Huge post count for someone hesitant to speak.

I couldn't last more than a minute on that video. Just not funny.

Looks like Aurich will have to create an alternate translate for his own translate.

I agree with having the scores and other info frequently present. I normally play two player games against myself and hate when I can't figure out if I'm winning or losing when playing a ball.

I thought Prometheus was fun and a good sci-fit movie. But I had no expectations and am not an Alien nut, so I don't remember much about the Alien movies at all.

Wondering how many people are canceling Alien to buy Ghostbusters? Both are great themes, but GB is here and has blown away all expectations and is flat out gorgeous to look at.

$1500 Tied up on thin air, that's my thought. Why tie up any money based on pre-order history? Just buy it when it's available or at the very least place $1500 down once an actual complete game is shown?

Pretty fucking sweet and can't wait to see it in action. Does another alien mouth thing pop out of that mouth and grab the ball?

I can't get into those Zen games at all. To me, the only thing worthwhile about "virtual" pinball is checking out a REAL pinball machine that I've never played before. Tapping a screen or pressing a controller button to flip a ball is not fun or rewarding and the tiny bit of flipper lag sucks.

That said, the Alien playfield should look like a Zen design.

Aliens IS a virtual pinball machine. Virtually nothing has been shown.

I thought I recognized him from Millennium too. Really cool show for the first season and then I remember it getting bad in season 2.

Special edition podcast is online now with Alien and this thread as the topic. Just listened to it and was worth the 19 min run time.

The pod caster is banned by Pinside and the mods don't want any links posted to his podcast. But the episode is titled, "Alien done in August?"

After all this waiting to see something, I used my money for a first NIB pin for a Game of Thrones that I should be playing next week.

Why can't I?

My wife loves it and I had fun playing it, she wanted it badly and convinced me to buy our first NIB pin. So that's all kinds of awesome. And of course it's just pinball and not every game is for everyone, so I don't mind your opinion.

Was also trying to hold out to see what Alien looked like and see if it was a game for us, but would rather play than wait. In the meantime, I'll keep tabs on its progress and look forward to seeing them in the hands of Pinsiders to see videos and hear reviews. Maybe it will be in our house in the near-distant future, or at least be an option in the near future.

Elvira 3? Boring and irrelevant today.

Those pins were made in their own relevant era, not in 2016/2017. I need to update my pin list too.

Elvira is not relevant and to me doesn't seem like an exciting theme. I'd say the same thing if a Maverick, TFTC, etc was being touted as the next new pin.

Very select audience. I think you'd be hard pressed finding many people under the ages of 35-40 know who Elvira is.

Game of Thrones was ordered and am waiting for it to ship.

Right, a history in pinball. Try asking the average person under 40 who Elvira is....then follow up and ask if they care.

Hope it gets made if that's what people want though. I never saw the appeal, except when I was 12 and liked seeing big tits on TV.

Maybe not buys, but what about plays? I'm thinking about this on location and people wondering who the old witch with big tits is.

Sure, the pinball fellas will buy it because for some reason Elvira is a big deal to them.

Haven't had cable tv or Directv service in four years. So I don't see any tits on tv.

Why wasn't this info shared a LONG time ago though, especially why didn't the pinsider share it?

Kids in horror movies suck.

There's always exceptions....but generally kids suck in supporting roles. Like Newt. Like the shithead kids in Beyond Thunderdome, etc.

Looks like some people do listen to the unmentionable podcast?

ooof...this was all kinda cringe worthy to me.

Will the drop targets have decals on them or remain black?

Ha, like no one else repeats themselves in this thread or any other thread? This thread would be 100 pages instead of 178 if people didn't keep repeating their opinion over and over.

I'll be considering an Alien once it's been available for at least 6 months and the gameplay has been proven and any issues debugged. But I sure do wish there was an option for a normal cabinet with awesome artwork. I'll never consider swapping a playfield and having $4000 sitting in a closet or in a box under the cabinet, at least not while Full Throttle is the only other game option.

Too bad that the swappable cabinet and normal cabinet with artwork aren't both options available to buyers. I was also happy to see some gameplay videos from Expo because the secret video that was supposed to blow everyone away was severely underwhelming. Kinda disappointed in the cheerleaders who kept hyping that secret video and telling everyone to send their money because of it. Really? That video blew your socks off when you saw it and you sent money in because of it? Meh. The gameplay videos from Expo were much much better than the in house marketing video and a new in house video should be created to show the game off.

This is bound to be of interest to a few of you.

http://comicbook.com/2016/10/29/star-trek-the-next-generation-and-aliens-crossover-announced/

Yeah, but the Alien Apologist episode was spot on.

I really wanted to enjoy FT. I've played it at someone's house (where it had issues) and I played it a lot at York (when it was up and running) because my booth was right next to Cointaker's FT. I think the ramps are very cool and some shots feel nice, but something about the entire game itself just doesn't grab me and many times I'd walk away after the 2nd ball or get annoyed I got an extra ball, because it just didn't have the total fun factor for me.

I can see it doing well on route because of its uniqueness, but I don't see the staying power when in a home setting.

Who is Kim? And Kaneda appears to be taking another break from his podcast through the upcoming holidays.

That does sound like fun, but I thought you meant he also has a podcast.

I had a GoT Pro and loved it, really a blast to play and it's fast, has tremendous flow and a great combo system. Art was lousy, but I like the translite and cabinet fine, just the playfield was very sparse for such a cool license.

I then traded GoT for a TWD Pro, just because someone was looking to do that exact trade and I figured I've seen all GoT had to offer, even though I still found it very fun.

TWD was then traded a little while later for X-Men LE. I really enjoyed modding TWD and playing it, but it was a very tough game with some cheap drains. I find XMLE to be a complete package for me - art, speed, flow, combos, modes and theme - and super fun to play and get lost in the X-Men world of battling villains, etc.

I'm hoping Alien gets everything right like XMLE does in my eyes, and then some.

That's why there's a vast selection of pins to choose from. I have no idea of any past history of XMLE, or prior possible code deficiencies, nor any preconceived notion of why I shouldn't enjoy the game. It's a great theme for me and I have so much fun playing it. Plus, with the ColorDMD it looks amazing. Other opinions only matter to me if it ever comes time to sell or trade it, until then, bash away.

Has a great rep in my house and I'm hoping Alien is just as fun, fast and flowing.

Yes, combo systems that reward making them are a lot of fun. Xmen gets that right with the various unique combo callouts and animations.

Holy shit! Now that's what I expected that "secret video" to be like!

Now Alien needs a Safe Space setting?

Just get the game out already without having to add extra features not many people will use. Add it as a code update down the road if there's really a demand for it.

I'd love to see an official full length video showing live gameplay. I know there are videos of gameplay taken from an expo or show, but it's not the same as a game played by someone who knows the gameplay, playing in a quiet environment along with high quality video.

The teaser videos, while fine for showing video clips, only show a flipper hitting a ball or a ball going into a hole. I need to see the actual shots and flow.

Any guesses of what will be replacing the airlock can?

Back to the original LCD screen idea in that spot? I'd like to see a Power Loader ball lock or loader claw arm that drops the ball somewhere.

Yeah, it's the huge bezel that makes the screen appear too large for that area. Probably would fit better in that spot with just the screen and no bezel.

That rulesheet is awesome! Well done and thanks!

Right, but it does have an effect on the aesthetics in your home. This is essentially a huge piece of furniture on full display.

Right, and everyone is entitled to their opinion of course even if it differs from yours.

While I appreciate gameplay videos posted by players trying out the game for the first time, they can be painfully boring to watch when that player cannot accomplish goals and proceed through the game.

Any chance for a complete, official gameplay video by a player who knows and understands the game? The teaser videos don't demonstrate any flow or shots being made - they only show a flipper hitting a ball and balls dropping into holes.

So you're an official spokesperson for Heighway? No? Then you need to take a step back and allow other people to ask questions and receive answers from Heighway.

I don't know you, but I know you from these forums and I know not to take anything you say seriously because you really just don't have the answers you think you have. You've certainly steered many people wrong in the past with your assumptions being presented as stone cold facts.

I'm sure you have me confused with someone else.

But point being, just chill and let people ask their questions and get an answer from someone other than you. You don't have to chime in and reply to every comment like an authority. This is the alien "Official Game Thread", so I'd rather hear official comments and not a forum member answering.

Heck with waiting for an LE artwork reveal, I just want to see an official gameplay video before making a decision. That and actually seeing people receive the games and review them.

Looks like a LOT of fun with cool shots. Looking forward to more gameplay videos from buyers now.

If it has an HDMI input available, then a Kodi modded Firestick would be a must.

Seems like a no brainer for anyone interested in the game. Wait for them to be actually available before parting with your money. Why tie up your cash for years unless you're actually investing in a Kickstarter type product?

You're awfully sure about a lot of things that you cannot possibly be sure of. Unless you're now a Heighway employee or spokeperson?

Point being, let Heighway respond or a person contact them for their answer. You just happened to guess right this time.

I'm not inferring anything about Heighway. Never have. It's just you always jump in and answer for Heighway when you don't know for sure what the deal is. Like jumping in and saying you're sure Heighway will take care of FT customers and give them a CPU or whatever. Just chill, enjoy your Alien pin and let Heighway answer the questions asked of them. That's all I'm saying.

Watched about the 30 min of game play here at Allentown Town and played twice. So far my feeling of it is, "It's an Alien themed pinball machine, cool."

Not exactly a blast to play, but not bad. Wait to play it before sending money.

I don't like the ball launcher mech. I feel X-Files and Indy 500 did that style launch much smoother and faster. This mech on alien is very clunky, loud and doesn't feel good.

DarthSinex summed up my thoughts and the opinions of others I was playing with yesterday and today. Just an underwhelming experience compared to all the other new pin choices. It's lacking one really fun and satisfying shot in my opinion.

Front of the cabinet looks bland and ugly with like 8 bolts showing and the side panels on this game aren't even lit up.

Nearly non-existent pop bumper action too. This was commented on often during game play. They need big improvement.

I'll be playing again in a bit. Someone tell me what the best feeling shot is on the game and I'll see what I think.

Don't play the cabinet but the cabinet would be in plain site in my gameroom on display with other games costing thousands of dollars. It would be the most expensive pin I owned and look the worst in the lineup. To me that matters.

When buying a used game, I'd like to not have one with lockdown bar holes drilled all over the front of the cabinet and filled in with rusty bolts. I certainly would hesitate on buying a brand new game riddled with shiny bolts all over the the cabinet front without even having some artwork to dress it up. I don't care about operators, I care about how a game looks and plays in my home.

Seems like more potential buyers are crossing Alien off their list after seeing it at Allentown. But I guess that's to be expected when main gimmick doesn't work and there are other problems. Might be best to stop allowing the public to play Alien at shows until everything actually works as intended.

You get once chance at a first impression and this year's Pinfest was a huge event with a lots of other new releases competing for dollars. I mean, what's it say when a beta-test game like Houdini performs better than a game with years of development behind it like Alien?

I would expect the main gimmick to actually work several years after it was designed and especially when it's on display for buyers to play and evaluate. Not to mention the other issues that frustrated people when it was their turn to play after waiting 20 min in line.

Hey, it's first time I finally got to see it in person and play it after the years of hype on this thread. I don't want to accept I hate it, because I don't "hate" it and I wanted to like it a LOT more than I did. Maybe by the time the York show arrives Alien will be fully working and I'll be able to give it another try.

I'm also stating what other people were saying while I was watching and playing and conversations I had with guys I was playing against. I can certainly repeat what I've heard and was told on a discussion forum. Plenty of rah-rah cheerleaders hyping the game in this thread, so a little counter balance is fine.

No one can buy an Alien. So yes, you are correct that I won't be buying an Alien right now. It's a possibility though when the bugs are worked out, the gimmick is fixed and at least a 100 games have been shipped and are being played in homes. My wife is actually wanting to buy a new pin, so our money is ready.

For every 1000 posts you've made about Alien, surely you can allow me to have several of my own after finally getting to play one?

In that photo of your game, I see the ramp surfaces very worn, which was exactly how the ramps at Allentown Pinfest looked. A lot of other metal on the game also had that worn, pitted look too.

Anyone know if these are prototype ramps and metal that will be finished and polished on the production games?

Pics of the ramps look the same on other games too, you can see when zooming in.

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Maybe. But check out the metal parts behind the airlock screen and queen head on your game and see if it looks the same. The Alien at Allentown had a lot of metal back there with the same worn finish.

If that's how they're supposed to look, fine, then it's a matter of personal taste if you like the worn out corroded style. I just would expect nice, shiny, clean looking ramps for the price of the game and because they would look terrific. These ramps are dull and worn out looking from where the balls has contact with them, so I don't think it's a style choice and more of a near production prototype ramp. Other metal on the game, not visible to the player, also has the same worn/corroded appearance. So why stylize unseen metal parts too?

Anyway, I'm asking someone who knows, like from Heighway, to comment on my question if these are finished production ramps?

I'll say what I want to say and how I want to say it, thanks.

When I saw the ramps in person at Allentown they looked so worn out and corroded that I assumed they were prototype ramps since Cointaker likely has an early version of the game. I just saw pics of other games that I assumed to be of a later batch of games and the ramps had the same appearance. Hence my question.

Now you say the ramps look industrial, right? Well doesn't "industrial" mean a worn, gritty, corroded, well used appearance? Yeah, so we're both describing the ramps the same, just using different adjectives.

A set of decals could look great, like the snake mod decal for Metallica, which really adds a cool look to the right ramp. But if I saw those ramps on a used game I would be checking the rest of the game very carefully since they appear to have the wear of a few thousand plays on them. Or the look of ramps on a pin that has been sitting in a barn for 15 years.

Check your ramps and see if they look brand new.

I'm just thinking that the ramps will look new if these are production machines. That's all.

That other guy must be talking about someone else. Here's my Met Pro w/ Time Bandit's Total Lightshow mod; Hooked spinners wired into Sound Caller board. I have to install the inlane mod for Total Lightshow and install the Premium Rising Cross mech that will be controlled by Time Bandit's system. So lightshow, spinners, rising cross, remove the pinblades & replace with mirror blades. Not a bead in sight.

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Oh that? I had made that skull pile for my TFTC a few years ago. Since my TFTC is completely dismantled, I decided to see if I could somehow use the skull pile on Metallica. I took a pic when I was trying it out. I removed it because I didn't like it, but I always have fun trying to create something. I tried a coffin mod like you see there in that pic and also didn't like it enough to keep it. So it appears we have the same taste after all.

If a new owner doesn't have some mylar available on hand they can go to the craft store and buy some vinyl cling like this. iceman44 gave this tip a while ago and it's a good one.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002J6CO9I/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00

Works really well and I have some protecting my Sparky magnet in Metallica right now until I place my next parts order. This way a new owner can protect that area ASAP and play right away with no worries about chipping.

Were the ramps able to be cleaned up? I also noted their nasty, unfinished appearance on the Alien at Allentown and seemingly every other photo of the game to date. Some people tried to tell me that this was the desired appearance of the ramps, but that just didn't make any sense to me.

Well, then Heighway can answer the simple question - Are these the final, production ramps or are they leftover prototypes? Without an answer, one could speculate the ramps are prototypes or previously used and unfinished ramps.

No one here wants the answer to that question? Several new owners have commented on the unfinished, filthy ramps since I inquired about them after seeing the game in person at Pinfest. I see their comments were selectively ignored though.

The question wasn't if you (or anyone else) liked the ramps. The question, that only Heighway can answer, are these production ramps that EVERY game will have installed going forward? Or were old parts used to cobble together some pins so "Now shipping!!" claims can be made?

And that's fine. I don't care about fiber optics ramps and any discussion relating to them, but I'm not trying to shut anyone down who has questions.

My apology because I did not intend my reply to come off as rude.

Worth a watch for a chuckle and grin.

The big announcement is going to show off shiny new ramps.

Boy, turns out that was a reasonable question compared to shitshow over the last 3 pages.

Imagine if new court related audio was posted in the Predator thread? The top 3 hottest topics would be pinball manufacturers "stealing" from Pinsiders.

The company gets a multiyear, interest free loan from you. That's the benefit.

(Pre-orderers get zero benefits and zero game)

I understood what you meant.

Jesus Christ, some people around here.

Now this thread is finally becoming mildly interesting again.

Actually it was about how shiny the ramps AREN'T.

What was fixed on the ramps? Do the ramps now look new and shiny like they should?

Probably saving that discussion for when the games fail to ship again. Everyone will need something new to discuss in here at that point.

Block him then. You have the power to not see someone drag on and on.

I was gonna say it reminds me of the X-Files launcher.

I played Alien again at York and wondering if the ball launcher has been tweaked on the production models? That ball launch mech is loud, clanky, clumsy and just not a fun start to a game.

It's a crappy, cheap feeling mech that makes the ball rattle like a spray paint can. Bottom line. Just asking if that is something that was tweaked in production.

Have you posted what you did? Interested in checking it out because even though I have a pin Stadium kit arriving in a few days I want to make a basic lighting kit for my big hurt pinball.

Sounds like exactly what I was planning to do. You should def post something in the Shadow thread because I'm sure it will help a lot of people with that cool mod.

Buying a Full Throttle sounds like a bad idea. Don't ignore all the issues and lack of support that others have experienced. Do you really want to be another guy on this thread complaining about broken promises and waiting for parts that will never arrive?

Repeatable loops are a blast, just look at the new POTC.

Nothing else of note going on in this thread, so why not?

Exactly~!