use TRANSFER a lot.

You shouldn't have to build a lot of defenses here, esp. if you build
the next variant.

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XCOM: The UN-official Strategy Guide Kuo-Sheng "Kasey" Chang

2.1.4.5 Special Research/Manufacture Base

USOs will start looking for your base if their brethrens keeps getting
attacked and destroyed in the area. This suggest that if you build a
base at North or South pole, only stock it with soldiers and needed
equipment (no crafts or sonars, or maybe a hyperwave decoder), and
wait until USOs enter a different zone before attacking them, you can
keep a base pretty safe.

Many people have employed this tactic and it seems to work quite well.
This is also great for MC labs.

2.1.5 How do I design a easy to defend base?

It appears I have exaggerated the alien base attack. MPS appear to
have gave aliens an extra turn to deploy before allowing your soldiers
to move. So you will find aliens in modules adjacent to the airlock
and the hangars. The following base building hints are still valid.

XXXXXX This base has only ONE access point: by the lift.
X.XXXX Any other way (such as through the hangar) actually
X.XXXX takes LONGER. And the long corridor spanning FOUR
A..... sections makes EXCELLENT choke points and impromptu
HHHHHH minefields with proximity grenades are great for
HHHHHH defense in this kind of situations. If you don't
need three hangars, you can trade the right one for
four more structures down the right side.

Basically, put the access lift off to one side of
the map and try to isolate that and hangars from the
XXXXXX rest of the base.
X.XXXX
X.XXXX There is one catch: sometimes, there's a bug in
A...XX the game that eliminates some doors that leads you
HHHH.X to the rest of the base. Without rockets and
HHHH.X blaster bombs to "dig", you can't kill the aliens in
the other section and thus cannot finish the battle
at all.

2.1.6 How should I defend a base?

Defending a base against alien raids is tough. Fortunately, unless you
are doing terribly well, aliens usually don't bother your bases for a
while. But near the end, alien battleships and dreadnaughts will come
after your bases, then you have a problem...

To defend against that, you need a high defense rating. I don't know
how much is enough yet, but I would suspect about 3000, which is what
I recommended for XCOM1.

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XCOM: The UN-official Strategy Guide Kuo-Sheng "Kasey" Chang

On the other hand, if you don't have fighter subs to fight large USOs,
you may want to let it land and take it out on the ground (i.e. at
your base). Remember you will see A LOT of aliens on a base raid, I
hope you have a lot of USABLE equipment (i.e. GOOD stuff in the first
80 items)...

Small USOs usually scout ahead of the large USOs that will actually
raid your base. If you can destroy the scout before it detects your
base, you can prevent the base attack. M.C. Generator will also
decrease chances of detection.

Always clean out old inventory! Old inventory will prevent you from
getting to the GOOD weapons since you are still limited to 80 items
during base defense, and base have lots of stuff...

The 80 items used in defense are pulled from inventory in the order on
the SELL screen, top to bottom. So if you have lots of harpoon rifles
and pods you'll never got to sonics and disruptors.

Inventory in transports now are available for base defense. This is
DIFFERENT from XCOM, in which your transports are yet a separate place
of storage.

Particle Displacement Grenades are vital in base defenses. Dump a few
near entrances and doors, and get ready for the alien death screams.
Of course, aliens are now tougher... (Remember that it's now almost
impossible to get rid of particle displacement grenades once you've