CROBOTS ("see-robots") is a game based on computer programming.
Unlike arcade type games which require human inputs controlling some object, all strategy in CROBOTS must be complete before the actual game begins. Game strategy is condensed into a C language program that you design and write. Your program controls a robot whose mission is to seek out, track, and destroy other robots, each running different programs. Each robot is equally equipped, and up to four robots may compete at once. CROBOTS is best played among several people, each refining their own robot program, then matching program against program.
CROBOTS consists of a C compiler, a virtual computer, and battlefield display (text graphics only, monochrome or color). The CROBOTS compiler accepts a limited (but useful) subset of the C language. The C robot programs are aided by hardware functions to scan for opponents, start and stop drive mechanisms, fire cannons, etc. After the programs are compiled and loaded into separate robots, the battle is observed. Robots moving, missiles flying and exploding, and certain status information are displayed on the screen, in real-time.
CROBOTS started out as DOS shareware, but is, as of Oct 23 2013, free software under terms of the GNU General Public License, version 2.
CROBOTS has been tested and runs on Linux (GLIBC & musl libc), FreeBSD, DragonflyBSD, macOS, and OmniOS (Illumos/OpenSolaris). For some reason it does not work well on NetBSD, despite many hours of debugging by the maintainer. Patches are most welcome!
CROBOTS will most likely appeal to programmers (especially those who think they can write the "best" programs), computer game enthusiasts, people wishing to learn the C language, and those who are interested in compiler design and virtual computer interpreters.
CROBOTS does not use menus, windows, pop-ups, or any other user-friendly interface. Since the emphasis is on designing and writing robot control programs, CROBOTS is started as a compiler might be started, from the command line.
This is the original CROBOTS game, by Tom Poindexter from 1985. It was first ported to Linux by Pablo Algar in 2018. Please don't bother Tom with email or patches, he will probably not be updating CROBOTS any more.
Instead, send patches or GitHub pull requests to this project. It is the logical continuation of Tom's project and has the explicit goal of gathering (sane) patches from all forks out there. Some of them work just as well, but this one has the explicit goal of retaining the true spirit of the original, with the same limits (e.g., MAX 1000 CPU instructions) and behavior.