From: ls2r+@andrew.cmu.edu (Lui Sieh)
Subject: Spoiler! Long (was Re: Diner strategy?)
Date: 3 Dec 90 18:36:45 GMT

Excerpts From Captions of netnews.rec.games.pinball:
 3-Dec-90  Diner strategy?                Gregory M. Paris@rayssd. (415)
>I've had a few opportunities lately to play the game Diner (at airports
>and such), but haven't hit on an effective strategy for winning.  Should
>I run into one of these games again, I'd like to be able to do a little
>better.  Anyone familiar with this game want to provide a summary of the
>best strategy you've found?  If so, please post.

Here is a strategy that was not developed by me but by a collective of people
playin on our campus DINER game.  Credit probably goes to TEC for developing
it fully.  He was the person who got 55 Mil on it (as well as several 45 Mils
on it)

The following strategy however, may become very mechanical and other issues
which relate to strategy will be subject to another post.

1)  Always go and lock the ball.  Hit the right rmap shot to raise the left
ramp in order to lock.

2) lock the ball and release it.  You can release through using either the
"normal" release shot (looks like the Gorby shot on Taxi) or use the "hole"
shot on the side (looks like the planet shot on PinBot) to get the Diner
special start-multi ball.  (I don't think the words are right but you get
the idea I hope).

3)  With multi-ball try to thrash alot and knock down the targets to collect
the people in order to light Dine-Time jackpot shot.  It is *not* important
to light the 500K ramp shots to get points that way.

4)  Repeat above 3

Deviations to this above outline:

I also make use of the Grill shot (looks like the Taxi one too).  That shot
is worth collectively more than 2.5 Mil.  By hitting down one set of targets
you light Grill shot worth 100K 250K 500K and 1500K (1.5 M).  You can get a
free game just on this strategy alone if for some reason you have a hard
time getting the ramp shots down.

It is nice also to fill in E-A-T to help light the food shots on the ramps
since it will help you get to the DINE TIME jackpot sooner but again it isn't
all that important because with multi-ball those targets will fall fast with
two balls in play.

Finally, the cup shot with the 10X shot is the one shot *not* to shoot for.
It is not worth it when using the above strategy.  The problem with that shot
is that once you get it, you will have to hit the right ramp shot another 5
times in order to enable lock which as I have stated and will state again is
the *primary* purpose in a game because it will represent the most points and
the fastest way to get points and replay score.  That cup shot depending on
the game's condition will be worth up to 3.1 M or a mere 500 or 750K.  With
these points it will not be worth it for losing the ability to play multiball
which is worth much more.

In this case, I don't agree with David Tate in a previous article about DINER
and how to play it.  The left ramp is rather important because it will light
the extra ball (the Grill shot) and also advance DINE TIME jackpot as will
lighting the E-A-T since this will light the advance the jackpot in the inner
lanes.  The right ramp again is important because it enables lock rather than
for the 10X cup shot.  So, while it is true that DINER's multiball does not
lead directly to a jackpot shot per se, it will help immeasurably in knocking
down the targets in order to light the jackpot shot.

I hope this was rather clear.  If not, send some e-mail

BTW, the above strategy ought to give you an average between 5-7 Million
points.  Should be plenty for airport games.  Mileage will vary due to skill
and accounting for "off days".  And if you find it becoming  "mechanical"
then vary when boredome sets in.

-Lui

ls2r+@andrew.cmu.edu