Hexic HD: Pure Luck?

Javery

Javery

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Is it possible to actually be good at this game or is it all luck? I mean, I'm not really planning out moves in advance or anything and getting that star shape is next to impossible to just set up. I'm wondering if anyone has any tips or anything on how to improve...
 
Once you start working toward getting flowers rather than just three-block combos, you'll find it takes quite a bit of skill. Then, when you want to turn those flower-star pieces into black pearls, strategy bumps up another notch.

My advice is this: Scan the board to see where the most likely flower pieces could be built. Ideally, you have either the bottom three or one side already. Then, just work with dropping the other pieces into place, without risking the rest of your flower getting messed up. Also, I find it's sometimes easier to create flowers around the star pieces that flowering gives you. When you do this, a star piece spawns at the top -- which also makes it easier to place near other stars when you're shooting for a black pearl (flower of star pieces).
 
Those are very good tips from ViolentLee. You also want to make as many flowers as possible before the dark green colored pieces are added. Once those are in there, it's much more difficult to form flowers.

Oh, and if you are playing Time Attack (I think that's what it's called). Try to make as many flowers as possible there as well. This will really help keep your time high.
 
[quote name='javeryh']Holy shit look at this:
[/QUOTE]

Nice, I wish he'd taken a video of that, as it would provide an easy way to see the strategy on that. It's really all about practice though. You'll find yourself making all kinds of flowers and pearls the more you play.

And yeah, he's screwed now. He can't make another move without making a pearl disappear.
 
[quote name='javeryh']Holy shit look at this:
[/QUOTE]

What?!?

Thats like cheese you can listen to outside!!!

No seriously, I have seen a person clear the whole board... suffice to say mad points.
 
[quote name='shipwreck']Nice, I wish he'd taken a video of that, as it would provide an easy way to see the strategy on that. It's really all about practice though. You'll find yourself making all kinds of flowers and pearls the more you play.

And yeah, he's screwed now. He can't make another move without making a pearl disappear.[/QUOTE]

Supposedly this was what the board looked like just prior to him gettin the high score. His next move did in fact clear a bunch of stuff.
 
[quote name='ViolentLee'] Also, I find it's sometimes easier to create flowers around the star pieces that flowering gives you. When you do this, a star piece spawns at the top -- which also makes it easier to place near other stars when you're shooting for a black pearl (flower of star pieces).[/QUOTE]

To go along with that when you have 2 star pieces next to each other you can maneuver them around and get them basically anywhere you want. Use this to your advantage in making even more star pieces. Just be careful not to get a closter of them when you dont want to.
 
When I first started playing Hexic HD, I too thought it was pure luck. Then, after I got my first star piece, I quickly realized that each turn was more a chess move than anything else. Working towards flower pieces is far better than blindly making color triplets.
 
I love Hexic. I rarely plan moves in advance, but when I do, they usually result in a star or something. I love survival mode. Last time I checked, I was in the 1500s on the leaderboard for survival.
 
I thought that Hexic was just a cheap puzzle game that had been thrown together the first time that I played it. It's great, on further inspection. I've ended up playing many games of Hexic when I thought I would be playing other games online. Good stuff.
 
[quote name='Jek Porkins']I thought that Hexic was just a cheap puzzle game that had been thrown together the first time that I played it. It's great, on further inspection. I've ended up playing many games of Hexic when I thought I would be playing other games online. Good stuff.[/QUOTE]

I am thinking that too. After reading up on it and practicing a little last night I was able to make a bunch of stars (but no black pearl yet). I can't see how I'll ever get a black pearl cluster - it takes me all of level one just to get 2 or 3 stars. Maybe I will get better over time. The misplaced bomb always kills me too though... I think I'm starting to get addicted - I was seeing the shapes in my dreams last night and it's all I can think about right now...
 
Pretty sad that I waited 2 months after launch for my pre-ordered 360 to appear, and when I finally get it, I spend all my time playing Gauntlet, Smash TV and Hexic...who knew?
 
I finally got a black pearl yesterday.

The best thing to do for the bombs is to search the board for any possible alike colors. Assuming you aren't on Time Attack, don't be afraid to set the controller down and take awhile to plan your next move.
 
If you press up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, x,o,x,o start and throw a hadoken fireball after lasting ten rounds with Sheng Long you can unlock the gold star circles for a Hyper Super Bass-fishing uppercut EX+!
 
I'm getting better - I can make one black pearl pretty regularly now but not until the 4th level or so and after that a bomb always kills me before I can make another one...
 
OK, I'm getting better even though it doesn't feel like it. Last night I unlocked 2 more achievements making it 9 out of 12 unlocked. The only three I have left are the Big Cheese of the South Seas (Black-Pearl Cluster), Hexic Addict (100 Games played) and Grand Pearl Pooh-Bah (Black-Pearl Flower).

I think the first two are only a matter of time as I made two black pearls last night and almost had a third but a stupid bomb killed me because I thought it was orange but it was really red. Damn this game is addictive.
 
Yay! I managed the Big Cheese of the South Seas (Black Pearl Cluster) tonight! Only 2 more achievements to go but the 100 games played is only a matter of time. I might just let a bunch of timed games run out on purpose...
 
Just starting playing Hexic again (damn Outpost Kaloki X bringing me back into the arcade), got any tips for Marathon Mogul (150,000 points in Marathon)?

For the black pearls, I've been only able to get one on the board per game, how do you move a single star across the board?
 
[quote name='menikmati']got any tips for Marathon Mogul (150,000 points in Marathon)?

For the black pearls, I've been only able to get one on the board per game, how do you move a single star across the board?[/QUOTE]

1. 150,000 will come easily when you get a good strategy for making stars.

2. Moving the stars is easiest in pairs. If you only have one, you have to rotate it normally, which isn't your best option. Get two together and you'll be able to make others much more easily by manipulating the gems with them.

The trick that I use is to get as many stars as early as possible. Don't clear gems out randomly in the first level, instead only do what it takes to make stars and nothing else. The more levels you go through, the more colors there are, and the more difficult it is to make the stars. If I don't do well enough in the first two levels, I'll usually start over.

Hop that helps!
 
What's everyone's top Marathon score? Mine is around 275,000. Still no three-pearl cluster, though. I had 2 pearls and 4 stars the other day, and that's the closest I've come.
 
[quote name='ViolentLee']What's everyone's top Marathon score? Mine is around 275,000. Still no three-pearl cluster, though. I had 2 pearls and 4 stars the other day, and that's the closest I've come.[/QUOTE]

I'm at 330,000 or so I think - this was the score of my black pearl cluster game. I held out forming it until there was a bomb I couldn't get rid of.
 
[quote name='ViolentLee']What's everyone's top Marathon score? Mine is around 275,000. Still no three-pearl cluster, though. I had 2 pearls and 4 stars the other day, and that's the closest I've come.[/QUOTE]

Whoops. Went back and played today, to find my top score is actually 370,000.
 
Finally got the three-pearl achievement, boosting my high score in Marathon to 624,825. I think I can finally put this baby to bed.
 
[quote name='ViolentLee']Finally got the three-pearl achievement, boosting my high score in Marathon to 624,825. I think I can finally put this baby to bed.[/QUOTE]

Woah, what's your ranking? You must be up there - I'm 3,400 or so right now - I made the three pearl cluster but only have a 380,000 high score... The pearl flower achievement seems almost impossible. I will get the Addict one eventually but I might never get that flower...
 
[quote name='javeryh']Woah, what's your ranking? You must be up there - I'm 3,400 or so right now - I made the three pearl cluster but only have a 380,000 high score... The pearl flower achievement seems almost impossible. I will get the Addict one eventually but I might never get that flower...[/QUOTE]

I'm ranked 1194 in marathon, 1213 in timed (153,180), and 880 in survival (177,445).
 
My high score is 1,725,570 thanks to making one of those pearl flowers. I'm in the low 400s on the leaderboard in Marathon. I had 6 pearl pieces made by level 5, and that's when I made the pearl flower since I wasn't going to take any chances of something to screw up.

Made alot of star and pearl pieces by moving a pair of star pieces around the board.
 
[quote name='ksuwild25']My high score is 1,725,570 thanks to making one of those pearl flowers. I'm in the low 400s on the leaderboard in Marathon. I had 6 pearl pieces made by level 5, and that's when I made the pearl flower since I wasn't going to take any chances of something to screw up.

Made alot of star and pearl pieces by moving a pair of star pieces around the board.[/QUOTE]

Wow. How many points did that pearl flower get you? I always find that the board gets too cluttered with star pieces and I end up accidentally making a star cluster and ruining my chance at a pearl.
 
[quote name='javeryh']Wow. How many points did that pearl flower get you? I always find that the board gets too cluttered with star pieces and I end up accidentally making a star cluster and ruining my chance at a pearl.[/QUOTE]

Same thing happens to me. I barely got into the game yesterday, I was on the phone with my girfriend had my 360 on and I figured I could at least play Hexic while on the phone without getting distracted and it worked. I got all into it. I had a few stars but they kept clearing when I accidently connected 3. I was suprised to find out how much depth this game has.
 
[quote name='LinkinPrime']Same thing happens to me. I barely got into the game yesterday, I was on the phone with my girfriend had my 360 on and I figured I could at least play Hexic while on the phone without getting distracted and it worked. I got all into it. I had a few stars but they kept clearing when I accidently connected 3. I was suprised to find out how much depth this game has.[/QUOTE]

I was surprised too. The game is very deep and requires careful thought. What once seemed random and luck based is now starting to make sense and since my score is getting better I must actually be getting better at the game (not getting luckier, presumably).

I need to start incorporating the star gems in my flowers because I think you get a ton more points (not ones made by making a ring of gems but the single gems with actual stars on them). I also need to be able to diffuse a bomb quicker - I always get killed by one on the far left or right where there aren't as many suyrrounding pieces.
 
[quote name='javeryh']I was surprised too. The game is very deep and requires careful thought. What once seemed random and luck based is now starting to make sense and since my score is getting better I must actually be getting better at the game (not getting luckier, presumably).

I need to start incorporating the star gems in my flowers because I think you get a ton more points (not ones made by making a ring of gems but the single gems with actual stars on them). I also need to be able to diffuse a bomb quicker - I always get killed by one on the far left or right where there aren't as many suyrrounding pieces.[/QUOTE]

Its pretty close to impossible to create a black pearl or maybe I'm not skilled yet. I'm currently practicing the game when I'm at work

http://zone.msn.com/en/hexic/default.htm
 
[quote name='rabbitt']Far from impossible.[/QUOTE]

yeah once you get good its EZ to get flowers and use them to make more and more
 
[quote name='javeryh']Wow. How many points did that pearl flower get you? I always find that the board gets too cluttered with star pieces and I end up accidentally making a star cluster and ruining my chance at a pearl.[/QUOTE]

I'm not too sure how many points the pearl flower got me. I normally start moving star pieces down near the bottom middle of the board, once I get more than the 2 star pieces that I move around the board with.

Also does anyone know if you get blown up or lose in Hexic if it counts towards the completed 100 games of Hexic achievement? Or do you need to finish the game with the black pearls for it to count as a completed game?
 
[quote name='ksuwild25']I'm not too sure how many points the pearl flower got me. I normally start moving star pieces down near the bottom middle of the board, once I get more than the 2 star pieces that I move around the board with.

Also does anyone know if you get blown up or lose in Hexic if it counts towards the completed 100 games of Hexic achievement? Or do you need to finish the game with the black pearls for it to count as a completed game?[/QUOTE]

Dear God I hope not. I will NEVER get it if that's the case. I can make a pearl cluster but it takes about an hour... no way I've got 100 hours to devote to Hexic... maybe over the next 5 years...
 
[quote name='SteveMcQ']I totally suck at this game. I've only ever got one star piece and I think that was by accident.[/QUOTE]

Just keep playing. It seemed totally random and impossible in the beginning for me but the more I played the more I understood how to make flowers and manipulate the board. It's not immediately obvious like Tetris...
 
[quote name='javeryh']Just keep playing. It seemed totally random and impossible in the beginning for me but the more I played the more I understood how to make flowers and manipulate the board. It's not immediately obvious like Tetris...[/QUOTE]Yeah, it does take some time to click. My problem is that when I try to get those star pieces in the first place, I accidentally get those smaller clusters out of the colors I'm trying to make the flower piece with. Do you scan the board from top to bottom or what? I'll figure it out someday.
 
[quote name='SteveMcQ']Yeah, it does take some time to click. My problem is that when I try to get those star pieces in the first place, I accidentally get those smaller clusters out of the colors I'm trying to make the flower piece with. Do you scan the board from top to bottom or what? I'll figure it out someday.[/QUOTE]

I do scan the board. I look for something that looks closed to a half/complete circle and try to work with it. Thats my strategy so far. I'm not really good so not sure if its good advice.
 
Ok, that makes sense, but here's my problem/idiocy: Say I have a near complete flower piece. I'm only missing two out of the six (or whatever it is) to complete the star. The only possible way to get the remaining two pieces is for pieces of the correct color to drop down from above off of a reaction right? I don't know why (well, I do...I suck), but everytime I'm working on a star and I'm halfway around, I always get an accidental cluster break off of a falling piece which in turn breaks up the star. That made no sense 'cause I suck.
 
Reviving old thread to say that after a few days of non-stop playing, i finally made a Grand Pearl Pooh-Bah (Black-Pearl Flower). It is not impossible!!! It takes so much strategy its not even funny.

My final score was something like 2.8 million and my rank was 1068.

My sig has the proof, I now have all the achievements which I at one point dubbed impossible.
 
Ha, this old thread. Wait, what's that?

[quote name='ChaoticClimax']i finally made a Grand Pearl Pooh-Bah[/QUOTE]
...I hate you.
 
The only reason I stopped playing was because it takes like 2 hours to play one game if you sit and think about it. Maybe I'll give it a shot tonight...
 
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