NAME
mille - play Mille Bornes
SYNOPSIS
mille [ file ]
DESCRIPTION
Mille plays a two-handed game reminiscent of the Parker Brother’s game
of Mille Bornes with you. The rules are described below. If a file
name is given on the command line, the game saved in that file is
started.
When a game is started up, the bottom of the score window will contain
a list of commands. They are:
P Pick a card from the deck. This card is placed in the ‘P’ slot
in your hand.
D Discard a card from your hand. To indicate which card, type the
number of the card in the hand (or “P” for the just-picked card)
followed by a RETURN or SPACE. The RETURN or SPACE is required
to allow recovery from typos which can be very expensive, like
discarding safeties.
U Use a card. The card is again indicated by its number, followed
by a RETURN or SPACE.
O Toggle ordering the hand. By default off, if turned on it will
sort the cards in your hand appropriately. This is not
recommended for the impatient on slow terminals.
Q Quit the game. This will ask for confirmation, just to be sure.
Hitting DELETE (or RUBOUT) is equivalent.
S Save the game in a file. If the game was started from a file,
you will be given an opportunity to save it on the same file.
If you don’t wish to, or you did not start from a file, you will
be asked for the file name. If you type a RETURN without a
name, the save will be terminated and the game resumed.
R Redraw the screen from scratch. The command ^L (control ‘L’)
will also work.
W Toggle window type. This switches the score window between the
startup window (with all the command names) and the end-of-game
window. Using the end-of-game window saves time by eliminating
the switch at the end of the game to show the final score.
Recommended for hackers and other miscreants.
If you make a mistake, an error message will be printed on the last
line of the score window, and a bell will beep.
At the end of each hand or game, you will be asked if you wish to play
another. If not, it will ask you if you want to save the game. If you
do, and the save is unsuccessful, play will be resumed as if you had
said you wanted to play another hand/game. This allows you to use the
“S” command to reattempt the save.
AUTHOR
Ken Arnold
(The game itself is a product of Parker Brothers, Inc.)
SEE ALSO
curses(3X), Screen Updating and Cursor Movement Optimization: A Library
Package, Ken Arnold
CARDS
Here is some useful information. The number in parentheses after the
card name is the number of that card in the deck:
Hazard Repair Safety
Out of Gas (2) Gasoline (6) Extra Tank (1)
Flat Tire (2) Spare Tire (6) Puncture Proof (1)
Accident (2) Repairs (6) Driving Ace (1)
Stop (4) Go (14) Right of Way (1)
Speed Limit (3) End of Limit (6)
25 - (10), 50 - (10), 75 - (10), 100 - (12), 200 - (4)
RULES
Object: The point of this game is to get a total of 5000 points in
several hands. Each hand is a race to put down exactly 700 miles
before your opponent does. Beyond the points gained by putting down
milestones, there are several other ways of making points.
Overview: The game is played with a deck of 101 cards. Distance cards
represent a number of miles traveled. They come in denominations of
25, 50, 75, 100, and 200. When one is played, it adds that many miles
to the player’s trip so far this hand. Hazard cards are used to
prevent your opponent from putting down Distance cards. They can only
be played if your opponent has a Go card on top of the Battle pile.
The cards are Out of Gas, Accident, Flat Tire, Speed Limit, and Stop.
Remedy cards fix problems caused by Hazard cards played on you by your
opponent. The cards are Gasoline, Repairs, Spare Tire, End of Limit,
and Go. Safety cards prevent your opponent from putting specific
Hazard cards on you in the first place. They are Extra Tank, Driving
Ace, Puncture Proof, and Right of Way, and there are only one of each
in the deck.
Board Layout: The board is split into several areas. From top to
bottom, they are: SAFETY AREA (unlabeled): This is where the safeties
will be placed as they are played. HAND: These are the cards in your
hand. BATTLE: This is the Battle pile. All the Hazard and Remedy
Cards are played here, except the Speed Limit and End of Limit cards.
Only the top card is displayed, as it is the only effective one.
SPEED: The Speed pile. The Speed Limit and End of Limit cards are
played here to control the speed at which the player is allowed to put
down miles. MILEAGE: Miles are placed here. The total of the numbers
shown here is the distance traveled so far.
Play: The first pick alternates between the two players. Each turn
usually starts with a pick from the deck. The player then plays a
card, or if this is not possible or desirable, discards one. Normally,
a play or discard of a single card constitutes a turn. If the card
played is a safety, however, the same player takes another turn
immediately.
This repeats until one of the players reaches 700 points or the deck
runs out. If someone reaches 700, they have the option of going for an
Extension, which means that the play continues until someone reaches
1000 miles.
Hazard and Remedy Cards: Hazard Cards are played on your opponent’s
Battle and Speed piles. Remedy Cards are used for undoing the effects
of your opponent’s nastiness.
Go (Green Light) must be the top card on your Battle pile for you
to play any mileage, unless you have played the Right of Way card (see
below).
Stop is played on your opponent’s Go card to prevent them from
playing mileage until they play a Go card.
Speed Limit is played on your opponent’s Speed pile. Until they
play an End of Limit they can only play 25 or 50 mile cards, presuming
their Go card allows them to do even that.
End of Limit is played on your Speed pile to nullify a Speed Limit
played by your opponent.
Out of Gas is played on your opponent’s Go card. They must then
play a Gasoline card, and then a Go card before they can play any more
mileage.
Flat Tire is played on your opponent’s Go card. They must then
play a Spare Tire card, and then a Go card before they can play any
more mileage.
Accident is played on your opponent’s Go card. They must then play
a Repairs card, and then a Go card before they can play any more
mileage.
Safety Cards: Safety cards prevent your opponent from playing the
corresponding Hazard cards on you for the rest of the hand. It cancels
an attack in progress, and always entitles the player to an extra turn.
Right of Way prevents your opponent from playing both Stop and
Speed Limit cards on you. It also acts as a permanent Go card for the
rest of the hand, so you can play mileage as long as there is not a
Hazard card on top of your Battle pile. In this case only, your
opponent can play Hazard cards directly on a Remedy card other than a
Go card.
Extra Tank When played, your opponent cannot play an Out of Gas on
your Battle Pile.
Puncture Proof When played, your opponent cannot play a Flat Tire
on your Battle Pile.
Driving Ace When played, your opponent cannot play an Accident on
your Battle Pile.
Distance Cards: Distance cards are played when you have a Go card on
your Battle pile, or a Right of Way in your Safety area and are not
stopped by a Hazard Card. They can be played in any combination that
totals exactly 700 miles, except that you cannot play more than two 200
mile cards in one hand. A hand ends whenever one player gets exactly
700 miles or the deck runs out. In that case, play continues until
neither someone reaches 700, or neither player can use any cards in
their hand. If the trip is completed after the deck runs out, this is
called Delayed Action.
Coup Fourr´e: This is a French fencing term for a counter-thrust move as
part of a parry to an opponent’s attack. In current French colloquial
language it means a sneaky, underhanded blow. In Mille Bornes, it is
used as follows: If an opponent plays a Hazard card, and you have the
corresponding Safety in your hand, you play it immediately, even before
you draw. This immediately removes the Hazard card from your Battle
pile, and protects you from that card for the rest of the game. This
gives you more points (see “Scoring” below).
Scoring: Scores are totaled at the end of each hand, whether or not
anyone completed the trip. The terms used in the Score window have the
following meanings:
Milestones Played: Each player scores as many miles as they played
before the trip ended.
Each Safety: 100 points for each safety in the Safety area.
All 4 Safeties: 300 points if all four safeties are played.
Each Coup Fourr´e: 300 points for each Coup Fourre accomplished.
The following bonus scores can apply only to the winning player.
Trip Completed: 400 points bonus for completing the trip to 700 or
1000.
Safe Trip: 300 points bonus for completing the trip without using
any 200 mile cards.
Delayed Action: 300 points bonus for finishing after the deck was
exhausted.
Extension: 200 points bonus for completing a 1000 mile trip.
Shut-Out: 500 points bonus for completing the trip before your
opponent played any mileage cards.
Running totals are also kept for the current score for each player for
the hand (Hand Total), the game (Overall Total), and number of games
won (Games).