Quoted from pinballslave:I've asked a few times on topics about Tron and never got an answer, so I'll see if asking the question directly gets a response:
Does the current code still allow you to complete Flynn and Recogniser 'modes' with just 4 shots (one for Flynn and 3 for recogniser) or has a code update made them a bit more challenging?
I found it almost insulting to the intelligence of the pinball playing public to have them as 'modes' as they were and just wondered if the clear admiration for the game is partly a result of that element being rectified?
The direct response is yes, 4 shots will complete 2 modes. If you are particularly skillful, you can complete 2 modes with 2 shots. When the inserts are rotating in front of the recognizer, hit the lit one and you will bring down the target. This will complete the Recognizer objective/mode.
If you are not able to hit the lit one, you can hit the left, middle and right target to complete the recognizer mode. Based on my experience with Tron LE, you will be hard pressed to make all three shots in consecutive order as it can be very tough to gain control of the ball once you have hit the recognizer. I'm not saying it's impossible. I'm just saying that it is incredibly tough to do.
As for Flynn, you can complete the mode by finding the lane adjacent to the Arcade Scoop. Sure, you can do a soft ball launch and quickly earn Flynn. It's a quick and easy way to complete the mode. However, if you attempt other skill shots off the launch, it becomes 10X more difficult to work the ball behind the arcade scoop to reach the Flynn lane.
Completing Recognizer or Flynn is not as tough as completing LCMB or Quorra or Gem, but unless your strategy in approaching the mode completion is sound, you can find yourself on your final ball needing Flynn and without a ball launch option, it might be a little tougher than expected.
In my opinion, Tron is perfectly in synch with the phrase "Do it right, do it slight. Do it wrong, do it long.". You can complete LCMB quickly with a three shot combo. You can complete Quorra with a 2 shot combo. The existence of these combos does not in any way make LCMB and Quorra easy. The speed and flow of Tron can turn these "easy" combo shots into ridiculously hard comb shots.
And the inclusion of Recognizer and Flynn into the "modes" designation is not an insult to the intelligence of a player. A "mode" is simply an objective. Some modes are deeper and more complex than others. With Tron, Stern is making an attempt to keep pinball players engaged by offering enough variety in the modes to allow for progress within the game. As a more experienced and skillful player, you may not appreciate the Flynn and Recognizer modes. But I have personally seen new and novice players attempt game after game on Tron. I've even had conversations with them. And almost to a person, the progress that they can visually see on Tron helps drive their desire to play another game. So it seems to me that Stern's approach is working as they intended.
I hope you felt that this was a direct answer to your question. I added some of my own opinions as to why I felt it was the proper approach on Tron. If your objective is to simply complete Flynn and/or Recognizer, then that feat can be accomplished easily. However, it becomes a tad more difficult when you have to develop a strategy that allows you to complete these two easy modes while also putting yourself in a position to complete the more difficult modes.
Marcus