                                Command : FIRE

 SYNTAX:
   [##:##] Command: fire [<VSECT> | <VSHIP>] [<ASECT> | <ASHIP>] <NUMBER>

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

The general form for shooting at land from land is:
   [##:##] Command: fire <VSECT> <ASECT>
Where <VSECT> is the victim sector, (the sector AT which you are shooting, not
the sector FROM which you are shooting).

The general form for shooting at land from ships is:
   [##:##] Command: fire <VSECT> <ASHIP> <NUMBER>

The general form for firing at ships from land is:
   [##:##] Command: fire <VSHIP> <ASECT>
Again, <VSHIP> is the victim ship number.

                                Command : FIRE

The general form for firing at ships from ships is:
   [##:##] Command: fire <VSHIP> <ASHIP> <NUMBER>

If not specified on the command line the program will ask for  the  sector  or
ship FROM which you are firing, (<ASECT> or <ASHIP>).

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 the number of guns, (with a  max-
imum  of  7), times the technology factor, (which has a maximum of 1. see info
technology).

Any military ship may fire as long as it has at leasr 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 <NUMBER> was
not  specified  on  the command line the program will ask how many you wish to
fire.  See info ship-types for gun ranges.

Forts and non-destroyers cannot hit submarines on the high seas.  The only way
to  attack  a  submarine  is  to  have  a destroyer drop a depth charge on it,

                                Command : FIRE

costing two shells.

The program then prints a satisfying  Kaboom!!!  and,  assuming  you  were  in
range, inflicts damage.

Ships lose 15 mobility points 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, etc.

A table of approximate damages looks like:

                                Command : FIRE

   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.

An illustrative example of shelling land:
   [##:##] Command: fir 34,18 36,18

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

                                Command : FIRE

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

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).

If the sector is near any friendly forts within range of the attacker that all
such forts will return fire.

If a ship fired on has guns and shells it will fire back AND any  other  ships
of the same nationality that are in range will also fire on you.

See also : attack, assault, torpedo, technology

