Mission Control (EU2012)
Mission Control is the facility at XCOM's HQ where the Geoscape is located. The Geoscape is the 3D real-time representation of the Earth (and Moon) used by the XCOM commander to send aircraft and soldiers on missions and to track the evolution of the fight against the aliens.
Using the Geoscape the XCOM commander can Scan for Activity and/or wait for upcoming Research or Engineering reports. The Geoscape will also show unexpected events such as detected UFOs, alien attacks in progress or Council missions. The world view will also display any missions in progress, such as air interceptions and you transport craft either going or returning from ground combat missions.
The Geoscape is where the game can be advanced until new events occur. Enemy Unknown is played in real time, although base management of base and ordering planes don't pause the game, those can be done at leisure. But all non-trivial actions, such as planes flying to their destination, completion of Research projects, waiting for new recruits to arrive and so on, these take time to accomplish and this time must be waited out in the world view.
The Geoscape can be accessed both through the Mission Control and Situation Room of the XCOM HQ. The Situation Room also allows the XCOM commander to access other important strategic aspects such as funding and finances, expanding satellite and interceptor coverage and to track XCOM's campaign objectives.
World View
The view of the Earth-Moon system is presented in a 3D format which allows to zooming in specific locations and that will also display icons for current XCOM and alien activity. The map is continuously updated as the 'Scan For Activity' button is pressed to speed up time, showing events like day/night transition, etc.
A number of 3D icons will be displayed by the view:
- XCOM HQ
- Outline of funding countries and their Panic levels
- Countries which signed pacts with the aliens are also signalled
- XCOM craft on missions
- Satellites and interceptors stationed over countries
- Airborne UFOs
- Downed/Crashed UFOs
- Terror Sites
- Alien Abductions
World Countries/Regions
The Geoscape displays the 16 countries which directly contribute to XCOM and thus in turn need to be protected. Each nation provides resources which may be increased by deploying satellites above that particular country and exhibits a panic level between 1 and 5 (5 being the worst). These countries, their satellite coverage and associated panic levels can be seen in the Situation Room and are listed here:
- United States
- Canada
- Mexico
- Argentina
- Brazil
- Egypt
- South Africa
- Nigeria
- United Kingdom
- Russia
- France
- Germany
- China
- Japan
- India
- Australia