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.\" $Id: bs.6,v 1.8 2024/06/15 20:32:28 tom Exp $
.TH BATTLESHIPS 6 2024-06-15 ncurses-examples Games
.ie \n(.g \{\
.ds `` \(lq
.ds '' \(rq
.\}
.el \{\
.ie t .ds `` ``
.el   .ds `` ""
.ie t .ds '' ''
.el   .ds '' ""
.\}
.SH NAME
bs \-
battleships game
.SH SYNOPSIS
battle [ \-b | \-s ] [ \-c ]
.SH 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 rogue/hack motion keys hjklyubn.
.PP
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).
.PP
The command-line arguments control game modes.

.nf
	\-b selects a \*(``blitz\*('' variant
	\-s selects a \*(``salvo\*('' variant
	\-c permits ships to be placed adjacently
.fi

The \*(``blitz\*('' variant allows a side to shoot
for as long as it continues to score hits.
.PP
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.
.PP
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.
.PP
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.
.SH AUTHORS
Originally written by 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.
