When we started writing blockbattle.net, improving the usability of TetriNET was one of our top concerns and is one of the main reasons blockbattle.net looks and feels much different from both TetriNET and other implementations like Blocktrix.
Big Changes
The first and most obvious improvement was implementing the game entirely in the browser - this frees up players from having to set up servers, tweak settings, find opponents, download and install software, worry about compatibility etc. In addition to making blockbattle.net playable on any computer with a modern browser, this design decision means that blockbattle.net will soon be playable on any platform (tablet, smartphone, etc) that has access to a modern browser.
The second major departure from TetriNET is the entirely new attack history display. Since blockbattle.net has fairly fast gameplay, it is absolutely essential to be able to quickly and easily determine how and when to use your special items. TetriNET offered little help here - all attack history is displayed as text in one location in the screen and makes it difficult and time consuming to work out who attacked you, who attacked someone else or who is doing well. By listing each attack and the player who used it next to the main field, blockbattle.net makes it easy to determine at a glance who attacked you and allow you to retaliate.
Another important change is the introduction of attack animations - these allow you to keep up with who is attacking who during the game using only your peripheral vision, while also allowing quick retaliation against the last person that attacked you, without needing to even glance at your history.
The final major departure from tetrinet is the introduction of consistent player numbering. In TetriNET, the player's index (the number you press to attack) is based on when the user joined the server and is always different. What this means is that every time you wanted to use an item on yourself, you had to look up your own number. In blockbattle.net, the player is always the number 1, making each game far more consistent.
Small Changes
Since launching blockbattle.net two weeks ago, we've received a fair bit of feedback and have made a number of small but meaningful updates to the game's usability.
Initially, blockbattle.net supported up to 9 simultaneous players (an arbitrary number), however many new users found games with lots of players too fast and confusing - too many lines were added too quickly, the games rarely lasted more than a minute and the game relied more on luck than on the tactics that special items enable. We've now limited games to 5 players as we belive players will enjoy a more balanced and tactical game that still offers fast and fun gameplay.
Another change was the introduction of "Lines Added" to the history display. Every time a player makes more than 1 line at a time, all other players have junk lines added to their field. Initially, this did not show up in the attack history, which made many players confused and unable to judge how the game was progressing. Now, each time a player makes more than 1 line at a time, everyone else receives a "line added" attack. This makes it easier to tell what happened to your field during an attack and makes it possible to see who is doing very well and thus, who you should concentrate your attacks on.
One final small change was flashing the title when the game starts. Anybody who has gone to browse in another tab while waiting for opponents will no longer miss the start of the game.
This is just a broad overview of the many usability features we've put into blockbattle.net so far. We hope that with continued effort on our part and feedback from our users we will eventually make blockbattle.net even more fun and usable.
