Bloxeed information.

Thread in 'Discussion' started by Zaphod77, 14 Oct 2010.

  1. Zaphod77

    Zaphod77 Resident Misinformer

    The garbage pattern is this.
    Code:
    XXXXXXXXX.
    XXXXXXXXX.
    XXXXXXXXX.
    XXXXXXXXX.
    ..XXXXXXXX
    .XXXXXXXXX
    .XXXXXXXXX
    .XXXXXXXXX
    XXXXXXXX..
    XXXXXXXXX.
    XXXXXXXXX.
    XXXXXXXXX.
    ..XXXXXXXX
    .XXXXXXXXX
    XX..XXXXXX
    XX.XXXXXXX
    XXXXXXXX..
    XXXXXXXXX.
    XXXXXX..XX
    XXXXXXX.XX
    .XXXXXXXXX
    .XXXXXXXXX
    .XXXXXXXXX
    .XXXXXXXXX
    XXXX..XXXX
    XXXX..XXXX
    XXXX..XXXX
    XXXX..XXXX
    XXXX...XXX
    XXXXX.XXXX
    X...XXXXXX
    XX.XXXXXXX
    
    This is quite different from TGM + mode.

    The garbage meter (5 lights) rises not with pieces placed, but purely with time, even during line clear delay or ARE. It waits a period of time dependent on your level, then rises at a speed also dependent on level.

    When the meter is filled and a piece is active, and it it then locked down, AND no lines are cleared, then a row of garbage is added. If it starts flashing after the piece touches down, then it waits for the next one. If you can keep a combo going, you will put off the garbage.

    Sometimes (usually when reaching level 10) it will delay garbage for a piece or two.

    Except for new bloxeed specific features, the game's speed curve and scoring are identical in every way to sega tetris. 4 lines for a new level by default.

    Collecting an item always scores 5000 points regardless of level, and clears the garbage meter, delaying the garbage line till next time.

    There are item priority rules if you would collect more than one with a clear. If a 4 item is in the lines cleared, it is ALWAYS awarded instead of anything else, because the 4 line clear never messes up your stack. Otherwise, the rules are complicated, and i still haven't figured them all out.

    The Satellite scores (points for single/10) for each brick shot out. It also gives a bonus of (level+1)*2000 for clearing the screen. Note that this applies even for levels above 15, even though the gravity doesn't increase.

    The 4 item clears up to 4 alternating lines, and scores normally for the amount of lines it actually clears, no matter how few blocks are in them. These lines count for your next level, so you can go up 2 levels with a double tetris.

    The bomb knocks out the following pattern directly below it

    Code:
    
    ..BB..
    ..BB..
    ..XX..
    .O..O.
    ..OO..
    
    It also knocks out every block above those 4 Os. the x's are the ground it just hit.

    The weight is self explanatory.

    Flicky drops blocks. You can complete lines with them, and these lines do NOT count towards increasing level. Clearing 5 lines at once scores as 1, 6 as 2, etc. items do not pause the levelup timer, though.

    You CAN get bravos directly with Flicky, and they will score 10x. Or you can use it up so your next piece will be a bravo. Therefore, Flicky is the item with the greatest scoring potential below level 50, where Satellite will score more points for a screen clear.

    Items are given based on how many times the garbage meter fills, how messed up your stack is, and pieces placed.

    The best strategy at high levels is to keep the stack low as possible, so you can clear the screen with satellite and get bravos with flicky's help. Unless you are god and can set up bravos without flicky's help. :) Once you hit 50, Satellite is better than flicky.

    Versus copies your lines cleared to send to the opponent, as 2-3-4, and KICKS THE OPPONENT'S PIECE OFF WHEN GARBAGE ENTERS THEIR FIELD. You can rob them of their I piece this way. You also both get the same pieces. I don't know if flicky will send lines.
     
  2. Zaphod77

    Zaphod77 Resident Misinformer

    More info.

    The game pregenerates it's piece sequence, like Sega Tetris, but also calls the RNG for each piece as it is shown, to determine what item it would have, if it had an item. this advances the seed in a different manner than calling it for the piece generator. this is proven by the fact that a game that lasts only one more piece seems to give a completely different sequence next game.

    This means that, just like sega tetris, you can analyse a route from initial poweron to max out as quick as possible, changing your pace to maximize the number of flicky and satellite pieces. But it takes a lot more trial and error to work out where the flickys and satellites are, and how to encounter them and collect them the best. There is a mame superplay on youtube of this being done on the inferior World/US version (only has one button). Without either doing this, or using autofire, the game is incredibly difficult to actually max out.

    For example, if you take as long as possible to place your initial pieces on the system 18 version on normal difficulty (having the garbage rows come up after piece 2 and 4), the second L piece (piece 6) will have a powerup, and it will be a 4. if you play a little faster, the following T (piece 7) has a bomb powerup, and the I piece after it (piece eight) contains a Flicky (the best powerup in the game for scoring). With very rapid and accurate play, at least two 10x score bravos can be scored directly with that flicky. scoring one under real time conditions is very doable with a little practice, and you can follow this up by setting up another tetris well plus change. at that point you can either play slow, and cause a level up by time, or play fast, and get to the next I piece before the levelup, for a lower score, but avoiding 1g play and faster garbage for longer. Once you reach level 15, it's not nearly as easy to stall to manipulate the item blocks.

    Note that continuing (and replaying the same piece sequence) does NOT give you the same powerups. It simply recycles the existing piece sequence, but uses new RNG calls for the items.

    The sequence for the next game (when not continued) depends purely on the number of pieces shown before game over, but counting all pieces from all continued games. TASers may be able to make something of this.
     
  3. Zaphod77

    Zaphod77 Resident Misinformer

    okay. more info.

    there appear to be three stack height zones.

    0-8 is zone height 1, 9-12. is zone height 2,13-16 is zone height 3 and 17+ is zone height 4.

    if the stack height is in a higher zone powerups are different and more frequent. Not yet sure of the mechanism.

    but 1200 frames between item blocks if stack height is in zone 1, 900 zone 2, 600 zone 3, 300 zone 4.

    only four central columns are used to determine stack height for this purpose. the full height is still used to determine if garbage will be cancelled.
     
    Last edited: 15 Nov 2020
  4. Zaphod77

    Zaphod77 Resident Misinformer

    okay more has been figured out, at least for system 18/16 version.

    Here's how it works.

    If you start a game from mode select, three rolls happen immediately..

    1st main randomizer roll seeds the piece generator, which is modified to give more I and less S/Z as described in the randomizer theory thread. this is placed in three spots, player 1 piece seed, player 2 piece seed, and backup piece seed (for continuing)
    second roll is for player 1's first piece item, which can never happen.
    third roll is for player 2's first piece, which also can't happen. fourth roll is for starting players second piece, which also can never happen. as each tetromino shows up in next, the item is rolled, and if an item is due, it gets put there depending on stack height of center 6 columns.

    the same happens for versus. except that player 2's second piece advances the main rng immediately, and each piece that enters the next box gets another roll of main RNG.

    The versus victory animation uses 40 rolls of the main rng to make the birdies fly around randomly.

    if you continue, the main rng simply continues where it left off. one roll for first, one roll for second, etc. If you don't, it's another three rolls. a versus continue will advance it four times real quick, for the four pieces that show.

    If player 2 joins in while player 1 is playing since first piece was already rolled for it's item, it starts with the other players second piece. each time a next piece shows, the rng is rolled.

    You can use flash point poweron sequence to help plan out your items. Have fun trying to max the game out. :)
     

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