                             Command : RELATIONS

NAME
   relations - Shows diplomatic relations between countries

Level: Basic

SYNTAX
   [##:##] Command : relations

The  relations command displays your diplomatic status with other nations.  If
the optional argument is specified, the command displays that country's diplo-
matic status with other nations.

The data displayed by the nation command is formatted as a single page report.
   [##:##] Command : relations

           MGM Diplomatic Relations Report       Sat Jun 17 23:24:46 1989

           0) POGO                  Allied    Allied
           1) 1                     Neutral   Neutral
           2) Groonland             At War    Hostile

   [##:##] Command : relations 2

           Groonland Diplomatic Relations Report       Sat Jun 17 23:24:46 1989

           0) POGO                  Neutral   Neutral
           1) 1                     Allied    Neutral
           3) MGM                   Hostile   At War

Relations  are:  "Allied",  "Friendly",  "Neutral",  "Hostile",  "Mobilizing",
"Sitzkrieg", and "At War". Each has certain ramifications.

Allied  Your  ally is someone you trust deeply, and are willing to make sacri-
fices for.  If you are allied with someone, then your forts, ships, planes,  &
artillery  will  support them in battle.  Also, they can over-fly you, and you
will not be told.  (I.e. an ally can map you out easily).  When  you  use  the
"wall"  command,  it  sends  a  flash  message to all of your allies (see info
wall).  Unless the ALL_BLEED option is in effect, you will benefit  from  tech
produced  by  your  allies, but not by others .  Allied nations are assumed to
have "friendly" trade relations.

Friendly  When you accept a country as a trustworthy trading partner, then you
establish  friendly  relations  towards  them.  This allows them to sail ships
into your harbours, load and unload goods, fuel, and have their ships repaired
there.   You  are  allowed  to  "tend"  and  "follow" friendly ships.  You are
allowed to cede sectors to a friendly nation, and may send them  "flash"  mes-
sages  (see  info  flash).   You will be warned, however, if they overfly your
territory.  And if they do it enough times, your diplomatic relations  towards
them  will  be  automatically  downgraded.  You may "spy" on a friendly nation
with no consequences.

Neutral  You start out neutral towards all countries.  It  simply  means  that
you  are ambivalent towards them.  If they overfly your territory, you will be
warned and your relations will automatically downgrade.  Caught spies will  be
deported.

Hostile  If  you  are  suspicious that a nation may be planning to attack you,
but you are not committed to an all out war  against  them,  then  you  should
declare  hostile  relations  towards  them.  This will ensure that your planes
will intercept theirs if they try to over-fly you, and your forts will fire on
their  ships when they sail within range.    Also, your a-sat's and abm's will
attempt to intercept their satellites and missiles independent of  the  target
sector they have launched them at, and your ships with anti-missile capability
will attempt to intercept any incoming marine missiles within  range.   Caught
spies will be shot.

War  If  you are committed to expending major resources against a nation, then
you should declare war on them.  This will cause all of your ships, artillery,
planes  and  missiles which have been put on a mission to react to enemy move-
ment.

The following paragraphs apply only if the SLOW_WAR option is used.

Mobilizing  If you are Mobilizing, it means that you have  declared  war,  and
are  getting  ready  to attack. You cannot attack someone's land until you are
actually "At War".  At  the  next  update,  you  will  automatically  move  to
"Sitzkrieg".   Your  interdiction of the enemy will be the same as if you were
hostile towards them.

Sitzkrieg  Sitzkrieg is the same as "Mobilizing".  You  still  are  unable  to
attack  their  land.  At  the  next update, you will automatically move to "At
War".

When you are At War with someone, you may attack them willy-nilly.

Note that if the SNEAK_ATTACK option is enabled, you can  make  an  attack  on
someone  you're not at war with (not shelling or anything else, just an attack
or assault). For this privilege, you are charged  $5K.  Once  your  attack  is
over,  whether  successful  or  not, you automatically declare war on them and
must wait through the normal SLOW_WAR procedure to  attack  again.   (In  this
case, the $1K fee for declaring war is waived)

Also,  there  is  an  automatic  progression.  If  someone you are allied with
attacks you, you become hostile towards them. If someone you  are  neutral  to
over-flies  or  attacks you, you become hostile towards them. Neither of these
progressions can lead to war, however, they both stop at hostility.

SEE ALSO
   Diplomacy

