1 MissleCmd

This is the VAX version of the well-known arcade game by the same name.

2 Instructions

This game is similar to the arcade game, MISSILE COMMANDER.  As written,
it  must  be  played  on  a  VT100  video terminal.  You have under your
command three missile bases, and six cities that you must  protect  from
incoming  attacking  bombs.   Attacking  bombs  consist of normal bombs,
which appear on the screen as asterisks, and smart bombs,  which  appear
as circles.  Both types of bombs fall from the top of the screen towards
your bases and cities on the bottom.  Smart bombs differ  in  that  they
are more likely to destroy a target if not eliminated, and that they are
harder to destroy.

Each of your three missile bases is equipped with ten missiles which you
can  fire  at the attackers.  Firing is accomplished by positioning your
gunsight and firing a missile from one of your bases.  Positioning  your
gunsight, which appears as a plus sign on the screen, is accomplished by
use of the VT100 keypad keys, 1 through 9.  The keys move  the  gunsight
in  the  direction  relative to their position, that is, the 8 key moves
the site up, the 3 key down and to the right, etc.  The keys do not need
to  be  held  down.   Once  a key is hit, the gunsight will move in that
direction until it hits the edge of the screen, or until the  5  key  is
hit.   The  5  key  stops  the  motion  of  the gunsight.  It takes some
practice to get used to controlling  the  gunsight,  in  particular  the
"move  and  stop", "move and stop" motions necessary for firing.  Firing
of missiles is accomplished by hitting the "A", "S", or  "D"  key.   The
"A"  key  fires  a  missile from the leftmose base, the "S" key from the
middle base, and the "D" key from the rightmost base.  Beneath each base
appears  a display of the number of missiles still remaining to be fired
from that base.  If you attempt to fire a missile from a base  that  has
none  left,  or  has been destroyed, the VT100 will emit a beep to alert
you.

When a missile is fired,  it  will  explode  at  the  location  of  your
gunsight  when it was fired.  There is a delay between when you fire and
the explosion occurs, based  on  the  distance  from  the  base  to  the
location,  so  it  may  be  necessary to "lead" the targets you fire at.
Explosion of the missile is indicated on the  screen  by  a  cloud  that
increases  in  size, holds at its maximum size briefly, and then recedes
to nothingness.  Any bomb positioned within the cloud will be destroyed.
It  is not necessary to hold your gunsight at its location after firing,
in fact  it  is  recommended  that  you  move  on  to  the  next  target
immediately after firing, and not wait for the results of that missile.

The game  consists  of  a  series  of  attack  waves.   When  each  wave
completes,  a new (more difficult) one starts after a brief pause.  Your
missile bases are rebuilt and rearmed with ten missiles after each wave.
Destroyed cities remain destroyed, except that you receive a new one for
each 10000 points you score.  Periodically, a bomber (  =>  )  may  move
across  the  screen  and  drop  a  bomb.  You can destroy it just as you
destroy bombs.  The  game  ends  when  all  of  your  cities  have  been
destroyed.   You  may  also  exit  the  game  at  any  time  by typing a
control-C.  The screen can be "frozen" for interruptions or distractions
by  typing a control-S (or no-scroll) and unfrozen by typing a control-Q
(or no-scroll).  Your terminal should be set /NOWRAP for this game!


The scoring of the game is as follows:

each city saved at the end of a wave - 100 points (**)
each missile not used during a wave  - 10 points
each bomb destroyed                  - 25 points  (**)
each smart bomb destroyed            - 50 points  (**)
each bomber airplane destroyed       - 100 points (**)

** - first wave score.  these scores double on the second  wave,  triple
on  the  fourth  wave,  quadruple on the sixth, and so on up to the 24th
wave.

Enjoy!!
