ADAMJR: Created Warfare page

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Created Warfare page

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[[File:Fleet-moving-in-star-system.jpg|thumb|400px|Fleets engaging in battle within a star system.]]

Warfare is a core aspect of galactic conquest in '''New Stars'''. Empires build [[Fleet|fleets]] to defend their territory, besiege enemy [[Colony|colonies]], and eliminate rival powers. This page covers declaring war, fleet combat, colony sieging, and making peace.

== Declaring War ==

War is declared through the [[Diplomacy|Diplomacy Panel]] by selecting a rival empire and choosing '''Declare War'''. War can only be declared when you:

* Are '''not''' already at war with the target.
* Are '''not''' in a friendship with the target.
* Are '''not''' bound by an active truce with the target.

When war is declared, all [[Diplomacy|allied]] empires on both sides are automatically pulled into the conflict. Embassies are dissolved, trade agreements cancelled, and a '''peace cooldown of 360 days''' is imposed before negotiations become possible.

{{ns-color|DANGER|Warning:}} Declaring war deals major opinion penalties — Trust drops by 100 and a War modifier of −50 is applied to all affected empires.

== Fleets ==

Fleets are groups of ships that traverse the galaxy through [[Star System|star systems]] via [[Hyperlanes]]. A fleet's total combat power is the combined sum of all its ships' stats. Fleets can be '''merged''' to concentrate firepower, or '''split''' to patrol multiple systems simultaneously. Winning a battle rewards the victorious fleet with '''EXP'''.

=== Ship Types ===

Military ships come in five combat classes, each suited to different engagement ranges. Non-military ships (Explorers, Colonists, Builders) cannot participate in battle.

{| class="wikitable"
!
!Ship
!Role
!Range
!Description
|-
|[[File:Gunboat.png|center|thumb|74x74px]]
|'''Gunboat'''
|Short-Range Skirmisher
|Short only
|Gunboats are the smallest military vessels and only carry short-range weapons. Best used in large numbers for early-game warfare.
|-
|[[File:Light-cruiser.png|center|thumb|74x74px]]
|'''Destroyer'''
|Skirmisher
|Short & Medium
|Destroyers are versatile ships effective in both short and medium-range engagements.
|-
|[[File:Light-cruiser.png|center|thumb|74x74px]]
|'''Light Cruiser'''
|Medium Fighter
|Medium
|Light Cruisers form the backbone of mid-game fleets, specialising in medium-range combat.
|-
|[[File:Heavy-cruiser.png|center|thumb|74x74px]]
|'''Heavy Cruiser'''
|Ranged Combatant
|Medium & Long
|Heavy Cruisers provide heavy firepower at medium and long range.
|-
|[[File:Star-cruiser.png|center|thumb|74x74px]]
|'''Star Cruiser'''
|Long-Range Powerhouse
|Long
|Star Cruisers are formidable capital ships built for devastating long-range bombardment.
|}

=== Fleet Stats ===

Each fleet's combat power is the combined sum of its ships' individual stats:

{| class="wikitable"
!Stat
!Description
|-
|{{icon|shields}} '''Shields'''
|The first line of defense. Shields absorb damage before the Hull is hit. Shields regenerate out of combat each month.
|-
|{{icon|hull}} '''Hull'''
|Core structural integrity. A ship at zero Hull is destroyed. Reduced Hull also reduces Damage output — see Critical Damage below.
|-
|{{icon|damage}} '''Damage'''
|Raw offensive output per turret shot. Actual damage in battle depends on turret type and engagement range.
|-
|{{icon|speed}} '''Speed'''
|Movement speed across the galaxy, and the source of '''Evasion''' — faster ships dodge up to '''25%''' of incoming attacks.
|-
|{{icon|regen}} '''Regen Rate'''
|Monthly rate at which Shields and Hull recover when not in combat.
|-
|'''Fire Rate'''
|How often turrets fire. Combined with Damage, determines effective damage per day.
|}

=== Turrets ===

Ships are equipped with turrets that fire during battles. Different turret types are effective at different ranges:

{| class="wikitable"
!
!Turret Type
!Best Range
|-
|[[File:Tech_turret_rocket.png|center|thumb|64x64px]]
|Rockets
|Short
|-
|[[File:Medium_turrets.png|center|thumb|64x64px]]
|Standard Turrets
|Medium
|-
|[[File:Tech_turret_missiles.png|center|thumb|64x64px]]
|Missiles
|Medium–Long
|-
|[[File:Tech_turret_plasma.png|center|thumb|64x64px]]
|Plasma Cannons
|Medium
|-
|[[File:Tech_turret_spice_phaser.png|center|thumb|64x64px]]
|Spice Phasers
|Long
|}

Combat engagements occur at approximately '''medium range'''. Turrets whose minimum effective range matches the engagement distance deal '''full damage'''; turrets outside their optimal range deal only '''50% damage'''.

== Combat ==

Battles begin automatically when enemy fleets occupy the same star system. Ships target the nearest enemy and exchange fire each combat tick.

=== Damage Resolution ===

Incoming damage is resolved in this order:

# '''Shields''' absorb damage first. Any excess carries over into Hull.
# '''Hull''' takes remaining damage. As Hull is reduced, the ship's '''Damage output scales down proportionally''' — a ship near-zero Hull deals only ~50% of its base damage (''Critical Damage'').
# A ship at '''zero Hull''' is destroyed and removed from battle.

Ships can also '''evade''' an attack entirely. Evasion chance is derived from Speed and is capped at '''25%'''.

=== Retreat ===

A fleet automatically retreats from battle when its combined HP (Shields + Hull) drops below '''30%''' of its maximum value. Retreating fleets immediately leave the star system.

=== Starbases in Battle ===

[[Starbase|Starbases]] participate in combat as fixed defenders, engaging enemy fleets directly. Their stats improve significantly with each upgrade tier. Higher-tier Starbases also grant a '''damage bonus to all allied ships''' in the system.

{| class="wikitable"
!Level
!{{icon|shields}} Shields
!{{icon|hull}} Hull
!{{icon|damage}} Damage
!Allied Bonus
|-
|1 (Basic Outpost)
|250
|250
|25
|—
|-
|2
|500
|500
|50
|+20% Allied Damage
|-
|3
|1,000
|1,000
|100
|+30% Allied Damage
|}

See [[Starbase]] for full stats by type and designation.

== Colony Siege ==

[[File:Siege.png|thumb|200px|The red siege icon marks a colony under enemy occupation pressure.]]

Capturing an enemy [[Colony|colony]] requires '''sieging''' it — a gradual process driven by sustained fleet presence in the colony's star system.

=== Siege Progress ===

Every colony has a '''Siege Progress''' value from '''0''' (fully unoccupied) to '''1''' (fully captured). Progress shifts based on which side has fleets in the system:

{| class="wikitable"
!Condition
!Effect on Siege Progress
|-
|Only '''occupier fleets''' present
|Increases. Occupier fleets exert '''1.75×''' effective siege pressure.
|-
|Only '''defender fleets''' present
|Decreases (Liberation in progress). Liberation is '''40% faster''' than sieging.
|-
|'''Both sides''' have fleets present (Contested)
|No change — the siege is contested and stalls.
|-
|'''No fleets''' on either side (mid-siege)
|Slowly deteriorates toward 0 at ¼ of the normal siege rate per day.
|}

=== Siege Difficulty ===

How quickly a colony can be sieged depends on its '''Siege Difficulty''', which is the sum of:

* '''Soldiers''' assigned to the colony × the per-soldier siege difficulty stat.
* '''Building Siege Difficulty''' (including Forts and other colony buildings).
* '''Half the colony's Population.'''
* '''Tile building contributions.'''

A higher Siege Difficulty means a longer siege. The time is calculated as:

<blockquote>
'''Time to Siege''' = max(5.1 + SiegeDifficulty × 0.4, 5.1) ''(game days)''

'''Time to Liberate''' = Time to Siege ÷ 1.4
</blockquote>

=== Occupation Outcome ===

When Siege Progress reaches '''1''' and the colony was unoccupied, it becomes '''Occupied''':

* Colony buildings are damaged.
* Colony ownership transfers to the occupying empire.
* Endgame defeat/victory conditions are checked.
* If the occupier is a '''Barbaric''' faction, the colony is permanently '''razed''' (destroyed) and the system's [[Starbase]] is deconstructed.

When Siege Progress returns to '''0''' and the colony was occupied, it is '''Liberated''':

* The colony reverts to its original owner.
* Siege Progress resets to 0.

=== Colony Defenses ===

Colonies can be fortified with '''Fort''' buildings, which substantially raise Siege Difficulty and slow any enemy siege. The '''Soldier''' job also contributes directly to siege resistance.

{| class="wikitable"
!
!Level
!Name
!Description
|-
|[[File:Tech_building_fort.png|center|thumb|64x64px]]
|1
|'''Outpost Barricade'''
|Basic colonial fortification. Provides an early line of defense against potential threats.
|-
|[[File:Tech_building_fort.png|center|thumb|64x64px]]
|2
|'''Armored Garrison'''
|Reinforced walls with trained soldiers and advanced weaponry.
|-
|[[File:Tech_building_fort.png|center|thumb|64x64px]]
|3
|'''Citadel Fortress'''
|State-of-the-art defenses with energy shields and powerful artillery systems.
|-
|[[File:Tech_building_fort.png|center|thumb|64x64px]]
|4
|'''Celestial Bastion'''
|The pinnacle of colonial defense — advanced energy weaponry and force fields capable of repelling any assault.
|}

== Making Peace ==

Peace is negotiated through the [[Diplomacy]] panel. Both empires must agree, and all of the following conditions must be met:

* Both empires are currently at war with each other.
* The '''peace cooldown (360 days)''' from the start of the war has elapsed for both sides.
* Neither empire is '''Barbaric''' — Barbaric factions cannot negotiate peace.

Upon peace being made:

* Relations are reset to '''Neutral'''.
* A '''Truce''' is imposed for '''1,080 days''', during which war cannot be re-declared.
* Occupied [[Starbase|Starbases]] in the opposing empire's territory are either transferred or deoccupied.
* If an empire is no longer at war with '''any''' opponent after peace, all of its occupied colonies are liberated and all siege progress is reset to 0.

== See Also ==

* [[Diplomacy]] — Alliances, opinions, and diplomatic options
* [[Colony]] — Colony buildings, jobs, and management
* [[Starbase]] — Upgrading and designating starbases
* [[Technology]] — Fleet and weapon research
* [[Fleet]] — Fleet management and orders

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ADAMJR: Created Warfare page