                                Command : FIRE

 SYNTAX:
   [##:##] Command: fire <TARGET[/list]> <CANNON[/list]> [number-of-GUNS]

The fire command is used to shoot up land sectors or ships.

The first parameter is the target spec.  This can be a either  single  target,
or  slash-separated  list of targets.  Each target may be either a sector or a
ship, and must be precisely specified; for example, "-10,20",  "83",  or  "USS
Enterprise".  No ranges, realms, or wildcards are permitted.  If left unspeci-
fied, you will be prompted for a target spec.

The second parameter is the cannon spec.  Like with the target,  this  can  be
either a single location, or a slash-separated list of locations.  Each cannon
can be either a sector (usually a fort) or a ship, and need not  be  precisely
identified.   Sectors  can be specified as ranges, radii, or realms; ships can
be wildcarded; the entire cannon spec can be qualified by "?" conditionals.

Generally, the only sector that may fire is a fortress, although  game  confi-
guration  may make it possible for any sector to fire a limited distance if it
contains military, guns, and shells.   Guns  must  have  a  range  capable  of

                                Command : FIRE

reaching the target; for forts, range is equal to the number of guns, (with  a
maximum  of  7),  times the technology factor (which has a maximum of 1).  See
`info technology' for more details.

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.  If the ship can fire more than one gun and a number  of
guns  was not specified on the command line, the program will ask how many you
wish to fire.  Ships equipped with depth  charges  will  automatically  use  2
shells per depth charge when firing at a submerged sub.  See `info ship-types'
for gun ranges.

If you specify multiple  targets,  each  cannon  location  will  semi-randomly
select  a  target  from your list (the selection tries to bias toward foreign,
nearby targets).  Cannon locations that are blatantly  incapable  of  reaching
any  target  are  eliminated  from the list before the shooting starts.  It is
possible, however, for some locations to fire and fall short of the target.

As each cannon fires, you will see a satisfying KaBOOM and, assuming you  were
in range, inflicts damage.  Ships lose 15 mobility points for each shot fired.

                                Command : FIRE

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, etc.

A table of approximate damages looks like:

       From    To      Range of damages
       ----    ----    ----------------
       land    land    11% .. 16%
       land    sea     14% .. 49%
       pat *   land    7%
       pat *   sea     9% .. 28%
       bat **  land    25%
       bat **  sea     30% .. 64%

* pat here is a patrol boat firing a single gun, (the wimpiest sea gun  avail-
able)
** bat means a battleship firing four guns at once.

After your shelling is over, each target nation WILL attempt to  retaliate  by

                                Command : FIRE

using any or all of its ships and forts that are within range to fire back  at
each of your artillery locations.

See also : attack, assault, torpedo, technology

