I'm in a Medieval Madness scoring rut!

[shutyertrap]

Seeing as how I'm playing against your guy's scores, I thought I'd post here instead of the general MM forum. Anyways...

I'm kinda playing MM the same way over and over again, which is producing okay scores, but not outstanding scores. Was wondering how you peeps play it.

Here's how my typical game goes...

1. I try to destroy 2 castles before concentrating on anything else. I want that extra ball from that. I can catch and control the ball with my right flipper fairly easily (but almost never with my left) and hit the castle probably 90% of the time.

2. Next I try to load up at least 2 'madness' categories before shooting for Merlin. I'm not very accurate when shooting for him, so I tend to just try and load up as much as I can before I randomly land the ball in there. Again, I just have a real hard time catching and controlling the ball on the left flipper. Any tricks guys?

3. I also never shoot for lighting trolls on purpose, but hopefully they're lit when I do get multiball madness, cause those bastards are drain monsters and I need all the balls I can get!

4. The catapult is usually my last target I attempt to complete, but once I get the feel for it, I pretty much just shoot it over and over. That being said, I've only ever gotten Barnyard Multiball once.

5. At this point in my game, I'm typically on my 2nd or 3rd ball. Enough random shots have been made that Castle Multiball will usually be right around the corner, as is the 28 mil extra ball. If I can get the castle multiball extra ball too, I'll wind up with a score in the 60-80 million range. Ideally I'll hit royal madness and NOT lose my ball on that (though that's usually what happens) so that I can get madness multiballs going again. But really this is where I seem to be plateauing.

6. The only thing that really seems to have made the difference between my 60-80 mil scores and my 160+ scores is my multiplier. Both times I've hit my high scores were because I had a multiplier of like 60, which happened during a multiball orgy at the jets. Without that, my score goes nowhere.

So there it is. Do you guys have a pattern of play for the table, a particular shot that cranks up the score more than anything else? And am I the only one that has an issue with catching on the left flipper? With the right, if it comes down anywhere from the right side of the table, I just hold the flipper up and it bounces once, twice, and then it's still. If the ball comes off the left habitrail, I just hold the left flipper and the ball gently rolls over to the right. If the ball is coming from anywhere on the left side and I hold the left flipper up, it bounces all the way over the slingshot and it's 50/50 if it's gonna go to the outlane or inlane. That's why usually I just hot fire hoping for either the joust lane or the dragon ramp. Not a good way to play.

 

[Squid]

It sounds like you have a good grasp on the table but, it also sounds like you need a couple more extra balls. Spelling FIRE in the return lanes helps your end of ball bonus and, if you do it 8 times, you'll get the video mode at Merlin's Magic once it's lit. (a potential extra ball. Yay!)

Trying for 10 hurry-up awards helps as well.

The only other tips I can come up with is that maximising your multi-ball madnesses (having them all lit), is great for scores and never stop knocking on the castle. (I tend to get castle multi-ball frequently due to missed gate shots)

 

[Squid]

Oops! I guess I should add that the FIRE letters can be manipulated by the flippers. This makes the video mode easier to get once you're working the Catapult and the Peasant or Damsel ramps.

 

[mmmagnetic]

The FIRE letters are something I've never payed any attention too, thanks for the tip!

 

[Fungi]

Well, seeing that you're playing against our scores, this is what I do. After launching the ball, I put the controller down and watch it like a pachinko. Try it! You'll like it!

 

[shutyertrap]

Well, seeing that you're playing against our scores, this is what I do. After launching the ball, I put the controller down and watch it like a pachinko. Try it! You'll like it!

Ha! Makes hitting ramp shots kinda difficult that way though.

 

[Richard B]

The scores you're getting are probably the best you're going to get until that damn flipper gap is fixed.

 

[shutyertrap]

The scores you're getting are probably the best you're going to get until that damn flipper gap is fixed.

I'm not gonna blame my inability to score over 165 million on a flipper gap. Just as I'm not gonna blame the impossibility of being able to drop catch the ball without it bouncing on the flipper. Those fixes will come, but for now I learn to play the table the way it is. And since OTHERS have been able to do much better scores than mine...

Now if MM or any of these other tables were tables I had actual access to on a daily basis, and was able to do awesome scoring with those, then sure I'd be more apt to lay the blame on the faults of the virtual recreation. But I don't. Shoot, if anything, when the fixes do come in, it's probably gonna screw me up all over again cause I'll have to relearn the timing on my shots.

 

[SKILL_SHOT]

If you dont have at least 10million first ball without extras restart replace your strategy #2 for #1 that will give you hurry ups towards you 10x extra ball and another reason to shoot castle. The joust multiplyer can get you double your score so bump till you get DANGER you should be close to 28 million extra ball, as for trolls I either shoot the castle then bump right hitting both trolls once then just shoot other stuff and get random hits but if I know theres 1 shot I'll go for it. MULTIBALL MULTIBALL MULTIBALL! I hardly hold with left flipper, mainly right enless its a hurry up castle shot and I just happen to catch it. Theres half your madness gone right there!

 

[Fungi]

Shoot, if anything, when the fixes do come in, it's probably gonna screw me up all over again cause I'll have to relearn the timing on my shots.

That's actually the reason I don't play this machine. I hate the way it is right now, and I don't want to readjust when the fix is released.

 

[Pinballfan69]

I'm not gonna blame my inability to score over 165 million on a flipper gap. Just as I'm not gonna blame the impossibility of being able to drop catch the ball without it bouncing on the flipper. Those fixes will come, but for now I learn to play the table the way it is. And since OTHERS have been able to do much better scores than mine...

Now if MM or any of these other tables were tables I had actual access to on a daily basis, and was able to do awesome scoring with those, then sure I'd be more apt to lay the blame on the faults of the virtual recreation. But I don't. Shoot, if anything, when the fixes do come in, it's probably gonna screw me up all over again cause I'll have to relearn the timing on my shots.

Although I enjoy the table, I'm not playing this table that much is the reasons you mentioned in the first paragraph. The ball is way to bouncy and the gap is indeed irking the heck out of me. I love the table design and rule set but the physics and the limp flippers, are ruining this table for me. If the ball acted more like Pinbot or Funhouse, then the table would be much better. Those tables IMO are nearly spot on physics wise.

 

[phreaker47]

Seeing as how I'm playing against your guy's scores, I thought I'd post here instead of the general MM forum. Anyways...

I'm kinda playing MM the same way over and over again, which is producing okay scores, but not outstanding scores. Was wondering how you peeps play it.

Here's how my typical game goes...

1. I try to destroy 2 castles before concentrating on anything else. I want that extra ball from that. I can catch and control the ball with my right flipper fairly easily (but almost never with my left) and hit the castle probably 90% of the time.

2. Next I try to load up at least 2 'madness' categories before shooting for Merlin. I'm not very accurate when shooting for him, so I tend to just try and load up as much as I can before I randomly land the ball in there. Again, I just have a real hard time catching and controlling the ball on the left flipper. Any tricks guys?

3. I also never shoot for lighting trolls on purpose, but hopefully they're lit when I do get multiball madness, cause those bastards are drain monsters and I need all the balls I can get!

4. The catapult is usually my last target I attempt to complete, but once I get the feel for it, I pretty much just shoot it over and over. That being said, I've only ever gotten Barnyard Multiball once.

5. At this point in my game, I'm typically on my 2nd or 3rd ball. Enough random shots have been made that Castle Multiball will usually be right around the corner, as is the 28 mil extra ball. If I can get the castle multiball extra ball too, I'll wind up with a score in the 60-80 million range. Ideally I'll hit royal madness and NOT lose my ball on that (though that's usually what happens) so that I can get madness multiballs going again. But really this is where I seem to be plateauing.

6. The only thing that really seems to have made the difference between my 60-80 mil scores and my 160+ scores is my multiplier. Both times I've hit my high scores were because I had a multiplier of like 60, which happened during a multiball orgy at the jets. Without that, my score goes nowhere.

So there it is. Do you guys have a pattern of play for the table, a particular shot that cranks up the score more than anything else? And am I the only one that has an issue with catching on the left flipper? With the right, if it comes down anywhere from the right side of the table, I just hold the flipper up and it bounces once, twice, and then it's still. If the ball comes off the left habitrail, I just hold the left flipper and the ball gently rolls over to the right. If the ball is coming from anywhere on the left side and I hold the left flipper up, it bounces all the way over the slingshot and it's 50/50 if it's gonna go to the outlane or inlane. That's why usually I just hot fire hoping for either the joust lane or the dragon ramp. Not a good way to play.

I just got to 270,000,000 with the help of winning my first BOTK. I know what you mean though, because USUALLY I'm in the same kind of rut.

As for catching on the left flipper, you can always catch it there when the ball rolls down the right upper lane from the jet bumpers, and also when ejected from Merlin. Just let it bounce off your right flipper (leave it down) and it can be easily caught by the left one every time.

You're right about the trolls, shooting straight at them is a total ball drain. I try getting all the other BOTK achievements first, then worry about the trolls. When I do shoot for them, I try to actually shoot between them and score glancing blows, or have the ball come back down and hit them from behind... because yeah, direct hits on them often end up with a drain right down the middle. Also, when you do get troll multiball madness, that's your great chance to rack up the troll kills. Save the troll bombs for BOTK, if you can.

As someone else pointed out, 10 hurry up awards is another great way to get an additional extra ball.

Additionally, it's good to try to master the castle multiball shot. Reason: Castle multiball is a great opportunity to rack up castle hits. Shooting at the castle is somewhat dangerous... since sometimes, the ball can come straight down and drain (nudge quickly if you see this about to happen!). During castle multiball you can still destroy castles. Also, when shooting the castle lock, you can ALWAYS let the ball come down and bounce off your left flipper (leave it down) and catch it with the right, every time. So if you get good at the lock shot, you have the opportunity to hit it repeatedly until CM starts.

Also: if the ball goes partway up the peasant ramp but starts to come back down, ALWAYS nudge left or right, because that is DRAIN CITY otherwise!

Remember to score "Fire" on the outlane/return lanes, especially when the ball is returning from the peasant/damsel ramps, you can always switch that return lane to an unlit letter. I had ignored this for a LONG time. Duh!!

One little tip also for the bonus multiplier rollovers up top: When one of the two is lit and the ball is in the jet bumpers below, always switch the lit lane so that the RIGHT lane is unlit... because it seems more often than not, when the jets send the ball back up there, it's usually through the right lane.

Another ball catching technique: when the ball is launched from the catapult or you hit the peasant ramp, you can always hold the left flipper up, and transfer it to the right and catch it.

Pinball is ALL ABOUT trapping, every chance you get.

 

[shutyertrap]

A lot of those techniques I use, but others I didn't know about. I'll have to try letting the ball bounce on the left flipper down when dropping from the castle. That's my #1 "oh ****" moment in terms of losing control.

I tend to have 3 types of games. The first is the one where I score some stupidly low number, like 17 mil. The next is my 35-45 game. The 3rd type is the rare one for me, the 70+ mil game. It's amazing how nervous I get when I notice my score creeping up that high.

I think part of my problem is I get obsessed trying to do certain shots. Like tonight, I just kept shooting for the catapult over and over trying to get Barnyard Multiball, cause I don't remember what the scoring was like in that mode. I was being much more aware of the F-I-R-E lanes and lighting them up. I also noticed that during Royal Madness, becoming the 'master' of whatever shot is much easier to accomplish by just completing the chain of shots once instead of 3 times (unless I'm mistaken).

 

[WarHawkEye]

Look up "PAPA tutorial Medieval Madness" on YouTube. The videos are done by pinball champion Bowen Kerins, and he is really good at explaining how the table works while he plays it. He has done similar videos on quite a few machines and I've watched nearly all of them. It's just enjoyable to watch someone who can play pretty much any table very well. Using some of the techniques he describes, I finally rolled the scoreboard over on my Bad Cats machine for the first time ever (of course it is not set up nearly as difficult at the tables they have at PAPA). So even if you don't like how he approaches a specific table, you can always learn a little by watching how he plays pinball in general.

 

[shutyertrap]

I watched that video a few weeks back, and yeah, it explained how to score on the table. The problem is, what he does with a flipper is impossible to do in TPA with MM. Conversely, there are things within TPA we can do that he can't! I think it's in that video (or maybe I found this while playing the real thing) that when the trolls are up, hitting them from behind like we can does nothing, it's gotta be a front hit. Also, when shooting the lock, I've had some ball roll in lazily, but he has to really slam them in to register. He was also having an issue with the Merlin target that I've never experienced, yet it happened numerous times in his one game.

I'm not saying the PAPA tutorials aren't good watching for TPA, but there are some things which clearly don't translate.

 

[Pinballfan69]

I watched that video a few weeks back, and yeah, it explained how to score on the table. The problem is, what he does with a flipper is impossible to do in TPA with MM. Conversely, there are things within TPA we can do that he can't! I think it's in that video (or maybe I found this while playing the real thing) that when the trolls are up, hitting them from behind like we can does nothing, it's gotta be a front hit. Also, when shooting the lock, I've had some ball roll in lazily, but he has to really slam them in to register. He was also having an issue with the Merlin target that I've never experienced, yet it happened numerous times in his one game.

I'm not saying the PAPA tutorials aren't good watching for TPA, but there are some things which clearly don't translate.

True that 'live catch' concept doesn't work well in TPA that is something I think they are going to address. Great think about those PAPA tutorials is that it gives you incite how to play those tables. Especially MM and the use of the muli-ball play to attack the castle and trying to get all the madness's together for one big multiball event. I've reached the final castle that way but lose the balls down the center many times with that wide flipper gap. Nudging helps but you can do only so much.