I'm really curious to see how many people find this to be cheating, and will negate any scores made on a machine setup this way.

And I'm not hating; I totally understand the situation. (Although, I believe part of my problem with the game is related to having the wrong part installed at the bell lane: http://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/acdc-premium-sdtm-and-what-the-f)

The outlines at the closed settings is more then fair. The extra post rubbers seem a little overboard. But hey it's your game set it up however you like.

To each his own. I prefer to just become a better player.

It seems pretty obvious to me that you can't compare his scores with this setup to someone else who has a factory setup. This is why when you post your scores on the database here you are asked for the post settings, liberal or tight tilt, etc.

That said, it isn't like he's here bragging about his high scores. The pin was very frustrating for him (I can relate) so he did a few things to make it more enjoyable to him. Since he is telling us about it, I don't consider it cheating, even if he went further than I personally would.

I've still never done a thing to the post by the bell. It's all stock, just the way it came out of the box, but I know a ton of people put a thicker Cliffy post there. I would too, if I felt like I was having a serious SDTM issue.

Unless it's adding something back to the game that was part of the original design (but was removed during production to save money or whatever), I don't like to mod my machines. I like them to be as intended. (I know, I know...I'm in the minority around here.)

However, I had considered adding a thicker rubber to the post at the end of the metal ball guide in the bell lane, because my SDTM issues have been so horrendous. When I really eyeballed that area, I saw that I had an incorrect metal ball guide that covered up the post in question, and fed the balls directly to the SDTM sweet-spot. It wasn't that my rubber post wasn't thick enough...I had no rubber AT ALL to influence the ball.

I'm hoping that after I install the correct metal ball guide being sent to me, the SDTM issue from the bell lane will be acceptable.

The challenge is in the original format.But to each his/her own I guess.

For the record, I don't belittle the O.P. at all for his mods described in this thread. But for me, I wanna live with the game for a while after I get the correct ball guide installed, and play it as it was designed.

As I've done the whole time I've had the machine, I'll try to improve my skills on it, but if I end up being hopeless as a player and am experiencing nothing but constant frustration, I may have to trade it off for something else.

You want to see real frustration play the game with the outlane posts at stock position for a full year which I did, I changed the upper and lower playfield flipper rubber to all black when I got the game because my game kept throwing the red ones. Changed the outlane posts to the easiest position last night and anyone who says it's still brutal in the outlanes didn't play long at stock settings. First game I played with the outlane posts moved I was playing some of the more risky songs purposely to see how much draining happened from the sides and still finished with 150 million and scored 3 extra balls and only ever lost one ball to the left outlane.

I don't think I would add any mods to make it easier, adding thicker rubber is cheating in my eyes and was not the intent of the designer and is taking away the randomness of the game. Sometimes the ball will drain straight down the middle 3 times in a row, that's how pinball is. I've had it happen on other games also. As others have said though, it's your game do to it as you please but you are probably giving yourself a handicap if you ever decide to play in tournaments.

I love that the game can be brutal as hell at times, it makes it that much better when you kick ass at it, it feels like you accomplished something instead of getting the easy scores or jackpots. JMO though

^^^^

The real question is

Gates or Bryants?

The answer is - " play better " not all these cheats.

AC/DC is easy.......like SM

Gates if I have to choose, I hate authur Bryant. I actually prefer Oklahoma Joes or Jack Stack leaning more toward the latter.

Why don't you guys just rubber band the outlanes?

Who's you guys? You mean the OP?

Its his game. He can do what he likes to it, even use the sledgehammer if he wants to.

I'm the same way; played factory settings for first 6 mos of ownership. Moved the outlanes in and that's all that was needed IMO. Night and day; and let's you enjoy the strategies.

Interesting.

very interesting

Very very interesting

Here, just do this and be done with it. Problem solved. Game times will be that of LOTR.

rubber_over_outlane.JPG

If you are getting SDTM drains from MAKING a shot, then that is not good design, and should be corrected. MM had a problem with the left joust orbit, so they put in the small gate at the right exit to correct it, nothing wrong with that.

The other major complaint I had with AC/DC was shooting the lit target from the cannon to be awarded with a left flipper drain, That's a simple thing to fix with a ball save, much the same way they fixed the drain from hitting the center drops on Indiana Jones. This may have been fixed by now, I'm not sure.

I any case, no 2 games play exactly alike, we all know that, so fixing something in a game that just doesn't play right, isn't cheating, it's making it fair.

you should not get a save from a cannon shot. Cannon is risky just like it is in STTNG. If it drains when you use it. Tough shit. I like it the way it is. If every one of my games had long times like LOTR does, i'd be pissed. It's nice to have fast ass kickers in there. Who wants 50 min games on every game? not me.

Blocking off the outlanes won't change anything. Ritchie ensured to add extra slingshot strength so the ball could just high jump that crap.

Completely disagree, you are asked to make a shot, which you succeed in doing, and are punished for it, not cool. I do agree with the long ball times on LOTR, not a fan.

What about getting a SDTM drain when you shoot the castle gate on MM???

A ramp yes, thats why I agree with the splits in the ramps on MM, but then as mentioned above hitting the castle is designed to make the ball random..

I completely disagree with this. You don't think shooting the little stand up targets for thunder struck, or Greed in TZ shouldn't warrant a ball drain? They are angled precisely for that. Big risk big reward. What about the big target bank in SM or AFM? The castle gate? You don't think they are specifically designed to screw you over on purpose. Better players don't go for those shots until they start a multiball. In AC/DC you don't load the cannon when that song jackpot is a pathetic 2M. You wait until it's 35M and then it's worth the risk. If it drains. So what, you just banked 35M on it. Mine doesn't drain from cannon fire or bell shots that much anyway. If you don't like that. Shoot the bell with the cannon instead.

HAha!!!

Cheating?

Good point. I also think you guys are all cheaters for setting your pins on freeplay....

Seriously, if you spend $5-7k on a toy, for your own house, you can do whatever the hell you want with it.... It's a TOY folks....

I shutdown the outlanes a bit on my ACDC when me daughter has a party at the house because I wanted to make it more newbie-friendly..... I guess I could have just stood behind the 12-yr olds and screamed "PLAY BETTER!!!!!!!"

I agree with Neo as well. As frustrating as it is, ACDC is the ultimate risk/reward pinball machine. You can risk shooting for the big payout jackpots, but there is a possible cost. It's kind of like stocks, you can play high risk investments that could either bring quick and large returns, or leave you nothing in short time, or low risk stocks that appreciate slowly with little risk. You can play loading the ramps and waiting for MB before doing anything, and if you take your time, you safely go for these other aspects. It's hard to do that though, as the desire is to try to hit the bell a few times and collect the song jackpot.

The smart thing to do is to constantly have MB's going. I try to just load up jam before doing anything, then shoot for your jackpots. Unfortunately, the LE/Premium left ramp diverter really makes this difficult to do sometimes, and I wish that was not in the game.

Has anyone disabled this? Can I just disable the left ramp diverter and then have it play like a pro in that aspect?

Did anybody say he couldn't?

What's the point all this? Do you need a certain score for some reason? Is the game not fun unless you achieve a certain ball time? Not judging you if you're not getting what you need out of the game, just wondering.

As other posters have said, pinball is full of suckers shots, every game has them.

The cannon on AC/DC is not one of them. On my particular game, if I shoot the middle target, it's a drain. If I shoot the middle target and the target above it, it's not. It may be different on your game, but I'm sure shooting the target high, and shooting the target low will have different results. In this case, play better.

The bell on AC/DC is one of them. Shoot the bell while you have ball save after you launch and attack it during multiballs. It's a high risk, high reward shot. If it was super easy to 2x and 3x the play field, what would be the point?

How original.

...or hitting the 3 bank target on AFM, or the Greed targets on TZ, or...

It's so odd to me that people continue to complain about AC/DC and that some made shots can lead to drains, as though it's the only pin ever made that does this.

These modifications are great if YOU enjoy them. ACDC is the most frustrating game I have ever owned, there are times where breaking 10 million seems like a feat. I have also gone several games without even starting a multiball. Just remember, you can just press start to try again.

OP: enjoy your game, whatever it takes.
If/once you start kicking butt, make it a little tougher. Or not.
I think the only thing that's truly wrong is paying for a pin and then becoming so frustrated that you want to smash/sell it.
To Hell with these holier-than-thou Pinsiders who think their opinions matter when it comes to how you set up the pins in your house.

I am not sure why people care how others set up their personal games.

My only "complaint" is when someone who has their game set up for 10 balls, outlanes closed, no tilt, glass off, 3 degree pitch and easiest settings, then posts on the boards that a game is too easy or is incredulous when someone has not reached a wizard mode or a score threshold.

I think some people who adjust games so they personally can play longer may have a rude awakening when better players visit their homes and crush the games set up on those easier or liberal non-factory settings. I've seen people shocked that their home GC scores were obliterated by very skilled players.

I digress.

To the modders who tweak the game to keep balls from draining, or extending gameplay to a level that is enjoyable to you-I say whatever makes you happy. It's yours, you paid for it. enjoy it

First of all, I am of the opinion that someone should do whatever they want to their game in order to make it more fun for them. I personally wouldn't make these sorts of changes, however, as the reason I like AC/DC so much is precisely because it's so brutal. I love the challenge, and it keeps me coming back for more unlike any other game I own. The fact that it is so hard makes me appreciate it much more when I am able to put together a great game.

Don't forget the standup targets on Bram Stoker's Dracula. Those have always been notorious for firing the ball right back at ya and SDTM.

Indeed, and those are a better example than the ones that I listed! In fact, I would say that those are probably even more brutal than any of targets on AC/DC.

Would that go for someone screwing a post between the flippers and outlanes as well? I've seen that many times over the years. Completely ruining the playfield for the next guy to get it. Lot of work to repair that stuff.

That's absolutely ridiculous, but not at all surprising.

I don't condone any mods that permanently alter the playfield, but at the end of the day, it's their game, and they can do to with it as they please. If it was something extremely rare, I'd undoubtedly have more of a problem with it than a common game like AC/DC. That being said, I would caution anyone who is going to perform such a drastic mod to seriously consider how it will affect the resale value before proceeding.

Fixed....I was not aware it was broken?!!?!?!?!

Well, my machine kinda is...since they apparently had "bring your kid to work and let them do your job" day at the Stern factory when my game was assembled.

(And before a Captain Humorless jumps in and gets all serious...yes, I jest. Mistakes happen, the one on my machine is no big deal, and they're sending me the correct part to make it right. Cheers to Stern.)

My AC DC pro kicks my ass every day but on the plus side i have gotten 3 new high scores on my other pins so when SR says play better maybe he is trying to get us to take it to the next level