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************************* Chapter 5 - Space Battle **************************
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Space battle is performed when ships and/or colonies engage each other
with their space weapons (e.g. Pulsar Beams, Missile Launchers,
Space Fighters.)

Rounds of Battle

A space battle lasts a maximum of 4 rounds. Each round all participants 
simultaneously fire their weapons at their enemies. At the conclusion 
of each round the appropriate damage is allocated to each participant 
and the computer determines if another round should be fought.

Battle Actions

Each round a position will either Fire at its enemies, Flee battle,
Maneuver to avoid enemy weapons, or perform No Action.

If a ship has weapons it will attempt to fire them at its enemies. 
However, each ship has a set of standing orders called a Battle Program 
which may change its action. Options within the Battle Program permit 
you to dictate the actions of your ship during battle.

Batteries

Each position in the battle can divide its space weapons into
separate batteries. The advantage of this is that each battery is
capable of targeting a different enemy position.  A colony may use
a number of batteries up to it's size. For example, a size 3 colony
can use 3 batteries. A ship may use one battery for each 50 hulls
it contains. For example, a ship with 29 hulls can use one battery
while a ship of 51 hulls can use 2 batteries.

When you use more than one battery your BATTLE COMPUTERS, space weapons, 
and SENSORS are divided up equally among them. Since colonies can 
only fire at other colonies using MISSILES, a colony's other space 
weapons will be used by batteries firing at ships.

Targeting

At the start of battle, each ship and colony chooses its initial
target. The larger ships have a higher chance of being targeted
by an enemy. Each position will not necessarily be targeted by an
equal number of enemies but the enemy's batteries are somewhat
equally distributed against your ships. Some ships may be targeted
more than others and some not at all. However you won't be fired
at by more than a fair proportion of the enemy batteries, plus one.
Colonies have a low chance of being targeted unless your battle
options include setting the Colony Target Priority.

In order to fire space weapons a ship or colony must have functioning 
SENSORS. If it doesn't, it will cease firing and attempt to Flee.

Beginning Round #2, if your battle options cause you to cease shooting 
at your initial target you will choose another target at random that 
meets the requirements of your battle options.

Ship's Battle Program

Your Battle Program governs how your ship will operate during battle. 
The following is a list of the battle options available to you in 
your Battle Program:

AREA OF PREFERENCE - This indicates the section of an enemy ship
or colony you most desire to hit with your space weapons. It improves
your chances of hitting this section by approximately 33% against a
ship and up to 80% against a colony.

The sections of a ship are:

1 = Command Section

2 = Main Section

3 = Engine Section.

The rings of a colony are:

1 = Non-Military Ring

2 = Space Combat Ring

3 = Ground Combat Ring. 

To specify an AREA OF PREFERENCE you indicate the number of the ship 
section followed by the number of the colony ring. For instance, 23 
would be Main Section of a ship and Ground Combat Ring of a colony.

FIGHTER AREA OF PREFERENCE - This is very similar to AREA OF PREFERENCE
but functions only for your SPACE FIGHTERS. Each have their own guidance
computer and are highly maneuverable. They always hit the enemy in the
section or ring you indicate. Use the same method as above to choose the
sections you wish to hit.

RETARGET OPTION - This permits you to retarget to another enemy ship
in the event your current target is not firing or moving. It allows
you to stop shooting at an enemy so that his ship can be captured.
To capture an enemy ship he must be incapable of moving and have no
space weapons (or SENSORS) to fire at you. You may specify one of
four choices for your RETARGET OPTION if the enemy target is NOT
MOVING, NOT FIRING, NOT MOVING & NOT FIRING, or NEITHER (don't
retarget). This option is not checked on the first round of battle
yet can be triggered more than once during later battle rounds.

COLONY TARGET PRIORITY - If you choose YES for this option you will
attempt to fire at a colony during your initial targeting. 

FLEE ON HULL NUMBER - If you are engaged in battle and the total
number of hulls on the enemy side exceeds the number you have chosen
for this option, you will attempt to flee on the first round of
battle.  If you fail to get away you will maneuver instead. The
maximum number you may specify is 9999.

FLEE ON DAMAGE TO COMMAND SECTION - This option allows you to indicate
the maximum damage you will sustain to your Command Section hulls before
you attempt to flee. You indicate the number of MU's of damage. This option
can be triggered only once per battle. The maximum number you may specify 
is your total number of COMMAND HULL MU's.

FLEE ON DAMAGE TO MAIN SECTION  - Similar to above.

FLEE ON DAMAGE TO ENGINE SECTION - Similar to above.

FLEE IF DAMAGE RATIO IS BELOW - Using this option you can order your shi 
to flee battle if the proportion of damage taken by your ship on the previous 
round of battle was greater than what you were dishing out. Simply 
divide the total damage you do to other positions into the total damage 
the enemies inflicted on you. If you indicate a damage ratio below 
this number then you will attempt to flee. You may specify a number 
with two digits after the decimal point such as 1.25. If you choose 
never to flee using this option then use the special code 999. 

MAXIMUM # OF BATTERIES TO FIRE - Normally the computer will divide your
weapons up into the maximum allowable number of batteries. If you wish to use 
fewer batteries to concentrate your fire you should specify the number here.

FLEE ON ROUND NUMBER - You may indicate a round of battle (1-4) on which you
will attempt to flee. If you wish never to flee on a round number use 5.

DISABLE ENEMY - If you choose this option you will set your weapons
to do more damage to items inside an enemy position rather than to
hulls. Normally damage is allocated 60% to hulls and 40% to internal
items. If you select this option 40% will be allocated to hulls and
60% to internal items. In addition the overall damage you do will
be slightly reduced.

Colony's Battle Program

Since a colony cannot flee from a battle its battle options are more
limited than those for ships. A colony may only use the options, AREA
OF PREFERENCE, FIGHTER AREA OFPREFERENCE, RETARGET OPTION, COLONY
TARGET PRIORITY, MAXIMUM # OFBATTERIES, and DISABLE ENEMY.

Fleeing or Maneuvering?

You will notice that all of the battle options in your Battle Program
will cause you to attempt to flee. However your flee attempt will
be unsuccessful if any of the ships targeting you are faster than your ship.

Once your BATTLE COMPUTERS discover that you will be unable to escape 
they instruct your ship to begin maneuvering. Maneuvering lessens 
the chance of being hit by enemy weaponry.

In the event you attempt to fire and have no weapons or SENSORS 
remaining you will attempt to flee.

Weapon Accuracy

Weapons are assigned a specific percent chance of hitting an enemy 
target each round. This percent is composed of various factors.

1. BATTLE COMPUTERS & CYBERNETIC MINDS contribute up to a 75% chance to hit.
The more you have of either item, the greater your percent. As you approach
the 75% the value of each one you add lessens and lessens.

2. SENSORS contribute up to 10% with lessening values also.

3. Each weapon type has a different accuracy value. This value is 
a direct percentage and is added to your chance to hit.

4. If you are slower than the ship at which you are shooting, your 
chance of hitting him can be reduced by up to 10%. It is calculated 
as five times the base speed differential.

5. TRACTOR BEAMS hitting you from the previous round can reduce your
chance of hitting by .5 percent per TRACTOR BEAM. TRACTOR BEAMS have
no effect against colonies.

Colonies and ships with no engines have no movement ability. Therefore 
these positions will be hit every time they are targeted.

Battle Procedure

The BSE game week runs Monday through Friday. If you are involved 
in a battle during this time the processing of your turn ceases at 
the battle location and your turn is held until Friday. On Friday, 
another battle check is done and if a battle still occurs it will 
then be processed. Whether or not battle occurs, the remainder of 
your ship's movement will be attempted. A battle has no TU cost.

When a battle occurs all positions at the battle location are checked 
for their Enemy, Support, and Defend Lists to determine who will
be involved. After the battle is processed each participant will
receive a battle printout and an update of their position at the end
of battle.

Derelicts

At the conclusion of a battle, any ships incapable of firing and 
moving or which have no living crew , are considered to be derelict.  
They are assigned the special  DER affiliation and it becomes unowned 
by any player.

The  Enemy, Support, and Defend lists are cleared for all derelict 
ships and they are not included in further battles at that location 
unless an attacking position specifically includes them via a special 
action.

Items may be transfered to derelict ships  but this does not automatically 
gain you ownership.  Derelict ships may be captured only by performing 
a boarding action against them with your military forces. Once captured, 
a derelict ship will return to its derelict status unless you transfer 
sufficient quantities of items so that it no longer meets derelict 
criteria. Boarding actions may only be attempted when there is no 
pending space battle at their location.
