Appreciate I'm probably talking to myself here on this one ......
..... but ..............Some Stones top tips I was reading on Pinside.
100+ million games can be achieved in a variety of ways.
So, the TL/DR -- Three main strategies for good points:
- Super Combos
- Stack stuff into multiball (Records, Licks and the Multiball)
- Milk the Records modes and get to Records Multiball
The fastest way to it would be to get a lane doubler on the center ramp, and activate Super Combos a few times (basically, hit the guitar targets, then make a five way combo on the ramps and orbits). That lights Super Combos on the center ramp. Partway through this mode, add time by hitting the VIP targets. With a doubler you can get 25 - 40 million points from Super Combos, depending. Expect half of that if you don't have the doubler on the center ramp.
Stacking modes into multiballs helps, but isn't going to be a make-or-break scenario. Contrary to popular belief, you can actually get a ton of points in single ball play if you know what you are doing. Multiball ball save is typically short in this game and modes time out quickly even in multiball, so you have to be really efficient to make a good stack work out in your favor. I typically bring Licks and Records into a multiball. Licks at a bare-minimum because it's easy to get going. If you want to do both, just make sure to start Records first. You can't start it if Licks is already running.
Records Multiball can be big points, but you have to play it well. It's like Total Annihilation in
AFM. Get a doubler on the super jackpot shot (the records shot), and getting doublers on other lanes helps you build the Super faster (and collect more points in the process).
Knowing your records modes is very, very important. One is very lucrative, and one is extremely lucrative. The other two are good to know because you still want to collect records--20 or 25 I think gets you to Record Multiball. Mixed Emotions--this track has two records bouncing back and forth until the mode ends. Hit both records back to back and you will light records on all shots for a few seconds. Not a necessary rule to know, but it's a fun, subtle part of how that song operates. Happy--This track lights one records on the pops shot. Hit that, then one lights on the records shot. Hit that, and records light permanently on all shots until the mode ends (i.e., pummel the center ramp). Love is Strong-- Hit the lit record, then another one will light on the opposite side of the playfield. Hit that then two will light on the other side. It keeps bouncing back and forth like this. It's Only Rock 'n Roll--The extremely lucrative one. Left spinner lights. Get a bunch of spins, and eventually records will light on every shot (i.e., pummel the center ramp). The point value starts ridiculously high (something like a million points?), and builds endlessly from there. Stack this into a multiball, get a doubler on the center ramp, and you could be looking at 6+ million point shots. It's ridiculous. It should be noted--on stock settings, Records modes always appear in this order: Mixed Emotions, Happy, Love is Strong, It's Only Rock 'n Roll. This can be changed so you need to know what order the songs are appearing in on the machine you are playing (one machine I played always had It's Only Rock 'n Roll as the starter.. so, huge points right from the beginning).
Encore can be lucrative but remember that it is single ball play and you can't start anything while you are in it. It is not guaranteed points, especially if you suck. I generally stay away from Encore unless I'm feeling risky. I've gotten 80+ million out of it, but only a handful of times. You have to hit every shot twice (every Mick note included). Then Mick blocks the super jackpot shot. You have to hit him and he jitters out of the way for about 1.5 seconds before moving back. It's not easy.
A couple of other tips:
- Stay away from the pops. They are extremely dangerous in this game. Ball can fall out straight to the left outlane. Ball can fly out fast
SDTM. Ball can also fly out fast, hit the left orbit wall, and go
SDTM. Watch for these three feeds when the ball is in the pops, and avoid sending the ball there unless you are trying to hit the record in "Happy", or if you are in multiball.
- Hit your guitar targets to light combos. Use this to not just work towards Super Combos--use it as a safety measure for the right orbit. When combos are lit, the right orbit will no longer feed the ball to the pops. It will loop all the way around.
- Always remember your VIP targets. Adds time once for the mode running. Adds-a-ball once in each multiball. If on stock settings, the fourth VIP bank completion lights extra ball. Fifth usually lights special. If these are disabled, they award good points. EB is worth 3 mil, Special is worth 5 mil. That's 8 million in easy points.
- Always have combos lit. Even if you don't make a five-way, you are getting points for your combos. You can easily have 600 - 800k combos. This adds up quickly as you play.
Some more advanced tips:
- See if live-catching from the orbit works well. It worked amazing on my game. Light combos, hit the center ramp, hit the right orbit, live catch. Hit the center ramp again, then the right orbit again, live catch. Center ramp to finish your combo. Easy way to get Super Combos readied up quickly.
- Have you loop passed before? Practice it on this game. If it works, milk it. That was the key to getting control of the flow on my game, and it worked at both the machines at PAPA. Left ramp, right orbit, loop pass--backhand the right ramp, go to the left ramp, right orbit, loop pass. Super Combos lit on the center ramp.
....... I actually think the overall blue artwork look is quite nice, with the band 'on stage' in the upper half of the playfield complete with lighting above them working well. I swapped in solid model amps, added a few guitars here and there on mine, mirror blades ....LED's ....looks snappy 
