nbbattleship

nbbattleship
nbbattleship hostname

hostname
    The IP address or network hostname of the machine acting as the game server. This argument is used by the client player to connect to the server.

nbbattleship is a classic, text-based, two-player implementation of the popular Battleship board game, designed to be played over a network connection within the Linux terminal. Players strategically place their fleet of ships on a hidden grid and then take turns firing 'shots' at their opponent's board, attempting to locate and sink all enemy vessels. One player assumes the role of the server, initiating the game and waiting for a connection, while the other acts as the client, connecting to the server's machine using its hostname or IP address. The game renders the grid, ship placements, and shot outcomes using simple ASCII characters, providing a nostalgic and engaging multiplayer experience for command-line enthusiasts. It's a testament to the simplicity and power of terminal-based network applications.

This game requires two players for network play, one acting as a server and the other as a client. Network connectivity is essential. As a terminal-based game, it lacks graphical user interface elements. It may not be pre-installed on all systems and might require installing a specific game package (e.g., 'nbbattleship' or 'nethack-console' on Debian/Ubuntu-based systems).

The game can be played in two primary modes: as a server (simply run nbbattleship without arguments) or as a client (run nbbattleship hostname). Solo play might also be available with a basic 'AI' opponent depending on the specific version.

To initiate a network game, one player executes nbbattleship to become the server; their IP address will be displayed. The second player then connects as the client by running nbbattleship followed by the server's IP address or hostname.

nbbattleship is a long-standing command-line game, typically found within game packages or distributed through Linux distribution repositories. Its straightforward design, leveraging basic TCP/IP networking, reflects common practices for early network-enabled applications and simple client-server architectures in terminal environments. While not tied to a specific major project's history, its presence in various `games` directories across distributions indicates its stable and enduring appeal as a simple, recreational utility.

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