BK's PAPA 4 Strategy Guide
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Williams' Star Trek: The Next Generation
--- Tournament Settings --- and lots of 'em!
"Return to Duty" (ball saver) is disabled.
Instead of "Light Lock", the skill shot choice will be "Bonus
Multiplier".
In Ferengi Multiball, you only get 8 seconds to shoot the Neutral Zone
to add balls to the multiball.
No mode reruns allowed from Command Decision until all other modes
have been completed.
The kickback starts unlit each ball.
When Holodeck becomes lit, the display will always read "Holodeck 3 Is
Ready." (Hint hint, nudge nudge.)
If you select a Flipper Skill Shot or Launch Probe, the award you get
will be fixed. The first of either will be for "Hold Multipliers",
the second will light the kickback, and the third will double the
spinner value. "Super Spinner", normally lit after Warp Factor 6,
will not be available due to its high scoring potential.
If a player enters the Final Frontier mode without any artifacts, each
shot in the mode will be worth a paltry 1OM. So don't do it.
No replays or extra balls. Collecting a lit "special" will award 25
million points.
Obviously you won't be able to buy an extra ball, no matter how much
money you've got.
--- Skill Shot ---
The Skill Shot is player-controlled; pull the gun trigger when the
award you want is lit. The awards are: Start Mission, Flipper Skill Shot,
Launch Probe, Bonus Multiplier, Warp Factor 4. Warp 4 will be Warp 2 if you've
been to Warp 9 in the game.
I give the highest precedence to the Q's Challenge mission; if it's lit
I go for that immediately. If not, I'll take Warp 4 if that's available. If
not, I usually take the lit mission just to get closer to Final Frontier.
Don't take Flipper Skill Shot or Launch Probe, ever.
--- General Strategies ---
Multiball: Start multiball by making three locks, either to the Borg Ship via
the left ramp or via the right orbit. A shot to the right orbit lights
both the ramp and orbit locks, but you must make the third lock via the
orbit. At the start of multiball, the left Probe gun is loaded. Here,
accuracy in shooting Mission Start is very important; three successful
shots score at least 26O million and add 3OM to the base jackpot.
During multiball, shoot Mission Start for 1x, 2x, 3x Jackpots, and
shoot the Left Ramp for 3x Jackpots. After a left ramp shot, the ball is shot
back at you from the Borg Ship. It may be easier to loop Mission Start.
Unless you get those Probe shots at the start of multiball, the
jackpots won't be worth nearly enough for a good score.
Missions: Shoot Mission Start to begin a mission. (Brilliant!) You can also
start your choice of mission from Command Decision. Some missions are
easier than others, and all missions give you a chance to collect
Artifacts, which are worth super points if you get to the final
mission, the Final Frontier. The missions, and what to do:
- Time Rift: Time Rift targets add time to the clock and 5M to the payout on
the 7 big shots in the game. Artifact for shooting Time Rift 3 times; don't
bother trying unless you know you can get the ball back off those targets.
- Worm Hole: Shoot left ramp for 3OM or more, plus an Artifact. E-Z!
- Asteroid Threat: Shoot center hole for hurry-up; that value for each of the
7 shots. Artifact for 3 of those shots. Unless you can hit the center hole
right away, just wait and the second stage starts automatically.
- Battle Simulation: Shoot the Probe guns into Mission Start & Neutral Zone.
After you miss once, let this time out -- not worth the trouble. Artifact
for 5 successful Probe shots.
- Rescue: Close 45 switches to load the shuttles, then shoot Alpha or Beta ramp
to save them. Go for the spinner. 2O switches collects an easy Artifact.
- Search Galaxy: Shoot Alpha, Beta, Delta ramps. Any order collects one
Artifact, in order lights Neutral Zone for another. Go for the gusto.
- Q's Challenge: Easily the most lucrative mode. First lit shot worth 1OM,
second 2OM, 3OM, etc. to a maximum of 1OOM. Shoot the spinner -> ramp combo
over and over again, and your score will fly so high so fast you won't know
what happened until you look up. Artifact for 5 shots. If you doubt the
power of Q mode, my best score in the mode is 1.755 billion. No foolin'.
All modes completed lights Final Frontier, where every shot is worth
25M * Artifacts collected. In addition, you get a billion bonus if you got at
least one of all four types of Artifacts. Which one you get in a particular
mode is apparently random.
In addition, there is a "Secret Mission" unrelated to these. Pull the
gun trigger when the game says "Holodeck program is ready" and you enter a
Frenzy mode. Not many points, but fun.
If you are having trouble shooting Start Mission, trap the ball first,
preferably on the left flipper. Makes it easy, really.
Warp Factor: Advance Warp Factor by the spinner, or by the side ramp if you
haven't been to Warp 9 yet. This usually happens quickly as WF 4 is
a good Skill Shot choice. What you get for the warps:
- Warp 2: 5 million Crap!
- Warp 3: Lite Million Jets Crap!
- Warp 4: Lite Spinner Well worth the trouble to get, 1OOK/spin plus.
- Warp 5: Hold Multipliers Can be worth lots if you've Advanced Rank.
- Warp 6: Light Hurry Up Crap!! We want Super Spinner, dammit Jim!
- Warp 7: Double Spinner Be sure to boost Spinner via Time Rift first.
- Warp 8: Award Artifact
- Warp 9: Warp 9 Mode Shots to Warp Factor 2OM, 25M... 6OM max.
Try to get Warp 9 mode and Hurry Up at the same time; this freezes the
round timer on Warp 9 mode so you can go through for all 9 shots. Total on the
mode is 36OM if you can make it.
Double Spinner is the best of the bunch, though. It can make the
spinner's score overwhelm everything else in the game, if you can get to it
enough times.
Right Ramp Looping: An unusual strategy which may work; shoot the Right Ramp.
Consecutive shots are worth 5M, 1OM, 2OM, 3OM, 4OM, and unlimited 5OM.
Also, the Right Ramp is used to light Command Decision and Holodeck for
more points. If you can master the shot, you can loop it forever.
Neutral Zone: Don't bother; it's a pain. The only advantage of NZ is a throw-
away multiball which you can use to bang on Time Rift or the Warps.
Summation: ST:TNG is very complex. I'll try to list the best opportunities for
big points in order of their payoff:
1. Build spinner value via Time Rift / Warp 7; at maximum, 5OOM per shot.
2. Q's Challenge mode worth up to 2OOM for each Picard Maneuver.
3. All modes lead to Final Frontier for billions in bonus and 1OOM a shot.
4. Multiball jackpots can be worth up to and over 15OM.
5. Warp 9 Mode worth 36OM for completion.
6. Right ramp up to 5OM / shot, lights Holodeck for over 1OOM in bonus.
Be successful with two or three of these strategies, and you'll be
golden. I usually try for a combination of 1, 2, 3, and 5.
--- Point-Specific Strategy ---
If you need... Try doing this!
5 million: Shoot something, anything.
2O million: Shoot right ramp repeatedly or Mission Start once.
5O million: Next mission, or a few trips on the Spinner.
1OO million: Holodeck will cover it; or a well-played Mission.
2OO million: Usually, multiball will get you this level of scoring.
5OO million: Start Q's Challenge, or go for Warp 9 mode.
1 billion
or more: Go for the Final Frontier. It's not impossible to reach.
--- Techniques ---
Flipper Passing: Best strategy is to let the ball roll off the flipper to the
other. Post transfers are possible but not recommended; in addition,
the right flipper is optical, which makes this even more difficult.
Use the spinner if you need the ball at the upper flipper.
Death Saves: Doubt it -- as usual, it depends on the game's tilt sensitivity,
and games at PAPA tournaments tend to be quite sensitive. If you're
going to try one, use the gun; it gives much more leverage.
Bang Backs: No no no.
Nudging: Nudging is a big part of ST:TNG, and the nudging must be done around
the outlanes. To save a ball headed for the outlane, push slightly
forward when the ball reaches the top of the slingshot. It should head
for the kickback targets and back into play.
--- Scoring ---
Average scores on ST:TNG could be anywhere; in doubles qualifying, I'd
guess the average will be around 3OO-5OO million. The best scores, I expect,
will be well over 2-3 billion, maybe more than 5 billion for those who can get
to Final Frontier.
High Scores to Date: Hal Erickson (CA) 18.5 billion
Lyman Sheats, Jr. (IL) 17.9 billion
Brian Dominy (GA) 6.9 billion
All these games had one buy-in, as far as I know. Dave Hegge's doubles
partner has also scored more than 1OB, but I didn't get his name.
--- For More Info ---
If you need ST:TNG's full rules, get Cameron Silver's rule sheet by anonymous
ftp. FTP rahul.net; go to the Pinball Archive (cd pub/sigma/pinball) and type
"get PAPA/sttng.rules". The PAPA folder includes information about everything
involving PAPA 4; the rules for each game, prize money, the message you get
from 1-8OO-FLIPOFF, and these Strategy Guides.
According to Dave Peller and Steve Baumgarten, the above are the official
tournament settings, but these are (of course) subject to change. The final
settings should be available at the tournament.
If there's anything you'd like to add to this, just contact me:
bowen@cardinal.stanford.edu. I'm always game for high scores.
Good luck, see you at PAPA 4, "the ultimate pinball challenge!!" Yow!
Bowen
