Level 7 scoring meter sticks at one star

[momgamer]

Level 107 not 7
Bubble 1.6.8
iPad 4 IOS 8.1.3
Has scoring on some levels changed. Pre-upgrade almost got to 3 stars with < 100,000 points on level 107. Since upgrade, meter goes to 1 star at around 1,500 then sticks there while points continue to accumulate. Just ran through level and a point score of 39,000 didn't budge the ,eter past the 1 star mark. Pre-upgrade almost got 3 stars with 86,000 points. Post-upgrade not so much.

[DessertWolf]

The score thresholds for Level 107 are currently correct. You will need a higher score than 100,000 points to reach a 3 Star Rating. If you still encounter any issues with achieving almost 3 Stars on this level with a smaller score, please take a screenshots and let us know. Hope this helps!

[VF9FF85]

Help! I'm having the same problem with level 98 & 102. I've been stuck trying to get 2 stars on each but cannot get past 1 so I'm stuck on the island : (

[momgamer]

My point score on this level is now at 201,290 and I still have only 2 stars. How much more do I need to get the third star, or is there some other special thing I have to do on this level to get that star. I have also noticed a similar change on level 19, where I have 3 stars. I played it again and got 20,000 points more than what it took get the 3 stars, but the meter only scored at 2. Very odd if in fact none of the scoring has changed.

[Lincstrake]

I have a few points to make regarding obtaining three stars on the various levels.

First of all, as for estimating how many points are needed to get three stars, it seems that on most levels you can get a fairly good idea of the three-star threshold level by looking at the leaderboard at the bottom of any level’s start screen (the screen just before starting play, where you can choose boosts; you may have to lower the goals menu to see it). I have not connected the game with Facebook, so my leaderboard only shows myself and a set of fictitious characters, the same characters for every level. The second of these is called Marie, and based on my experience it seems that Marie’s point total roughly corresponds to the three-star threshold level.

Secondly, if you have decided to make an effort to get three stars on each level, you should be aware of important factors that affect scores. In the scoring system, there are pop bonuses and drop bonuses. The pop bonus is awarded for each cluster you pop with a thrown bubble, and the drop bonus is awarded for any on-screen bubbles that drop out of the game as a result of a popped cluster. Although I do not know the precise scoring algorithm, it is clear that obtaining an uninterrupted string of consecutive pop bonuses adds in a multiplier that results in increasingly higher scores with each consecutive hit. To achieve really high scores, you need to build up a long string of consecutive pop bonuses. And once a streak is going, dropping a large number of bubbles on one turn results in a large drop bonus. Once you have a long streak going, failing to get a pop bonus on one turn imposes a scoring penalty, but not that severe of one. However, failing to get a pop bonus two turns in a row seems to reset the scoring, resulting in lost multipliers and a drastically lower score. For some levels with a three-star threshold set very high, it seems that once you get a consecutive streak going, you can not fail to get a pop bonus on even a single turn, or you won’t be able to reach the three-star level.

If you goal is to get three stars, then your game-playing strategy should include constantly planning ahead for subsequent turns, doing things such as trying to clear the playing field in a way such that there are always exposed clusters of most or every possible color, especially of the colors of bubbles in your queue. I am a purist, so I have been trying to get three stars on every level without using any of the available boosts that can be selected before the game starts. This is possible for most levels, especially the earlier ones, but for some it makes getting three stars very hard, and dependent on luck. If you are not averse to choosing boosts, the rainbow bubbles, in particular, are very useful for keeping a popping streak going.

As you have noted, the game makers sometimes tweak the thresholds for obtaining stars. This does not only happen with game updates, though. Even if you never install a game update, these levels can be changed simply by launching the game, similar to how new islands appear when they become available, even if you have not updated the game.

One final note: the point meter is not linear. For example, the score displayed when the meter is half-filled does not correspond to half of the three-star threshold level. Rather, the meter advances more slowly as it goes higher. This may explain some of the odd behavior you have noted.

Personally, with Bubble Mania I recommend pursuing obtaining three stars on each level only once you have completed all the levels. To me, the challenge of trying to solve each new level is much more interesting than simply trying to get three stars on any level, which is often dependent on dumb luck. To each his own, though.

We have a resident expert on this forum regarding obtaining three stars: Bubbleizer, who may wish to add to what I have written here.

[basf2273]

From what I've read here in the forums in the past that reaching a second place finish will earn you three stars. I don't always find this the case. I have a first place finish on level 24 with a score of 329,085 and only have two stars. What is the minimum number of points needed for three stars here and in all the levels. I want to know the minimum not what you got.