BattleShip v1.3 for PalmPilot

   © 1997-1998 by H.R.Graf

Play BattleShip against your Pilot!

The well-known game of seeking and destroying ships in a battlefield now available on Pilot. Provides an easy and fast user interface, flexible board size, free number and length of ships, improved computer opponent, optional acoustic feedback, game statistics, free and full functional program!

Here is a screenshot of the game:

 Introduction
 General Game Description
 BattleShip for Pilot
     Setup
     Editor
     Play
  Menu
    Options
    Statistics
 Postcard-Ware
 Disclaimer
 History
 Future Enhancements

Introduction

Welcome to the third release of BattleShip! This is the adaptation of a well-known 2 player game, usually played on paper. Now you may play it against your Pilot. Look here if you want to know what is new.

General Game Description

After both players have placed a certain number of ships on their battlefields (actually a grid), they try to find and destroy the opponent’s ships. To do so, they alternate by shooting to fields. As long as one hits a target, he is allowed to continue. The one, who first destroys all of the other’s ships, wins.

BattleShip for PalmPilot

BattleShip Setup

First, the player is asked to set up the game options: Press "done" to continue with the battlefield editor.

BattleShip Field Editor

Now it is time to initialize your battlefield. You may place as many ships in the grid as you like. Anyway, do not put too many ships, since the game play gets boring. Afterwards, Pilot will place the same number and length of ships as you define now.

A ship is either a horizontal or vertical line, respective a single dot. You place it by tapping to the start position in the battlefield, and drag (while still holding the pen down) to the end position, where you release the pen. If the orientation and position is okay, the ship is then drawn. Otherwise, an appropriate warning alert is shown (if not in "fast" mode).

There are some restrictions to place a ship: Ships may not be placed side by side. There has to remain at least one single, empty field between two ship’s edges. But it is okay, if two ships touch each other just over corners. Think of it as if you always should be able to distinguish two ships from each other clearly, not forming a bigger ship nor a indictable conglomerate.

Anyway, Pilot only allows you to place ships according to these rules and shows a warning otherwise. Since placing ships works that easily and fast, there is no way to undo or remove a single ship. If you have really messed up your strategic ship placement, you may select the "reset" button to remove all the ships from the battlefield and restart again.

Alternatively, you may select the "random" button, to generate a battlefield even more easily. Repeat pressing this button until you are happy with the computer generated configuration.

Tap on "done" if you feel content with the actual battlefield design. Pilot then creates its own battlefield, according to your configuration, and switches to the main game view, where it is always your turn to start.

BattleShip (Game View)

During the game, there is always one battlefield shown. You may switch between your own battlefield ("player") or Pilot’s battlefield ("pilot") by tapping on the appropriate selector button at the bottom. Logically, you will shoot into Pilot’s battlefield, which is initially drawn empty, since you do not know, where it placed the ships. To find out, how many and how long ships you have to find, switch to your battlefield definition, since Pilot used the same configuration.

As you shoot by tapping on the desired position in the battlefield, a display pops up and informs you about the success. If you just hit water, Pilot will shoot next. Otherwise it is still your turn and you are allowed to continue to shoot. A not yet completely destroyed ship is drawn gray, where as a destroyed ship is marked black. Missed shots are displayed with a small point in that field to avoid shooting to the same field twice.

Menu

To start a new game, access the menu and select "new game" (or write "n"). This command is available even during a running game and enables you to abort it. (In case you cannot stand loosing against Pilot!)
Change the game options with command "options" (or write "o"), without aborting the currently active game.
Additional, you may view the copyright disclaimer by choosing the "about" command from the menu (or write "a") or the auto-recorded game statistics ("statistics" or write "s").

Game Options

Allows you to change the game setup options even during a game, i.e. computer opponent skill, display switching or optional sound. But it is not possible to change the board size anymore - this requires a new game.

Game Statistics

Keeps track how you play! There are 3 sections, providing information about winning games, shoot statistics and the time spent playing BattleShip so far! You may even reset the first two sections by selecting "reset" instead of "done".

Copyright Disclaimer (Postcard-Ware)

I call this program "Postcard-Ware" which means: You may copy this program free of any charge together with this documentation. Since I do program the Pilot as a hobby, I do not need to get money for it. But it is not released into public domain, i.e. I still own the copyright for it. However, if you like this program, please contribute by sending a postcard to: Hans-Rudolf Graf
Brandschenkenstr. 166
8002 Zürich
Switzerland See, I like to get old-fashioned mail! Don’t you think this program is great and is worth this little favor? Furthermore, a good feedback motivates me to improve this program or to create additional programs for the Pilot.

I built this program with gcc for Pilot. I like the idea, that Pilot users help each other in making Pilot an even better system, by providing free software for everyone. Even I spent some time in creating this program, it was fun and I do not ask for money. If everybody does the same, we will enjoy Pilot even more. I do not like shareware so much, for which you should pay for even little use or get serious limitations in functionality. Postcard-Ware also means: There are no disturbing copyright messages, nor annoying delays, and no limitations in functionality neither.

Standard Legal Disclaimer

BattleShip is provided as-is with no warranties expressed or implied. You use this software at your own risk.
This release of BattleShip has been tested, and is stable and functional, on a PalmPilot Professional running PalmOS 2.0.4 Pro.

History

v1.3: third public release, 1/26/1998 v1.2: skipped version, due to name conflicts with another battleship implementation

v1.1: second public release, 1/19/1998

v1.0: first public release, 12/18/1997

Future Enhancements

I am pretty happy with the current version, but think of the following improvements: What is your opinion? Feel free to contact me for any suggestions or any error reports.
 Also, tell me your strategy to win agains the Pilot, if you are able to do so!

Enjoy!