Williams Pinball App Discussion

[Catapult Ace]

Me too, does that mean I’ll get a fifth entry on the main challenges screen? Wasn’t the fourth challenge that we had to pay (zen coins) to unlock, marketed as a pro level challenge and tends to be (just a little bit) harder to achieve than the other three?

Maybe I need to check for an update in the App Store to see this properly, since that’s been the cause of mixed messages between the what’s new pop up and what we see on screen in the past.

I don't think so. The description says that it unlocks a fourth challenge. I've already unlocked the fourth challenge a while ago but have this offer in the shop too. I think they simply missed to hide this offer for those who have this challenge unlocked already.

Was someone able to claim the free 100 coins reward? I tried it with two devices, got the notification on every, but had always a server error connection when trying to get this reward.

It's interesting that they now offer three grade bundles instead of two grade bundles. It seems that surprisingly nobody purchased the two grade bundles. Go Zen go, it's just one step ahead to offer reasonable bundles again.

 

[wilbers]

I got the 100 free Zen coins as soon as I opened the app (with the usual animation of a box opening).

 

[Ironmike]

Thanks Wilbers, no box for me, weird.

 

[shutyertrap]

Me neither

 

[dmil666]

I got a box, said it was for my one-year anniversary.

 

[MBeeching]

Was someone able to claim the free 100 coins reward? I tried it with two devices, got the notification on every, but had always a server error connection when trying to get this reward.

I received the notification, though likewise I received a server error and was unable to claim. The same problem occurred with the free tickets in December, it's a one time opportunity.

 

[Catapult Ace]

I received the notification, though likewise I received a server error and was unable to claim. The same problem occurred with the free tickets in December, it's a one time opportunity.

Ok, then let's see what the support is able to do.

 

[TeaJay]

Hey all and just a note that I have not got my free coins either. I saw the notification once when I logged in but I also got a server error and haven't been able to claim it anywhere since. I wonder if they are aware of the issue?

On another topic, I just got my account activated and wanted to give some thoughts from someone who has last played a real pinball machine as a kid in the 90's. The tables are mostly good and feel fun to play, albeit some of them feel better than others. Tables like the Hurricane or Safecracker and to some extent Getaway are terrible and seem like impossible to get a good score on. Favourite ones include Theatre of magic, Attack from Mars and Medieval madness. From tables previously unknown to me I dig Creature from the black lagoon a lot. I have played the free game enough to 2-star all available tables and haven't had to purchase any. I have enough parts to promote some more tables to level 3, but I'm unsure if I even want to do it since that means they will start to appear in the challenges and I feel like I can't clear harder challenges on something like Junkyard.

I've spent some zen coins on the enhanced physics and the extra challenge, although the latter was a mistake since every attempt costs 25 tickets and the harder challenges are really hard for me. I usually have to recycle them to get one I can clear, such as ToM 5-minute challenge.

Some of my issues stem from the weirdness of the tables, I don't know if that's a thing with the real versions as well. For example, hitting the left ramp on Arabian nights seems impossible for me and when the ball launches back in the game on Fish tales it tends to go down the middle no matter what I do with the pads. Some ramps and shots on other machines are super hard and some just seem to be super easy too. Sometimes I've noticed that the right pad simply won't move when I touch the screen, and I don't know if that's an issue with the game or my phone. Sometimes it's real annoying to get just ball and flipper skins from the challenges instead of useful things like tickets or parts.

But all in all I've had great fun and I'm eagerly waiting for some new tables. The ones in the game feel mostly very fun to play, especially with enhanced physics.

 

[Catapult Ace]

Hey all and just a note that I have not got my free coins either. I saw the notification once when I logged in but I also got a server error and haven't been able to claim it anywhere since. I wonder if they are aware of the issue?

Yes they are aware of it. Just write them a message (best is to use the in-app function to collect necessary data) and you should get the 100 coins.

 

[strells]

So I'm finally getting into the app on my iPad, and I've managed to get two tables to 3 stars without spending a dime, unlocking the 3rd challenge which helps a lot with unlocking more parts.

But even with all the parts (another 100 to get to 4 stars each table!) I don't see how I could ever get 100 Zen coins per table in my lifetime without spending real money. Zen coins seem to be even rarer than parts. At this point, every time I get a Zen coin, I use it to hopefully get a part (though it seems to give me a skin or ball trail or something else useless most of the time).

For people who've gotten any (or all?) tables to 4 stars, how did you handle the Zen coin management?

 

[Medieval_Gofers]

So I'm finally getting into the app on my iPad, and I've managed to get two tables to 3 stars without spending a dime, unlocking the 3rd challenge which helps a lot with unlocking more parts.

But even with all the parts (another 100 to get to 4 stars each table!) I don't see how I could ever get 100 Zen coins per table in my lifetime without spending real money. Zen coins seem to be even rarer than parts. At this point, every time I get a Zen coin, I use it to hopefully get a part (though it seems to give me a skin or ball trail or something else useless most of the time).

For people who've gotten any (or all?) tables to 4 stars, how did you handle the Zen coin management?

As soon as you have parts completed for all tables, you start getting at least one zen coin per challenge completed, often more for the higher challenges. Plus the limited time challenges give out zen coins at higher rates from time to time. If you’re happy to stick at it, it’s not impossible. I’ve been playing since launch and have all the packs completed to four stars aside from the most recent two, which I’m on my way to completing now, nothing spent

 

[shutyertrap]

So I'm finally getting into the app on my iPad, and I've managed to get two tables to 3 stars without spending a dime, unlocking the 3rd challenge which helps a lot with unlocking more parts.

But even with all the parts (another 100 to get to 4 stars each table!) I don't see how I could ever get 100 Zen coins per table in my lifetime without spending real money. Zen coins seem to be even rarer than parts. At this point, every time I get a Zen coin, I use it to hopefully get a part (though it seems to give me a skin or ball trail or something else useless most of the time).

For people who've gotten any (or all?) tables to 4 stars, how did you handle the Zen coin management?

Only spend the coin on the card flip for limited time challenges, not the daily ones. You next to never get a table part out of those while you always get one from the limited challenge.

If you are playing the 3 daily challenges (I’m assuming you didn’t pay the coins to unlock the 4th), you’ll get the occasional coin but yes, right now it’s all about collecting those parts. Once you’ve reached maximum, you’ll get coins instead. That means with a coin per challenge difficulty level, you’ll collect at least 9 per cycle. Pay the tickets (you’ll soon have more than you’ll ever want) to refresh and double your daily coins.

So yes, progress suck at first as it’ll seem like coins are impossible, but at a certain point they’ll start flowing.

 

[MBeeching]

I have enough parts to promote some more tables to level 3, but I'm unsure if I even want to do it since that means they will start to appear in the challenges and I feel like I can't clear harder challenges on something like Junkyard.

I use those Challenge slots to store tables I rarely want to play (Safecracker/Junkyard/Champion Pub). Easy challenges tend to be the most time efficient for parts/coins and I skip many of them to maximise earnings. I reckon Party Zone One-Ball is the quickest as you can win off the plunge (second red arrow ), be interested to hear which ones other players use.

 

[Gorgias32]

I agree, the one-ball challenges are the best for maximizing time. I agree that Party Zone 1-ball challenge is really quick and easy.

Other challenges I find to be quick and reliable:
- Champion Pub one-ball (1M skill shot, left flipper up into the lock, then another 1M skill shot if you need it)
- Fish Tales one-ball (very safe feed from plunger to left flipper then hit a couple of loops or locks)
- Tales of the Arabian Nights 5 minute (lightning lamp all day, if you get 3x lamp and nail the lamp a few times you can be done super quickly)
- Theatre of Magic 1 ball (it's a relatively safe table, if you light the lock you can score a lot of points fast and easy without a ton of risk)

The hardest challenges (ones I skip frequently) are the "reach score limit" challenges in general, any challenge with Safe Cracker (drain monster and the board game eats up time for not a lot of points), and most challenges with Black Rose (just too drainy and unpredictable)

 

[twopossums]

I also find one ball black rose to be really easy. Which is not something I thought I’d ever say that table.

 

[Scared Stiff]

So I'm finally getting into the app on my iPad, and I've managed to get two tables to 3 stars without spending a dime, unlocking the 3rd challenge which helps a lot with unlocking more parts.

But even with all the parts (another 100 to get to 4 stars each table!) I don't see how I could ever get 100 Zen coins per table in my lifetime without spending real money. Zen coins seem to be even rarer than parts. At this point, every time I get a Zen coin, I use it to hopefully get a part (though it seems to give me a skin or ball trail or something else useless most of the time).

For people who've gotten any (or all?) tables to 4 stars, how did you handle the Zen coin management?

An additional piece of advice I have from what others have said is to play the game daily and keep a watch for their temporary timed challenges that they roll out from time to time. They have been doing them more frequently lately. Then play the heck out of them and go back into the game and play them more as soon as they are available again. Usually every four hours for the first two tables and every 8 for the third. Yeah it’s a pain to play something every four or eight hours but do it. Grind away and you will start making progress.

 

[elcondor]

I also find one ball black rose to be really easy. Which is not something I thought I’d ever say that table.

There is a decent strategy for the Black Rose challenges though, you can usually backhand the Broadside shot from the right flipper, or go direct from the centre of the left, and if you basically spam that, there's enough points in the challenges that you'll stagger over the line in time.
If you happen to get Polly to turn up, mash the flippers and you'll kill Polly, which nets you 2 million usually.

 

[Scared Stiff]

There’s another temporary challenge up for 5 days. All No Good Gophers.

 

[dmil666]

There is a decent strategy for the Black Rose challenges though, you can usually backhand the Broadside shot from the right flipper, or go direct from the centre of the left, and if you basically spam that, there's enough points in the challenges that you'll stagger over the line in time.
If you happen to get Polly to turn up, mash the flippers and you'll kill Polly, which nets you 2 million usually.

I did not know the thing about killing Polly, but it works! I just killed the boid....

I also find the Black Rose challenges fairly easy, just dial in the broadside shot and hammer it.

 

[idunnosomename]

Hope people got the 150 (!) coins for the server downtime. I managed to get double coins for the anniversary thing so unlocked visual extras/pro physics for all tables already. Keeping these coins back for when new tables come along.

New challenges Black Lagoon/Theatre of Magic.