Lord of the Rings

P i n b a l l   R u l e s h e e t   1 . 0

Written by Larry Scott - metallik@fuse.net (metallik on rec.games.pinball)

Special thanks to PBLWZRD - without his machine, this rulesheet wouldn't

have been written!

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(c) Feb 2004.   Permission granted to everyone to copy and use this

rulesheet an any manner, provided it retains this author and copyright

information.  Feel free to add to it, fix mistakes, etc.

This rulesheet covers the Lord of the Rings pinball machine manufactured

by Stern Pinball, Inc (http://www.sternpinball.com).  It is based off ROM

version 5.01, but may be updated for future releases.  Most of the rules

and scoring ae based off factory settings - many things can be altered

via the operator adjustments, so if your machine plays differently, it

may not be running factory settings.

=-=-=-=-=-=

NOTE!  Rather than edit one of the preliminary rulesheets that were

written a while ago, I figured it would be easier to just start fresh.

Too much new information, and I'm not that great at editing existing

works.

=-=-=-=-=-=

NOTE! AS OF 1.0 THIS RULESHEET IS INCOMPLETE - NO VALINOR INFORMATION IS

INCLUDED!  I have yet to get to this mode, and refuse to get to it

by "cheating" so it isn't included.  Anyone who HAS gotten to it is

free to add this information!

=-=-=-=-=-=

NOTE! There are almost certainly mistakes in this rulesheet!  Keith's

rules are incredibly complicated - many things affect scoring, some

of them quite subtle.  If you see a mistake, PLEASE POST so it can be

FIXED.  There also may be things MISSING (besides Valinor) - Feel free

to reply with these additions so they can be added!

=-=-=-=-=-=

NOTE!  This rulesheet contains SPOILERS!  Do not read it through unless

you want to SPOIL the thrill of discovery, ESPECIALLY if you just dropped

four grand on this machine for your home.  You can only learn the rules

to a game ONCE - after that you're just playing the same ol same ol.

Abbreviations:

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

FotR MB - Fellowship of the Ring Multiball

TTT MB - The Two Towers Multiball

RotK MB - Return of the Kinf Multiball.

PotD - the Paths of the Dead

VUK - Vertical Upkicker

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

  Playfield layout

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

Starting with the flippers and going clockwise:

Two flippers - Standard position.

Left slingshot - Standard position.

Left inlane - lights first E in K-E-E-P. Inlane/outlane divider post ships

with no rubber.  Rubber can be easily added, however. Also lights "Spot

Ring" target (see Rings).

Left outlane - lights K in K-E-E-P.  Has adjustable post on left side.

Games ship with post in highest (most difficult) position.

The Shire - Also known as Hobbiton. Big open area on left, similar to

Medieval Madness's Catapult shot.  Instead of a gate, this area is recessed

to keep shots in.  Balls can get here either from the playfield, or from

the Paths of the Dead.  Can be lit for Mystery (see Rings). Can award

Souls (see RotK MB).  Can award Sam (see FotR MB).

Left orbit - Shots here normally travel around the left orbit, across the

top of the playfield and into Barad-Dur (upper-right eject). During certain

modes, the game will raise a post to divert balls into Orthanc. Weak shots

will continue around, under Barad-Dur and around the right orbit. Weaker

shots fall into the O-R-C lanes.  Very wek shots fall into the Orthanc VUK

without the assistance of the post.  This shot can be lit for a Gift of the

Elves (see Gifts of the ELves), as well as Pippen (FotR MB).

Left ramp - Feeds left inlane via wireform.  This ramp awards Legolas

(FotR MB). Can be lit for a Ring (see Rings)

Orthanc Tower - VUK located behind left ramp.  Can be accessed via either

orbit (with help from a diverter post), or from the inner orbit shot if

the diverter is open.  This VUK feeds the Paths of the Dead.

Inner orbit - Shot located betweem the left ramp and the Ring ramp. Awards

Gandalf (FotR MB). Shots here normally travel around the right orbit. The

ball will usually lose a bit of momentum around the right side, but can

occasionally come around VERY quickly.  Weak shots will fall into the O-R-C

lanes.  The "made" switch for this shot is the gate just around the first

bend, so these weak shots count as successful inner orbits. Can be lit for a

Ring (see Rings).

Ring Ramp - Brass-plated metal ramp located roughly in the middle of the

playfield, slightly off-center to the left.  Has a spinner at the entrance.

This ramp extends over the inner orbit, and ends apprx 2 inches away from

the Ring in the backboard. Strong shots will jump the ramp and make it

into the Ring.  Weak shots will fall off the end of the ramp, into the

upper orbit area and into Barad-Dur or the O-R-C lanes. This shot awards

Frodo (FotR MB).

Balrog - Large red Balrog toy located in the middle of the playfield.

Normally is parked out of the way, between the Ring Ramp and Gollum's Cave.

During some modes, it will swing out and block the Ring Ramp.  Shots to the

Balrog MUST hit the center part of the figure - hitting the posts on

either side does not count.

The Ring - Large ring in the backboard.  This shot can only be made by

jumping the Ring Ramp into it. The Ring is equipped with a magnet that will

grab the ball - the spinner switch triggers the magnet for a brief time

to assist shots to the Ring.  This shot awards Frodo towards FotR MB.

The Ring also starts Modes (see Ring Modes). The magnet can drop the ball

either out the front (usually if the Ring wasn't lit for anything), or pull

it through the Ring, where it will exit to the right, down the Gollum

wireform and eventually to the right inlane.

Palantir - White target located to the right of the Ring Ramp.  Can award

mystery awards when lit (see Palantir).  Shots from the left flipper can

easily rebound SDTM.

Gollum's Cave - otherwise known as the Right VUK - this is the VUK located

between Palantir and the right ramp. Balls can get here either from the

flippers, or from the jet bumpers just above it.  Balls shot from the

flippers can asily go over the saucer and into the jets.  Rules for

scoring lit awards are as follows: If the ball enters from the flippers

and sticks, lit awards are scored.  If the ball is shot from the flippers,

goes through the VUK and into the jets, then back into the VUK, you get

the award.  You do NOT get the award if the ball arrives to the jets via

any orbit, Ring Ramp or Barad-Dur, and then goes into Gollum. This VUK

can be lit for Gollum Multiball, Extra Ball, Special, and Gimli (FotR MB).

It will also award "Super" modes (see Gollum's section).  This VUK feeds

the right ramp sword which feeds the right inlane.

Jet Bumpers - three of them, located under the O-R-C lanes and above

Gollum's Cave.  They have red flashers.  Scoring enough bumper hits will

award Boromir (FotR MB).

O-R-C lanes - Three rollover lanes above the jet bumpers.  Completing

O-R-C increases the bonus multiplier. Lit lanes can be rotated with the

flippers.

Barad-Dur - Eject hole located in the far upper-right of the playfield,

similar to Terminator 2. Has a model of Barad-Dur over it.  Can be shot

from the left orbit, or sometimes by luck as missed Ring shots dribble

down into it.  This re-lights Palantir and awards other bonuses

(see Barad-Dur).

Right ramp - otherwise known as the Sword Ramp or Aragorn. Shots here will

usually hit a target at the ramp U-turn, then come back down a reproduction

"sword" metalform. The "made" switch for this shot is under the hilt of

the sword, so the white target isn't essential to making this shot.  Can

award Aragorn (FotR MB), TTT MB locks and TTT MB start.  This ramp feeds

the right inlane.  The sword metalform holds locked balls with a nylon

post. If a ball is shot here when lock is not lit, and there are locked

balls held by the post, the game will release a locked ball as soon as the

first ball closes the "shot made" switch.  If there are locked balls here

and a ball comes from Gollum's wireform, the game will release a locked

ball as soon as the switch just below Gollum's VUK is made.  Be ready for

these releases.  Can be lit for a Ring (see Rings).

Right orbit - Shots here orbit around the left orbit and back to the

flippers.  Weak shots will fall into the O-R-C lanes or Orthanc. Awards

Merry (FotR MB).  Note that very weak shots that close the first switch,

then roll back and close the swich again will count as "made" and award

any lit items.  Bug?  Can be lit for a Ring (see Rings).

Spot Ring target - large white target along the side of the playfield,

below the right orbit.  Spots one Ring (Elf, Dwarf, Man) when lit.

Right slingshot - standad position.

Right outlane - Lights P in K-E-E-P.

Right inlane - Lights second E in K-E-E-P. No rubber here from the factory

on the divider post. Shots to the left orbit from a right inlane feed are

diverted to Orthanc.

Ring display - Just above the flippers, three concentric circles display

how many Elf, Dwarf and Man rings are collected.  See Rings for more

information.

Plunger lane - Auto/manual plunger.

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

  SKILL SHOTS

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

Skill shots are lit on any ball plunged to the shooter lane EXCEPT balls

saved by a ballsaver, and the plunge immediately after a successful Ring

destruction. There are three skill shots: lanes, tower and flipper:

Lane - Plunge the ball softly into the flashing O-R-C lane. Awards +5X

bonus multiplier if made.  Lit O-R-C lane can be moved via flippers.

Tower - plunge a bit stronger to drop the ball into Orthanc. This awards

250K plus 50K for each successive made tower skillshot. Also good

for a free trip to the PotD.

Flipper - Plunge strong to go all the way around the left orbit, then

shoot the right orbit from the flipper.  Good for 1.25M for the

first shot, increasing by ????? for successive shots.

---------

  RINGS

---------

  +-+--------------------------------------------------------+-+

  +-+                                                        +-+

  |       Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,       |

  |     Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,     |

  |             Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,             |

  |          One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne          |

  |        In the land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.        |

  |      One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,     |

  |  One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them  |

  |         In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.       |

  +-+                                                        +-+

  +-+--------------------------------------------------------+-+

Collecting Rings:

Four shots (left and right ramps, inner orbit and right orbit) have three

Ring inserts each, one for Elf, one for Dwarf and one for Man. While no

modes or multiballs are in effect (except Gollum MB), each of these shots

will have one of the three inserts lit. Hitting that shot will award one

Ring of the type that was lit, and light all other shots for a short combo

attempt to collect two more of the ring type just collected.  Example:

Player shoots left ramp, which is lit for a Dwarf Ring.  This adds one

Dwarf Ring, and lights every shot (via the red arrows) for two more Dwarf

Rings.  The combo attempt times out after a few seconds, at which point

various Rings will again be lit at each of the four shots.  When lighting

Ring, the game tends to favor Rings the player needs more.  Hitting the

"Spot Ring" target will award one rin of random type.  The left inlane

will re-light this target - it remains lit until collected. Combo rings

score increasing values, depending on the type of Ring.

Note: if Mode Start is not lit, hitting the center Ring shot will award

one Elf Ring.

Ring Awards:  Collecting all Rings of a type (3 Elf, 7 Dwarf, 9 Man) will

award the following:

Elves: Lights Mode Start at center Ring shot (see Modes)

Dwarves: Lights MYSTERY at the Shire (see Mystery)

Man: Lights Gollum Multiball at Gollum's Cave. (see Gollum MB)

Once an award is lit, Rings of that type can still be collected, but they

simply award points until the lit award itself is collected, which resets

the Ring count of that type.  If you combo a Ring type that you have

already completed, some shots will be lit for combos but for other

Ring types instead.

Ring Frenzy:

Collecting all of each Ring type at least once (3 Elven, 7 Dwarven and

9 Man) will start Ring Frenzy.  This is a single-ball hurryup mode with

the following shots and rules:  Each of the three inserts at each of the

four Ring shots will begin pulsing, the main Ring shot up the middle

is lit for Jackpot, and a ten-second timer starts.  Each shot to any of

the four Ring shots collects an insert and lights it solid, awarding

100K for the first insert, 125K for the second and 150K for the

third. Collecting any insert also resets the ten-second timer.

These points are also added to the main Ring jackpot, which starts

at 600K.  Completing all three inserts on any shot "finishes" that shot,

and increases the main Jackpot multiplier by one, to a maximum of 5 (all

four shot sets complete).  Shooting the main Ring collects the Jackpot at

whatever value and multiplier it was increased to, and ends Ring Frenzy.

Note that it is possible to have all Rings lit in the LED display, but not

get Ring Frenzy.  How is this so?  Each collection of Man, Dwarf and Elf

rings counts towards only one Frenzy. Once Frenzy has been awarded, EACH

of the corresponding playfield Ring awards (Gollum MB, Mystery and Mode Start)

MUST be re-collected to reset that race's Ring count.  Frenzy will not be

awarded until ALL rings are recollected - lit rings from the "last" Frenzy

that haven't been reset by collecting the playfield award will not count.

Ring Bonus:  The spinner on the main Ring ramp increases the Ring Bonus

1000 points per spin. Shooting the main Ring when it is not lit for a mode

will award this bonus.  Ring Bonus normally resets after each ball, but some

mystery awards will hold it.

---------

  MODES

---------

Six modes are listed on the plastic surrounding the center Ring, two from

each of the three movies. Hitting either flipper will change the currently

selected mode.  If Mode Start is lit on the center shot (from three Elf

rings), shooting the Ring starts the currently selected mode.  The game

will hold the ball in the Ring while the mode intro is displayed, although

occasionally the ball will escape and fall onto the playfield during the

intro.  Any mode intro can be aborted by the flippers.  Modes are exclusive -

only one can run at a time.  Once it is finished, the player must collect

three Elf rings to re-light Mode Start.  After the into is displayed, the

ball is sucked through the Ring, eventually fed to the right inlane.

Completing a mode successfully will light a Gift of the Elves (see Elf Gifts)

Modes are as follows:

Escape the Ringwraiths:

This mode is a hurryup mode. During the entire mode. two shots are always

lit - the current 'destination' and the right ramp. 1,000,000 appears on the

screen and quickly begins to count down.  The player must hit the flashing

'destination' shot before this countdown expires.  Shooting the right ramp

(always lit) at any time adds approximately 200,000 to the countdown.

Shooting the flashing 'destination' shot completes it and awards the current

countdown value, then adds approximately 200,000 to the value and lights the

next 'destination' shot.  The shots are:  right VUK, inner orbit, left ramp,

and finally the right ramp to finish.  If the countdown bottoms out

at 200,000, the mode ends unsuccessfully.  There is a short grace period at

the end of this countdown.

Gandalf vs Saruman:

Help Gandalf battle Saruman.  Both ramps begin lit - the player must shoot

four ramp shots, scoring 250K, 500K, 750K and 1M.  Any ramp shot

immediately following a previous ramp shot scores double, so the last three

could possibly be 1M, 1.5M and 2M. After these four shots, Orthanc will be

lit for 1.25M.  Next, a roving shot will light, starting at Gollum's Cave.

This shot is worth 1.5M.  Finally, Orthanc will re-light to finish the mode

for 2M. A 30 second timer runs - if this timer expires, the mode ends

unsuccessfully.

Warg Battle:

This mode begins with another 30 second timer, and the left ramp lit.

Shooting the left ramp awards 200K, kills a Warg, then lights all seven main

shots (excluding The Shire), for Wargs.  Each shot kills one Warg and unlights

that shot.  Warg values increase 100K each successful shot.  Kill all Wargs

to finish successfully.  If the timer expires, the mode ends unsuccessfully.

War of the Ents:

Shoot Orthanc to help the Ents flood Saruman's orc factory. Both outer

orbits and the inner orbit are lit (the inner orbit diverter opens up to allow

shots directly into Orthanc).  Outer orbit shots score 750K, while shots

directly to the Tower are worth 500K. Shoot six shots into Orthanc to win.

Note that this mode is a great way to collect Souls, as each Orthanc shot

is fed to the Paths of the Dead. Once again, a 30 second timer runs; if time

expires, the player loses the battle, and the mode.

Attack of Shelob:

Don't let Frodo become spider food! Three shots will light on the left side

of the playfield - left orbit, left ramp and the inner orbit.  Hit any of

these to score 500K. Now, three shots light on the right - Gollum's cave,

right ramp and right orbit.  Shoot any of these for another 500K.  Now, the

lit shots move back to the left, less the shot you just hit. Either of the two

remaining shots are worth 750K and switch sides back to the right, again less

the shot you hit the first time.  Score either right-side shot for 750K, at

which point your last left-side shot lights for 1M. Shoot it, then the

remaining right-side shot for 1M to kill the spider and win the mode.  At all

times, Shelob is chasing Frodo on the display, slowly gaining on our poor

Hobbit.  Scoring a lit shot will give Frodo more breathing room.  If too much

time elapses between scoring lit shots, Shelob catches Frodo, enjoys a warm

meal, and the mode ends unsuccessfully.

Kill the Witchking:

This mode requires left ramp/right ramp combos to win.  The left ramp will be

lit.  Shooting it lights the right ramp for a combo for a few seconds. If the

right ramp is hit within this time period, a hit is scored on the Witchking.

If not, the light times out and the left rmp is re-lit.  Four combos total

are required to kill him. Left ramp shots score 500K, right ramp combo shots

score 1M.  There is no limit to the number of left ramp shots that can be

scored, but no progress is made towards finishing the mode unless the

followup right ramp shot is made.  30 seconds are given to complete this - if

time runs out, the mode ends unsuccessfully.

Completing a mode, successfully or unsuccessfully, will light its

corresponding lamp on the Ring solidly, and that mode cannot be played again.

When all six modes are complete, all Ring lamps begin to slowly strobe.

Shooting Mode Start now will begin the final mode...

There and Back Again:

Time to reminisce on all that has transpired on this long and grand adventure.

Or, more precisely, the six modes we just completed. Once the ball is

returned to play, the Ring will be lit and the mode lamps begin to

cycle quickly.  Shooting the Ring scores 1M and "locks in" the lit mode. All

six main shots (less the Ring) are now lit.  Shoot any lit shot to collect

the total points you had originally completed the mode with.  I.E. If you

finished Ents with 6.25M, you will score 6.25M from any lit shot when Ents

are locked in. After scoring the mode total, the Ring relights for another

mode, with the completed one now lit solidly and excluded from the cycle.

Also, the shot used to score that mode total is now cleared and unavailable for

future modes during TaBA - only five shots will be lit for the next attempt.

As each shot is "used up", it becomes more difficult to score mode totals

after each Ring shot. Completing all six modes and shooting the Ring one last

time ends There and Back Again, awards 5M and lights a Gift of the Elves. A 60

second timer runs, and seems not to stop when the ball is hung up in the Jets,

so work quickly.

STACKING:

As was said above, all modes are exclusive - none can run with another.

However, any mode can be stacked with Gollum MB or one of the movie

multiballs.  To stack with a movie multiball, the mode must be started

before the multiball.  During the multiball, all of the red arrows will be

used for the multiball jackpot shots, so the player MUST know what shots to

hit for the mode, as there will be no playfield indications.  Timers also will

not be displayed, being trumped by multiball animations, however as the mode

comes to an end, the game will still yell out the countdown as appropriate.

Once a movie multiball has been started, no modes can be started until the

MM is finished.  Stacking with Gollum is easier, as modes can be started

even after Gollum is started, and Gollum doesn't pre-empt the shot displays.

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

  MOVIE MULTIBALLS

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

There are three main multiballs in the game, each based upon one of the three

stories: Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and Return of the King. Each

one requires different steps to qualify, and each has its own rules. Progress

towards qualifying any multiball is completely independant of the other, and

they can be started in any order.  The three multiball inserts by the flippers

show the status of each.  Off = not qualified yet, blinking = qualified, ready

to start, lit solidly = completed (successfully or not).  Finishing all three

multiballs (successfully or not) lights "Destroy the Ring" - the main goal

of the game.  It is possible to play multiple instances of any movie multiball

before starting Destroy the Ring, and indeed, it will usually take several

attempts to complete each multiball's goal.  Progress made in any multiball

is carried over to subsequent instances of that multiball.  However, it does

become more difficult to qualify each successive multiball (see notes for each).

Add-A-Ball:

During any movie multiball, lighting Palantir during the MB and then collecting

it will usually give Add-A-Ball.  This puts one additional ball into play, up

to four (if the player hasn't lost any).  This award is pseudo-random - you will

USUALLY get it within the first or second Palantir, but occasionally not.

No ballsaver comes with this extra ball, however, balls drained SDTM *right* as

the new ball is ejected will usually be returned to play as well.

Fellowship of the Ring:

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

Qualifying:

This multiball is qualified by collecting each member of the Fellowship, then

shooting Barad Dur to start. White Fellowship member lamps are arrayed across

the middle of the playfield.  Off means that member is not yet eligible to

be collected, flashing means they can be collected by shooting the appropriate

shot (see playfield description), lit solid indicates they are already

collected.  At game start, all members are flashing, ready to be collected.

Future FotR multiballs have only some members flashing - only a couple are

eligible for collection at any one time.  Once all are collected, the whole

line begins to strobe slowly and the left orbit is lit to start the multiball.

Note that any ball that inds its way into Barad Dur will start the multiball,

so a missed Ring shot that dribbles into the eject is just as good as a left

orbit shot.

Playing:

This is a two-part multiball, however, most games will have the Cave Troll

sequence disabled, as that is the factory setting.  If the multiball starts

with "This isn't a mine...  it's a tomb!   Orcs!!", Cave Troll is enabled

and you get both parts.  If it starts "A Balrog...  This foe is beyond any of

us...   RUN!" then that machine has Cave Troll disabled and you don't get to

see any of that - skip agead to "Balrog" below.

Cave Troll: Once balls are put into play, all shots will be lit for Jackpot

and a ballsaver is active.  It takes 5 Jackpots to kill the Troll. On the

first FotR MB of a game, these Jackpots are worth 00K (?), 250K, 500K, 750K

and finally 2.5M (and one dead Troll). Later FotR multiballs have each Troll

jackpot worth 1M. Once the Troll is dead, Balrog mode begins.  A ballsaver

runs throughout this initial Troll mode.  If the player drains too many balls

or takes too long to kill the troll, the game advances to the Balrog sequence

anyway, with no furthur Troll jackpots available.

Balrog: Gandalf will announce the presence of the Balrog and suggest flight.

The glowing Balrog swings out to block the Ring ramp, and the battle begins.

The player must first hit the Balrog (500K), then shoot either ramp to get

one member of the Fellowship across the bridge (750K). Repeat eight times

to rescue all Fellowship members except Gandalf, who will always be the last.

On this ninth Balrog hit (YOU.. SHALL.. NOT.. PASS!!!), the Balrog is

destroyed and the multiball ends successfully. Victory laps are now available

(see Victory Laps). Killing the Balrog is worth 5M and lights a Gift of the

Elves. Hits to the Balrog while it is unlit (ramps lit instead) are worth

100K each.

The Two Towers

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

Qualifying:

This multiball is qualified by spelling K-E-E-P with the bottom lanes to light

Sword Locks, then locking three balls on the Sword (right) Ramp. On the first

multiball, locks can be stacked (multiple K-E-E-Ps completed before locking a

ball).  Subsequent multiballs require each lock to be lit, then collected

before the next lock can be lit.  Locks are not virtual - balls are actually

kept on the sword. Locks ARE remembered, however, in case other multiballs

empty the Sword.  No stealing other player's locks here.  Note that K-E-E-P

letters can only be collected during normal play - any multiball or special

mode "locks" the letters and prevents any more from being collected. If,

during regular play, you have all four letters lit, that means you must

lock a ball before the next set can be collected.  On the first multiball, if

all four stay lit, that means you already have all three locks qualified.

Playing:

"A new power is rising...  TO WAR!!"  Multiball begins with a base jackpot

value, and two available multipliers.  First, the number of balls in play

determines if it is a regular Jackpot (2 balls in play), Double Jackpot

(three balls) or Triple Jackpot (4 balls, via Gollum MB stack or Add-A-Ball).

Next, the jackpot is multiplied by its "number".  All shots begin lit for

Jakpot.  As each is collected, it goes out and the number is increased by one.

"Double Jackpot ONE!  Double Jackput TWO!  Double Jackpot THREE!" .. etc.

As long as the player keeps hitting Jackpots one after another, the number

keeps increasing, up to seven (the last lit Jackpot). If the player delays

more than three seconds between collecting Jackpots, the number resets back

to one and all Jackpots relight.  The base value is first multiplied by 2 or 3,

depending on the number of balls in play, then by its number, so a "Triple

Jackpot 5", for example, is 15X.

The base value of the Jackpot depends on how far through th battle you've

progressed.  It starts at 100K, then increases to 112.5K during Ladders, then

125K after the wall is breached, and finally 137.5K while falling back to

the keep.  Progress through the battle by scoring Jackpots. Doubled and Tripled

Jackpots advance faster - approximately 7 Triples, 14 Doubles or 21 Singles

are required to progress to each new stage of the Battle of Helms Deep.

At the end of the last "Fall Back" stage, all Jackpots go out and the

center Ring is lit for a Super Jackpot.  The value of the Super is determined

by how many points are collected during the battle - I do not know the exact

formula, but the better you do during the battle, the higher the Super. Average

values are from 1.5M to 2.5M. Collecting the Super lights two more Supers

at the inner orbit and Gollum Cave.  After collecting one of these two, the

other is available for a few more seconds, at which point it is forfeited and

the next two Supers light, one on ech ramp.  Same rule - after collecting one,

you have about 5 seconds to get the other before it times out.  Finally,

the two orbits are lit for Supers.  Same rule, get one then the other before it

times out. Victory Laps are now available (see Victory Laps) and the battle

is effectively over.

Scoring the first Super Jackpot finishes the multiball successfully and

lights one Gift of the Elves.

The Return of the King

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

Qualifying:

This multiball is qualified by collecting 5000 Souls from the Paths of the

Dead.  Any time the ball falls into the Orthanc VUK during regular play (not

during a multiball or special mode), it is kicked up onto the Paths of the

Dead for soul collection.  Four green lights are lit on the backboard, each

corresponding to one of the four switches on the Paths.  These lights will

either be off, lit or flashing.  Off = 100 souls, lit = 250 and flashing is

worth 500.  As of v5.00, if the ball falls into the Shire, the player is

awarded 300 souls plus 50 more each trip to the Paths.  Balls falling onto

the wireform earn no extra Souls.  Once 5000 souls are collected, Orthanc,

Barad Dur and Gollum's Cave are qualified to start RotK MB.

The green lights on the Paths of the Dead are controlled two ways:  Any white

playfield target will advance one light one step (i.e. off to lit, lit to

flashing), up to a maximum of four flashing lights.  These targets are:

the target in the back of the Shire, the target in the back of the right

ramp, Palantir and Spot Ring.  They add lights regardless whether they are

lit for their normal awards.  Also, the jet bumpers re-arrange the order of

the lamps (obviously no effect if they're all lit the same).

Playing:

This multiball is divided into stages, with four Jackpots per stage. The four

Ring shots are always used for the four Jackpots - left ramp, inner orbit,

right ramp and right orbit.  Each will be lit with one to four lamps (the red

arrow plus one to three of the Ring inserts). Single lamp shots are regular

Jackpots, two lamps are Double Jackpots, three lamps means Triple Jackpot and

four lamps score a 4X Jackpot. Base Jackpot value is 250K, plus 50K for each

level completed - scoring all four Jackpots advances one level. Also, and very

important, collecting Jackpots IN ORDER will increase the base multiplier by

one for the next level.  I.E. If you collect the Jackpot, Double, Triple and

4X in that order on the first level, the second level will have 2x, 3x, 4x and

5x multipliers for the four Jackpots.  Collect those in order (lowest to

highest) and level three will have 3x, 4x, 5x and 6x.  Messing up one level

doesn't prevent increasing multipliers on later levels - you just don't get

any advancement for *that* level.

There are seven levels total.  After getting the last Jackpot of the seventh

level, all four shots relight for Super Jackpots - 1M each multiplied by

whatever you've managed to push the multipliers up to by then.  After

collecting these four Supers, Victory Laps are enabled (see Victory Laps).

Clearing Level 7 also lights one Gift of the Elves.

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

  Victory Laps

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

Upon completing any movie multiball, Victory Laps are enabled.  All 7 main

shots are lit for laps.  First is worth 500K, next is 550K, next is 600K,

etc.  As each shot is collected, it goes out - shooting the center Ring will

relight all shots and the value resets back to the base value (500K). If you

can collect all seven Laps before shooting the Ring to relight them, the base

value is increased 50K for all subsequent sets of Laps - first is 550K, second

is 600K, etc. This continues until the player drains back to one ball.

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

  Gollum Multiball

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

Gollum Multiball is qualified by collecting nine Rings of Man (see Rings).

Shoot Gollum's Cave when it is lit to begin Gollum MB.  Gollum cannot be

started during any Movie Multiball, nor can it be during special modes

such as Ring Multiball or Destroy the Ring.  It CAN be started during any

regular mode.  Gollum is a NON-exclusive multiball - anything that was running

before you started it will continue to run, modes and movie multiballs can be

started, souls collected, etc.  Gollum Multiball simply does two things:

1. Adds a ball into play.  During regular play, you now have two balls with

which you can score things.  Very handy for clearing some modes.  If a

movie multiball is started, you get four balls instead of three - also very

handy!

2. Alters ALL scoring based on the following pattern: Every seven seconds,

Gollum changes to Smaegol, and vice versa.  If Gollum is up, all scores are

HALVED(!).  If Smaegol is up, all scores are DOUBLED.  This is on top of

any other multiplier or modifier that could be applied to the scoring in

question, and affects ALL scoring, regardless of source (except Bonus, of

course).

Mathematically, Gollum MB is good overall, as the player will get scores

of 1.25x normal on average.  Skillful play (timing things so big scores are

achieved during Smaegol phases) can signifigantly increase scoring.

Note that on current software (5.01), Gollum MB cannot be achieved if RotK

MB is qualified, as Gollum's Cave starts RotK instead of Gollum MB.  If you

want to stack these, start Gollum BEFORE qualifying RotK.

Ressurecting movie multiballs:  If you just drained back to one ball after

a movie multiball, and Gollum MB is lit, you can "ressurect" that movie

multiball by starting Gollum MB *before* the final musical fanfare signifying

the end of the movie MB is played (this fanfare is accompanyed by a screen

showing your total points for the multiball).  There is about a 5 second

grace period between the end of the multiball music and displays, and the

actual "end" of the multiball, during which Gollum will "ressurect" the movie

MB with two ball play.

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

  Gollum's Cave Awards

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

Shots to Gollum's Cave are counted, and "Super" awards are given at specified

intervals.  "Super" awards increase scoring on a particular game feature. They

are, in order of being awarded:

Super Spinner: each spin is worth 15K

Super Pops: each jet hit is worth 20K

Super Ramps: each ramp is worth 250K

Super Loops: each loop is worth 250K

Super Everything: each switch is worth 10K

After going through the cycle, the number of cave shots required for each

award is increased by one, and the cycle begins again (on the next ball).

Initially, every three shots gives a Super award... after one cycle, four

shots are needed for each, etc.  "Super" points are always scored, regardless

of what modes are running.

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

  Barad Dur awards

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

Shooting Barad Dur (either via the left orbit, or by a ball bouncing in from

a missed Ring shot) will increment the Tower Hit count by one, and awards are

given out at certain intervals - 3rd hit, 7th, 12th and every 5th from there

onward.  Hold Ring Bonus is the first award per ball, with future awards

usually being 2M each.  Light Extra Ball is always awarded at a certain

interval (operator adjustable, usually the seventh hit).

Shootign Barad Dur also re-lights Palantir if it is unlit.

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

  Palantir

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

When lit, the white Palantir target will give helpful awards when it is shot.

These awards are pseudo-random, but the game does a good job of giving out

awards that are particularily helpful for the current game situation. Example:

"Add-A-Ball" during a multiball, "Add 10 Seconds" if a mode is in danger of

timing out, "10 Second Ball Saver" during Destroy the Ring, etc.

Some examples of Palantir Awards:

Spot Fellowship member

Spot Keep Letter

Spot one Ring  (dwarf/elf/man)

Spot 500 Souls

Add-A-Ball

10 second Ball-Saver

Add 30 Seconds (to 2x Scoring)

Add 100K to Bonus

Add 3 Bonus Multipliers

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

  Gifts of the Elves

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

Gifts of the Elves are valuable awards that the player gets when any mode or

multiball is completed successfully. They are lit at the left orbit and

collected at Barad Dur.  Multiple Gifts can be queued up, but only one can

be collected at any time.  The six orange inserts near the left orbit

indicate which Gift is ready to be collected (blinking), which ones have

already been collected (lit solid) and which remain to be collected (off).

You can change the flashing Gift by hitting the white target in the back of

The Shire.

The gifts are as follows:

Light Extra Ball:  Does exactly what it says - lights Extra Ball at Gollum's

cave.  On factory settings, this lit EB is remembered if you drain the current

ball in play.

Ring Multiball: Begins Ring Multiball.  This is a special, exclusive multiball

mode with one simple goal: shoot the center Ring repeatedly.  This shot awards

a 600K jackpot, increasing 50K for each sucessive shot (to a max of 1M).

Palantir can award Add-A-Ball during this multiball, and it can be stacked on

a mode as long as the mode is started before collecting the Gift.

Light Special: Again, does exactly that: lights Special at Gollum's Cave. This

is remembered under factory settings.

Big Points: Awards 5M points instantly...

2X Scoring:  Doubles ALL scoring for 60 seconds.  This is on top of ALL other

multipliers that may be in effect (Gollum, TTT multipliers, RotK multipliers,

etc. etc.)  Nothing is excluded.  Collecting Palantir during this mode will

oftentimes add 30 seconds to the double-scoring timer.

Super Ring Frenzy: Starts Ring Frenzy, which operates exactly like a regular

Ring Frenzy, except the scoring is higher:  each shot now earns 225K, 250K

and 275K, and the base Jackpot start at 1M. Timers and multipliers behave

the same as a regular Frenzy.

-----------

  Mystery

-----------

Mystery is lit at The Shire by collecting seven Dwarf rings.  Getting the ball

into the Shire via the playfield (not the Paths of the Dead) will collect the

mystery award and reset the Dwarf Rings. Mystery awrds can be pretty

lucrative - be sure to collect them whenever you can.  Note, however, that

Mystery will often start movie multiballs that are close to being qualified, so

if that is something you do NOT want to happen, avoid this shot until you're

ready.

Examples of Mystery Awards:

Start Fellowship (multiball)

Start Two Towers (multiball)

Start Return of the King (multiball)

Spot 1000 Souls

Max Paths of the Dead (all lamps 500 souls)

Add 100K to Bonus

Medium Points (1M)

Light Extra Ball

Ad 5X Bonus

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

  Destroy the Ring

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

Once all three movie multiballs have been played, the center Ring shot is

qualified for Destroy the Ring (no modes can be started until this is

collected).  This is a three-stage mode.  First, the ball will be returned

to play, and the four Ring shots (left ramp, inner orbit, right ramp, right

orbit) are all lit.  Each must be collected, to the tune of 1M, 1.5M, 2M and

2.5M.  Now, the Ring re-lights.  Shoot it for 3M, and it will grab the ball

and hold it while the game autoplunges a new ball.  For the final stage, you

must knock the captured ball out of the Ring.  Doing this will destroy the

Ring (and poor Gollum), scoring 5M points, and cause the machine to go nuts

in celebration as both balls drain (you get your ball back).  Destroying the

Ring also lights one Gift of the Elves, and (as of ver 5.01), displays a

hint towards achieving Valinor Multiball.  Once finished, a ball is served

to the plunger and the movie multiballs that were solidly lit go out.

If you drain during any stage of Destroy the Ring, the mode ends and you get

nothing except any points you may have already scored in it.  Bummer.

Malfunctions:  It is possible to win Destroy the Ring early, if the shot to

the Ring after the initial four shots is strong enough to go THROUGH the ring

without being grabbed - this immediately ends the mode successfully.  It is

also possible to get both balls stuck in the Ring - if this happens, a

ballsearch will drop both, and if either drains, you lose the mode. Not

good.  Usually, things work as intended.

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

  Valinor Multiball

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

To be continued....  :)

Bugs, scoring tips and other hints to come....!