mille
—
play Mille Bornes
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.
curses(3),
Ken Arnold,
Screen Updating and Cursor Movement Optimization: A
Library Package.
Ken Arnold
(The game itself is a product of Parker Brothers, Inc.)
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)
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.
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.
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.
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 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 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 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.
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).
Scores are totalled 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 Fourré:
- 300 points for each Coup Fourré 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).