Yesterday, I made it to Master Magician. I have to say the final mode was a bit of a letdown. After failing to complete the tasks listed on the screen (two pages worth?!?), the game ended. I had 2 balls left and was one illusion away from completing them all. If I understand correctly, once those are complete there is a very large points award (was it something like 10M?). It felt like the final wizard mode kind of screwed me out of a much higher score. Which was important because I finally knocked my son's GC off the top. An extra 10M would have really rubbed it in! It wasn't exactly what I consider a rewarding accomplishment.

I was a bit keyed up on having such a good game and the info was flying too quickly to catch. Am I off base here? Is this an area that is addressed in the current beta code?

If I’m not mistaken, MM has its points multiplied by modes you’ve completed, so if you get there with the “minimum” steps completed, the final score is fairly low. 10M is HUGE in Houdini though

My final was only something like 3.8M, so MM only gave me a little more than 1M. My comment was, I had seen in streams that completing all illusions gives something like 10M bonus on its own. If I had my preference I would have liked to have finished that achievement, scooped up the additional bonus and then moved on to my game ending wizard mode

Its all about the settings.

If its too easy, you get MM before the illusions bonus and the game ends early.

So, make it a little harder to get Houdini letters.

Fair point. I am playing with the settings as I received the game. I haven't looked at how the defaults were changed. In either case, my feedback to AP would be that I would prefer to continue playing after the final mode than have the game end. Maybe I am in the minority on this, I dunno.

I think the only game in my collection that ends is TNA (maybe GB on the new code? I don't remember). And that makes sense because once you blow up the last reactor, that's it. There's nothing else to do. And I think the last reactor blows you up too, so there you go.

I think it’s a let down to make it to the end of any game... every WPC I’ve beaten, I always have that “that’s it?” Feeling.

Makes me feel a little better about my mediocre skills.

I have so far successfully avoided experiencing such disappointment!

I have made it to MM on ball 1.

Its all about the settings.

The presets are pretty good.

absolutely should reset the difficulty in getting Houdini letters. I had mine set too easy and kept on ending up there and now that I've up the difficulty in getting letters I find I get through all the Stage, Jail, or Film modes [not all in one game yet] and the game is far more fun for me now.

Think of it as a game-ending bonus mode. I try to avoid it till I can get to the mini modes like all-jail escape or movie binge. All 10 magic modes is a great goal also. I find it easy to avoid getting the pink combo letter if you want to stave off master magician. MM is not makeable by mere humans because it requires spelling seance in order twice to complete.

HI Guys:

Just received my NIB Houdini and wanted to say to anyone considering the purchase of Houdini, you are going to be very happy indeed! The whole build quality is just amazing!! No corner cutting on this one!

Well done American Pinball!

Roger

rosh I attached the small circuit board to the mini monitor... I cycled through the menu system several times and didn’t see any sort of screen position adjust options. The image on my mini screen is pushed to the left... so the marquee lights on the left side of the screen aren’t visible.

Am I missing something?

Here's an interesting question for anyone that experiences intermittent flipper collapses / weakness during heavy load: Have you ever seen it happen during reverse and inverted flipper mode (normally in Strait Jacket if you choose that option)?? I'm not sure I have but I'm also not sure I haven't. When I get a chance I'm going to pull the glass and keep putting it in that mode along with Seance then block the drain and play it extensively as a test. The only thing I can think of this (if they don't have issues during inverted mode) would indicate is that the flipper buttons may be causing it but mine have been cleaned and adjusted so many times I've lost count. It may show that the issue is not power supply related though.

I have to turn the coil value way down on the right flipper or else I often hit the key lane sign with an air ball. I really feel I have to adjust it too low. Are other people experiencing that and if so, did you do anything to fix it? The flippers and bands look correct.

@bobukcat, I am almost positive I have experienced the flipper collapse in Strait Jacket mode.

Boy do I disagree. I bought this NIB a while back. The lane shots are way too tight. I’m pretty decent, but playing this game is more an exercise in frustration than joy. It’s out of my collection now gathering dust in storage.

Put down the crack pipe, son!

The game does need a little tweaking here and there, I have made a few posts on this lol.

But once its adjusted a bit the game is a blast to play.

A couple shots are a bit tight at 1.5" lanes, but no tighter than many, MANY other games.

The ball is 1 1/16" and easily goes into all of the lanes, even on a less than perfect shot.

The lock lane is wider than the Time expander shots on Doctor Who and easier to make.

Certainly there are no 3 or 4 inch wide shots on Houdini (other than the ramp maybe), but the gameplay doesnt merit this.

Houdini isnt a beginner game that one can master in 5 mins of play, this is part of the attraction. There are many others that are though.

Its a game to be mastered over a few plays and remains challenging years down the road.

For the home environment, I want a game that I dont get bored with or that is too easy.

My real hope is that API stays strong as a company and can fund refined code for this amazing game.

I hope for stellar success with Hot Wheels!

OMG

I'm a very poor player and don't bother learning the rules to most of my games. i still enjoy the shit out of Houdini, even if i never bother going for the point scoring shots and combo's or really try to do much more than start seance, practice milk can, shoot the ramps or some other goal.

I don't have to work towards a huge score or a wizard mode to enjoy pinball, not even mode completion. Maybe i'm too simple a man, but i enjoy just playing. Houdini is a stunning game to immerse yourself in, like The Hobbit it sits next to here.

Edit; I cannot for the life of me figure out how someone could be so basic as to downvote the guy for expressing an honest opinion.

I was informed that the Great Houdini will soon be making his final escape from the AP factory.

If you were thinking about picking one up NIB, I'd get on it ASAP.

Has anyone modded the inside of the trunk? This is incredibly picky... but that trunk is just BEGGING for a nice red velvet interior!

I think it will be difficult to come up with any material that will last long with the ball hitting it from the distance!

There's a red velvet sticky-backed material on amazon. I might give it a try.

I think in a home environment it would be fine,I have also thought about doing that,I believe I saw someone that tried it a while back

It has happened to me in reverse inverted mode
Always the right flipper only.

I can tell you why I did it: I one thought it was in poor taste to come into the Owners's thread and specifically piss on a new owner who was very excited to get his new game. Nobody likes *every* game, everyone's certainly entitled to their opinion, but that's not a free pass to be rude

Then it is TIME FOR A CODE UPDATE!!!!

I can't see how you got that impression. Seems to me he just said he disagreed with the guys opinion. Everyone's entitled to disagree.
He wasn't rude or insulting, didn't say the guy was wrong, didn't act with bad grace, just gave his own side of ownership.

I can say i've seen that a lot in owners threads here, anyone who has a different opinion to the mainstream get's shot down, even if they've owned the game and are giving considered opinions. Same with the ratings, if anyone says they've owned a game and didn't like it they get 8 or 10 flags.

Seems mean spirited to me.

Well... respect. Let’s agree to disagree. Onward!

I agree and stated many times before. The game ending after wizard mode is boolshit and has only made me change settings so that it's unattainable. Excuse makers will make excuses, but much like finished code is needed for this game, this setting of game over should be optional.

I did a felt that’s the same color as the in the backglass. It’s lasted a year so far and looks factory. Kind of a periwinkle. Cheap to buy, adhesive backed sheet of felt cut to size. Simple.

Nice!

Rosh,

Have you had a bug report about the chanting never ending? It started as expected after collecting the completed illusions bonus. It continued as I played on. It then continued after that ball ended. Then through the next ball. It still kept going during MM...AND after if finished. THEN it continued after the game in attract mode. I could only make it stop by turning the game off or smashing my head with a hammer. Thankfully the power switch was closer than the toolbox.

I know the crowd loves me all, but I never want to hear that again! haha.

Must have been a heck of a game to have the crowd refuse to leave and demand an encore, not sure why you did not hit start to give it to them, maybe they then would have stopped! First I've heard of this, thanks for letting me know.

After the 3rd chant, it felt like I was being heckled off stage. I wanted to fire bomb the lot of them! Actually, would be kind of funny to have this running during a tournament mode. I can tell you, it's nigh impossible to concentrate with that on endless loop.

Send me a PM if there is any info you need to help recreate. Also, there is another small bug with the game summary listing when the illusion count goes double digits. It shifts the numbers to the right one and they overlap the icons/text. https://photos.app.goo.gl/qUYqs5JoDmvDQrf2A

This is the Houdini chant continuing in attract mode.

v19.4.7

+++++ Second Power Supply +++++

Hey guys, so i could repair my Coil Driver Board - happy with that.

So now I want to take a new run to installing the second power supply. But how to wire up the ground (-48V black wire) from the new powersupply.
The upgraded supply is properly installed (followed the Instruction on the homepage).

I hope you can help me how to wire the cables from the new power supply to the boards. "Bobukcats HowTo" shows how the old ones is properly wired, but i have a second one of these:

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2603/6024/products/[email protected]?v=1537972766

Thank you and best regards.

Mighty

You'll want to run a black wire between the to -V terminals of the power supplies.

Ok only a black wire between the to -V terminals of the power supplies and a red and black wire from the new power supply to the J6 (input) on the coil driver board?

Correct, join the -V together then run black and red from -V and +V on the same supply to the input of the PD-16 bank you want to power off that second supply.

I ordered purple adhesive velvet and it arrived today. Feels substantial to the touch... I'll get it installed and take a few pics

Let us know if it helps to cut down on rejected shots from the stage.

Do you happen to have a link? That’s a fantastic idea

Might make the trunk last longer, it really takes a beating!

Here are a couple of photos. The color is almost exactly the same as on the BG. I bought the felt at Joann’s but it was not on line since it was way pre-COVID. As you can see, it’s pretty thick. I covered the back and sides of the the box and lid along with the inside top of the lid. Pretty much covered what is visible from the player’s vantage. You’ll have to anticipate some of the hardware on the lid and pre-cut a couple of small holes in the felt. I cut the felt and just pressed it up against the little bolts in the lid (before removing the backing) enough to dimple the backing as a way to mark where to cut the holes. Ultimately, pretty intuitive and simple.

210BDA56-9C27-461B-8775-E1A3F7BBFF6C (resized).jpeg

8B61757A-5174-4B34-8715-5027E5F19711 (resized).jpeg

That looks very cool!

That looks GREAT! I am 100% certain I am not capable or patient enough to cut that precisely

That really is nice looking! Kudos!

I wonder if you could skip the adhesive and maybe use some of the thinner velcro in case it ever gets a wear spot? Just the back since it likely takes the brunt of the ball. Just tossing out an idea...

That’s a great idea. Once this needs replacing, I’ll try that.
Someone else mentioned cutting it straight. I just used one of those guillotine paper cutters.

Love my Houdini.

Do you have a link on that material? It looks great.