Combat
From Invasion3042 Wiki
Combat occurs as the result of a military operation. It is one of the most important features of Invasion3042.
Combat Basics
Combat occurs when one player launches an attack on another player. Combat may also occur when a player attacks pirates, launches a mission, or joins the free for all. This article will focus on one player attacking a second player as most other types of combat are similar enough to this example
There are typically two sides in combat. The side that launches the attack is known as the attacker. Their attack will show up as an offensive operation. The player that is being attacked is known as the defender, and they will have a defensive operation.
A military operation may have only one actual battle (instance of combat), or it may have a large number depending on the type of operation.
In combat, each player will attempt to destroy all of the units belonging to the enemy. Once all of the forces on one side are destroyed, the combat is over.
In some very rare circumstances, neither side will be able to destroy the other. This could occur if the last unit on each side is simultaneously immobilized and they cannot hit each other. In this situation, the administrators will help resolve the battle (typically by placing the units closer to each other and letting them fight it out).
It should be noted that if either player is able to attack the other player, they must do so (even if it means losing). For instance, if an enemy unit is unable to move, you must eventually move in and destroy that unit. You can do so after you have destroyed all the other enemy units, and it is not required that you allow the enemy unit to fire back. Staying out of range of enemy units for extended periods of time without firing on them will eventually result in the admins resolving the combat and punishing the offending party (or parties). Another accepted norm of good sportsmanship is to end your movement or firing phase with the appropriate button click when you are done, and not "run the timers." Running timers, regardless of any past transgression against you, is widely considered poor sportsmanship. For example, the following exchange shows how one side may falsely rationalize poor behavior, and lead to an overall increase in frustration of all parties involved:
Player 1: click end
Player 2: nope timers are gonna run, [redacted, from Player 1's team] does this to us all day
Player 2: now we gonna do it to u all day til u take care of [redacted, from Player 1's team]
Player 2: annoying isnt it?
Player 2: better get used to it, specially if these emps are 4 sectors
Combat Interface
In Invasion3042, combat has its own interface. While it is very similar in function to classic Battletech and games like MegaMech, it has many unique elements.
There are several parts to the combat interface.
Command Center
The command center is where battles are set up. Once an operation is launched, this is where units are allocated and where combat is actually launched.
Current Battles
The current battles page can be accessed by pressing the large green button at the lower left of the military tab. It is used to access the combat page.
The current battles window shows all current battles that the player has access to. This not only includes any offensive or defensive operations from the player, but the battles of anyone the player has combat permissions from.
Combat Page
This is where combat takes place. The interface is unique, and takes some training. On the left is the control panel. The main part of the screen shows the battlefield map.
The upper left of the control panel shows friendly units. Each unit has a number of statistics. To select a unit to move or fire, click on the unit in this section.
Beneath the friendly units section of the control panel is the weapons section. The weapons for the current friendly unit are shown here and can be selected to shoot.
The next section displays the currently selected mech, friend or foe. It show both a graphical and numeric display of armor and internal structure for each part of the mech anatomy. It also displays the movement statistics for the mech as well as the icon for the mech- this is how the mech looks on the battlefield.
The bottom left section shows all enemy units.
