Some thoughts and basic strategies for you:

Can you hit the Alpha ramp from both flippers consistently?

Can you backhand the Alpha ramp? From a cradle you should be able to hit this shot consistently, on the move its a little more difficult.

Can you backhand the spinner?

Can you backhand the away team shot? This shot is tough for me, so I don't use it too often, but maybe you can.

Are you using dead flipper passes to slow down the game?

Are you spelling TREK and Beam Me Up? I do this like crazy, and by the end of my games my spinner is generally worth some real good points.

When the ball is in the pops, do you know which lane the ball generally goes to? On my pin the ball definitely goes through the Up lane the most, followed by Beam, Me is last. It's good to know so you can adjust ahead of time.

What is your shooting the Vengeance plan? I try and not ever shoot from the left flipper when the drop is up.

Some Multi Ball related things:

Are you making sure you start a mode before getting a mb?

Some modes I like for mb:

PD1. The way PD1 works is, every shot is lit. Once you hit them, the shot is not lit anymore until there are only 2 remaining shots left, at which point everything lights up again. This lends itself to mb very well, as you can generally just try and keep the balls alive and you'll more often than not have a lit mode shot to shoot for. Additionally, the galactic mode is great for mb. During it, Beam/Me/Up are lit as well as the spinner and the outlane. Get the balls into the pops is the name of the game.

KB1. If you can alternate hitting the ramps, you can do well in this mode in general, but it plays nice with mb as well.

DtD1. Spinner/Alpha Ramp/Left out hole shots are lit almost all of the time during this mode, concertrate your shots there and you'll do well. Also, same shots are lit during the Galactic mode, so it's a good idea to try and start it.

Nero1. The mode itself is fine for mb, but the Galactic mode is great for mb, which is shoot those Red Matter targets. If i start the Nero Galactic mode by accident without a mb, I generally won't even try and hit the Red Matter targets, and instead just get back to trying to hit the Warp Ramp, and pick up a few Red Matter hits along the way.

I generally avoid SJ1 for mb's. Reason being because of it's Galactic Mode. The Galactic mode is hit the ship once and it's done.

Some Black Hole things:

You usually get add time during level 1 modes.
You usually get either 200k or +X muliplier when a mode isn't running.
Your more likely to get 'Light EB' during a level 2/3 mode.
You always get add-a-ball first when your in a mb.

So, to better your stack of running a regular mode with a mb, it's smart to try and hit the Black Hole to get 'Add Time' before starting the mb.

Aurich laid out the basic rules nicely on the custom cards he made. Worth a look if you haven't seen them, and they look fantastic in the game as well. The doublers and galactic modes are covered on the 2nd card.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/stern-star-trek-new-original-translite-decals#post-1888578

I've seen video of tourney players using that method successfully, but it's not a move I try to pull off all that often. I think if I were primarily playing a pro, I would make it more of a priority to figure out due to the inconsistent return from the Start Mission eject.

A scenario in which I do try it though, is during mb if I end up with 2 balls cradled on the right flipper. Instead of trying a cradle separation, I'll try to shoot the ball into the Away Team.

How does one tweak it? I think I remember reading there was one screw. Is that correct? If so, where is said screw?

Does the adjusting effect the entrance to the shot at all, or is it more to make the ball feed smoothly back to the upper flipper?

Here's some knowledge for all you future Billion club members:

We've brought up the strategy of finishing all the Klingon modes to start your game to get the 2X Alpha Ramp.

This strategy is excellent because the Alpha ramp is used heavily in the game, and is excellent for starting combos.

It is also good because the Klingon modes aren't particularly difficult to complete. That is, if you know how Klingon 3 works. I had previously sent this to a fellow pinsider, and thought that some of you might benefit for some clarification as well:
-------------------------------------------
The thing you need to know about KB3 is that you have to make the first shot.

The way it works is 1 random shot is lit. You make it, and then are presented with another shot. At this point, if you just cradle the ball, eventually another shot will light, and then another giving you up to 3 shots to shoot for. As you make them they go out, and the cycle continues.

The problem is, if you don't make the very first shot, nothing else ever lights up.

Before you start the mode, like while your choosing it, KB3 will show you what that first shot is going to be. You can incorporate that knowledge into your strategy. So specifically, say I'm struggling with the warp ramp that game. While choosing the mode if the first shot of KB3 is the warp ramp, I won't choose that mode. Reason being that the first shot of the mode is random, meaning the next time you go to start KB3 the first shot might not be the warp ramp.

My basic strategy is:

1. Make the first shot

2. Get control

3. Find next lit shot. Do I like it? If yes shoot, if no, continue to cradle until the next shot lights up.

4. Shoot shot.

5. repeat 2-5

Too beat the mode in one go, you will have to hit some combos, but the thing is your progress is saved. So you can take your time and cherry pick the shots your comfortable with.

KB3 isn't terrible to stack with a MB, but that first shot is all important. You can go through a whole MB and if you never get things moving by hitting that shot, your not going to get anywhere.
-------------------------------------------

Now for some fun team work knowledge.

I was aware of the skill shot, but I never really thought about the aspect of being able to get awarded the right orbit shot.

And, it applies directly to my KB3 info. If you start KB3 from the Away Team shot, and you haven't used that skill shot, you can immediately get KB3 moving. Great stuff!

The same tactic is also useful for some of the other level 2&3 modes. I just recently used it to complete PD2, and on another game get the doubled shot in DtD2.

I use V1 primarily for it's mb to rack up big points in a level 1 mode, or to try and finish a level 2/3 mode in one go. Fighting the Vengeance is almost never my main concern.

A good V1 for me is when I can still have the mb going by the time whatever mode I've started has finished or timed out, and then I'll move on to finishing off the V. Because as noted, you get good points for your victory lap shots.

Now here's a part that requires some more investigating that you guys can help me out with. Once you beat the Vengeance, you can use your torpedo's to get awarded victory laps. However, I believe if you accidentally fill up your torpedo's during this time, they go out and you lose to the ability to use them for victory laps. My basic strategy now is if I see I've got most of the torpedo's after beating the Vengeance, shoot them off. The part that is confusing is I also think I've had my torpedo's turn off without filling them up. Maybe there's some kind of timer here? Need to pay more attention.

----------------------
Now a throwback to old code. Remember in v1.5 and prior, destroying the Vengeance on the combo pretty much was make or break for you score? It's gone from that was the whole game, to just another layer of onion. I saw another thread where a clown was defending his choice not to update his code, so ridiculous. New code is light years better. The ST pro on location near me that is more or less the reason I bought ST, is still running 1.5. I've played it a couple times since, and I don't think I would re-buy ST if that's all there was. Such a great game now, excited to get the last code polish whenever that may be.

The answer lies in this very thread.
Eskabee and my couple posts starting here:
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/star-trek-strategies-for-the-average-player/page/2#post-2546422

As for your question. I can't seem to hit the warp ramp for crap recently. Time to practice now.

ASAP.

When you start a Galactic mode, it just adds 20 seconds to your timer. Sooner you start, the more time you have. And you are correct, the start shot becomes available after completing one lit mode shot.

Hit the coffin 1000 times. Try to stack coffin with another mb.
Try to get your add-a-ball during all mb's by completing the 4 stand ups and then putting the ball in the snakes mouth.
Try to get 2x running during mb's via the fuel shot.
Get to Seek and Destroy modes, hit some shots, then hit the scoop.
Repeat.

/end tutorial.

I like MET. A lot actually, but you really don't need all that much strategy.

DtD 2. The goal is to complete 6 of the 7 shots. The shots light(blink) and go out in a fan pattern. As you hit the shots, they will stop blinking. So don't aim for solid lit shots anymore. During the mode, one rotating shot will also be worth double. On the prem/le this shot is shown by an alternating red/blue blink. Not sure how the pro handles it, different blink pattern?

Once you have made 6 lights stop blinking the mode is over.

It was only a matter of time before the MET heads found my post and came out with their pitchforks.

Both METs I play(1 LE, 1 Pro) are location games regularly played in tournaments by high caliber players. They're set up fine.

And that's not how I would simply ACDC. I would do that by saying play Hell's Bells all day. I also like that pin a lot FWIW.

Guess I'm just a space loving lumberjack who loves chopping wood.

Anyone have any insight into how the bonus is calculated?

I've had games where I got over 100mil in bonus. Usually a large multiplier was involved, but I'm more concerned with how to build bonus.

I'm assuming do good in the modes, get more bonus. Just wondering if anyone knew the specifics.

So my thought was maybe there is some way to exploit it, if you could do awesome in mode X you would get a bigger bonus. But if it's just tied to the medals, then there's likely not much exploiting to be had.

I'm still figuring out EA, but here's what I got.

It's stage based. You need to complete a certain number of shots to advance to the next stage. You get a ball save at the beginning of each stage.

The other piece, you get an add-a-ball at X switch hits.
I've seen some video of high-level tourney guys, and they definitley made the spinner a priority.

Not sure how many stages there are. I think I've been through 3 or 4.

The switch hits are ongoing through all the stages. The stages are a couple different lit shots per stage that need to be completed.

Uh oh, moment of reckoning SKB.

sk8ball, what's the gc score on your ST right now? (Assuming you still have it. If not, remember what it was?)

Current skill shot pseudo code:

If (Right lane lit and relevant) {
Right Button
}
else {
Soft plunge
}

Special is lit via the blackhole shot. Doesn't happen very often.

Special defaults to free game. You can change it to EB or some points(2mil I think), in the menu. The lights you saw were just something else you did. Started a mode most likely.

Black Hole awards are lame. Pops score 200000 doesn't do anything. Could easily be improved with some additions.

Double flip should cancel medal award light shows after starting wizard modes.

Someone else mentioned this in another thread and now I can't unsee/hear it. When you complete 3 modes deep the screen reads 3 in a column, but the call out says 3 in a row.

Those and the 5 year bug would be cool. Anything additional would be a bonus.

I do not, but have heard of people putting down some mylar there.

I believe the 6th or 7th made shot is the Jackpot.
Double is the rover after you make all the shots twice.
Double Super is the warp ramp after the rover.

Such a great callout. Always fun to get.

I really need to do some glass off testing, but I'm reasonably confident that there has been a long standing misunderstanding of the what completing all 3 levels of a mission actually does.

It seems most people think that completing them then gives you 2X for that shot for the remainder of the game.
Reading the tilt forum link above for Nero it says: "Completing the level 3 mode awards 2x on the Left Orbit."
I know that for a fact that either that's not true, or the screen doesn't display the correct score.

If you max the spinner out to 68k, hitting a solid spinner shot can yield 1mil+ . That's just for spinner points, no mode shot included. If the above statement were true, you could complete all the levels of Nero, then max out your spinner and get roughly 2 mil per shot. That's a ton of points per shot in this game.
I use that strategy frequently, and the points awarded never get that high. I've never actually compared scores before and after in that scenario, so perhaps the display score is wrong, but I don't think it is.

What I believe actually happens is that once you complete all 3 levels, your combo is lit on that shot for the remainder of the game. The catch is, the combo is only good for shots when you are in a mode. That is a very different scenario than just getting 2x on a shot for the remainder of the game.

I have the old read me files somewhere at home, and if I remember correctly I think that's how they explain it. I can dig them up later if no one else finds them first.

I'm not arguing that you shouldn't be in a mode most of the time. I'm arguing that your not getting 2X, your just getting credit for a combo. Meaning that in your example above, after you complete the Nero stack and are playing DtD, when you hit the left orbit, regardless of if it's a combo or not, you only get 2X.

If you were really getting 2X for completing Nero, hitting the left orbit on a combo would yield 4X.

Briefly considered investigating tonight, but quickly realized that's most likely a good way to get stabbed by my wife. Will look into it soon though.

However, I think my disconnect this whole time was thinking the spinner and orbit were the same thing.

Did some testing with the glass off.
Was using a combination of throwing the ball with my hand and just depressing switch with my hand.

Procedure was as follows:

Game 1
1. Complete all 3 levels of Space Jump. Utilized the Away team shot for SJ1.
2. Record score.
3. Start PD.
4. Shoot left ramp.
5. Let combo lights go out.
6. Shoot right orbit.
7. Record score.

In this scenario, I would expect to only be awarded 2X for the right orbit shot because I let the combo light go out.

Game 2
1. Complete all 3 levels of Space Jump. Utilized the Away team shot for SJ1.
2. Record score.
3. Start PD.
4. Shoot left ramp.
5. Shoot right orbit while combo light is lit
6. Record score.

In this scenario it has been argued that you should receive 4X for the right orbit. (2X from SJ, 2X from the combo)

Game 1
Score after completing SJ(1-3):
24,575,400
Final Score
26,886,870
Points from PD: 2,311,470 (no combo)

Game 2
Score after completing SJ(1-3):
31,543,610
Final Score
34,015,760
Points from PD: 2,472,150 (with combo)

-------------------------------------

The slight higher starting score in the 2nd game was partly because I hit 2 shots before hitting the away team for SJ1, and then maybe because I hit more combos while completing the remainder of the SJ's. I could have been a little more scientific about this.

In the first game, I saw the 2nd shot for PD display and I believe it said 1.4mil(ish)
In the 2nd game, I shot the 2 PD shots quickly after the mode started. Neither displayed a score.

However, point is it doesn't look like you ever get 4X for a combo'd shot(at least while Double scoring from the Warp isn't running). The difference between the PD scoring in both games was negligible.

I agree. I'm a huge fan of ST. I still play it almost every day. However, my beef with it is there isn't really a way to blow up your score in any other way than by playing a long game. (uh oh, don't tell the ST is grindy camp I said that)

I think the real rub here is that going 3 deep kind of lets you defeat the spirit of the game. ST is supposed to be a combo/flow game. Once you go 3 deep, you can really just slow the game down and still get credit for your combos.

I'm a fan. I get to play both an LE and a Pro regularly. Light show on the LE is cool, but I much prefer the game play of the pro.

GoT does feel like ST 2.0 in a lot of ways.

I really like the option to choose your house. That alone makes it possible to mix up game play. However, does anyone really choose anything other and Tyrell, Martel, or Greyjoy? I usually pick Greyjoy and then go right after completing Tyrell and Martel.

Definitely a fun game. I can get to the Iron Throne somewhat regularly, and that doesn't stop me from going back for more. Not a lot of games like that for me.

As a result of this recent discussion and looking through the read me file for the rule I noticed this line:

"7. Added - Adjustment: GOLD MEDAL ENDS LEVEL I MISSIONS. YES == Level 1 missions timers will move to 1 when the player achieves a gold medal."

Just checked and that does indeed default to YES.

That setting definitely neuters scoring.

I guess I just always assumed it was a bug. When you have a galatic mode going and there is plenty of time left and then suddenly it would drop to 1 second, the worst.

I just changed mine to NO.

I'm going to make an easy guess to say that my average scores are going to go up.

Haven't played any games yet, but my thought is this: If you struggle to get to KM regularly, leave the setting alone. Otherwise, I think changing this is going to allow for some better scores in the modes, and as a by product, better scoring from KM, EA, and 5Y.

Previously, a score of 10-20mil per mode(level 1's) was about the norm for me.
30mil+ and you're rocking it. With Double Scoring I've gotten modes past 60mil.

I'm going to get a couple games in. I'll report back.

Lol. That was quick. 1 game down, and the fabled honey pot of points remains at large.

I like the setting changed though. With a little planning, you can definitely cash in.

InfiniteLives gots you covered.

You were more than likely missing the Warp Ramp. Left stock, it's tough to see that light.
There's a $10 mod you can buy which is just a piece of plastic that covers the back of the light and makes it much more visible. There's also a thread around here somewhere of how to make a diy version.

Found the link
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/st-proprele-warp-ramp-insignia-lighting-mod-

Also of note for your future Treking, PD3 is the exact same mode as PD2

Wasn't always the case.
In the original code PD3 was based on a timer. As a result, there was a way to exploit it for all the points. It became obvious pretty quickly that would be the main way to put up crazy scores. The end result was they took the lame way out and just made it the same as PD2.