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Return to Dawn Base Overview

By Obi-Wun and 1 collaborators

A non-exhaustive guide to the mechanics behind the new Return to Dawn Base mode for Outpost: Infinity Siege.

I advise playing through and discovering features yourself.. but it does take a lot of time. So here's a shortcut for information, since the wiki is still.. in development.

Still a work in progress since half the time I don't know how the game works, and the other half I don't know why the game works. Also, pardon the lazy formatting.

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Created by

Obi-Wun
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Monzterz
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Category: Gameplay Basics

Languages: English

Posted

Updated

31 Jul, 2024 @ 2:15pm

21 Aug, 2024 @ 7:36pm

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Guide Index

Overview

General Mechanics

Technical Mechanics

Comments

General Mechanics

There is a challenge mode, with basically scripted missions, and a free mode.
- Challenge mode is unlocked alongside [Boarder Woodlands], around 1h into the game.
- The challenges can be all played independent of your outpost's development.
- Currently, you can load other outpost's layout codes for the challenges, even if you do not have the part researched, unlocked, or of sufficient quantity. The discord server has a channel for all sorts of outposts made by other commanders.
- Currently, all challenges uses a random operative, meaning that any gear recovered is 'contaminated' and will be automatically converted to gold at the end of the mission (see below).
Free mode unlocks after the challenge [Matchbox] is cleared.
- Free mode allows you to bring your own operative and outpost, depending on settings.
- Risk level can be customised to change the loot pool.
- You should be able to use layout codes as with challenge mode, I've not tested this.
Loot is obtained from resource pods scattered around and / or killing bosses (apostles and seraphs). Be sure to grab it quick as the pod will retract. (But also, currently loot quantity appears to be somewhat poor)
- Loot may be 'contaminated'. This means the items cannot be brought back to base, but you will be refunded gold instead.
- Contamination occurs in the challenge mode and when selecting other settings which uses a random operative.
Loot can be directly recovered via cargo drones, but;
There are recovery containers located at each location where you can set up and defend.
Container acts as storage, which can be sent to central modded orbital cannon (MANUAL activation).
You will need to hold out a wave at the site of the cannon for the loot to be sent back to base (automatic at end of wave). At certain waves, the cannon doubles the loot recovered. Keep an eye out for the indicator (but this might be additionally bugged. The event reward at each zone will explicitly state +1).
- Note that the cannon is not activated on an EVAC wave. You need to do a standard defence.
- However on wave failure (loss of core tower or death of operative), the cannon does activate (need confirmation).
The above method is disabled when you have the holdout risk selected. Instead, there will be aircraft recovery containers to bring your loot back to base.
There are 2 special assemblers in the field
- One contains survival supplies (Buffs and stuff)
- One contains support units (deployable buildings and cataphract beacons)
- Main currency is gold, in which;
There are disassemblers and converters in the field, so you do not need to have them on your outpost (to lower value). This includes the disassembler (gold), materiel and power converters.
There are XEN reforgers in the field, so you can try your luck for a better XEN.
Shady dealer 'G' (or Gees, plural) are found around. They offer simple buffs for materiel (500 for common supply event types) and gold (higher rarity fortunes). You will not make a loss with the trader.
There are wrecks of cataphracts scattered about (I suspect they respawn). They cost 80 power to attempt to reclaim, with a chance for failure. However, on failure, it will return materiel worth more then the power invested, so you don't lose anything.
If risk [Holdout] is not selected, Lead commander can relocate your outpost around the map. Once after every wave.
When relocating, the map will preview the direction your outpost will face and the location of the enemy LZ. Helpful to orientate yourself.
Before relocating, you can spend 5 power (slightly more expensive than core tower) to scan the location to check what supply pods are around.
Relocating brings anything on the ATC with you (items on conveyors, support units, operatives, etc.).
Anything left behind persists (items, support units, etc.), operatives are moved to the top of the Core Tower.
In Free mode, staying longer grants a buff (as long as not at orbital canon) which should give more loot.
Bonus rewards in the form of fortunes (choice of 1 from the selection) if you complete side objectives within the time limit (refer to top right of HUD).

Slightly secret stuff
There are (may be?) a few (?) Mech Beacons scattered around the map (looks like a pillar on a hexagonal plate). You can challenge an advanced apostle to a fight here and if you kill it within 15(?) seconds, you can choose a fortune (1 from the selection).
At Greg Industry Ruins, there is a Comms Station that grants an arbitrary bonus at a cost. Do read the fine print
At Temporary Landing Site, there is a Comms Station that grants an arbitrary bonus at a cost. Do read the fine print

Technical Mechanics

You always start at Temporary Landing Site unless set by challenge or relevant risk selected.
Resource pod spawns are fixed, but whether they spawn or not is randomly selected. Exception below;
All other things (XEN reforger, converter, and attached resource pod, assembler, Dealer, etc.) have fixed spawns.
All this takes place on the same map, at different locations (nodes).
Placed support buildings will persist even if you move your outpost away from the node. (and the X-boost Field in the case of titan spikes)
Support units and buildings on the ATC or outpost floor will be taken when relocating.
Loose items persists, and those on the ATC or outpost floor will retain their position within the outpost when relocating (yet to see this actually fail).
Resource pods are retracted after around 15 seconds.
Resource pods are refreshed based on time passed (although it is supposed to be based on waves).
Enemies do not scale materiel drops with health, so eventually you will burn through more ammunition than you can reclaim from kills. Make every bullet count if you plan to stay for extended periods (which is, like, 6h+. So not everyone).
- Easiest way is to use miners and extract materiel from each node.
- Next way is to skip break time for additional resource.
- Lowered profit way is to scrap loot in converters.
- Best way is to bring supplies from base.
Boss waves (with seraphs, but my testing is incomplete) will have a longer break after it is cleared, also giving more resources for a skip.
Each run is one session. Try not to crash, or you lose all progress (I think).
- Use the clear item function in the pause menu to remove excess items
- If you start hearing or seeing glitches, consider evac ASAP. Remember to recover if you had items in the modded orbital cannon.
- Be careful with upgrading magazine capacity for turrets: it may trigger a mass reload which can overload the sound system and cause the game to freeze.
All loot recovered by the modded orbital cannon is shared with all connected clients (last I check, including XEN and gear)
Occasionally, there will be a double resource recovered event. It currently does not seem to work correctly, but if you check the buffs before moving to location, there should be a heroic tier buff that states 'all resources +1' or something. That's when you go and recover.
I have currently noted it to occur on waves 4, 7, 21. Likely it is supposed to be every 'Boss' wave (Apostle / Seraph attacks).

3 Comments

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[1st.M.I.] Warrant 2 Apr @ 3:05pm

I finally got the game and played grand opening. Got a bunch of loot, put in container and sent. It gave me a message it was sent to base. After Evac, I didn't see any of it?

I did not see a cannon on the map, just containers a long way off.

Obi-Wun [author] 26 Aug, 2024 @ 11:56pm

Thanks for the feedback. I've updated it with those changes.

Heroic (Red) tier loot can only be acquired from having a high enough risk level (If you don't encounter any bugs). Thus in high risk challenges, it is possible.

Xenium contamination (Taint) is due to certain high level settings, namely casual and rouge-like mode, which prevents all loot or gear + Xen from being brought back, respectively.

Mr Holiday 13 Aug, 2024 @ 8:53pm

Really good work on the guide, only thing it needs help explaining is the tainted loot & which modes don't give tainted loot.

I think free mode is the main one that you can potentially get red tier loot

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