ROBOTS(6)ROBOTS(6)NAMErobots - a game of logic
SYNOPSIS
/usr/games/robots [-s]
DESCRIPTION
Robots is a display-based game which must be played on a CRT terminal
from among those supported by vi(1). The object of the game is to
avoid the robots: causing them to collide with each other, creating a
scrap heap. Robots are also destroyed if they run into a scrap heap.
You are represented on the screen by an I. The robots are represented
by = and # signs. Scrap heaps are represented by @ signs. After each
move, all robots move one step towards you except for the # robots
which move at twice the speed of normal robots. Fast robots are only
available if the fastrobots option is set (see below).
The following commands are recognized:
h Move left.
l Move right.
j Move down.
k Move up.
y Move up and left.
u Move up and right.
b Move down and left.
n Move down and right.
.
w Do nothing.
t Teleport to a safe square if possible (limited in number).
r Teleport to a random position (only in level 1).
a Antimatter (Sonic Screwdriver), all robots one square away from
you vanish (implies screwdriver option, see below).
s
W Sit and watch.
d Display dots.
m Print list of safe moves.
? Same as above.
q Quit game.
^R Redraw the screen.
^Z Suspend the game, on systems which support it.
^W Sit and watch while safe to do so.
A command may be preceeded by a count where relevant. Shift-direction
moves as far as possible in that direction. Control-direction moves
until adjacent to something.
A record is kept of the best 20 scores of all player: one for the cur‐
rent week and one for all time. Scores are printed out at the end of
the game. The scores can be printed out with the '-s' parameter.
CONFIGURATION
If you have in your environment the variable ROBOTOPTS then this is
examined for a comma separated list of options to be set. Binary
options can be preceeded with no to reverse the meaning. Valid options
are
name=string
Set your name to the given string, this is recorded in the high
score table. Your name appears as string (username).
fastrobots
If this option is set, a small number of robots is moving twice
as fast as the other robots. These robots are represented by
the # sign.
moveheaps
Make the scrap heaps movable. If heaps are movable, then a scrap
heap can be pushed in any direction provided there is nothing
behind the heap. This may or may not be the default.
screwdriver
Allows usage of antimatter/the sonic screwdriver.
showgoodmoves
Always show good moves in status line. Good moves are those
which are safe to use in the current situation. If this option
is not set, good moves are only shown when pressing the m key.
showhscores
This option shows the highscore table after every game. The
negated version will only print out the highscore only if you
appear on it.
NOTE
The first time the t command is used on a new level you are guaranteed
not to land next to a robot, a count of these safe teleports is main‐
tained in the bottom left hand corner. Antimatters use up a safe tele‐
port.
An asterisk in the first set of scores indicates an out-of-date entry.
The value of each robot in the next round is inversely proportional to
the number of scrap heaps created in the previous round. Double speed
robots count 1.5 times the value of normal robots.
FILES
/usr/share/robots/robots_tmp this week's best scores
/usr/share/robots/robots_hof all time best scores
AUTHOR
Allan Black, Strathclyde University, Glasgow.
Enhancements by Graeme Lunt & Julian Onions, Nottingham University.
2 November 1984 ROBOTS(6)
