RBION Tactics and Strategies

[Storm Chaser]

I don't really see how the C-lane can easily be hit, I end up in A 60% of the time C 30% and B 10%. Someone mentioned it needs to be lit, is that the key to consistently getting C-lane?

 

[Zaphod77]

If it's not lit it always goes to A
if it IS lit it's diverted to B or C. nudge the table to change it's mind.

 

[Slam23]

Thoroughly good stuff below courtesy of the Viking. Just added a small thing to the second line under ball control.

Ok, I'm seriously working on this one now. Aiming for 20 legit billion to get on top of all those bugged scores. I've gotten to 8 billion with several EBs still left multiple times then got killed by either the lost ball or idol bonus bug. Time to adopt Squid's bandaids there of not playing any 4-ball multis and tilting away the bonus. Anyway, here's actual strategy that isn't about Farsight's failures.

First, ball control. Squid has covered most of this but I'll lay it out again:

- On any eject from the continent scoop, hold all the flippers. The ball will come to a catch on one of the lower flippers, about 75% of the time on the right side.

- On any eject from the lower scoop, bounce pass to a catch on the right 100%. Holding the left flipper will usually catch but occasionally send it into the left sling, so don't let that happen. If you let this happen it will always go into the right inlane and with both flippers up still will end up on the left flipper, easily trapped

- From a catch on the right flipper is the best way to shoot both the right ramp and continent scoop. (No way that flipper hits the right ramp on the real table, right?)

- Post passes are over 99% reliable, do them freely.

- A caught shot from the left flipper up the center ramp will always go into the C lane if you don't nudge. It will look like it wants B near the white pegs, but stay chill and it will fall into C.

- Don't shoot the super jackpot lane, the bumpers are bad news. Not quite TZ's bumper hellhole, but they're still the most dangerous spot on the table.

- Almost every ball feeding from the temple A lane (during multiball is the only time you shoot this) can be hold-passed to a catch on the right side, no nudging needed. Most feeds from the right ramp can also do this depending on how fast the ball comes, though you want to get good at quickly recognizing when it won't work.

- With a moving feed to the left flipper, always either hold pass or shoot the continent scoop or right ramp. Don't go for a flow shot to the center ramp, that's too inconsistent. Don't shoot the Penguin lane except during Antarctica, there's never any need.

- Failed shots up the left spinner or super jackpot lanes will clunk into that oddly angled wall near the right outlane. I'm not sure what to do with these. They often but not always drop onto the right inlane, but even then, there's nothing good to do with the ball. I guess a lower scoop shot is the least-bad option since it's guaranteed control if you hit and not really any worse than you already were if you miss.

Now, scoring strategy. The ONLY points that matter in this stratosphere are the continent tours. Nothing else. Ignore it all. Pukeballs, Ripoff, Million Plus, Penguin jackpots, Idol millions, even super jackpots and Frog Frenzy. All of that is piddly peanuts next to 400M doubled continent tours. Pound those continents and never do anything else.

This goes for the jewel matrix too. The only one of the 8 awards you care about is the 2x scoring. Never shoot for the A or B columns, nothing they do matters. The Atlantis jackpots aren't worth enough to justify chasing extra jewels, neither directly nor by Road Trip. EBs will come by other means. But 2x scoring is worth going for frequently, not just for collecting the tour bonus but also to build the continent totals. And shots into the C lane are fully predictable.

So my priority order of lit shots is temple, continent, right ramp. Shoot the temple whenever it's lit into the C lane. This will produce a catch on the right flipper after the eject and bounce pass, from which you can shoot either a continent if lit or the right ramp to relight both the continent and temple. And that's really all you should ever do. Of course sometimes I'll skip or go for an extra temple shot in order to line up the 2x with the continent tour bonus.

Europe, Asia, 2x scoring, and Road Trip (but not South America nor Australia) all share a common timer. You can extend any of them by starting another. This is usually good, except for one detail. Don't stack 2x scoring with Europe when you're near the next tour bonus, since then you're stuck with Europe and 2x in timer lockstep meaning you can't keep the 2x to collect the tour bonus. (2x with Asia is okay because Asia can complete early letting 2x continue.)

As for the continents themselves, mostly the only ones that matter are the multiballs. Ignore Europe and South America entirely, they are absolutely not worth any risk at all. Just keep moving along more continents and pick up whatever random hits you happen to get. Squid is right about Asia too, don't shoot for it because of the risk of hitting the super jackpot lane and losing control into the bumpers. Stack a multiball, then Asia is worth a shot. Australia you may as well go for because it's so easy and safe with the automatic catch after each scoop eject and you can't stack more continents anyway.

Among the multiball continents, North America Bigfoot is king. The key is the jackpot value, which goes up to 2M while the Antarctica and Africa jackpots max at 500K. The Bigfoot jackpot value is cumulative throughout each ball until you drain, which means that avoiding drain risk everywhere else on the table is that much more important. The Bigfoot jackpot increases from bumper hits (5k) and scoop hits during Bigfoot (100k).

And the Bigfoot jackpots are relit at the head, which is safer compared to the penguin lane and idol in the other continent multiballs. Bigfoot can last a really long time if you're good. I'm still working on precise strategies for handling the two balls. My most common sequence at the moment is this: catch a ball on each flipper, shoot the center ramp then right ramp from the left flipper, then the head from the right flipper, then the right ramp again from the first ball now returning to the left. From there I'm not sure how to consistently regain control (the path taken by the ball in the head is unpredictable), but continent scoop shots are always a good idea from the frequent left flipper feeds, which both regain control and increase the jackpot.

So stacking 2x scoring into Bigfoot is the way to build that continent bonus bigtime. Ten jackpot shots at 2x add 40 million to the continent total, usually more than all the other continents put together. Antarctica and Africa are also worth playing and can give 10M+ on a good run, and Australia provides a steady flow too, but Bigfoot is where the real meat is.

Do not chase Ripley letters if you're playing for a high score (you're beyond the Atlantis wizard goal.) Australia will come automatically, and the multiballs will give you some. Don't be tempted by any risk trying to letter up from Europe, South America, or Asia. And absolutely don't risk anything for a meager 10M perfect tour. Eyes on the prize, the real points are from continuing to cycle continents.

Finally, Atlantis. Take the time to read the instructions on Atlantis, they are accurate and detailed, and knowing how this mode works is important. The jackpots aren't all that much; by the time you max them at 9.9M with 99 jewels, the continent bonus will be north of 400M. But the important part is to WIN Atlantis by collecting all 8 jewels. You do this by shooting the temple once for each jewel then relighting it at the head. The 8th jewel will always be Light Super Jackpot, which is not your normal 1-6M SJ, but instead scores your entire continent bonus again. That's as good as a whole extra continent tour! And it can even be doubled by the 2x scoring jewel during Atlantis itself. You can also win the Atlantis super jackpot more than once in the same run, my record is three, though the continent bonus was only 170M at the time.

 

[fromduc]

I made a 7b game but i had the "start menu" bug, tx god i still was on ball 1. But at a moment, i would say it was after this bug but i'm not 100% sure, i wasnt able to win anymore EBs, every EB i had was replaced by a freakin million. Do you guys know if it's because of the bug, or something specif to the PS3, or maybe an update on the table?

Edit: of course i dont talk about the limit of 4 EBs on the same ball, this sht happened on ball 1, after that i played ball 2 and 3 without any EB possible :/

 

[shutyertrap]

In game there is a maximum amount of EBs you can get. I believe it is 12, and has nothing to do with a limit per ball. Once you hit that limit, you are indeed awarded a million each time.

 

[Squid]

It's 9 extra balls for a maximum total of 12 per game.

 

[fromduc]

OK, tx... i never understood that, was sure it could be an infinite game. Well, i'll have to give it an another shot, i didnt play the game for a year and i did it on my 1st real try but i waste a lot of EBs for nothing, was so sure i was running infinite.... But knowing that, those 35B+ scores are even more respectables. Do you have an idea of how long it took u Squid? 7-8 hours?

 

[Squid]

My score that is on record took ~10 hours. I have beaten that score twice only to be stopped by one bug or another.
When you're getting to this level of play you run a high risk of hittin' those game ending bugs. You'll see.

 

[fromduc]

My score that is on record took ~10 hours. I have beaten that score twice only to be stopped one bug or another.
When you're getting to the this level of play you run a high risk of hittin' those game ending bugs. You'll see.

OK tx, i imagine about the bugs, in my game i stopped playin any MB except Atlantis after 4B... Did it happen to you during an Atlantis MB?

And if i give it another try, there's no chance i try to go to your score, it's too high, and even if i wanted i'm not sure i'd be able to with this limit in EBs, i lose balls sometimes here, and this kind of tables (long but no infinite EBs) ar not the kind i'm best at, i play better either the real infinites ones or the short and hard ones.

 

[Squid]

Damn! You quoted my crappy grammar.

In my experience, Atlantis is the worst offender for game ending bugs. I only keep two balls in play as it's easier to keep track if you lose one to the nether regions of the table.

Your 7 billion score does put you in danger of those bugs. You'll see.