Vector is copyright Bally 1982. If you have any questions, comments, updates, or anything else, please feel free to e-mail me.

Playfield Layout

As usual, I'll start at the bottom and work my way around clockwise. The playfield is somewhat unusual, which will make things hard to describe. This game has dual playfields like Black Knight, where ramps are actually just
inclined metal planes. Semi-unusual outlane configuration.

Inside left lane
Makes a path for the ball to go through the outlane or the collect bonus saucer.

Collect Bonus Saucer (left)
A ball bouncing around in the outlane might end up here. Located on the outside of the inside left lane. The game can usually be nudged to get the ball here, saving the ball. It shoots the ball to the right flipper on a correctly adjusted game.

Outside left lane
'C' shaped, feeds the ball to the flipper.

Defender drop targets
6 drop targets, in 2 rows of 3 each. These drop targets block access to the Vectorscan ramp.

Upper Left Flipper
Small size, can be used to hit upper defender targets (off a rebound), HYPE targets, or to send the ball to the upper playfield.

Vectorscan ramp
The main objective of the game. It loops around the edge of the game, like an inclined orbit. At the end of the ramp, the ball is caught in the first energy storage pod. This ramp is timed.

Energy Storage Pods
3 saucers. The first saucer can either kick the ball back into the play to the upper right flipper, or send the ball down to the second saucer. This second saucer will, in turn, send the ball to the third capture saucer. The third saucer releases balls for multiball.

Upper Right Flipper
Standard size, located on the upper playfield. Its only function is to hit the XYZ targets.

XYZ drop targets
Hit by the upper right flipper. Due to their close proximity to the flipper, these targets tend to fail easily.

Right ramp
Sends the ball from the lower playfield to the upper playfield, hitting a target that increases value each time it is hit.

Middle ramp
Also sends the ball from the lower playfield to the upper playfield (but more commonly, visa-versa), but does not score any points.

Middle-Left ramp
Only shot from the plunger. 'C' shaped, and feeds to the upper playfield.

HYPE targets
4 targets which have many functions. Between the right and middle
ramps.

Right outlane
Standard shape. If ball bounces right (or nudged), a ball headed down this lane can be nudged into the Right Bonus Saucer.

Right inlane
Standard, shoots the ball to the left flipper if properly aligned.

Right Bonus Saucer
Same as the left bonus saucer, but a bit of a different configuration. This bonus saucer is located on the inside of the outlane. A ball can be easily nudged into this saucer when it is heading down the outlane.

Flippers
Same old flippers.

Plunger
Standard plunger. A ball coming out of the plunger lane will be fed into the playfield (like LW3, JP, T2...), and up the middle-left ramp, which will feed the ball to the upper right flipper.

Rules

We'll start with basic rules and gameplay, then move on to Vector specific rules.

NOTE: This game has three (3) types of bonuses. The Vectorscan bonus is what is displayed on the 6-digit display under the playfield. The bonus score is what is displayed with the blue bonus inserts. The Vectorscan RAMP bonus is shown by the lights along the Vectorscan lane. These will be discussed later.

NOTE 2: The Vectorscan ramp timer is not complex at all. As soon as the ball begins the ramp, a timer is started from 1000 and counts down to 0 very quickly. The faster the ball reaches the end of the ramp, the better the time, and the better the score (1000 times the first two digits of the speed).

Skill-shot
In theory, the skill shot is to send the ball up the middle-left ramp at the proper trajectory, sending the ball back down the right ramp (the ramp with the scoring target). In reality, most all balls will hit H on the HYPE targets on the way up, invalidating the skill-shot. I'm not even sure that the skill shot awards any extra points (anyone know?)

Bonus multipliers
Drop all 3 XYZ targets to advance bonus multipliers. On liberal, with every completion of XYZ, the game awards Bonus X, then 25K, then special (2X, 3X, 5X, 25K, Special). On conservative, the game lights the next award on one completion, then awards it the next completion. Also, depending on the game settings, this certain special can be awarded once per game, or alternate between 25K and Special. If the 3 targets are dropped in order, one Defender drop target is scored and dropped.

Defender Drop targets
On game start, the top row of 3 targets resets. If that row is completed IN ORDER, the Vectorscan ramp is then lit for a lock. If it is completed out of order, the lower 3 drop targets reset. Depending on settings, the lower targets can never reset after completing the top 3, reset depending on the order of completion, or always reset. Certain other game features drop these targets.

Inlanes (those that feed to the flippers)
These score 1 Bonus light, 3K on Vectorscan bonus, and drop 1 Defender drop target when both inlanes are passed through.

Bonus Saucers
Award the bonus lights, but no multipliers are taken into effect.

HYPE Targets
When scored IN ORDER, these targets light all of the Vectorscan Ramp bonus lights (the lights on the Vectorscan lane), and increase the Vectorscan bonus multiplier. When scored out of order, the targets award one Vectorscan Ramp bonus light. Each target adds one to the Bonus lights. If a ball is or balls are locked, then completing HYPE in order releases the locked balls. If it is ball 5, however, then completing HYPE in any order releases only one ball. (Multiball can also be started from hitting a lit Vectorscan ramp 3 times.)

Vectorscan ramp
This is the biggie. If the ramp is not lit, the game will award a score depending on how fast the ball travelled through the ramp (it may not award that score depending on certain settings). The ball will then be
kicked out to the upper right flipper. If the ramp is lit, the game will award the Vectorscan flip speed score, and will lock the ball. After 3 hits to a lit vectorscan ramp, multiball begins. During multiball, the Vectorscan ramp functions as an effective Jackpot. This is especially true if all the Vectorscan Ramp bonus lights are lit from completing HYPE in order. During this time, all balls hit through the Vectorscan ramp are kicked out to the upper
right flipper.

Vectorscan flip speed
If a flip speed is higher than the fastest flip speed recorded, one replay is awarded (operator adjustable). If it is faster than 750 (or 800 on hard), then one outlane special is lit and an Extra Ball is
awarded.

Bonus lights (blue)
1-9,10,20. Maximum is 39. If this is reached, a Special is awarded.

End-of-ball bonus
First the Vectorscan bonus is tallied, then the Bonus lights are tallied. Both of these are done with multipliers in effect. The Vectorscan Ramp bonus is NOT scored, as this bonus only applies to shooting the Vectorscan ramp. Depending on game settings, either one of these bonuses can reset ball to ball, or can count up through the whole game.

Quotes

I am always amazed at the amount of quotes the game has, so I don't particularly want to go through every one and state where it occurs, so I'll just list the quotes. If you really want to know where they come from, e-mail me.

"I am a P.A.C...Play Analysis Computer...For your Vector game plan"
"Vector"
"Take aim, rookie"
"Shoot for Vectorscan"
"Great shot"
"Incredible shot"
"New Vectorscan record"
"Energy stored"
"Macro power"
"Offense released"
"Defense in position"
"Defenders down"
"Great save"
"Resume play"
"Hit the showers"

There are other quotes that are on the sound ROMs that are either not in the game or there's a totally new section of rules I haven't discovered. If you know where these occur, please e-mail me.

"Welcome to Vectordome"
"Stand by for Vectorscan"
"Super shot"
"Shoot for HYPE targets"
"Period completed"
"Strategy changed"
"Shoot for Z" ***Note: I recently heard this quote while playing the game. As soon as the ball entered the plunger lane, this quote was heard. Maybe it was a secret skill shot? If anyone can help, contact me.***

Tips

Vectorscan, vectorscan, vectorscan. That's where the points are. Here's my strategy:

1. Drop all the Defender drop targets
2. Capture 2 balls.
(Do these two in the first ball and you're set)
3. Increase Bonus multiplier to 5X
4. Hit HYPE targets in order (In order so that you get a 2X vectorscan bonus
value, light all the Vectorscan Ramp bonus lights, and release the balls).
5. Instead of trying to keep balls in play, go for the Vectorscan ramp. This
is worth at least 100K a shot, probably a lot more.
6. Increasing Bonus lights is also important
7. There's really nothing else in the game. (The right ramp target is not
really worth a lot unless you can hit it consistantly.)

Also, if you are having trouble hitting the Defender drop targets in order, then try hitting them with the upper-left flipper. Since this flipper is very close, it is very accurate when hitting the Defender drop targets. Usually, the
right-most drop target is the easiest to hit with this flipper, and the left-most is the hardest.

Final

Thank you to everyone who has helped me fix my Vector on rec.games.pinball. Also, thanks to everyone who is reading this (and finds it helpful). As I stated before, feel free to e-mail with questions, comments, or corrections. I would also appreciate if anyone wants to give me a lesson in rulesheet-making, so I might be able to expand the rulesheet and give better information.

Ryan Avery
Ryan.Avery@Colorado.edu