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30 .\" $Id: bs.6,v 1.4 2021/06/17 21:20:30 tom Exp $
31 .TH BATTLESHIPS 6 "Aug 23, 1989"
33 bs \- battleships game
35 battle [ -b | -s ] [ -c ]
37 This program allows you to play the familiar Battleships game against the
38 computer on a 10x10 board. The interface is visual and largely
39 self-explanatory; you place your ships and pick your shots by moving the
40 cursor around the `sea' with the rogue/hack motion keys hjklyubn.
42 Note that when selecting a ship to place, you must type the capital letter
43 (these are, after all, capital ships). During ship placement, the `r' command
44 may be used to ignore the current position and randomly place your currently
45 selected ship. The `R' command will place all remaining ships randomly. The ^L
46 command (form feed, ASCII 12) will force a screen redraw).
48 The command-line arguments control game modes.
51 -b selects a `blitz' variant
52 -s selects a `salvo' variant
53 -c permits ships to be placed adjacently
56 The `blitz' variant allows a side to shoot for as long as it continues to
59 The `salvo' game allows a player one shot per turn for each of his/her ships
60 still afloat. This puts a premium scoring hits early and knocking out some
61 ships and also makes much harder the situation where you face a superior force
62 with only your PT-boat.
64 Normally, ships must be separated by at least one square of open water. The
65 -c option disables this check and allows them to close-pack.
67 The algorithm the computer uses once it has found a ship to sink is provably
68 optimal. The dispersion criterion for the random-fire algorithm may not be.
70 Originally written by one Bruce Holloway in 1986. Salvo mode added by Chuck A.
71 DeGaul (cbosgd!cad). Visual user interface, `closepack' option, code rewrite
72 and manual page by Eric S. Raymond <esr@snark.thyrsus.com> August 1989.