Just did it, there's a unique solution and you can get to it just by considering a few rules at a time (i.e. no long backtracking).

The solution: https://www.i-programmer.info/images/stories/News/2014/Dec/B...

Aren't crosswords supposed to spell out a word? This feels like random characters. Unless i'm supposed to rotate it or something?

Think sudoku rather than crossword.

There is an answer extraction, though, because it's a Mystery Hunt puzzle (where all puzzles extract a word or phrase as an answer at the end). It's just that the individual diagonals in the grid as a whole are not themselves words.

Oh wow I didn't realize there was a phrase embedded in there. Amazing.

I think each entry I put was forced, so only one solution unless i made a mistake.

Also, are the answers real words, or random strings?

It has to be fake words. It's possible to see this because some of the words have to contain things like "cdd", "rrp" and "rxo", which aren't part of any real words.

Plus, now that I think about it, having a grid without the gaps usual crosswords have would be very complex to create with actual words. Even more so when using hexagons.