                               Command : SUPPLY

 SYNTAX:
   [##:##] Command: supply <UNIT/ARMY>

The supply command causes a unit to  draw  enough  supplies  from  its  supply
sources to make sure that it has its basic load of supplies.  Supply tells you
which units have enough supplies.

A basic load of supplies for a unit consists of:
        1) enough food to eat for one update

        2) enough shells to fire once
                A unit uses shells equal to its ammo stat to fire once.
                Use the show command to find out how much ammo
                the unit uses per shot.

        3) petrol equal to its fuel use number, if the unit uses fuel
                (show land stats will show the fuel use number)

If the unit has enough of all these things, it is said to be 'in  supply'.   A

                               Command : SUPPLY

lack of any of these things is enough to make the unit 'out of supply'.

When supplies are drawn & used

A unit that fights may use a basic load of supplies to attack with.   (depend-
ing  on  the intensity of combat. The more intense the combat, the more chance
the unit will use a basic load of supplies)

During the update, each unit will attempt to draw food  supplies  just  before
starvation is calculated.

When a unit needs to draw supplies, such as when you use the  supply  command,
or the unit wishes to attack, or is attacked, etc, it must attempt to get them
from supply sources. Other things may use the same routines, such as  sectors,
which  will  draw  food  from supply sources when in danger of starvation, and
ships/forts/sectors, which will draw shells when they need them to fire defen-
sively or fire AA at planes.

Supply Sources

                               Command : SUPPLY

There are four sources of supply. In each case, the unit must be within supply
range of the source. Supply range is:

   10 * ((tech+50)/(tech+200) sectors.

In addition there must be a valid supply path to the source. A supply path  is
a  path  of  sectors  owned  by the owner of the unit that leads to the supply
source. (Note that the path may be of any  length..  only  the  supply  source
itself  must  be within supply range.. this is to make the coding simpler, and
may change in the future) The best path (in terms of  mobility  use)  will  be
used.

In each case, mobility is used to move the supplies.

The first source of supply checked is the sector the  unit  is  in.   This  is
foraging, and uses some mobility from the unit itself.

If the unit's needs can't be satisfied by forging, it look for an owned  ware-
house  or  headquarters  that  is  at  least 60% efficient. Drawing from these
sources uses mobility from the warehouse or headquarters. (A headquarters will

                               Command : SUPPLY

NOT supply a unit if it has no distribution path)

If still in need, the unit will look for an owned supply ship  (one  that  has
the  supply ability) in an owned harbor.  The harbor must be at least 2% effi-
cient. This uses mobility from the harbor.

If it still can't find enough supplies, the unit will look for an  owned  unit
with  the  'supply' ability. (see info show for information on how to find out
about abilities of units) In this case, the supply unit uses its  mobility  to
use the supplies. After it supplies the unit, the supply unit will then itself
try to re-supply, so that it is possible to  form  a  chain  of  supply  units
reaching back to a headquarters or supply ship.

If after all this the unit can't get enough, it is out of supplies.

Note that no supply source will give up enough food  to  make  it  starve.  In
addition, no supply source will go below 1 of any commodity.

   [##:##] Command: supply *
War band #2 has supplies

                               Command : SUPPLY

   4 units

OTHER USES OF SUPPLY

In general, when any land unit/ship/fort needs shells, it will attempt to draw
them before use, if it does not already have them.

Also, units/ships/sectors will use supply sources to get  enough  food  during
the update so that they do not starve.

See also: lload

