Syntax: HELP ENGAGE.
Goes over the actual commands used for battlefield engagements and gathering the info needed to carry out an effective military campaign.
One of the most significant differences between the consequences of warfare and the fall-out from a combat between two individuals is the extent and permanence of harm done to the defeated, the scale of spoils afforded to the victor, and - for some as important as any material wealth - the indelible mark made on the ever unfolding history of the land. Although treaties and divine negotiators tend to involve themselves in aiding peace settlements long before anything so serious as a complete annihilation of one party is countenanced, the theory remains that if a victorious group was so inclined they could chase down and slay every last defender, besiege, raze to the ground and plunder every construction, all the opponent's wealth, possessions, commodities and artifacts; burn down and pillage, to an irretrievable extent, the homeland of the defeated foe.
Guilds could be closed down, academies destroyed, city councils and ministries rendered homeless and impotent... whole cities can be made vassals to the victor; the possibilities and stakes of War are near-limitless and should cause even the most staunch of warmongerer to reflect a moment on the spectrum of outcomes - victory to defeat - merciful occupation to sadistic conquest - futures unknown. Warfare, even more so than the divine ordination, can have the mightiest impact on the land and thus there are many commands/orders to deal with the process of conquest, plunder and reordering enemy soil freshly laid bare and undefended.
Syntax: RANGES and SIEGES.
These two simple commands give you the low-down on numbers involved in the engagement of an enemy at range and the carrying out of sieges against enemy positions (e..g. fortifications, gatehouses, marshalled defences).
Syntax: HELP BESIEGING.
See HELP BESIEGING for information on the laying of the siege, the destruction of defences and the removal of non-legion opposition from a target locale. This is followed by the plundering and razing stages, see HELP PLUNDERING or HELP RAZING for documentation on these aspects of battlefield conflict.
The end-result of success on the battlefield and subsequent eradication of defences (legions, fortifications, whatever they may be) is the perogative of the victor. This may be withdrawal; but likewise it may be an attempted conquest. Conquest of a town or village, where the sphere of influence/occupation is being expanded, is different to conquest of an entire city. Occupation and conquest within one's sphere of influence, of towns and villages, is documented in HELP OCCUPATION and HELP CONQUEST while the momentuous final occupation and conquest of a major city is detailed in HELP SUPPLICATION.
