word up / word soup

cool · Post by **cool** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 11:45 pm

As is well known I make money from questions only , thats easy but my lifetime achievement is to make a clearance on word up / soup. I will never reach the ability of the wordsmiths that contribute to the forum , however I,d appreciate any tips as to get the elusive clearance.The only thing I,ve worked out is use vowels sparingly & concentrate on the big letters.I think if you trawled through the archives it would show I have a lot of respect for the wu afficionados- my only gripe was its not a quiz machine in the truest sense.
Thanks for any advice given.

Cardinal Sin · Post by **Cardinal Sin** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 12:03 am

http://www.bigfizz.com/index.php?page=PuzzleWord

cp999 · Post by **cp999** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 12:04 am

Firstly, a good knowledge of acceptable three letter words is probably the most important. (Word soup uses one of the most recent official Scrabble sets, I can't say which specific one, but it does include a fair number of 'words' you probably had no idea existed, like VAV, JUD, ZEX, AIA and others.)

Trying to keep a reasonably balanced mix of consonants and vowels helps.

When you reach the end game it is easier to clear if the number of tiles left is divisble by 3, or is 1 more than a multiple of 3 if you have an extra S (this is normally easier still).

Avoiding ending up with a bottom left hand side of the screen wedge of consonants is desirable.

Playing off difficult to handle letters in the earlier stages of a game will facilitate the process, as you will have more word options as the endgame approaches.

I'm sure VBob and others will have plenty additional suggestions.

In all honesty, once you understand how to do it, it is usually very easy indeed.

Edit: wish they would go back to the original program of Word up

it was (relatively) harder to clear but £20 for clearing.. absurdly easy money.

QuizMaster · Post by **QuizMaster** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 10:42 am

Fuck me. Have we not got enough threads about this bollocks without starting another one?

Here's my advice: Play any word game online. They're free. Or watch Countdown everyday. I believe Istenem Sky+'s it if you've missed any episodes in the the last 27 years.

Loyly.

QM

fotherz · Post by **fotherz** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 12:45 pm

Cool,

http://www.cantab.net/users/nfm24/ewq/tactics.html

Tea-stain · Post by **Tea-stain** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 9:06 pm

I go by colours, the reds are the hardest to get rid of and need to be addressed first along with the pink time ones too. Then onto the orange, purple and blue, then the rest are easy to get rid of.
I also find if you work from the bottom left corner and work across in a line up and down clearing as you go you will end up with a higher score, easier last letters and sometimes a clearance.
But a clearance in some pubs doesn't mean a nice win. (the old word -up gave £10.00 to anyone who could clear but i think that ended up paying out loads).
My highest score which i can recall was 1620 with a clearance.

Nice game.

Istenem · Post by **Istenem** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 10:17 pm

(QM, there might be a creative answer outside of your sphere; just maybe other people have some worth. far be it from me to say that but it might be possible.)

EWQ's guide is useful; aside from knowing the threes and tidying up the grid there are no real tips. just speed and knowing how quick you can be while arseing about with the obvious LL/ZZ etc. combos.

having played soup with a pretty good player this evening. it is clear that his game and my game are completely different. it depends what you want from the game. 39 is easier than 18xx.

Istenem · Post by **Istenem** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 10:25 pm

also it allows SNY, BRR, BRRR, AIA and FOXHUNTERS: none of which are proper words

Cardinal Sin · Post by **Cardinal Sin** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 10:36 pm

Bollocks.

I went outside with Papa Sin this evening, and wishing to express to him how chilly it was, remarked to him "Brr".

Of course, Papa Sin feels the cold rather more than I do, and to inform me that he was feeling colder, replied "Brrr".

cp999 · Post by **cp999** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 10:42 pm

Istenem wrote:also it allows SNY, BRR, BRRR, AIA and FOXHUNTERS: none of which are proper words

Pht!

fotherz · Post by **fotherz** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 11:36 pm

VLY, AUE, GJU, BEZ...

... or in the words of Quizmaster, ZZZ.

ggdr · Post by **ggdr** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 11:19 am

Not forgetting EUOI, EUOUAE, TWP...

redmare · Post by **redmare** » Sun Jul 12, 2009 8:20 pm

Sorry if this has been asked before, but has anyone encountered this game being totally hacked? The top scores in my local are now by 'Word Soup' with ridiculous long words like JOLLIFICATION and QUIZZICALITY. Consequently, it's become impossible to earn the £1/£2 I was regularly picking up from the game in the past. I'm sure these scores are not genuine because you'd have to go to great lengths (and spend a lot) to set up the grids to generate words and scores like these.

Phil

Istenem · Post by **Istenem** » Sun Jul 12, 2009 11:41 pm

sounds like a shy traveller has been to visit.
there are certain words which are gettable in most games if the player is good enough and wants them.
but there is little joy in that. recently i've been annoyed that GALLUMPHING has been wiped out by yet another QUESTIONABLE in the same set. CHUTZPAH loses to INDELICATENESSES if you play for numbers.

but i don't think that the game is bent. just an example of v1.01 being better than any other wordgame they've tried out.

Matt Vinyl · Post by **Matt Vinyl** » Mon Jul 13, 2009 8:54 am

I always have a quick punt at WU/WS and am steadily improving my scoring - albeit, still in the low 1xxxs. However, I located an old box yesterday (blue, only had 9 games on it, the older Bullseye Star Prize was one of them and Stand & Deliver) whereby the £1 was at 100. (!) I got to the £10 JP, which was at circa 580. After all the exaggerated coin-dropping and such, I still had 50p left in credit - as I'd already taken a couple of quid from Japs, I thought I'd have one more go on WU. £1 was now at 125 - JP at 650!!!

I didn't think it was possible to be in 'such a pleasant state' as this - I guess it may have been 'playing up' at offering it that low. For info, it also did this for the next few games - by which time I cut and run and the machine still owed me £7.

Would winning the JP so easily not usually boost the points tally up into something 'almost' impossible (well, certainly impossible for me!)?

PS: For the appreciation of Istenem, it was originally to be called 'Word Drop' - not sure as to why it was changed before it's initial release...