                                Command : FIRE

NAME
   fire - Fire artillery from sector/ship/unit on sector/ship

Level: Basic

SYNTAX
   [##:##]  Command  : fire [sect | ship | land] [<ASECT> | <ASHIP> | <AUNIT>]
[<VSECT> | <VSHIP>]

When the multi-fire option is enabled, the syntax of the fire command changes.
It  is  still used to shoot up land sectors or ships. However, you may now use
multiple ships, units, sectors to fire from. Return fire is spread amongst all
the firing things.

If  the  SLOW_WAR  option is in use, you cannot fire on the land of any nation
you are not at war with. (see info relations)

The general form for shooting at land from a sector is:
   [##:##] Command : fire sect <ASECTS> <VSECT>
Where <VSECT> is the victim sector, (the sector AT which you are shooting, not
the sector FROM which you are shooting).  ASECTS is a sector or sectors.

The general form for shooting at land from ships is:
   [##:##] Command : fire ship <ASHIPS> <VSECT>

The general form for shooting at land from units is:
   [##:##] Command : fire land <AUNITS> <VSECT>

The general form for firing at ships from land is:
   [##:##] Command : fire sect <ASECTS> <VSHIP>
Again, <VSHIP> is the victim ship number.

The general form for firing at ships from ships is:
   [##:##] Command : fire ship <ASHIPS> <VSHIP>

The general form for firing at ships from units is:
   [##:##] Command : fire land <AUNITS> <VSHIP>

If  not  specified on the command line the program will ask for the sector(s),
land unit(s), or ship(s) FROM which you are firing,  (<ASECTS>,  <AUNITS>,  or
<ASHIPS>).  It will also prompt you for targets for each sector/unit/ship fir-
ing, if you did not specify the target on the command line.

The only sector that may fire is a fortress, which must be at least  5%  effi-
cient,  have  at  least five military for a firing crew, at least one shell to
fire, and a gun big enough to reach the victim location; range is equal to  (7
* ((tech+50)/(tech+200)). If the fortress is at least 60% efficient, it gets a
+1 range bonus.  A fortress firing uses 1 shell.

Note that forts cannot fire if the NO_FORT_FIRE option is enabled.   See  info
"Options" for more info.

Any  military ship may fire as long as it has at least one crew (which must be
military, not civilians), at least one gun, at  least  one  shell  (or  shells
within  supply range), and has at least 60% efficiency.  A ship's gun range is
its firing range,  as  shown  by the  show  command,  divided  by  two,  times
((tech+50)/(tech+200).  A ship uses one shell per two guns firing.

Any  land  unit may fire as long as it has at least one military, at least one
shell (or shells within supply range), and has at  least  40%  efficiency.   A
land  unit's  gun  range  is  its  firing range, as shown by the show command,
divided by two, times ((50+tech)/(200+tech)).  A land unit uses the amount  of
ammo,  as  shown  by  the lstat command, each time it fires.  A unit with less
shells than its ammo requirement will do proportionately  less  damage.   (See
"show" for firing ranges)

Forts, land units, and non-depth-charge-equipped ships
 cannot  hit submarines on the high seas.  The only way to fire on a submarine
is to have a depth-charge-equipped ship drop a depth charge on it, costing two
shells.   (Note you can also hit subs using ASW planes or subs which have sub-
torp capability.)

The program then prints a satisfying "Kaboom!!!" and,  assuming  you  were  in
range, inflicts damage.

Ships lose mobility points equal to 1/2 the cost they would pay to move 1 sec-
tor for each shot fired. (If the NOMOBCOST option is  in  use,  ships  pay  no
mobility for firing.)

The  damages  inflicted  vary with efficiency of the attacker, the size of the
guns (battleship guns are four times as big as patrol boat guns),  the  number
of guns fired (7 being the useful max for forts), and the armor of the victim.
Land sectors take damage depending on their defensive strength.  Use the  com-
mand  'show  sector stats' to show defensive strengths.  The higher the defen-
sive strength, the less damage the sector will take.

An illustrative example of shelling land:
   [##:##] Command : fir sect 36,18 34,18

   Kaboom!!!
   13% damage done to sector 34,18

Meanwhile, the owner of sector 34,18 might be logged on and would perhaps  see
the following:

   [15:98] Command: cen 34,18
   Sat Jul 30 16:18:01 1984
   CENSUS              del cnt
     sect      eff mob cmf cmf % * civ mil food min gmin fert oil
    34,18  i  100% 127 ... ...     200 100   23  23   31   73  18
           1 sector
   You have a telegram waiting ...

   [15:98] Command: read
   BULLETIN!       dated Sat Jul 30 16:18:02 1984
   Country #9 shelled 34,18
   Shall I burn it? y

   [15:98] Command: cen 34,18
   Sat Jul 30 16:18:26 1984
   CENSUS              del cnt
     sect      eff mob cmf cmf % * civ mil food min gmin fert oil
    34,18  i   87% 110 ... ...     175  83   20  23   31   73  18
           1 sector

Note that the shell did about 13% damage in the sector.

The player could have typed:
   [##:##] Command : fir sect #0 ?des=f 34,18

In that case, ALL forts in realm 0 would have fired on sector 34,18.

If  the  sector fired on is a fort with guns and shells it will fire back with
approximately the same damages (assuming it has the range).

Also, any friendly forts, units, or ships within range of  the  attacker  will
return  fire,  including  those  belonging to allies, if the allies are at war
with the attacker as well.

If a ship fired on has guns and shells it will fire back AND any other  ships,
units,  or  forts  of the same nationality that are in range will also fire on
you.

All return fire is split evenly over all attacking sectors/units/ships, and is
adjust by the ratio of defending things to attacking things.

As  a change from the original fire command, with multi-fire enabled, you will
not return fire on yourself.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Gun ranges, both on offense AND defense, are somewhat  random.
If  you have a range of 4.16, you can always shoot to 4, and have a 16% chance
of being able to fire at range 5...

SEE ALSO
   attack, assault, torpedo, Technology, relations, Damage, Combat, Ships

