                               Command : BUILD

 SYNTAX:
   [##:##] Command: build [ship|plane|nuke|bridge]  <SECTS>  [ship-type|plane-
type|nuke-type|direction] <TECH>

The build command is used to specify the types of ships to be  built  in  your
harbors,  the  planes  and  missiles at your airfields, the nuclear devices at
your nuclear production facilities, and the directions in which  bridge  spans
are to be built from bridge head sectors.

The ability to produce ships, planes, nukes, or bridges, is based  on  several
factors:  labor  force,  light  production  units, heavy production units, oil
units, radioactive material units, available cash, and technology level.   The
quantities or levels required vary with the object being built.

HARBOR SECTORS

The ship choices range from patrol boats through battleships and yachts.   For
a  brief  table  indicating  the  production costs of the different ship types
respond with ?.  For a table describing the costs and capabilities of the dif-
ferent ship types see info ship-types.

                               Command : BUILD

The labor force required to build a particular  ship  type  is  equal  to  the
ship's tonnage, which is the lcm cost plus twice the hcm cost.  Labor force is
defined as the number of civilians multiplied by the work percentage, plus the
number of uncompensated workers, plus two-fifths the number of military.

Only the first letter of the ship type is required to indicate your choice.

Note that ships first appear at 20% efficiency and a 19% efficient  ship  will
not  float  (i.e., it sinks).  As the ships' crew and harbor personnel work on
them, their efficiency grows to 100%.  The  workforce  needed  to  increase  a
ship's efficiency by one percent per time unit is equal to its tonnage.

Harbor workforce is divided up among those ships needing work in proportion to
their tonnages relative to the total, up to a workforce limit of two times the
tonnage for any ship.  For fastest efficiency growth, put full crews  on  your
newly built ships and leave them in harbor until they reach 100%.

                               Command : BUILD

Ships at sea have only their crews to make repairs.  Crew members each  supply
the  same amount of work, whether civilian, military, or uncompensated worker.
A small crew on a large ship may not be able  to  make  any  repairs  at  all.
(Moral: keep your ships fully crewed in anticipation of future damage.)

Entropy acts on ships at the rate of one  efficiency  point  every  four  time
units.   Ships at sea without enough crew to fight entropy effects will gradu-
ally rust, take on water, and sink.

AIRPORT SECTORS

The choices range from low tech fighter 1 planes up to  and  including  super-
long range jet hvy bombers and icbm 3s.  For a brief table indicating the pro-
duction costs of the different plane  types  respond  with  ?.   For  a  table
describing  the  costs  and capabilities of the different plane types see info
plane-types.

Note that planes first appear at 10% efficiency.  As time passes, and as  long
as  there  are  available work units in the airport at which the planes reside
(to work on the planes), they grow to 100% efficiency.

                               Command : BUILD

NUCLEAR PLANT SECTORS

If you type
   [##:##] Command: build 6,2
and 6,2 is a nuclear plant that has enough hcm (heavy construction materials),
lcm  (light  construction materials), oil, and radioactive material, the work-
force in the sector is large enough (as defined above), you have enough money,
and  your  technology  level is high enough, then the program will construct a
new nuclear device of the type requested, and add it to the current  stockpile
in that sector.

BRIDGE HEAD SECTORS

If you type
   [##:##] Command: build 2,2
and 2,2 is a bridge head that has enough hcm (heavy  construction  materials),
the  workforce  in  the  sector  is  large enough (as defined above), you have
enough money, and your technology level is high enough, then the program  will
respond:

                               Command : BUILD

   Bridge head at 2,2; build span in what direction? j
   Bridge span built over 4,2

To find out the required amounts of materials, workforce,  and  money  try  to
build  in  an  underdeveloped bridge head sector and the program will tell you
the current amounts (may be changed by the local deity).

If the optional (direction) argument is used in the command line  the  program
will  try  to build a span in the specified direction from all bridge heads in
the given area that have the necessary heavy production units.

See also : launch, fly, nuke

