BATTLESHIPS(6)             OpenBSD Reference Manual             BATTLESHIPS(6)

NAME
     bs - battleships game

SYNOPSIS
     bs [-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-ex-
     planatory; you place your ships and pick your shots by moving the cursor
     around the `sea' with the rogue/hack 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).

OPTIONS
     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.

     -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.

     -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.

NOTES
     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' op-
     tion, code rewrite and manual page by Eric S. Raymond <esr@snark.thyr-
     sus.com> August 1989.

OpenBSD 2.9                     August 4, 1997                               1
