BS(6) OpenBSD Reference Manual BS(6)NAMEbs - battleships game
SYNOPSISbs [-b | -s] [-c]
DESCRIPTION
This program allows you to play the familiar Battleships game against the
computer on a 10x10 board. The interface is visual and largely self-
explanatory; you place your ships and pick your shots by moving the
cursor around the `sea' with the hack(6) motion keys hjklyubn.
Note that when selecting a ship to place, you must type the capital
letter (these are, after all, capital ships). During ship placement, the
`r' command may be used to ignore the current position and randomly place
your currently selected ship. The `R' command will place all remaining
ships randomly. The ^L command (form feed, ASCII 12) will force a screen
redraw.
The command-line arguments control game modes:
-b Selects a `blitz' variant. This allows a side to shoot for as
long as it continues to score hits.
-c Permits ships to be placed adjacently. Normally, ships must be
separated by at least one square of open water. This disables
that check and allows them to close-pack.
-s Selects a `salvo' variant. This allows a player one shot per turn
for each of his/her ships still afloat. This puts a premium on
scoring hits early and knocking out some ships and also makes it
much harder, for example, when you face a superior force with only
your PT-boat.
AUTHORS
Originally written by one Bruce Holloway in 1986. Salvo mode added by
Chuck A. DeGaul (cbosgd!cad). Visual user interface, `closepack' option,
code rewrite and manual page by Eric S. Raymond <esr@snark.thyrsus.com>,
August 1989.
NOTES
The algorithm the computer uses once it has found a ship to sink is
provably optimal. The dispersion criterion for the random-fire algorithm
may not be.
OpenBSD 4.9 May 20, 2008 OpenBSD 4.9
