ANT WARS is a game for one or two players based on a study of the
behaviour of ants. The tenacious desire of these insects to defend their
homelands has fascinatad scientists for centuries. Now you can find out
why:

l. Settinq Up
The computer asks the player whether he wants to play with the computer
or not. The spider moves one or two spaces in a random direction after
every ant's turn. It may or may not want to eat an ant that is near it.

The spider starts with 50 strength points and may with several attacks be killed, but every ant that attacks it dies.

The computer asks the player if he wants to play with the computer
or not. If the coaputer plays it takes the black ants, and each black
ant has a strength of 10.

After these questions a board is generated on the screen showing
the red hole on the right, the black hole on the left, 17 ants on each
side grouped around their respective holes, the spider (if it is playing),
and several bread crumbs randomly distributed. Each ant has a strength of
between one and ten units.

2. Sequence of Turns
The black ants are labeled J through Z and the red ants are A through
G and 0 through 9. The turns occur in an alternating sequence, first the
next black ant, then thv next red ant, etc. When it is an ant's turn he
bellows and flashes on and off. 

The lower the ant's bellow the stronger he is. If the ant is in his own hole press space to stay there, or a movement key to leave. 

If an ant is dead or is in its opponent's hole its turn is skipped. If the player doesn't know which ant is to move press B.

3. Moving the Ants
Each ant is given five moves per turn. An attack counts as one 
move. To move press the key as shown in the template.

If an ant moves on a bread crumb his strength is added to one by one
and his turn ends.

If an ant goes into his own hole his turn ends and his hole's
defensive strength is added to by double the ant's strength. 

Every turn an ant stays in his hole his strength is added to by one.

If an ant goes into the opponent's hole that hole is reduced in
strength and he is given a chance to win the game based on his own
strength relative to the strength of that hole.

If an ant tries to move onto an enemy ant they fight each other.

The attacking ant bellows then the defending ant bellows. After the
fight they bellow again in the same sequence indicating how much each
ant has been weakened. 
Battles are computed much in favour of the attacker.


4. Ending the Game.
 After every Ant has been given a chance to move the computer tells what turn it is by beeping that number of times.

If no player has won at the end of ten turns the winner is the ant colony whose hole defensive strength is greatest.

© 1981
NOT POLYOPTICS
VIRGINIA
GAMES FOR // TI 99/4 AND 99/4A
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED