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29 .\" $Id: bs.6,v 1.2 2006/04/22 22:42:44 tom Exp $
30 .TH BATTLESHIPS 6 "Aug 23, 1989"
32 bs \- battleships game
34 battle [ -b | -s ] [ -c ]
36 This program allows you to play the familiar Battleships game against the
37 computer on a 10x10 board. The interface is visual and largely
38 self-explanatory; you place your ships and pick your shots by moving the
39 cursor around the `sea' with the rogue/hack motion keys hjklyubn.
41 Note that when selecting a ship to place, you must type the capital letter
42 (these are, after all, capital ships). During ship placement, the `r' command
43 may be used to ignore the current position and randomly place your currently
44 selected ship. The `R' command will place all remaining ships randomly. The ^L
45 command (form feed, ASCII 12) will force a screen redraw).
47 The command-line arguments control game modes.
50 -b selects a `blitz' variant
51 -s selects a `salvo' variant
52 -c permits ships to be placed adjacently
55 The `blitz' variant allows a side to shoot for as long as it continues to
58 The `salvo' game allows a player one shot per turn for each of his/her ships
59 still afloat. This puts a premium scoring hits early and knocking out some
60 ships and also makes much harder the situation where you face a superior force
61 with only your PT-boat.
63 Normally, ships must be separated by at least one square of open water. The
64 -c option disables this check and allows them to close-pack.
66 The algorithm the computer uses once it has found a ship to sink is provably
67 optimal. The dispersion criterion for the random-fire algorithm may not be.
69 Originally written by one Bruce Holloway in 1986. Salvo mode added by Chuck A.
70 DeGaul (cbosgd!cad). Visual user interface, `closepack' option, code rewrite
71 and manual page by Eric S. Raymond <esr@snark.thyrsus.com> August 1989.