Base Nodes
Submitted by ArgCmdr

This tutorial will basically cover Base Nodes, what they are and their correct appliance.

A Base Node is simply an instruction for the AI on what to build and where, whenever it meets the needed prerequisites.

Under the desired house --NOT country--, you will see a line called NodeCount=. This line calls in the number of nodes that house possesses. And below it, youll generally find the nodes. These are smart, by the way, if the building in the specified coordinates is already existant, it wont place it, but it will replace it when it is destroyed (thats the difference on options in FA2, add a node deleting or not the structure in question)

After that, youll see this listing. Ill use a node set in the second allied mission of RA2 as example:

000=NAPOWR,120,48

Easy enough to describe how that works, isn´t it?. First, an ID, which is from 000 to 999, although i havent tested higher numbers (there are no reasons for you to go up that number anyway). By now, you probably guessed this is another list. Yeah correct, its an array. Each ID describes what building should be built, and where.

ID=STRUCTURE,X,Y

where X is isometrically from west to east, and Y is from north to south (remember that isometric coordinates in this game can be represented by an X, being north what we would cardinally call northeast, south what we call southwest, etc.

Lastly, remember two things:

Base Nodes have restrictions onto techtree and adjacency.

Be sure that the order you make the nodes is correct, as if the order is wrong, the node wont be built, and the rest of them wont be built either; so for example, its an error to set a refinery to be built as the 000 node, if the house doesnt have a power plant.

Be sure as well that the node is not placed far away from the nearest BaseNormal=yes structure, as whenever a node is out of the adjacency range, it wont be built either, neither all of the next ones.

One last thing i might add, nodes are a much better way of emulating a skirmish. You will notice theres a trigger action called Start Skirmish Behaviour. This one ignores the currently placed buildings, so it will start building the tech tree from zero, it will for example, build a powerplant first, even if it has surplus power in quantity, and then itll build a refinery, no matter what quantity it has. Base nodes are a way to control how the AI will develop their base in mission maps, making the construction of the structures gradual. Another way, is creating the buildings via triggers, which is quite effective if you want the enemy AI to have a base after you escape, in the place you escaped from.

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