                               Command : CONVOY

 SYNTAX:
   [##:##] Command: convoy <CONVOY> <SHIP/FLEET>

The convoy command is used to specify convoy groupings of your ships and vehi-
cles.   For  ships  under  orders,  it  also provides a way to keep a group of
vessels sailing together.

   [##:##] Command: convoy <CONVOY> <SHIP/FLEET>

In the syntax <CONVOY> is the alphabetic character to be used  as  the  convoy
designation.   Like  fleet  designators, this character can be chosen from the
set of upper or lower case a-z and tilde (~).  Tilde (~) has special  meaning,
however, in that it removes the specified ships from any convoys (assigns them
to the `null' convoy).

The <SHIP/FLEET> parameter uses standard ship specifier syntax, and can  be  a
single  ship,  a  slash-separated  list of ships, a fleet name, a ship name, a
sector, a range, etc.

                               Command : CONVOY

Assigning ships into convoys is very similar to assigning them to fleets, with
one big difference.  Ships sailing with autonav orders, if they are members of
the same convoy, will try to remain grouped together.

At update time, the slowest autonaving ship in the convoy is selected  as  the
pace  ship,  determines  the  convoy's speed and destination, and is the first
ship to move.  Subsequently, all other autonaving ships  in  the  same  convoy
steam  toward  the  new  location of the pace ship.  The net effect is that no
ship will outrun the slowest ship in the convoy, and the entire convoy  steams
toward a common destination.

There are a few things to note.  Ships that  do  not  have  orders  aren't  on
autonav,  and  will not move regardless of convoy association.  Also, you will
be notified if any ship in the convoy has a different  destination,  and  must
ignore  its  original  orders in order to follow the pace ship.  Be aware that
the pace ship never sits idle waiting for others to catch up; if another  ship
in  the  convoy is coming from a very long distance away, it may never rendez-
vous by the time the main convoy reaches its destination.  Lastly, insure your
ships  have  enough  petrol to make the trip; as vessels run out of fuel, they
remain associated with the convoy but will be  forced  to  stop  and  be  left

                               Command : CONVOY

behind.

For convenience, the `convoy' command can be applied to any ship,  tank,  bal-
loon, or train.  However, automatic grouping of autonaving vessels in the same
convoy only works with ships.  For tanks, balloons,  and  trains,  the  convoy
designator  is purely symbolic, like the fleet designator, and provides simply
another  shorthand  way  to  specify  groups  of  vehicles   (by   using   the
`?convoy=<id>' qualifier).

See also : fleet, load, lookout, navigate, radar, ship, unload

