How I got my second M rank...

[Amnesia]

http://www.tetrisconcept.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif I am so happy to did it yesterday..

I have waited for 6 months to got it a second time..

So I concluded the first one (519 in March) had been reached by A LOT of chance, and 6 month ago I didn't deserve to get it..

The 534 has been really worked and predicted.. http://www.tetrisconcept.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_twisted.gif

And I would like to share my impression, advises and notices during this last week..We are different, but we have a lot of common point in our way to improve, and maybe this two general points could help somebody, maybe etherstorm, DIGITAL, (not kotetsu http://www.tetrisconcept.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_evil.gif ), or somebody else..




1 : My work on my joystick


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(http://imageshack.us/default.htm)


I followed the advice of c_t, jago and petit prince, I used a piece of plate plastic like a (credit card), I cut it, drew the square with accuracy and cut through it with a kutter..After one rubbish attempt, the second was perfect..Now the trajectory of my stick is reduced, I can perform my moves faster(in french : plus secs et plus incisifs! http://www.tetrisconcept.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_twisted.gif ), diagonal are not present any more also..

My microswitch are protected also, after a discussion with jago during the meeting, I understood why my microswitchs was broken every months..


Maybe it's a coincidence, but after this modification, I did :

lv. 500 @ 3:25:46 for my 2nd attempt

lv. 534 for my 6th or 7th attempt..


But this change is a disaster for the Master mode.. http://www.tetrisconcept.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_confused.gif
I must recover new habits because of the reduction of the joystick..


2 : Management of the speed


After a personal analyse and a discussion with c_t about the management of the speed during a TA DEATH, I can decribe two general ways to perform a M rank. And I think one is more careful.

As every body could guess, every players of tetris must balance constantly their speed and accuracy..Some players prefer play fastly in spite of the accuracy (jagorochi), and other players play slowly but with a very good stack (mfm)..

The following scheme show this fact..




[url=http://g.imageshack.us/g.php?h=508&i=mentalcurveszp0.jpg] (http://imageshack.us/default.htm)


The second shows the most interesting, If you play at 90% of your max speed (as c_t) instead of 100% (as jago), you can perform more accurate and good moves, and avoid a lot of mistakes..

We have not the same curve, but with me for example, if I play at 100%, I reach ~460 with ~3:18 in target for the 500..

If I play at 90%, I often reach 500 at ~3:27..

To lose this 2 fucking seconds, I found a compromise, until 300 I play with a medium and regular speed :

lv.100 @ 0:45

lv.200 @ 1:27

lv.300 @ 2:06


Every time I see a net situation where I can agressively lock, I do it, but I stop after 3-4 sec..I reduce when the stack become a little bit more complex..I can save few seconds with this solution and I stay careful..

At 300 I lock constantly..EXCEPT after a complex rotation which dramatically reduces the lock delay..

(ARS : no reset of the lock delay => danger to lock after a lot of rotation of move => thank c_t http://www.tetrisconcept.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif )

If I am low and nice at 400 I continue to lock a bit..Until the first mistake.. http://www.tetrisconcept.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif

OK..Nobody will read that it's too long! http://www.tetrisconcept.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_lol.gif
I will continue to test..

[colour_thief]

I agree very strongly with everything he said. Predictable I suppose... http://www.tetrisconcept.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_razz.gif

Also, I just wanted to comment that the English was relatively clean. http://www.tetrisconcept.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_cool.gif I can't imagine Amnesia having written something so long and sophisticated when he first joined us 1 year ago!


One thing I'd like to add, that is very similar to this "play at 90% speed" idea: In my opinion, the #1 mistake by players who are trying to play faster, is that they forget what playing faster is. They think that:


Playing faster means locking pieces faster.


No! It doesn't! that's terrible!! Locking pieces faster is a side effect of playing faster, but you should not concentrate too hard on this aspect alone. Instead:


Playing faster means thinking harder about piece placement.


People who try and improve speed and forget about this tend to play really stupidly. They are thinking equally hard as before, and spending less time, so their placements are often very poor.


I should add that playing faster and faster, for real, doesn't mean thinking harder and harder. If you really push yourself, then with practice your comfort zone increases. After some time, it's effortless to think at speeds that once required forced mental strictness. So everyone can reach high speeds with enough practice.

[cyberguile]

For me, playing faster means more something like "loosing less time" than "speed up speed up speed up !"

Thus, accuracy is very important.

[DIGITAL]

Hmm, I believe working to play faster requires you to think harder about piece placement. The act of playing fast should require as little thought at possible.


And a very well done article Amnesia. Although I'd have to disagree with your current assessment of my speed. http://www.tetrisconcept.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif

[colour_thief]

Yeah, I don't think anyone can be pegged to a particular spot (except maybe mfm005?). For example, jago has told me that his 9XX came in part from relaxing and taking more sensible risks.

[Pineapple]

Playing faster means locking pieces faster.

No! It doesn't! that's terrible!! Locking pieces faster is a side effect of playing faster, but you should not concentrate too hard on this aspect alone. Instead:

Playing faster means thinking harder about piece placement.

Can I simplify that?


Playing faster means thinking faster, and means making the correct decisions faster.

[Amnesia]

I reply for DIGITAL..


First, thank you very much c_t for your support for my english..

I can't believe you congratulate me for that.. http://www.tetrisconcept.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_lol.gif

c_t has not finished to explain the difference between the "instant speed"

or "speed locking", and the "average speed"..I begin to mind the difference since few weeks only..And DIGITAL seems to have understood since more time than me..

before to put your name at this location DIGITAL, be sure I see approximately how you manage your DEATH gaming, I have watched your video maybe 5-6 times..(DEATH 424), and I am sure I play a bit faster than you..BUT! There is no link between our instant speed and your final time which are better than mine!


LOOK :





I put your speed curve and mine because we have almost the same skill in DEATH..

The first curve shows our level evolution while we play until 500..

You have a more regular and stable game than mine!

consequence, you stay low and you hold your speed.

I begin my first section a bit faster than you but I don't play carefully, I often make some mistake, and I dramatically decrease my speed to recover..

The following curve is the mathematical derivation of the first, which is the instant speed (tetriminos/second)..


Ofcourse this two graph are approximative.. http://www.tetrisconcept.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif

[DIGITAL]

Amnesia, you're correct on your calculations, but you're judging my speed from such an old video. I've since outgrown that style and have adopted some new approaches to Death.

[Amnesia]

Yes of course you have improved since april..

I changed my way of playing me as well..

I spent this 3 last month to increase my knowledge about the ARS technics instead of speed..

-Double rotation

-synchro

-optimize of my moves

-etc..

I have never done again the first section in 39sec since march.. http://www.tetrisconcept.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_confused.gif

[K]

Amnesia, you asked me when i got my first Death M rank :

08/09/2006 :
Today at ~18H50 i've reached for the the first time Death Mode M rank.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Game over at lvl 578 in 03:55:~

i don't know what was the time when i broke the "Torikan", cause i was too much focused on the game...
When the M grade popped out, i felt an "infinite joy" and started to play like a drunken master... if you already got those kind of acheivment you understand what i mean... http://www.tetrisconcept.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif

Let's go for Gm now...


so yes, my first M was 578

funny to see from the date that it's been exactly 1 year day to day, since i was so close from Gm... it would have been so cool. http://www.tetrisconcept.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_confused.gif

[Amnesia]

OK perfect ! http://www.tetrisconcept.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif
DATA COMPLETE FOR :

-Me

-cyberguile

-jagorochi

-Rosti

-colour_thief


ALMOST COMPLETE FOR :

-matt_hatter

-DIGITAL

-kotetsu

[Amnesia]

I finally recorded a first m rank yesterday evening after 4-5 attempt..

I would like show you this one because it shows exactely what I meant in the first post..

I passed the torikan at 3:24:--


Every sub-master player can see the MINIMAL section time they must hold to get the 500 under 3min25..


Sorry there is a poor game at ~70 just before.. http://www.tetrisconcept.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_lol.gif

http://www.sendspace.com/file/tya205