So once I got a netbook and started taking ridiculously lame classes that require attendance but in no way require me to pay attention, I found myself spending hours of the day incredibly bored. To assuage this, I went where millions have gone before me: Tetris.
Its classic simplicity, aided by the mute button, make it a perfect "no really, my laptop is here because I'm taking notes" game, as it only requires subtle gestures of the arrow key. While most people attempt to make their Tetris game harder by increasing the level, and ergo, increasing the speed of the pieces as they fall, I've decided that that is simply the lame way.
Instead, I like to take the logical 'block strategy' that any Tetris player comes across eventually (avoid bumps and singularities, try and keep the total form of your construction as smooth and rectangular as possible) to the max. Instead of simply aiming to line a maximum amount of times in the begginning by postioning most of the pieces laterally, I go out of my way to construct sturdy, thick blocks and towers. As these fill the board, I leave just one space open: a vertical chasm, a small slit between skyscrapers, that can easily become 5-6 blocks high. A small gap whose filling would lead to at least four lines all at once, and maybe more right after if the Tetris Gods are smiling upon me. For these gaps should only really be filled by the best and most noble of tetris pieces, the Orange Piece:*
Its classic simplicity, aided by the mute button, make it a perfect "no really, my laptop is here because I'm taking notes" game, as it only requires subtle gestures of the arrow key. While most people attempt to make their Tetris game harder by increasing the level, and ergo, increasing the speed of the pieces as they fall, I've decided that that is simply the lame way.
Instead, I like to take the logical 'block strategy' that any Tetris player comes across eventually (avoid bumps and singularities, try and keep the total form of your construction as smooth and rectangular as possible) to the max. Instead of simply aiming to line a maximum amount of times in the begginning by postioning most of the pieces laterally, I go out of my way to construct sturdy, thick blocks and towers. As these fill the board, I leave just one space open: a vertical chasm, a small slit between skyscrapers, that can easily become 5-6 blocks high. A small gap whose filling would lead to at least four lines all at once, and maybe more right after if the Tetris Gods are smiling upon me. For these gaps should only really be filled by the best and most noble of tetris pieces, the Orange Piece:*
Free of the blasted chirality of the L and Z Pieces, yet more flexible and useful than its humble cousin, the Red Square, the Orange Line is the true Pallidin of the Tetris Kingdom- coming through right in the clutch. Occassionally aided by "Flippy" (the Yellow T Piece, and a versatile Robin Hood of sorts) it ensures that goodness and prosperity will indeed soon reign in the Two-Dimensional Realm.**
Bonus points are also added for keeping pieces grouped together by their respective, color-coded classes (I swear, on a well constructed Tetris board you can really see the organization at work), a pretty design overall, and if you can get the result to look as much as possible like the Periodic Table.
*Phallic Symbol?
**I thought about making a Flatland joke but somehow it didn't seem right...
2 comments:
Using tetris next time I have to explain chirality to someone. :)
Only just noticed this now, but you misspelled "paladin." Depending on how geeky you still think you are (read: a lot) you should probably be a little ashamed.
T_T
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