We share similar tastes. Those 4 are amongst my favorite early SS pins too. I have owned FG and BK.

Paragon is one of my overall favorite pins. In fact, I've owned well over 100 pins, and it's one of very few that I wanted back so much...I bought another one.

Barracora is probably my favorite Williams system 7 game.
Overall I far prefer Bally to Williams and I love Paragon - but I would trade mine for a Barracora if I had the op.

Let's add some logistics to this debate:
Art: Paragon
Difficulty: Paragon
Depth: Barracora
Meaningful shots: Barracora
Most ways to score: Barracora
Better competition game: Paragon

Of the four you listed I'd say Paragon is closer to Nine Ball and Flash Gordon, and Barracorra is more similar to Black Knight and Fathom.

Both have beautiful art packages.

Paragon has better shots IMO. More kinetic satisfaction. Barracorra has fantastic and deep rules but you will spend a lot of time shooting drop target banks on the side of the game.

Both are great games. I lean slightly toward Paragon but I would love to own a Barracorra as well if I ever had a chance.

I own Paragon and have had Barracora on my list for a long time and played it a bunch at shows etc. Just never had the right opportunity to grab one, I even have a nos Kruzman cleared playfield for the eventuality lol. That said, out of the two, I’d prefer to have Paragon all things being equal. One thing to consider is that Paragon is way easier to find, so eventually when you want to trade it, Barracora will open up a lot more options for you I think.

I've owned both. Barracora lasted nearly 2 years in my collection while other games came and went. Although I actually prefer classic SS Ballys, Barracora outlasted many of those titles, including Paragon.

Barracora has drops like a Gottlieb, plays fast like a Williams, and has rules that rival the best Ballys of the era.

Paragon is a classic for a number of reasons, but I think Barracora is the better of the two.

Owned both: Barracora is on year 7 in my collection while Paragon is long gone. If you understand the rules of Barracora, it's no contest! The advanced drop target mechanic on Barracora is UH-MAZING.

Art: Paragon (the girl on the BG may be the most attractive in all of pinball IMO)
Difficulty: Paragon
Depth and Rules: Barracora
Sounds: Barracora
Meaningful shots: Barracora
Most ways to score: Barracora
Longevity (unless you've got nostalgia for Paragon): Barracora

Both great games, but for me, the answer is kinda obvious. Good luck!

I think you did good, I could see you getting sick of Paragon quickly. As beautiful as it is there's a pretty linear strategy to scoring.