                              Command : DECLARE

 SYNTAX:
   [##:##] Command: declare <POSITION> <CNUM/CNAME>

The declare command allows you to officially declare your diplomatic relations
with other countries.

<POSITION> may be alliance,  neutrality,  hostile,  or  war;  <CNUM/CNAME>  is
either the name or number of the other country in question.

Your official relations with other countries affect  various  aspects  of  the
game; for instance, if a country with whom you are at war spies on one of your
sectors and you catch the spy he/she will be shot!  If you had been neutral or
merely  hostile  to  the spy's country she/he would merely have been deported.
If the spy was from an allied country he/she would  never  be  caught  in  the
first place.

Similarly, a plane from an allied or neutral country will not be  shot  at  by
your sectors when it flies over them.

                              Command : DECLARE

GOING TO WAR

(Note: the following stuff is  only  in  effect  if  the  SLOW_WAR  option  is
selected) With the SLOW_WAR option in use, you cannot attack the land of some-
one you are not at war with. When you declare war on  someone,  your  relation
goes  to mobilizing. You still can't attack them.  After the next update, your
relation goes to sitzkrieg, and you still can't attack them.  After  the  NEXT
update, you're at war with them, and anything goes.

If someone is mobilizing or in sitzkrieg, or at war with you, and you  declare
war  against  them, your relation is set to be the same as theirs, so there is
no way to gain any advantage through this stuff. It just means that you  can't
sneak-attack people.

The first person who declares war pays $1000. Return declarations are free.

There is an exception to the SLOW_WAR restrictions. If you are listed  as  the
old  owner of a sector, you are still allowed to attack it. This is to prevent
someone from declaring war with you, taking some sectors, then declaring  neu-
trality  before you declare war. (Assuming you didn't notice their declaration

                              Command : DECLARE

of war)

Also, if the SNEAK_ATTACK option is enabled, you make  make  one  attack  upon
someone  you're  not  at  war with. You'll pay $5K for the privilege, however.
Once the sneak attack is over (win or lose),  war  is  automatically  declare.
(The normal $1K cost is waived in this case)

The newspaper is very interested in declarations of war or alliance  --  don't
expect to keep such declarations secret.

Deities can will be prompted for a third parameter, the country  to  make  the
declaration for. The default is to make it for the deity's country.

See also : fly, nation, spy, relations

