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BS(6)                       DragonFly Games Manual                       BS(6)


NAME

     bs -- battleships game


SYNOPSIS

     bs [-bsc]


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 cur-
     sor around the `sea' with the rogue(6) / hack(6) motion keys
     ``hjklyubn''.

     Note that when selecting a ship to place, you must type the capital let-
     ter (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

     -s  selects a ``salvo'' variant

     -c  permits ships to be placed adjacently

     The ``blitz'' variant allows a side to shoot for as long as it continues
     to score hits.

     The ``salvo'' game allows a player one shot per turn for each of his/her
     ships still afloat.  This puts a premium scoring hits early and knocking
     out some ships and also makes much harder the situation where you face a
     superior force with only your PT-boat.

     Normally, ships must be separated by at least one square of open water.
     The -c option disables this check and allows them to close-pack.

     The algorithm the computer uses once it has found a ship to sink is prov-
     ably optimal.  The dispersion criterion for the random-fire algorithm may
     not be.


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.

DragonFly 3.5                   August 23, 1989                  DragonFly 3.5

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