A factional leader can purchase a base. The broader term “base” refers to any solely military facility. For the sake of simplicity, all the factional leader must do is commit an amount of money to a base. The more money committed, the larger the base and the larger the base commander’s budget, but also the larger the construction time for the base. A leader can choose to pay any integer multiple of $1,000,000 between $1,000,000 and $10,000,000, inclusive. Note that the traditional CAZ base types, termed “camp”, “fort”, and “base” were $1,000,000, $2,000,000, and $3,000,000 facilities respectively. We will term this integer -- or the price of the base/$1,000,000 its base level. A base will take a number of months to build equal to its base level -- thus 1 month for a “camp”, 2 months for a “fort”, and 3 months for a “base”. Note that a factional leader can also upgrade a base by paying the difference between the costs for the given base levels. Upgrade time will take a number of months equal to the difference between new and old base level. The factional leader also has the absolute final say over where (generally) the base is located.

The Base Commander’s Perspective:

A Base Commander is person assigned to a base by the factional leader. It is the Base Commander’s responsibility to design the base, but there are several design decisions he or she doesn’t make. Specifically, the base commander has no control over the general location of the base on the world map, and has no control over the base level. The base level is particularly important to a base commander, though, because it determines his or her base’s size and base’s budget, which we’ll get to in a moment. The base’s general location on the world map is also quite important, as its function and composition should depend on its placement. For example, a fort sitting on a crucial river junction will probably be heavily fortified with many stationary defenses against attack from land, air, and sea, while a base located deep inland in friendly territory might concentrate on non-combat functions or research.

Now, getting back to the size and the budget of the base. The budget of a base is very simple -- it’s the amount of money the factional leader initially spent on the base itself -- which is to say the level of the base*$1,000,000. This might seem like a lot but bases don’t come cheap and the cash goes quickly, so be careful to conserve unless you want to go begging back to your factional leader for more.

The size of the base is also quite straightforward, if you can handle basic arithmetic. All bases are squares for the sake of simplicity, with side-length equal to their (base level+4) grid squares. That’s 5*5 grid squares for a traditional camp, 6*6 for a fort, and 7*7 for a traditional base, all the way up to a possible 14*14 for the maximum level 10 base. The second natural question is: what’s a grid square? Good question. A grid square is a square .5 kilometers on each side, which will be our basic unit of area for the purposes of base measurement. This means each grid square is a quarter of a square kilometer in area. The actual dimensions of the base, therefore, are base level/2 +2 kilometers on side, but we measure it in grid squares for simplicity. Note that if he or she so wishes, a base commander may make a base smaller than its allotted size (and deviate its shape from a square, as long as the final shape fits into the square) -- but never bigger!

Now, you have your budget, and you have your number of grid squares. What do you do with them?

The answer is pretty much what you’d expect -- you can build whatever you’d like in your base, but every facility you can build has a size, in grid squares (many are 1X1) and a cost. The sum of the costs of your facilities can’t exceed your base budget, and you can’t place any facilities outside of your base (or have them overlap or stack them on top each other or anything else similar -- only one facility can occupy a single grid square). Some of the buildings are also limited in how many you can have per base -- special instructions are clearly labelled. It’s pretty straightforward from there -- buy what you want and arrange them in the grid (provided) however you like. Use some kind of editing program (Paint will suffice) and write the short code (listed in parens after the proper name of the base) to show what kind of building the square has, if any. For example, one would label a headquarters HQ.

All bases need a Headquarters, and all larger than Level 1 need several administration centers (see below). Note that by default, a base is enclosed by a defensive wall. Defensive walls are built of two meter-wide and 8-meter tall structurally reinforced concrete (large enough to walk on, and mount a guard), with guard towers lining the barrier. They can be upgraded (again, see below).

If you think of any buildings not offered here, please suggest it to me and I will add it.

Sample Base:

Headquarters (HQ) -- $0 -- 1*1 -- Required, Only One
Every military base needs a command and control -- in basic terms, a headquarters building (which comes free with the base). A headquarters building is mandatory for every single base, and while they vary greaty depending on base location and function, all headquarters have a few common elements. First, without reservation, the headquarters of a base is the most important building in the base. The headquarters building houses the base’s commanding officer (probably a general) and his staff, as well as other senior officers. Important documents and sensitive and classified information are almost certainly housed at the headquarters, and the base is an effective nerve center for the whole base. The senior officers’ ability to communicate with the rest of the base and coordinate surrounding units will probably be eliminated if the headquarters building is destroyed or captured.

Note that with all that importance and power, the headquarters building is also well protected and fortified. Even the showy, self-important HQ facilities at high profile bases come with a series of underground bunkers and shelters where the brass can take cover -- bombing a base is rarely sufficient to kill a general. They’re also effective death traps for enemy infantry -- capturing a high profile target or piece of particularly sensitive information probably involves raiding the above-mentioned underground bunkers, which is often an exercise in pain and futility. However, even with defenses built in, Base Commanders would do well to defend their headquarters building heavily -- don’t make it easy to reach or destroy! It will doubtless be the highest profile target for any enemy force attempting to seize your base.

Administrative Facilities and Utilities (A) -- $0 -- 1*1 -- Often Required, Number Limited
The headquarters isn’t always enough to keep the trains running on time (figuratively or literally), especially keeping in mind that the amount of paperwork and logistics involved in supporting a military base can be truly monumental. A base must have a number of administrative facilities equal to its level-1 (on the plus side they’re free), which means that only Level 1 “camps” can go without. Administrative facilities house all of the less crucial records and paperwork that one can conceive of, as well as the staff necessary to support the upkeep of a military base. Everything from clerks and notaries to quartermasters and logistics officers can be found here (though the general stores may be elsewhere), and tribunals can be held in this section of the base if necessary. While not exactly headquarters buildings, the brass may consider relocating to administrative facilities if the HQ building was damaged during the fighting -- so these can be secondary targets for an attacking enemy. Admin facilities may also include utilities, like power generators, water purification, ect. They may be raided for intelligence or information, but their informational content is only a distant second compared to the headquarters building itself. Unfortunately, you also can’t have MORE administrative buildings than your base level (though I have no idea why you would want them).

Barracks and Hangar (B) -- $100,000 -- 1*1 -- Recommended at Least 1
A base isn’t all generals and clerks. At some point there have to be people to fight the war as well, and this is exactly what a barracks is. Though the enlisted men may be packed in tighter than you thought humanly possible, a barracks provides more than just a bunk and running water -- mess halls, general stores, and even limited recreational facilities are available in a barracks. A basic barracks also contains officer’s quarters, of course (not everyone lives in the HQ with the generals). In this age of mechanized infantry, where there’s a barracks, there’s sure to be a hangar close by -- which includes all facilities necessary for the upkeep and repair of a military Zoid. Because of this, a Barracks and Hangar complex is probably a high priority for an enemy at the start of a raid, but trained troops can get out of their living quarters and reach their stations during an attack with positively blinding speed. A Barracks is nearly an essential building for any base -- if you intend to go without one, talk it over with your factional leader first. A single Barracks and Hangar complex can house 50 Zoids and 2,500 soldiers.

Improved Barracks and Hangar (B-I) -- $200,000 -- 1*1
While the traditional tight-as-sardine barracks are fine and dandy, we could also pack in the soldiers a little tighter. The Improved Barracks and Hangar is a more modern and sophisticated design than the standard Barracks and Hangar, and it aims to make the best of limited space. The Improved Barracks and Hangar also moves in the downwards directions -- excavation allows the same facilities to be packed in a fraction of the area by building multi-level structures. In actuality, space is rarely a concern in a base, but the subterrenean expansion includes shelters and bunkers in the case of enemy attack, as well as all-around structural hardening and improve defenses to the barracks, making it harder for the enemy to take out critical men and Zoids in the first wave of an attack. The Improved Barracks and Hangar can house and support 75 Zoids and 3,750 soldiers.

Training Grounds (T) -- $100,000 -- 1*1
It doesn’t take much to drill a military unit -- one sergeant with particularly hardy vocal chords and something to jog up or over, under most circumstances. However, to actually improve skills through training... that’s a more complex task. The training grounds represent a full grid square, a quarter a square kilometer, devoted to nothing but training. This includes standard equipment, like ropes and obstacle courses and firing ranges, as well as more complicated facilities, like urban combat environments and bomb ranges (explosives and heavy weapons usage, mine defusal, and Zoid practice are also best done in large, open spaces). Unfortunately, experienced soldiers will have little use for a training course, aside from keeping in shape -- but untrained and inexperienced units can make good use of training grounds. Note that a training ground is probably a next to irrelevant target during an enemy attack -- there is no need to protect them.

Training Grounds, Special Forces (SFT) -- $500,000 -- 1*1
Special operations are a different kind of military operation -- one that can’t be trained for in a normal way. Special forces teams are well versed in handling special situations -- paradrops, SEAL ops, hostage crises, black operations, special tactics and infiltration perhaps -- and even more that a even a normal soldier would never consider. Special forces teams not only have to consider all this -- they have to live it. While excellent teamwork and surgical precision are essential to a special forces unit, they are not the only requirements. Special forces training grounds provide all of the necessary facilities to elevate a unit to special forces status. Note that a special forces training ground cannot be used as a regular training ground -- units not intended to receive special forces training cannot make regular use of them. As a faction can only promote a small number of special forces units, you’re not likely to need many of these. Special forces grounds can be costly to repair if damaged, but are otherwise a worthless target for an enemy during an attack.

Academy Grounds (AG) -- $2,000,000 -- 2*2
Soldiers and special forces are all well and good, but armies need officers. Academy Grounds (also known as a military academy) provide a place where officers and just as importantly -- Zoid pilots -- can be trained. The presence of an Academy Grounds anywhere in your faction improves your leadership and increases the rate at which Zoid pilots are added to your factional manpower pool. The Academy Grounds themselves physically consist of what’s basically a school (no surprises there), which isn’t much help in a fight, but makes the war much easier for you everywhere else.

POW Camp (POW) -- $100,000 -- 1*1
Shooting every person who surrenders to you will suffice to a point, but there are problems -- eventually they stop surrendering, for a start. POWs can also be crucial bargainning tools in any negotiation, so it stands to reason you might want to keep them alive. Unfortunately, you almost certainly need a place to keep them -- marching them with along with the army isn’t really the best of long-term solutions. A POW Camp is rarely as nice as a barracks, and that’s not exactly a high standard in most cases -- it has walls, fences, and guard stations designed to keep the prisoners in rather than enemies out, and little more than tents or bunkhouses to feed the prisoners. 5,000 POWs can housed in a single grid square’s camp. Guard this camp well. Though an enemy would not dare bombard it, for fear of killing their own, its liberation could mean that thousands will rejoin the enemy ranks.

Helipad (AS-H) -- $50,000 -- 1*1 -- At Least 1 Recommended
A helipad is not a complicated affair. Little more than a paved clearing with tanks of fuel and munitions to service landing VTOL aircraft, like a small number of Pteras light bombers or Dragonfly Stingers. Larger aircraft without Magnesser-tech, such as Storm Sworders require long runways and cannot launch from or land at a Helipad. A Helipad has the same variety of basic radar one would find on any aerial Zoid for the control tower, and it can service up to 25 aerial Zoids and associated crew. As it’s basically a large clearing, an enemy attack would be hard pressed to destroy anything of importance beyond fuel and munitions, though Zoids are unprotected if they are being “stored” in a Helipad. Due to their low cost and small size, it’s recommended that any base have at least 1 Helipad.

Basic Airstrip (AS) -- $400,000 -- 1*4
A helipad is fine an dandy for a smaller base, but large fighters, bombers, and other jet aircraft require a large airstrip. Though in the days of yore, an airstrip for jet aircraft would have been 10-11 grid squares (5 kilometers!) long, advances in military short take-off and landing (STOL) technology have facilitated the significant shortening of base runways. While they’re still several kilometers long, they’re a bit more manageable size -- which is to say, 4 grid squares long. Anyway, unlike an helipad, a helipad can land not only VTOL aircraft, but also powerful jet fighters like a Storm Sworder. Much larger transports, including the Great Whale King itself (which is 622 meters bow to stern, itself longer than a full grid square) can land at an airstrip. In the absence of an extremely large aircraft, like the aforementioned Great Whale King, an airstrip can house 100 aerial Zoids and all the facilities necessary to service, rearm, and repair them. An airstrip of this size also consists of 5 runways (possibly not all side, by side). Airstrips also have control towers and long-ranged radar to detect incoming aircraft. Unlike helipads, however, airstrips are easily damaged during an attack, which can render them unserviceable -- and beware, these might be a high profile target during an enemy attack. Damaging the runways can cripple the base’s -- and possibly the faction’s -- air response. Defend this well -- no self respecting airbase will go without!

Advanced Airstrip (AAS) -- $800,000 -- 2*4
An Advanced Airstrip is much like a basic airstrip except it has ten runways (once again, not all side by side) and added ability to defend aircraft stored on or in it. The advanced airstrip stores the planes in partially subterreanean hangars with fuel and munitions also primarily underground, designed with the intent of reducing damage during an attack. Aircraft can launch 50% faster from an Advanced Airstrip. No self respecting airbase should do without.

Port (P) -- $200,000 -- 1*1 -- Must Border on Water
Any naval base requires a port. A port is the naval equivalent of a barracks for our purposes -- while it doesn’t house the sailors (or accomodate their notorious sense of fun), it services any ships that might dock in it. A port contains all of the facilities necessary to service and repair up to 20 smaller naval Zoids AND 1 larger ship, such as a Whale King or a White Cruiser. While it can’t rebuild a larger ship, light and moderate repairs are possible in a Port -- but repairs for near serious damage probably require a shipyard. A port includes basic surface radar and sonar. Ships in port are notoriously vulnerable, particularly if the attack comes from the air. Oh, a port has to border on the water. Just throwing that out there.

Shipyard (SY) -- $5,000,000 -- 5*5 -- Must Border on Water
A shipyard is a facility that repairs and builds ships -- 25 grid squares (6.25 square kilometers) of military-industrial complex. A Shipyard can build OR repair up to $1,000,000 of warships at a time (IE: the total production cost of all of the ships being built and repaired cannot exceed $1,000,000). Coincidentally, that means that any one shipyard can only build one Battle King at one time. If, for example, a Battle King was being built at a faction’s only shipyard and a battered Sea Lancer arrived to be repaired, the Battle King would have to be put on hold while the Sea Lancer was shortly repaired and sent on its way. If instead three White Cruisers were being built at the same Shipyard, only one would have to be put on hold while the Sea Lancer was repaired. A shipyard is an EXTREMELY high profile target in any attack, costing $5,000,000 ($312,000 per grid square) and extremely rare. Due to their size, shipyards also happen to be extremely difficult to defend. Shipyards have to border on the water, by the way.

Secondary Perimeter/Wall (W) -- $10,000 -- 1*1 -- Linked if Adjacent
Shocking as it probably is to hear, one can build a wall somewhere other than the one around the base itself -- and many bases have internal walls and perimeters to enhance their defenses. The wall around the base and the ones one builds inside are, for the most part, identical -- defensive walls are built of two meter-wide and 8-meter tall structurally reinforced concrete (large enough to walk on, and mount a guard), with guard towers lining the barrier. The wall itself is designed to keep Zoids -- and at a weight of 127 tons per meter length of barrier (to say nothing of anchoring to the ground), it’s unlikely that even a charging Dark Horn will be able to break through this wall -- it takes some time to chip away. Speaking of charging Dark Horns, the area around a perimeter is equipped with barbed wire, anti-vehicle traps (pitfalls designed to trap Zoids) and massive, anchored concrete dragon’s teeth to keep Zoids and personnel alike from violating this restricted area. That being said, there are safe paths through this perimeter to gates and so forth, and it notably lacks mines (mining the inside of your own base is rarely a good idea). There are also no anti-tank weapons beyond those that infantry can use along this perimeter -- heavy anti-Zoid batteries are both expensive and difficult to use. That being said, this wall is more than just another grid square for attacks to cross -- it’s a real barrier, and a place for your base’s defenders to make a stand.

Perimeter Defenses (W-D) -- $40,000 -- 1*1 -- Upgrades an existing wall.
Before I describe this structure, please note that this is an upgrade to an existing wall. This means that it can be built on top of a Secondary wall (meaning that the total price is $50,000, $10,000 for the basic wall plus $40,000 for this) or the free base wall (total cost just $40,000, as the base wall is free). If you choose to build this around the base wall, note this by marking the squares outside the base wall as (W-D) -- the meaning will be clear, as these are technically the “base wall” squares.

Sometime walls alone won’t be enough to defend a base. Heavier weapons, capable of destroying Zoids (and not infantry alone) are all too often necessary in an age of mechanized units and armored divisions. That is exactly what perimeter defenses provide. In addition to placing 20mm machine guns and infantry AZ rocket launchers at each guard tower (placed at regular-100 meter intervals along the wall), concrete pillboxes with more 20mm machine guns beneath said guard tower, and secondary machine guns (10mm) and weapons lockers along the wall itself, improved Perimeter Defenses also drop several large AZ batteries behind the wall. Particularly, there is a single standard minigun (as in the mod) mounted into the wall at 100-meter intervals slightly offset from the guard tower, and and behind and roughly offset from each of these a 120mm cannon more or less stripped off of a Molga’s Cannonry Unit. (Unfortunately, base defenders, a Hybrid Vulcan is far too expensive to place into the wall -- but these weapons can stall many attackers). Each defensive station also has a AZ60mm Tri-Barrelled Artillery Unit, also more or less stripped off of a Dark Horn, minus the expensive Zoid interfacing. The wall itself is also additionally reinforced with another meter’s width and 2 meter’s height of concrete. This isn’t a defense to be trifled with, but most bases can’t afford to coat their entire perimeters (for example, it would cost $960,000 to coat the base outside of a level 1 base with such a defense, with not even enough left to build a bunker to house the troops!) That being said, it’s well worth the cost, as the combined weapons can stop many advances dead in their tracks -- attackers beware.

Bunker (Bu) -- $100,000 -- 1*1
From the medieval castle to the star fortress to the redoubt, human fortifications have accompanied humankind throughout history. A bunker is a kind of modern fortification, not of ancient stone and mortar but of modern alloys and reinforced concrete, designed to withstand all but the toughest enemy attack. Now, many fortifications (including the humble pillbox) are technically bunkers, the bunker here mentioned is much, much larger, though pillboxes are included. This bunker is a retreat for a command staff and soldiers in the case of an attack -- made of the aforementioned modern alloys, and meter-thick reinforced concrete, a bunker is also mostly subterreanean, making it neary impenetrable to conventional attack from the air. This 500 by 500 meter complex is ringed by pillboxes on its corners and at 100 meter intervals between said corners, with four entrances (one on each side), but not large enough to admit Zoids. These pillboxes are each equipped with various anti-personnel machineguns and formidable standard miniguns, making assault by lighter Zoids difficult.

To moving armor into the Bunker is impossible -- Zoids can’t storm it, but they can ground it into powder. The exact interior of this complex varies from faction to faction, but a bunker of this size probably extends several levels under ground and can conceal a battalion of soldiers if need be -- and can a virtual bloodbath for any enemy who wishes to overrun or storm the fortification. Barbed wire, pitfalls, and “toblerone” dragon’s teeth also prevent any enemy soldiers or Zoids from effectively moving through the Bunker’s square without first taking the bunker itself -- while there may be a clear path up to the bunker, often the only way to the other side is through the bunker itself, or else go around the grid square entirely. Valuable personnel and resources may also be hidden in a bunker -- but it can be a tough time taking this complex.

SAM Site (SAM or AD) -- $100,000 -- 1*1
SAM (surface-to-air missile) sites are a common sight (no pun intended) in a great many military bases. While SAMs come in many sizes and strengths, a base’s ground SAM sites can be truly formidable. The most fearsome armament for a SAM site is a large, stand-alone two-ton missile capable of tracking incoming aircraft. This weapon explodes with the force of an Iron Kong’s ballistic missile, making it unnecessary to actually hit the aircraft to damage or destroy it... or them (unlike those wimpy weapons usually used by aerial Zoids) -- and this missile has a range of 50 kilometers and a ceiling of 20 kilometers. Each SAM site is equipped with a battery of five of these behemoths (which can each be reloaded in a few minutes -- 3-5 tops, depending on conditions). They’re guided by internal radar, but the SAM sites also have basic radar of their own. As secondary weapons, there are also two automated phalanxes, much like that found on a warship, and five 40mm manned flak cannons (to counter those pesky stealth aircraft), plus an armory of infantry shoulder-launched weapons. As mentioned earlier, there are also five large radar dishes around this grid square that help the missiles get their locks. A sensible enemy commander should send in Wild Weasels to suppress this formidible air defense before considering a major air raid -- weapons such as these will shred bombers much more easily than strike fighters.

Coastal Defenses (CD or WD) -- $100,000 -- 1*1
The cheapest military base is just as costly as the most expensive Zian warship. With that in mind, the sensible base commander should take steps to ensure his base isn’t obliterated by the latter. Coastal defenses are a patchwork combination of the new and innovative and the old and trustworthy. On the second point, any square with coastal defenses will include cheap barbed wire, concrete Dragon’s Teeth, and vehicle traps, as well as sea mines along whatever water the grid square borders on, and traditional sonar and surface radar. Also, the Coastal Defenses include two 400mm Ultraheavy gun batteries -- much akin to the ones found on a Battle King, of comparable range though only slighly less powerful. The Coastal Defenses also includes two four-shot armored box launchers, filled with destructice cruise missiles (spaced about 50 meters away from the gun batteries) and two phalanax, designed to destroy incoming cruise missiles. Each gun battery is 125 meters away from the edge of the square, assuming it borders on only water square. (If it borders on two, then there is one gun on each side, if it borders on three then consult me). This is quite alot of firepower -- and while it might take several of these to match a Battle King’s firepower, Coastal Defenses will keep most ships out of the harbor and make landing infantry a death trap.

Armory (AR) -- $200,000 -- 1*1
Only under the most dire circumstances will the military arm the people, but desperate times call for desperate measures. While every soldier carries his own weapons, the presence of an armory in the base will increase your faction’s ability to raise a militia in that area, though how much really depends on how populous the surrounding region is and how dedicated they are to your faction’s war. You may have noticed that while most factions have variable costs for arming their soldiers, the cost of an armory is constant -- be it understood that armories do not contain that the premium weaponry that factional regulars typically carry. Militias are armed with only the most rudimetary weapons. Note that if there is time, a militia may join the defense of a base in the event of an attack, but an armory is also a liability in a battle. While it’s often partially subterreanean and heavily fortified, munitions are highly explosive...

Intelligence Bureau (IB) -- $250,000 -- 1*1
Military Intelligence. An oxymoron? Perhaps or perhaps not. Your grade school teachers probably told you that knowledge is power, but you probably also never realized how true that is on the battlefield. Up to date intelligence is crucial to the war effort (probably in more ways that you recognize). While this building is fairly useless in direct combat, outside of a battle it houses some of your faction’s finest espionage agents and intelligence operatives. Their message is sole and singular -- to bring you up-to-date intelligence, better than your enemies. They’re also particularly adept at countering the intelligence efforts of the enemy, particularly within the base itself, so it’s unlikely that a base with an Intelligence Bureau will be easily infiltrated. A Bureau may not help much in a fight... but its presence might render fighting unnecessary.

Satellite Uplink (SU) -- $500,000 -- 1*1 -- Requires Spy Satellite Technology
If your faction is lucky enough to have spy satellite technology, the satellites themselves were put in orbit during research an development. The only problem now is getting to them. Unfortunately, ECM and jamming technology has grown by leaps and bounds on Zi, and satellites have to be in high orbit with extremely low power transmissions to avoid enemy detection (do keep in mind that if your satellites are found, they can be blasted out of the sky by a CPG blast), such that no one can realiably access their information with a traditional hand-held uplink or mini-dish. A Zian Satellite uplink is a monumentally large affair -- a series of multi-meter stationary dishes pointed straight upwards. Now, while these dishes are extremely vulnerable (and can be easily knocked out during a battle), the information they give in return is simply invaluable. The base (and the faction as a whole) has access to real-time satellite pictures for everywhere within about 500 kilometers of the base (the actual measurement is a complicated intercollation of the latitude of the dishes and the amount of the world they can cover in minutes of arc, but it’s close enough). Once again, though, useless in a fight and a liability.

Advanced Satellite Uplink (SUA) -- $1,000,000 -- 2*1 -- Requires Spy Satellite Technology
An Advanced Satellite Uplink much resembles a regular Satellite Uplink, except the dishes are larger and there are more of them, and the equipment for processing the signal is more advanced. Access to satellite pictures is now extended to within 1000 kilometers of the base (once again, roughly -- this changes at extreme latitudes). Still useless in a fight.

Space Center (SC) -- $2,500,000 -- 3*3 -- Requires Spy Satellite Technology
A Space Center is a little bit different. Satellite Uplinks merely link to the satellites -- and while the Space Center has the big dishes and all the regalia of a Satellite Uplink, it’s much, much more. This is where satellites are launched. Now, that might not seem like the biggest deal in the world, since the satellites already went up with the Spy Satellite Technology itself, but if you need to send something to space, this is the place to do it. Furthermore, this base has access to real-time satellite pictures from everywhere on Zi. As long as you’re in contact with this Space Center, you can see everything. Mind you, this center is a liability as much as it is a boon -- it’s pretty much undefended and makes a fine target for any enemy action designed to disrupt your

Research Laboratory (RL) -- $1,000,000 -- 1*1
Research doesn’t come cheap, but its benefits are generally more than its costs. War isn’t just an arms race, it’s a knowledge race as well. The person who has more advanced technology has the edge. In past ages of Zi, this edge included war-winning inventions like Stealth Paint, jet fighters, and the Charged Particle Gun (to say nothing of the Death Saurer). One invention, the Mad Thunder, literally ended an Empire. The lessons of history is obvious: discoveries can change the course of warfare. The benefits of research are clear, but it brings both boons and busts. A Research Lab is just a building, of course... probably a high priority target in a fight, but of little use therein. Outside the battlefield, a Research Lab contributes to your understanding of the art of war.

Ballistic Missile Silo (BM) -- $1,000,000 -- 1*1 -- Can Use WMDs, Requires Rocketry
From time to time a faction may wish to launch... eh... how to put this delicately... a strategic strike against its opponents. A ballistic missile silo is a large complex designed with a singular intent: launching a missile capable of striking an enemy anywhere in the world. Now, one rarely fires a ballistic missile with a conventional warhead. Generally speaking, missiles of this size, range (and cost!) mount special device, such as biological, radiological, or chemical warheads. Ballistic missiles are of tremendous cost and difficulty to launch... one does not generally launch them lightly. Furthermore, note that while Rocketry technology will allow you to build a Ballistic Missile Silo, other technologies may be required to arm the weapon that the silo launches.

Base Sensor Array (BSA) -- $100,000 -- 1*1
A Base Sensor Array is a base’s eyes and ears for the surrounding battlefield. The Base Sensor Array is a composite package of many different kinds of sensors -- oh sure, there’s your standard IR and Radar, but also so much more. Basically everything the Elephander’s Scout Mode has (including the metal detector, UV, heartbeat scanner, and motion detector), a base’s sensor array also has. The ranges vary -- from hundreds of kilometers for the radar to only hundreds of meters for the motion detector. However, the addition of a Base Sensor Array is invaluable. It provides an early warning system that