                               Command : BUILD

NAME
   build - Build ships, planes, land units, nuclear weapons or bridges

Level: Basic

SYNTAX
   [##:##] Command : build [ship|plane|land|nuke] <SECTS> TYPE [NUMBER] [TECH]
[SURE?]

SYNTAX
   [##:##] Command : build [bridge|tower] <SECTS> DIRECTION

The build command lets you build ships, planes, land units and nukes  in  your
harbors, airfields, headquarters and nuclear plants.  It is also used to build
bridges.

To build stuff, you generally need available work, raw materials  (e.g.  light
and heavy construction materials, oil, radioactive materials), cash, and tech-
nology, depending on the thing being built.

A sector's available work is work not used up by the  update  (building  effi-
ciency,  working  on  things, etc).  It is shown in the output of the "census"
command in the 'avail' column.

If you give multiple sectors, the build command applies to each of them.

Except for bridges, you use the TYPE argument to order what to build.  Choices
depend on your tech level; check out the "show" command to find out more.  You
can order a number of things to be built by giving the optional  NUMBER  argu-
ment.   If  you ask to build more than 20, the build command will ask for con-
firmation.  The optional argument SURE?  lets you suppress that.

Normally, build builds stuff at your current tech level.  The  optional  argu-
ment TECH lets you build at a lower tech level.

HARBORS & BUILDING SHIPS

Ships  are built in harbor sectors. 20% of the materials listed by "show" must
be available at the time of building.  Ships first appear  at  20%  efficiency
(less  efficient  ships sink instantly). Then, each update, the ship will grow
in efficiency, and use up more of the  required  materials  until  it  reaches
100%.  For example:

   [##:##] Command : build s 6,2 frg 2

   frg  frigate (#13) built in sector 8,0
   frg  frigate (#14) built in sector 8,0
   That just cost you $240.00

In  addition  to  the  avail in the harbor sector, ships are also worked on by
their crews.  Only military crew can work on a military  ship  (one  that  can
fire  guns).   Civilian ships can employ both civilian and military crew.  So,
for maximum efficiency growth, put full crews on your newly  built  ships  and
leave them in harbor until they reach 100%.

The work required to add a point of efficiency to a ship is

   (20 + (lcm_to_build + 2 * hcm_to_build))/100

Ships  at  sea have only their crews to make repairs.  A small crew on a large
ship may not be able to make any repairs at  all.   (Moral:  keep  your  ships
fully crewed in anticipation of future damage.)  Repairs at sea do not use any
lcms or hcms, but may not push the efficiency of a ship over 80%.

AIRFIELD SECTORS & BUILDING PLANES

Planes are built in airfields. 10% of the materials listed by "show"  must  be
available  at  the  time  of building.  Planes first appear at 10% efficiency.
Then, each update, the plane will gain efficiency  and  use  up  more  of  the
required  materials  until it reaches 100%.  A plane is not capable of leaving
the ground until it has reached 40% efficiency.  Planes below  10%  efficiency
are destroyed.

The work required to add a point of efficiency to a plane is

   (20 + (lcm_to_build + 2 * hcm_to_build))/100

Planes will also gain efficiency in non-airport sectors, but at only 1/3rd the
normal rate.

Planes on carriers will also gain efficiency. The amount of work available  is
based on the carrier's crew, and the rate is the same as a non-airport sector.
Repairs at sea do not use any materials, but may not push the efficiency of  a
plane over 80%.

HEADQUARTERS SECTORS & BUILDING LAND UNITS

Land  units are built in headquarters sectors.  In order to build a land unit,
you must have 10% of the items listed by  "show"  available  at  the  time  of
building. The land unit will appear at 10% efficiency (a unit of less than 10%
efficiency is dead). Then, each update, the unit will grow in efficiency,  and
use up more of the required goods until it reaches 100%.

The work required to add a point of efficiency to a land unit is

   (20 + (lcm_to_build + 2 * hcm_to_build))/100

Land  units  can also gain efficiency in fortress sectors, but cannot be built
there.  Land units can gain efficiency in any other sector type (assuming  the
correct goods are available), but at 1/3rd the normal rate.

NUCLEAR PLANT SECTORS & BUILDING NUKES

Nuclear  devices  are built in nuclear plants.  All of the materials listed by
"show" must be available at the time of  building.   New  nukes  appear  fully
operational.

Note:  If  the  DRNUKE  option  is  enabled, you will need a certain amount of
research to make nukes. At the present time, it is  1/3  the  amount  of  tech
needed  to make the nuke. See the "show" command, which lists this if applica-
ble.

BUILDING BRIDGES

A bridge is built in a sea sector by an adjacent sector.

If option EASY_BRIDGES is disabled, only bridge head sectors can build  bridge
spans.   Otherwise,  any  (coastal) sector can build bridge spans, but the new
bridge span must be adjacent to a land sector or a bridge  tower.   If  option
BRIDGETOWERS  is enabled, bridge spans can build bridge towers.  Bridge towers
are possible only in open water, i.e. not adjacent to land.

In any case, the building sector must be at least 60% efficient.  To find  out
the required amounts of materials, avail, capital and technology, use commands
"show bridge build" and "show tower build".

If you type
   [##:##] Command : build b 1,3
and 1,3 has enough hcm (heavy construction materials), the  workforce  in  the
sector  is  large  enough  (as defined above), you have enough money, and your
technology level is high enough, then the program will respond:

   Bridge head at 1,3
    + k
   o a .
    . .
   build span in what direction? n

If everything is correct, you get:

   Bridge span built over 2,4

Of course, you may also build bridges all in one line as in:
   [##:##] Command : build b 1,3 n

A sector that has a bridge built in it is automatically cleared  of  mines  at
the time of building.

Bridges  are built at 20%.  If the efficiency drops below 20% (due to bombing,
shelling, etc.) the bridge falls.  A bridge also falls if all  its  supporting
sectors  are reduced below 20%.  A sector is a supporting sector if it is of a
type that can build bridges.  Bridge heads and bridge towers are.  With option
EASY_BRIDGES, all land sectors are as well.

When a bridge falls, all mines in the sector are cleared.

Ships can navigate under bridge spans that are at least 60% efficient.

SEE ALSO
   Unit-types,  Ship-types,  Plane-types,  Nuke-types, Bridges, show, upgrade,
Maintenance, Ships, Planes, LandUnits, Sectors

