## Combat Overview
Combat follows a deterministic sequence that does not depend on cargo, turn order, or ship class.
### Attack Sequence (General)
1. **Empty ships** – Appear at the bottom of the sector display but attack first.
2. **Player ships** – Attack in the order players first signed on to the sector.
3. **Fighters** – Handled according to the *Fighter Accounting* rules (see below).
> Note: Turn consumption, cargo load, or ship type do not affect this order.
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## Entering a Hostile Sector – Order of Events (No Photon)
1. Nav Hazard check – apply any navigation‑hazard damage.
2. Limpet Mine attachment – a single Limpet Mine attaches to the hull (replacing any previously attached Limpet).
3. Armid Mine detonation – each Armid Mine detonates with a 50 % chance (rounded down).
4. **Sector Q‑Cannon fire** – planets fire in numerical order; if the ship is destroyed, subsequent cannons do not fire.
5. Fighter encounter – one of three scenarios:
* **Sector Offensive Fighters** – attack at **1:1** odds, sending `1.25 × (max shields + max figs)` fighters.
* **Sector Defensive Fighters** – challenge at **1:1** odds; the player may *attack*, *retreat*, or *surrender*.
* **Tolled Fighters** – act as a toll; the player may *pay* 5 credits per fighter or fight at **1:1** odds.
6. Post‑combat mine prompt – if mines remain, the game asks whether to avoid the sector; the prompt returns to the command line regardless of the answer.
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## Landing on a Hostile Planet – Order of Events (No Photon)
1. **Atmospheric Q‑Cannon** fires (if the planet has one).
2. Ship attacks planetary shields.
3. **Second atmospheric Q‑Cannon** fire – occurs only after shields are destroyed.
4. **Planetary Offensive Fighters** – fire at **2:1** odds, sending `1.25 × (max shields + max figs)` fighters (only when no shields remain).
5. **Planetary Defensive Fighters** – fire at **3:1** odds after offensive figs are resolved.
6. Ownership prompt – press **O** to claim the planet after all fighters are cleared.
> **Warning:** Planetary shields must be reduced below **200 planetary shields** (equivalent to 2,000 ship shields) before photons become effective.
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## Fighter Accounting
| Source of Fighters | Counted in `V` Screen |
|---------------------------------------|------------------------|
| Sector fighters (ships that carry fighters) | Yes |
| Player‑owned planet fighters | Yes |
| Fighters on a ship docked on a planet | Yes |
| Fighters on empty ships | No |
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## Combat Odds Table
| Context | Odds |
|------------------------|------|
| Tolled Fig | 1:1 |
| Defensive Fig | 1:1 |
| Offensive Fig* | 1:1 |
| Planet Defensive Fig | 3:1 |
| Planet Offensive Fig** | 2:1 |
| Planet Shield | 20:1 |
*Version 0.55* offensive figs calculate the number required to destroy the ship using **max** shields + figs, then send `1.25 × that amount`. If the ship’s odds are **1:1.3** or better, it survives.
**\***Planet Offensive figs also send `1.25 × required figs` but use **2:1** odds; without a photon the ship is podded unless its odds are ≥ 1:1.3.
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## Q‑Cannon Damage Formulas
### MBBS (and Classic Gold) Q‑Cannon
| Situation | Formula |
|-------------|-------------------------------------------|
| Sector | `Damage = (TotalOre * SectPct) / 3` |
| Atmospheric| `Damage = TotalOre * AtmoPct * 2` |
### Classic (Gold) Q‑Cannon
| Situation | Formula |
|-------------|-------------------------------------------|
| Sector | `Damage = (TotalOre * SectPct) / 3` |
| Atmospheric| `Damage = TotalOre * AtmoPct * 0.5` |
*Variables*
- `TotalOre` – total Fuel ore present on the planet.
- `SectPct` – sector‑fire percentage setting (0‑100).
- `AtmoPct` – atmospheric‑fire percentage setting (0‑100).
**Example (Class H Volcanic planet, 200,000 Fuel, 20 % atmospheric, 10 % sector):**
- Sector damage: `(200,000 * 10) / 3 = 6,666` points.
- Atmospheric damage (MBBS): `200,000 * 20 * 2 = 72,000` points.
- Atmospheric damage (Classic): `200,000 * 20 * 0.5 = 2,000` points.
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## Sector Quasar Cannon Damage – Ore‑After‑Blast Calculations