I came into this having played TAF only a handful of times before having it at my house for a month straight. So I wasn't very familiar with it at all - and frankly my previous (and very recent) experience with it on location didn't go that well (due to to extremely strong kick outs and the dreaded lack of ball save). Before this, I put in about 500 games on my first pin, High Speed. Until six months ago, I had only played a few dozen (or hundred) games of pinball in my life.

Although much of this is just me describing the journey, there are some questions I have for you all sprinkled throughout.

Discovering the rules

It's been fun learning the rules and modes as I go. I'm not one to look up rules and tips online, and usually don't read the instruction card either. It took me a long time to figure out what Graveyard at Max meant. I also didn't understand/notice the Graveyard Value Held thing for quite a while. And shamefully, it was about 300 games in that I realized that 3mil and 6mil light each other.

Getting to Greed

At first I tried to do this intentionally, but later moved to focusing on lighting the different Mansion modes - and only doing Greed as a side effect. I like how you can choose to go right for locking balls once lit, or to ignore it. At least, until you have locked 2 balls and enabled The Power - which I now try to avoid as much as possible with a half plunge into the swamp.

Evolving Jackpot Strategies

I used to be very focused on hitting the jackpot shots during Greed Multiball, but now I try and build up the jackpot, knowing that it's easy to hit (direct off a skill shot) on the second chance Thing multi-ball, which feels much less frantic than Greed.

Optimizing Shots

At first I would immediately try to make a shot as soon as it was lit. Eventually I started stacking shots (like wait to hit The Thing shot until both quick multi ball and extra ball were lit). Then, I started putting that shot off, figuring I could just hit it with a skill shot on my next plunge. Now, I'm trying to set up combos between modes like locking balls into Greed during Raise the Dead so I can plunge straight into the bumpers.

Unexpected Moments

Dirty Pool

I heard this once, but not in the way it is commonly described on the internet. I believe I was in Quick Multiball, and hit the Thing ramp just as the Vault was closing up to end the mode. Has this happened to anyone?

Incorrectly awarded Double Jackpot

During Greed MultiBall, I hit two balls up the Bear Kick ramp at nearly the same time. The first came down the habitrail to the right flipper but the second ball was diverted down the left side, and I was awarded a double jackpot. Should that have happened?

Multiball during Seance

Happened to me tonight for the first time and I was surprised. I guess it makes sense, the previous mode is still going when you start multi-ball, but I think because Seance activates The Power, I just assumed they couldn't overlap. I was pleasantly surprised to hear that knocking sound during multi-ball. And since Seance is can be such a drainer, I suppose it's optimal to combine it with Greed multi-ball.

Tech(ish) Stuff

Waxing the playfield

The ball started doing some crazy things after waxing. Lots of crazy spin while trying to control on the flippers - but the game is fast & fun! I even waxed the ramps. For the first few dozen games after waxing, hard hit balls would come around the corner so fast they would often fly off the habitrail. Usually they would land in the swamp, but twice I had them land directly in the right outlane?!? Would not recommend waxing the ramps.

Thing

My thing hand has always been noisy. After 200 or so games, it stopped working. I was able to take it apart, and realign the cranks (or whatever you call the two arms outside the assembly that join the motor and the rod that the hand is connected to). Basically it meant just loosening the set screw on the rectangular piece attached to the motor, making that piece parallel to the assembly again, and then tightening it.

Is there a long term fix for that? Would a new screw help? Or is it more likely that the pieces are worn and just won't stay put? It quit working after another 200 plays as well. Same thing fixed it.

Red Ramp

When a ball enters the gate at the bottom of the ramp, it makes a click and then you can hear a buzzing on the left hand side of the cabinet, under the play field. Sometimes if feels like this is Thing Flips getting queued up, but that shouldn't be happening when hitting the red ramp. Anyone know what this is?

Thanks for reading my tale of Pinball Discovery and Exploration, as told by a newbie.