The HQ is the player's center of operations in Offworld Trading Company. Each HQ type has different life support and resource requirements and bonuses.
Types of HQs
There are six types of HQs in Offworld Trading Company.
| HeadQuarters | Upgrade Cost | Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Elite HQ † | [  ,  ,  ]
|
+1 starting claim ° +2 starting shares of stock ° Advanced buildings can be built one HQ level earlier and are enhanced. |
| Expansive HQ | [  , , ]
|
+1 claim per HQ upgrade ° Buildings cost 50% Steel ° Units move 50% faster (fuel costs -33%). |
| Nomadic HQ † | [ , ,  ]
|
+1 HQ structure placement ° +1 return claim per HQ level ° Starts with 0 resources. |
| Robotic HQ | [ , , ]
|
No HQ life support cost ° Units use Power instead of Fuel ° Double bonus from resource tiles under the HQ ° Extra adjacency bonuses for input resources ° Halved Aluminum consumption for buildings and HQ upgrades. |
| Scavenger HQ | [ ,  , ]
|
Buildings use Carbon instead of Steel ° Learn about market news events earlier ° Can use Black Market more frequently ° Resources do not diminish (Io or Ceres only). |
| Scientific HQ | [ , , ]
|
Manufacturing Buildings can directly utilize resource deposits when placed on that tile ° Patents research +50% faster ° Free Goon Squad. |
† The Elite and Nomadic HQs were added via the Jupiter's Forge Expansion pack. The other four HQs are included in the base game.
Founding an HQ
Whenever you found an HQ, any resources underneath your HQ are removed and added to your stockpile. A high resource tile gives you +20, a medium +15, and a low +10. The Robotic HQ gives you double this bonus.
HQs must be founded on flat ground.
After founding, other players may not claim resources or ice up to four tiles around your HQ for a set period of time. With the exception of Nomads, tiles closest to the HQ are blocked for 80 seconds, while the furthest tile is blocked for 20 seconds. Both Nomadic HQs block tiles around the HQ buildings.
| Tiles from HQ | Elite, Expansive, Robotic, Scavenger, & Scientific |
Nomadic |
|---|---|---|
| 1 tile | 80 seconds | 40 seconds |
| 2 tiles | 60 seconds | 40 seconds |
| 3 tiles | 40 seconds | 20 seconds |
| 4 tiles | 20 seconds |
Life Support Requirements
Life support is a series of resources needed to support life in a HQ. These resources are water 
, food 
, and oxygen 
. The Robotics HQ is the only HQ that does not need life support.
| HQ Level | Elite, Expansive, Nomadic, Scavenger, & Scientific |
Robotic | Robotic
Freighter cost/s |
Freighter
cost/s | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HQ2 | -0.2 /s |
-0.3 /s |
-0.1 /s |
0 | -0.2 /s |
-0.2 /s
|
| HQ3 | -0.4 /s |
-0.6 /s |
-0.2 /s |
0 | - | - |
| HQ4 | -0.6 /s |
-0.9 /s |
-0.3 /s |
0 | - | - |
| HQ5 | -0.8 /s |
-1.2 /s |
-0.4 /s |
0 | - | - |
HQ Asset Value
Asset value plays a large role in calculating a player's share price.
| Players | HQ 1 | +1 HQ lvl | @HQ lvl 5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1,400k | +280k | 2,520k |
| 3 | 1,300k | +260k | 2,340k |
| 4 | 1,200k | +240k | 2,160k |
| 5 | 1,100k | +220k | 1,980k |
| 6 | 1,000k | +200k | 1,800k |
| 7 | 900k | +180k | 1,620k |
| 8 | 800k | +160k | 1,440k |