How To: Chains

[Jason Citron]

Lots of people have been clamoring about the update to the chain logic. Here's the details on the strategy:

1. The orbs that fly into the blocks represent the amount of time it takes for a block to pop. These slow down and change as the number of blocks in a single match and your chain length changes.
2. You can increase your chain length by setting up blocks so that when a match clears, blocks fall into place and make a match.
3. You can juggle your chain. If you can't make another chain in time of a match popping, you can make a regular match. Your existing multiplier will apply to this match and be kept alive giving you a chance to setup another chain.

I've been able to get upwards of a 67x chain.

Now get to it

[eambo]

The best I've ever been able to get was 8x. One problem I had was that I pretty much couldn't move my blocks, because it was taking them so long to disappear. Is there any way around this?


Also, do you think there's room for tweaking it? Although a few people can get high combos (You and Confuzed) most people have issues getting them high. Even just tools to help (E.g the useless time stopper tool, make it increase the time combos last for) could add a new element of strategy and make it POSSIBLE to be easier.

[Jason Citron]

eambo I hear yah. The wild blocks are going to be tweaked so they are more useful with the new chains. But no -- the point of the chains is that it changes the dynamic and strategy of the game. While blocks are popping pull the board up, juggle your chain, and then set up new ones! 8x is pretty good. Keep it up, I bet you'll get better.

[eambo]

Meh it's an addictive game nonetheless, but yeah making the blocks more useful would be epic, it would make them worth working towards. At the minute I just blow them up to get them out of the way =-D

[theconfuzed1]

67x?!?! Wow. You're like a god!

[theconfuzed1]

Also, last night I posted this.

[jemni]

Thank you Jason for stepping in and explaining this. I've just been baffled why I sometimes get the same multiplier over again. Of course with me, it's always accidental.

Now when will the bug be fixed so that combos are always given when properly set up?

[Jason Citron]

Now when will the bug be fixed so that combos are always given when properly set up?

Can you describe to me exactly what you mean? When are you expecting a combo but aren't getting counted for it? It's my understanding that the combo\chain system is working properly.

[jemni]

Sept 11, 2008 20:20:38 GMT -5 Jason Citron said:

Now when will the bug be fixed so that combos are always given when properly set up?

Can you describe to me exactly what you mean? When are you expecting a combo but aren't getting counted for it? It's my understanding that the combo\chain system is working properly.

Sorry, Jason, I went out of town.

I do not believe that all chains are counted correctly, no. I will set up a block to fall in place after another match pops, but when that block falls in place to match, no combo is awarded. I can't say that I'm able to reproduce it on command, so I don't know how to "find" the error, but it happens frequently enough for me that it's very frustrating. I'm not doing anything weird, like moving the block into place, just popping blocks underneath it.

Like this:
dzxd
ze2z
aeey
xxex

So, I swap block 2 and the e creating a column of e. That pops, dropping the x above them into place on the bottom. But, maybe 5% of the time, that gives me no bonus.

Also, during a match, flip, fall, match maneuver, I know I've flipped the phone in time, only to be given no bonus. Maybe that falls into the above category, I don't know.

I'm not a beta tester, but if you still need them, I would be happy to do that. I seem to catch some bugs that others don't I guess.

[alomir]

Any chance we can get this cross-posted in 'About the World'? It took me a long time to find this - didn't expect a 'how-to' in the bugs forum.

Thanks, though, for posting this!

- A