NAME

cconq - curses-based strategy game

SYNOPSIS

cconq [ options ] ...

DESCRIPTION

Cconq is a multi-player strategic wargame. Your goal is to save the world from the evil empires attempting to take over. You get cities, armies, airplanes, and ships with which to accomplish your task. Success is achieved by the neutralization or defeat of the other sides, by any means available; but you have to find them first!

Although the game can get complicated, to start you need only know about the help command '?', which is valid at any time. You start with only one city, which makes things even simpler. The city will automatically produce a military unit, which you will be prompted to move around. Eventually, you will get more and can attempt to take over other cities. The game keeps going until only one side is left in action, this player is then declared the winner.

By default, cconq starts up with one human and one machine, playing on a randomly generated 60x30 world. Options are available to set the number of machine players, as well as the kind of map used. In addition, cconq has extensive and elaborate facilities for building maps, scenarios, and historical periods for a wide variety of games. Unlike xconq(6), cconq allows only one human player in a game.

OPTIONS

-A curses

attaches a machine player to the screen. Ideal for those who like to watch.

-e number

sets the number of machine players not attached to displays. Non-displayed machine players are always allied with each other.

-m name

reads the map named name and starts up a game on it.

-M width height

generates a random map of the given size. The size must be at least 5x5, although some periods will impose additional constraints on the lower bound. In theory, there is no upper bound (but 200x200 is huge).

-p name

reads the historical period specified by name, and sets everything up for that period.

-r

resets the list of players on the command line. It is most useful when placed before other player specifications, to clear out the default player.

-s name

reads a scenario with the name name. A scenario sets up a particular situation; it has a fixed number of sides that can participate.

-v

make the entire world seen by all players at the outset. This is useful if exploration is deemed to be time-consuming, or if the map is already known to everybody. Some maps have this permanently enabled.

-x

allows scenarios, maps, periods, and players to be set up interactively via menus. The menus should be self-explanatory.

In addition, -B and -D are recognized; see the the customization document for more details.

EXAMPLES

cconq

One human on local display, one machine, 60x30 random map

cconq -m crater

One human vs one machine, on the "crater lake" map

cconq -e 2 -M 35 35

One human, three machines, 35x35 random map

cconq -e 6 -m 1987

Seven players (6 machine, 1 human), all playing on a 360x122 map of the earth with present-day cities. Major!

AUTHOR

Stan Shebs (shebs@cs.utah.edu)

FILES

save.xconq saved game
stats.xconq performance statistics for a game
cmds.xconq listing of commands
parms.xconq listing of units and their characteristics
view.xconq printable version of the map display
/usr/games/lib/xconq/*.map predefined maps
/usr/games/lib/xconq/*.scn predefined scenarios
/usr/games/lib/xconq/*.per predefined historical periods
/usr/games/lib/xconq/xconq.news news about features/additions

SEE ALSO

xconq(6)
Liberating the World (Made Simple)
Customizing Xconq (Made Somewhat Simple)

DIAGNOSTICS

If the map is too small for the desired number of players, cconq will complain about not being able to place units.

Incorrect combinations of periods, maps, and scenarios can generate a host of different error messages.

BUGS

Since some periods/maps/scenarios are interdependent, they must be specified in a particular order on the command line (period is first usually).

Does not cope gracefully with insufficient memory.

Using -D for debugging results in spectacular but useless displays.

Some annoying behaviors are actually features.