Improvements for new tables to help bad players like me

[Cloda]

I adapted this from something I wrote a couple of years ago for FX2...

Glad to hear that you are enjoying the game so much. I had the same experience... starting from no real pinball background and now spending most of my gaming time on this game. It took me about a year to become pretty good at the game (since 2010) but these days I don't play that much any more unfortunately.

Here is some general advise that have helped me to become better along the way:

- Learn the rulesheets, table layout and if a guide is available for a table read through that as well.
- The most important thing to learn is how to best control the ball: the basic is to catch it on a flipper, aim and then shoot.
- Look at the Internet Pinball Database skills section and try and learn and understand what they talk about. A lot of the advanced tricks don't really work on FX2 and I presume FX3.
- Choose one table that you want to master and stick with that table until you can do everything on it. I chose Rome (I would now start with Wolverine because of the claw save that can be activated) as my first table and spent around 2 weeks or longer just about only playing that table until I managed to complete the Wizard mode.
- The reason why I say choose one table is because you have to be able to learn how to do each shot on the table with confidence and the only way to learn it is to play over and over and practice until you get it right.
- For me this was very important because you learn how to deal with balls coming down at different angles and speeds and how to bring the ball under control and best achieve each shot. E.g. bottom saucer on wolverine to activate the claw save have a few ways you can do it: catch the ball on the right, let it roll and shoot from the tip of the flipper, once the ball drop out from the saucer you nudge pass it over to the right flipper, catch it and repeat. Wolverine gives you 3 nudges... more than the normal 2 on other tables. A second way to do it is to shoot the ball up the right ramp (towards fast ball special as 3 times gives you an extra ball and you can get 5 on this table per ball... more than any other table) and then shoot the ball late from the right flipper without catching it first - this is a bit more risky but worth learning as the bottom saucer is the most important target to hit on the table if you plan on having long games. You can also learn to do an orbit pass to get the ball through the left or right orbit back onto the right flipper when you don't have nudges left any more as the ball will fall down from the bumpers ready for you to let bounce and catch (remember nudges recharge every 15 seconds or so).
- Under the operators menu change the game to easy with maximum balls (10). This will give you the best opportunity to have a chance to play through all the modes. Remember that you scores will then not count on the leaderboards so you will have to change it back to the normal settings at some point. Also remember the slowmotion button to see where exactly to hit the very difficult shots - I have never used it much as it doesn't give you a true feeling.
- For each table you play you must also learn how to effectively make the table as safe as possible for you - learn how to activate the kickbacks e.g. on Ironman you will lose all your balls very quickly if you don't have you kickbacks always activated; also learn how the easiest way is to get extra balls and start working on getting it as safely as possible e.g. wolverine - fast ball special and the through normal play after 10x multiplier is activated is the two main ways and both quite save; ballsave is not that important for me but on a table like Pasha where you often activate it by chance it can come in quite handy.

Here are three guides that I wrote to hopefully help somebody to approach Fantastic 4 (still my favourite table), Ironman and Sorcere's Lair in an efficient but safe way to reach Wizard mode - you will see I approach it using the basic principles explained above. Fantastic 4 is a great table to learn how to play on as you have the Negative Zone Ballsaver that can be activated. I haven't updated these in a couple of years, so some things might be a bit different, especially since FX3.

Fantastic 4 - http://forum.zenstudios.com/showthread.php?t=3171
Ironman - http://forum.zenstudios.com/showthread.php?t=3200
Sorcerer's Lair - https://forum.zenstudios.com/showthr...Strategy-Guide

Please feel free to ask about other things you don't understand... the community on this forum is great!

[LeanderL]

Some tables are not that hard...Sorcerer's Lair lets you even play wizard mode without completing missions.
Back to the future table is very easy and you get tons of extra balls.

Pinball FX2 has operator's menu...where you can configure everything. Ms. Splosion Man is also a very easy table.

I disagree that tables should be easier...I am "good" but far from being a pro...pros play up to four hours on a table.
I'd recommend watching Youtube tutorials, basic pinball techniques, catch the ball, hold it, nudge the table if a ball is close to draining in the outlanes. Nudging is very important...and being relaxed...beginners get crazy and are afraid to lose the ball, wildly using the flippers and shooting the ball without aiming, shooting the ball on the fly. Basically, cradle the ball often, aim...then learn how the ball will bounce, where it will go to and land...often, you will be able to cradle it again...if you would drain the ball in the outlanes or it comes down the middle in a straight line (it would drain between your flippers), nudge the table.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_7TQ6wRZdw

[cantankerous--]

No, It's an individual lane that makes the truck drive off, you can still then collect more.

I kinda figured I was doing it right, but wanted to ask. I have beaten every one in the challenges but the thing of all. Ive tried him 3 times and still not been able to do it.

[GruffMckenzie]

I should probably play the table before answering this but I believe Truck Is Ready Let’s Go means you have evacuated some folks
So it appears you’ve been doing it

Think in the single ball versions it lasts until the timer runs out. Multiball it lasts until you’re down to one ball

It can be a decent scoring mode but I tend to get bored and eventually let the mode finish

No, It's an individual lane that makes the truck drive off, you can still then collect more.

[OriginalEther]

Ive hit every single ramp. I keep hearing 10 survivors, 5 survivors and so on but also hear the truck is ready lets go. Does that mean I have to find the truck to finish the stage? Or do I just run ramps with arrows and collect survivors until a timer runs out?

I should probably play the table before answering this but I believe Truck Is Ready Let’s Go means you have evacuated some folks
So it appears you’ve been doing it

Think in the single ball versions it lasts until the timer runs out. Multiball it lasts until you’re down to one ball

It can be a decent scoring mode but I tend to get bored and eventually let the mode finish

[cantankerous--]

Ermmm the arena shot? It's one of 'em

Ive hit every single ramp. I keep hearing 10 survivors, 5 survivors and so on but also hear the truck is ready lets go. Does that mean I have to find the truck to finish the stage? Or do I just run ramps with arrows and collect survivors until a timer runs out?

[MuddyWolf_Beta]

I'm curious, what would we consider the hardest tables for newbies with mind of recent tweaks in PFX3 and upgrades?

In general, Archer remains the hardest table in the game imo.
But solely from the ones that got tweaked by Deep, I’d say A New Hope.

From the thread ‘changes in FX3 tables’:

- Death Star multiball starting balanced, needs more and more bumper hits after every start
- Death Star multiball jackpot exploit prevented with a diverter on the jackpot ramps

The Death Star multiball was basically the only safe way to score on the table

[GruffMckenzie]

So, I keep hearing about how easy wwhulk is and been trying it. Stupid question once I have all the evacuees where is the truck?

Ermmm the arena shot? It's one of 'em

[cantankerous--]

Tables I have had 100 million plus on (No billions yet for me) scores on:

Excalibur
Earth Defense
Plants vs. Zombies
Darth Vader (400 mil +)
Sorcerer's Lair
Moon Knight
World War Hulk
Paranormal
Spiderman

But yeah, these are not necessarily my favorites. For example, I like ROME and SECRETS of the DEEP probably the best, but have yet to hit even 80 milllion on either of those.

So, I keep hearing about how easy wwhulk is and been trying it. Stupid question once I have all the evacuees where is the truck?

[Skode]

I'm curious, what would we consider the hardest tables for newbies with mind of recent tweaks in PFX3 and upgrades?

[OriginalEther]

I love your games.

If I can ask for one thing (besides 3d in FX3), I would love to be able to see the entirety of your game and I feel robbed that you've gone through so much effort and a crappy player like myself can't enjoy ALL the effort you've poured into these games. I can barely reach a rank of 3,000 on the scoreboard and I don't think I've broken 100 million in any game. At this point, while I'd love to believe that someday I'll be the Ronnie O'Sullivan or Michael Van Gerwen of pinball - (yes, I'm using the names of folks you may not know but these guys are Federer-like in their respective fields), it's looking less and less likely that I'll get there. But I still love your games.

The easiest way I can think of making easier for players to experience your entire tables would be to offer difficulty settings that make it easier to get the following things:

1. Easier Extra Balls (extends gameplay)
2. Easier Kicker Saves
3. Random Automatically triggered Events or a special hit that triggers a random event (of the hardest achievements maybe)
4. Easier thresholds for Missions (instead of 10 loops, maybe 3)
5. Selectable scenes

For extra balls you go into the Operators section and give yourself ten. Of course you can’t post the score

While it may not be convenient, playing fx2 on the Xbox 360 may be an option, as the older tables mostly do not have those juiced up slingshots, and I find it much easier to nudge on that platform. Though, fx3 has countered by making some shots easier

As for easier tables, my list would be
Sorcerers Lair
The Avengers (once you learn the ball mechanics)
World war Hulk
Clone Wars
Han Solo
Captain America
Ms Plosion Man, though only on Xbox 360
Fantastic Four
Spider Man, though again fx2 version, and you do need to build up your level for Clone Chaos

[steven120566]

All of these easy billion points

Marvels women of power
Spiderman
star wars pinball: Rogue One
star wars pinball: darth vader

Tables I have had 100 million plus on (No billions yet for me) scores on:

Excalibur
Earth Defense
Plants vs. Zombies
Darth Vader (400 mil +)
Sorcerer's Lair
Moon Knight
World War Hulk
Paranormal
Spiderman

But yeah, these are not necessarily my favorites. For example, I like ROME and SECRETS of the DEEP probably the best, but have yet to hit even 80 milllion on either of those.

[GruffMckenzie]

You're absolutely right about Might of the First Order and Wild West Rampage - they are not forgiving. Castle Storm is a really fun game.

I love Guardians of the Galaxy and it seems to be intermediate.

Any other recommendations?

World war hulk seems to score quite easily and has plenty of ramps and lanes.
I started out playing Han Solo which is quite compact so the ramps are closer and balls can last a while even if you aren't too careful. And possibly Force awakens. Can lose some balls easily but it's a good table for aiming practise I think. But of course these are preferences.

Bought Civil war the other day....I like it. But I wouldn't go there if I were you!

Good luck!

[cantankerous--]

You're absolutely right about Might of the First Order and Wild West Rampage - they are not forgiving. Castle Storm is a really fun game.

I love Guardians of the Galaxy and it seems to be intermediate.

Any other recommendations?

All of these easy billion points

Marvels women of power
Spiderman
star wars pinball: Rogue One
star wars pinball: darth vader

[greeksamurai]

Sorry, i assumed FX 3 as it's on that board....so no no practice there, but on FX 2 there is the operators menu, but I never really used that much but you can tweak things.

Either way round it's about practice and how tenacious you are. Took me a long while till I improved then suddenly felt I was doing better.
I guess learn to trap the ball as it comes down on the flippers. nudging to save the ball from an outlane I use a lot as it's where a lot of balls end up!

I try to spot something nearer the flipper in line with the lane I'm practicing which helps me quite often.

Might of the First Order and Wild west rampage I think are hard tables.
Castle Storm and Sorcerers lair are easier to get something going....IMO!

I recently got family guy and that is a easy flowing table for ramp shots...

But...I'm still improving too. And I agree with steven120566. I worried about bettering my own score and maybe that of my brother's not anyone else. And remember your best score is your BEST score not necessarily what you will get every time

plenty of awful games!!!

You're absolutely right about Might of the First Order and Wild West Rampage - they are not forgiving. Castle Storm is a really fun game.

I love Guardians of the Galaxy and it seems to be intermediate.

Any other recommendations?