Where should I begin?

Thread in 'Strategy' started by Qlex, 14 Apr 2011.

  1. Hi!

    There's a problem I'm facing recently.

    I realized I was making lotsa progressies, because every play looks different to me. I am considering new parts of the gameplay each time. But am I heading to the right place?

    I tend to practice TGM3TI a lot. As long as I improve in this category I don't see any problem.

    But I REALLY suck at TGM1 and TAP, which emphasizes bad habits and poor stacking.


    So what would be the most important? Should I at least try and get GM on TGM? Or should I continue with the hold system and improve my speed?
     
  2. Hard to say. There are a few excellent players here that started on Ti-style and went on to pick up TGM and TAP... but I wouldn't say their adjustment period was without difficulties, haha. I feel like starting with TGM/TAP would teach better foundations, but it's not impossible to "go backwards" if so desired.
     
  3. From what I understand, the experience taken from playing the first two TGMs would be an almost necessary plus.

    Besides, while we're at it, is it a different way of learning to explore the game in different ways? Like playing big mode? Looking for the secret grade? Looking for lines of checks?

    In my opinion, it all comes down to better stacking, the ability to make the field according to what's in sight (the first next or the three next pieces), but do we know how to practice it? How to build a "stacking strategy" or a "stacking feeling"?
     
  4. The end game, is of course, attaining the highest grade (you care for) in the main game modes: Master, Death, Shirase. And since the TGM games get more difficult and complicated as the series progressed, focusing your efforts on the earlier games is probably the best strategy.

    Think of the the TGM games like a wedding cake: TGM1 builds your stacking and 20G fundamentals in a slow-paced game. Then you move to TAP Normal which introduces you to sonic drop and time attack to attain a high score. TAP Master and TGM+ test your consistency and recovery skills, respectively. Death is raw speed. Virtually everything you learned in TGM1 applies to TGM2.

    When you move to TGM3, things change (hold and 3 previews) but the basic game mechanics do not. If you do well in TGM2 you will hold your own in TGM3. As sonic drop becomes a new weapon in your arsenal when moving up to TGM2, the hold and extra previews are handy tools for TGM3. And again, pretty much everything you learned in the previous two games applies to TGM3.

    I was one of the few who started playing Ti style and moved backward. Actually, I think that helped me, perhaps I would have given up on Tetris if I started with TGM1 and struggled for too long...

    Ultimately make it fun for yourself. Tetris is a game and if you aren't having fun, why play?
     
  5. tgm1 is really a frustrating and difficult game that will teach you godlike stacking
    tgm3 is more about pure speed.
     
  6. Amnesia

    Amnesia Piece of Cake

    Finish TI as much as you can and then come on TGM and TAP and destroy it.
    Kevin and DIGITAL killed everybody that way.
    Edo has reached a new level on TGM and TAP after a long moment on TI.

    Keep in mind that TGM and TAP games are included in TI, but TI is not present in TAP.
     
  7. Well, sounds convincing enough!

    I guess I'll do some TI a little bit more.

    Thanks for your answers everybody!
     
  8. Muf

    Muf

    You'll regret it :p
     
  9. Haha don't worry I'll eventually try to be friends with the TGM1 line piece.
     
  10. Why would he regret it?
    Hell, I don't regret starting with SRS
     
  11. Zaphod77

    Zaphod77 Resident Misinformer

    Muf speaks the truth.

    It is much harder to go back after you get used to the easy tetrising of TI.

    With SRS, it's not so bad because you are relearning everything. But when going from a tgm game to an earlier tgm game, you only have to unlearn one or two things, and these things significantly affect play.

    TI allows you to progress a lot farther without learning proper pyramid stacking, because you can nearly always get the I piece to the right, and get it to the left at least 75% of the time, and usually use hold to fix it if you can't.

    To be fair, with the speeds TI goes at, those floorkicks are required for it to be playable.
     
  12. #1) Play what you like. Don't restrict yourself from playing the mode(s) that you enjoy most, unless you're specifically doing so to untrain bad habits. Even if you're doing that, you can still let yourself play for enjoyment often. But ideally the bad habits shouldn't form in the first place, which brings me to...

    #2) Play to improve in the long run. Which means, not focusing on "that next record barrier", whether it be Master S9 or Death M or whatever (I would consider that kind of play to be in #1 because i like hitting new records), but focusing on analyzing your gameplay and training your weaknesses. Sure, I'm relatively good at 20G speedplay since I play death all the time, but I know I rely on fancy moves too much and my recovery is not so good, so I like to play TGM1/TAP Master to improve general stacking and maybe TGM+ to practice downstacking through crap.

    #3) Play a variety of modes to expose yourself to different ways of thinking. Big mode, item mode, TAP normal, secret grade, doubles, maybe even invisible...just because you'll think more deeply about the game and it can open up interesting avenues of development.

    .....
    ...is what i would say.

    For your question specifically, I think you should stick to what you like, BUT if what you like happens to be Ti, you may want to also play some TGM/TAP on the side so that you don't bang your head against the wall later.

    ...or you could be like me and play Ti modes "TAP style" with no hold and pyramid-stacking =P
     
  13. I'd do the series in order (TGM1 first, then TAP, then Ti), or at least my goal would be to reach TGM1 Gm first, then advance on the other game.
    That's because TGM1 grading system is much faster/easier than in TAP or Ti. You'll get more fluid feeling of progression (that is, you will regularly hit a new grade) where you'd be stuck in the same grade in TAP/Ti for ages. And maybe that's me that is too much into the modern videogame achievementfag mindset, but I think that seeing regular milestone in your games will keep you motivated to play.

    That, and what the other said: TGM1 teaches you the fundamentals of TGM Tetris while the sequels are refinement; you should keep having fun and an open mind (TGM1 may be painstakingly slow, it forces you to have perfect placement); it is good to play other game mode to think outside the box and enrich you playstyle.
     
  14. Edo

    Edo a.k.a. FSY

    A lot of other players are quick to describe the similarities in gameplay between TGM1 and TGM3, or mention that one is a refinement of the other and how skills are transferable. I have to disagree; they are significantly different.
    With the alteration as above, I would have to say I completely agree with cyberguile.

    TGM3, with its extra next piece previews, gives sufficient information for the player to analyse possible continuations, and thus calculate a close to optimal placement for the current piece. TGM3 is therefore all about fast tactical calculation, 3 pieces at a time. And it does have to be fast, because the speed curve gets brutal. And because your placement choices are close to optimal, you don't need to worry about the stack degenerating into instability; it's not necessary to look further ahead than the 3 piece horizon.

    TGM1 in contrast gives the player a severe lack of information; it's not possible to analyse specific continuations in clear detail. You cannot say "Oh I'm getting an L piece 2 moves in the future, if I stack this current piece like so, I make the perfect space for it"; instead you have to ask "What if I get an L piece 2 moves in the future? What if I get a J? What if I get an O? What if I don't get a line piece for 20 goddamn turns?!?!" It's necessary to think in a completely different way; you have to adopt strategies that are very flexible and work reasonably in a multitude of different possible continuations. These strategies by their very nature are not going to allow optimal placements, and there will be a tendency for the stability of the stack to degenerate after several pieces, unless you perform long-term risk assessment, checking whether a placement may lead to an instability 6 or 7 pieces down the line, and factor this into your strategy.

    In summary:
    TGM3 is about very fast tactical calculation; you need to plan 3 pieces into the future with good clarity.
    TGM1 is about deep strategical stacking; you have to see dimly into the future for several pieces to ensure your stability doesn't degenerate.

    Personally, I would suggest you play equal amounts of TGM1 and TGM3.
     
  15. Why! All this advice is food for thought!

    I played TGM1 a little bit today, and yes, I have to agree with Edo. I play a lot more like a machine when I'm playing TGM3. The stack looks like a mess, but I can find my way out often. I cannot even try to do it when playing TGM1


    I'm liking both gameplays although they're not the same whatsoever. Like PetitPrince said, TGM1 grants me higher grades, whereas TGM3 doesn't, so that's an encouraging plus. But TGM3 can keep me busy all the time, whereas TGM1 can have tedious moments.


    Once I have enough time, I should do a big buffet o' Tetris to see what mode would be the most interesting or fun haha
     
  16. K

    K

    First of all. You should start to not pay attention to Amnesia's elucubrations..

    Play whatever you like.. for instance blastcorps is a damn fucking game..
    Then "you can stop now"..
     
  17. lol Blastcorps looks sick from what I've seen just now. It's could have been like a minigame from Sim City where you can destroy the city by yourself, my very dream :rolleyes: .

    Back on topic though, I am not making any improvement in TGM1. Actually, it's quite the opposite. I do however make huge progress in TI big mode. What's at stake when playing big mode?
     
  18. Zaphod77

    Zaphod77 Resident Misinformer

    Well it teaches you to use hold pretty well. :) It's probably the easiest mode besides easy. it's the only way i can currently clear master mode at all with ARS
     

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