(I was mulling this over while out running errands today, but read this at your leisure. I also I don't think score will be scrutinized too much during judging time, so adjusting this for post-compo is cool too):
Larger score for average-player games would be very nice.
What if 5 pts is our smallest increment? (with exceptions I'll explain in my next post)
Some versions of tetris give more points if hard drop is used. Maybe we give 5 points for each block placed, but only for hard drops
I think the current line clear score amounts (10, 30, 50, and 70) are good.
It'd be nice if fruit collecting gave a score as well
To incentivize unicorn play in solo play more, and to help the unicorn player in co-op feel more involved
Increase the amount per each for each consecutive fruit that's been eaten.
Maybe 5 pts for the first fruit, 10 for the second consecutive, etc.
A maximum of 25 points each for the 5th or higher consecutively eaten fruit
Reset back to 5 points each if a fruit is missed (either due to time or due to a block destroying it)
If we go with a multiplier...
I need to work out a way to communicate it to the player, but the idea was to temporarily use the energy sprites to do so.
Doing so might look cool, but shouldn't occur too often, so it should only apply to line clears,
also...
Keeping the elusive 9999 points out of reach
Doing so, even for high-level play, should be a priority (that way it's not too easily broken for high score competitions and whatnot)
I'm worried the above suggestions might make it too easily reachable (but I honestly have no idea); That said, one solution I was thinking might be neat to do (and kind of oppositive of what's expected), is...
if the score is over a certain number, the value of every scorable action becomes drastically lower
Maybe a threshold at like 7500 points where everything suddenly starts giving 1/5th of its normal score (that way scores below 7500 always end in 5s or 0s (sounds nicer, reflects most players' scores), but over 7500, the scores can end in any possible digit (sounds less traditional, but single-digit increments would become an indicator of high-level play
Another one at 9000 points, where it gets even harder (so things like hard drops start giving 0, and other stuff is much less) 😈
Maybe a last one at 9900 points, where the only way to get a point is to 1-point 4-line clear with max energy
That way, we can have the multiplier and some beefier scores, but then really high level play is still competitive (protecting our 4-digit score counter in a way other than humanly impossible speed)
M-Tee:
Thoughts about Score
(I was mulling this over while out running errands today, but read this at your leisure. I also I don't think score will be scrutinized too much during judging time, so adjusting this for post-compo is cool too):
Larger score for average-player games would be very nice.
It'd be nice if fruit collecting gave a score as well
If we go with a multiplier...
also...
Keeping the elusive 9999 points out of reach
That way, we can have the multiplier and some beefier scores, but then really high level play is still competitive (protecting our 4-digit score counter in a way other than humanly impossible speed)