Quoted from eyeguy123:I am with you this rule set is crazy complicated , I feel like the only person on the threat struggling with it
You're not the only one. I wouldn't say I struggled with it so much as I wasn't motivated to learn it. I purposely avoided the PDF to let the game reveal itself to me; it didn't. I feel like the game could use some "medium complexity" stuff. To me it seems like there's a simple top layer: playing modes, collecting Avengers, playing IM & Thor multiball. All that stuff is easy to digest, dare I say maybe a bit boring. Then there's the chess layer of rules, with all the gem stuff. Feels needlessly complex. Wide, but not deep. Fine if you enjoy doing homework, I guess.
Scoring could use some work. I got a Thor super jackpot (15 shots) for 3-ish million, same as one beefy shot in a mode. No real point in playing Thor except to stack with a mode. However, it's the one part of the game that has any real oomph in the sound & callout department.
I also got tired of Soul Gem pretty quickly. It went from satisfying to finish, to just a chore (or annoying if you fail). It's too linear, and the stakes just don't feel high for whatever reason. Also annoys me that the right orbit is the first shot since neither the pro nor premium can start the mode on the lower left flipper. Would be more fun to just rip right into it. But I think I know why the right orbit is first. It half-ramps pretty often, and flank attack will always complete it. Could get in "clunk jail" on the right orbit if flank attack was already used on another shot.
Presentation during Soul Gem (and the game as a whole) feels very flat to me. I hear that stuff has improved in the new code, but I already sold the game. Just not feeling it.