People seriously complaining about the look of the beacons? J.C., people will bitch about anything. 
(Topic ID: 106728)
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Alien (Heighway Pinball)
Heighway Pinball, 2017
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Quoted from gliebig:People seriously complaining about the look of the beacons? J.C., people will bitch about anything.
Including bitching about people bitching!
Quoted from gliebig:People seriously complaining about the look of the beacons? J.C., people will bitch about anything.
I have not yet said a word about the beacons. Well, at least not publicly.
Based on your post, I feel the need to give my opinion, when I didn't before: those beacons look terrible. The proportions are way off, they completely overwhelm the backbox.
So there you have it. Me "bitching about anything!" 
Maricopa, AZ
Would there be room to recess the bottom portion into the bb so just the lenses were visible? I've never seen a HW pin in person so am unsure of their dimensions.
You know that alien head in the movie would've been a lot larger than what it is in the machine too?
Oh, the horror.
Quoted from Jarbyjibbo:Would there be room to recess the bottom portion into the bb so just the lenses were visible? I've never seen a HW pin in person so am unsure of their dimensions.
I wonder if anybody with a Full Throttle could post a picture inside the backbox for a comparison? The Alien hardware should be similar and this may give some insight into the space that's available. Of course nothing is guaranteed to be the same on Alien but just an idea.
Sydney, Oz
Quoted from gliebig:You know that alien head in the movie would've been a lot larger than what it is in the machine too?
Oh, the horror.
I'm paid in full for this machine, have been on board since very early, started the Alien club thread and hardly ever complain about anything.
The beacons look dumb. Too tall and clunky and look like ears or something. And that's not technically a complaint, just a statement of fact. Do they look good? No. Do they look dumb? Yes. Complaining would be, "I hate how those dumb beacons look! I'm withholding any further payment until they change those beacons! Where's my game?" Do I want them changed? Don't really care.
Quoted from Jarbyjibbo:Would there be room to recess the bottom portion into the bb so just the lenses were visible
I think this is the way they could improve them if they were to. Recess the lower portion into the BB. This would also save them from scrapping the parts they already have for new. I think what looks off is that you can see the bases and we only want to see the globes.
The game is part of the swap system, holes in back box seems like terrible idea. Swapping out for beacons aftermarket and getting game months quicker makes sense
Quoted from Wickerman2:The game is part of the swap system, holes in back box seems like terrible idea. Swapping out for beacons aftermarket and getting game months quicker makes sense
Or maybe instead of holes in the bb, add a cover that matches the size of the bb top, which essentially raises it to the height of the globe bases. It is a topper after all.
Quoted from libtech:has to be the older style rotating yellow beacons as per in the film
I'll just ask it then before someone else does...
Do they have to replace all three LCD's with CRT's to be consistent with the film too? 
Quoted from 27dnast:Does anyone else look at this game and immediately think: Sega?
Not really to me although you might be able to argue the overall "background" layer could be somewhat similar.
The real issue with Sega (for me) was the horrible color coding of inserts and the the big blocky inserts on those later table; so ugly.
If the beacons are all we have to complain about I guess things are looking good, besides the beacons will turn out looking diminutive once owners slap some of their Alien Bling up there between them.
Inevitably some modder will come up with a molded plastic one piece that will cover the black beacon bases and rise above and between them with a face hugger or some such Alienccentric prop.
Quoted from Yoko2una:I'll just ask it then before someone else does...
Do they have to replace all three LCD's with CRT's to be consistent with the film too?
The Batman topper is simulated beacon with LEDs and I haven't heard anyone say it was anything less than awesome. No one complaining that it doesn't look "60s".
Quoted from frolic:No one complaining that it doesn't look "60s".
It doesn't look 60's 
Quoted from frolic:The Batman topper is simulated beacon with LEDs and I haven't heard anyone say it was anything less than awesome. No one complaining that it doesn't look "60s".
Yeah, but that was Batman, totally fake and not real like Alien... 
I think having one beacon in the middle would look better and less like little antlers. But really, WGaF, let's play the game already! 
Discussion list:
Xeno head - check
Airlock LCD - check
Game art - check
Beacons - under discussion
Start button - to be discussed
Coin door - to be discussed
Overall look - not important
Game play - not important
Design - not important
Rules - not important
.....................
Toronto, ON
Quoted from frolic:The Batman topper is simulated beacon with LEDs and I haven't heard anyone say it was anything less than awesome. No one complaining that it doesn't look "60s".
I think the BM66 topper is probably the best topper I've ever seen, but if it had an actual rotating beacon in it, it'd be better!
I agree the beacons on Alien look a bit funny, but I don't see it as big enough to change anything. Ship it!
Quoted from PinballRulez:Coin door - to be discussed
last I was told from Andrew (I think he called on me at Expo but I missed the talk) it will have a slot for DBV.
Quoted from Yipykya:If the beacons are all we have to complain about I guess things are looking good,
No that just means the videos haven't come in yet...just wait a bit longer I'm sure they'll be a ton more complaints
The beacons look dumb, they should have made miniature ones and put them under the glass...
Game goes black, flasher on Alien head and beacons spinning in game.
Honestly, I'm still pissed off that the cabinet isn't made up of Giger-esque (since, unless Andrew can raise the dead, that's the best we can get) biomech orifices and dicks. Why do the legs just look like angled pieces of metal? Why not biomech dicks? Are you guys really going to stand there and tell me those coin slots wouldn't be a million times better if they were dripping facehugger orifices? Come on.
Serious oversight on the part of Heighway.
But, real talk, the beacons look like shit because they are too tall, but I'm never going to look up there so I give exactly 0 f*cks about them. My advice to everyone in this thread: give less f*cks.
Im thoroughly impressed with how far the game has transformed since Expo.....Actually Im more like Alien Drool now!
I can see the vision as its reaching its completion. Bravo!
Im hoping Andrew will keep an open ear to his customers with code and Video to blow this Game off the Planet!
new left ramp looks like a nice shot now.
looking forward to more/better video with hopefully better players.
Quoted from Whysnow:looking forward to more/better video with hopefully better players.
It's an approximate representation of you playing 
Utrecht
Quoted from unigroove:Here's the gameplay video I shot of Alien: » YouTube video
We took the playfield glass off to avoid reflections and have a better view.
Nice job! Waiting for the morons to complain aboot vertical video of a vertical machine 
We sampled many beacons and this was the best of them by far. Many use LEDs now but that's not the look we wanted. They have to be rotating yellow beacons with an incandescent bulb - as in the films.
Funnily enough - I remember the first beacon I tested. It ran off a cigarette lighter. I went into my car, plugged it in ... and watched it catch fire on my lap. We decided not to run with this version!
I hear the comments about the neck of the beacon. I will say this though - the raised beacons rotating in a dark room were simply awesome in my own personal experience - the beams bounce all around the walls in your peripheral vision, when you're playing the game.
The screen alignment issues were down to software adjustments only. We needed an update just before the show and unfortunately I couldn't download a 1GB file at the show. It's a very quick fix - but shouldn't have happened.
The game is actually a lot more finished than it appeared to be.
Quoted from HeighwayPinball:I will say this though - the raised beacons rotating in a dark room were simply awesome in my own personal experience - the beams bounce all around the walls in your peripheral vision, when you're playing the game.
And in the end, that's all that will matter!
Quoted from Dano:The xeno head in the back looks all shiny and sexy in the back but it's sad not to see it doing something. Any chance of making do a random hiss here and there until it's ready eat balls for dinner?
That's exactly what the xeno will do. It's all programmed in - just the activation timings aren't all programmed in - which is again a quick and easy fix.
Xeno snarls ... hisses ... and of course, eats pinballs!
Quoted from HeighwayPinball:Xeno snarls ... hisses ... and of course, eats pinballs!
My Life is Compete, Now! 5000 Thumbs Up!
Quoted from OLDPINGUY:My Life is Compete, Now! 5000 Thumbs Up!
Love the pic.
Just found my new computer background shot
Looks great and seems like some pretty significant play improvements from Expo. Well done! Looking forward to seeing an LE next
Quoted from HeighwayPinball:the raised beacons rotating in a dark room were simply awesome in my own personal experience
That was my first thought...you see the light when it's on, not the actual device. This is where guys chime in about how a game looks "turned-off" and want to feature it in their living room etc. 
Update the software and let's ship these babies!!!
Quoted from HeighwayPinball:That's exactly what the xeno will do. It's all programmed in - just the activation timings aren't all programmed in - which is again a quick and easy fix.
Xeno snarls ... hisses ... and of course, eats pinballs!
That's pretty cool. Maybe have it open it's mouth or something when the ball hits a switch that's close to the head.
Too bad Xenos don't have eyes to track the ball like Rudy.
Quoted from frolic:The Batman topper is simulated beacon with LEDs and I haven't heard anyone say it was anything less than awesome. No one complaining that it doesn't look "60s".
I haven't seen it because that game is such a rip-off I'd never consider it, however if they've done a good job simulating an "old school" rotating beacon with LEDs good for them! I just don't think a strobe would be the same, it needs that rotating action. BTW - if you've never driven a vehicle with those on the top during a snow storm, be grateful, it is extremely weird and distracting, at least for a while.
Quoted from aeonblack:biomech orifices and dicks. Why do the legs just look like angled pieces of metal? Why not biomech dicks?
He looooooooves the (biotech) dick!
Quoted from aeonblack:My advice to everyone in this thread: give less f*cks.
That's some golden advice right there. The way some are carrying on, the size of the beacons is going to cause the implosion of the planet....
rd
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