4.3BSD - /usr/man/cat6/robots.0

ROBOTS(6)                                                            ROBOTS(6)


NAME
       robots - fight off villainous robots

SYNOPSIS
       /usr/games/robots [ -sjta ] [ scorefile ]

DESCRIPTION
       Robots  pits you against evil robots, who are trying to kill you (which
       is why they are evil).  Fortunately for you, even though they are evil,
       they  are  not very bright and have a habit of bumping into each other,
       thus destroying themselves.  In order to survive, you must get them  to
       kill each other off, since you have no offensive weaponry.

       Since  you  are  stuck without offensive weaponry, you are endowed with
       one piece of defensive weaponry:  a  teleportation  device.   When  two
       robots  run  into each other or a junk pile, they die.  If a robot runs
       into you, you die.  When a robot dies, you get 10 points, and when  all
       the  robots die, you start on the next field.  This keeps up until they
       finally get you.

       Robots are represented on the screen by a  ‘+’,  the  junk  heaps  from
       their collisions by a ‘∗∗’, and you (the good guy) by a ‘@’.

       The commands are:

       h         move one square left
       l         move one square right
       k         move one square up
       j         move one square down
       y         move one square up and left
       u         move one square up and right
       b         move one square down and left
       n         move one square down and right
       .         (also space) do nothing for one turn
       HJKLBNYU  run as far as possible in the given direction
       >         do nothing for as long as possible
       t         teleport to a random location
       w         wait until you die or they all do
       q         quit
       ^L        redraw the screen

       All commands can be preceded by a count.

       If  you use the ‘w’ command and survive to the next level, you will get
       a bonus of 10% for each robot which died after you decided to wait.  If
       you die, however, you get nothing.  For all other commands, the program
       will save you from typos by stopping short of  being  eaten.   However,
       with ‘w’ you take the risk of dying by miscalculation.

       Only  five  scores are allowed per user on the score file.  If you make
       it into the score file, you will be shown the list at the  end  of  the
       game.   If  an  alternate  score  file  is specified, that will be used
       instead of the standard file for scores.

       The options are

       -s     Don’t play, just show the score file

       -j     Jump, i.e., when you run, don’t show any intermediate positions;
              only  show things at the end.  This is useful on slow terminals.

       -t     Teleport automatically when you have no other option.  This is a
              little  disconcerting  until  you get used to it, and then it is
              very nice.

       -a     Advance into the higher levels  directly,  skipping  the  lower,
              easier levels.

AUTHOR
       Ken Arnold

FILES
       /usr/games/lib/robots_roll    the score file

BUGS
       Bugs?  You crazy, man?!?


4.3 Berkeley Distribution        May 20, 1985                        ROBOTS(6)