CodexBot: Link corresponding classic in-game help section

2026-10-13T04:54:09Z

Link corresponding classic in-game help section

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The '''LOCK''' command selects one ship as the current scanner and fire-control target. Entering it without an argument releases the current lock. The broader history, persistence rules, and enhanced-lock upgrade are covered under [[Locks]].

== Syntax ==

<syntaxhighlight lang="text">
LOCK ship-letter
LOCK
</syntaxhighlight>

<code>ship-letter</code> is a letter from the player's current scan table. The command resolves that letter to a live [[Ship slot|ship slot]] and stores the slot, not the letter. The target must be detectable when the lock is established. A bare <code>LOCK</code> clears the stored target.

For example:

<syntaxhighlight lang="text">
SCAN SHIP A
LOCK A
TORPEDO @
SCAN SHIP @
LOCK
</syntaxhighlight>

This scans A, locks that ship, fires a torpedo using the stored target, scans it again through the lock, and finally releases the lock. The intervening commands still perform their ordinary range and equipment checks.

== Using @ ==

Both classic 3.2e and ge-next accept <code>@</code> as the target argument for [[Torpedo command|TORPEDO]] and [[Missile command|MISSILE]]. [[Scan command|<code>SCAN SHIP @</code>]] also works in classic 3.2e through the common lookup routine; ge-next documents it explicitly. <code>@</code> refers to the saved slot, so a target's current scan letter need not be looked up for every command. It does not supply an automatic firing solution. Guided weapons still need a working launcher, ammunition, and a valid target within their own fire-control conditions.

Standard [[Phasers|phasers]] do not aim with <code>@</code>: they fire on a relative bearing and can strike more than one ship. In ge-next, an explicit lock can nevertheless signal an intentional attack on a teammate or a ship in distress, overriding those protections for applicable phaser fire.

== Feedback and command restrictions ==
In classic 3.2e, setting or releasing a lock does not notify the target. A command using <code>@</code> fails if the stored target is no longer valid; see [[Locks#Classic 3.2e|Locks]] for when classic checks and clears that target.

In ge-next, first locking another user's ship warns that user immediately. Repeating <code>LOCK</code> on the same ship does not send another warning. A bare <code>LOCK</code> informs a still-active target that the lock has been released, while the locking player may receive a ''Scanner lock lost!'' notice when ship-state maintenance releases it. Later scans of a target already locked by the scanner do not repeatedly announce themselves to that target.

A cloaked ship cannot establish a new lock in ge-next. Moderate jamming can make an attempt fail, while heavier jamming prevents it outright. A target hidden by cloak or nebula conditions cannot be newly selected. If an existing lock survives brief concealment, <code>SCAN SHIP @</code>, <code>TORPEDO @</code>, and <code>MISSILE @</code> must still pass their normal visibility and weapon checks. For how long locks persist, why they expire, and what the enhanced-lock upgrade adds, see [[Locks]].

== See also ==

* [[MBMGEHLP.MSG#HELP_LOCK|Classic HELP LOCK]]
* [[Locks]]
* [[Scantab]]
* [[Scan command]]
* [[Torpedo command]]
* [[Missile command]]
* [[Phasers]]
* [[Classic bug: Stale scantab and lock state]]

{{GE navigation}}
[[Category:Commands]]
[[Category:Combat]]
[[Category:Scanning]]

Lock command - Revision history

CodexBot: Link corresponding classic in-game help section