From: hlsw_ltd@uhura.cc.rochester.edu (Dave Hollinsworth)
Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball
Subject: The tips list -- was Re: Fish Tales - bleah
Date: 10 Nov 92 04:20:39 GMT
Article-I.D.: galileo.1992Nov10.042039.9678
Organization: University of Rochester (Rochester, NY)

In article <1992Nov9.213848.16297@CSD-NewsHost.Stanford.EDU> bhayes@Xenon.Stanford.EDU (Barry Hayes) writes:
>In article <josh.721172633@mowgli> josh@cqs.washington.edu (Josh Hayes) writes:
>>The flippers are excellent for drop-catching, and as usual, for
>>dead bounces as well. [...]
>>[...] dead-stopped right-hand flipper backhand. It's
>>not. It CAN, of course, be hit with a running backhand. [...]
>
>Well, the FAQ has timed out at my site, but could someone write a note
>for us casual players explaining some of the techniques common to
>pinball-play?

OK.  :-)
Seriously, it's been a few months since I posted this thing, so I guess it
couldn't hurt.  There's lotsa new stuff, too....

I need to know one thing:  could someone tell me the name and IP number of
the ftp site for r.g.p ?  It probably should be in this list somewhere....

-------------------- Cut Here --------------------
The rec.games.pinball game-playing tips list.
Last update:  11/10/92.

Contributors:
Andrew Arensburger		(arensb@kong.gsfc.nasa.gov)
Andrew M. Boardman		(amb@cs.columbia.edu)
Phaedrus			(phaedrus@u.washington.edu)
Bennett				(mcelwee@wampyr.cc.uow.edu.au)
Dave Hollinsworth		(hlsw_ltd@uhura.cc.rochester.edu)
Kamchatka Charlie		(kamchar@ibm.cl.msu.edu)
Dallas Overturf			(Dallas_Overturf@vos.stratus.com)
Tad Perry			(tvp@gibdo.engr.washington.edu)
Daina Pettit			(dpettit@javelin.sim.es.com)
rON				(blowfish@carina.unm.edu)
Lyman F. Sheats Jr.		(lfs@mbunix.mitre.org)
Joe Schwartz			(xor@acm.rpi.edu)
Matt Wilding			(wilding@cli.com)

If you have any corrections, additions (please?), or comments, 
please send them to Dave Hollinsworth (address given above).

The list is organized as follows:
* General Category *
<Subcategory - not always present>
	- The tips

* Definitions *  (or, "Speak Like a Pro")
	- "Catch":  when the ball is held in the V formed by an 
upraised flipper and the lower part of the inlane.
	- "Drain":  the act of losing a ball.
	- "End of Stroke Switch":  the part of an older-style flipper 
mechanism that "shorts out" a section of the coil so that the 
current is stronger.  See "Flipper Coil."
	- "Flipper Coil":  the mechanism that drives a flipper up.  On 
an older Williams machine (pre-Addams Family), when you press 
the flipper button, the current flows through only a portion of the 
coil, generating a high magnetic field that forces the flipper up 
with a lot of power.  When the flipper is all the way up, the end of 
stroke switch opens, and the current now must flow through the 
entire coil.  This creates a lower magnetic field, which holds the 
flipper up without burning out the coil (the high current would do 
this very quickly).  On a Data East, there are two coils, one 
running at 50 volts DC and the other at 8VDC.  When you press the 
flipper button, the higher current coil activates to fire the 
flipper, and then a timer will switch the current to the lower 
current coil, to hold the flipper up.  This setup is called a "Solid 
State Flipper."  A newer Williams machine uses a two-coil setup 
similar to Data East, but keeps an EOS switch to maintain that 
classic "Williams Feel."  If the EOS switch breaks, the flipper 
will operate on a timing setup similar to the Data East one.  
[Aside:  could someone fill me in on how Gottlieb does things?]
	- "Inlane":  the two lanes near the bottom of the machine 
that return the ball to the flippers.  Also called a "return lane."
	- "Outhole":  the area below the flippers where lost balls go.
	- "Outlane":  the two lanes near the bottom of the machine 
that lead to the drain area.
	- "Slam":  a form of tilting, usually caused by hitting the 
coin box too hard, by dropping the machine, by pounding the 
underside of the cabinet, or by striking the back cabinet.  This 
immediately forfeits your entire game.
	- "Slingshot":  the two triangular things located 
immediately above the flippers.  Hitting one ricochets the ball off 
in the opposite direction.
	- "Solenoid":  a coil, with another coil or magnet inside, 
used in flippers and kickers and such.  When the coil(s) are 
energized, the opposing magnetic fields cause the inner piece to 
move.
	- "Tilt":  what happens when you shake too hard.  This 
forfeits your bonus for that ball, and causes you to lose the ball 
currently in play (and on some older machines, your entire game).
	- "Tilt Warning":  if you get one of these, the game is saying 
to you, "Well, I could have tilted you, but I'll be nice.  Just don't do 
it again."  :-)

* Before Starting *
	- If you're a novice, and want to become a wizard, make sure 
you have the time and the money.
	- Wear comfortable clothing.
	- Before playing any game for the first time, read the rules 
card that accompanies it.  Most of the time, these cards are less 
then helpful, but they are good for getting a basic feel for a game 
(i.e. what shots to go for, the names used for various playfield 
objects, etc.)
	- Extension to the above:  take the time to learn the layout 
of a particular game.  Learn where the best shots and the drain 
shots are, and how the various shots interact with one another, so 
you don't, say, spend time sending the ball to the bumpers when 
another ramp shot will light the extra ball.

* General Playing Tips *
<Stance>
	- Choose some comfortable position for your wrists.  They 
will get tired if they aren't held properly.  About waist level is 
about right for most people, depending on height of the person and 
the machine.
	- The higher you hold your head, the better you'll see the 
ball's position.  The lower you hold it, the better you'll be able to 
judge its direction (e.g., while trying to decide whether or not to 
let it bounce off the center post);  find a good compromise.

	- Playing regularly is more important than playing a lot:  
playing for five hours consecutively once a month is worse than 
playing for half an hour twice a week.
	- Be willing to spend a few dollars just practicing the 
various tips.  Just tell yourself, "OK, for this game, score doesn't 
matter.  I'm just here to practice my slap saving," so you don't get 
too frustrated at not winning replays.  :-)
	- Learn about a specific machine by watching others play.
	- Being able to control the ball, and being able to make 
controlled shots is probably the key thing to increasing one's 
average score on any game.
	- Once you have developed a basic feel for the flippers and 
how the ball moves on them, and you're trying to make an upper-
playfield shot that's been causing trouble, just look at the shot 
you're trying to make.  Your instinct for where the ball is on the 
flipper is usually suprisingly good.
	- Unless explicitly advertised, or your operator is 
disreputable, pinballs *do not* have magnets anywhere underneath 
them.  Spin and rubber are the usual causes of weird motion.
	- If you drain miserably, don't tilt the machine out of 
frustration.  You'll just lose more points if you do.
	- Entering your initials:  left flipper button to go one letter 
back in the alphabet, right flipper button to go forward in the 
alphabet, start button to record this initial and go on to the next.  
(This is true of most machines, although some Gottliebs have 
separate buttons for initial entry.)

* Etiquette *
	- Don't touch another player's cabinet.
	- Give other players plenty of space.
	- Shut up.  It's usually OK to tell someone things that they 
couldn't have seen (such as how big the jackpot was), but people 
usually don't like it when you point out the obvious to them.  Same 
goes for trying to engage in idle chatter while someone is playing:  
unless the player is a good friend of yours, this is usually 
frowned upon.
	- If you walk away from a machine, you forfeit any credits 
on it (so don't ask someone to watch the machine while you go to 
the bathroom. If you come back and find him playing your credits, 
don't be surprised).
	- If you want to play a game that someone else is playing, 
ask the person *between balls*.  In many places, it is customary 
to plunk down a quarter on the glass, on top of the rules sheet;  
just make sure that you do this between balls.  If you do either of 
these while a person has a ball in play, it could interfere with his 
concentration, which could make him interfere with your life.  :-)
	- During Ball 1 of any game, pressing the start button will 
add another player to the game.  From Ball 2 on, pressing the start 
button will abort the current game for all players and begin 
another one.  (Beginning with Fish Tales, Williams has adopted a 
polling scheme that will only restart your game if the button is 
held down for about a second.  Kudos to them for this great idea.)
	- Keep an eye on any small children in the immediate area.  
A lot of games have ended because of kids deciding that your 
start button would be a fascinating plaything (see the previous 
tip).  If the kids are yours, don't let them run around near pinball 
machines.

* Shaking and Nudging *
	- Machines are usually much more sensitive to side-to-side 
shaking than to forward-to-back.  Shake this way whenever 
possible.  However, there are situations where side-to-side 
shaking is necessary to save the ball.
	- Forward-to-back shaking is effective for the entire 
playfield, while side-to-side shaking is really only effective for 
the lower part of the playfield.
	- Don't be shy about using body english:  although, of course, 
it's much more impressive if you manage to get a high score 
without ever nudging the machine.

* Saving a Center Drain *
<Without a center post>
	- Slap saving:  if a ball is going to go down the center, 
choose (quickly) which flipper you think the ball will come closer 
to.  Wait until the ball is a few inches above that flipper, and then 
wind up and slap both the flipper button and the side of the 
machine.  Hard.  If you do this with the right timing, the ball will 
hit the tip of the upraised flipper.  Usually, the ball will also have 
an almost horizontal direction after it hits the tip of the flipper, 
sending it over to the opposite flipper, so you'll probably want to 
follow up the first slap with a lighter one on the other flipper button.

<With a center post>
	- Center posts are a little more tricky, since you have to 
decide whether to use the flippers or whether to let the post do 
the work for you.  On a game without a post, you always go for the 
slap save, but on a game with a post, there's that additional 
split-second decision making thing going on that makes games 
with posts a little more challenging (although they look easier).
	- It takes practice to develop the nerves to just let a ball 
bounce off of the center post.  Generally, the ball will only bounce 
back into play if it is heading *straight* down the middle 
towards the post.  Some people prefer to always go for a slap 
save whenever possible, and to only let the ball bounce if it is 
heading exactly between the two flippers.
	- If you do decide to let the ball bounce, *don't flip*.  If you 
use the flippers and the ball hits the post, most of the time the 
ball will just hit the underside of a raised flipper and drain.  
Also, try to nudge the game in such a way so that the ball will hit 
the post as squarely as possible.  This will help to put the ball 
back in play, as it can counteract any spin that the ball has picked 
up.

<Either one>
	- Sliding the machine:  some machines will put up with 
side-to-side sliding without tilting because there is very little 
jarring of the machine involved.  If the ball is heading toward the 
center drain, slide the machine to move one of the flippers into 
the path of the ball as it is coming down.  The ball basically 
moves along the same line in space whether you slide or not.  This 
technique takes advantage of this fact to ensure the ball always 
hits a flipper.  If you get really good at this technique, you will 
hardly ever suffer center drains on machines that easily allow 
sliding.  Note:  Sliding is easier on some machines than others due 
to total weight, weight distribution and playfield height.  Use of 
this technique on machines that are difficult to slide may damage 
your elbow (tendonitis?) so try to get behind your push as much 
as possible to avoid this.

* Saving an Outlane Drain *
	- Nudge the machine forward as the ball strikes the 
slingshot bumpers or heads for the outlane area, to force the ball 
back up the playfield.  Note that this does not work well with 
some outlane configurations (The Addams Family, for example - 
never try this here).
	- If the ball is heading toward an outlane, try to bump it out 
of the way before it gets to the top of the outlane (e.g., try to 
bump it against a slingshot).  Once it gets to the post that divides 
the inlane from the outlane, it's much harder to save it.
	- If the ball stops on the divider between the outlane and 
inlane, move the machine sharply toward the inlane, then as 
quickly as possible toward the outlane.  Balls tend to pick up 
more velocity on the first movement, so most will fall on the 
inlane side of the divider.

<The "Bang-Back">
	- This is a way to save a ball after it has gone down an 
outlane.  Usually, it works better on the right side, but it also 
works from the left.  Basically, when the ball drains down the 
side, hold up the flipper on that side, and wait until the ball is 
about to hit the piece of metal below and between the flippers 
(where the kicker that returns the ball to the ball storage area 
near the plunger is).  Just when the ball is about to hit this piece 
of metal, give the machine a hard bump down and forward.  
Depending on the speed of the ball, the distance between the piece 
of metal and the flippers, and the tilt sensitivity, you may 
experience a moderate degree of success at getting the ball back 
in play.
	- Before you try this on a game, look immediately below the 
flippers.  On some games, there are two small metal rods sunken 
into the playfield.  If your game has these, the technique probably 
won't work.
	- This technique is the one that should be practiced the 
least, because of one reason:  it is very prone to slam tilts.  Loose 
coin doors and sensitive slam switches are usually very 
uncooperative when it comes to popping the ball back up into the 
play area from behind the flippers.  You may want to pre-test a 
game's slam sensitivity before you actually do it when you are 
playing.
	- Some people find that this technique works better with 
crossed hands (i.e. if the ball drains out the right side, use your 
left hand to hold up the right flipper and bump the machine with 
your right hand), and others say that it works better with hands 
in the normal positions.  If you do decide to try this technique, try 
both ways and see if one is preferable to you.

* Other Flipper Techniques *
<Trapping the ball>
	- Beginning players tend to just flail randomly at 
everything that comes near a flipper.  Intermediates tend to just 
hold the flipper up and keep it there.  This works for some cases, 
but in others the ball will bounce randomly back up into play, or 
roll up the inlane and right back down the outlane, or any of a 
number of uncontrollable things.
	- The "Dead Trap":  when the ball is moving toward a flipper, 
in such a way that if you held the flipper up for the duration, the 
ball would roll up the inlane (either a little or a lot), hold the 
flipper up, and just as the ball hits the flipper, let the flipper 
drop.  This will absorb almost all of the ball's energy, and you'll 
wind up with the ball just sitting on the lowered flipper.  It's 
easier said than done, and usually takes a lot of practice to 
master.  But it's well worth it.  (This works best with Williams 
flippers, but then again, what doesn't?  :-) )
	- The "Live Trap":  basically, this is the opposite of the Dead 
Trap.  Instead of holding the flipper up, time your flip so the 
flipper will be all the way up at the instant the ball hits it.  If 
done properly, the ball will then roll down into the standard catch 
position.
	- The "Bounce":  if a ball is heading toward a flipper, and you 
really wish the ball was heading toward the other flipper so you 
can "catch" it, just keep the flipper down and let it bounce off the 
flipper rubber and over to the other flipper.  This won't work very 
well if the game you are playing has loose flipper rubbers.

<Flipper Passing>
	- These are techniques designed to move the ball from one 
flipper to the other.  Note that the "Bounce," given above, also 
applies here.
	- The "Trap Pass":  with a flipper up and the ball caught on 
that flipper, just release the flipper and very, very, very quickly 
give it a tap back to the up position.  The ball should hit the lower 
corner of the slingshot, hit the flipper (or the bottom part of the 
return lane), and move over to the other flipper.  It's actually 
pretty easy to do;  all it takes is a little practice.
	- The "Tap Pass":  with a caught ball, release the flipper and 
then very gently and quickly tap the flipper button just enough to 
move the ball to the other flipper.  Technically the ball does not 
have to be trapped on the flipper to use this technique.  It can be 
moving or not;  it depends on how refined your control of the 
flippers is.  Trapping it to start is the easiest way, but it can be 
used while the ball is moving, where the trap pass is not possible 
to do.  This tends to work better with the "old" Williams flippers 
than with solid-state ones.  Note:  the difference between this 
and the "trap pass" is that you do not bank the ball off the 
slingshot or anything else.  It is a pass from flipper to flipper 
that when done correctly touches nothing but the two flippers.  
Also, in the case of the "trap pass," the flipper noticeably moves, 
but in the case of the "tap pass" the flipper normally moves no 
more than .25 inches.
	- The "Lane Pass":  this is much more risky.  Basically, you 
want to shoot the ball across the opposite flipper and up through 
the opposite return lane.  With the ball in the same position as 
above, just let the flipper down, so the ball starts rolling down 
the flipper toward the center drain.  Hit the flipper button just as 
the ball reaches the tip end of the flipper.  The ball should shoot 
just over the opposite flipper and up the opposite return lane.
	- The "Touch Pass":  With the ball in the catch position, 
lower the flipper and let the ball roll to about halfway down the 
flipper.  Then, tap the flipper button extremely lightly (do not 
push it all the way in).  The ball will bounce over to the opposite 
flipper.  Strength required depends on the condition of the 
flippers.  Flipper button switches must be in good shape for this 
to work, but it works on more machines than you might at first 
imagine.

* A Final Word *
	- OK, you say.  So what's their secret?  You say you know 
and practice all the above techniques, so why aren't you a wizard?  
One word:  Consistancy.  The best players know and apply their 
techniques on a regular and consistant basis.  How many times 
have you caught yourself saying "Damn, if only I hadn't missed 
that ramp" or "Too slow, needed to slap save there"?  Remember 
when you had that incredible 500 Million point game--everything 
"went right."  Well, remember how you played that game, and look 
at the above listed methods.  Sure, the best players get a break 
every now and again;  we all do.  But that wasn't why you did well.  
Didn't you find yourself saying "Wow! did you see that shot--went 
straight in" or "What a save--barely made it!"  The good players do 
that on a steady and consistant basis.  In short--learn the 
techniques.  Practice them.  Use them.  *That* is how one moves 
from "regular" to "wizard" status.

-- 
********  Dave Hollinsworth  *******  hlsw_ltd@uhura.cc.rochester.edu  ********
*     "Somewhere in this sprawling metropolis, another job for--" - PWEI      *
************  DISCLAIMER:  They're my opinions.  Are they yours?  *************
Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball