Quatris: The Games of Shapes

Quatris 2.0

The Games of Shapes





Quatris is a game of placing shapes strategically as they fall

into place. Each shape can be thought of as 4 small squares linked

together. Thus the name Quatris. These shapes are sometimes refered

to as tetrominoes. The game is similar to the commercial game Tetris.

This adaptation of the theme is for CP/M. It is written in Turbo

Pascal, and thus requires a Z80 or compatible CPU. The source code is

available for a modest fee, and can be ported to MS-DOS with little

trouble.



The game controls are mostly numbers. The game screen lists the

controls, so play is simple. Strategy is complex however. The main

object is to completely fill whole rows with blocks. When this

happens, the row vanishes, and the end of the game is postponed.

Points are accumulated as each shape drops. You get more points for

placing the shape faster, so use the space bar to drop it into place

as soon as it is properly positioned. You get more points at harder

(lower) levels as the action speeds up. It may be strategic to begin

at a higher level, or to advance while playing. The level auto-

matically advances, if not high enough already, after a certain number

of rows have been filled. An option to preview the next shape is

available, but it does slightly lower your points.



The .COM file is initially set up for a Kaypro/Televideo/ADM type

terminal. The public domain program PDTINS by Carson Wilson is

included to allow this to be changed if needed. My thanks to him for

this program. In the unlikely event that a compatible terminal is not

on the PDTINS menu, you only need to worry about clear screen and

cursor addressing. Look for 01A hex for clear screen, and <ESC>=rc

for cursor addressing in the distributed .COM file. The crt init (and

exit) sequence can be used to turn the cursor off (and back on) if it

bothers you. With DDT, the strings would begin (length first) at 016B

hex (off) and 017B hex (on). Add your strings, with appropriate

lengths, to enable this feature.



The game is configured to run best on a 4 MHz machine. This too

can be changed. To try a different value (lower values make the game

more challenging) include the value on the command line, example:



A>QUATRIS 3MHZ<RET>



To enter your system speed permanently as the default, requires DDT or

some other patch utility. The value is at location 0124 hex.



A high scores file is maintained for the top ten scores. This

encourages competition and makes the game more enjoyable, even if you

only try to better your own high score. My high score is about 6500.

To see the high scores without playing just enter the command:



A>QUATRIS SCORE<RET>



The game can be exited early if desired. In case of supervisor

surveillance, or if you need to pause for some reason (ahem), there is

a key which clears the screen and leaves a bogus "A>" prompt. Hit

any key to resume where you left off, or hit ESC at the false prompt

to quietly exit to CP/M (your score is not recorded in this case).



This software and documentation is copyright 1989 by Steven B.

Perkins. You are free to use, copy, and distribute it as long as it

is not for profit. Contact me if other arrangements are desired.



I believe the CP/M world can use more support. There really are

a lot of us out here! Any comments about this game, or monetary

encouragement towards further efforts and upgrades can be sent to the

address below. I also frequent Z-Node 45: (713)937-8886 and you can

leave messages for me there. A donation of $10 or more makes you an

official supported user. If you send such a donation and a floppy

disk, you will receive the source code, the latest version, and another

game and utility to try. Have fun, and keep supporting CP/M and the Z-

system.





Address: Steven B. Perkins

1227 Spring Ridge Dr.

Sandy, UT 84094