Evil Genius FAQ

Armory:
  This is where you store weapons for your minions, host your security center 
  for monitoring the island, and hold & interrogate prisoners.  It should be 
  pretty big, since a holding cell is a 2x2 square and only holds 1 prisoner.  
  You'll probably want 4-6 cells at least.  Something like 10x6 or 12x6 or the
  equivalent amount of space would be about right.  You may want to build two 
  armories; one for prisoners and another for security and weapons.  The 
  advantage of the single armory is that if your avatar is in it when a 
  prisoner gets loose, you can just hit 'Alert' and all the minions will rush 
  to the room to arm themselves, defending you in the process.  Still.. the 
  security centers can go anywhere, even outside if you're desparate for 
  space.  Time clocks will keep the place staffed, and if you're going to 
  gloat over the prisoners, you may want to keep it over-staffed, so there's 
  minions to respond to prison breaks.

  This room becomes unlocked during the 1st objective.  The interrogation 
  chair becomes available after you capture the maid, and the security systems
  after you interrogate her and get your first valet.

  This room generates massive amounts of heat.  It needs a door and to be deep
  inside your lair.

  When you put the base on alert, minions will arm themselves from the gun 
  cabinets. They will only use a cabinet of a certain type though.

  Holding Cell - Holds 1 prisoner.  Right-click on a held prisoner to order 
   their execution or interrogation (if you go for interrogate, right-click on
   an object to interrogate them with).  Interrogations raise the loyalty of 
   all minions who see it, and are usually fatal to the prisoner.  The mess 
   counter sometimes just leaves their brains scrambled.  Good agents will 
   eventually escape your cell, civilians and weak agents will die in the 
   cell eventually.

   BEFORE YOU SEND AN ENEMY FOR INTERROGATION your avatar can right-click 
   them in the cell to gloat over them.  This increases notoriety by 1-3 
   points, but has a small risk of setting the prisoner free.  You can gloat 
   once per enemy.

   Death Chamber  - doesn't require a minion to kill a prisoner 
   Disguised Cell - theoretically generates no heat if an agent sees one

  Interrogation chair - Capture advanced classes and interrogate them on this 
   to get a minion of the advanced class.  You can interrogate super-agents 
   (your avatar will come by to watch).  Interrogating generic agents will 
   increase the loyalty of all minions who watch it.  Since minions don't 
   hang out in your armory much, this won't have much effect.  

  Gun racks - Arms for different types of minions
    Handgun cabinet - workers
    Rifle cabinet   - guards (disguised version available for less heat)
    Heavy Rifles    - mercenaries
    Flamethrowers   - mercenaries (caution; these are AE incindiary weapons)