GB Feature: XCOM: Enemy Unknown Review
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You primarily expand your operations by building new structures. Though not as involved as base management in some strategy games, once again the simplicity is deceptive. This is primarily due to the adjacency bonuses you receive for placing certain structures near each other, and the time and money it takes not only to build your base, but to dig the spaces needed to house them. You will need to constantly trade off whether you want to get something immediately, or wait a little while for a better benefit. The same applies to upgraded versions of existing facilities - while you can build a structure that can handle deployment of four satellites instead of one, waiting to get to the point you can actually build it might not be worthwhile.
Beyond building structures, most of the game's strategy is a balancing act of keeping your soldiers well-equipped and well-trained, improving your existing capabilities, and keeping the XCOM nations happy. This is always easier said than done, as you have very limited funds at your disposal. While early in the game time and money aren't very pressing concerns, after an hour or two you will find yourself having to answer questions like "which nation do I save, and which ones do I leave to the aliens?", or "should I risk sending in a squad of rookies while my better soldiers recover from their wounds, or sit the mission out?"
