From: ts@chainsaw.ecn.purdue.edu (Thomas Ruschak)
Subject: Update Stuff & Land Units
Organization: Purdue University Engineering Computer Network
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1992 06:00:03 GMT

	Well, I've been thinking about this for a while. I came up with a
couple ideas that I'm probably going to code. (This is also based on TT's ideas,
with the largest share of credit maybe to go to him) This is still pretty rough,
but I think it might be usable.

================================================================================

I) Basics

	I plan to have land units, with characteristics of both planes and
ships. Here's an example unit:

[1:512] Command : landunit *
#    type               x,y    a  eff  mu att def rad frng supply fuel tech ship
0    War Band           0,0      100% 127  10  10   1    0    2,0    0    0
	
	This is land unit 0, a War Band. It's at 0,0, and doesn't belong to
any army. It's at 100% efficiency, and has 127 mobility units. It has an
attack value equal to that of 10 normal military, and an equal defense value.
It has a reaction radius of 1. It has a firing range of 0. It draws supply
from sector 2,0. It has no fuel. It is tech 0. It is not on a ship.

[1:512] Command : cargo landunit *
unit# unit type           x,y   arm  eff  sh gun pet irn dst bar oil lcm hcm rad
    0 War Band            0,0       100%   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0

	The War Band is not carrying anything.

[1:512] Command : order landunit *
unit# unit type           x,y   arm  eff  min Orders
    0 War Band            0,0       100%  50% Defend vs. all attacks

	The War Band has orders to defend against any attack within it's
reaction radius, as long as it it at least 50% efficient.

	Land units would be built in headquarters, designation !.

[1:512] Command : show landunit build
                  lcm hcm mil guns shells avail tech  $
War Band            5   2  10    0      0     3    0  $100
Phalanx            10   5  10    0      0     4    0  $200
Cavalry             5   2  10    0      0     3    0  $200

	This is pretty standard. Each unit takes 10 mil to build. None
takes any guns/shells for building.
	
[1:512] Command : show landunit capabilities
                  att def vul spd vis spy rad frng ammo fuel xpl cargoes & abil
War Band           10  10  99  23   5   1   1    0    0    0   0 1f
Phalanx            10  15  97  18   8   1   1    0    0    0   0 1f
Cavalry            15  10 100  28  10   1   2    0    0    0   0 1f

	
	Each unit has an attack value (expressed in terms of mil-equivalents),
a defense value (ditto), a vulnerability rating (vs. shellfire & bombing), a
speed, a visibility factor, a spy radius (# of sectors in radius that it
can see other units), a reaction radius, a firing range, an ammunition useage
rate, a fuel useage rate, a number of extra- light planes it can carry (for sams
& such), and cargoes & abilities (in this case, each unit can carry 1 food)

II) Attacking & Defending

	You can use mil in sectors, and/or land units when attacking. The
attack value of your forces is the combined attack values of all attacking
land units, plus the number of mil coming in from adjacent sectors.

	The defense value is equal to the mil in the defending sector, plus 
the defense values of any defending units in the sector, as well as any that
react and move there. In order to react to a combat, a unit must be within its
reaction radius, have mobility, have the proper orders, and be above its min
efficiency (as shown in the unit's orders)

	Combat is done fairly normally, with a series of rolls for attacker/
defender casualties, until one side is dead or retreats. Land units take damage
after all attacking mil are dead, and each 'hit' on a land unit does 5% damage,
and land units retreat after taking 50% damage. Retreating units go back to the
sector they came out of.

III) Orders

	Several different orders will be possible:

	defend vs. all attacks
	defend vs. mil attacks only
	defend vs. land units only
	defend vs. assaults only
	retreat when attacked
	retreat when shelled
	retreat when bombed
	retreat when sector in radius attacked
	retreat when sector in radius attacked by mil only
	retreat when sector in radius attacked by land units only
	retreat when sector in radius shelled
	retreat when sector in radius bombed
	retreat when sector in radius assaulted

	You would be able to use rangeedit to change the reaction radius of your
units, if you so chose. Units in a headquarters sector would get a bonus to
their reaction radius.

IV) Supply

	When attacking, units use guns & shells at a rate determined by their
ammo characteristic. At updates, units eat food, receive mobility (possibly
by expending fuel, if their fuel characteristic dictates), and repair themselves
using mil, guns, and shells.

	These supplies can come from a supply sector or unit, if a path of
owned sectors can be traced to the sector or unit, and the sector or unit
has sufficent guns/shells/mil/fuel/etc. Supplies can also come from the sector
the unit is in (foraging), or the cargo carried by the unit.

	If no supplies are available, the unit can't attack, or takes damage
from starvation, or doesn't get mobility, or doesn't repair itself.

V) Abilities

	Some units would be designated light, and be able to be carried on
ships. Some units would have the assault ability, and be able to assault
beaches. Some would have the artillery ability, and be able to shell sectors
or fire at other units. Some might have the radar flag, allowing them to 
do small radars. Some might have the spy flag, allowing them to get good
spy information on surrounding sectors. Some might be able to mine sectors,
or sweep mines. Some might be able to fortify sectors. There are a multitude
of special abilties they could have.

================================================================================

	Anyway, that's basically it. I invite your comments and opinions.

                                Thomas Ruschak
				ts@ecn.purdue.edu
                                pur-ee!pc!ts

	Love is a snowmobile racing across the tundra,
	and then suddenly it flips over, pinning you underneath.
	At night, the ice weasels come.

                        --- Matt Groening
                            (from _Love Is Hell_):