Netris

Netris is a two-player version of arcade classic Tetris which was developed for use on UNIX networks. In keeping with the celebrated nature of its one-player ancestor, Netris has proven remarkably addictive, and there is usually at least one game going on somewhere on matrix. This guide is intended to get you involved in these friendly competitions, and hopefully will have you jumping up the Netris Scoreboard with the speed and skill of a competant gazelle.

In our infinite wisdom, we at Netsoc have provided you, the user, with two types of Netris play, each of which can be started by running a different command. To play the first from of Netris, the single-user mode, simply type "netris" and hit enter. Players enjoy this mode of play at the times of great boredom and singletude, engaging in the simple masturbatory experience of creating order out of chaos.

The other type of Netris is the pinnacle of the gameplay: the multi-player Netris. In this mode, users engage in action against other playes, trying to beat them in speed and elegance of creating perfect worlds. To play this form of Netris, you need to type "netris -w" or "netris -c localhost", depending on your orientation. Netris we are using on matrix has been improved to allow for keeping a record of all games and compiling scoreboards containing all players. And it is this type of Netris that the rest of this guide is concerned with.

As with most two player head-to-head games, there are two different commands needed to start a head-to-head game. Either a player can "Host" a game, or they can "Wait" for someone else to host it. Once the game begins, there is no difference between the two, but when two people want to play, one must "Host" and the other must "Wait": they cannot both "Host" or both "Wait".

In order to "Host" a game of Netris, players should type " -c netsoc" after the word netris as follows: "netris -c netsoc". In order to "Wait" for a game, players should type " -w" after the word netris, like so: "netris -w".

Please note that you may be left waiting in either case for another user to join in, since either of these commands will automatically wait until it detects another user who has run the corresponding command, and then immediately initiate a game. When users run netris in a second window and then forget about it, opportunistic players may find it a very simple way of jumping rapidly up the scoreboard, so be alert if you begin a game.

If you wish to cancel either command, either while you are playing or while you are waiting for someone to join you, simply hit "CTRL+C" to end the program. Please note, however, that if you quit while you are playing the game, it registers as a win for your opponent.

The in-game controls for Netris couldn't be simpler.

• To move a block left, hit "j"
• To move a block right, hit "l"
• To rotate a block, hit "k"
• To drop a block instantly to the bottom of the screen, hit the spacebar

There are a few suprises in store which are intended to prevent evenly-matched players from playing forever, but you'll quickly encounter them and learn to deal with them. However here's a hint, if you manage to get two or more rows of blocks ellimiated at the same time, it makes life difficult for your opponent.

As I have already mentioned, one version of Netris is scored, and the top spots on the scoreboard can be hotly contested, particularly by those addicts who have been playing for years. In order to view the current top 15 places, simply type "netris-scores" or "~skyclad/bin/elo | head", with thanks to dbc and skyclad, players with way too much time on his hands. The scoreboard shows the player's name, the total number of games they've played (always good for a laugh), games won and games lost, their percenage wins and best streak (that's the most games they've won in a row), and finally and most importantly, their score.

Netris scoring is currently calculated as follows:

• Players don't earn points for beating someone who's lower down the scoreboard then they are.
• Players who beat someon higher up the board then they are win half the difference between their points. That is, if I have 1000 points and I beat someone with 3000 points, I win 1000 points (half of the difference).
• Players get NO POINTS for playing with themselves. No matter how ingeniously you do it.
• To reach the top spot, you have to be in second place and then beat the player in first place. You can't go to the top of the board without being second AND playing whoever is first. No matter how many points you win in other games.
• Players who reach the top spot and then refuse to play against anyone (Hamster, Dermo, etc.) will have rude words shouted at them.

See, it's all perfectly simple. Honest. Oh, by the way, due to size constraints, the score can't get above 1000, so if you earn 1000 points, it becomes 1 megapoints. 1000 megapoints is 1 gigapoints, etc. The full list is as follows:
points > megapoints > gigapoints > terapoints > pitapoints > exapoints > zettapoints > holyshit points!

The "elo" scoreboard calculates positions using the ELO raiting algorithm, originally invented by the mathematician Arpad Elo for raiting chess players. You can read more about it in the TutorGig Encyclopedia.

Oh, and if you want to see your own score, but you haven't yet made it into the top 15, simply type "netris-scores -l" (that's a small L, not a one) to view the entire scoreboard, or better yet, type "netris-scores -l | grep *your username*" to view only your own score, for example "netris-scores -l | grep fred" displays Fred's details.

A new, superior scoring system is currently under development. If you want to see where you stand on the new scoreboard, check out the temporary, on-line version at http://netsoc.tcd.ie/~dbc/netris. All complaints or comments to dbc please.

If you'd like to know more, please feel free to contact the program's architects: robb and villiros. To get feedback on the scoreboard issues, please contact dbc. If you want help or need to join a support group, please contact one of the following addicts: bill, kgmf, irokie, ivan or dermo.