CLOSE-UP FIGHTING
by Hazed
The next stage of the fighting code is in – you can now move your ship closer to your opponent so that you can bring your lasers to bear during a fight.
Right now, you can’t actually fire lasers, all you can do is to move closer and then back out of laser range.
You can only move into close range if you are already involved in a fight – either you have launched an attack or you have been the subject of an attack.
Here’s how it works.
The two ships engaged in a fight move closer together in three stages, which means there are four levels of proximity:
- Open range – that’s the normal range at which you can use missiles
- Intermediate range 1 – you can still use missiles
- Intermediate range 2 – you can’t use missiles or lasers
- Close range – you can use lasers
You move into a closer range using the command ‘CLOSE RANGE’. This moves you through those levels of proximity, so type it three times and then you can use your lasers. Back out using ‘OPEN RANGE’ in the same way to move through the levels by typing it three times.
Of course, while you are doing this the game takes into account the commands your opponent has typed as well, so if you type ‘CLOSE RANGE’ twice and your opponent types it once, then you will be in laser range. Or, if you type it once and your opponent types ‘OPEN RANGE’, you’ll be back to square one.
While in close range, right now you can just end the fight by moving to another location, but eventually that will count as fleeing and will damage your ship.
Next, Alan will work on the code to let you do something when you get into close range: laser fire!
