On an unmodified game, nothing matters except for million point skill shots to the Pit. Learn well how to plunge and nudge to get the ball into the center of the 7 lanes in the pit. The return feed out of the pit collects the T rollover automatically: shoot the center loop to collect both the P and I, which spells Pit and lights the left ramp for a replunge and another shot at the 1,000,000.
If the million point skill shot is somehow disabled (or just if you desire a different strategy), go for C-Y-S standup targets on either side of the playfield to advance the playfield multiplier for multiball, then shoot the spinner lane and complete the top lanes to get into multiball.
The plunge sends the ball into the Pit, an upper playfield structure of four concentric rings, each leading to a scoring saucer.
The outer ring scores 25,000 points, and can be lit for score Ramp Bonus after any completion of C-Y-S.
The next ring in scores 50,000 points, and can be lit for extra ball by completing the Guard standup targets.
The next ring in from that scores 75,000 points, and can be lit for special by completing C-Y-S on both sides twice each.
The center hole scores 100,000 or 1,000,000 when lit, but it will pretty much always be lit.
Dialing in the plunging and nudging required to score this million shot is the only thing that matters to getting a very high score on Arena- most good games have at least 3-5 of the million point skill shots, and collecting 1-2 million points from the rest of the game is impressive on its own.
If "other awards" (score Ramp Bonus, extra ball, or special) are lit, they will only be lit for one trip to the Pit. Missing these awards requires relighting them, or they will be gone for the next skill shot.
The return from the Pit skill shot gives the T rollover in Pit for free. The center shot in the middle of the playfield loops the ball through a lane that collects both the P and I, feeding the ball to the left in lane. Spelling Pit lights the ramp for a replunge and another chance at the Pit skill shot. Making the center shot also adds 5,000 to the Ramp Bonus, which has nothing to do with the ramp itself and can be collected at the outer ring of the skill shot (but don't worry about this and just go for the million if it's lit).
The ramp scores 5,000 points and sends the ball on a habitrail across the playfield and into the shooter lane. If the ramp is not lit green for Pit, two gates will open, which redirect the ball from the shooter lane back into the right in lane and onto the right flipper. If the ramp is lit for Pit, these gates do not open, and the player is given a full replunge into the Pit for the skill shot.
The Wall drop targets and the Guard standup targets score 5,000 points each. When the Wall targets are all knocked down, a beeping noise over the next few seconds serves as a timer until the targets reset. Hitting all three Guard standup targets in this time lights an extra ball at the second ring of the Pit.
It is possible to hit and collect Guard targets while one or more of the Wall drop targets is still raised. Doing this can make it easier to finish the Guard targets during the timer where the Wall is completely down. If the Guard targets are finished while a piece of the Wall is still intact, the extra ball will light on the next completion of the Wall drop targets.
There are two sets of these on the playfield. Each completion of either set advances the multiplier in the center of the playfield and lights Score Ramp Bonus on the outer ring of the Pit for the next skill shot attempt. Completing C-Y-S on both sides lights a special on the next Pit skill shot as well, on the lanes to either side of the million shot.
The multiplier in the center of the playfield does NOT apply to the end of ball bonus; instead, it is applied to all scoring during multiball. I have been unable to confirm whether this multiplier maxes out at 8X (the largest light) or 15X (the sum of all the lights). This multiplier is carried over from ball to ball.
The spinner scores 500 points per spin. Going through one of the lit blue in lanes lights the spinner for 5,000 per spin for a few seconds. The spinner lane leads to the top lane structure, which spells L-O-K. Going through a lit lane unlights it. Unlighting all letters locks a ball, unless there are 2 balls locked already, in which case multiball begins. Lit lanes can be rotated using lane change from the right flipper only.
During multiball, all scoring is multiplied by the lit multiplier in the center of the playfield. It is possible to complete C-Y-S during the multiball itself to advance the value of the multiball in progress. There are no dedicated scoring features for multiball; everything is in play except the Pit skill shot. Use multiball as a chance to bash on the Wall and Guard targets with a bit of a safety net, or go for multiplied lit spinner shots, which can add up if the playfield X is decent.
Arena has a mostly conventional in/out lane setup. In lanes are lit alternately for Light Spinner, and out lanes are lit alternately for 50,000 points. On the right side, there are two gates; one on the in/out lane separator, and one in the wall between the out lane and shooter lane. When the ball is coming down from the Pit shot, the in/out lane get is opened as an anti-frustration measure, and then closed when any switch other than the in or out lane rollover is hit. If the ramp is shot when Pit is not lit, both gates open, redirecting the ball from the shooter lane to the right flipper, and again both gates close when any other switch is hit.
Bonus is advanced by 1,000 points at any L-O-K lane, any Wall or Guard target, any P-I-T rollover, and lit C-Y-S targets. There is no way to multiply the bonus (it really seems like it should be multiplied by the lit multipliers in the center of the playfield, but it isn't). This means end of ball bonus gives crap for points, so don't be too afraid to tilt trying to save a ball from draining. Be careful not to tilt when nudging the ball toward the million point skill shot hole, though.
Special and extra ball are worth 500,000 points in competition/novelty play.
The special at the Pit can be sit to light after both banks of C-Y-S targets have been competed once (default) or twice each.
Progress on the Guard targets is held from ball to ball, but this can be disabled. C-Y-S, Wall, and P-I-T progress is always reset, though.
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