Tips and suggestions please?

[Lepruk86]

Hey all...

I have tried prowling the interwebs as well as looking through some posts here but I can't find a really good set of newbie tips...

So can someone link me or suggest some good starting tips on getting beyond the level of *whack-a-mole!*....

Also I am loving the marvel tables but they are all very busy and complicated to learn for a newer player. Because so much stuff is happening at once it is hard to start learning how to aim xD.

So Can anyone suggest a very good simple table that is fun and has core mechanics and a decent plot but will overly help improve my general techniques?

(if it is in a pack just suggest the table anyway and I will look at the pack)...

Thanks all and Merry Christmas.

[lexandro]

Play spiderman, its one of the simplest tables to grasp, despite all the flashy lights and character fights. Basically all you really need to do is remember that the purple ramp is for Mysterio, with a flipper to activate Doc Octopus ( top right flipper), and the Goblin ramp is on the right side of this a bit lower down.

Mash those two ramps for fights vs the villians and rack up the points.

Beating the villians;
Doc Octopus - Hit the middle ramp mutliple times (or hit upper lanes from Mysterio ramp)
Green Goblin - Send the goblin bombs up which ever ramp he stands next to.
Mysterio - Hit the lit ramp shots to beat him (including the Doc Octopus lock).

[PinkLunarCamel]

Spiderman is good..not to disagree. For a more painful way to gain experience, try the small tables..Extreme, Speed Machine(from core) ...Street Fighter II, Nightmare Mansion, and throw in Excalibur also..it plays like a small to me. It won't be the fun route right off the bat, but it will push you to stop the ball from moving when it gets out of hand.

[Scotty Canuck]

Hi, I believe that Rocky & Bullwinkle is a great one for beginners, as the key to high scores on that table is getting combos on the ramps. It will help your reflexes, and general ability to hit the ball where you want it

[MultiForce]

Based on my own experiences so it might not work for you but this is what I do even though I have a long way to the top.

1: Do what you do best. There's no point in trying to hit every flashing lamp just because it gets you a few millions if you know you suck at hitting them anyway. Training is always good but if you have a good score, don't waste it on stuff you can't handle.
The way I got a billion on SotD was to keep shooting the same ramps. I suck at multiball but I could get the multiball mission over and over because I didn't miss the ramp that gives you the mine multiball thingy.

2: Focus. Don't read messages and other stuff while you play especially if you have a good round. I turned off all the popup crap.

3: Don't jump from table to table all the time. Play the table you want to learn and get points on and don't play the others for too long if you want some change. You get better aiming with time but all the ramps and orbits needs different aim on different tables and you'll end up needing a long warm up when you get back.

4: Use slow motion if you want to give yourself time to watch the DMD for info, scores and what not. Just remember to get rid of it before you go on a multibillion mission and accidentally hit the wrong button.

5: Train. Learn when you can catch the ball when it comes down from ramps and other places. When can you hold it, when do you have to shoot it straight up again and so on. Restart.

6: Breaks are important but make sure you take that break when things are slow and easy. Hold the ball with the flipper or something so you don't have to start off with ball saving acrobatics right away. You need a few sec to "get into it" again whether you think so or not.

7: Learn/remember to relax after multiballs.

8: Set some goals. I usually restart if I get under 100M on the first ball on SotD. It gives me the comfort to know that I already have a decent score. I always want the extra ball on spiderman before I continue with another ball. I'm sure you get the picture.

9: Don't get a dog, cat, gf, loan, car, lawn, job or anything else that may distract you and take away your attention.

[Cloda]

I'm no wizard yet, but my game has steadily improved over the last two months. A few things I though of mentioning to you that made a difference for me (in addition to what has been mentioned by others):

- Learn proper flipper controll e.g. using flippers independantly, catching the ball with a flipper and passing from one flipper to the other through the different passing techniques. There are many sites with tips for this and other aspects of playing e.g. http://www.ipdb.org/playing/skills.html and http://nfgworld.com/mb/thread/877-Pinball-Technique

- Logic_FTW taught me a few things that helped me improve my game tremendously (in edition to the actual guide's info). First learn the basics of a table and practice how to achieve it at will as it will then allow you to stay alive longer and thus achieve more. The basics include: how to get an extra ball, activate the ball saver and activate the kickbacks.

- One other thing he taught me (that might seem obvious to some) is that you should start of playing on easy with 10 balls. I am amazed how much easier I can now achieve certain objectives on factory settings now that I know what I am suppose to do once I was able to first achieve it through easy mode and with lots of extra balls e.g. Wizard mode on Rome.

- Last thing that I found worked for me, is to sometimes only focus on one aspect of the table. E.g. On Rome there is a mini game where you shoot it into the Scale of Justice hole, where after you shoot it up the left CONQUER ramp and then into the side of the Janus statue head. I practiced only that for a half an hour or so the other day (on easy) and now I can do it with much more ease.

Happy playing - I never knew that Pinball could be such an rewarding experience!!!!

[Lepruk86]

Hey hey; thanks for all the advice so far; some of it I knew and some of it was fresh. I will check out all the tables recommended in demo mode again to see how they feel.

To respond to some posts:

Spiderman table: the problem with this table is that the shots are too easy to make and it doesn't punish you often for slightly missing a shot which means it does not teach great control. I managed to get 48 million without really aiming (I realise that isn't a super high score but still). Also it's so easy to accidentally start something that the table is always doing something and doesn't give you a lot of time to just *practice*. That's why I wondered if there was a slower table that actually helps with just the core mechanics.

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I haven't tried editing the options yet but thanks for that suggestion; I will give the easy mode method a try because it may help practicing the same shots over and over again.

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Thanks for the links; will check them out and read them

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I was focusing on the Wolverine table but that one has a lot of shots that will drop the ball down the side if you aren't precise which makes it a bit challenging for a newcomer.

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I am loving pinball like I never have before. I was one of those people that didn't really see the appeal but now I just want to go out and find real pinball machines; I feel like I have missed out on something incredible (I am only 24 at least; so there is still time ).

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QUESTION:

1: What camera view is the best to use generally? As I still can't decide which one I like and feel the most comfortable with.

2: Ball-Launch sequence; If you press X and change the camera mode - How do you get the camera to go back to hovering over the ball-launch view? As I haven't found a way to reset the camera if you need to move it. If it isn't possible to do it once you move it then it is something that needs to be added in that case.



Thanks all and I will buy all the tables eventually but don't want to overcrowd myself to begin with (it isn't an issue of money - I'd just rather get 1 table a week or so; with all of the ones available I have a lot of content to play).

Thanks all again anyway

[PinkLunarCamel]

I use 1W/1..I would use 6, but it's too small.The camera moving of the other angles is not like pinball should be..I do try the zooming views if I'm trying to get a hidden flippers to work better..then I go back to a 1 variety once I find the timing problem.

[Cloda]

I use either 3 or 4 depending on the table. E.g. Secrets of the deep I use 3 as I need to see what is happening at the top as well and Pasha I use 4 because I can't time the left top flipper with 3 - too much movement. Camera 1(w) and 6 is too far away for me. 2 and also 5 there is too much distracting movement.

In the end use the view where you feel you can see the most of the table up close so that you can time all your flippers but where you don't have too much distracting camera movement.

[Lepruk86]

Okies; Well I was just using camera 6 but I assumed I would need to learn to deal with the motion blur and try to play a closer camera to make the shots more accurate.

Also is there any solution to my second question?

To give an example on Iron Man table you hold right bumper to look at what skill shot is active; however then the camera just defaults to view 1 or w/e view you have set up; is there any way to make it snap back to the launcher so you can see the power you are using?

[PinkLunarCamel]

Iron Man has a bug with the skill shot, which is being fixed..Best to ignore that for a bit..you're not doing anything wrong. I just don't do the zoom with that one and hope it drops in.

[Lepruk86]

Thanks PinkLunar - been a massive help and so has everyone else...

Sorry for all the newbness; just loving the game and want to learn as much as possible about it and really get good.

And a huge thanks to Zen Studios for producing it. I will certainly be picking up all the tables at some point (as well as prowling my local arcade for any glimpses of old Pinball machines)...

Thanks again all <3

[satch]

hey good luck on finding a real table nowdays esp if you live in the uk for what its worth i mainly use view 3 even when your playing a real table you look at the area of the table with the ball, also some good tips above ive learnt things and ive clocked the real gottlieb street fighter 11 table...(not that im bragging of course )

[Lepruk86]

I just want to add:

I was wrong about the spider man table... I have now learned exactly what does what on the table (I don't like reading table guides and rules - as some of the fun is working out as much as possible)....

But now I get how the webslinging bonuses work etc - man this table just became a different game. Rather than just going straight for Doc Ock - I am actually aiming to get all the websling bonuses first etc...

Really REALLY good newb friendly table with a couple of tricky shots to boot (Last round I had every mission lit except the J J Jameson one - I can't activate that one at will; the shot is really picky from the left bumper)...

sooo close to finishing the table (in terms of all the bonuses) >.<

[XtremeIzHellaGAY]

I think Agents is a very good beginner table. There is not a lot of distractions going on during play. it's generally very clear on where you need to shoot the ball, flipper stops are very easy to do so you can get in the habit. It's also very easy to hit the ball up to the multiplier lamps with a little practice which will help you practice moving the lamps while the jets kick the ball up(maxing your multiplier can be done pretty fast here). Also, after the ball comes out of the jets it usually kicks out to the upper left flipper where you can practice the oil tanker ramp(similar to Pasha's palace ramp but much easier!). Kickbacks are not hard to lite, all in all a very good table to learn on. You have to be very deliberate in your shot making to rack up a decent score, just whacking the ball around isn't gonna earn millions of points(spider-man).

[Lepruk86]

I just want to say a huge thanks to everyone in this thread; I read everything and it has helped improve my aiming so much.

Got almost 200mil on spiderman as well as able to score relatively okay on Ironman and Wolverine (Blade is the one table I can't get into at the moment).

Now ready to buy my next few and I am probably going to go for the FX1 core set based on advice and just general desire to play some less *video-gamey* tables (I am sure you get what i mean).

Thanks again

[the1rishway]

My best advice, and this being from someone who plays pinball and is making the jump to vpin and pbfx2, is pretty simple. Start from scratch. Learn flipper control and aiming, first and foremost.

http://www.ipdb.org/playing/skills.html - A place for anyone looking to learn or further their knowledge of pinball as a whole.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2ZJQYk6OMk - A simple but concise video showing the basic shots. (And no, center posts are not dated, even the 08 Indiana Jones Stern table has one. I always add that because people always assume that for some unknown reason.)

If you simply type in Pinball Techniques on youtube, a number of videos will pop up giving you a good idea of multiball control, etc.

Secondly, yes, like others have said in here: Learn your table. Learn not just the rulesheet but what provides the safest pathways to your inlanes/flippers. Learn when to nudge after a strong slingshot slams it into the outlane or, even in this game, when to perform a bangback.

Also, I cant stress this enough, pick a table and stay on it. I believe that was mentioned earlier? Pick a table and commit. No matter how pissed off or sick of the table you get, fight through it. It's what I'm having to do as we speak Anyways, I can offer some other insight on pinball itself if you ever have any other questions, feel free to ask me. I can say, however, that I am by no means a master of any of the PBFX2 tables, but I hope to be within the coming months of trial/error, grief, and painstaking fun.

[Womble]

This is far from the basics -- and I'm nowhere near this guy's ability -- but it shows you what can be achieved with a combination of table knowledge and skill:

http://www.vimeo.com/17717319

In particular, the multi-ball juggling is pretty sweet.

[lexandro]

I just want to add:

I was wrong about the spider man table... I have now learned exactly what does what on the table (I don't like reading table guides and rules - as some of the fun is working out as much as possible)....

But now I get how the webslinging bonuses work etc - man this table just became a different game. Rather than just going straight for Doc Ock - I am actually aiming to get all the websling bonuses first etc...

Really REALLY good newb friendly table with a couple of tricky shots to boot (Last round I had every mission lit except the J J Jameson one - I can't activate that one at will; the shot is really picky from the left bumper)...

sooo close to finishing the table (in terms of all the bonuses) >.<

As I said the spiderman table is the simplest to grasp. You did exactly the right thing in getting the basic shots down ( as I suggested ) and then used that knowledge to then grasp the other features.

The JJ mission is a tricky one, but with a bit of practice you will get the orbit shot more often than not. I find that its easier to do this mission during a goblin mission multi-bomb, as I can have one go in to activate the mission and fire another at the orbit right away.

I did one time get a "front page exclusive" doing that mission but I have no clue if it was just because I did the mission really quick or from doing it from another shot entirely. But in any case you have surpassed my score on Spiderman at any rate. 98 million is my best atm.

[Lepruk86]

As I said the spiderman table is the simplest to grasp. You did exactly the right thing in getting the basic shots down ( as I suggested ) and then used that knowledge to then grasp the other features.

The JJ mission is a tricky one, but with a bit of practice you will get the orbit shot more often than not. I find that its easier to do this mission during a goblin mission multi-bomb, as I can have one go in to activate the mission and fire another at the orbit right away.

I did one time get a "front page exclusive" doing that mission but I have no clue if it was just because I did the mission really quick or from doing it from another shot entirely. But in any case you have surpassed my score on Spiderman at any rate. 98 million is my best atm.

Hehe; are you on my friends list then? Tbh it's quite easy to get a high score on spiderman - it's just time consuming; my scores on other tables aren't nearly as impressive (still not terrible; but not super high either).

I am checking the spiderman table every day to see if anyone has overtaken me - I am first on my friend's list atm but I have the others to work on in the mean time. Watch out pinball world... a new player is loose!

(Also thanks to all the friend requests that got accepted; I unlocked the avatar rewards - pretty kool).

[Womble]

But now I get how the webslinging bonuses work etc

How do they work, exactly? Is it merely a case of grinding that left orbit over and over until you get Extra Ball?? (Because that's pretty much what I'm doing right now.)

Also, Mary Jane wants me to make the jump, 3 times from the looks of it. What do I get for acceding to her girly demands? Is it worth it?

And the centre ramp: is there any use for it apart from increasing the Goblin Stage bonus by 50K each time? Because it's very inviting, being so easy to hit...

[woof321]

There are three lit websling shots - the big ramp in the middle of the table and two upper exits off the upper playfield. They're the same shots for the Ock stage, though for that you mostly only need the bottom one. Anyway, for websling awards, just hit all three once each (they'll unlight when you get one) to advance to the next level. Do it three times for the extra ball - gotta be the easiest extra ball on the marvel tables, perhaps on all tables. Nice thing is that if you'e advanced a level or two it won't even reset if you lose your ball before completing it.

Not sure what the mary jane jump does other than points. I often don't go for those in sequence but instead go for one of the shots off the upper playfield.

Dave
GT: FurVid

[XtremeIzHellaGAY]

As I said the spiderman table is the simplest to grasp. You did exactly the right thing in getting the basic shots down ( as I suggested ) and then used that knowledge to then grasp the other features.

The JJ mission is a tricky one, but with a bit of practice you will get the orbit shot more often than not. I find that its easier to do this mission during a goblin mission multi-bomb, as I can have one go in to activate the mission and fire another at the orbit right away.

I did one time get a "front page exclusive" doing that mission but I have no clue if it was just because I did the mission really quick or from doing it from another shot entirely. But in any case you have surpassed my score on Spiderman at any rate. 98 million is my best atm.

I believe the "front page exclusive" is lit by beating Ock, Green Goblin, or Mysterio. Then just hit the loop.

[Lepruk86]

How do they work, exactly? Is it merely a case of grinding that left orbit over and over until you get Extra Ball?? (Because that's pretty much what I'm doing right now.)

Also, Mary Jane wants me to make the jump, 3 times from the looks of it. What do I get for acceding to her girly demands? Is it worth it?

And the centre ramp: is there any use for it apart from increasing the Goblin Stage bonus by 50K each time? Because it's very inviting, being so easy to hit...

Woolf has it right. The Mary-Jane loop as far as i know is just for points and a safety net to get into the top field easier. I only aim for it multiple times if I have the Doc Ock stages finished and the webslinging bonuses fully completed.

And as woolf said you need to hit the 3 main loops 3 times to get the extra ball as well as start dinner party; but they need to be hit after each other rather than in a row; I.E hit the middle then the top two then the middle then the top two then the middle then the top two = extra ball.

[PinkLunarCamel]

Great job on the score..I bounce around tables, and that one hour is not on my list for a while Glad to see you're getting more of the tables..core pack won't be the highest scoring choice, but you will be more proud of any gain you make on them.

[IAMMRBONGO]

Try to stop the ball but I usually make sure I never try to pass the ball from flipper to flipper. I work out what shot will get me to the other flipper (a ramp or something) rather than risking it going down the middle.

There are some default assumptions about pinball. The lights above the bumpers usually light the multiplier.

The jackpot is usually incremented by a shot on the table and awarded by hitting a shot during multiball.

I'd agree with multiforce about mastering tables. He should know, he constantly kicks my ass.

There's usually a series of challenges which highlight around the playfield you usually need to complete the challenges to get to the wizard mode

[Womble]

There are some default assumptions about pinball. The lights above the bumpers usually light the multiplier.

(Game design commentary)

This is an area where Zen's games could improve, IMO.

On most Williams games that have rollovers above bumpers, you can often get the ball repeatedly bouncing through the rollovers, especially with a bit of nudging.

See: Space Shuttle. On that table, it's possible to get quite a few multipliers without the ball hitting a flipper, especially since you can cycle the rollover lights with the flippers.

On Zen's tables, not so much. Once a ball goes down a rollover it doesn't often come back up after a bumper hit. Not sure whether it's the bumper placement, bumper strength or underlying physics. See: PHOF.


A few more beginner hints:

- on most tables, pressing a flipper will cycle lights such as those over the lanes. (The inlanes and outlanes on either side of the flippers.) This allows you to "pre-position" the lights so that when the ball passes through an unlit lane, it will light up. This is vital for getting kickbacks, ball saves, etc.

Which leads directly to:

- know where the ramps and orbits end up. Once you know that a ramp will always feed a ball to a specific inlane, you can use the flipper action described above to pre-position the lane lights, then make the ramp shot. (Remembering to take in to account that the act of shooting for the ramp will advance the lane lights...) Repeat as necessary until you have all the letters you need (e.g. H-E-A-L on Wolverine.)


(Goddamn, reCaptcha is annoying. It is such a hateful technology.)

[Womble]

Pinball 101 is a how-to DVD which covers all the moves, from starting to advanced.

It's now available for 2 bucks on the iPhone App Store! (The "app" is really just a wrapper for the 350MB .mp4 movie stored inside the app bundle.)

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pinba...396146403?mt=8

It's super cheesy and very padded-out, but it does a decent job of showing all the shots, and a lot of specific shots on various physical tables. It also talks about ball and table control, they physics of flipper shots, and risky vs safe shots.

At 2 dollars, it's a steal.

[IAMMRBONGO]

(Game design commentary)

[I][SIZE="1"]


(Goddamn, reCaptcha is annoying. It is such a hateful technology.)

Yes reCaptcha is annoying, I have worked out that the main reason for this is that it's supposed to trap robots and I am obviously a replicant

[IAMMRBONGO]

Yes reCaptcha is annoying, I have worked out that the main reason for this is that it's supposed to trap robots and I am obviously a replicant

Wow, zen removed recapcha based on what was said here. They really do listen to everything on their forums. How great are zen? *polite applause*