TOM Tactics and Strategies

[superballs]

that's what I'm playing and very often i do NOT get it. how long do you keep it trapped?

Is it possible that you are hitting an inlane switch?

On the 360 (around when I posted the op for this thread) I was pretty good at hitting this but I haven't put much playtime into this table for quite a while so I can't remember my trap shoot combo like I used to do it.

 

[Slam23]

Well this is already quite an exhaustive thread. I do have some minor points to add and try to describe a near failsafe method to get the EB from digital pinball.
First off: an already mentioned ploy to get to 8x bonus quickly on every ball. I want to repeat this because I think it's priority number one on every ball. Get good at shooting the left orbit from the right flipper. Get so good that you even can choose between a clean shot and a grazing shot to the captured ball, leading the shot to fall in the Vanish hole. Mastery of this shot gives you Theatre letters, extra balls, Vanish locks and eventually Tiger Saw multiball. But the main trick here is to nudge upward on a clean orbit shot, timing the nudge somewhere around the ball being above the Vanish lock or roll-over area. sometimes this will stop the ball directly above the rollovers, sometimes it loses enough momentum on the return wireframe (that feeds the right flipper) that the ball trickles back to the roll-overs. Often really nothing happens and you get another chance from the right flipper to onetime the ball back into the left orbit. If it works though ideally you want the ball to clear the leftmost roll-over lane, because that will enhance the chance that you get a friendly series of ricochets from the leftmost bumper directly under this lane. This will often lead to a rhytm where the ball goes down left, ricochet upwards to the right, rolls over to the left again and so forth. Balls that go down the right lane often shoot downwards further and won't go up the lanes anymore. With proper timing this can give you a quick 8x bonus multiplier. You can then concentrate on getting jackpots during multiball, without worrying about getting the multiplier, although it's still smart to "park" balls in the rollover area during multiball to lessen traffic on the main playfield area.
Secondly: digital pinball. One of the most fun video modes in my opinion and with a huge payoff if played succesfully (extra ball). Of the 6 targets, you get the first as a freebie (target 5 in the row from left to right) Then this is my preferred method: cradle the ball on the right flipper. Directly shoot from the cradle to the right-most target. The ball should then head for the tip of the left flipper. Onetime the ball and this will hit target number 2. Cradle the ball on the left flipper. Aim for the lefmost target by shooting quickly from the cradle. Cradle the ball again on the left flipper. Let it roll to 2/3 of the flipper and then knock down target 4. Cradle the ball on the right flipper and let it roll to 2/3 before knocking down target 3. Don't try to hit target 4 from the right or target 3 from the left, these are near impossible shots because you need a near straight angle and that's very hard to do within this mode. I think I'm near 80% succesful on completing this for an extra ball, sticking to it will pay off even when you miss one or two shots, because you got enough time to try those again.
Well, that's it for now, cheers!
Slam23

 

[Zorgwon]

First off: an already mentioned ploy to get to 8x bonus quickly on every ball. I want to repeat this because I think it's priority number one on every ball.

For me that only works with a lot of luck. There seems to be a stopping gate that closes during multiball and illusions, though. On the first ball (almost without bonus) you surely have something else to do.

Overall the strategy on TOM is a bit complex because I think that high scores are easier achieved without heading for the grand finale. Tiger MB gives points faster than Magic MB. Vanish gives 40M, an EB the third time, 1M bonus and 1h clock advance for the skill shot. Each lock awards 20M. Scoring is pretty strange on TOM.

Trunk Escape = Ball Escape

 

[EldarOfSuburbia]

Trunk Escape = Ball Escape

Once you accept that, you're halfway to figuring out ToM I don't deliberately shoot the following under normal circumstances:
- Trunk. Exceptions: Skill Shot (always take Illusion if it's available), trunk is open, or the magnet is showing for Multiball/Midnight.
- Center loop. Exceptions: Lock/Grand Finale is lit.
- Right loop. Exceptions: Tiger MB is available. Get clock advances from the Skill Shot.

My favorite scoring is Spirit Ring. 60M, easy, zero risk, and easy to light again. Spamming THEATER is also a good way to go. You get the Combo points then an easy shot for 50M+ once it's done. If you can get the hurry-up score high enough this probably becomes an optimum strategy, but since getting to the bumpers is tricky, it'll take a while.

 

[vikingerik]

Overall the strategy on TOM is a bit complex because I think that high scores are easier achieved without heading for the grand finale.

High scores in the 5 to 10 billion range maybe. But the way top end of 50B+ requires going for Grand Finale, because it lights a Special for EB each time. Each EB is worth 3+ billion in fully multiplied bonus. That's way ahead of grinding stuff like Theatre letters and Spirit Ring.

This requires grinding illusions, and the safe way to do that is shoot the trunk from a catch on the left flipper. That yields a controllable rebound almost always.

 

[Zorgwon]

... is shoot the trunk from a catch on the left flipper. That yields a controllable rebound almost always.

Obviously not for everyone. There wouldn't be any discussion then. My save rate is much better with a shot from the right flipper. There is an angle to the left then and with a well dosed shot you might not lose that many balls. The left flipper leads the ball SDTM. It doesn't come back. The left staircase can be done from the left flipper with little risk (that's what everyone would do first).

I have also headed for the finale, naturally, and accepted the lower scores. It would be more interesting if there was a reward for completing an illusion.