Tetron 4.x Documentation

Contents:

  1. Features
  2. Quick Start
  3. Game modes
  4. Defining controls
  5. Weapons
  6. LAN and Internet Games
  7. World Rankings
  8. Points Distribution
  9. Timing System
  10. Ladder Games

Features

  • Single Player
  • Multiplayer
    • Cooperative
    • Classic Deathmatch
    • Enhanced Deathmatch
    • Team Deathmatch
  • Shared Team Fields
  • Enhanced Deathmatch with Weapons
  • play against Bots
  • create your own Bot !!!
  • save and replay single/multiplayer games
  • team alliances
  • spectator modes
  • runs under Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP
  • World Rankings
    • for Individuals
    • for Teams
  • Internet Server Database
  • Internet/LAN Games
    • Integrated Chat
    • Ingame Messages
    • Server Software
  • Customizable Skins
  • Customizable Sound Themes
  • Dynamic window resizing and placing for optimal view
  • Custom mp3/ogg background music
  • Bilinear filtered skins to fit screen resolution
  • Highscores Single/Teams
  • Gamepad Support
  • Fast Growing Tetron Community
  • DirectX Graphics
  • Channel Scores
  • and much more...

Quick Start

After your first start of Tetron2000 it is recommended to define your controls (see section: Defining controls). The important keys are the move controls and the drop key.
After definign your controls, click on the "Single Mode" Tab on the left side.
Enter your name below the label "player1" and press the "Start Game" button.
A countdown appears and then go and play. After or during the game, press Escape to return to the main menu.

Game modes

Friendly

This is kind of cooperative gameplay. The players can play independent without affecting each the other.

Classic Deathmatch

If you complete more than one line, additional lines will appear on opponents field. If there are 3 players, you need at least 3 and with 4 players at least 4 lines to have any effect on all opponent players.

This gamemode is the equivalent game mode to the most other multiplayer tetris.

Enhanced Deathmatch

This mode is like Classic Deathmatch. Additionally you can use weapons. A list of weapons and their effects are described in section Weapons.

Quickrace

This gamemode behaves like Classic Deathmatch but you will get the lines from your opponent much quicker.
Num. of living Users
Num. of lines required
to affect opponents
Num. of lines appearing
at oppenents field
2 1 n
>2 2 n-1

Highscore

You have just one life in highscore games. You have some additional statistics than in other game modes. How long you play, which place you compete on your local highscore and internet highscore. The scores are stored in a local database and you have the possibility to submit your best score to the internet to participate in the internet world rankings.

During the game, you can earn the following

Awards and Medals

If you have special skills or played good games you will automatically get a medal for distinguishing your individual skill from other members

medal
name
remark
4-lines Medal Making more than 10 4-lines in one game
4-lines King Making more than 20 4-lines in one game
CleanField Medal Cleaning the field during a game
Speed Medal Playing fast (less than 3.2 secs per line)
Ultra Speed Medal Playing very fast (less than 3 secs per line)

Defining controls

Go to the Controls Tab and select the player, you want to configure. Now press the control-button, you want to configure. Press your key or Escpae to delete this key.
Left
move stone left
Right
move stone right
Rotate
rotate stone clockwise
Rotate CCW
rotate stone counter clockwise
Down
move stone one step down
Drop
drop the stone
Fire
activate selected weapon
Next Weapon
select next weapon
Previous Weapon
select previous weapon
Next User
select next player
Previous User
select previous player
Select User 1
select the first player in game
Select User 2
select the second player in game etc...
Wp <Long>
select the "long" weapon
Wp<Leak>
select the "leak" weapon
Wp <Block>
select the "block" weapon
Wp <Rescue>
select the "rescue" weapon
Wp <Speed>
select the "speed" weapon
Wp <Fill>
select the "fill" weapon
<Long> me
Hotkey: Gives you a long stone (when available)
<Rescue> me
Hotkey: Rescues you (when available)

Weapons

If you are playing the Enhanced Deathmatch mode, you can use weapons against your opponent or for yourself. All weapons can be used on yourself or any other player. Each weapon can be as useful as unuseful depending on the situation. You need to select the player, the weapon and then press FIRE to apply it.

Long

If you activate Long, the selected player will get a red long stone after placing its current stone. I think, i don't need to explain, how useful it can be.

Leak

This weapon is very insidous. It is generating wholes in the selected players field. This can prevent any player from doing tetris or else. You can also use it on yourself hoping, that some blocking elements will be eleminated.

Block

This will block full lines and prevents them to disappear for a time. It is useful against your oppenent, when he at the very top of his field. Use it on yourself if you want to send your oppenent a large number of lines after collecting a lot of full lines.

Resuce

This is a defense. Use it to rescue yourself or any player. The 4 lines at the very bottom will disappear.

Speed up

Ahhh....this will speed up the stones (more gravity). If you use it twice on any player, he will be very sorry to know you ! ;). Double Speed is damn fast. But notice, that the second time (if your oppenent is already sped up) it will cost much more. Otherwise it is easy to kill... right?

Fill up

If you have this weapon, you are a lucky guy. It will fill in 4 additional lines on the selected field. Using it more than once, it can be very leathal.

LAN/Internet Games

Connecting to a server

Enter your nick in the nick input field and then press the "Server List" button to get a list of available server in the internet.
If you have found any, select the server you want to connect to and press the "Connect" button.

Individual Mode

The Userscores has the following information:
pts = Number of points
stats = scored first place/scored second place/scored third place (games in total)

Team Mode

Team scores are only available when the hosting user is member of any team. Then team score mode is activated.
Note: Team score mode is only available when hosting player has version 4.35 or higher.
Team-mates do not receive lines from any team-member.

Entering Game Channels

You can either create a game, join a game or spectate a game.
Create Game: If you want to create a game, press the "Create Game" button and fill out the information about the new game. You will automatically join the new game.
Join Game: If you want to join a game, you need to select the game you want to join. Press the "Join" button. If the game is full (maximum users reached) or you are not allowed to join, you will rejected and reside in the #lobby channel.
Spectate Game: Slect the game you want to observe. Make sure, that this game allows spectators (see it in the channel list under the column "spec"). Press then the "Spectate Button".
You will see the Spectator dialog. If the game has already started, you can press the "Spectate" Button and you will see the fields. Press the "Leave" Button to go back to the lobby

World Rankings

To participate you need just some good scores.
step 1: Make sure, you are connected to the internet.
step 2: Select highscore tab and then the (best) score you want to submit
step 3: Press submit button
step 4: Enter your email address (it will be kept secret)
step 5: Press submit button.
After succesful submission, you can look at the ranking-table in the internet:

Points Distribution

The distribution of points are calculated by some simple rules and formulas. You will be more rewarded in higher levels than in lower levels. Also to fill more lines at the same time will be better rewarded than filling just one line.

Points for dropping pieces

The relevant parameters are dropping height
(not the relative height, but the absolute)
and the current level.
Why the absolute dropping height?
If you drop very early, even if the piece is not falling deep,
you will be rewarded for your fast gameplay.
The field is divided in 5 height sections.

The general formula is points = (height+2) div 5 + level

Points for completing lines

The points for lines are the sum of a base value and the level multiplied by the number of completed lines. It is possible to complete more than 4 lines in weapon games. More than 4 lines has different base (due to balancing).

lines
formula
1 20+level
2 45+level*2
3 80+level*3
4 110+level*4
>4 numlines*25+level*2

Timing System

Falling pieces

The table shows the delay in milliseconds before the stone falls down by one row.
The table was modified every new major release of tetron (Tetron, Tetron2, Tetron3, Tetron4) with more balanced values and alot of experiences and feedback.

Level 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
ms 700 600 500 430 370 320 270 220 170 120 100
Level 10a 10b-f 10g-k 10l-p 10q-s 10t-u 10v-w 10x 10y-z god  
ms 90 80 70 65 60 55 50 45 40 40  

Ladder Games

note: this information is provisionally and targeted for Tetron 5.x

ladder ranking points

While playing in internet ladder games, you can achieve ranking points depending on your success.

Opponent has ...
You Win
You lose
... higher ranking +10 pts +0 pts
... lower ranking +3 pts +0 pts
... equal ranking +6 pts +0 pts
more than one oppenent

+ #already dead highers*6
+ #already dead lowers*3
+ #already dead equals*4

graduation signs

ranking sign
ranking points
remark
<=40 beginner
>40 b. grade 2
>100 b. grade 3
>150 b. grade 4
... >250 tetron gamer
... >1000 pro gamer
... >3000 tetron fighter
... >5500 tetron knight
... >10000 tetron master