Just timing the modes out isn't the best way to score on SM. For every mode you beat you can assign a 3x value on a shot for the rest of the ball. Beating the mode and putting the 3x on the right shot is key to scoring big.

If you are getting close to Battle Royale, then put the 3x on the right ramp to cash in 3 times BR Jackpots once you start it.

Or put the 3x on Doc Ock to get big Doc Ock Super Jackpots, if you are close to starting a Doc Ock multi ball.

You want to go into Battle Royale and Super Hero with as many shot multipliers as possible. Starting them with no shot multipliers will result in a decent score but you'll never get the scores achieved by playing out and beating the modes.

And once you beat Super Hero the whole playfield value is 2x.

During normal game play once you complete all lit white arrows, your next shot will be lit for 2x for the rest of the ball. A shot to either orbit then starts the mode (you can put 2x on either orbit and start mode simultaneously).

Once you defeat the timed mode, your next shot will be 3x for the rest of the ball.

Venom 1 is the only Venom 'mode' that will time out. The other two times you have to complete it. Venom 3 only shots to the side ramp count as Venom shots.

As for the villans resetting I've only ever had it on default.

As for the red inserts during normal game play I believe every one you hit just adds a combo to your total. After I think 50 combos there is a combo multball.

Right, all I was saying was it was the only one that would time out without having to beat it, they can all be beat in x amount of shots.

I generally don't worry about Venom 1 and focus on the white arrows at that time, it's going to time out and it's worth minimal points and doesn't provide any major advantage to completing it vs. letting it time out.

You need to worry about the fade effect on the white inserts. When you assign 2x to that shot it will be lit dim and when that shot is 3x it will be brightly lit.

The villain inserts aren't that important as there is other places on the playfield that indicate what level you are on.