Dumb luck

[Iguana]

I've purchased all of the TPA tables, and play daily. For me, it's the only game in town, and relish every new release.

When I start on a new table, I play blindly without checking out the rules... I simply try to keep the ball alive as long as possible.

I've noticed a pattern: I tend to do rather well initially, attaining most of the standard goals without trying, and then nabbing a few wizard goals within my first few games.

In fact, many of my highest scores were attained during my first few hours of play, but as the days roll on, I end up doing the quit/yes/start thing. Lots of mediocre games with the occasional hot game here and there, but rarely as good as the earier ones.

For instance, AFM and MB: Initally couldn't get a drain if I tried, but as time marched on they became a challenge.

Anyone else experienced this sort of dumb luck?

 

[Turbine]

Yes, that's exactly what happens to me. I clear goals without knowing what I'm doing, then when I do know I can never pull it off again. The scores I get in the first hour usually stay at the top of the leaderboard for weeks. That's the local leaderboard, I'm not that good!

 

[Iguana]

Glad I'm not alone. (Jokingly) I think pinball is a tool of the devil, and he grants good games initially to keep his servants coming back.

 

[smbhax]

Yes, many have felt the cruel touch of the phenomenon of which you speak.

I simply try to keep the ball alive as long as possible.

This may be significant. ^_^

 

[Crawley]

Almost the exact same experience. The initial game or two I just play without going through the rules and I typically do very good on one of those games. Then I read the rules and do terrible. But I usually chalk this up to focusing on trying to do a specific goal, which usually means making unsafe shots, rather than shooting for whatever is available when I'm first learning the table.

 

[Rayder]

That's how I play all the tables. I don't read the rules or anything, just figure it out as I go. I don't even particularly care about high scores. It's all about happy fun for me. Keep the ball alive as long as possible. If I manage an impressive high score, that's just a bonus. To be honest, I'm not really all that fussed about the goals. I just like playing pinball. As long as I just play to have fun, I play better. As soon as I start trying to play seriously, I do poorly. Trying too hard, I suppose, but that's how it is for me.

I bought all of everything TPA for PS3/Vita and don't plan to stop buying every new release FS comes up with until they end the series, or stop supporting PS3.

My brother likes to joke and says that I just like playing with my balls. True enough.

 

[masterthes]

I tend to do this as well. Just play a game or two without checking the goals and then be surprised when I make a goal

 

[Reagan Dow]

Glad I'm not alone. (Jokingly) I think pinball is a tool of the devil, and he grants good games initially to keep his servants coming back.

And here I thought i was the only one. Are the tables programmed that way to keep you hooked?

 

[Xanija]

I experienced the same. I think in the first games the only goal is to keep the ball in play. When getting used to the table you try to hit specific target, which are sometimes more risky to result in a drain.

 

[Zorgwon]

Must be a pinball phenomenon. At first I'm very excited and it's really much fun to play and that seems to create high scores. My HS of CV is from the first week. My 2nd best game of BSD so far was one of the first. On F2K I made more than 2M on the 3rd try. Now my scores are lower on these tables. I got better on MM or TOM, though.

 

[Tann]

Same for me.

1) When I play a table for the first time, I don't know the rules, I just want to keep the ball alive. The 3rd or 4th game is generally a very good game with a good score that stands for a while, until I read the rules. Once it's done, I can optimize my strategy and put a new highscore.

But I don't like to play like that, pinball means "play wildly and see what happens!" for me.^^

2) When I have played a table hundreds of times, I tend to play worse and worse. That's because, with the time, I play like a robot, take bad habits, I have no more the "mojo" with TPA and I'm very far from my top scores. It's the same for all tables. What I do: I stop playing TPA for weeks (2 or 3) and when I relaunch the game, I just blow up all my previous highscores. It's like I see the game with a new eye, I can't explain what really happens, but I play better.
Well, it's the same for all games (especially the retro ones): you can't pass a level, you try hundreds of times, but no way. You quit the game for one month, then you play again: you clear the level at the first try!

 

[Kratos3]

It's all about playing loose.

 

[Potrzebie]

And here I thought I was the only one. EVERY new TPA table I've played, I have my best play in the first week or two then rarely again. Hmmm... I smell a conspiracy.

 

[Dedpop]

Just keeping the ball alive.

 

[TomL]

I think a lot of Hurry Up shots tend to be risky shots if you miss, so in some ways, you're better off when you don't know about the Hurry Up shot.

 

[Rich Lehmann]

I think a lot of the better tables are designed so that the important shots are when you get a clean hit. Because it seems like when I just focus on keeping the ball alive and getting nice smooth hits the bonuses and goals just pop up. When I start aiming it's the slightly missed shots that bounce back and drain out. Like I am looking where I want the ball to go rather than at the ball.