Talk:Playing forever

The random factor will make let's say 10 S figures appear in a row, thus wrecking your scheme. Btw I came up with exactly the same scheme a year ago, and proceeded to obliterate it with the current argument.

Cheers! -- 82.11.190.158

What you talk about does not apply to newer versions of Tetris. Older versions used a memoryless random number generator. Newer versions generate a bag of all seven pieces in random order, then another bag of all seven pieces, etc. See Tetris Guideline --Tepples 19:01, 9 July 2006 (EDT)

That won't work

TZS, ZTS:

I don't understand. If you get dealt ZTS, how are you going to put the T under the Z? You can't slip it under unless you've got the Z against the right wall, and I was under the impression you were putting this well on the left wall. Perhaps what you ment is this:

ZTS:

If so, why don't you enumerate all the possibilities so that it is clear.

Yup, I had "The New Tetris box art syndrome" (reversing Z and S in diagram). Besides, in both SRS and TGM, T can kick under an overhang. I'll go back and clarify that section. --Tepples 16:58, 3 August 2006 (EDT)

STZ@High-Speed Theory:

How about you just put the STZ into the middle, while making JLO a few blocks shorter on purpose? That way, at higher speeds, can't you make a hill with them, and thus move the other pieces into the left and right wells with more ease?

Having problems holding pieces

OK, this works well until I have to hold something. I put the piece in hold, and I can play on for a while, but when do I bring it back? I find I always seem to end up in a situation where I'm switching one piece I can't use for another that was already being held. The page doesn't seem to give any instructions on this matter. I've tried switching them for I pieces, because that doesn't really disrupt any patterns, but I'm not sure that that always works. Things still seem to get muddled. Am I just not thinking ahead far enough?

Also, I'm having difficulty working out exactly what the following bit means:

If the STZ heap becomes too high, and its floor is shaped as 1210, 0121, 2101, or 1012, the player can borrow a T tetromino from the STZ heap, placed on its side, to create a single line in the center. This results in no change to the floor shape, and it works especially in cases where the player would otherwise have to "hold the T and play as above".

What does it mean by 'a single line in the center'? The centre of the left pile, or the centre of the play area overall (as in the I pile)? And when it says 'on its side', which way is the point facing? A picture would be helpful. I find the left pile gets high quite quickly, so clarification would be appreciated. — James 11:00, 15 November 2006 (EST)

When you are instructed to hold a piece, you hold it until the seam between bags. And here, "center" refers to columns 5 and 6. Both the left pile and the right pile should pile up at the same rate. I'll see what I can do in the article. --Tepples 19:29, 15 November 2006 (EST)

OK, thanks. That was most helpful. — James 21:12, 16 November 2006 (EST)