Star Trek Wiki

#85

You only get one captains chair until you play a wizard mode.

Starting 2 at once gives you, well, twice that.

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#86

I get it now. And I had no idea.

#87

I mean, that’s how it’s supposed to work I think, been so long since playing one. Maybe you can get more than one…

#88

That’s what the rulesheet says above, so it’s probably correct. I guess it could have been a bug that got fixed later. I had a ST and sold it a while ago, and my recollection clearly can’t be taken as evidence one way or the other.

#89

Also, did you read @GroundControl 's ridiculously detailed post on mode scoring nuances? You can use this knowledge for maximizing your score as well.

#90

This is still the same in the most recent code. You can get captian’s chair once per “rack” or set of 6 modes completed (level 1, 2 and 3). You can get two at a time in the same set if you finish two at once.

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#91

If you’re wanting to go further down the rabbit hole, you can read this link. Note that some of the scoring & strategies might be from prior code revisions…
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/star-trek-strategies-for-the-average-player

#92

I really love the risk vs. reward decision you have to make when deciding to start two captain’s chairs at once or just one. Most of the time in competition, unless it’s Herb format or the game is playing easy, I just go for one. When going for high scores I go for two.

… and some more on risk/reward to be discussed in the virtual California Extreme pinball talk with me and @ericwag this Saturday!

#93

I have owned this games for years and never knew this. I don’t really play for score at home, so generally ignore super features.

#94

Nero level III + Bottom row Captains chair for the win!

#95

I forgot whether or not spinner points are multiplied by the left orbit multiplier. Suspecting they aren’t.

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#96

Well, I don’t own the game to test this. But I was told they were by a high ranked player who used to own the game. Can anyone do a glass off test?

#97

I can try to glass off test tonight I thought they were not, but as was already pointed out in this thread, my knowledge is not reliable.

#98

If I recall correctly, they are not.
Multipliers (whether 3-deep permanent shotX or the timer combo shotX) to the L orbit apply only to the L orbit shot switch, and not the spinner switch. Further, it’s been discovered that those two earned shotX’s cannot be stacked. :frowning:

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#99

Yup, thought so. Thanks for clarifying.
So yeah, your best bet when it comes to captain’s chair is Super Ramps. If you get it right before starting a Multiball, Super Pops can also be valuable.

#100

Beware the open diverters during Vengeance, MB, however.

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#101

If you’re doing it with Vengeance, then super spinner! :stuck_out_tongue:

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#102

I used to play Nero 3 deep first, especially when I (incorrectly) thought the 2x also applied to the spinner. My latest trend (it’s fun to switch it up) is to DTD 3 deep first to light 2x at the warp ramp.

After DTD 3 deep, then I play STE to earn away team at the warp ramp.

Then back to Nero to complete the bottom row for super spinner, and usually by now a multiball should be close to ready along with one of the 2x scorings from the warp ramps.

Situationally I might start KB first before a multiball to work toward galactic ramps.

Is the warp ramp strategy dangerous in a tourney? Probably, but in the home environment it is wicked fun.

I don’t know if there is a “box strategy”, meaning there really is only way to play the game optimally.

I know it is not one of the revered tourney games, but I feel it shoots very nice and has some interesting choices to be made with respect to setting up the shot doublers and playfield double scoring.

#103

I’ve typed a fair amount about this on Pinside but it’s worth repeating here.
You DO NOT get a true 2x multiplier from completing the set of 3 missions.
You get the combo value (which is 2x) for mode shots.

The result is that going 3 deep isn’t as valuable as everyone makes it out to be. It is still the max points strat because you want to get as many medals as possible before starting the wiz modes. The medal cash in’s are where all the biggest points in the game are.

Using some fake scores to illustrate:

Say ramps are worth 1m.
Ball cradled on left flipper.
Shoot Alpha ramp, and combo into Beta ramp.
You would get 1m (Alpha) + 2m (Beta combo) = 3m

Now,
Complete all 3 StE to permanently light the right ramp.
If you were getting a true 2x multiplier, and did the same pattern you would get 1m (A) + 4m(Beta combo x 2) = 5m
You don’t. You still just get 3m.

I’ve pulled the glass and tested. On Pinside SKB noted that Dwight confirmed this. (Maybe he can weigh in here)

As such, a good strat is to go 3 deep on whatever shot you like to start with. For me I like to start with the Alpha ramp and then combo into either the Beta ramp or right orbit, so I generally start by completing a 3 Klingon battles so my pattern starts with a combo.

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#104

I like to think of it as getting three deep on a shot makes that shot a permanent combo multiplier (so you don’t need to hit it in a combo to get the scoring benefits)

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