Ironman tips

[caper_26]

I just decided to play this for a higher score on the weekend. Some tips for the table are as follows:

Extra Ball: because this table is so hard, you will need extra balls to get anywhere when dealing with a new high score. This is done via the roll-overs at the bumpers. Problem is that when you hit the orbit, it almost always goes around the bumpers. however, the elctro-blast mission stops the ball at the bumpers (after you hit the ramps and you hear "Magic vs Machine"). Tip: use the RIGHT orbit to get the ball to light up the roll-over lights at the bumpers. Flippers will change the lights just like inlane/outlane lights. The reason you use the right orbit it so you don't crank the spinner and complete to mission. If you don't get the mulitplier to 10X, let the mission time-out so you can do it again. Also, when you first start your game, use only enough launch power to get it into that area as well and hopefully get a few lights ticked off. Another tip on this is to focus on where the ball is, since sometimes it will bounce back up the rollover from the bumper, at this time, quickly change the light to an unlit one so it will activate when it drops back in.

Tower ramp and Party Ramp: catch the ball on the same side flipper and make a quick shot (ie, right flipper shoots party ramp, left flipper for tower ramp).

Kickbacks: Use the Stock market ramp to light up kick backs via inlane rollovers at the beginning of the game and at any time you use one. Keep them on at all times.

SHIELD Muliball: Use right flipper to catch ball and make a quick shot to try and get the targets.

Not enough power to reach top of ramp resulting in SDTM drain: When the ball goes part way up the ramp, and you realize a center drain is imminant, nudge the table side-to side to change the angle of the ball as it exits the ramp entrance, sending it toward one of you flippers instead of down the middle.

Nudge pass or flipper pass: I find that this table will result in many quick center drains ifyou try and hit the ball when it comes down the inlane. Instead, always pass the ball to the other flipper so you can catch it and make an accurate shot instead.

[Cloda]

Thank you for the tips. I also did a strategy guide for the table about a year or so ago... follow my signature if you are interested.

I so wish that Zen would update the layout of the forum so that we don't have to constantly reinvent the wheel. There is so much written for each of the tables, but it is more or less impossible (even using search) to know what is out there unless you have an idea. For new players the existing info is just about useless.

[caper_26]

Yeah, I found your info after I posted the above, lol. I created a forum a few years ago which listed everything by table, but alas, work & kids; I had no time to keep it updated, and the tables started coming out faster than I could play them or even learn them. I still don't know how to play most of the new ones after Ninja Gaiden.

For everyone else:

Amplification of the Nudge Pass Iron Man Tip from above:

>Do not shoot the ball while it is moving. IE, when the ball rolls down an inlane, always use nudge pass, get control of the ball with the other flipper, then make an aimed shot. This is ESPECIALLY important in 2 cases:
1 - Hitting mission targets: The ball will not go as crazily out of control if you shoot from a resting (caught) position after the ball strikes one of those targets. Also, I noticed less right out-lane drains when shooting from stopped position. (kickbacks always ON of course).
2 - Shooting from left flipper: If you shoot from left flipper while the ball is moving, your chances of hitting a mutiball target with the ball bouncing directly back down the middle are very high. (See tip below about leaving targets down)
>Do not shoot the ball as it approaches flippers between the slingshots. Instead use the bounce pass (let it bounce off a flipper, then catch it with the other [see video in my signature])

Amplification of Extra Ball Tip:

This is working very well at the moment. One thing I am doing at the start of a game is getting at LEAST a 2X multiplier from the ball launch or I restart. Then, as mentioned, get up to 10X during electro-blast mission (2nd part). Here is the new tip: I use View 6 so i can see all the lights above the bumpers. Once you have control of the ball with the left flipper, use the right flipper to toggle the lights so that the right-most light is NOT on. This is the 'set-up' because when you shoot with the left flipper into the right orbit, the first thing that is going to happen is the lights will toggle again, making the CENTER light OFF. This is what you want because if you make a clean shot into the right orbit, the ball will be re-directed into the center rollover station. At the time of writing this, I have a saved game, fought Ultimo 2 times (1 defeat), and still on "Ball 1", but lost a ball already, and have another extra ball in the bank. Also, when I started this game last night, I didn't realize that shooting from caught position is so much less frantic, which is why I lost the first one, so I hope this game goes exponentially better.

Another Iron-Man Table Tip: Leave Multiball Targets DOWN

Hit both the multiball drop down targets (not sure what else to call them, but we all know you need to hit BOTH before they drop) as described above using right flipper, after that, do NOT shoot the sinkhole behind the targets. This creates a 'safety net' for inadvertant shots that WOULD HAVE hit the targets and reflected the ball down the middle. Instead, if you get into a sticky situation, and shoot the ball in that area, the ball will instead go into the sinkhole. So basically, don't hit the multiball sinkhole on purpose; use it for an accidental shot. The crappy thing is that during missions, the targets go back up for the duration of the mission. UGH...

I know a lot of people do not like this table (I don't so much either), because of the quick drains, and lack of scoring, so I wish I could have made these strategies earlier and prevented some of the dislike

[BarbieBobomb]

Thank you for the tips. I also did a strategy guide for the table about a year or so ago... follow my signature if you are interested.

I so wish that Zen would update the layout of the forum so that we don't have to constantly reinvent the wheel. There is so much written for each of the tables, but it is more or less impossible (even using search) to know what is out there unless you have an idea. For new players the existing info is just about useless.

How would you suggest it be organized? I agree though, the search tool is not great, unless you know exactly what you're looking for.

[shogun00]

How would you suggest it be organized? I agree though, the search tool is not great, unless you know exactly what you're looking for.

One simple suggestion would be to create a new forum category call "multi-platform tables" and move some of the more important threads into it.

[caper_26]

or even sub forums for each table, so that relative questions can be posted to and looked for, pertaining to that particular table. Right now, there are no sub forums, and every topic gets thrown into the soup. Some sub forums could be:
General Pinball Topics
General "Marvel Pinabll" Game Topics (Not for a particular table)
(Then each table as a sub forum below)
etc...

[shogun00]

or even sub forums for each table, so that relative questions can be posted to and looked for, pertaining to that particular table. Right now, there are no sub forums, and every topic gets thrown into the soup.

The problem is that vBB (the software they are using) has limits on sub-forums. The forum would need a complete overhaul to apply them properly. It's not like the Lithium boards (that Sony use) where you have have sub-forums over sub-forums.

It would be easier to just create a single forum and have "1 & Only Threads" for each table. These threads can also be stickied.

[Cloda]

How would you suggest it be organized? I agree though, the search tool is not great, unless you know exactly what you're looking for.

Apologies for only responding now... I suddenly remembered about this when I looked at Wims web-site now. When you posted this I was smack in the middle of a 48hour exam and did not have much time or capacity for anything else

Anyway... the basics of a good forum layout in my opinion is that topics need to be contained and that there should be a logical layout. E.g. If I want to know about glitches in Paranormal I want to know that I automatically need to go straight to the bugs thread or the tread discussing Paranormal gameplay. That should only be a few clicks away.

Quite a few forums from some of the Zen studio forum members have done a really great job at this. The best example is Wims forum @ http://www.lupsclub.com/. It is in French but through google translate you can check it out. You need to register though to get the full picture (all the sub-threads such as the guides). In short for each table it has a sub-thread for pre-release discussion, for when a table just came out and is being figured out and then a finished guide for each table. There are also many other sub-threads for general discussion, high scores etc. All is very logically laid out and you know exactly where to go to find info on a particular table or other topic.

Here is a link to a previous discussion on this topic with some more ideas. There used to be a few other French web-sites that did a similar thing but I think they closed down now.

I gather from some of the other responses to this question that there might be limitations to what is possibly, but I would seriously suggest that you consider changing to a forum system that offers more possibilities. As discussed before... after a month or so a particular thread is more or less lost forever and it is inevitable that a new one will be started again on exactly the same topic.

[Cloda]

Apologies for only responding now... I suddenly remembered about this when I looked at Wims web-site now. When you posted this I was smack in the middle of a 48hour exam and did not have much time or capacity for anything else

Anyway... the basics of a good forum layout in my opinion is that topics need to be contained and that there should be a logical layout. E.g. If I want to know about glitches in Paranormal I want to know that I automatically need to go straight to the bugs thread or the tread discussing Paranormal gameplay. That should only be a few clicks away.

Quite a few forums from some of the Zen studio forum members have done a really great job at this. The best example is Wims forum @ http://www.lupsclub.com/. It is in French but through google translate you can check it out. You need to register though to get the full picture (all the sub-threads such as the guides). In short for each table it has a sub-thread for pre-release discussion, for when a table just came out and is being figured out and then a finished guide for each table. There are also many other sub-threads for general discussion, high scores etc. All is very logically laid out and you know exactly where to go to find info on a particular table or other topic.

Here is a link to a previous discussion on this topic with some more ideas. There used to be a few other French web-sites that did a similar thing but I think they closed down now.

I gather from some of the other responses to this question that there might be limitations to what is possibly, but I would seriously suggest that you consider changing to a forum system that offers more possibilities. As discussed before... after a month or so a particular thread is more or less lost forever and it is inevitable that a new one will be started again on exactly the same topic.

This discussion is now continued in this thread.