The bases seem pointless to me

General Discussion
1

I can’t remember if weapon augments were in this game from the beginning or not; I only discovered them upon returning to the game after the Companion update was released, and found that they require massive amounts of resources, which makes bases seem pointless to me, very, very expensive for little or no reward. I’m not a huge fan of wave and horde attacks, being strictly solo. My understanding of base defense missions is imperfect, so I am unable to gain any rewards associated with them.

There are some significant aspects of this game that I can’t appreciate because I simply haven’t been able to access them, like those reward trunks, or ammo types beyond ordinary like explosive, incendiary, corrosive, and radioactive. The only mission that introduces players to this, Building Blocks, does nothing to incentivize players to explore this aspect of the game, as far as I can see. There’s no intro mission whose rewards introduce access to those orange-icon trunks in safe houses.

It’s not intuitive. I’m already stirring up trouble and presenting myself as a threat to any region that I make incursions upon. I just don’t see the point.

2

the EMP Detonation & Silence Muffler are my favorites, I recommend trying those, some are fun :blush:, not a fan of others

3

Weapon augments are quite new. They came in october or november or so.

Yes, the higher tiers require many ressources and that’s intended.

Base defenses are optional. I just did them when they were new and the only way to get experimental ammo schematics.

I don’t know if their rewards changed, but in the past it wasn’t worth the effort if you already got all experimental schematics. Well, and if you had enough uranium… Bases defenses once were the only way to get it, too.

These reward trunks, the fmtel boxes, just give you rewards if you complete fmtel-missions. That changed in one update a few years ago, too. Before that, the rewards came directly into the inventory, which often lead to too much stuff in the inventory… You became overencumbered and wasn’t able to fast travel.

For being able to make these fmtel missions, you need to have an apex connect account.

Most in GZ is quite self explaining, and you can read about everything in the log. But I agree, that some things should have been explained by doing it/ using it in a small mission. Games that offer those mechanics right from beginning in general do that. In GZ all of those came later into the game. But that’s no excuse. I agree.

2 Likes
4

While I don’t do base defenses, I do destroy the bases as soon as they spawn. It is one of the ways you get uranium, something I use regularly for exp ammo. But I would just as soon get my uranium from the machines instead of destroying bases. It slows the pace of my game down in co-op.

And since the beginning when most of the assignments were broken when introduced, I didn’t do to many then just stopped completely. And since the resistance base was wiped off the map, I have yet to build anymore bases. But I have all the DLCs.

But as a reward for not doing all the things I don’t like, I can hunt machines for regional points to destroy reapers… Which I really enjoy doing with a team or solo.

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5

The FMtel assignments are accessed, if you can, from the covert radio telephone briefcase which is usually right there near the FMtel reward chest. You access the FMtel station, activate the challenges if you can, and then do whichever ones you’re interested in. But, yeah, they should’ve been introduced better, some how or other.

I forget if they’re one of the things that only opens up after level 25 or so, or not… As they say, do need the Apex Connect account too, though. Anyway, most of the FMtel assignments do work, now, so if you need Gold/5C weapons or attachments, or a random influx of other stuff, they may be worth pouring some time/effort into. Some or all assignments your Runner Companion can help with.

Base Defense, I don’t bother with. The rewards aren’t all that great compared to the hassle they can be. I find them a hassle because I don’t think the Defenses are balanced very well. The lowest class machines can tear through your defenses with ease if given a chance, even if you’re using cement instead of wood to build the tougher structures. They can just run into your stuff and destroy it, sometimes—Hunters, just a swipe of their sword, poof, wall gone.

If you decide you must do Base Defense stuff, layers are your friend—layers, with space between. Two layers, three layers… Concrete inner layers, wood outer layers, vice-versa if you prefer, or concrete for everything if you can afford it. More players can help, and the Runner Companions can also help.

Base Assaults are less annoying, at least if you knock them out before they get fully built. Depending on your console/platform, fully built-up bases can cause significant FPS drops, slow-down, so they can be pretty annoying if you let’em be for too long. More players can help with taking them out, and Runner Companions also.

Some FMtel Assignments are to do Base Assaults with certain weapons, may take a little getting used to before you get comfortable with which weapons actually count for which assignments. There are some tricks that can be used to deal with those assignments more easily, too. Some legitimate, some less so.

Legitimately, you have to use certain weapons against the enemy machines (Runners, Hunters, etc), but all the other base defenses/structures you can use ANY weapon on. Just have to be careful to avoid damaging machines with other weapons. The Runner doesn’t count against you for this, either.

Less legitimately, you can always back out of the base zone, destroy the walls and machines with anything you like, then…destroy the rest of the base structures with whatever you like, as well. Completely circumvent the assignment limitations, scummy cheese style.

As for the player built bases in general? Custom safehouses, not useless in my opinion. They can be good jumping-off points for going hunting, or just convenient rest/refit pit-stops while exploring/hunting. Less distance to travel, you know all the utilities will be there (recycling, crafting—only missing the Companion station)…and, if you have the DLC, you can store quite a variety of supplies at bases. Without DLC you can only store 7.62mm ammo at CPs in bunkers, but with the base DLCs you can store .50 BMG, 84mm, and medical supplies—A LOT of medical supplies…

If you have a habit of playing with new players, there are some Control Points that are perfect for building “Resistance Training Bases” as well. Since you can set up a target range, you can use the bases to train new people to throw grenades, or to give them a good, safe place to get used to new weapons, etc. Tyloveden is a good place for a training base, as is Gardberg Mine, and plenty of others. Ravinen isn’t terrible, just watch out for the rare stray Firebird… Sjoglimten is all right. Torsberga isn’t terrible, though Runners may come close to the north…

Some of the bases are right in the middle of a route machines travel back and forth on, though, so there are some places that are not so great for use as a custom safehouse or training camp… Smulltronstallet, at the west end of Overby airfield, can have a variety of machines wander close by—Runners, Seekers, Harvesters… Lilldamm can see a variety of machines wander near, sometimes. As can a lot of the other northern CPs…

And, of course, every base YOU claim is one less base the ENEMY can claim… That said, it looks like the enemy has the same max base limit as the player, now. That wasn’t always the case. Anyway, fewer bases the enemy has, better the game will run in those areas.

6

With bases you can do base defense missions which can give you experimentals and other resources and its just fun to do.

7

Yes weapon augments were added later on in the game, they were not there in the start.