                               Command : RECON

NAME
   recon - Use planes to take a look around

Level: Expert

SYNTAX
   [##:##] Command : recon <SPYPLANES> <ESCORTS> <SECT> route|destination

The  "recon" command is used to gather intelligence about sectors that the spy
mission overflies.  The planes take off from their respective airports, assem-
ble, and then fly the mission and land in the destination sector.

<SPYPLANES>  represents a list of planes which are to be performing the intel-
ligence gathering operation.  Only planes which are  provided  with  gas,  and
have sufficient mobility will be successfully selected for the mission.

<ESCORTS>  represent  a  list of fighter planes which are capable of escorting
the transports all the way to the target.  To be selected, escorts  must  have
fuel and mobility.

<SECT>  represents  an  assembly point, where all of the planes in the mission
meet before proceeding on to the target sector.  The assembly  point  must  be
owned  by  you,  and  must  not be more than four sectors away from any of the
planes selected for the mission.

Route is a normal empire path specification. You may also give  a  destination
sector  on the command line, or at any time while giving the route, and empire
will use the best path from the current sector to the desired destination sec-
tor.

When  getting  a  path interactively, empire will show you the information you
have (from your bmap) concerning the current area, to help plot your course.

Information given by recon is not totally accurate.

Recon missions can be intercepted just like any other mission.  If the  desti-
nation  sector  is  not  an  airport, then all planes in the mission must have
V/STOL capability.

Planes with the ASW ability will perform a sonar search on each sector as they
fly  through it.  Each sub contact will be reported only once, giving the sec-
tor and number of the sub, from the sector  in  which  it  is  first  detected
(which  may not be the sector the sub is in, as plane sonar has a range depen-
dent  on  acc,  and  a  chance  of  finding   a   sub   of   ((100-acc)-(4-sub
visib)*10))+((100-effic)/5)  percent.   The  sub  being sonared may detect the
sonar ping.

Note that a plane must be at least 40%  efficient  before  it  can  leave  the
ground.

SEE ALSO
   Plane-types, bomb, fly, paradrop, drop, sweep, Mobility, Planes, Detection

