                               Command : ATTACK

 SYNTAX:
   [##:##] Command: attack <SECT>

The attack command is used to conquer sectors owned  by  other  countries.  It
should  not  be  used  to take over unoccupied sectors (explore does that more
efficiently). Also, attack will not let you attack your own  sectors.  If  the
SLOW_WAR  option  is in use, attack will not let you attack the sectors of any
country you are not at war with. (See info  relations)  (If  the  SNEAK_ATTACK
option  is  ALSO in use, you will be able to sneak attack 1 sector of a nation
you are not at war with. This will cost you $5K, whether you win or not. After
the sneak attack, you will automatically declare war on them)

To attack sector 12,-6 you would type:
   [##:##] Command: attack 12,-6
This will initiate the attack sequence against sector  12,-6  (note:  you  may
only attack one sector at a time).

Then you will be informed of the sector's status, e.g.

                               Command : ATTACK

           Sector 12,-6 is a 15% fortress with approximately 40 military.

Then, for each sector you own that is adjacent to the target sector, you  will
then  be  asked  whether  or not to attack with each land unit in that sector,
then asked how many military you wish to attack with from that sector.

   Attack with War Band #0 (100%)? y
   Number of troops from airfield at 2,0 (max 31) : 10

The cost in mobility to the attacking sector(s) depends on the  terrain.   The
cost  is  the same as it would cost to move the mil there by hand.  Units have
their own mobility, and pay the same cost  as  they  would  to  march  to  the
attacked sector.

The cost in mobility to the defending sector is a percentage of its mob  equal
to the percentage of mil casualties it took, if the attack is unsuccessful.

                               Command : ATTACK

Units attacking also pay a mobility penalty,  (10  *  (casualties/total  mil))
Casualties  is  the  number of casualties suffered by that side in the battle.
Total mil is the total number of mil on that side, counting both mil, and  mil
in  land units. (For example, a unit that takes 100 mil to build and is at 50%
efficiency contains 50 mil)

Units in the sector being attacked pay the same.

Units reacting to an attack also pay the same, unless they are  on  a  reserve
mission, in which case they pay half that amount.

Attacking units and units reacting to an attack also pay mobility to move into
the threatened sector. Reacting units get to move back to their starting point
for free, providing they're not forced to retreat.  (See the explanation later
on in this document)

Supply

When attacking or defending, units may use supply.  The chance to  use  supply
depends  on  the  loss  percentage the unit's side takes. The more intense the

                               Command : ATTACK

combat, the more chance the unit will use supplies.  When using supplies, each
unit  uses  food, some use shells, and some use fuel. See info supply for more
details.

Once you have allocated all your attacking forces, the program will  show  you
the initial strengths.

   Total attack strength = 110
   Initial defense strength = 40

Each mil counts as 1. Land units count as the number  of  mil  in  them  times
their  offensive  or defensive multiplier, as appropriate. (To show the multi-
pliers, see the show command). For example, if it took  100  mil  to  build  a
unit,  and  it  had  an  attack multiplier of 2.5, it would be worth 250 "mil-
equivalents" when attacking.

These strengths include terrain effects. To see  the  terrain  effects  multi-
pliers,  use  the  show  command  ("show  sect  stats", see info show for more
details).  A 0% sector has a 2 attack multiplier, 2 defense multiplier. As the

                               Command : ATTACK

sector becomes more efficient, it moves towards the final value. For  example,
a  100%  road has a 1 attack/defense multiplier. A 50% road is half-way from 2
to 1, so it's 1.5. If the road were 25%, it'd be 1.25.  A  100%  fort  has  an
attack  value of 4, defense of 8. At 50%, it would be 3/5. At 25%, it would be
2.5/3.5

After this, additional enemy land units have  the  opportunity  to  react  and
enter  the  threatened  sector.  If  the  defender has less than 1.2 times the
attackers strength, available units will move to the target sector.  Once  the
defender's  strength is 20% more than the attackers, no more units will react.
(Note that defending units moving to the target sector could take damage  from
enemy units doing interdiction missions on the sectors they pass through. This
could result in the unit being considerably smaller when it arrives than  when
it started! See info mission for more details)

In order to react, a unit must be in supply (see info  supply  for  a  defini-
tion), and have a non-zero reaction radius. Units with a basic reaction radius
of 0 can never react. Units whose reaction radius is set with lrangeedit to  0
will  not  react  until their radius is changed back to a non-zero value. (the
reaction radius of a unit can be printed using the show  land  stats  command.

                               Command : ATTACK

See info show)

The distance to the target sector must be less than or equal to  the  reaction
radius  of  the  unit. Units in a headquarters sector receive a +1 bonus, pro-
vided the headquarters is at least 60% efficient. Units performing  a  reserve
mission  (see  info  mission) get a +2 bonus. The unit must also have an effi-
ciency above it's retreat percentage, and have enough mobility  to  reach  the
target  sector.  (Also, units will not react into mountains, even if they have
the mobility)

Once all reaction is finished, a new set of strengths is printed:

   Total attack strength = 110
   Total defense strength = 140

Now,  support  is  calculated,   attackers   fire,   then   defenders.    Each
fort/ship/land  unit that is within firing range of the target sector and sup-
plied will fire, including those in the attacked sector, and  artillery  units
that  react  to  the  attacked  sector.  (Forts and ships must be at least 60%

                               Command : ATTACK

efficient) This includes ships/forts/units belonging to allies of  the  comba-
tants,  if  they  are  at  war with the other combatant. (For example, if A is
allied with B, and at war with C, and A attacks C, things belonging to B  will
support  the attack if able. The same is true for defense. If C attacks A, the
B stuff will help defend A)

Planes with support missions will attempt to fly to the sector and  contribute
support  as well.  Support contributed is equal to the damage normally done by
the unit, divided by 100. For example, if  a  fort  contributes  support,  and
would  normally  do 15% damage, it would contribute .15 support. Allied planes
will also support, as described above.

Land units support depends on their accuracy & damage rating. If a random roll
is greater than the accuracy, they do full damage, otherwise it is halved.

Defending forts/ships/units/planes only contribute support if  it  is  needed.
(If  the  defender's   strength  is at least 20% more than the attackers, they
don't fire)

Mines in the defending sector contribute .02 support per mine, with a  maximum

                               Command : ATTACK

of .4 support. (If the attacker has at least 1 engineering unit, however,  the
mine support is halved)

All support is listed:

   Defending forts add 0.15
   Defending ships add 0.00
   Defending units add 0.05
   Defending mines add 0.10
   Defending planes add 0.20
   Attacking forts add 0.00
   Attacking ships add 0.35
   Attacking units add 0.00
   Attacking planes add 0.35

The attacker's strength is multiplied by (1+asupport), and  the  defenders  is
multiplied by (1+dsupport). Then, new totals are printed:

                               Command : ATTACK

   Total attack strength = 187
   Total defense strength = 210

Once the total strengths have been figured, the battle will rage until someone
is  wiped  out.  Each  time  a  casualty is done, a character is typed; ! if a
defending soldier got it, @ if an attacking soldier went down

Each casualty is 1 mil, or a loss of efficiency from a land  unit.   Mil  take
casualties  first.  When there are no more mil left on a side, land units take
the casualties. When a land unit takes a casualty, it loses efficiency. If  it
is  a  100  mil  land unit (see show land build), each casualty is 1% of effi-
ciency lost. If it is a 50 mil land unit, each casualty is  2%,  etc.  When  a
land unit takes a casualty, and the unit's efficiency is less than or equal to
it's retreat percentage, it must then make a morale check.

The chance of failing a morale check is:  sqrt(100-effic)/(max  men  in  unit)
Example:  a  25  man  unit  is  at  75%  efficiency. It's chance of failing is
sqrt(100-75)/25 = sqrt(25)/25 = 5/25 = .20 = 20%

                               Command : ATTACK

When a unit fails a morale check, it will attempt to retreat to  the  adjacent
owned  sector  with  the  greatest  number of civilians in it. If there are no
owned sectors adjacent, the unit will take extra casualties instead. (No  unit
will  retreat  into  a  mountain  sector) A unit that retreats pays the normal
movement cost to enter the sector it retreats to (see info march for  movement
costs for units). The unit CAN retreat even if it has no mobility, and will go
negative to pay for it. The most a unit can go negative is -127.  After  that,
it  won't  pay any cost to retreat (although by then it's probably pretty use-
less as a unit)

After each casualty, the total attack  and  defense  strength  are  refigured.
(Support  is  not re-figured, it remains constant). If one side has been elim-
inated, the battle is over.. Otherwise, the slaughter continues.

When the battle is done, it's time to count the costs. You'll  pay  .15  BTU's
for each casualty in the battle.

                               Command : ATTACK

If you lose, tough! However, if you win, you will be asked for each  attacking
sector  with surviving troops and each surviving non-retreated unit whether to
move in. Any attacking unit can move in, and up to one half the surviving  mil
can move in. For example:

   We have captured 4,8, sir!
   Move in with  cavalry #298 (44%)? n
   Move in with  infantry 2 #196 (86%)? y
   Move in with  cavalry #3 (21%)? n
   How many mil to move in from 2,8 (40 max)? 20
   Move in with infantry 1 #32 (99%)? y
   20 of your troops and 2 of your units now occupy 4,8

When planning an attack remember that overwhelming  forces  greatly  increases
your  odds;  i.e.,  attacking  10 men with 40 will result in your losing fewer
troops than if you had attacked with 20.

                               Command : ATTACK

If the SLOW_WAR option is enabled, you will not be able  to  attack  a  sector
owned  by  a  country you are not AT_WAR with, unless you are the old owner of
the sector.

If the SNEAK_ATTACK option is also enabled, you can attack ONE sector owned by
a  country  you  are  not  AT_WAR with, paying $5K for the privilege. Once the
sneak attack is done, you will automatically declare war  against  the  enemy,
and  go  through the normal SLOW_WAR sequence before you can attack again (see
info declare or info relations).

A few notes:

When a sector is taken over, all distribution information is wiped. (distribu-
tion sector, thresholds, etc)

A sector is damaged by combat that takes place there. For every 10 casualties,
the efficiency of the sector drops by 1%.

The deity (country 0) is believed  to  be  pacifistic  and  unlikely  to  help
attackers, (except in response to a large offering on the Religious Holidays).

                               Command : ATTACK

If you successfully take the sector over, then the civilians  will  be  turned
into conquered populace (see info populace for details), unless the sector was
previously yours.

Captured sectors will have their distribution and delivery info wiped.

INTELLIGENCE

At times during the battle, you may get information about  enemy  land  units.
The  amount  of information you find out depends on the spy values of the land
units you have in the battle. (Recon units tend to have spy values and get  an
extra  bonus at this) This information is not necessarily precisely completely
correct, of course.

Finally, before initiating an attack you  should  consider  whether  the  real
answer to your problem might lie in diplomacy (you heavy-handed clod!)

See also : assault, fire, march, move, prayers, telegram, relations

