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Multix II.
REVENGE OF THE SQUARES
version 2.04 (1st April 1998)
2. What is MULTIX?
MULTIX is, as you might have guessed from the name itself, a game similar to TETRIS and its derivative PENTIX. TETRIS was just too boring. It was too easy. You could play it for an infinite time and achieve an infinite result, especially if cheating with the TURBO key, and a little mistake caused the score jumping from 32767 to -32768.
PENTIX and some TETRIS clones fixed these two mistakes. In TETRIS the mistakes (creating a hole) could easily be repaired. In PENTIX it was a little bit harder. But for me it just wasn't enough. I am sure there must be lots of players with the same problem. This is the biggest reason I have created MULTIX and NUTTIX.
In TETRIS all the pieces were made of only four squares (tetra=four), in PENTIX they were made of one to five squares (penta=five, x indicates that there are also smaller ones). MULTIX includes all possible pieces made of up to and including six squares so I should have called it HEXIX, but that just sounds terrible. So I added a few even bigger pieces (made of seven, eight, nine and ten squares) and named it MULTIX (multi=many). But it still wasn't enough. So I added another type of game in Multix II: ROC. It is called NUTTIX and is almost impossible to play.
In MULTIX you can MIRROR the pieces vertically, not just rotate and move them, so there are only 60 pieces instead of 93 and it is a BIG help with those huge asymmetric pieces you don't seem to be able to put anywhere TETRIS had 7 pieces (5 with mirror command), PENTIX 27 (22), MULTIX has 60 of them (93 without mirror command), NUTTIX has 75 (and will have even more in the future versions).
The pit has been extended to 36 X 16 squares (this was necessary because of the bigger pieces used in MULTIX).You can also play TETRIS and PENTIX in MULTIX, although they are NOT the same as originals because of the bigger pit and changed scoring.
TETRIS and PENTIX were in text mode and the pieces jumped square by square. MULTIX II. is in graphics mode and it features a smooth falling pixel by pixel.
TETRIS used only about ten colors, MULTIX uses 256 and a fast palette rotation. The backgrounds are calculated using some functions of two variables (f(x,y)), represented by color. When the background moves, the effects are unbelievable (use the Background Gallery option in the main menu to test your video card and monitor with these smoothly moving backgrounds).
What is new in MULTIX II.?
- MULTIX II features a new type of game called NUTTIX. This is even harder then MULTIX. It uses all the pieces of MULTIX plus a few new weird ones.
- The MIRROR command can now be disabled.
- The pieces can now be colored individually and not only with the background patterns.
- Main menu has been rebuilt and is now much nicer.
- Graphics are now a little bit faster.
- MULTIX II uses an asychronous timer and no longer measures time to calculate delays. This made it possible to play through Windows, but alt+tab switching still trashes the game screen.
- The palette has been changed and is now less eyestraining.
- Version 2.04 changes:
- Minor font bug fixed.
- Pause ('P') command added.
How to play the game?
MULTIX is played very much like Tetris. You move, rotate and mirror the pieces until they fit underneath (as well as possible) and then drop them as fast as you can (the faster you can do that, more points you get). A full line of squares (or more of them) is removed from the pit and higher squares fall down, making space for the next pieces. The more lines you fill at the same time, the more points you get. The piece in upright corner is the next piece. It moves a little bit lower and to the middle, when the previous one is dropped. You can still move, rotate and mirror the pieces for a small time after they have been dropped. This enables not only drop&slide but also drop&rotate and drop&mirror.
MULTIX commands
Main menu:
- START GAME
starts the game.
- TYPE OF GAME
change the type of game (tetris/pentix/multix/nuttix).
- SPEED LEVEL
changes the starting speed of the game (use left/right arrow).
- BACKGROUND COMPLEXITY
changes the way the backgrounds are calculated.
- Complex uses floating point operations to calculate 41 different backgrouds. Use this on a pentium, possibly on a 486DX4.
- Disked reads one of five saved backgrounds from disk. This is very fast on any machine.
- Simple uses simplified integer calculations and is much faster than complex, but the 9 different backgrounds are very simple.
- VERTICAL MIRROR
is used to turn on and off the mirror command. Useful if you want to play the old-fashioned tetris or pentix.
- PALETTE ROTATION
turns on and off palette rotation. Use this if there is too much snow on your screen or your eyes hurt.
- SOUND
turns on and off the beeper sounds.
- SQUARE COLORING
tells the game whether to use individual colors for the pieces or use the background pattern.
- HELP
shows the commands used in the game and animates two of them.
- BACKGROUND GALLERY
shows backgrounds until you press a key and wait a little bit.
- CREDITS
shows you the credits.
- EXIT
exits the game.
Game commands:
- F1 - Help - All written in this section, animation of rotate and mirror command.
- ESC - End game - Use in case of emergency or too many holes.
- P - Pause the game.
- S - Sound on/off
- 7 - Move left
- 8 - Rotate anticlockwise
- 9 - Move right
- 5 - Mirror vertically
- 0 or SPACE - Drop
- 3 - Speed up (level=level+1)
Num lock should be on if you want to play on the numeric keypad.
Main screen
This are the parts of the game screen:
Problems
- General
There should be no bigger problems with this game. It's been tested by me and my friends very thoroughly. It works perfectly on a 486DX-40.
- Windows
The game speed is no longer a problem under Windows. Just don't use the alt+tab switching and you'll be OK. You can even run it in a window on a fast pentium.
Answers to common problems:
- P: MULTIX II is too hard for me.
A: MULTIX is really hard, but I don't think it is too much for a smart player like you. Just keep practising! If you just can't do it, try playing TETRIS or PENTIX. When you are really good at this, you can gradually start playing MULTIX. Use the new mirror command also in TETRIS and PENTIX, so you will be able to use it wisely in MULTIX, where it is a big help. Play on a lower level if you must. You can increase it later.
- P: MULTIX II is too easy.
A: I don't believe you. If you are playing TETRIS or PENTIX, this only means you should proceed to MULTIX. If you are really playing MULTIX and think it is too easy for you, then try NUTTIX or increasing the speed level. If it's still to easy, let me know. I'll consider a new version of the game.
- P: There is too much snow on the screen.
A: Turn the palette rotation off or buy yourself a better computer with a better graphics card and better monitor.
- P: The background is drawn too slow.
A: Set background coplexity to
- disked - reads one of five saved backgrounds from disk. This is very fast on any machine.
- or simple - uses simplified integer calculations and is fast.
- P: MULTIX crashes with a message 'Runtime error 203 at xxxx:yyyy'.
A1: You don't have enough lower (conventional, under 640K) memory. Free it up!
A2: You played more than (amount of free conventional memory)/352 (around 1000) times without exiting the program. Just don't do that. It is not good for your health anyway.
Please let me know if you have any other problem with MULTIX 2.04.
Next versions
The next versions of MULTIX will probably feature:
- more pieces (for all those who think only 75 is not enough),
- new backgrounds (maybe a custom background),
- joystick and mouse support (only if you want it),
- some of your suggestions,
- score protection,
- a little green dragon burning full lines (I don't think so),
- multiplayer mode (match and cooperative)
- Please let me know if you have any other ideas to make the game better.
Windows 3.1 and Windows 95 version will not be made. This version works OK in Windows.
I might translate the entire game in Java someday.
Check this page for the latest version.
Credits
Idea, Programming & Design
Marko Kavcic
Assembler programming:
Mitja Krebelj
You can and should support me in these ways :
- by playing the game,
- by reporting any bugs you encounter in the game to the author,
- by sending your opinions about the game (the best ones will be in the next version of this file with the next version of MULTIX),
- by sending me your suggestions and ideas about the future versions of MULTIX and any other game you would like me to make,
- by reporting any mistakes in this file (grammar and other),
- by leaving all the files unchanged and together,
- by copying, lending, uploading, downloading, distributing, redistributing, reredistributing, making spare copies,...
- by NOT reverse engineering, decompiling, disassembling, creating derivatives, using parts of the program for a different purpose, taking out pictures or any similar doing,
- by sending me contributions,
- by drawing the two strange markings on the 'c'-s in my surname (as seen in the beginning and ending of the game) and pronouncing them as 'ch' in 'cheese',
- by including your name, address, type of computer, kind of problem (if any),
- version of MULTIX (this one should be 2.04), where you got MULTIX and any other important data in your e-mail or snail-mail messages.
What are you waiting for?
Download and play
MULTIX II: Revenge of the Squares!
Number of multix fans since 13th Nov, 1996:
