How many balls?

[Kevlar]

When I got my Getaway last year I left it on 3 balls and not giving out extra balls for replays and specials. My thinking being there's no point making it any easier as its a home machine and I want the challenge to last as long as possible. Now recently I visited someone with a great collection and he had all his set on 5 balls. It threw me for a while, kept thinking it was game over after 3rd drain and walking away.

Anyway, now I've got The Shadow and it seems a lot harder than the Getaway I'm thinking I'm never going to get to and finish Final battle on just three balls. Or maybe I'll stick with 3 to prolong the challenge as mentioned before.

How does everyone else set up their machines? Balls, outlane posts, specials and replays etc?

 

[Carl Spiby]

Depends what route you want to take with the hobby.

If you want to be competitive at tournaments and force yourself to improve, 3 balls, no EB's, hard rules installed and outline posts all the way out.

 

[Kolchak357]

A lot of folks seem to start with 5 and then as they become better at the table rules and shots, then they make the pin tougher (3 balls, move posts, etc).

 

[SilverBallFiend]

Use whatever u find most fun.

 

[smooverr]

It seems like its impossible. It took me almost 4 months to beat Goldeneye. I always had it set on 3, but thats just me. If I had 5 I would have beaten it much faster and probably felt far less satisfaction....

EDIT: And I've still only done it once

 

[DanBradford]

I'm not that good a player so I set the tables as steep as they will go but play 3 balls, outlanes at medium, extra balls allowed and awarded for a replay score. I set the tilt on pretty liberal as I like to shake em about. I go to leagues and tournaments but I don't enjoy the competitive side really.

I didn't spend all that money on the things so they could always leave me frustrated, I wanna have a great game every ten to twenty games, not once in a hundred.

Up to you, if you keep rinsing it then make it harder. If it keeps rinsing you then make it easier

 

[Mayuh]

Fun fact: I play better on 3 balls, with no extra balls. Rumor says some of the top players have set their machines to 2 balls only

In my experience you only have one good ball per game anyway...