From b857717124bdae9b30b66bb7b048242c1ac6a55f Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: "Eric S. Raymond" Date: Tue, 29 Nov 1994 03:52:06 +0000 Subject: [PATCH] Initial revision --- README | 41 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 41 insertions(+) create mode 100644 README diff --git a/README b/README new file mode 100644 index 0000000..52fc97d --- /dev/null +++ b/README @@ -0,0 +1,41 @@ + This is a Unix SysV implementation of a game that appeared on +comp.binaries.amiga a while ago. The author, Quentin Neill, +saw it on an amiga here at work, and ported it to curses +(on his own time, of course ;-) ). + I'm not too sure about the history of tetrix. Someone +said that the game originated in Russia, and that it is quite old. +We became enthralled with the game on an Amiga, almost to the point +of addiction. That version had some documentation, but I never had +the chance to read it - I only played. I considered writing a version +in machine language for my Franklin junker at home, but settled on a +C implementation for unix machines. + The object of the game is to keep the board clear for as long as +possible. Pieces consisting of four blocks (hence the name TETRix) in the +seven possible arrangements are sent down one at a time. The player's +job is to find the best fit for the piece in the pile of blocks that have +already fallen. He can rotate each piece and move it from side to side. +If the piece just played causes a complete row of blocks, that row is +erased and all blocks above it move down one row. Points are awarded for +completed rows - more for rows higher up on the board. A piece may +be dropped from a height for additional points when the player feels it +is oriented correctly. The game is over when no more pieces can be formed +at the top of the board. + There is one variable INIT_PAUSE in tet.c that compensates for +different machine speeds. Set this higher if tetrix screams, and the +time between each piece's movement will lengthen. Set it lower if +it crawls along too slowly. On a Tower 32/800 with about 45 users on a +busy day, we do well with the value set at about 300. On a Tower 32/200 +with one user, the value was set at 1500. + + Good luck! Quentin Neill + +This version has been hacked to do color under System V Release 3.2. Compile +with -DCOLOR to enable this feature. Due to the limited number of colors in the +curses(3) portable set, 'tan' pieces will be cyan-colored. + If you're using an EGA or VGA display, however, you can also compile +with -DEGA to get better colors (this uses the EGA quirk that yellow is +'bright brown'). + Finally, note that you may now invoke tetrix as `tetrix ' +to set the value of INIT_PAUSE. + + Have fun! Eric S. Raymond -- 2.43.0