.TH Command LAUNCH
.NA launch "Launch missiles or satellites"
.LV Expert
-.SY "launch <PLANES>"
+.SY "launch <PLANES> <SECT|SHIP|PLANE>"
The launch command is used to launch missiles (or satellites)
from sectors or submarines owned by you.
.s1
-There are 5 classes of missiles:
+There are five classes of missiles:
.NF
1. "marine" missiles may only be fired at ships. They may be given
- "interdiction" mission. When interdicting ships, "marine" missiles
- will keep launching until the entire enemy fleet is sunk.
+ "interdiction" mission.
2. "tactical" missiles (without "marine" capability) may only be fired
against sectors. They may be given missions. If they fire on a
mission, then only enough missiles will fire to cause 100 damage.
-3. "intercept" missiles can not be launched. They automatically
- intercept planes. You can increase their reaction radius by giving
- them an "air" defense mission.
-4. "a-sat" missiles will automatically attempt to intercept AT_WAR
- satellites which are launched into orbit within range.
-5. "abm" (anti-ballistic-missiles) will automatically attempt to
- intercept incoming "tactical" (non-"marine") missiles.
-
-As well, there are "satellites" which are like missiles in that they
-can be launched, but unlike missiles in that they don't get destroyed
-as soon as they are launched.
+3. "intercept" missiles can't be launched manually. They
+ automatically intercept planes.
+4. "satellite" missiles may only be fired against satellites in orbit.
+ They will automatically attempt to intercept AT_WAR satellites
+ being launched into orbit. Unlike other missiles, they don't get
+ used up.
+5. "SDI" (anti-ballistic-missiles) can't be launched manually. They
+ automatically intercept incoming "tactical" (non-"marine")
+ missiles.
.FI
.s1
In certain cases, a missile will require petrol or shells to be in the
.s1
Note here that it is much safer to use 100% missiles than those which
are less efficient,
-and missiles below 60% cannot be launched.
+and missiles below 40% cannot be launched.
.s1
The formula for the chance that a missile hits its target is in
\*Qinfo Hitchance\*U.
.s1
-Of course, things don't always go as planned!
-.s1
-Note that when you are first asked for the target sector
-you can chicken out by hitting ^C
-(or your favorite abort character).
-.s1
In the case of non-marine tactical missiles, if there are any HOSTILE
-abm's within range of the target sector, then two of them will fire in
-an attempt to intercept the incoming missile.
+ABMs within range of the target sector, then two of them will fire in
+an attempt to intercept the incoming missile.
.s1
Similarly, two AT_WAR a-sat's will attempt to intercept any satellites
you attempt to launch within their range. Also, if the sector you are
they will get a telegram informing them of the positioning of the
satellite. See below for details of a satellite's orbit path.
.s1
-When launching missiles, there is a
+When launching missiles, there is a
% chance equal to (5 + 100 - efficiency) * (1 - techfactor) that the
missile will blow up on
-the launching pad instead of launching. If that happens, then there is
-a further 33% chance that the warhead it is carrying (whether it be
-conventional or nuclear) will detonate. (Note that nuclear warheads
-will only detonate in this way if the option NUKEFAILDETONATE is enabled).
-A nuclear warhead exploding on the launch pad will do the normal
-amount of damage, but a conventional missile will only do half damage
-to the sector or ship it is being launched from.
+the launching pad instead of launching.
.s1
Missiles launched from submarines are anonymous. The victim
is not notified of the identity of the launching country.
.s1
-Missiles on interdiction mission have the same chance of hitting and
-do the same damage as if they were launched by hand. Also, any
-nuclear armed missiles will detonate if they launch on an interdiction
-mission. You specify whether the nuclear warhead will airburst or
+Nuclear-tipped missiles can only be launched at sectors.
+You specify whether the nuclear warhead will airburst or
groundburst when you arm the missiles (see info arm).
In order to better destroy missiles on the ground (or in their silos),
the ground-burst technique is used.
.s1
See Also \*QOn Thermonuclear War\*U by Herman Kahn.
.s1
-If the ORBIT option is enabled, then when you launch a satellite, you
-will be asked "Geostationary orbit?". If you answer "y", then your
-satellite will stay where you launch it. If, however, you answer
-"n", then your satellite will orbit the planet. When a satellite is
-"orbiting", it moves along 5% of a geodesic path every
-update. The path the satellite follows looks like this:
+When you launch a satellite, you will be asked "Geostationary orbit?".
+If you answer "y", then your satellite will stay where you launch it.
+If, however, you answer "n", then your satellite will move along 5% of
+a geodesic path around the world every update. The path the satellite
+follows looks like this:
.NF
+----+
| / |
you go off the top of the map, then continue at the bottom going
northeast until you go off the eastern edge again, and continue from
the western edge near the bottom until you get back to the centre.
-That is the path of satellites which are _not_ in geostationary orbit
-(geo-stationary means stay in the same spot over the planet).
.s1
If a foreign satellite moves over your territory durring an update, then you
will get a message like "Fodderland satellite spotted over 12,24" as a
part of your update BULLETIN.
.s1
-.SA "build, plane, satellite, Nuke-types, relations, Planes"
+.SA "build, plane, satellite, Nuke-types, relations, Planes, Nukes"
projects / empserver / blobdiff