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- #81
I don't think this is a weakness. Linear scoring is fine. It's OK for one feature to dominate scoring if that feature is the wizard mode which makes you play everything else along the way. It keeps your goals aligned: your progress towards the wizard mode is also your progress towards big scoring. I prefer that over the table offering a bunch of side features that you have to ignore because they don't score enough (this means you, Ripley's).
I actually think TAF is too balanced for scoring. Like every single shot you do in TAF scores 5 or 10 million. It doesn't matter what you start or what strategy you apply, pretty much everything is worth the same amount. There are no big prizes to chase, no escalation, which makes the game duller and robs it of excitement. I want the thrill of the lumpy scoring of LITZ and RTU and Monsters of Rock. As long as the lumpy scoring makes you do a variety of things to get there and isn't just grinding one feature repetitively (Ripley's) and consistently rewards you rather than making you pass/fail on a narrow set of shots (Whitewater 3x jackpots, Stiff-o-meter, Road Show's wizard locks, BFTK.)
I respect your opinion here and you have an interesting point regarding balanced scoring in TAF, but I would also like to express my opinion to open a discussion on these topics.
1) TAF - Don't forget you get 50m for reaching the wizard and if you keep your ball long enough during the wizard you can rack up pretty big score. Also your multiball jackpots and super jackpots can be anything from 20m-30m+
2) I do agree having spikes in scoring is interesting but to have a single spike during wizard mode that doubles your score is not right. As I said, to me AFM feels more like how far can I get rather than what score can I get. There is nothing wrong with it but I would rather play Stern's Star Trek to see how many of it's 18 modes I can beat rather than how many times I can rule the universe. I have completed wizard in AFM and I know if I want to beat my high score I have to rule the universe at least once. If in my next game I will rule universe 2x my score might be around 40 billion from which 20 billion is coming from the wizard mode. Before I even start my next game I am already aware I have to rule universe at least 2x before I can attack my high score. Etc...
This would not be as bad if going towards wizard would not feel always like the same journey. It feels like a shopping list, ticking the boxes. 5-way combo - check, Super Jackpot - check, super jets - check, 6 saucers - check .... there is similarity to collecting junk in Junkyard. It is 6 goals always being reached the same way just in different order.
3) Timed modes - In AFM you can take as much time as you want and miss as many shots as you want, as long as you don't drain. We both played a game. We both did not manage to finish the last goal towards the wizard and ended up with very similar score of 15 billion. Does this mean we are at the same level ? Not at all, because your game lasted 10 minutes as you hit most of the needed shots on the first attempt, but my game lasted 30 minutes as I was struggling with the shots and it took me lot of missed shots before I finally made a successful shot.
This is where timed modes spice up everything and why I am a big fan of them. If we are to play MB together and I keep missing my shots I won't reach Monsters of Rock as there is always time limit within which you have to do these shots. Because you know your shots, you will reach it 2x and there will be massive difference between our 2 scores. Even though this is better to AFM, MB still feels like ticking the boxes. Who cares if you played that mode better than me, we just need to do 4 shots to collect that monster instrument. Great, that's done, 5 to go. And if you failed, nothing happens as you restart the mode and try again.
This is where TAF, TZ, RS and RBION are better as you have only 1 chance per mode to either make a huge score or to fail. No second chances. However there was another problem - timing out of some modes.
4) Here comes the table that in a very elegant way sorts out all the previous mentioned weakness. STTNG.
a) your journey towards wizard is always very different and very exciting. (no ticking boxes)
b) there is no goal that would stop you from reaching wizard (super jackpot)
c) you don't have whole day to do your shots and try again and again if you miss the ramp
d) you play the modes best as you can as that will determine your shot values during Final Frontier
e) you can still time them out and strategize but this will affect your wizard scoring.
f) huge spikes in scoring but not unfair
g) huge differences in scores between new and experienced players
h) wizard is not difficult to reach but it depends on YOU! how much it will score.
i) reaching more wizards does not mean beating your high score - 1 big value wizard > 2x small point wizards
j) you start wizard from the same shot you are doing during the whole game
k) it let's you start wizard from the plunger !!! (SS is the only other table that I am aware of)
l) you can skip video mode
m) no nonsense just pure shots and 100% accuracy
n) wizard multiball that feels like an award after hard work through the modes, but still requires to be played well
o) you can start modes, lock balls, start multiball and lot of others from the plunger
p) wide body so you have to be more accurate
q) unforgiving, rewards only the best, punishes the bad shots
r) very good layout
s) 3 flippers
t) you can still play your "how far can I get - how many wizards can I reach" game if you want to
u) this is not stop and go table as you doing all the shots on the go
v) fairly quick games, but the better you are the longer you will play
x) already during the first mode you are attacking your high score as not playing it well has got consequences
y) you need to play 100% during the whole game and can't afford single weak moment
z) high score is the measurement of your skill. You know if it is high it means you played a bloody good game with clean shots and it feels great !
Because of all these reasons I think STTNG actually deserves no 1 spot in our rating.
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