Table of the Week Club...Week 16: WHIRLWIND

[Slam23]

I can't get past 79M, just scored 78 today....I hate it when this happens! That 161M score would still only account for 300+ HOF points on iOS, so go figure....

 

[fromduc]

I'm pretty sure i also had more than 6 EB on a game... but on a high end, it doesnt matter that much, what does (and is not in the rules) is that at some points u cant play anymore multiball, maybe after 8 or 10 multiballs, targets stop to switch on. At this point, the only way to have decent points is the quick MB, and compare to the standard MB it's so slow... I dont know if it's a ROM bug or not, but that stopped my love story with this table.

 

[invitro]

We-hell, lookie here!

B-hye, cracky!

After my last MB, no directions were lit... I came here hoping to see info on this and there's fromduc ^^ with the story. I've of course never gotten to that point on TPA, and don't remember it from real life.

This is #19 on the leaderboard. Got 67 Cellars, highest Million+ was 8M. Took 90 min. Did not count EBs... spent too long getting a decent game started. I think maybe the max of 6 EBs is right, except that it doesn't count the one that TPA gives you for 4.6M (or whatever the score EB comes at), so actually max of 7. The best thing I did was to have only one (I think) zero ball, with nothing significant accomplished. I usually have about four of those on WWind.

This table's design team seems particularly classic to me...
Playfield by Lawlor
Code by Pfutz
Art by Youssi
Sound by Granner
Mechanix by Krutsch
...but maybe that's because I love these gentlemen's work.

 

[Maggie]

Very pretty score, Invitro.

First time in a while I've had good movement on a TotW. Wizard goals finished, and more than doubled my high score to 46m.

 

[Gus]

I can't get past 79M, just scored 78 today....I hate it when this happens! That 161M score would still only account for 300+ HOF points on iOS, so go figure....

You probably know this already, but anyway:
There's a rollover bug on WW. Stop at 99M if you want 220 points. The 1k HOF limit is 450M (!!) but doesn't register.

There's a bug on iOS if you start quick MB while having one ball locked towards regular MB. Subsequent MBs on the same ball have the camera locked on the playfield (never shows the plunger). Balls can still be plunged, but it will be sent to the bumper area which messes with the rhythm (you need that ramp shot ). Minor thing I guess.

I'm loving the speed of this table. Best from season 2?

Does anyone backhand the lock lane during MB? I don't, but I do a whole lot of postpass juggling to set up the million plus shots. Cradle separation works pretty well on this table too.

Oh one more thing - hard shots to either of the cellars will fly through and into the lower bumper area for me most of the time. Is that a problem on other platforms too?

 

[invitro]

I'm loving the speed of this table. Best from season 2?

I like a lot of S2 tables but yes, I do think I like WWind the most.

Does anyone backhand the lock lane during MB? I don't, but I do a whole lot of postpass juggling to set up the million plus shots. Cradle separation works pretty well on this table too.

I used to try the backhand lock a lot, but I couldn't get it going in my 170M game. But I couldn't get the post pass going in MB, either... I actually mostly flailed in MB until I could hit the lock.

Oh one more thing - hard shots to either of the cellars will fly through and into the lower bumper area for me most of the time. Is that a problem on other platforms too?

This happens on PC, but I think it's very rare, maybe extremely rare. It would totally suck if this were a problem. I don't ever shoot the left/red* cellar, almost literally never, maybe 0.5 times per long game on average.

* Is there an accepted name for the two cellars? The game seems to call them both "Cellar" and not distinguish. I think I'm missing something obvious but I don't know what to say when I mean a certain one of the two, but I like Red Cellar and Yellow Cellar. Is one called the Super Cellar?

 

[EldarOfSuburbia]

On PC what happens most is a strong shot from the right flipper will bounce in and out of the right Cellar scoop. Much like on TAF, it's more reliable to backhand it.

WW is really tough with house balls, and does not let you get away with mistakes. Missing a shot usually results in a ball heading to an outlane, it seems. Typical Lawlor jets are dangerous. Plunging the ball even at full strength isn't safe (on PC, don't know about other platforms) - the plunge can hit a corner and bounce into an outlane.

Also I stacked Quick MB and regular MB three times last night, once I got 3 Million/Million+ shots, the next two the locked balls both drained STDM with no chance of saving them.

 

[invitro]

Also I stacked Quick MB and regular MB three times last night, once I got 3 Million/Million+ shots, the next two the locked balls both drained STDM with no chance of saving them.

I have a dumb question: why is this stacking a good thing to do? You don't get any more points from stacking them, over doing them separately, do you? And if you do them separately, you can use the Quick MB to complete the directions (I think), and collect the EBs (which must be done sometime and is kind of dangerous to me).

 

[EldarOfSuburbia]

You score faster, I guess, but it's not worth trying to set up. Like you have 2 locks and Quick MB lit at the Cellar, why not stack 'em. I did actually manage it the "hard" way too by lighting the drop target with the ramp shot that locked the second ball, then hitting the target before it timed out.

Quick MB spots directions? I've not noticed.

 

[invitro]

You score faster, I guess, but it's not worth trying to set up. Like you have 2 locks and Quick MB lit at the Cellar, why not stack 'em. I did actually manage it the "hard" way too by lighting the drop target with the ramp shot that locked the second ball, then hitting the target before it timed out.

Quick MB spots directions? I've not noticed.

Sorry, I mean directions remain lit in Quick MB, so you can shoot them and the lock will be lit when you're back to 1-ball. I think. I hope I didn't get that wrong.

I get that stacking scores faster, I'm just wondering if it scores more. I tried a little bit to stack yesterday and it seemed hard... I want to know if I should keep trying or if there's no reason to . My general strat is to collect Cellar awards as fast as possible, except shooting lock because those darn spinning discs. I think I played better yesterday because I didn't mess around and instead dealt with the discs immediately.

 

[EldarOfSuburbia]

I was too busy shouting at every house ball last night (I had a LOT) to care about what's lit when and what the fastest scoring strategies are. This table hates me, which is a shame because I like it a lot.

 

[vikingerik]

* Is there an accepted name for the two cellars? The game seems to call them both "Cellar" and not distinguish. I think I'm missing something obvious but I don't know what to say when I mean a certain one of the two, but I like Red Cellar and Yellow Cellar. Is one called the Super Cellar?

I think the game actually calls only the left one the Cellar. The sign says Cellar and it's where you start Cellar Multiball (the multiball restart). The right one is the Cellar Door, the awards are Super Cellar Door awards (or Mega), but not actually a Cellar.

On PC what happens most is a strong shot from the right flipper will bounce in and out of the right Cellar scoop.

What actually happens is the ball passes through the scoop and hits the bumper behind it. Look closely, you'll see the bumper trigger and score the points for it. It is very annoying and yes you have to backhand it like Addams' chair.

 

[Slam23]

I was too busy shouting at every house ball last night (I had a LOT) to care about what's lit when and what the fastest scoring strategies are. This table hates me, which is a shame because I like it a lot.

It hates me more.... and I'm not so sure if I'm loving it back
I only scored 70M+ twice now and both times I got lucky that MB let me score up to 8M on million-plus before releasing the other two balls. Could be faulty ROM behaviour? In any other case, MB is an ugly flailfest, without any control.

 

[Reagan Dow]

Now let's see you do that in the tournament!

Am I the only one that has an inordinate amount of left outlane drains?

Join the club!!!

This is my most favorite table. This table was the reason I begged to work at Silverball Arcade in Worcester when I was 15!!! I'm pumped. Last week was awesome too!!! I'm back baby.

 

[Reagan Dow]

29,000,000 in just over 5 minutes. God I'm jealous!!!!! Amazing!

 

[Reagan Dow]

Boy I'm way behind you guys. Just scored two identical top scores (local) 25,976,620 ..makes me wish I had a PC!

 

[shutyertrap]

My average with extra balls is in the 20-25 million range. Without EBs? Around 12. Gotta figure out how to step it up in time for TotM.

 

[EldarOfSuburbia]

WW is going to see some fun score variance, I can tell. With EBs you can smooth out the house balls, but even the best players might get 2 house balls in a game. The plunger is so inconsistent. From a full plunge you will sometimes get the ball going round the loop to the top flipper, sometimes it will go up the ramp, sometimes it will bounce off the shoulder above the drops, ping around, and head into an outlane. For that reason I've stopped going for a full plunge and actually try the skillshot. Yes sometimes I get a bad bounce off the drops, but I tend to get control more often than not.

 

[vikingerik]

Can't you just short-plunge right to the flippers? If it goes SDTM without hitting any switch, you get it back. Just try again until you do get a catch. Control is more important than anything else you can do off the plunge in the skill shot or ramp.

 

[Reagan Dow]

My average with extra balls is in the 20-25 million range. Without EBs? Around 12. Gotta figure out how to step it up in time for TotM.

Wow! I don't feel so bad now. Do you play primarily on your iPad? I believe you said that to me before.