Qix Game System: MAME Cheat Category: Hint Game Company: Unknown Game Category: Unknown Hint, Cheat, Walkthrough:   QIX === (KAPTAIN:) Strategy and patience are the keys to winning at QIX. A good rule of thumb: Use fast draw to set up a pattern; use slow draw to complete the pattern. Slow draw scores twice the point value as fast draw. Another theory: Never draw yourself into a corner. Always avoid drawing a spiral, or you'll wind up in a spiral deathtrap. You cannot go in reverse, so you will have to stop and wait for the fuse to zap you. See Figure 9 for an example of a spiral deathtrap. Listed below are several different strategies to help you win at Qix. TREE-BRANCH STRATEGY: 1. Carefully erect a trunk up the center of the screen. It may take six or seven moves. 2. Draw as many branches as you can from the trunk of the tree and from the sides of the screen. Your primary aim is to leave small spaces that are big enough for QIX to enter, but small enough to seal off quickly. 3. When QIX enters one of these spaces, move toward it and use a slow draw to seal off the space. Thus, you trap QIX and capture the majority of the screen. TRIPLE-ARENA STRATEGY: 1. Use the fast draw to build two columns, one from the top, and one from the bottom. This splits the screen into three vertical rectangles. 2. QIX can move into only one of these areas. Using slow draw, begin blocking off the area that QIX is not in. 3. When only one rectangle remains, move toward QIX and block it into a small space. QUADRANT STRATEGY: Use the same method of dividing the screen as in the Triple-Arena Strategy, but divide the screen into four parts. TWIN QIX STRATEGY: 1. Start at the bottom of the screen, and build horizontal columns. Try to force both QIX to the top of the screen. 2. Use the slow draw to claim the bottom portion of the screen as you continue up. 3. After you capture about 1% less than the game threshold, split the QIX with a fast draw up the center of the screen. Thus, you split the two QIX and can claim most of the screen for a high score. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Source: MAME v0.33 Strategy Guide - Compiled by Phanatik URL: http://members.tripod.com/~phanatik/index.html