Nathan Young wrote:

It is definitely common to have a tower controller ask you to join the
pattern on a base, and report X miles out. Very common at class Ds
without radar.

For example, consider CDW. If they're using 22, and you're coming in from
the north...

If it is very quite, you'll get a straight-in.

If it is a little busy, you'll get a base.

If it is very busy, you'll be told to join the downwind.

- Andrew