Problems with modern tetris (vs)
what is modern? jstris, ppt, top, tetrio, wwc, tf, etc are all considered "modern"
The official "guideline" was first created in 2006~ and the oldest version of the vs ruleset we will be talking about is in Tetris Friends. (Tetris DS has a different ruleset). These rules have not been updated since release.
The key elements of the "Guideline vs ruleset" are: srs, bag, combo, spawn orientation and color.
Combo
Combo is the biggest problem in all modern Tetris games at the moment. It is super over powered compared to any other method of attacking, which leads to very linear gameplay.
Why is combo broken?
Combo is very flexible
You can attack with any piece using combo, whereas with back-to-back attacks (Tetris and t-spins) you can only attack using T and I pieces. This is also allows you to store a large amount of attack for a crazy big spike, since consistently the biggest spike you can send with b2b is around 12 (TST + tetris). Theoretically you can do 3 tst + 2 tetris, but that's basically super rng.
Another benefit of combo is that, you can combo on basically any field. To do a T-spin or tetris, you need a very specific setup (a well or a t-spin shape). To combo you just need to be able to clear lines with a single piece.
The numbers are too big
The way that combo damage scales is absolutely bonkers. After 7-8~ combo the amount of damage you output is ridiculous, not to mention that any combo attack must be a spike due to the nature of it (a 10 combo is 21 lines!). This is equivalent to 3xTST however, being able to execute 3xTST in an actual game is basically impossible compared to a 10 combo, which you can basically get by luck.
Combo is boring
The most efficient setup for combos is 4w. While it does require a baseline amount of skill, it is extremely linear compared to any other aspect of the game. All there is to 4w is memorizing the residue patterns, and learning how to stack 3-0-3, whereas everything else is much more open and creative, which many times more possibilities, requiring a more complex thought process.
Downstacking
Combo is not downstacking. One thing people often confuse is the relation between downstacking and combo. Combo IS NOT downstacking, combo is a METHOD of downstacking. If you are good at downstacking with combo, that skill will carry over to downstacking without combo.
Take a look at the following scenario:
Notice ho this could be a combo, or a tetris depending on which order you decide to place them in.
What needs to be done
The obvious option would be to rebalance combo, here are some suggestions on how to do that:
- Cap the combo at like 2-3?
- Combo sends clean, hole change only happens on doubles+
- LCD scales with combo
Another option is to remove combo entirely, but that leads to some other balancing difficulties.
Speed
The most popular modern tetris games are not official games. These games usually have little to no delay, causing them to be extremely fast.
Complexity is interesting
With no speed cap, making very basic decision quickly is more beneficial than making fewer better decisions.
What is optimal?
Currently, in no delay modern games, there are no consequences. While statistically you are less efficient, that efficiency is made up for more by speed.
Players should encouraged to make the most optimal and efficient decision, but efficiency is not purely calculated using blocks, real time matters, so in faster games the most optimal decision might not be the most efficient block for block, but it might be the fastest to think of and execute.
Screen-watching and timing as skill expressions
In faster games true timing is not as prevalent as in slower games. The best players in faster games use timing to some extend, but the amount of skill expression is much less compared to games like PPT.
In faster games timing is not tangible.
Mechanical Skill is not interesting
Some people think that mechanical skill should play a factor in overall skill, but the main appeal of tetris is that is is not a very mechanically intensive game. It's like thinking that moving the chess pieces fast is impressive in bullet chess.
How to fix?
The best solution I can come up with is adding or increasing line clear delay, that way each line clear has more weight to it, and inefficient (block wise) clears get punished.
Another solution, would be to cap das and arr, but that one kind of feels bad. It will feel less bad with better input buffering or IHS / IRS though.
Hurry up garbage
To prevent games for lasting forever, most modern games have some form "Hurry up garbage", which is solid unclearable lines that rise quickly after a certain time threshold.
This is kind of ruins the whole set, since the winner is just who has a spike at the end.
I would suggest to insert the garbage at a lower rate, like 1 line every 15 seconds or increase messiness (thanks dre)
Gravity
Much like mechanical skill, gravity is basically worthless in guideline. Any player who has basic skills will not be affected by gravity at all. The difficulty in modern Tetris have nothing to do with playing around gravity as well.
Gravity is not the point of tetris.
Tetr.io
After reading everything above you should be able to put two and two together.