The outlanes are killing me...

[farmerjohn]

I really love this table, but sometimes it seems that every shot
seems to find its way to the outlanes. So is it just me and my
lack of skill or is this table just outlane-happy?

 

[Ratvader]

Its no where near as bad as pinbot.... Stick with it, its a great table

 

[Stormchild]

I really love this table, but sometimes it seems that every shot
seems to find its way to the outlanes. So is it just me and my
lack of skill or is this table just outlane-happy?

I have the exact same impression. Monster Bash is considered a very generously easy table by most pinheads, but I find the Pinball Arcade version very frustrating so far. The inability to use most advanced flipper techniques to control the ball makes it that much worse.

I do like the table layout and ruleset — it's a great design — but I'm not having a lot of fun with the virtual version so far. I've had a couple lucky games (my max score is somewhere around 330 million), but I feel like it's a lot more to do with luck than skill. It's a bit of a flailfest for the most part.

 

[Shearie]

The Monster Bash table at my local mall is even more outlane drain heavy than the PA version. It's a great machine to waste 50¢ in 2 minutes on.

 

[David Smith]

I really love this table, but sometimes it seems that every shot
seems to find its way to the outlanes. So is it just me and my
lack of skill or is this table just outlane-happy?

The outlanes on this game are tough, but they are fair. You need to be very selective of your shots to avoid likely outlane or SDTM drains:

- Don't shoot for Drac during single-ball Drac Attack. Ever. Make sure you can start a multiball mode in conjunction with it. Drac is a drain-monster.
- NEVER shoot for Frankenstein from a trapped right flipper shot, it's an almost guaranteed SDTM drain. It's a pretty safe shot from a trapped ball on the left flipper, or use your start-of-ball ball-saver for some safe shots.
- Practice catches from the Creature kickout. You can usually safely trap on the left flipper. Don't go for the live shot.
- Practice catches from the Concert scoop. If you hold the left flipper, you can get a live, but fairly safe, shot from the right flipper.
- Shots for the Mosh Pit lane are tricky, but a bank shot off the Drac standups is usually safer (and can be looped).

 

[Chris Dunman]

Absolutely agree with David here. Farmerjohn, I was hopeless, but just practiced. Lots. As you get more confident, you get to know where trapping is easy, making control of the ball much easier......

Have a watch of this from PAPA. It really helps

http://pinball.org/videos/tutorials/monster-bash/

I'm sure Pin Wiz will pop this link, or a similar one, on his main news post....

 

[mbob]

Circus Voltaire is the only one I think has unfair outlanes at the moment. Monster bash gets me but not as bad and Bride of Pin only seems really bad if your in metamorph mode for whatever reason and miss the timed shots. Then then outlanes get me every time.

 

[Supermans]

What happened to Circus Voltaire? It used to be fun, now it drains almost everytime to the rightside. Did Farsight make a structural change last update?

 

[Fungi]

What happened to Circus Voltaire? It used to be fun, now it drains almost everytime to the rightside. Did Farsight make a structural change last update?

Yes, they opted for "accuracy" over fun. I guess they got it right, because I now ignore the machine just as I did in real life, so... good job FarSight.

 

[Rooter]

The outlanes on this game are tough, but they are fair. You need to be very selective of your shots to avoid likely outlane or SDTM drains:
- NEVER shoot for Frankenstein from a trapped right flipper shot, it's an almost guaranteed SDTM drain. It's a pretty safe shot from a trapped ball on the left flipper, or use your start-of-ball ball-saver for some safe shots.

I find the opposite of this to be true. Almost every single time I hit frank from the left flipper, it shoots into the right outlane. From a trapped flipper shot, if you hit directly between both targets, the ball with drain down the middle. However, if you get good at outsides sides of the two Frank targets, it is pretty safe. I have just been aiming at the loop to the left of Frank. Sometimes you will tap the outside left Frank target and go around the loop as well, otherwise, you just hit the loop and you are good to go.

 

[Slam23]

I'm wondering how people are faring with nudging the ball out of the drain areas slightly above the outlanes? I find it quite difficult to time but had some small success with it. I also agree with the main points from Dave and would add that the kick-out from the scoop shot can be safely catched with both flippers up. It will ricochet from the left to the right flipper and won't need to be handled as a live ball there, you can trap it easily. This was the way for me to get Lyman's Lament.
Slam23

 

[Fungi]

This was the way for me to get Lyman's Lament.
Slam23

Wait! You actually hit the scoop 44 times in one ball?!

Update: I did it!!!!! You don't need to do it in one ball. The wording in the instructions mean the scoops are not being counted during multiball, otherwise, just keep going even after losing your ball. Whew!

 

[Slam23]

Wow, that would have been a true wizard's goal if you had to do it in one ball! congrats on reaching the Lament. Unfortunately I lost the game quite soon after reaching it, supposedly there is commentary by Lyman himself on how you play or the shots that you make?
Slam23

 

[Fungi]

Unfortunately I lost the game quite soon after reaching it...
Slam23

Heheheheheheh. Me too. Didn't care tho'.

 

[Sean DonCarlos]

Wow, that would have been a true wizard's goal if you had to do it in one ball! congrats on reaching the Lament. Unfortunately I lost the game quite soon after reaching it, supposedly there is commentary by Lyman himself on how you play or the shots that you make?
Slam23

Lyman's voice will taunt you, saying things like "you have no idea how much trouble you're in", "big drain coming up", "this ball wants out soooo bad", etc. The better you play the less he'll speak, he only talks when nothing else much is going on.

 

[Slam23]

Thanks for the info, sounds a little aggravating....
Now I'll wait for the bugfix that wil recognize my special that I keep scoring, then I'll have completed all wizard goals.
Slam23

 

[Sean DonCarlos]

Thanks for the info, sounds a little aggravating....

Actually, the music changes also, and that's more aggravating than Lyman is. But the +25 Bonus X and 2500 per switch makes it worth putting up with.