Quite easy, isn't it?

[Storm Chaser]

This really isn't a bragging thread. I really didn't think I outperformed today at all, I am merely puzzled.

I played Centaur for the first time in over a year today. I remember this being quite an easy table, I used to have a 19M high score that put me on #250 on the leaderboard. My first game took me to 10M on the first ball (then the game bugged out). My second game brought me to a 34 M total and in the end I deliberately didn't play 100% because I was in a hurry. This brought me to a #25th place in the Leaderboard. I mean, the multiballs go on foreeeever!

This doesn't really make sense to me. I am quite good at TPA but I still have to fight hard for a top #100 in the leaderboards. How come this one doesn't have the same competition?

My two guesses are that HOF-points get to 1000p very quickly (which made me lose motivation to play it quite early) and the multiball bug that ruins games. The latter I assume makes people purposely wreck their games prematurely and of course also ruins great games (the longer you play, the greater the chance you encounter the bug).

Any other thoughts?

 

[JefferyD]

It was a very hard table for me for a long time, but then something clicked and I started having 20 million point (or thereabouts) rampages. My best was 24-ish, although I had quite a few games where I was rolling and bailed out due to time restraints, crashes, or because it just felt wrong. There's no way I should be scoring that high!

I still enjoy playing once in a while, but now it's a one-ball table for me. One plunge and play until it drains. My best is 9-ish, although that's much higher than average.

 

[bluepegasus]

If you find this table so easy that you can beat it with just one ball--then you have my undying respect

I find this table to be a real buttkicker---there are times when literally 3 seconds after shooting the ball, it's already draining and i'm like--what just happened??!!
Despite the fact that I find the table tough, I also find it fascinating. It is a very moody and atmospheric table--the voice, the music, the artwork. But more than that, the gameplay is strangely addicting. I find myself saying--I cant quit this table now--"Im just about to complete the chamber hits!!" or "I'm just about to get all the drop targets!" etc.

 

[yespage]

If you find this table so easy that you can beat it with just one ball--then you have my undying respect

I find this table to be a real buttkicker---there are times when literally 3 seconds after shooting the ball, it's already draining and i'm like--what just happened??!!
Despite the fact that I find the table tough, I also find it fascinating. It is a very moody and atmospheric table--the voice, the music, the artwork. But more than that, the gameplay is strangely addicting. I find myself saying--I cant quit this table now--"Im just about to complete the chamber hits!!" or "I'm just about to get all the drop targets!" etc.

Same here. I played the game for real over the summer, and it was so much easier. I think I beat my best score on TPA by a bit. The ball drains too easily for me in TPA.

 

[switch3flip]

Yeah the multiball bug definitely. Sooner or later the table will lose track of balls and there's nothing you can do but quit game and there's no way to register score. Waste of time, really.

 

[JefferyD]

I haven't played Centaur in a loooong time, and my skills have declined so much that I think I was lying in my old post above. My best game (all three balls) was 8 mil, and I had one other at 12 mil, but the above-mentioned bug stopped it.

Alarmingly, that was n't the only one. I think I played six games total and four of them bugged out on me. Like I said, it's been a long time since I played this table but I don't recall this being such an issue before.

 

[neglectoid]

i play a lot of centaur, but I haven't ran into this bug. I mostly play for multiball and not score.

but yes, this table is quite easy. I guess this is one of the few tables I can play indefinitely on if I grinded for extra balls, (if I took the time to practice) but such things don't interest me.
I can save the ball from the outlanes into the inlanes with a 90% success, even during multiball. sux that many of you report a bug that I haven't seen yet. ive had the occasional ball fly off the table, but never a game ending bug.

btw.. ive timed my multiballs and I have been able to have a continual mulkitball for over 7 mins straight non stop. that's why I love this table, it was literally made for multiball play.

 

[Gorgar]

I played this game IRL at the Silverball Museum in New Jersey.

Game 1: ball 1 drains within 15 seconds. Ball 2 drains within 15 seconds. Ball 3 drains within 15 seconds

Okay, maybe it was a fluke

Game 2: Ball 1 drains within 15 seconds. Ball 2 drains within 15 seconds. Ball 3 drains within 15 seconds

F this game!!!

This game is a very unforgiving table IRL and in my opinion, Farsight really dropped the ball on the TPA version.

 

[yespage]

I played this game IRL at the Silverball Museum in New Jersey.

Game 1: ball 1 drains within 15 seconds. Ball 2 drains within 15 seconds. Ball 3 drains within 15 seconds

Okay, maybe it was a fluke

Game 2: Ball 1 drains within 15 seconds. Ball 2 drains within 15 seconds. Ball 3 drains within 15 seconds

F this game!!!

This game is a very unforgiving table IRL and in my opinion, Farsight really dropped the ball on the TPA version.

Odd that I had the exact opposite result on the exact same table there. And I'm not a wizard at pinball. I got the progressive target trap in the top left in the first game on the real table. I have never done that in TPA, ever. You folks must be much better on nudging in the out lanes than I am.

 

[vikingerik]

That particular shot is weirdly and narrowly tuned in TPA. The only way to hit it is from a full catch on the right flipper and going through that little elbow lane on the left. That's quite reliable, but that's the only way to do it. Flailing at the target directly with a loose ball (which you do constantly in Centaur's frantic multiball) just never seems to hit it, always hits a nearby wall instead.

 

[Zaphod77]

The table is much harder in real life.

In real life, the double queen's chamber shot is tuned to deflect straight down the middle on a successful shot. This is very much intentional. a direct shot on the queen's chamber is much safer, which is why the game taunts you with "ONLY SINGLE VALUE" to try and sucker you into aiming for the elbow.

more like double drains chamber.

Physical adjustment of the table can make it much friendlier.

 

[Gorgar]

I remember going for the ORBS targets, which also drained the ball almost every time I hit one. Nudging IRL isn't as strong as TPA, so I kept draining. I think I later started aiming for other stuff, but still kept draining.

 

[Fuseball]

The table is much harder in real life.

In real life, the double queen's chamber shot is tuned to deflect straight down the middle on a successful shot. This is very much intentional. a direct shot on the queen's chamber is much safer, which is why the game taunts you with "ONLY SINGLE VALUE" to try and sucker you into aiming for the elbow.

more like double drains chamber.

Physical adjustment of the table can make it much friendlier.

I think that might have been a quirk of the Centaur you played on! I've repaired, borrowed and owned one for years, and never found the double queen's chamber shot a particularly risky one. Unlike most tables, I can't think of any drain-monster shots on Centaur. Even the ORBS targets rarely send it SDTM.

FWIW, the TPA Centaur plays pretty close to mine.

 

[Zaphod77]

I've had it happen on multiple centaur games. How many have you played? Maybe i'm just cursed?

the rebound of the double shot is very consistent, compared to shooting it directly.

 

[Fuseball]

Played probably around half-a-dozen Centaurs over the years. I think setup and playfield slope plays a big role in how Centaur plays. As you say, physical adjustment can make it a lot friendlier.

I'd love to know from Jim Patla what the designed behaviour was.

 

[CycOd3liC]

The TPA version is way too easy compared to IRL. I've probably played 4 or 5 of these in the wild and my experience has been pretty brutal.

Then again a lot of TPA tables are much easier than their IRL counterparts, Junk Yard or Monster Bash, anyone?

 

[BennyJackdaw]

i play a lot of centaur, but I haven't ran into this bug. I mostly play for multiball and not score.

but yes, this table is quite easy. I guess this is one of the few tables I can play indefinitely on if I grinded for extra balls, (if I took the time to practice) but such things don't interest me.
I can save the ball from the outlanes into the inlanes with a 90% success, even during multiball. sux that many of you report a bug that I haven't seen yet. ive had the occasional ball fly off the table, but never a game ending bug.

btw.. ive timed my multiballs and I have been able to have a continual mulkitball for over 7 mins straight non stop. that's why I love this table, it was literally made for multiball play.

I think the in-lane/out-lane design is one of the things that give this table it's low difficulty and charm. There's a gap inbetween the lanes, but the inlane's designed so the ball can't get out, and there are bumpers in the outlane designed so the ball can POSSIBLY go back in. I actually loved that feature of this table.

I also loved that eerie, jarring music. Something about it just feels satisfyingly intimidating.