Command : SUPPLY

Basic

[##:##] supply <UNIT/ARMY>

The supply command causes a unit to draw enough supplies from its supply sources to make sure that it has its basic load of supplies. Supply tells you which units have enough supplies.

A basic load of supplies for a unit consists of:

	1) enough food to eat for one update

	2) enough shells to fire once
		A unit uses shells equal to its ammo stat to fire once.
		Use the show command to find out how much ammo
		the unit uses per shot.

	3) petrol equal to its fuel use number, if the unit uses fuel
		(show land stats will show the fuel use number)

If the unit has enough of all these things, it is said to be 'in supply'. A lack of any of these things is enough to make the unit 'out of supply'.

When supplies are drawn & used

A unit that fights may use a basic load of supplies to attack with. (depending on the intensity of combat. The more intense the combat, the more chance the unit will use a basic load of supplies)

During the update, each unit will attempt to draw food supplies just before starvation is calculated.

When a unit needs to draw supplies, such as when you use the supply command, or the unit wishes to attack, or is attacked, etc, it must attempt to get them from supply sources. Other things may use the same routines, such as loyal sectors, which will draw food from supply sources when in danger of starvation, and ships/forts/sectors, which will draw shells when they need them to fire defensively or fire AA at planes.

Supply Sources

There are four sources of supply. In each case, the unit must be within supply range of the source. Supply range is:

10 * ((tech+50)/(tech+200) sectors.

In addition there must be a valid supply path to the source. A supply path is a path of sectors owned by the owner of the unit that leads to the supply source. (Note that the path may be of any length.. only the supply source itself must be within supply range.. this is to make the coding simpler, and may change in the future) The best path (in terms of mobility use) will be used.

In each case, mobility is used to move the supplies.

The first source of supply checked is the sector the unit is in. This is foraging, and uses some mobility from the unit itself.

If the unit's needs can't be satisfied by forging, it look for an owned warehouse or headquarters that is at least 60% efficient. Drawing from these sources uses mobility from the warehouse or headquarters. (A headquarters will NOT supply a unit if it has no distribution path)

If still in need, the unit will look for an owned supply ship (one that has the supply ability) in an owned harbor. The harbor must be at least 2% efficient. This uses mobility from the harbor.

If it still can't find enough supplies, the unit will look for an owned unit with the 'supply' ability. (see info show for information on how to find out about abilities of units) In this case, the supply unit uses its mobility to use the supplies. After it supplies the unit, the supply unit will then itself try to re-supply, so that it is possible to form a chain of supply units reaching back to a headquarters or supply ship.

If after all this the unit can't get enough, it is out of supplies.

Note that no supply source will give up enough food to make it starve. In addition, no supply source will go below 1 of any commodity.

[##:##] supply *

War band #2 has supplies 4 units

OTHER USES OF SUPPLY

In general, when any land unit/ship/fort needs shells, it will attempt to draw them before use, if it does not already have them.

Also, units/ships/sectors will use supply sources to get enough food during the update so that they do not starve.