autoharness teach <the app> "<the job>" --docs docsdb:gnome-robots

GNOME Robots

What it is

GNOME Robots is a turn-based board game. You control a main character on a checkerboard field with enemy robots. The aim is to destroy all robots by getting them to crash into each other or into junk heaps from previous collisions, without a robot catching you. Play continues level by level until you are caught.

Controls

Input	What it does	Status
Menu button in top-right corner of window > New Game	Starts a new game	seen on screen
Ctrl+N	Asks to discard current game with options to keep playing or start a new game	seen on screen
y	Move one square northwest	seen on screen
k	Move one square north	seen on screen
u	Move one square northeast	seen on screen
h	Move one square west	seen on screen
l	Move one square east	seen on screen
b	Move one square southwest	seen on screen
j	Move one square south	seen on screen
n	Move one square southeast	seen on screen
Space	Stay in same square for one turn	from the docs
Alt+S	Teleport safely	from the docs
Alt+R	Teleport randomly	from the docs
Alt+W	Wait for the robots	from the docs
Mouse click around main character	Move one square in the shown direction	from the docs
Click on main character	Stay put in same square	seen on screen
Teleport Randomly button at bottom-left of window	Teleport to a random spot, only the player moves	seen on screen
Teleport Safely button in bottom-center of window	Teleport to a safe spot; disabled when none remain, with remaining count shown	the screen showed disabled with Remaining: 0 at start of a game set to robots2 type, which disagrees with docs that list a starting safe teleport for that type
Wait for Robots button at bottom-right of window	Let enemy robots finish all their moves	seen on screen
High-score dialog Done button	Closes dialog and auto-starts a new first level	seen on screen
Discard dialog Keep Playing / New Game buttons	Keep current game or discard it and start fresh	seen on screen
Escape with Preferences open	Closes Preferences dialog	seen on screen
Ctrl+Q	Quit the game	from the docs
Preferences > Game tab: Game Type, Use safe moves, Use super safe moves, Enable sounds	Changes rules, difficulty and sound	seen on screen
Preferences > Keyboard tab, Restore Defaults	Shows and resets movement and action keys	seen on screen

How to do common jobs

1. Start a new game with the menu button in the top-right > New Game, or Ctrl+N and confirm to discard the current game with New Game, or keep it with Keep Playing.
2. Check the board before moving: blue-gray checker board in center of window, main character near the center, enemy robots scattered, junk heaps if collisions have happened. Positions are random each new game.
3. Check header at top of window for Level and Score, and bottom buttons for Teleport Safely remaining count before planning.
4. Move one adjacent square per turn including diagonally, using letter keys, so pursuing robots run into each other or into junk. Clicking the player stays put for one turn.
5. After each of your moves, enemy robots take a turn moving toward you.
6. Use Wait for Robots when waiting is wanted to let robots finish moves, Teleport Safely when a safe jump is wanted and teleports remain, Teleport Randomly when a random jump is wanted. Random teleport moves only the player; robots stay where they were.
7. Repeat moving, waiting and teleporting until all robots on the level are destroyed without one reaching you.
8. Confirm level cleared by header showing next Level with live player and fresh robots and continued Score; level play continues without manual restart.
9. If caught, the player signals being caught with a speech bubble, controls grey out, a high-score dialog appears, then Done starts a fresh first level.
10. Check and set options first in Preferences > Game tab and Appearance settings if available, and in Preferences > Keyboard tab if movement keys do not respond as expected. The screen showed Game Type robots2, Use safe moves checked, Use super safe moves checked, sounds checked, with keyboard defaults intact for all eight directions and hold position.

How it behaves

• Turn-based: after each player move or wait, enemy robots move closer to the player by stepping toward the player.
• In one turn you can move to any adjacent square including diagonally, or stay put.
• Collisions between robots, or a robot hitting a junk heap, destroys those robots and creates or leaves a junk heap. Junk looks distinct from live robots as orange starburst-like shapes versus green-red robot sprites in the observed theme.
• Score increases as robots are destroyed.
• Safe teleports are limited per game and the remaining count is shown on the Teleport Safely button; the button is disabled when none remain. The screen showed none remaining at the start of a game set to robots2 type, which disagrees with docs that list a starting safe teleport for that type.
• Random teleports go to a random spot that may not be safe, are unlimited, and move only the player. The screen showed only the player changes position; robots stay where they were.
• Game types change starting enemies and safe teleports. Docs list types including nightmare, robots2, robots with safe teleport, classic robots, and robots2 easy, with different mixes of low-risk and high-risk enemies and safe teleports. The screen showed Game Type set to robots2, while a later high-score dialog named a different game type; treat the on-screen dialog as not matching Preferences.
• Use safe moves, if checked, blocks a move that would let a robot kill you unless only teleporting can survive. Use super safe moves, if checked, forces teleport in that case. The screen showed both checked. A refused keyboard move leaves the board unchanged, so another move must be tried.
• Scores are recorded separately for each combination of game type and safe-move option, per docs.
• Image theme and background can change appearance; the screen showed a blue-gray checker board with green-red robot sprites and orange starburst-like junk.
• Keyboard bindings are customizable and defaults match the documented letter keys; the screen showed defaults intact for all eight directions and hold position.
• Level transition is automatic: clearing all robots advances the header to the next Level with a live player and a new set of robots.

Traps

• Waiting is not advisable unless very few robots remain and you are sure they will all perish before reaching you.
• Random teleport destination may not be safe.
• Safe teleports are limited; confirm remaining count on the button before relying on them. Do not assume a safe teleport is available at start for robots2; the screen showed none remaining.
• Keyboard controls can be remapped, so do not assume defaults without checking Preferences > Keyboard tab.
• If Use safe moves or Use super safe moves is checked, some moves may be blocked and teleporting may be forced.
• Changing Game Type changes difficulty, starting enemies and safe teleports; confirm it before a run.
• Mouse direction arrow on hover around the character was documented but not observable during the lesson; do not rely on seeing it in screenshots.
• High-score dialog game-type text may not match the type shown in Preferences; confirm current type in Preferences rather than the dialog.
• A dialog overlaying the board can hide the player; identify high-score, discard, dead, or preferences state before trying to move.

Not known yet

• How the game visually signals a cleared level beyond header advancing to the next Level with fresh robots.
• Exact board size in squares and exact starting layout beyond random placement with player near center.
• Visual distinction between high-risk and low-risk enemies in the observed theme, where all robots looked the same.
• Details of safe-move blocking behavior in play beyond refusing fatal moves.
• Whether Alt shortcuts and Space to stay work as documented, as they were not tested on screen.
• Exact robot step rules, diagonal collision rules, and junk-heap formation rules beyond crashing into each other or junk heaps.
• How many safe teleports are granted in later levels for each game type.

Sources

• https://help.gnome.org/users/gnome-robots/stable/