Monster Bash

[ROM]

So, Bride of Frank is on the mic, right? Can someone give me a refresher on how to start that mode? For some reason I was thinking it was related to Ball and Chain, since that shows her hitting you with a frying pan. But at last meeting I was sitting at 250 million, with just the mic to light, and I had hit those Ball and Chain ramps about 30 times to no effect. Maybe she's the center shot?

[Dropshot]

3 each ramp to start it and then 3 each ramp to complete

[bounceback]

you know i've had that problem myself in two locations recently. i used to complete that mode no problem, often many times in one game. last time i was playing at alleyway i couldn't collect the mic, even though i was killing the ramps. so then i thought maybe you have to shoot alternating ramps to advance each time, until you have 3 of each, but if you hit one twice in a row you have to start over? the center shot typically spots one ramp shot. i don't know what's up because again, it used to be no problem to complete it and the machines at both alleyway and billy ray's seem stubborn about it now. maybe they talked to each other and went on strike.

also, i thought that during either monster bash or monster mosh pit, you could collect missing characters to light monsters of rock. i sort of thought that was your last chance to get them all without having to run the modes again-- but this hasn't worked on those two machines either. what's up? it has also seemed like the scoring on frank multiball was goofy, you're supposed to get double and triple super jackpots depending on how many other jackpots you make before shooting him, but i feel like it's been stuck on double. just me?

[ROM]

I'm pretty sure I got some triple jackpots off Frank at Billy Rays. I played some games at Alleyway on Tuesday, and don't remember...
I need to just read the rules, because I keep having really basic problems with this game (with finishing modes to light instruments). http://www.ipdb.org/rulesheets/4441/MOSTERB.HTM

However, sometimes I feel like the more I understand the rules, the more I set myself up for disappointment while playing games. It's like, oh crap, I didn't light Frank's keyboard during the multiball, now I'm going to have to run the mode all over again to get it. And then I get bummed and drain. I like to have a basic understanding, but too much info leads to being too aware of when things are going wrong. On the other hand, a good understanding is the first step toward a GC. You can quote me on that!

[Dropshot]

I am pretty sure that the center shot restarts the time clock for any mode you are in

[bounceback]

ROM i know what you're saying. i think ASN's right about the center shot, it def. resets the timer during ball and chain, not sure on the others since it's not lit. i used to only want to start modes at the same time i was starting a MB because the jackpots are bigger, but i've been having better luck completing them in monoball, or focusing on one, then starting others accidentally, then getting frank going once there's a few running. you're supposed to be able to complete modes during multiball, but sometimes this doesn't seem to happen. not sure how the software keeps track of the order of shots. although yesterday i DID complete the last two instruments during monster bash and immediately start monsters of rock, which DIDN't happen previously at the alley bar when i was playing, so i don't know. i also thought it looked like i could start monster mosh pit and then stack that with frank, but again, not sure because i didn't do it in time.

FWIW i think the most important skill in this game is being able to bouncepass to the right flipper to hit creature and the center shot. most center shots give an EB at 10, but for some reason everything else usually runs before i even get to 6 to start mosh pit, which is a really overlooked multiball. plus creature feature is hard to start but great to have running during MBs. i usually have to remind myself to stop and aim for creature.

[DDT]

I have finally started playing Bash for real. It is deceptively hard the good trick is to light wolfman, ball and chain, Frank. You can get mummy and drac mono ball no problem. focus on creature alone. If you don't get an instrument during this. light up the missing mode and get the now lit bash. The mode has to be running to get instrument. Feature is great but as always the particular mode need's to be stacked on the multi- to get stupid instrument. My biggest problem is how crappy the game is when you miss one fucking shot. FRUSTRATED!!!!!!

[ROM]

I know what you mean, DDT. Sometimes when I start a mode but fail to snag the instrument, I get really sad, and then I'm like, "Please someone, say something nice to me so that I can be sure that the entire world is not made of crap!" I'm with you there, man. Just remember, no matter how many modes you mess up, Chavez will always be there to snuggle with.

Also, Creature is usually the last dude that I light, so it lights bash right when I get him. And then, if I've gotten all the other instruments, the Monster Bash multiball goes straight into Monsters of Rock once I've finished Creature. That's what happened when I got 695m at Alleyway (bounceback, you said it didn't work this way for you at Alleyway?). I didn't even realize that Monsters of Rock had started until I looked up and saw that I was getting 4 million per shot. I ended up completing MoR six or seven times. It was sweet. Too bad the GC on that machine is 720 or so.

[bounceback]

if you can get over 600, you can get over 7, during monsters of rock that's potentially just a difference of 5 shots. on the game i was playing at GD the other day i was very close to getting MOR a 2nd time, which would've pushed me over the top on the board. i had to finish bride and kept failing to complete that mode, so it was all i would shoot for and i'd need like one more left ramp shot. eventually i drained. i totally shanked my first bash MB and had a pretty lame MOR.

i usually try to light creature before i start frank the first time, because it's easy to complete creature and mummy when you run them with a MB. i also go out of my way to hit the mosh pit because the mosh pit MB is a nice bonus and on most machines you get an EB at 10 center shots. i've been starting bride in mono because i find when i run it during frank or bash, i rarely hit the ramps consistently enough to finish the mode. if i just run the mode alone, i loop the two ramp shots if i'm playing well, and once it's over any extra times you run it it's victory laps basically.

i love this game and dig the strategy behind it. wish i felt like this about more games. i still have SO much improvement to do on games like midieval and AFM, Addams, whitewater, theater, all the games the best players are best at. lately been starting to feel like the practice is paying off though. i'm excited about the level of play in CFF right now and that there are a lot of people that are getting serious and improving. i think we have a chance to make an impact at some tournaments. hope we can take some kit to shorty's to sell

[ROM]

I played a bunch of whitewater at GK the other day, and started figuring out a few things. The scores there are intimidating (3.5 billion... while my best game is 400 million). But it seems to be, for one, a game where once you get past 400 million or so, you're usually at a point where there are multiple 50-100 million shots lit. But I think the main key to that game is timing your balls on multiball. Insanity Falls is the Jackpot, and if you feed a ball into the center lock hole, it waits a few seconds and then spits it out to the upper flipper - you then nail the jackpot and the balls feeds to the left flipper, hit the center lock hole again (a really easy shot)... repeat. An important shot to get down is the EB. I find it to be tricky. EBs are pretty common in the game, but the shot is tough.

It was fun, at least, to play seven or eight games in a row (especially because the replay starts at 74 or so, and goes up by like ten each time, so it's easy to get endless replays) and really pay attention to strategies.