Complete both the left and right banks of standup targets to light the center ramp, then combo the center ramp repeatedly for big points and a chance at extra balls/specials. The left in lane (note the reversed left in/out lane setup) lights the holes of the jump ramp for increased value. Completing the 1986 top lanes lights a 20-second playfield multiplier of either 2x, 3x, or 5x depending on the ball number- couple this with the top hole of the lit jump ramp and you get the heavily-marketed 1,000,000 point shot.
A full plunge puts the ball into the corkscrew, scoring 20,000 points and 3 white bonus advance, but a shorter plunge is typically ideal, as that goes into the 1986 top lanes, which are very important but difficult to collect any time after the plunge.
Each lane scores 1,000 points and lights the corresponding number. Lit lanes can be rotated via lane change with the right flipper only. Completing 1986 scores 50,000 points and lights a playfield multiplier for 20 seconds. On 3-ball play, the multiplier will be 2x on ball 1, 3x on ball 2, and 5x on ball 3. On 5-ball play, the multiplier will be 2x on balls 1, 3, and 4, 3x on ball 2, and 5x on ball 5. The 3x and 5x multipliers are very important to time well, if you can get them- combo the lit center ramp or shoot the lit jump ramp while this is running if you can.
The only way to collect more 1986 lanes after the plunge is to either shoot the corkscrew in the upper left, or have good pop bumper luck (and even the bumpers themselves are kind of in no-man's-land).
A spiraling ramp in the very top left of the game. It can be very difficult to make this ramp with all but the strongest right flippers. The corkscrew scores 20,000 points, and scores 3 advances to the white bonus. Completing the 4-bank of Duck standup targets lights the corkscrew to collect the orange bonus. Completing both the Duck and Rabbit standup targets 3 times each lights the corkscrew for a Special. Three shots to the lit center ramp lights the corkscrew for an extra ball.
A saucer under the plastic with the Clown on it in the middle right. Shooting the Funhouse scores 3 advances to the orange bonus. Completing the white standup targets once lights the Funhouse to collect the white bonus.
Hitting an unlit target in one of these banks lights that target and adds 2 advances to that colour's bonus. Hitting a lit target in one of these banks is worth 1 advance of that colour. Light all 4 targets in a bank to complete it.
Completing the orange bank once lights the corkscrew for orange bonus collect. Completing the white bank once lights the Funhouse for white bonus collect.
Completing both sets of targets once lights the center ramp.
Completing both sets of targets twice lights the moving extra ball at the cycle jump ramp.
Completing both sets of targets 3 times lights the corkscrew in the upper left for a special.
When not lit, this ramp always scores 10,000 points. When lit, the first ramp shot scores 30,000 points: consecutive center ramp shots, each within 15 seconds of the previous one, score 50,000 points, then 100,000 plus light extra ball, then 100,000 plus light special. If the 15 second timer runs out, the ramp value will be reset to 30,000 for another chance at the combo. If the ball drains or the 100,000 plus light special is collected, the ramp will unlight and its value will reset to 10,000 points until the orange and white standup targets are both completed again. Any shot to the center ramp also awards 5 advances to both bonuses.
Hit the drop target just to the left of the center ramp to reveal the Dummy target. Hit the Dummy target within 20 seconds to increase the bonus multiplier. If the bonus multiplier is maxed out at 5x, hitting the Dummy target scores 20,000 points.
The right ramp has three holes in it that the ball can land in depending on the speed of the shot that got the ball there. If the jump ramp is not lit, the three holes score 10,000, 20,000, and 30,000 points. Going through the left in lane lights the jump ramp, and it is also lit for free at the beginning of the ball. When lit, the three holes of the jump ramp score 20,000, 50,000, and 200,000 points. These scores really fly off the handle if coupled with a playfield multiplier from completing the 1986 lanes at the beginning of the ball- doing just that on the final ball of the game to slap a 5x multiplier on the 200,000 shot is how you score 1,000,000 from a single shot, which was a really big deal when this game came out. Making the jump ramp also advances each bonus 3, 5, or 10 times if the ball made the first, second, or top hole.
After both sets of standup targets have been completed twice, the jump ramp will be lit for an extra ball. The extra ball will be available at the first hole for 8 seconds, then the second hole for 10 seconds, then the top hole for 15 seconds, before repeating until it is collected.
The bottom left of the table has a reversed in/out lane setup. The in lane is near the edge of the table; it scores 5,000 points, advances both the white and orange bonuses, and lights the cycle jump ramp. When the ball goes through this lane, it will curve and fly over the out lane gap, going through a one way gate and landing on the left flipper. The one way gate is there to prevent a ball from rolling up the left flipper and into the out lane- this gate is commonly removed when Comet is played in tournaments. The left out lane, which is where an in lane would normally be, scores 10,000 points and 3 orange bonus advances.
On the right side, there is no in lane. The flipper backs up directly to the slingshot. The right out lane scores 10,000 points and 3 white bonus advances.
There are two different bonuses. Only one is collected at the end of the ball, but both can be collected mid-ball. Orange bonus is advanced 1 time by the left in lane or a lit orange standup target, 2 times by an unlit orange standup target, and 3 times by the left out lane, or by shooting the Funhouse. White bonus is advanced 1 time by the left in lane or a lit white standup target, 2 times by an unlit white standup target, or 3 times by the right out lane, or the corkscrew. The jump ramp awards 3, 5, or 10 advances to both bonuses depending on the hole hit. The center ramp awards 5 advances to both bonuses. Both bonuses max their base out at 63,000 points. Mid-ball bonus collects do not incorporate the multiplier into their award, but they also do not reset the base bonus value back to 1,000 points like many other games would. Bonus multipliers are awarded by hitting the bullseye standup target behind the drop target that is just to the left of the center ramp entrance. Max end of ball bonus is 5x 63,000 = 315,000 points.
I have not been able to verify the point value of a Special on Comet: I would expect it to be 50,000 or 100,000 points.
The time limits for both the Dunk the Dummy target reset and the playfield multiplier can be set to anything from 10 to 30 seconds. Default for both is 20.
The standup target extra balls and specials can be set to carry over, requiring 2 or 3 completions each over the course of the game instead of on a single ball.
The cycle jump extra ball can be lit at the three holes for 5/8/10 seconds or 10/15/20 seconds instead of 8/10/15.
The bonus advance from the cycle jump ramp can be set to 2/3/5 instead of 3/5/10 for the three holes.
The cycle jump ramp can be lit at the start of each ball, at the start of ball 1 only, or never at the start of the ball with the left in lane always needed to light it.
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