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Construction

We must be the great arsenal of democracy. -- FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT (1940)

Tooling up prepares a unit to create or construct the desired type. As with research, game designs may allow a crossover effect for tooling. Tooling may also decline gradually over time; this is called tooling attrition. Many games do not require tooling up.

Actual construction of a unit happens in two steps; creation and building towards completion. Most interfaces will also schedule research and toolup actions if a unit is told to build something that needs tech or tooling first.

Creation is the actual step of bringing a new unit into existence. If the new unit is complete, then it can be used immediately. If not (which is usually the case), then the incomplete unit will exist and belong to your side, but be unable to do anything at all. Incomplete transports cannot have any occupants, unless the occupants are types capable of helping complete the transport. Incomplete units always have 1 hp, so they're vulnerable to attack.

Completion is achieved by doing build actions on the unit. Multiple units can all work on completing the same unit, but they must be sufficiently close, within a range defined by the game (usually the same or an adjacent cell). In some games, there is a level of completion past which the unit will start working on itself automatically, and eventually become complete without any further action.

It is usually the case that the same unit will be able to both create and complete a unit, but if not, you will have to pay special attention to your construction plan, since an incomplete unit cannot act in any way. You would have to either transport the incomplete unit to a type that can complete it, or the completing unit must come to the incomplete one. Some games may allow the incomplete unit and its completer to be some distance apart, but the usual rule is that they must be in the same cell.

Note that multi-part units will be considered "complete" when just one of their parts is completed. Most interfaces will have the builder continue growing the just-completed unit as long as it remains within construction range.


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