                             Command : MULTI-FIRE

 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.

                             Command : MULTI-FIRE

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 ship <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.

                             Command : MULTI-FIRE

The only sector that may fire is a fortress, which must have at least two mil-
itary  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.

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, and has at
least 60% efficiency.  A ship's gun range is it's firing range,  as  shown  by
the show command, divided by two times ((tech+50)/(tech+200).

Any supplied land unit may fire out to its firing range,  which  is  it's  frg
(from  show land stats) times ((50+tech)/(200+tech)).  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 attack  a  submarine
is to have a depth-charge-equipped ship drop a depth charge on it, costing two
shells.

                             Command : MULTI-FIRE

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.

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 34,18 36,18

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

Meanwhile, the owner of sector 35,18 might be logged on and would perhaps  see

                             Command : MULTI-FIRE

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

                             Command : MULTI-FIRE

   [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 36,18

In that case, ALL forts in realm 0 would have fired on sector 36,18.

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

                             Command : MULTI-FIRE

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

