CC Tactics and Strategies

[Sumez]

I've been trying to play for combined lost mine and showdown multiballs, and it's really backfiring for me. The quickdraw targets are easy to hit, but I find that they result in drains too often, especilly the one on the left. Starting gold mine is pretty simple though, almost too easy, but at least the motherlode award resets for each ball. Also, once I do get a combined multiball started, keeping it going for long enough to really be a worthwhile goal is also pretty difficult for me. So far it's not getting me a score that's even comparable to reaching high noon with a high rank (guaranteed ~80 mil).

So right now, if I do have three quickdraws completed and another one lit (which is annoyingly impossible to see on camera 2) I will try to start gold mine, but even so, it doesn't seem like a reliable strategy.

Does anyone have a good strategy for the TPA version that encourages safe play? I feel that putting the ball in danger as little as possible is much more important than going for the big goals.

Also an easy and safe way to get the combo bonus as fast as possible? Along with bart bros. it tends to be the last one I get.

 

[superballs]

Left and right ramps for the combo bonus and don't worry about getting it all at once, do the combo award in two or three shot bursts if need be.

 

[Sumez]

Left and right ramps are probably the most difficult shots on the table :S

 

[superballs]

That may be true but they return to the flippers and once you get in the rhythm you can pop 4 or 5 shots in. Otherwise you have to wait for the loops to return through the bumpers and whatnot which greatly reduces the time you have to aim your next shot. The center ramp is a bit easier and can be thrown in the mix too.

I only go for the loops when I miss the ramp and I'm trying to get a quick shot off to keep the combo going.

 

[Sumez]

Considering only about 1 shot in 6 makes it up either left or right ramp (as opposed to the middle one, which is near impossible to miss) that makes it one of the biggest causes of a drain for me. If I actually try to go actively for Polly, I'm almost sure to lose.

The thing is, when I don't hit the ramp, it's not like my aim is off, it just seems like it's impossible for TPA to register my button press at the exact required split second. From a cradled ball, the shot will -always- hit the exact same spot right next to the ramp, like it's preprogrammed to fire in one of a few set directions. Some other tables are even worse at this, namely CTFBL and STTNG.

 

[Zaphod77]

Here's my lore.

ALL balls coming out of the orbits ARE saveable, but sometimes you need a slap save on the left one. the trick is to recognize and do it. I still haven't mastered that. and it DOES happen in real life too. but i think it should be tweaked a bit to never hop far enough to drain SDTM.

Part of the key to doing well is knowing what will and won't stack. The Golden Rule (or is that yellow?): once a drop target is up it can not be locked out for any reason until it drops.


Polly Peril locks out the following.

Gunfight.
quickdraw inlanes.
quickdraw standups.
progress on adventures.
and, sadly, combo stars. This is most unfortunate, as you would otherwise score a lot of them.

polly peril does NOT lock out

bart hits. in fact, because it locks out gunfight, it UNLOCKS bart hits that would otherwise be locked out by a lit gunfight.
active quickdraws. any drop target that's up you can hit it.
the lost mine. you can make progress towards multiball.
bounties.
starting High Noon

Quick Draw locks out gunfight while it's running, (and gives you the same ability to rack up bart hits while gunfight is qualified) but when not running, gunfight locks out quickdraw.

All mulitballs lock out
a) progress towards other multiballs
b) ability to start other mutliballs, UNLESS quick draw 4 is active, then you can stack showdown by striking it.
c) combo stars
d) bounties
e) progress towards adventures.
f) bart hits. these must be done in single ball play.
g) quickdraws. quickdraw targets don't register, and lit inlanes unlight.
h) gunfights. they unlight and relight at the end of multiball.
i) high noon. you need to end the multiball first.

All running modes continue into multiball, including polly peril (but you then have to beat it blind)

Doing a grace period showdown multiball restart will end any other stacked multiballs and jsut leave you with showdown.

I find that showdown multiball can easily last a LOOOOOONG time. I've gotten over 20 million many times from just that mode alone.

 

[vikingerik]

So right now, if I do have three quickdraws completed and another one lit (which is annoyingly impossible to see on camera 2) I will try to start gold mine, but even so, it doesn't seem like a reliable strategy.

It's not reliable. But it doesn't need to be. For high scores, you're not looking for a reliable strategy. You're looking for that high-variance combination that can shoot your score to the moon. Doesn't matter if 9 games fail that stacking if the 10th nails it and scores you multiple hundreds of millions.

Does anyone have a good strategy for the TPA version that encourages safe play? I feel that putting the ball in danger as little as possible is much more important than going for the big goals.

One strategy is to shoot for nothing but Gold Mine Multiball over and over. Literally nothing else - don't shoot Bart, don't shoot the quickdraw standups, don't go for combos or Polly or Stampede, all of those are risky. The mine shot is so easy and safe, it's the best reward/risk ratio available in the game. Then during GMM, just shoot for bonus multipliers. The 500K jackpots are paltry, while bonus multipliers can be worth 2M or more each. String together five or so Gold Mines on one ball and you'll find yourself with 2M x 40 bonus for 80M, more than High Noon.

 

[Clawhammer]

One strategy is to shoot for nothing but Gold Mine Multiball over and over. Literally nothing else - don't shoot Bart, don't shoot the quickdraw standups, don't go for combos or Polly or Stampede, all of those are risky. The mine shot is so easy and safe, it's the best reward/risk ratio available in the game. Then during GMM, just shoot for bonus multipliers. The 500K jackpots are paltry, while bonus multipliers can be worth 2M or more each. String together five or so Gold Mines on one ball and you'll find yourself with 2M x 40 bonus for 80M, more than High Noon.

Ah yes, the old "I will never play STTNG on TPA ever again" strategy.

 

[Jazza]

Thanks for the strategies guys. After reading this thread I finally cracked a +400m score. This table has been frustrating me for a loooong time!

Cheers

 

[superballs]

This can be a tough game but I find it so much fun.

 

[EldarOfSuburbia]

I managed to accidentally stack Gold Mine and Showdown twice in one game last night.

Of course when I tried to do it deliberately, I failed every time. I didn't find the stacking to be that great. It's pretty slow scoring. The best Mother Lode I've managed to date is a 3x for 6.75M or 7.5M. Nice, but a maxed-out High Noon can score 100M+, and I had one bonus at 150M. So the three are probably equivalent - ymmv.

My 857M game, around 300M was in bonuses. 3 High Noons, one of them lost.

I figured out the link between rank and High Noon scores after I'd been done playing. So practice those Gunfights.

After I'm at Marshall, I ignore Gunfight and wait it out. Too much risk of a bad bounce and drain.

Same goes for Polly after getting the EB. I ignore it and spam Bart. The extra 5x Bonus can just as easily be obtained in a multiball.

 

[vikingerik]

The point of stacking Gold Mine and Showdown *is* the bonus. It's a potentially unlimited multiball with all orbit shots feeding the bumpers. The jackpots still don't matter. What matters is 200M or more in bonus from the stack.

 

[Storm Chaser]

RANK FIRST SECOND THIRD TOTAL

stranger 22m 23m 24m 69m
partner 25m 27.5m 30m 82.5m
deputy 30m 40m 50m 120m
sheriff 40m 60m 80m 180m
marshal 70m 95m 120m 285m

What does First, Second etc refer to here? The first/second time you reach high noon?