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"[[Tetris Worlds]]" for PC: Anomalies and Hacks

Dunno if anyone else here has the PC version of "[[Tetris Worlds]]" (Caffeine and Lardarse have mentioned in other threads that they have that version). Anyhow, some things I've discovered, screwed with, and/or generally made a mess of <G>.

First of all (as described by Lardarse), all of the game's mechanics are stored within "TWS" script files. These files can be found in the "Tetris Worlds\Assets\Any_Plat\Any_Lang\Scripts" subdirectory, and are as follows:

* CASCADE.TWS  - Cascade Tetris, "Aludra" world
* CONNECT.TWS  - Fusion Tetris, "Unukalhai" world
* ENDURE.TWS   - Endurance Tetris (see "ENDURANCE=TRUE" in the "[GAME]" heading section below), strange cascading mode that can't top out
* HOTLINE.TWS  - Hot-Line Tetris, "Talitha" world
* LEARNING.TWS - Ultra Learning Tetris
* MCASCADE.TWS - Ultra Cascade Tetris
* MCONNECT.TWS - Ultra Fusion Tetris
* MHOTLINE.TWS - Ultra Hot-Line Tetris
* MSQUARE.TWS  - Ultra Square Tetris
* MTET2001.TWS - Ultra Tetris
* MTNT.TWS     - Ultra Sticky Tetris
* ORIGINAL.TWS - Original Tetris, "Hadar" world (see "ORIGINALTETRIS=TRUE" in the "[GAME]" heading section below)
* RIBBON.TWS   - Ribbon Tetris (see "RIBBON=TRUE" in the "[GAME]" heading section below), same color block line clears only, starts with colored garbage already in the pit
* SAMPLE.TWS   - Sample [[Tetris Worlds]] script file (crashes the game)
* SQUARE.TWS   - Square Tetris, "Mira" world
* TEST.TWS     - Test game (see "SUPEREASY=TRUE" in the "[GAME]" heading section below), I-Cheat and single line clear level advances
* TET2001.TWS  - Tetris, "Deneb" world
* TNT.TWS      - Sticky Tetris, "Antares" world

(Note: "Ultra" = "Arcade" mode, others are "Story" mode)


Lots of fun stuff can be edited in these files (back up your files first!). This can probably be used in all of the scripts, but as an example, TET2001.TWS ("Tetris" mode, "Deneb" world in "Story" mode):

Search for the following:

PlayfieldColumns 10
PlayfieldRows 22
SearchCount 10

and change to:

PlayfieldColumns 7
PlayfieldRows 16
SearchCount 7

Hehe, big block Tetris <G> :)


Next, search for the following:

SearchType Horizontal

and change to:

SearchType Vertical

Hehe, weird <LOL>!


The "GameType" setting in the script files sets the type of game. "GameType Marathon" is for "Story" mode and "GameType Levels" is for "Arcade" mode.


The "MaxMovementsPerSecond" and "MaxRotationsPerSecond" in the script files sets the DAS repeat rate (see "FIRSTREPEATDELAY=(DeciSeconds)" in the "[GAME]" heading section below).

All of the script files use the setting "MaxRotationsPerSecond 5". Also, all of the script files use the setting "MaxMovementsPerSecond 15", with the exceptions of "ENDURE.TWS", "ORIGINAL.TWS", "RIBBON.TWS", "SAMPLE.TWS", and "TEST.TWS" (which all use a setting of "MaxMovementsPerSecond 10").


Next of all, the [[Tetris Worlds]] configuration file "TWConfig.ini", which can be found in the "Tetris Worlds\Assets\PC\Any_Lang\Misc" subdirectory.

Under the "[SYSTEM]" heading:

* DEBUGKEYS=TRUE
* SOFTRENDER=FALSE

"SOFTRENDER" doesn't appear to be changed by the [[Tetris Worlds]] configuration utility "TWConfig.exe", "SOFTRENDER=TRUE" to enable software graphics mode (verses hardware accelerated).

Add the line "DEBUGKEYS=TRUE" to enable various debug keys (as well as displaying the version number at the bottom of the main menu, "Version 10.31.2001.0001"). Debug keys are as follows:

* F6  - Dunno what this one does, seems to pause the game for a few seconds (?)
* F7  - Toggles between "Fly Cam", "Clip Debug", and "Block Light Position", press the six INSERT/DELETE/HOME/END/PAGEUP/PAGEDOWN keys on your keyboard to play around with these
* F8  - Toggles FPS counter, cool looking audio VU meters, and adds various text to lower left of the screen (looks to me like maybe the loaded program modules?)
* F9  - Dunno what this one does, like F6, it seems to pause the game for a few seconds (?)
* F10 - Removes digits and text from the scoreboards
* F11 - Toggles between "Alpha Testing", "Alpha Blending", and "Full Alpha", (maybe) press the six INSERT/DELETE/HOME/END/PAGEUP/PAGEDOWN keys on your keyboard to play around with these (they don't do anything on my PC)


Back to the [[Tetris Worlds]] configuration file "TWConfig.ini":

Under the "[WORLDS]" heading:

* FLATBLOCKS=FALSE
* HUDSCOREBOARD=FALSE

"HUDSCOREBOARD=TRUE" crashes the game in "Story" mode, but removes the HUD display shown above the playfield (current level, next pieces, time, etc...) in "Arcade" mode (sort of bass-ackwards, if you ask me). Like "SOFTRENDER" mentioned above, the [[Tetris Worlds]] configuration utility "TWConfig.exe" doesn't seem to change it.

"FLATBLOCKS=TRUE" forces the game to use the BMP format images in the "Tetris Worlds\Assets\PC\Any_Lang\Misc" subdirectory as flat block textures.


Under the "[GAME]" heading:

* ENDURANCE=TRUE
* FIRSTREPEATDELAY=(DeciSeconds)
* NEXTSTYLE=(unknown)
* ORIGINALTETRIS=TRUE
* RIBBON=TRUE
* SUPEREASY=TRUE
* WIREFRAME=TRUE

The only time that the "[GAME]" heading is added to the "TWConfig.ini" file is when you reach rank "15" for all (?) of the "Story" mode games. At that time the game also adds "ORIGINALTETRIS=TRUE" to the "TWConfig.ini" file (see "ORIGINAL.TWS" in the "Scripts" section above). This unlocks the "Original" Tetris game, ("Hadar" world in "Story" mode).

The rest of the entires are *NOT* added to the "TWConfig.ini" file automatically by the game, and must be added manually to it if you wish to enable them.

"FIRSTREPEATDELAY=(DeciSeconds)" (see the "MaxMovementsPerSecond" and "MaxRotationsPerSecond" section above). This sets the delay of the DAS in tenths of a second. For example, edit the line to read "FIRSTREPEATDELAY=4" to change the DAS delay to .4 seconds before the game begins to autoshift the tetrominoes.

"ENDURANCE=TRUE" (see "ENDURE.TWS" in the "Scripts" section above). Seems like a real strange mode of gameplay, and also it's strange that there isn't any way to normally unlock this mode.

"SUPEREASY=TRUE" (see "TEST.TWS" in the "Scripts" section above). Hehe, advance your rank to "15" for all of the "Story" mode worlds in a matter of minutes <G>. Dunno why this wasn't added as some sort of unlockable or option (sort of a "Kid Tetris" type of thing).

"WIREFRAME=TRUE" makes the shadow tetrominoes display as wireframe models.

The function of the "NEXTSTYLE=" entry is currently unknown (I have no idea as to what the value should be for this setting, but it's listed in the game's executable "TetrisWorlds.exe").


Lastly, under the "[GAME]" heading, "RIBBON=TRUE" (see "RIBBON.TWS" in the "Scripts" section above). This does *NOT* seem to unlock "Ribbon" mode like the other entries do for their respective gameplay modes. Dunno why that it doesn't (?), as it's listed along with the others in the game's executable "TetrisWorlds.exe".

Does anyone know of way to enable this? The only way that I could was by copying the "RIBBON.TWS" file to one of the existing script filenames, and then selecting the respective script's gameplay mode from within the game. Seems strange that it's listed in the "TetrisWorlds.exe" file, but (unlike the other modes) doesn't seem to function (short of renaming script files).


Next, the "BlkColor.ini" file, which can be found in the "Tetris Worlds\Assets\Any_Plat\Any_Lang\Mino" subdirectry. This file contains all of the RGB-value colors for the various tetrominoes (minus gamma, alpha blending, and lighting effects... in other words, the RGB values are much darker in the "BlkColor.ini" file than they appear in the game).

Also, note that the stock "BlkColor.ini" file contains an error with one of the RGB values. Under the "[OCEANWORLD]" section, search for the following:

locked1=83,57,1157

and change to:

locked1=83,57,115

Heh, no such thing as an RGB value of "83 57 1157" <G>.


Lastly, things that make ya go "hmmmm..." <G>:

The file "Net.ini" located in the "Tetris Worlds\Assets\Any_Plat\Any_Lang\Net". Contains network/communications type stuff, but <AFAIK> the game does NOT support network or Internet play (?) <G>.

Also listed in the game's executable "TetrisWorlds.exe" you'll find the following mysterious text:

BASLUS-20247TW

Heh, appears to be a leftover from the PS2 version of [[Tetris Worlds]] when they ported the game to PC <G>.


BTW, here's a little something to play around with; "NIFSkope v1.0.21 for Windows" -> http://sourceforge.net/projects/niftools/files/nifskope/1.0.21/nifskope-1.0.21.4886-windows.exe/download .

This utility allows you to view (and I suppose edit as well) all of the "NIF" files in [[Tetris Worlds]]. The "NIF" files are "NetImmerse" file format, and make up all of the hardware accelerated graphics for the game. All of the "NIF" files are located within the various subdirectories of the "Tetris Worlds\Assets" directory of the game.

P.S. The "BMP" format images within the same subdirectories are the graphics for the software renderer (although you have to manually edit the "TWConfig.ini" to enable software graphics mode, and there are a few visual issues/glitches when the game is ran in that mode).


HAVE FUN!