Houdini
American Pinball, 2017You're currently viewing posts by Pinsider rdoyle1978.
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Quoted from BarryJ:No worries.. What is clear to me might not be to someone else, just looking for feedback. Maybe with the black and white pictures I will add a close up...OR would you rather be able to pull the color version off the web??? LMK
I’d package the b&w with the kit, but add the color version on the site also. It makes sense to put in the support section anyway IMO.
Quoted from Genjuro:I dont have the shaker motor yet, but can someone post a picture of the shaker motor connection point from a wide angle so i can hook up the uv portion of my pinstadium lights? Also, anyone know the voltage going through that? 24v is the max according to pinstadium.
Thanks!
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/american-pinball-houdini-thread/page/80#post-4410045
Quoted from Ericpinballfan:Got shaker to work on trunk. Had to give minor bend to that switch behind trunk lid behind backboard. Was just missing it by a millimeter sometimes.
So what was wrong? It wasn’t detecting the trunk closing?
Quoted from rogerdodger:Hi Guys:
I have played a few games on Houdini and am really trying to love it but I am 'on the fence' about buying one. I love the theme, art, LCD and toys but the gameplay didn't grab me. Having said that, I didn't know the rules, so was just shooting the balls around.
There seems to be quite a number coming up for sale or trade, with very low plays, here and in other pinball groups.
In hindsight, would all or most of you buy Houdini again, after owning it for a while?
No flames, please. Just helpful, honest, opinions will help me decide.
Thanks so much.
Roger
Yep! PM the guys who are selling - most have limited space,
Are game flippers or game reviewers (or both!!!) and would own again given the space.
Quoted from Rferullo:I made several adjustments last night. The game is playing MUCH better and a lot more fun!
#1 - Shooter lane skill shot. Opened the shooter lane to be able to make all 3 ESC targets and set auto-fire to go straight to the pops.
#2 - Right Orbit to Left Flipper. When I hit the right orbit the ball would come just to the tip of the left flipper and impossible to stop or catch. Now it goes to the middle of the left flipper and you can actually make the 2nd combo mission.
#3 - Upper Catapult missing the wire form. I put a few washers under the wire form in the back to raise it up but it wasn't enough so I just bent that sucker up and now the catapult can fire a stronger coil pulse and makes it 100%
#4 - Scoop Adjustment. Pushed the scoop to the right to guide the ball to the right flipper. I removed the plastic and loosened the screws to adjust it but you could just jam it over.
#5 - Key lane. The key lane was draining SDTM. I removed the plastic on the right side and bent the metal wire out to close up the key lane a little. Now the ball hits the left ball guide and goes to the right flipper pretty consistently. This was my attempt at a fix - not American Pinball.
Scoop Adjustment, Orbit Fix, and Skill Shot Adjustment PDFs attached
I just wanted to chime in that I have also had issues #4 and #5 with uncool drains, and will be doing these fixes. I also had to readjust my pops last night; the lower one does not go off most of the time when it should. I hate adjusting pops switches! now I am doing it on all my games.
also, I still kinda suck so I have increased mode times to 60s; they are way more fun now. I still fail most of the time but I now have time to get the ball under control.
Quoted from rosh:Here is a little secret, when you shoot stage alley or key lane, the pops are disabled for around 100 milliseconds or until the first hit of skirt, then they go live, this makes those shots through the pops a touch easier as nip of the edge of one skirt does not hose you.
I suggesting opening a ticket and Barry can work with you to see if something else needs to be adjusted relative to the trajectory of the ball.
That’s great thinking Rosh! My particular issue was on the outside of the pops so just a quick leaf adjustment and we were back in business
One other issue I am seeing fairly consistently is the catapult shot detection - I hit the inner right loop shot, the VUK kicks it up, it rolls through the wire form and lands in the milk can catapult - then the game just sits there. And sits there.. and .. then ball search and the catapult then tries the throw. No dimming of the lights, just bam! Throw.
Anyone else have this? I have checked the switch and it works fine with my finger and the ball -
Quoted from PinMonk:Sounds like the switch is intermittent. Try dropping the ball in while in switch test mode to test it in a more "real world" way.
Have done this; that’s what I meant by testing ok with the ball. I can not get the switch to NOT_ register so if it’s intermittent I am having trouble replicating the
experience
Quoted from BarryJ:So what I have seen is that the switch works fine with your finger and even when you put the ball in the catapult, the switch registers every time....BUT, in reality when the ball leaves the VUK and rolls down the wire ramp to the lower catapult, the ball rolls into the ball cradle, which is different from dropping the ball into it. Your switch lever / actuator needs to be raised up a bit, that's all.
I'm here for you 833-API-HELP
Thx guys! We are traveling for the holiday but I will check when we return on Monday night
Quoted from Jamaster10:I tell every customer of person in my booth at a show. Easiest way to make the shot!
Pincades
JT
I also want to point out that the milk can shot is MUCH easier than I thought, after learning to cradle it in the right flipper and gently hitting it at the tip of the flipper. I can make it about 6 tried out of 10 which is great for me; such an unusual shot!
Watching this Netflix show with my son called “Who Was” - it’s a kids-oriented history show with a very silly but (mostly) true biography of whomever... uh, was.
the episode he pops on is about Marie Curie, and Houdini! There’s a ton of scenes also in the game, including the elephant, metamorphosis, straitjacket, and Q!
Quoted from foxtj24:So no matter how we try we cannot back hand the lock shot off the right flipper. Checked the level on the machine with the iphone app, Left to right was good, Said to raise the back over 1" to get to 6.5 degrees. Did that. Game now plays faster, more airballs and still no back hand shot.
Any advice?
You really have to be very quick and. precise - where is it bricking? On the targets?
Quoted from Yelobird:Just a possible suggestion. I had issues with back handing the shot at first then for giggles I opened the goodie bag API provided and checked my flippers with the fancy gauge thingy they provided and sure enough they were just Slighly to low. A minor adjustment and the back hands were flowing better then Sarina Williams! Well maybe not that good but much improved. Just a suggestion. Also from my poor learning curve, if you changed your flipper rubbers to a different type for color etc things will bounce much differently. The Titans looked great but came with a learning adjustment curve...
This is good advice.. mine came pretty well perfect from the factory, but you absolutely should be able to do that backhand. I just tried it again and hit it 3 times out of 5, just fooling around. Check game is level, check flippers...
Quoted from IdahoRealtor:Ok. Just checking. I know some manufacturers allow discounting. Didn't know if AP was one of them.
Pinballstar claims to have sales and special pricing fairly often, but not sure which brands he's referring to as he carries several.
This is pretty much the case with all manufacturers anymore. JJP used to do discounts - not as of a few months ago; they've gone to minimum retail price rules.
Quoted from WW2GURU:Ive been getting tons of ball hits just left of the trunk due to the ball changing direction by glancing off the clear ramp and completely missing the trunk. Its happened so much the paint on the wood is starting to lighten. If you look in this pic you'll see just under the yellow wire and to the left of the "HH" you'll see the edges are now lighter from paint loss. So that'll be first place to look is under that shrink wrap. The larger connector after that is good.
As for the ball deflections im going to have to try to adjust that catapult assembly again. I may have to oblong the mounting holes to pull the assembly back 1/16-1/8 so it will maintain the arc but be able to clear the ramp. Its such minor contact but enough to steer it left several degrees. Ive also considered cutting the ramp mounting post down slightly to make the same clearance but im concerned it would affect the early drain hole above the pops.
What happens when you increase the catapult power by 1?
Quoted from Time4akshun:I increased the power on mine a few times. Seems to be holding.
That's good to know; I had been decreasing mine, but it is now all over the place! Sometimes it just barely creeps out, and sometimes it's a rocket!! LOL I'll try increasing it; had not considered that.
Quoted from drummermike:The scoop is my only major issue. I had it try 4 times with no success on putting the ball out, once. Had to reboot. Sometimes it works OK then it may struggle to put the ball out. I did increase my flippers power by 1 and I had my second Million plus game. Coincidence?
I decreased my flippers until I could just barely backhand the ramp from the right flipper. Made a world of difference; I feel like I have bettter control now and the ball isn't going nuts crashing into stuff. Still not sure what to do with that scoop though!
Quoted from WW2GURU:Ive noticed during water escape that the volume is low when he says shoot "left or right orbit". Also the volume for "extra ball" seems low as well.
Extra ball could use a little more flare in how its said or brought out in such a way that its noticed more. My T2 has a great light show for extra ball. TZ pauses the game and has the talking doll drop it off in DMD animations. it seems to me that when when extra ball is announced he seems a little unenthusiastic. which leads me to the excitement in his voice when saying jackpot or amazing. Those have a great impact and more would be better.
I love the Jackpot!! callouts, they are hilarious compared to the more period-appropriate callouts in the rest of the game
Quoted from PinMonk:That's the greatest thing about pinside!
I'm surprised you never had a Pinball Magic or Theatre of Magic. Prior to Houdini, those were the best Magic-Themed pins out there. Pinball Magic, especially, had some neat illusions.
Absolutely - I got a chance to play PBM at Allentown, and MAN that is a cool game! Blew ToM out of the water IMO.
Had a disastrous couple of days of bad games recently, and re-levelled the game.. what a huge difference! My skill shots still drain way more often than I’d like but this game begs to be perfectly level. Really anticipating the next level of code! Hope that master magician mode is getting close! (Not that I am at all.. haha)
Quoted from bobukcat:Sometimes I do think the magnets are affecting the flipper, usually the left. I don't know if it's power related (the flipper gets weaker because of the magnets drawing power) or magnetic field related but it's like the flipper half-flips
I can confirm this happens on my game as well, though I feel it much more frequently after the scoop kicks the ball out. The scoop seems to have a considerable variation in its strength, but when it kicks I do feel the left flipper is momentarily under-powered. A half-flip is a good way to describe it. It’s just like in Dialed In when you get “attacked” and the flipper goes all floppy.
The good news is it hardly ever matters, I don’t believe I’ve ever had a drain as a direct result, just feels a little weird.
Quoted from rosh:My office doubles as a conference room, so most meetings I just stay at my desk and work on stuff not requiring much thought.
I hope to wrap up the code this week, depends on game 2 demands, then we will do testing here for a couple of days, then I'll look for a couple of beta testers. As far as shaker, off the top of my head not sure, hard to remember what is in this release vs the last, I'd have to check the list and that is not always 100% regardless. There are 40+ items on the change list, so not looking through it now
Don’t let us rush you! Whenever I start getting in my head that I “need” to get code out because people are asking, I make mistakes.
Quoted from enkiktd:My trunk shot was also 100% until about the last 10 games, now it’s throwing short or a little to the right. Sometimes dunks into the ramp!
You may want to check the catapult, sounds like it's wiggled loose a bit
Quoted from rosh:I don't recall off the top of my head, but suspect I have a of things, like stage modes disabled when you are in the binge, since you are basically in the middle of a multiball and been a mini-magician mode I want the focus on that.
You don't have to complete, you just have to start them. There is also an EB when you get through 3 Jail Escapes, as well as a mini-magician mode after 5. You can set it to 'easy to hard' vs 'random', to make it a little easier to complete 3. It also defaults to 'easy' on difficulty, which means a near miss with score it (enter ramp but not finish it, key lane vs key target, etc.). So some time you should focus on jail escapes to you can get to that mini-magician mode.
If you focus on movies, you also want to be smart about TrunkMB to maximize the times you start the movie and TrunkMB on the same shot. One pattern to shoot for is
Finish spelling FILM, then shoot first inner loop shot get lock and start a film mode
re-light and lock a second ball during that mode
Spell FILM, shoot inner loop to start second FILM with TrunkMB
So, after just three inner loop shots, you have done two film modes and trunkMB. Repeating that pattern, will get you the EB after that next inner loop as well as start a FILM (again first spelling FILM at the lanes). As far as spelling FILM, shooting four ramp shots will let you spell film if you are paying attention to lane change, and do it with four consecutive ramp shots, which also has a an increasing scoring ladder, those four consecutive ramp shots, will score a total of 41,000 points and also makes your end of ball ramp bonus worth 1,600 more and since that takes your consecutive ramps to 4, every additional ramp will add 400 points of bonus.The wiping of partial credits has been standard for quite a few years now, guessing since 'buy-in' went away. Part of that is that you could be in the middle of some pricing/bonus scheme, which means that next quarter or two could suddenly trigger bonus games. So, while as a player it is nice to have a partial credit, for an operator, not necessarily desired. Full credits are never removed automatically, even after a power cycle. I too have left many a credit on a machine for the next person.
Holy crap there is so much I still have not seeen in this game..
Hi all - My shooter rod feels like it is binding on the housing a bit, it is affecting the skillshot I think. Is there anything special I should do? I don’t believe the rod should be lined, right? I can unscrew the housing and try to realign it but I’m not sure if I should do anything else ? Any ideas?
Quoted from bobukcat:Mine does too and has from the beginning. It's fine the until it starts to get more tension on the spring and then it is not smooth. I keep meaning to take it out and have a good look at it but haven't yet.
I may do that today. THanks for confirming, I will post what I figure out. I’ve had this on other games and usually it was either a too-heavy custom shooter rod, or a misalignment in the housing
Quoted from BarryJ:Try removing the washer from the the inside part of the shooter rod. rubber - spring - washer - cabinet. That is the tension / rubbing culprit.
Thanks Barry!
Quoted from konjurer:Thanks for the insight. I never feel good about loosening up the rules on a game. I want to enjoy it as the designer intended. On the other hand, I don’t yet have the skills to get deep into most games. My best score is 1.3 million and even on that game I only received 1 or 2 Houdini letters.
My goal is to get to wizards modes occasionally. Currently, I’ve never gotten close to any of the mini wizard modes. I think I’m going to stay at 3 balls but I’m thinking of moving in the left outlane post. That outlane is hungry!
I’m not even close to good enough to get hardly anywhere on 3 balls - there are still way too many times where the ball just jams down the outlanes. So I’ve adjusted the mode times (60sec) and gone to 5-ball . I still can’t get very far some games, which I think is A) an indication my game isn’t totally set up right (game is not level! Lol) and B) there’s definitely some luck involved.
So basically , you know.. it’s pinball!
Quoted from PinMonk:Supposedly the next software release will address the tilt issues people are having. Likely just a software timing issue.
You definitely need to check the switch below the trunk. I think it's an opto under the PF.
Is it the trunk switch after the ball lands in the trunk, or the catapult switch before it throws it? I had to bend my catapult switch up a bit to have it consistently detect the ball
Quoted from PinMonk:the trunk can go two ways. If you have a film mode, it goes to the upper catapult. Otherwise, to the subway. If the upper catapult is the problem, it's easier than the subway, just adjust the switch leaf in the catapult.
Aaah, right
Quoted from IdahoRealtor:Its the catapult switch and its intermittent. I agree probably just needs an adjustment. Thanjs for the tips, guys. Overall, very impressed with this pin so far.
Just open the glass and bend it up a touch, it doesn’t need much st all. Wait, was this on location? They need to fix that
Quoted from rosh:will autolaunch when in MB.
Does not in single ball play, and will sit there unless you have the setting to auto fire after X seconds (although not sure if that was in 18.5.4 or is in next release). There is a reason it does not auto-launch and someday that will make sense or maybe someday it will just start to autolaunch. Only time will tell.
Sure sounds like a cool new feature we REALLY hope to see! Don’t spend too much time on game 2 just yet 
)) please!
Quoted from Lysurgeon:Why dont the ball save outlanes work during multiball?
I’m pretty sure they do for me. Can you specify a little more detail on what you’re seeing while in multiball? Which multiball? All of them? Is it when you have more than 1 multiball stacked? Do you have a mode started? Etc..
Quoted from mbelofsky:I have owned my game since 4/10/2018. Here are some observations. Basically, I have not been enjoying the game as I should. Now that I spent the last two hours adjusting, testing, writing this post (as shown below), maybe I have tweaked it to the point where I will enjoy the game and play as I know it should.
I just tried a few games with the tweaks below and I see a difference. Next time I will not wait 2.5 months to tweak (although due to house renovations and family visits, I have been in a hotel for 28 days of the last 2 months).
1. I try to time the skill shot to the "C" switch. When it is lit and it looks like I hit it, it does not register as a skill shot. Sometimes it does. Most times it does not. I took off the glass and tested the switch both by pressing it and shooting the ball from the plunger (so it has the correct angle and speed as in a game), it registers as a switch hit every time. Maybe when I think it is lit, is has moved back to "E."
I just hit the "E" when it was clearly not lit and it said "Ball 2 locked." So maybe the lights are not synchronized to the switches?
2. I adjusted the lower catapult when I first got the game. It worked great. Left the house for 12 days. Came back and it started skimming off the front of the trunk and missing. I increased the coil by 1 (26) and it still hit the lip. I adjusted it by 2 (27) and it beautifully went into the trunk. Put the glass on and played games. It was shooting off to the right and/or hitting the glass. I moved back to 26 and it was hitting the lip. I physically pivoted the the game to the left (probably should ensure it is level) and now 26 works great. As noted below I increased the pitch and the lower catapult still works nicely at the moment.
3. The stage alley shot does not go to the stage. Maybe once or twice in this whole time. I think there are some bending adjustments discussed here that I would have to find and try. I just don't want to be bending the game such that I make it worse. I raised the back to see if this makes a difference. I don't have a level at the moment that provides accuracy to a tenth of a degree. It still doesn't work great but it is getting there a few times.
4. The lock bar pivot thing on the right is almost impossible to open and then close. When I finally get enough power to push it to the left, the lock bar kind of jumps up on the right side. When I take out the lock bar, I hear a twang, like the spring is releasing from something.
When I go to lock it, I do not know what I do to finally get it to move to the right and out of the way of the door, but it is not as smooth as I would expect. I will call support this week to ask. I just did it and filmed both taking off and putting on. Pushing it back to some unspecified amount seems to do the trick to move to the right and lock.
5. When the ball rolls down from the Key Lane, it will usually go right down the middle. This is true before I adjusted the pitch and is still true. This is probably most annoying at the moment. I wish there was an option to engage the magnet when it comes down...
6. The scoop mostly shoots the ball right down the center drain. Thank goodness for the ball save. I would almost like the ability (menu selection) to have the right magnet turn on to redirect the ball. Although statistically, it may drain, it would have to drain less than it does now.
I just changed the coil strength to 6. It bounces off the top of the right sling to the left flipper. Sometimes it nicely goes to the right flipper. The coil is shooting out erratically. I can never get consistency on how the scoop will shoot out. I changed it to 7. It would mostly drain. I changed it back to 6.
Where is the ball supposed to go from the scoop?
While in Scoop coil test, I hit the ball with the flipper and it went into the open stage. I thought it would shoot out. It didn't. I have a telescoping magnet and just took it out. Just thought all coils would pop out the ball in test.
7. When I go to the menu, it says "Switch Error - Go to Test > Switches". When I go to the switch test, none are red. Some are light green. Some are dark green. All of them test well.
Thanks
Michael
Really good observations, Mike -
Some of us have experienced all of these things - I am not sure if anyone else has *every* symptom you listed here.
My experience:
1) I have definitely expected to get a skill shot and not received it; I always figured maybe I didn't hit the switch hard enough, but I think it is more likely what you are experiencing. Interesting! That's a code fix luckily
2) The catapult (and to a lesser extent, the scoop coil) is HIGHLY dependent on consistent power from the wall. I am not sure if this is a normal thing for games and it's just more pronounced because of how precise the catapult needs to be, but I can validate that I experience some weirdness with the catapult as well, although not as extreme as you've seen -
For me, I have several games all on one circuit. When I have only Houdini turned on, the catapult nails the trunk consistently. When one or two other games are on, the catapult will start missing. The scoop will also behave strangely, having to try 2 and 3 times to get the ball out. Then when Houdini is the only one on, the ball will come FLYING out of the scoop. More on that below.
3) I have not experienced this. My alley shot goes into the theater almost all the time, except for the occasional bounce-out if it is a really strong shot
4) Loosen the brass screws ? This does not happen to me either
5) Yes. almost 100% of the time the ball will drain SDTM from the key lane if it does not squarely hit the pops or bounce around the theater area. My #1 pet peeve about the game. Not sure what to do to fix it either. adjust the ball guide maybe?
6) The scoop has a physical alignment adjustment that is posted on the AP site - this is very helpful. It does not address the obvious power issues I mentioned above, but makes it less of a factor
7) Not sure on this, I would have to check.
Thanks for your observations!
Quoted from mbelofsky:As a note to my set up, I had an electrician come in and added three 20 AMP dedicated circuits for my pinballs back about 1999. So I have 10 machines that I split about evenly between these 3 20 AMP circuits.
When I play alone, I just turn on a game or two so I would have to believe that my power is okay. But I also realize it could be something else.
Not sure about the catapult, but on the scoop definitely look at the service bulletin which describes how to adjust it, that will take care of most of the issue
Quoted from CUJO:1) I have definitely expected to get a skill shot and not received it; I always figured maybe I didn't hit the switch hard enough, but I think it is more likely what you are experiencing. Interesting! That's a code fix luckily..
I too am 100% sure I am hitting the skill shot targets but no reward. I think the timing of the lights is off as well.
2) The catapult (and to a lesser extent, the scoop coil) is HIGHLY dependent on consistent power from the wall. I am not sure if this is a normal thing for games and it's just more pronounced because of how precise the catapult needs to be, but I can validate that I experience some weirdness with the catapult as well, although not as extreme as you've seen -
For me, I have several games all on one circuit. When I have only Houdini turned on, the catapult nails the trunk consistently. When one or two other games are on, the catapult will start missing. The scoop will also behave strangely, having to try 2 and 3 times to get the ball out. Then when Houdini is the only one on, the ball will come FLYING out of the scoop.
I have the same power issues if another pin is on in the same room and on the same circuit breaker. Even if I tap the flippers when the ball launches with the other two pins off, the ball will drop short of the truck or hit the lip.
I emailed AP about that and they suggested a Variac unit:
ebay.com link » 1 3kw Ac Voltage Regulator Variac Variable Transformer Metered 10 20amp Sale New
I'm considering this but for now I just make sure no one has the other two pins on in the same room when playing Houdini.
Just make sure you order the 1000W unit.
Thanks for the confirmation. This is definitely a potential issue directly affecting gameplay. This may also be related to the flippers losing power when coils fire (most often an issue during multiball)
Quoted from Wolfmarsh:If you have line voltage that is steady and out of spec, like always at 106V, a variac could help.
What you are describing sounds like line voltage that fluctuates spontaneously from other devices on the circuit. I would think a line conditioner would be more appropriate, no?
http://a.co/4q0BkyX
Any thoughts on why we don’t see this issue with other games though? Could there be a supply issue inside the cabinet? I’d much rather buy a bigger/more stable PS than a Variac or Line conditioner
Well im glad there is a solution here. Kinda sucks that the transformer is missing in the first, but I would be happy to pay for the "upgrade" so to Speak. Thanks for all the input, guys
Just to assuage anybody’s concerns: the game is Awesome. It stands up to (IMO)
DI for longevity, but the game is fun on short ball times too. There are some minor adjustments to be Made yes but what game doesn’t benefit from being dialed in? Houdini gets more
Play at home
Than any of my other games (MB, SS, TZ..)
Quoted from Tuna_Delight:No no. Although you own both Houdini and DI, you are apparently deluded. Did you not see the poll results or various judgements expressed on the Houdini vs DI thread?! To paraphrase: "DI is OBVIOUSLY a much 'better' game than Houdini."
Now stop enjoying your Houdini. It's not a fun game.
LOL. I also own monster bash, which is now “boring” and “too easy”.
Quoted from Ericpinballfan:Once leg levelers are all the way up on on 4 legs...take lower catapult back down to 26. When you unbox a new Houdini it has a set of paperwork telling you about this leg leveler set up.
The catapult does still make it at 6.5 degrees, at least on my game. Every once in a while It will brick the trunk, but that is more because of power variance issues at my house. My setting is at 26 as well, I believe.
Quoted from billsfanmd:i have all levelers all the way in. 27 it has enough power most of the time but misses left sometimes. does not seem consistent
Variac time!
Quoted from billsfanmd:what is variac
Bro read a couple of posts up, I think it’s on this same page!
Quoted from RTS:The inconsistent left flipper hold seems more like a game problem, not a problem with the power to my house. It just dies in single ball play sometimes. No problem with any other games.
Can someone provide instructions on adding an EOS switch and where the wires go?
Seems like it needs a code improvement to increase the left flipper coil hold strength.
For those who added the EOS switch, has it ever failed even after adding the switch?
Might be a good idea to check and make sure you have a coil sleeve; that was an issue on somebody’s game earlier in the thread
The game is SOOOOO deep, I keep finding new things. The elephant mode still has (one) animation missing with a “placeholder animation!” Screen, so you know more code is coming. I hope future updates are as mind blowing as the recent Hobbit update - but honestly even if they aren’t, the game is already way ahead of the competition
Quoted from rosh:I did improve a bunch of animations this weekend, but this was not one of them, so it will still say 'placeholder' after this code release'.
Did get the OS update scripts as well this weekend, so once that gets some testing we will be ready for some owner beta testing.Two streams worth checking out . . .
That is awesome!! Josh I would love to shadow you for a day ... or a week..!
Quoted from rosh:not sure you would really want to, certainly not a week. I work 10+ hour days and parts of nights an weekends. Since we are a small company I wear a lot of hats, so my days range from meetings on marketing, business operations, Houdini code, game 2 development, customer issues, etc. So, part of that might be interesting and part of that, not so much. My most productive time working on the game code is typically towards end of the day when pretty much everyone else is gone and there are no distractions (usually Jim is the only other person around, and he is also then focused on being productive). Also productive when I do work at home after I have dinner and spend time with the family.
That sounds EXACTLY like my job. Except I don't have a pinball machine at the end of the process
Played about an hour on Aerosmith yesterday. The toy box shot is still pretty neat! But it is no Trunk catapult!!!
Quoted from Yelobird:Not so sure about that statement?? I have yet to Ever see AS miss that shot on my person machine. Houdini not so much.
Well the one I played on location, I played about 25 games and got MB on maybe 20 of those. The toy box missed easily on half the shots. The game clearly hadn’t been dialed in though, the left orbit also drained SDTM every single time. That said, it’s about half the Trunk throw distance, so the success rate wouldn’t even be as impressive if it was equal
Quoted from Bartzenegger:A big shot out of thx to Manimal ! For welcoming me into his lovely home and playing some pinball and having some beer. Houdini was fun
I did not think the shots were to hard and I loved the milk can shot. It’s a fun pin
Bart
That is absolutely awesome you guys did that. So which are you going with?
Quoted from Tuna_Delight:Just sayin' as this isn't anything new, but I guess Joe Balcer knows what he's talking about (go figure ) in recommending Houdini be played at a 6 degree slope. I reduced my game's slope from 6.6 to 6.1ish last night and turned the flipper power down to 20 and the difference is fantastic! Backhanding (or forehanding for that matter) the inner loop is almost easy now and the overall gameplay just feels much more balanced and in tune.
Good for you! I've been telling people this for a while now. Slightly above 6 degrees is the sweet spot. flippers are also way too powerful on default settings. you should be able to backhand that inner loop shot from the right flipper
Quoted from flashinstinct:The kickout keeps missing ejecting the ball the first time. Not exactly sure how to tweak it. Guidance would be appreciated.
Go to the AP site, there is a guide about how to adjust the scoop. Not all games needed it; mine did, sounds like yours might as well.
Also if the scoop coil is set too -high- it can ricochet off the top of the scoop and fall back, so trydialing it down before you take anything apart.
Quoted from flashinstinct:Seems like the ball doesnt even kickout the first time. Feels more like a hichup then coil power or even scoop alignment
It’s one or the other, a lot of the games have been doing it
Quoted from PersonX99:Had a few friends over last night, and had all of the machines on. For the first time in a while, the trunk catapult missed. Normally, I just have one game on when I play and it makes the shot every time. This morning, with only one machine on, it makes the shot without a problem. I wonder if other draws on the circuit "could" effect the catapult? I did have the plastic out around that area (painted milk can to bring out the detail in the sculpt) but I don't think that would affect it. Anyone else notice anything like this? I am going to test further with the settings and having one or more machines on the same circuit. The trunk shot is such a neat feature, I would like to adjust it so it makes it when all the machines are on in the lineup.
That’s what we think - check a couple posts / pages ago when we were discussing the Variac and the Line Conditioner options. Happens to me too. Ironic we usually only turn on all games when its a party, which is exactly when you want to show ‘em off!
Quoted from transprtr4u:Must have missed it , but why is AP sending out foam for the speakers?
There’s light bleed from the speaker grilles so this just buttons that all up
Quoted from Rferullo:I need to jam some foam up in there! It's a little distracting.
Call your distro, I’m sure you can get a kit sent
Quoted from pinden007:is the latest game code 5.4? I thought I heard there were some updates after that?
I have lost touch with this thread any all my other threads over the summer. Busy summer.
Yes that is the latest but new stuff in testing
Quoted from pinballjj:newbie here but interested in a Houdini but have had no chance to play one ,it looks fantastic and has a lot of stuff to do but looking at gameplay videos I have seen modes started but not a lot completed, I assume these players are of average skill level ( similar to me or better? ) . For the owners how far are you progressing through the modes? Not familiar with all the rules but lighting HOUDINI is a big goal? how many letter's so far? I think I like hard but probably like to feel I could make progress
Inspired by some pro level (papa) videos of gameplay of some other machines i would love to have, anyone know of video of someone with pro skills on houdini? thanks
The game is hard. It is HAAAAAARD. I can barely complete 1 or 2 modes on a good game, and usually just am relieved when I don’t drain. But it is also really fun, and confounding in a good way. You really have to re-think how you play, and I like that a lot
Quoted from bobukcat:I know new code is "coming" but it's really getting frustrating waiting for what I consider to be pretty major bug fixes. Playing games tonight and multiple times the FILM is lit but no matter how many times you hit the inner loop it won't start the mode.
Which version of the code do you have? It seems like the FILM modes start all the time for me. Maybe check the switches too? That is definitely not a code issue if you are up to date
Quoted from PinMonk:I'm in the camp that says you have bad or badly adjusted switches (switches that work with a slow hit, but not a fast ball, or switch arms that don't register when a ball is rolled over them). Does the diverter to the trunk work okay?
I had to adjust my switch in the catapult for it to register consistently, and I had also tested it a ton of times with a real ball. I just pulled it up a tiny bit and it works 100% now
Quoted from pinden007:Should the yellow latch be able to go horizontal to lock in the lock bar? Mine does not. (maybe it did once or twice but I can't remember) It's been like this since I got the game. The lock bar seems to always wiggle around at some point during play. Very frustrating.
Loosen the brass receiver bar screws and see if it is able to lock better
Quoted from Ericpinballfan:I gave in about a month ago and lowered the posts on left and right out lanes. To my surprise, not much help for extended game or ball save in those out lanes. The ball on left still can just miss post and drain. On the right, it's actually going to shooter lane, say 5% of the time. Helping on right but auto kicker will just kick it out as it should during those multiballs.
The game is just hard - the outlanes are tough AND a lot of brick shots just go SDTM. I have mine set to 5 balls which -Also- hasn’t helped much. And I’ve set the modes to 60 seconds. IMO that should be the default - just getting control of the ball sometimes takes 20 seconds, then if you don’t nail the shot immediately you are sunk.
I’m not THAT bad of a player but getting to any of the mini modes just feels impossible right now. It’s so hard to be precise.
That said, people are clamoring for a harder game, and it seems like a lot of them got scared off, so I don’t know what to think about that
Quoted from bobukcat:It's less than 1 in 20 but very frustrating when it does. It may only occur after the random multiballs I experience intermittently (usually after I complete either Metamorphosis or Water Torture), not sure. If the lock wasn't detecting the ball I don't think it would immediately release it, that's why I think it's code related somehow. Will just have to keep on playing and try to capture the logs.
I guess It could actually be code-related if it’s under very specific conditions, like you’re saying - only after a particular mode and only if such-and-such has happened before. We need more detail to try and replicate it
Quoted from Tuna_Delight:I have mine set to 5 balls, outlanes on narrowest setting, and modes set to 60 secs too. The game can still be VERY challenging, but is a lot of fun overall for me.
The left outlane drains SO often on so many things I am going to tighten it a little bit - I still have it set to the middle position.
Do you guys think there is a high amount of spin on the balls in this game? I am not sure if I just notice it more in Houdini or if it’s just an effect of the geometry. The game still pisses me off at times but I keep coming back for more. I am considering taking the back legs down a bit (I have it set to a higher slope than AP recommended), but I doubt I will actually do it. Just want to get a bit farther and actually complete a mode without draining! Haha
Quoted from hawkmoon:Hay,Rdoyle,I had my legs set a tad high as well,and looking at the set up sheet,it says all feet should be down!! I did this and have more control over the ball! Still only score between 250,000 to about 525,000! My highest is 725,450! But i come back for more punishment
You are right! I had it set that way originally, but felt it was a little too floaty. But Josh has consistently said that Joe Balcer likes the game to be slightly slower, and you have to believe that’s for a reason. The perfect intended slope is with legs screwed in all the way
Quoted from PinMonk:Yeah, I've asked Josh a few times about balancing the negative calls with some positive ones and/or playing the negative ones less. Maybe have a setting in the system menu for "ATTITUDE - Negative/Neutral/Positive" and have the machine adjust type and frequency of callouts accordingly.
Although the call outs don’t really bother me all that much, I do think the zingers would be a lot more effective if they were only so often - “wow, you really stink” only every day, 10 times instead of EVERY TIME I played the machine tonight!
Quoted from CUJO:I completed all the modes in my best game to date (1.7+ Million). I thought something would happen but it just rolled over and started all the modes again...I need to read the ruleset again. I thought the mini wizard mode stared from that.
I believe that’s the one that is not yet implemented . You get mini wizard modes from completing the FILM modes and Combo challenges
Quoted from rosh:The next release will be a litttle less insulting on skill shot misses. You won’t hear one on your first miss and if you make a skill shot you won’t hear a skill shot miss insult during your game.
If you drain the ball during the ball save window and are getting the ball back, the insult is the price you pay. You can always shorten up ball save timers to be insulted less. . I’ll take s look at some other adjustments.
While some stage modes are difficult to finish, some you should be able to complete on a regular basis, such as Walk through Walls and water torture.
Needles is easy, I go for pops early and then spinner, pops can ring up a lot of hits but also can get some standup hits to increase switch value and of course spinner can then ring up points and extend the timer.
Card king, while not a pattern per se, it is not overly difficult to get the timing down, even though the hoops move faster after each hit.
Bullet catch and metamorphosis have s very hard shot to start, but are pretty reasonable after that.
Finishing milkcan is extremely difficult, but even completing two steps can be incredibly valuable both in points and advancing playfield multiplier— it is a great stack with seance since seance will helpngwt that ball through the milkcan.
None of the movie modes are very difficult, since they are primarily focused on orbits and the ramp, with master mystery being the most challenging. Yes a scoop shot is needed on one and another requires bashing the stage, but no milkcan or trunk shots are needed in any movie mode.
Most important of all are the magic standups, which will advance you one step in each mode. Use them strategically to help with the shots you struggle with most.
These are really good tips! Thank you
Quoted from konjurer:Now with the Player's Choice, I try to select the easiest mode for me to complete. I try to get these modes going first. If I can start a stage mode with the 2X Theater Scoring then all the better. I try to get these modes started first to get a good score going quickly.
Walk through Walls
Straight Jacket Multiball
Indian Needle Trick
These tips are from the Tilt Forums Houdini Rule Sheet.
SUGGESTED HOME SETTINGS
If you would like a more approachable game for the family and for new to intermediate players try these settings. This configuration allows the player to start a mode by bashing the theater just one time. You also get more time to complete a mode before the mode times out and the crowd “boos” at you. When the jail escape order is from “easy to hard”, it forces you to complete the cities in order.
Stage Difficulty: Easy
Stage Mode Timer from 45 to 60 seconds
King of Cards from 40 to 60 seconds
Jail Escapes Order: Easy to Hard
Jail Escapes Difficulty: Easy
TIPS
You may elect to start each stage mode by shooting through the Stage Alley lane. A well-placed shot will start the stage mode at 2X.
You posted this a couple pages ago right? (Or at least I saw them). Yeah this is how it’s alreasy set up .. lol I just need more time to practice
Quoted from PhantomO:Would someone please ID what this and what it is for? It was in the Houdini goody bag. Thanks!
[quoted image]
You can attach it to the LCD; it's for power on/off, brightness, the menu, etc. Just like a regular computer monitor
Quoted from PhantomO:My trunk catapult shoots both far left and far right erratically. not sure how to adjust that. Coil strength is 27. Score was from 5 ball game set up easy peasy. [quoted image]
I’d check that the catapult arm doesn’t have play; see if it needs tightening under the PF
Quoted from Tuna_Delight:Try lowering the catapult coil strength. I operate mine on 25; if I raise it to 26, it throws it to the left.
FWIW: No such thing as "easy peasy" on Houdini. Just "Kill Me Now Hard", "Super Hard", and "Hard".
LOL
I have games where I brick almost every shot, and then I’ll play one more game, and suddenly it’s Grand Champion territory!
Finally got around to removing the washer on the plunger arm (the one inside the cab) and holy crap what a difference, totally smooth now.
Quoted from PhantomO:Same here so far. Plunger seems smooth, but i can rarely hit the top skill shot target. I will try it without washer. BTW, anyone see the captive stage ball during play? I havent yet.
There is another, more involved adjustment for hitting the target - you have to slightly bend the metal ball guide a little (wider? I think?)
http://s4.american-pinball.com/img/support/2018-5/Houdini-Skill-Shot-Fix.pdf
Holy CRAP!! My game is out of service currently, as the left flipper stopped working.. but I just lifted the PF and it’s just the return spring. So I’ll be installing this in about 10 minutes!!
Spent the morning playing a few games, and after installing the code, I had an issue with the flipper spring again (I had not fixed it to the pawl tightly enough and it pulled out again). Since I had to pull up the playfield, I took the time to polish the playfield a bit, and put the game back down to having its levelers screwed all the way in. Levelled the game (my floor dips under the back right leg), and then got to playing the new code.
the very FIRST thing I noticed was that almost all of the cheap drains I had been experiencing - from the scoop, from the auto-launcher, the left outlane, the key lane (that was the worst) - were GONE! It is imperative that this game is set all the way down. It does not feel floaty, it actually felt a bit faster, believe it or not - but I felt I had more control. I literally made 3 milkcan shots in a row. I am pretty good at that shot, but I have never done that.
Absolutely imperative that you level this game correctly. I am starting to wonder if all the IMO off-base comments about geometry are from improperly set-up games. For one, I guarantee the one at the location I first played Houdini in (VUK, in Bethesda, MD), was not set up correctly. It was set up to 6.5 degrees like every other game, and well... it played like mine did at home until last night.
Second, the code impressions -
- I liked the lady's voice in the FILM modes! lol... glad you can turn that back on. I always sort of thought of that as Bess since she was part of his act.
- light show looks way cooler - the LEDs have more life to them, and I like the way they pulse in certain circumstances
-i like the Stage eject - I don't think I knew that was an option!
- I set the shaker to "heavy" just to try... yeah don't do that. I felt like my game was going to fall apart!
-The AP logo update is REALLY cool! I hadn't really noticed how bare that seemed until I saw the new one. Looking forward to similar changes on some of the other animations
I haven't played enough games to comment on the rule changes, but the overall experience is even more of a top-notch package than the game promised out of the box.
A lot of the extra visual changes are subtle, which is very cool, not overpowering but all enhance the game.
I'm hoping to see some changes eventually in the Extra Ball animations and the Seance Multiball lady - they could use a little kick.
Huge update overall. Put your levelers all the way in, people.
Quoted from Manic:Deleted post
I tell you what I hate; I hate paying all the taxes for the 1%ers and then having my kids have to pay the balance on the huge ass loan we just took out to pay them money they don't deserve. I hate that we can't seem to bring ourselves to basic human decency onthe smallest of things these days. And I hate that we are putting our pride that we voted a certain way, over the integrity of this country. I hate that we have fallen so far into following propaganda that we are utterly convinced that a
Thing is true, Despite Clear visual, indisputable evidence to the contrary. And I hate that our brothers and sisters who have died as recently as 2 weeks ago to protect democracy the world around may have died in vain. I hate that we have turned against the very first thing our founding fathers wantwd
To explicitly protect - because they knew the effects of stifling criticism of a dictator. I hate that we have been played by another country's leadership in the most obvious and pathetic way possible. I hope this 4.1% GDP gain is worth selling out the country for. Trump is irrelevant - we are the problem.
Quoted from Rferullo:I think there is a different forum for talking politics and I'm pretty sure this forum is for talking pinball.
Let's try and stay on a topic we all agree on - Houdini is awesome!
Very classy of you you. Thanks
Quoted from Vino:I’ve been following and playing Houdini for a bit now including CAX last weekend.
Did I just read that new code dropped and in less than 48 hours the man works Sunday to polish it?
Ok enough already, Sold.
Im getting one.
He even posted and answered questions on his vacation days. Rosh, I wouldn’t do that at my job.. but I also don’t work for AP!!
Quoted from pinballinreno:I wonder what voltage the lab is set at when building and testing the Prototype machines at API.
If it were me I would run them on a variac set at 110 volts.
I'm pretty sure this is the case. And no fault lies with API.
I'm confident there is no fault with the machine in fact it has nothing to do with the quality of the machine or any pinball manufacturers products.
It's really just a matter of settings.
I have it in my mind that if I adjust settings on my pinball machines, I would like those settings to hold for the duration.
But as most of us have seen when the power from the wall changes it also changes the outcome of your settings.
I just think it would be good to find something to address this issue.
I further believe that this power fluctuation issue is what causes poor gameplay at trade shows and some operators locations and even in some people's homes especially in outlying areas, or like me living at the end of town.
That is absolutely a thing at shows - you hear guys talking all the time about how their machines play better at home, and flippers are low powered because of power issues.
Quoted from joeraptor2003:Sorry to interrupt...
What do you guys think of this?
Joe
Www.pingraffix.com
Damn it Joe... I don’t have any more money !! Lol
That looks friggin’ awesome!!! - any way to slow it down? I could see that potentially being distracting during gameplay
Quoted from drummermike:I had 18.8.1 code in and pin was OK. I just tried twice to put in 18.8.5 and now I have nothing. Pin will not boot up. It flashes from blue to black screen. When I put the stick in it was done in a second but now there is nothing.
Do you have a stick with 18.8.1 still?
Quoted from TomN:Never mind. That was one of the easiest and trouble free updates I’ve ever done. Well done
Nice!! The only issue I’ve ever had is where the game will not read my USB drive. I found one that works and just use that exclusively now.
Quoted from bobukcat:Is the Stage Front Eject working for anyone? I calibrated the stage again but haven't seen it work yet, it tries occasionaly but at least quickly realizes it isn't working then closes the door and drops in down into the subway so it's no biggie (and certainly the least of my Houdini related issues right now), just curious if it works for anyone else?
Yep, works for me - it hadnt worked before so I was surprised when it actually ejected from the stage the first time!
Quoted from PersonX99:I'm hosting a tournament on Sat, and I noticed game times on Houdini can be fairly long. Any suggestions on how to reduce the game times while still keeping the game fun and fair to play?
Thanks.
How long is long?
I assume you're on 3-ball. Reduce ball save times, and make EBs harder to get in the settings. Open up the left outlane a notch; people will lose balls immmediately. Also raise the back legs 8 or 9 threads. This will make the game significantly harder, although it will also result in a lot of cheap drains
Quoted from BarryJ:A larger diameter power cord wire would not help the low power issue, low power is low power.
But on the bright side... We will be releasing some information about this in the near future.
Very cool! Hopefully it addresses the (less important but still noticeable) flipper drain when the magnets fire
Quoted from Strummy:I played Houdini at Pintastic and thought it was great. I actually got to play it with Joe Balcer which was really cool. While looking for one I was reading the reviews that are all over the place, negative and positive. After finding one and having it on the way somebody startd a topic about Houdini being too difficult. So of course I started to wonder if I made the right decision. I got my game today and hell yeah I made the right decision! I love to have diversity in my collection and this game is awesome. I am a mediocre player at best and this game is not that hard. I will have to chime in on the Houdini being too difficult threat now. This game rocks!
A lot of the people who don’t like it don’t seem to have put a lot of time on the game. And of course not every game is for every player
Quoted from BarryJ:Logs show bad install. (could be a bad download or a bad USB stick) (some USB sticks do not work right)
This is what you need to do.
1. Remove the code downloaded from our web site on your computer.
2. Download the code again https://www.american-pinball.com/support/updates/
3. Get a different 4GB or bigger USB stick, format to FAT 32.
4. Move folder from computer to USB stick
5. Reinstall on the Houdini.
6. Enjoy
Another customer had one of these issues a few weeks ago - it should recover, dont worry!
Quoted from mcbPalisade:I read somewhere that there is a slack channel that is that is mostly P-roc and HDpyprocgame users. Can anyone provide a link to that? Seems like a great place to learn more about ways to implement pins.
You can email Multimorphic at [email protected] to get invited to their Slack workspace
also pindev.slack.com
Quoted from rosh:When we did out second set of voice calls for the cops, we had an Englishman do the London bobby as well as the Australian officer. I thought the voices were too similar. so I reached out to the Head2Head podcast guys, Martin and Ryan C, to see if they wanted to lend their voices to the game. They were both more than willing to give it a try and each did a set of voice calls. Our sound engineer, Matt Kern, thought that Martin's voice was a better fit, so we went with his and Ryan C was scratched from the game. Since Ryan had gone to the trouble to do it, I thought we should at least, partially, include his name in the game, for now.
That is very cool! Poor Ryan
Quoted from Tuna_Delight:My catapult has gone wacky too. Currently makes it into the trunk 90% of the time, but always rebounds off the left side of the cabinet to do so.
How's that water torture mod coming Hooked?
My catapult is fine, but I've noticed a (very) few issues where the ball is not recognized. Could very well be a switch issue, but it started *right* after I updated. Once in the catapult itself, and once in the stage where I shot the ball during the disappearing Elephant trick. Just sat there for 45 seconds and finally did a ball search... it found the ball - and of course I drained!
Quoted from FalconPunch:It's was only because it was the same day I got off the plane from my big US/CA trip. Very tired. Absolutely nothing to do with Martin having a superior voice
No such thing as a “superior voice”, I’ve been hired for gigs where I was the “wrong” voice, and have good friends who were hired despite being the polar opposite of the traditional voice, and who have that nasally high voice for a “big heavy” type role. It’s just circumstance; sometimes things hit the ear a certain way on a certain day. Either way, you’re famous!
Quoted from BarryJ:Check the switch.. I have seen many that have come loose or have become miss-adjusted. To check the switch action put the game in switch test and use a ball, drop the ball and also gently place the ball in the catapult cup. I have seen where the dropped ball registers fine...but the gently placed ball does not!
I think it was a fluke it worked fine after the one time. Is it possible it’s a code issue? More likely mechanical I know but it’s literally only happened one time since I (months ago) adjusted the same switch
Quoted from Audioenslaved:Does anyone know if mantis have done protectors? I’ve got a cliffy on my xmen but don’t like that it effects slow moving balls
I just ordered a bunch of stuff from his site the other day, and did not see Houdini on there. You mail want to email him and see. The scoop wouldn’t seem to be a huge problem though; the ball is pretty well controlled by the time it gets to that hole
Quoted from PhantomO:Anyone else get to a wizard mode yet? Mine didn't end well.
I've had mine for months and still haven't seen a wizard
Mode! Mini or otherwise
Quoted from PhantomO:You are correct about that misleading ramp light. I find the ramp one of the toughest shots to make consistently in terms of completing it. I even raised the left flipper coil strength to improve completions, but it hasn't helped much.
This won’t help if you are going for consecutive ramp shots but you can also backhand it from the right
Quoted from Tuna_Delight:Sometimes (for me anyway). I find a shot from the left flipper works more consistently.
It can be challenging, but compared to the left ramp on my TWD Premium, Houdini's ramp is a piece of cake.
I can’t nail the ramp on demand from the left, but if I have a dead stopped ball cradled, I can make the ramp most of the time. It barely has the juice to get up there though so if you’re not squarely in the middle, the left-to-right motion will rob it’s energy and it won’t make it all the way up
Quoted from Strummy:What is your coil setting on the right flipper to make this shot?
I’ll check, but both my flippers are dialed down from the defaults. My game is also just about all the way down on the leg levellers, making it roughly 6 degrees as AP intended - not the standard 6.5 which a lot of people have set up (and makes the game way more unpredictable)
Quoted from pinballinreno:My manual says 6.5 degrees during setup I thought it was a little steep.
So I got between 6.1, 6.3, and 6.5 from bottom to top..
So I'm calling it 6.3-6.4 average?
Wall voltage at 119-120v
I have my flippers set at 28 left, 27 right.
I upped all the pops by 1.
The scoop eject was consistantly bouncing off the top post of the right sling. I raised the scoop power by 1.
Has anyone adjusted the scoop eject path?
Should it end up at the right flipper without hitting the sling at all? If so I have to adjust the lane guide to do this.
I adjusted my scoop. Helps a LOT. You ideally shouldn’t need to adjust the coil strength beyond the default; in fact it should be the weakest setting where it still clears the edge consistently
The ball still does hit the right sling most of the time. It doesn’t drain too often, but I do have to nudge a lot
Which Manual said 6.5 degrees?
Quoted from pinballinreno:My power fluctuates a bit so upping the scoop by one seems to work as intended with it having to repeat to get the ball out 1 in 10 or 20 times.
I didn't finish my thought, sorry - you may also want to try lowering the scoop strength - if the scoop is too strong the ball will bang into the top of the scoop, but will still eject. Not that important if it's working for ya though -
I wonder if that manual is a typo? Josh will know for sure, but I am fairly certain with levelers all the way in, the game is at 6 degrees.
Quoted from LTG:Can happen depending on system if flipper button leaf blade switches need cleaning or contact point at end of blade isn't making good electrical contact with blade, or if optos - could need cleaning.
Might be worth checking until AP posts.
LTG : )
this happened to me recently, but it turned out just the spring had pulled out
Quoted from PhantomO:I have morr luck backhanding the ramp than I do the inner loop. I cant seem to find the right spot on the flipper when cradling the ball. Is the inner loop
shot made from a cradle position?
No, you have to get it just enough out of the cradle in order to clear the right sling. It’s easier if your game is set to a higher angle (although don’t do that because everything else gets out of alignment). The shot isn’t easy, but it’s fairly repeatable. I make it about as often as I make the ramp - maybe 50/50 or so
Quoted from pinballinreno:I agree, I really love this game ! ! !
My game plays perfectly.
Fast, exciting, FUN, amusing, challenging etc. packed to the gills with amazing things.
The artwork is beautiful.
The playfield and cabinet work are excellent to superb quality.
The code so far is really good and the ideas are freshly well done.
I hope there is a flipper hold/power fix brewing, it would be a shame to not solve this annoying detail.
Pay attention next time it happens and see if the magnets are firing at the same time the flipper drops. This is what we are thinking is happening
Quoted from pinballinreno:Wow. Similar thing happened to me running a bunch of modes at the same time game fed an extra ball. I drained one of the balls and then the game went into ball search even though I had a ball in play.
I rebooted the game in the problem went away.
There’s so much going on in this game, I’m amazed there have been so few bugs
Ooooook team...
I just had an incredible game, 25 minutes - only 1.5 million but I cleared 5 Houdini letters, started all 4 FILM modes, started I think 7 stage tricks, cleared 4 escapes and cleared 4 secret missions. I thought I would AT LEAST get a mini-magician mode somehow, from the films maybe? What the hell do I have to do? And the trunk multiball is still way too short for how hard it is to achieve
Quoted from bobukcat:After you complete all the FILM modes (there are five, not four) you have to spell FILM and hit the right inner loop again, that will start Movie Binge and how many points you score in that will depend on how well you did in the actual movie modes (a shot corresponds with each movie and it's value is based on how you did in that movie).
EDIT: It can be quite lucrative. [quoted image]
darn it, that's what it was - I thought there were only four! whoops
Quoted from JimFNB:A ball shot into the stage is getting caught on the front lip. Like every time.
Searched but nothing turned up. Any tips before I dive in? thanks,
-- Jim
Do you mean that the ball is getting caught on the lip when you try to shoot it in there? or when it releases the ball from the front of the stage after it's been captured/shot in there? Because people have reported both. I believe you can adjust the stage, although I do not know how to do it
Quoted from Ericpinballfan:Is it wrong I hate that printing on the glass?
How visible is it during game play.
It should be under the lock bar when it's on the bottom like that
Quoted from pinballinreno:This above all else is the most important.
It affects gameplay negativly.
This should not be allowed.
I believe we will have a fix shortly
Quoted from Ericpinballfan:Ive considered a thin piece of 1 inch felt along both sides of the playfield to prevent side art damage. Has anyone else tried this?
On most B/W games, it’s difficult to fit the felt on both sides of the PF - in my TZ I can only fit it on one side to try and avoid scratching my mirror blades. On Houdini it would probsbly be way too tight
Quoted from mbwalker:Wonder how it's installed at the factory since I was told they are installed prior to PF?
You guys have got me worried now. One big reason to by a new machine is to have a pristine one for a change, sort of like a new car. You keep it clean, don't have to worry about all the kludges people installed over the years or decades. I guess I won't be 'opening the hood' for awhile.
It's not really that hard - but you do have to be super careful. I've managed to raise and lower my PF about 25 times installing different things (shaker, taking the machine apart to move it, adding mods, etc) and there are no noticeable issues. Any time you scrap the side blade on this game you'd also dent the heavy duty vinyl pretty badly, so even though the material isnt' as durable it's one issue vs another
Quoted from PinMonk:Bend one of the coils out on the longest of the two pieces and make a new, shorter, tighter spring until you can get a full new one.
That’s what I did on both of mine - works great, still rolling strong! Just make sure you wind it back on itself through the hole so it won’t pull back through. Give it a couple good tugs to be sure
Quoted from pinden007:Any ideas to get this new code loaded?
Plug in the USB and it says it's loading the code and finishes in about 2 seconds but it's stays at 5.4.18.
I had to try a couple different usb drives before mine would take. It does sound like maybe you need to download the file again though
Quoted from Strummy:Can I install lighted flipper buttons? If so, where do I get the power?
Easiest thing to do is alligator clip to an insert
Quoted from colonel_caverne:Houdini is a real pinball experience.
I do disagree with ratings that report a bad layout conception. I think it is great and unique. That is what i’m looking for when I want a game
As JJP, I don’t really like low scoring but it is a minor complain.
For those you have put some hours game, would you say it has deep rules? Thanks
EXTREMELY deep. It is not a "story" game like Dialed In, but there are so many things to do and see once you start completing some of the modes. I know some people complain about the multiball in DI, but I think that's a good idea, where you can get somewhere, even if you're having a crap game. I do wish Houdini would have something similar
Quoted from pinballinreno:You might want to revisit your review since the last or next code update.
The game is really coming together now.
After properly leveling the game at about 6.2 pitch, and raising my flipper power back to the defaults, I am finally kicking some butt on this game. My only complaint remains that I think it’s a bit too hard to get to the wizard modes. I can not start a SINGLE one, even on 2+ million games that are lasting 15/20 minutes
Quoted from pinballinreno:Over the last weekend 4 of my games needed attention due to the power fluctuations.
WOZ
AFMLE
HOBBIT
HOUDINI
I ordered 4 variac to help stabilise the power vs the settings.
At 122v afm was unplayable.
Hobbit was all over the place.
WOZ kept shooting SDTM off the throne room.
Houdini was hitting the glass and missing on the catapult.
I'm going to set the variacs to 117v.
This is about the mid point of my power fluctuations.
I'll adjust settings to that and everything should even out.
That is craziness, man. I live in an 80 year old house with wiring from the late 50s, and I don’t have near these issues. Do you have all your games on one breaker , and being played simultaneously? You shouldn’t have to adjust ANY game like that
Quoted from PhantomO:You can set the game up to award Houdini letters more liberally - you can get 2 letters for performing enough stage modes, and 2 letters for another set of modes (escapes, trunk jackpots or magic shop visits, I can't recall). The hardest letter to get is for the combo shots (mission). But you don't need it if you get two letters for other modes. No matter how you get the 7 Houdini letters, you will get master magician mode. I've had 5-7 letters and barely 2 million points. It's how I set it up for easier achievement.
Oh, and thought you might appreciate my Larry Talbot mask....
[quoted image]
that mask is outstanding!
I have absolutely gotten 7+ Houdini letters and not started the mode. how do you actually start it? scoop shot?
I think i've been playing Dialed in too much, where you have those pre-determined multiballs and the Chaos in Quantum City mode before Showdown/armageddon.
Soooo, I reached what I -think- was the master magician mode. I’m playing a game, and I must have gotten my 7th Houdini letter - and all of a sudden the game starts rocketing balls at me, the Flippers are reversed and I had to hold them down to flip (like the hard strsightjacket mode) and a TON of text is scrolling by on the screen - I didn’t know what happened!
Then I tried to keep up for a bit and “prove I’m a master magician” and when I have lost a few balls I eventually notice the screen is black, nothing on it. And I lose my last ball, hit 3 million, and the game goes dead. Shuts off, monitor says “no signal” and I realize it’s rebooting.!!! And no it did not save my score.
All I was trying to do was get all 5 film modes and I think the last film mode finished and I got the 7th Houdini letter and master magician started. I think ? Never got the film wizard mode.
Why is it that other games don’t have this weirdness? Can the power supply just be replaced/upgraded?
Quoted from tatapolus:On the Houdini Flyer they mention a "upper & lower 3 ball staging/lock mechanisms". What exactly is this? Is that the fact the game keeps balls in different positions like the scoop, the upper catapult and on the left side of the playfield (don't know what it is called)?
Yes
Quoted from tatapolus:ONLY thing I would like to see to improve is maybe the lightshow: There could be more effects for example when you start Seance multiball or when you get an extra ball. It could also be a bit more like JJP with effects like candles/fire or a glowing dark blue effect for seance. So far it is all just standard colors. Do you think this will improve?
But I am really really happy with the game. Even the catapult is working great (so far). Just had two misses and maybe 40 hits.
Agreed. The "Man from Beyond" mode makes REALLY good use of the lights, when the lighting turns off and back on when it's going all crazy. JJP games make phenomenal use of lights - and having to do some basic lighting for my band's stage show, it is HARD to do!
Quoted from Ericpinballfan:Pinballinreno- For several months Ive appreciated your posts, tech ideas, trouble shooting, fixes and just in general damn good info!!!
Sadly I cannot hold my tongue any more.
Ive had over 75 pinball machines. Check my history, its all real. There is also probably 5 or 6 Ive missed.
I have never, ever had to buy a variac to make a machine work.
You and I have made many posts.
I do feel at a certain point or posts go ignored by AP.
Ive spoken with both Barry and Josh in the past months regarding this power issue.
I love my game, not selling it. I feel American Pinball and the entire team have created a great game and company. Several companys have come and gone these past 8 years. JJP is the only one left to survive. AP has done everything right and there business model was very well done.....But, and a Big But.
1- Make a daughter board to fix the bad transformer.
2- If game 2 has this same design, I may very well may never buy it.
3-This design flaw has to be fixed!
4- I personally would not ship another game to this power issue is fixed.
5-No customer should have to buy any supporting power source to make a NIB work.
Thank you American pinball for all your excellent customer service, and it is much better than Stern.
However the time has come to fix the most important issue for NIB there is.
They’re not ignoring it, but not everyone has the issue. I have it a tiny bit but not enough to address with an expensive variac. And I know what to do about it: don’t run a full blast dehumidifier on the same outlet when trying to throw the catapult the guys have a lot going on right now, and AP is an awesome, but still small, company. You know these guys are here all the time, weekends even addressing things. And now there are about to be 2 games to deal with. Awesome time for pinball 
(No I don’t work for AP, I just feel strongly about this as a small business owner- it takes guts to try new stuff)
Quoted from pinballinreno:This works best for me
About 1.5 yo 2mm droop below the hole.
[quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]
How does the flipper alignment template work for everybody? That seems like an awesome way to do a check
Really wanting to get back and move the blue target next to the inner loop...
-edit-
Well i forgot to push submit on this, and I just went ahead and did it! Trying out the game in a few minutes..
Quoted from pbwizard14:This thread has stopped me from buying this machine for now. I have a deposit and down payment in at Little Shop of Games, but I am not going to complete the transaction until this machine plays properly from the factory and the posts reflect that. This was to be my second NIB, first was LOTR which I no longer have. Not a Stern fan for any title. I have been waiting for another company and title I could get behind, JJP has good games, but not titles that interest me. This machine looked good and the AP has been working on making it better throughout, but I just cannot finish the purchase until it is completely right. This may still be my second NIB, but for now, I am on the sideline and looking forward to seeing other games that have been announced.
I think this is the game I’ve had to tweak the LEAST of any game I’ve ever bought. If the catapult doesn’t work, it doesn’t affect the game in any way whatsoever, other than maybe just being a bummer. For example, another favorite game, Dialed In has a from-the-factory issue with the trap door which directly affects the game itself. You can get a ball trapped, or lose entire shots because it won’t close.
Every single game has AN example of something not working. How could they not? The effect of this thread makes it seem like the game has a fatal design flaw which makes it impossible to play. The catapult is annoying if it doesn’t throw consistently but that is not a fatal design flaw. The game flips. And Flips fun!
Quoted from bobukcat:My advice would be to not let it worry you, mine has been great with very minor tweaks and I've done similar stuff to just about every game I've ever bought even used. Unless you have line voltage variations (I don't think I do because the game plays consistently) I think you'll be absolutely fine. My catapult accuracy is 98% and other than a few code things that I know Rosh is working on it it fantastic, I hardly play anything else in my collection right now. Here are the things I did tweak (other than the adjusting the catapults and VUK settings per the initial setup instructions, adjusting game settings, etc.):
1) Slightly bent the left ball guide on the Keylane shot to push slow-moving balls to the right sling or flipper, I was getting too many cheap SDTMs. I did this without having to remove anything from the game.
2) Slightly pushed the targets bracketing the right inner loop outwards as far as they will move without loosening any screws or re-drilling anything.
3) Installed the scoop and shooter lane Cliffys.
4) Installed the plastic protector set.
5) Increased pitch to 6.5 degrees.
6) Adjusted / bent some of the loop and lane switches to ensure they register more consistently with fast shots.
7) Cleaned and adjusted the Pop Bumper switches for better action.
I'm going to install the EOS switches because it should be easy, it's cheap, I like to tinker and I'm curious if I'll be able to tell the difference or not.
I’d love to hear how the EOS switches affect the game. -
Quoted from BarryJ:For anyone who wants to go back to the original female voice. You will find the adjustment under Setting>Features>Movie Voice
[quoted image]
I’m gonna record some alternative call outs for you guys and send them along free of charge! Use ‘em, don’t use ‘em. I used to do this for a living full time
Quoted from PhantomO:Hello Ylva and Linda, and welcome to the magic. You can find a rules list in the manual, and on this thread at post ##272. Some suggested home settings are in post #4987. My advice is to use easy play settings at first so you can get to know the game. In particular, maximum ball save time and maximum times for stage and movie modes. You can also set it to 5-ball games. Good luck and enjoy.
He's serious. The game is HARD on regular settings. Make sure it is set up to slightly higher than 6.0 pitch (not 6.5! at least not at first). Remember it is not a "flow" game, it is about precision.
Quoted from mbwalker:Hi Hawk,
The milkcan shot is doable. I can occasionally hit it twice in a row...haven't done 3 in a row (yet). Pitch is about 6.3, and I think the right flipper coil is either factory default or one bump up. But I try to catch the ball on the flipper, then shoot it right at the end of the flipper.
This is how Joe Balcer describes designing the shot - it’s got to be a light tap just at the edge of the flipper
Quoted from zahner:I'm thinking about purchasing a Houdini. I've been collecting for about 20 years, but let me expose my ignorance and say that I am unfamiliar with what is meant by "dropping" or "lowering" the flippers. Probably something obvious, but I thought I'd ask. I've always just struggled with getting things back to stock and typically am paralyzed with fear when it comes to drilling or altering a playfield. Hoping it's just a reference to a mechanical adjustment. Appreciate any info.
They just mean loosening the Flippers a bit and pointing them slightly more downward toward the bottom of the game. Takes about 10 seconds and an Allen wrench you should already have in your toolkit
Quoted from pinballinreno:Open a ticket. Several have had this happen.
They will send you another one.
In the meantime save the piece and trace the exact shape and size on a piece of heavy paper.
Get a piece of music/piano wire of the same size at a local hobby store and bend a replacement using the broken part and paper you made as a template.
Then you can still play while waiting for parts.
I hesitate to even bring this up, but even a paper clip will work in a pinch (for a little while)
Quoted from pinballinreno:Maybe blue?
I was thinking yellow at first, but Blue might work as well
Quoted from colonel_caverne:The bottom half playfield is more cold so blue, purple, green are the colors matching this part but the upper half playfield is more warm so I would prefer yellow or orange.
What do you think?
That’s what I meant - I would need to see it. Sometimes the “opposite” color can make the other colors pop, sometimes it is distracting. Non of the primary colors are really present on the playfield though, except if the inserts are lit
Quoted from CUJO:How is the latest code holding up for everyone?
I think Rosh said posted here was a bug release coming a couple weeks ago. Any news from the AP camp on this?
So far so good - there are some bugs in the latest release (the Master Magician mode causing a game reset being the biggest one!) but the majority of them are little things, sometimes shots not registering in certain modes, not starting things, etc
Quoted from CUJO:Yep. I was in a film mode, shooting the spinner lane during the countdown. At exactly zero, I locked the ball in the stage that was to start Bullet Catch. The stage door shut on the ball. Pin sat idle for maybe 10-13 seconds then shot a ball into play out of the scoop.
Isn’t the first shot in Bullet Catch to the inner loop? Or am I misunderstanding what you meant
Quoted from mbelofsky:In my continuing quest to make Houdini great again, I adjusted the flippers down a little as pinballinreno suggested. I tried to follow the directions on the API page to adjust the scoop. But I could not get a screwdriver to fit between the wood and the scoop and I really didn't like pushing it. I set the coil back to 6 (from 7) and watched where it was hitting the lane guide on the right side and added a felt dot (which is removable).
Here is the video:
That looks perfect Mike - I couldn’t understand where you put the felt dot though, and got a little vertigo from your video! Haha . But it looks like you nailed that scoop issue
Quoted from mbelofsky:Sorry about the video. I should have mounted on the tripod I bought. I was just excited it worked.
I added a photo that shows where I added the felt dot. I moved the coil setting to 6 and just watched as the ball hit the right guide and bounced to the drain or left flipper. Your dot location could be different.
Now that I have played it many times, that dot has really solved the problem. Once in a while (like when two balls were in the scoop), the ball would come out slightly different and go to the middle or left, so I could just add another dot above and below if it ends up bothering me. Right now I will stick with one dot.
The dot is removable. The sticky stuff usually comes right off with the dot. However, if any residue is left on the guide, alcohol and a rag quickly get it cleaned up.
The felt dot is 1/2" diameter and about 1/16" thick. I buy them from Home Depot I believe.
[quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]
Aha! I’m glad you showed that - I thought you had added the dot IN the scoop somewhere
Just had an AWESOME game, got 6 letters and finally started a mini mode! I got great jail escape, which was really fun. I still can’t start the film mini mode, which is frustrating!!
Just as I was finishing the great escape, I must have Earned that last letter, and ... BLUE SCREEN. Game resets. Please fix this Rosh...
Actually I think I earned the letter and still played for another minute or two and then it reset ... GRRRRRRRR...
Quoted from PinMonk:Just got the notice from AP. New power supplies are available from them for people having issues with coil fade. $150 out of pocket, but they'll let existing customers have a $150 credit for their store to offset this:
September 26, 2018
Our goal at American Pinball is to provide quality games at affordable prices.
As many of you know, some Houdini owners are experiencing weak coils when the incoming AC voltage drops because of external loads placed on the service line. We have incorporated a new 48 Volt Power Supply to offset the effect of low incoming AC voltage on the coils.
We are selling the new Low Voltage Offset Power Supply for $150.00 which includes a switch mode 750-48 power supply, retrofit wire harness, hardware and shipping.
We greatly appreciate our customers and to show this, American Pinball will provide a $150.00 credit* with the purchase of the “Low Voltage Offset Power Supply” to be used either at our online store or towards the purchase of an Oktoberfest “Pinball On Tap” machine.
Purchase the power supply online at
https://store.american-pinball.com/products/houdini-power-supply-upgrade
Your Houdini machine needs to be registered prior to the power supply shipping, register your game at
https://www.american-pinball.com/support/register/
Regards,
American Pinball Inc.
Phone: 847 893 6800
American-Pinball.com
Facebook.com/americanpinball
That is an outstanding offer. This is definitely in the “they didn’t have to do that” department. $150 isn’t bad either for all the work that goes into it, the harness, shipping, etc. AND BY THE WAY ROLL $150 INTO SOME MAGIC GLASS! (at least that’s what I’ll be doing)
Quoted from PinMonk:What about knockers? Seems like an excellent opportunity for synergy...
Oktoberfest...Two Knockers in every one!
LOL
Just upped my flipper coils by 1 from the stock (so I think they are at 23 now?). VERY different shooting game now, wow. The ball felt like it was rocketing all over the place! Definitely makes it more fun but I’d be concerned about breaking stuff in there!
Also confirmed that IMO the standard settings are far too hard for most players. You can have 20+ minute games and never hit one of the special miniwiz modes, which IMO seems long
Quoted from PhantomO:I went to 23 as well, and it was an improvement.But I notice a lot of dimples on the playfield now...
I don’t feel like th game is any easier but WOW the flippers have some serious power now! I had originally dialed them back because it made it easier to hit some of the shots (inner loop) but I was having a little trouble with the ramp. Now I can hit the ramp fine and I can still backhand the inner loop.
I am thinking about going to regular red rubbers on the flipper though, we’ll see how that changes the game as well. Have not dropped the flipper bats yet.
Quoted from bobukcat:Shaker maybe, knocker not really unless they use it in ways we've never seen before. I wouldn't expect it to be firing when I'm in a multiball except maybe one time if I hit a replay. I haven't played a Houdini with the shaker in it so I don't know what triggers it. Since the offer is so good (it's like getting the power supply free if you buy the shaker and knocker kit) I'm going to order all three and see if it makes a difference for me. I don't have the fluctuating line voltage like some others do and my lower catapult accuracy is 98%. The upper one shows it's only at like 75% but I have NEVER seen it miss so I don't know what's causing that number to be so low.
The shaker uses a lot of power so if it is firing at the same time as the magnets and coils and flippers (likely during multiball) it will also have an impact. Consider if in the mode with the elephant you start a multiball and then nail the inner loop. The catapult will likely miss, and/or you will feel the flippers drop.
I dont Really care about the catapult -that- much, mine makes it probably 95% of the time, but the flippers bother me. For $150, that’s a steal at twice the price.
Quoted from Yelobird:Sorry I am having trouble understanding how this is so amazing? You would pay double for the transformer that was Suppose to be in the game you paid for to make it function correctly? Seems like a Steal would have been to send Back the incorrect faulty transformer for the one that should have been there in the first place no?
Yow, man, it’s just a figure of speech. I think it’s cool how they rolled this out AND GAVE EVERYONE A CREDIT FOR THE EXACT AMOUNT OF THE PART.
Quoted from BarryJ:So...
If you go to buy the power supply you will be charged shipping, this is a Shopify standard. To get the free shipping use the code HOUDINI (all caps) to get the free shipping.
IF you already bought the power supply and paid for shipping, we will refund that.
I really appreciate the support we have been shown on this!
I was really thinking this was gonna be a s@*t storm!!!
THANK YOU!
This was as about a "do the right thing" as you can get. You guys are defining a great business in the way you're dealing with the inevitable stuff that comes up.
Quoted from DS_Nadine:Finally was able to play Houdini today. Drove about 7 hours today to do so (well Houdini and other new stuff they had there).
First off, I'm astonished how different people can view one and the same thing.
Playfield looks incredibly rich, meaning it is full and kinda looks like jewelery-ish... with it's gold tones reflecting everywhere. If Houdinis Playfield was a clock, I would wear it, it's so sparkling. I had (and have) an issue with the used Photoshop effects and partial Clipartyness, but that is about non existant in person. Houdini was Set up next to a Star Trek and Game of Thrones, and compared to that games it looks like pure gold.
Only thing looking cheap (plastic) was that chain hanging on the right ramp,... and *cough* the LCD animations at times.
(Personally I'd prefer good stills over mediocre animation. Magic Girl did that if I remember correctly.)
Next up was playing it of course an altough I'm not a good player I didn't have any problems with bricked shots.
It played perfectly well, so I put some games on it.
Did like the idea for the card trick video mode, didn't like the contextless 'first shoot here then here' type of missions.
Lighting is kinda awesome, like when you hit the stage all the GI turns off, except the one sourrounding the stage.
(Adds to that world under glass feel.)
One big bummer:
Catapult shot was not working. Ball was shot a bit diagonally and hit the left cabinet wall, ricocheting one time in the trunk by accident.
Trunk not fully closing as well, the lid kinda set loosely on the assembly.
So my first impressions compressed is that I absolutely like what I'm seeing but am not 100% sold yet.
Have to play it again with all mechs working and with sound (didn't really hear a thing, wich is sad because I like the sound package).
But seeing it I'm really happy with that spot that AP is setting themselfes in, between Stern and JJP, with a game that is rich but not overly convoluted and expensive. Compared to what's in there Houdini feels like a bargain.
Great review! Hard to dispute any of this
Quoted from bobukcat:Hard to believe there could be a better deal in Pinball than that out there, someone is getting a whole lot of pinball fun for your dollar.
Seriously - compare that to a Stern pro or ANY JJP price. The game is tough, no doubt about it. I keep coming back, even when it pisses me off though. Like Twilight zone
Quoted from Hollywoodbone:What are some of the high scores you guys have seen?
My highest game was 2M something, but that was with a number of “OMG that went in?!” Shots
Quoted from colonel_caverne:Hi there,
I would like to know:
- if there is a rules sheet out there
- if you can backhand some shots on your game
- if someone has succeeded seance in the right order
- if someone has succeeded the 25k card thrown in video mode
- if there is a direct shot to do the magic shop hole or only with rebound and with what
- if the stage alley shot puts the ball in stage each time in your game and how to validate the 2X playfield when insert is lit
Thanks
PS: i don’t understand the last code update which is v18.8.5. It seems to follow the v18.8.1
My code running is v18.5.4 Is it an old version despite my game is built on July 2018?
Definitely update to 18.8.5, it has some significant fixes and changes.
Yes I can backhand the inner loop on my game and backhand the ramp from the right flipper
Yes seance, have only done it with 2 balls left and after getting the seance spelled out of order first
Yes 25k card
No there is no direct shot to the magic shop
Stage alley will consistently put the shot into the stage of the stage is open and the shot has enough velocity
Quoted from colonel_caverne:Thanks.
So I still don’t understand the numbering of code update.
Is v18.8.1 previous v18.5.4 or not?
18 is year, 8 is month, 1 is day. So 18.8.1 is later than 18.5.4
Quoted from rosh:As you can all see, everyone has their own opinion on it. Fortunately GI bulbs are easy enough to change.
While I don't recall all of the conversation on it, part of it was to brighten up the playfield, which the cool white do a better job of. Certainly the warm white does a nice job of fitting the theme and the art work.
I'll have to consider the warm white when I get my machine, which should be soon.
Wait ... you don’t have a machine?!
Quoted from pinballinreno:He does everything virtual in his vast imaginings
LOL. I know he has one in his office, just surprised he didn’t lug one home as well
Quoted from PinMonk:Let's not talk about Hobbit. Keep that batting average up.
Clearly you have not played it since the massive, massive update a month or so ago. Revolutionized the game. I am serious.
Quoted from PinMonk:Yep. And nope. Lots more polish, but the basic playfield design cannot be overcome.
Agree to disagree I guess - I’ve come around on the PF. Since beast mode doesn’t happen every 2 seconds you get a much better appreciation for what you can now see as a constantly changing play field
Quoted from PinMonk:Yeah, there's just not enough on the playfield and the massive overkill of individually controlled drop targets gets old fast and doesn't add much to the equation in the excitement category. The dragon is still massively under-used for being arguably the centerpiece of the game. Relying so heavily on the screens to differentiate the modes due to the lack of toys gives many of the modes a same-ness that despite some clever lighting, just don't quite reach escape velocity to "awesome."
I mean, it's no Vacation America, but it's definitely the weakest of the JJP machines so far. Pretty sure Black Arrow edition is the end of the line, while all other JJP machines are still being made, and there's supposed to be an all-new WoZ edition coming soon, too. That says the most - the market has spoken.
I hear ya, but what you just described does not match the game I’m playing. I’ll grant you that Smaug feels kind of like a waste. But the modes are really well done - and I was actually talking about how the “beast” mechs are so well integrated into the modes now. The whole experience is just perfect IMO. I suppose it’s the lesser of The JJP games, but what a club to be part of! I sold one a while back and got it back recently and do not regret it one bit. WOZ is an all-time amazing game, but it doesn’t have the smooth shots that TH and DI have. Haven’t played Pirates much but I’m sure that will be awesome too
Quoted from PhantomO:Good! Mine is enroute. Let us know how it goes.
Prob tomorrow morning, but I will have a report! I have a test scenario that I can consistently make the catapult miss, and then not miss by turning off a dehumidifier on that circuit.
Quoted from rosh:Lloyd,
I've put one in my back pack for you, remind me at expo to give it to you.
rosh
Literally JUST used that for the first time tonight. I had not needed to adjust the flippers before, but i tried out dropping them 1/8” and .. yeah not for me. Way more SDTM, felt like a Trudeau game. You guys might want to consider cutting them with a TINY bit more tolerance - I used mine on the flipper and it it so tight (maybe it has to be?) it ripped off the steampunk gear thing on the right flipper. I was sad.
Quoted from PhantomO:They are tight and trick to get on. I hope you can fix the flipper topper. If not, they are available at the API shop now.
little tiny spot of glue was all it needed, thank goodness!
All right -
Got the power supply installed (Sorry, no pics yet). It installed very easily - took me about 20 minutes, tops. Most of that time was figuring out how to strip the wires without bashing my hands into the cabinet walls. there's not a ton of slack on the wires that need to be connected.
The power supply slides right in along the main one, and screws down right next to it. One ground wire that goes to the power box, and you're in business. Seriously, it was easy.
I am also now a fan of the "Wall Nuts" which I have seen before but never actually used. Those are simple! Almost as good as the "SharkBite" connectors (shout out to plumbers in the house!)
Anyway - the game definitely needs a set up again. I am going to reset to factory default actually, but my lower catapult worked great on factory settings - now however it needs a big boost. It is falling short consistently on every throw, and that's without my additional load on the outlet. I.e. it is throwing with less power out of the gate. But it is consistent, so that's an easy fix.
The upper catapult is going to the wireform just fine, no problems there. I also needed to dial my scoop coil up a bit. I forgot to check whether that was at factory, but I seem to remember that I had dialed that back down.
I will report back once I do a factory reset.
Oh, also took off the factory rubbers (Superbands I think?) and put on good 'ol red rubber ones. IMMEDIATE improvement. Huh. Whodathunk.
Ok I reset things to stock coil settings and it is playing perfectly!! This is an unusual mod, to be sure, but it is worth every single penny. Absolutely awesome. Catapult never missed a single time, even with a dehumidifier, and 5 others pins running on the same
Circuit. That’s stable.
Had to fool with the scoop a little, but I had never adjusted the angle of the scoop itself, so i bent it up a tiny bit and that solved that. No issues with coil.
I also went through the latest beta code, and although after I cheated my way to and through the Master Magician mode (unfortunately it still resets) but I think I otherwise tested every other scenario possible. Very cool game this Houdini!
Quoted from PhantomO:Thanks for the quick report. The fact that it is playing great on factory default settings and under a high-power load sounds very encouraging. I too got a MM reset error after losing the final ball with the new beta software. I let Josh know and sent my logs to him. Hope he can figure out the culprit. I guess the old power transformer is disconnected and nonfunctional now?
No, it looks like the new power supply is supplemental - I think Barry confirmed this in the thread somewhere. There are still some connects to the old transformer (not sure what exactly), and you bridge between it and the new PS. Then the main power to the power box itself is connected with a spliced connection ending in 2 molex cubes.
Quoted from jkashani:I had a Houdini and sold it. I miss it this thread is the most consistently bumped to the top, reminds me of the good old times. Really well done machine for sure.
How long did you own it? It couldn't have been more than a couple of hours! lol
I also forgot to mention - I am pleased to report that the issues with the flippers getting knocked down when the magnets/coils fire is GONE. I had Trunk Multiball stacked with Seance multiball several times, and magnets firing like crazy. No issues. I have had the flippers knocked down loads of times before this install. Not sure if the EOS switches are still needed, but it sure doesn't seem like it to me.
Quoted from jkashani:Slightly longer than that....
Just giving you a hard time. Play a nicely set up one, it is great!
I think I’m going for the glass... how do you guys that have it think it compares to PDI/Invisiglass?
Quoted from Wmsfan-GAP:I have and have always had my pins on in rooms where an upgraded pf glass has never mattered. It has always seemed to me to be easier (and cheaper) to turn off a light or even unscrew a bulb vs buying a premium pf glass.....
Not what I asked, but I appreciate the comment!
Quoted from mbwalker:I don't know about Inv Glass, but Magic Glass is amazing. I got it as part of a package deal w/my Houdini, along with art blades and a shaker. The difference is absolutely apparent, not one of those 'judgemental' things. But if I didn't have any mods, I'd also go for a shaker on side art too. To each his own, I guess. Plus you can always stick on another pin if you want.
All of my games (I guess except twilight Zone) now have this type of glass. I have 2 JJP games with Invisiglass and 2 WPC games with the Stern glass. The Invisiglass is noticeably better, which is why I asked. I do not have any PDI Roman glass. But it is pretty great to have no glare from the playfield lights.
Quoted from PersonX99:I plan on ordering the upgrade power supply, but I have been working on another issue I am hoping some folks can chime in on:
Direct shots to the stage usually bounce out. Some ricochet shots from the pops to the stage bounce out (not often, but sometimes).
I have adjusted the flipper strength down to where it feels good and can make all the shots. Same result for stage shots.
I go under the assumption that most direct shots to the stage should NOT bounce out.
I was going to try some deadening foam strips on the sides and back of the stage. My thought was that it will absorb some of the energy of the ball, perhaps enough to keep it in the stage.
Any thoughts on how I can make this shot more reliable?
Thanks.
Mine bounced out a lot more When I had flippers up a setting or two, 22 or 23, whatever the value is
Quoted from pinballinreno:I had my pitch up a bit at 6.5
Recently lowered it to 6.2.
Flippers now at 25-26. I might lower them 1 more notch due to some air balls.
Factory pitch at 5.9-6.0 seemed too floaty to me.
I'm dialing it in for the new power supply. It plays differently, way better in a lot of areas.
I'm trying to find a happy medium between ramp rejects and bounce outs.
I really want the ramp shots to be strong. I can deal with a few bounce outs.
I hate weak ramp shots.
Holy crap, 26! Mine are at 22, and I dialed them WAY down when pitch was at 6.0 so I could get those delicate shots.
Changed out my flipper rubbers to traditional red rubber. Huge move; I couldn’t get control of the ball before, now it’s pretty easy
Quoted from pinballinreno:Still making adjustments with the new power supply installed.
Catapult is rock solid and NEVER misses.
I lowered my pitch to 6.15 tonight and lowered my flipper power to 25L and 24R less air balls.
Stage alley shot is solid, no bounce outs.
It does not seem floaty at this pitch.
Ramp shots were doable but not as thrilling.
Orbits still fast and very repeatable.
I think something should be added in the code if you make consecutive orbits or ramps etc. Like a callout or something.
I increased the pops up 1 each.
Scoop is at +1, was getting a few retries at default but no SDTM's.
Scoop shot is pretty erratic. I'll see if I can tighten it up a bit.
Increased slings +1
Milk can much easier at lower flipper power and 2mn drop in the flipper angle.
Everything plays really well, still dialing it in with the new power supply.
I'm still adjusting to the new feel of the game. It definitely plays differently.
All in all I think it's a lot better and more powerful.
I'm getting used to it pretty quickly.
I have to put a few dozen games on it now and wax it with P21S.
The game is amazing!
Can you take a photo of the way you have your flippers set? I tried dropping them and the game just performed horribly - lots of drains SDTM. I'm wondering if I did too much.
Quoted from colonel_caverne:Really? Who else can do this on his game?
Did you adjust the flippers or not?
Thanks
Quoted from colonel_caverne:Really? Who else can do this on his game?
Did you adjust the flippers or not?
Thanks
Mine are currently set as one would set up a B/W game (or I guess all games) using a toothpick in the little hole and the flipper bat resting against it. Or by eye, roughly straight with the lane guides
Quoted from pinballinreno:I posted a photo way earlier in this thread.
Basically I dropped the flipper angle about 1/8" using the hole near the tip of the flipper as a reference. About the thickness of the flipper rubber.
I'm not seeing any difference as far as SDTM's, the gap between the flipper tip and center post is the same, maybe a little tighter than default.
Too much drop and you can hit the slings though.
It's much easier to make the magic targets and milkcan shot now.
You will have to adjust your game play if you are used to the default.
It's a very minor change but has big impact as far as the tight edge shots.
Sounds like I dropped mine way too much. I’ll try that again some time. Will have to look for that photo
Quoted from rosh:According to Joe, the flipper bat should point to the hole, not sit above it.
Not following, are you talking about the left ball release? Are you saying when a ball enters the lock it does not go all thew ay to the first switch, or after a release when there are two balls it does not move down?
I strongly recommend against changing the switches, those are the correct ones to use. Also be very careful if you adjust them, very easy to make matters worse. You may want to try to adjust the coil 'strength' in coil settings to have it hold the plunger down slightly longer. For the lock release, it does not change strength but the duration of the pull.Not sure, but check the lock down bar, the bolt in the middle goes through the coin door, but there might be one towards each end, don't recall if the cabinet is designed that way or not, but I know I have had that with other cabinets.
Thx for the clarification!
Quoted from mbwalker:So did you need wood screws?
playfield screws are wood screws - but I think with some of the packs they sent out self-drilling screws (mine were)
Quoted from pinden007:Does this fix the weak flippers during multi ball?
Yes on mine as well
Quoted from colonel_caverne:The combo shots modes are really tough to do!
I would have liked to count other combos you succeed whatever the order. Maybe an EB to win or points for a number of combo or complete the level of secret mode you are playing.
they are definitely hard to do if you try to flow them directly from one to the other; I can nail the first one from ramp-to-scoop very quickly. the others require some more stop-and-go handling
Quoted from PhantomO:After watching a magician recreate Houdini's upside down straightjacket escape, it occurs to me that when we cross our arms to work inverted flippers, we are mimicking Houdini's inverted arms-across-chest position in the escape. I thought this was just a cheat move. But Josh and Joe must have had this in mind, those wily geniuses.
[quoted image]
Um. Yes... how did it take this long to come up with this!
Quoted from PhantomO:Ah, but the first version of the software did not seem to have the "Cross your arms now" callout, so I assumed that was a player cheat and I didn't make the connection to wearing the jacket. I'm slow....
Gotcha! I think you are right about that! Pretty innovative ...will Oktoberfest feature a snap-your-suspenders mode?
Quoted from Ockeyhead:Greetings fellow Houdini enthusiasts, I just joined the club! We (my wife & I) just acquired this phenomenal machine this past weekend & we absolutely made the right choice. After playing Houdini for virtually all weekend, I can unquestionably state that Houdini has everything that defines an A + title status ~ Playfield layout, deep rule-set, incredible theme, beautiful art, fantastic lightshow, alluring callouts, jaw dropping catapult & very unique in every category!!! AP designed & produced a masterpiece that is an original & fresh depiction that separates itself from the rest of the pinball manufactures.
As we just added this machine to the lineup, I have a few curiosities that hopefully can be answered?
* What is the purpose of the chain links?
* If whomever answers this next question, then you are the Houdini aficionado > Alex, I'll take Houdini for $500! Anyhow > I was standing back from the machine & I noticed that the start button has a purposely intended "morse code" message. What is that intermittent pulsating light on the start button communicating? Rosh, feel free to chime in if this isn't solved within a weeks time...?
As of now, I have the machine on easy settings, a 6.1 or so level & the glass off ~ Just kidding on the latter! After several scores in the low to upper 2 millions, I had a monster score...! I have no clue how this was possible, but I (& the Pinside community) are looking very forward to the mini & wizard modes.
Albeit, this game rocks!!!!!![quoted image]
Welcome aboard!
As far as your questions:
The chain links look cool. Did you mean the ones attached to the pop bumpers or the ones on the playfield? The playfield lit inserts
Show your progress as far as completion of the corresponding mode type - film reel
For film, padlock for jail escape, etc.
As far as your other question, it was answered earlier in this thread, I don't want to spoil it.
It’s an easy install. Hoping for a code update soon though! The September beta code is awesome but really hoping the little things will be ironed out
Quoted from MMP:I've got not really enough room on either side of the original power supply. Have any of you decided to move it over before the installation?
Mine was a bit tight but you should have plenty of room. Have you removed the plastic cover on the existing power supply?
Quoted from HOOKED:My power source will be here today hoping to I stall today. Hop it fixed my trunk issue.
Fear not!
Quoted from mbwalker:I got the power supply but haven't installed it yet. Even w/o it, the shots are always 'spot on'...right in the center of the trunk. Once I do open it up, I'll install the Cliffy's and a white shooter rod rubber (can't see the black one very well). I'll likely add some wires for a subwoofer too...the bass is lacking in the game. There was some discussion of adding a sub, but not sure if anyone actually did it yet.
A couple people have - there is a connection in the amp in the backbox you can go right to a powered sub. Sounds pretty good
Quoted from MMP:2nd time to wizard mode Houdini letters and both times game has rebooted. This time it waited until my ball drained during the mode. I think this needs to be fixed in the next update.
There’s a fix in the latest beta, but the game still reboots eventually - hopefully there will be another update soon after
Quoted from Strummy:Where do most people have their settings? Mine were all over the place until I put the new power supply in. Now I'm not sure where to set everything Thanks
I actually just reset everything to the defaults and had to adjust the scoop coil down, but that was it
Quoted from pinballinreno:The EOS switches are a must in my opinion. Its the first step to making the flippers strong.
After installing the power mod, I haven’t felt like the flippers needed anything; they are super stable now. I wonder if anyone will put this together as a mod, as I’m not that keen on installing these as a test, but it would be good to know if they are objectively necessary
Quoted from colonel_caverne:I think I get this issue too.
I believed that I had pressed the button but flipper was down
Sorry for the question, but if this is a factory issue why AP does not provide this power supply for free?
I can’t speak for AP, but if it were my company, The answer would be “not everyone has the power issue, so we want to reserve these units for the people who need it most.”
Quoted from Ericpinballfan:Well, its not a Big deal. AP has , and has order for enough to make all customers right. As of last week only 150 had ordered it. So it is up to individual, but I reccomend it for all in the long run.
Yep!
Quoted from colonel_caverne:I don’t think I get a power issue but sometime in multiball I get the feeling that the flipper missed an order.
And the lower catapult shot is less consistent and succeeded. Don’t if it is power issue.
Yes, you just described the power issue
Quoted from colonel_caverne:Is there an award to collect for each mode when completed or just points for some of them?
If you complete several modes, you receive a Houdini letter
Quoted from colonel_caverne:Ok but I don’t know how to complete some of them.
For example one mode is asking to keep shooting the spinner. Until what?
One is asking to hit each target. Until what?
Keep hitting it until it says to do something else. The game reacts immediately - You are overthinking it
Quoted from colonel_caverne:I asked to my distributor to provide me a power supply as it is terrific actually unfortunately. No catapult is working properly. Got 0% for both on my last 2-3 games! The more I play the more it is inconsistent.
What is your flipper and catapult coil power set up? Mine are factory set up.
My playfield is 6,3º. I used to hit the ramp quite easily, now I need a perfect shot to go up.
Everyone has had to adjust their catapult settings, as they are very location-power specific. I find the factory settings for the flippers to be strong so I left them at default. other players have had to add 1 power to the settings, you
May want to try that
Quoted from Audioenslaved:Has it been raised that there’s no indication of where the ball is going to be released from after it being staged either on the left, or the scoop or being flung from the trunk. I find that a little frustrating.
I believe this is intentional - the ball is “disappearing” and “reappearing”. None of the shots catch you entirely off guard though. Are you getting a lot of drains ?
Quoted from Audioenslaved:And I find I’m getting rejects from the milk can shot more often than not. It bounces back from well within the shot too
Mine too; you have to hit that shot very delicately and the weird angle requires precision. This shot is way harder than the inner loop everyone complains about
Quoted from HOOKED:I had to adjust my wire form under milk can.
Prior to doing this I almost avoided the shot but now its 50/50 bounce out.
How did you adjust it?
Quoted from HOOKED:I took Brass pliers and bent the exit side rail in slightly. I did not adjust flippers from factory positions but I would try that first.
Aah thx
Quoted from mcbPalisade:AP - do an excellent job on O.F. Don't release it before it is thoroughly tested and ready. Don't update the code 40 times after it is shipping.
All the above could have been worded in the positive sense for O.F. but I feel the above applies to your first machine.
Dude, we get it, now you’re just coming off like a D-bag. Nobody is trolling you, just flush it.
And I dare say we should all show Rosh and Barry a lot of respect for coming into this thread and for ALL the support they are constantly providing, on top of their regular jobs where they also have to monitor the standard support channels.
Thanks guys!!
Quoted from BarryJ:I can say from all of us here at API, Thanks for the kind words.. Pinball manufacturing is certainly a roller coaster ride, lots of ups and downs. No pun intended. But we are ALL dedicated in what we do and always looking to improve and push the boundaries of pinball.
Crap! It’s stuff like this that keep me from selling my game! What a drag...
Quoted from RTS:Just wanted to add that the new upgraded power supply I got this week has made the catapult solid and consistent.
So much better. Thank you API!
And the flippers!
Quoted from PinMonk:It's been updated at least a dozen times, but nowhere near 40. Sometimes it was updated twice in one WEEK. I have 9 official releases still saved to my computer, and that's not nearly all of them because there were a bunch of betas I didn't save.
But I'd much rather have MORE releases than less. Things like Ghostbusters with serious bugs that make the Champion scorekeeping useless, or eternal multiball bug on Game of Thrones left that way for years is just lazy. Josh is very responsive to serious bugs found. Probably the MOST responsive in pinball at the moment.
Ted Estes is giving him a run for his money with the Hobbit and Dialed In updates lately
Quoted from wesman:Those are really nice, and thanks for the advice on the protectors. I'll definitely consider the planchette down the road a bit!
Are the protectors pretty self explanatory for installation? Definitely a must for a new table?Yeah, I kind of figured now was a better time than down the road. It was between this and the Hobbit for my first table, and from what I'm hearing, that will be around a bit longer than this, and maybe had a larger production.
Thanks for the direct info, and all of your hard work on this table! He mentioned to me that only if I had a lot of tables and bad wattage, that this might be an issue. I might just order the power supply for down the road, and grab that sweet topper with the credit!
Definitely get it as a preventive measure. And though I know none of us would EVER think of selling our Houdini.. for those with small collections if you ever do need to sell, a good buyer will ask if you have the supplementary power supply.
Quoted from konjurer:I've been wondering about that. I've never had any power issues with my Houdini. Should I buy the power supply for the unlikely event of a sale down the road?
It will come up, is all I’m saying. And then the seller is the guy who “well, I never had any issues...” and the buyer gets it home and his power Situation is different, and...
Quoted from bobukcat:I'm still seeing drops, weak / half flips and other such behavior during MBs too, most often when Seance is running. I see it more on the left than the right and sometimes it's like it is fluttery instead of a good hard solid flip. I had hoped the new P/S would resolve this but it has not. I was going to report this but planned to measure the output of the supply so I could adjust it if it's low, will try to do that tonight. I also have the EOS switches installed which did not address it at all. If the P/S output is where is should be I'm going to try to setup my DSLR just aimed at the flipper area and try to capture video of this happening.
I know EXACTLY what you are referring to with the “fluttery” flippers and the drops. I absolutely was getting this. Now I am not, or at least have not. What version of code are you running?
Quoted from bobukcat:I'm on a Beta version (forget the date code but can post it later) and have seen this exact behavior in every build.
Get the exact date, because I am curious if it’s been updated in the latest
Quoted from PhantomO:Joe Balcer said in late June at Pontastic NE that they were already at 400 games and he was confident they would make 1000.
That is right, I remember that. Perhaps the numbering is different for overseas - I remember they changed a bunch of stuff prior to the first shipment to europe
Quoted from PhantomO:I observed the dimpling, like on a golf ball, right away. this being my first new game, I assumed it was normal. Also much harder to see under nonglare glass than regular. But I dont see any dimpling on my other machines, so it is a little concerning. I would have considered getting a playfiled protector from Germany if I knew this would happen. See at edge of the reflected spot light. Houdini's hair looks pretty bad with all the contiguous dimples.
[quoted image]
Annoying, yes. And normal
Quoted from wesman:Yeah, I'm pretty psyched about home ownership, the differences between getting to know a machine more so than just walking into an arcade or brewery and tossing money at it, and walking away. This will be an entirely new experience, that's for sure!
I've seen some recommendations for Novus#2 as well as Carnuba Wax. Is there a preference amongst folks, or different uses for each? Should that be applied before I even start playing? Do the balls need wiped/polished before use?
And a couple more questions, do people usually plug their pins into decent quality power adapters/strips? And do you turn them off always after play? (I assume you would.)
Novus 2 should be used for getting plastics shined up. ONLY. You are wearing down the clearcoat and eventually would get down to the artwork. Don't do it. It would realistically take *years* of using Novus 2 before this really occurred, but why bother? It is not necessary.
To clean old /gross wax, use Naptha (not Novus!) you can get this at HD unless you live in California. Naptha is the chemical name, one brand name is Klean Strip VM&P Naphtha. Then use Blitz wax or one of the other recommended real, actual waxes. I know Blitz is good so I recommend that. Lots of other regular car waxes have silicon in them which you don't want anywhere near the pinball.
Quoted from wesman:Excellent! I'll grab all four of the links you posted! Thank you for taking the time to research and link me!
So those Polyte Microfiber clothes are good rather than the more expensive Kirkland ones?
Is this wax cruddy?
https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/mothers-california-gold-brazilian-carnauba-cleaner-wax-paste-12-oz-05500/7111061-P?searchTerm=Wax+carnauba#customer-reviews-d
If so, I'll just grab the Blitz One Grand from Pinball Life, which everyone seems to love.
https://www.pinballlife.com/blitz-carnauba-paste-wax-12-ounce-jar.html
Always buy from PBL. I have spent thousands of dollars there, and they are always accommodating, always have a great selection and the prices are good!
Quoted from BioBa:My flipper coils are very hot after 20 min play. Much hotter than any of my other machines. Almost uncomfortable to touch. Flipper strength is as recommended. Flippers work fine but do seem to get slightly weaker after playing for a while. Has anybody else touched their flipper coils? Is this normal with Houdini?
Some flippers were installed without coil sheaths, so you might check yours
Quoted from wesman:Sorry to necro this post, but I'm planning on picking up the new power supply pretty soon, and had a question.
Is largely an issue with having many machines in one room, or just fluctuating power in your home in general? What voltage do I want, and do I use a multimeter to test somewhere? I have basically zero experience in this aspect of home ownership, so any tips would be appreciated.
Is the catapult/trunk shot now largely 100% consistent for those that have installed this?
anything that can make the voltage coming from your outlet not be consistent. So that can be many machines on at the same time, on the same circuit. I can get mine to miss by running a dehumidifier from the same outlet. You can also have power coming into your house that fluctuates - typically this is if you live far away from a major urban area (e.g. I live 2 miles from Washington DC so my power is pretty stable).
Anyway the power upgrade basically eliminated it. My catapult has not missed once since I installed it. And really it didn't miss all that much before, but when I turned on that dehumidifier OR I had my other games being played (or both), it would consistently under-throw. It usually didn't miss left or right; that's a different issue.
Quoted from Nepi23:Hi!
How long does American Pinball support usually take to answer? I have submitted a question about my catapult: with 27 setting it shoots too low and with 28 it shoots right and misses the trunk.
Meanwhile, when waiting an answer from them - was there any luck with adding washers to the throw arm?
Would there be any help in adjusting the game's slope and what would be the sweetspot?
And did this matter get resolved with the new power supply? And finally, is the new power supply available for EU-customers yet?
Thanks for any info!
All those answers to your questions are in this thread -
Pretty much everyone who has installed the power supply has reported very consistent catapult behaviour. I strongly recommend it for a variety of reasons. There are also a few other suggested fixes to the catapult, including cleaning it and making minor adjustments to the position from under the play field. Mine personally has not needed ANY adjustment after installing the power upgrade.
No washers needed, it seems to me they would bend the mech out of alignment. I’d say wait for the power supply or try cleaning, slightly adjusting the position! Good luck!
It’s funny, I have remarked to a lot of friends how different the flippers feel on Houdini; it feels far more substantial when you flip this game than say, my WPC95 games (which I assume are single wound?). JJP games are similar but Houdini flippers have this “force” to them i really like. That’s is all. Thanks for making a kick ass game guys!
Quoted from wesman:Oh man, I didn't realize that leveling was so integral to proper functioning. I played my first four games late last night with my friend, and had 2 airballs, and four out of four missed trunk shots. I think my leveling is waaaaaay off.
I've read about it on here, but assumed after seeing this happen so consistently, that must be the issue. Eek!Oh I forgot to ask folks here, are there tweaks to be made, in the menu system regarding flipper strength, and any other settings to get optimal/safe play?
Probably more critical on this game than on any other is leveling. The game is also not supposed to be set too high in back - screw the legs all the way down, and add a couple of turns in the back to raise it a touch. Flippers are IMO a tiny bit too strong on default settings, but it doesn’t hurt anything to keep them set there. Scoop usually needs setting a step lower
Quoted from zahner:Ha! The addition of the last step to the new instructions - basically "add fuse" - kind of explains the dead knocker.
On an unrelated issue - eager for the firmware update - had an awesome game, managed to crest 5 million points and avoided going into Master Magician, only to have it reset mid-ball. But I did happily and finally get to play the mode [can't remember what it's called] where one plays all the movie modes at once. Have no idea how I started it. Also got caught in a random multi-ball that seemed more like a glitch. Best of all was an awesome run of Man From Beyond.
What a great game and, in my humble opinion, one of the better pinball games ever produced.
Thanks Barry
Movie Binge!
FWIW, don't forget TAF has a knocker in the cabinet, so there's no "Correct" spot
Quoted from PinMonk:If it's louder than the one in your Iron Maiden, something is wrong. The Stern fans are WAY louder than the Houdini one.
This. My Iron Maiden sounds like a jet taking off; it is FAR louder than Houdini, and it’s in a different room!
I thought I read a fix for this on a previous page, but I had an amazing game last night - the power supply is a MAJOR improvement in flipper feel, IMO.
Anyway, I was killing it in the game, when suddenly i got an off shot into the key lane, and that POS just drained SDTM. Then another, then a THIRD drained straight down. Do we have a reliable fix for the key lane ? If I fix that, the game will be perfect
Quoted from bobukcat:Yep, I did bend the tab at the bottom in a little to help deflect it a bit more too and I think the combination of the two works well.
Bent it in so that the ball drops further to the right? Thanks
Thanks guys, I will be doing this next week when I finally have a day off! My keylane drops to the left flipper when it doesn’t drain so it sounds like an adjustment is surely in order
Quoted from triggur:We've been seeing balls get stuck, stacking up in the lower catapult, usually from stuff going airborne during multiball. Tricky, since the game doesn't always seem to try clearing the catapults when it's in ball search, nor when the game restarts if someone turns it off in this state.
The lowest ball winds up being pushed out of the cup, so the switch doesn't get triggered. We solved it by making a piece of plastic to keep it from getting caught under the plastic. Here's what we did:[quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]
Funny - I just came to post about a similar issue. I must have shut the game off before it released all the balls yesterday.
Start the game with one ball locked in the upper left lock (where the ball stops if lock is not lit and you hit the inner loop)
The game does one, maybe 2 ball searches before starting -the first game- on boot. It does not appear to drop the post which locks the ball during ball search. Then it basically never does another ball search.
The game at this point knows the ball is missing (it shows a “ball missing” message in the menu), but never lets it out via ball search, and appears to ignore the fact that a ball is missing when dealing with drains, e.g. multiballs.
I started a game 38 minutes ago as above, drained after maybe 8 minutes, and the game is -still waiting for the ball-. Yes, after 30 minutes. I have drained, there is no ball in play, and I have no way to fix this save pulling the glass. I restarted the game even, by going into the menu, and this did not help. It’s just sitting as if I’m supposed to be plunging the ball, but none of the plunge Callouts are playing.
I am on the beta 9.18.18 code, so maybe this is specific to that code, but I’d really love to see this addressed. I am certain this sort of bug also appears elsewhere in the game, e.g. man from beyond seems to lose track of the ball sometimes.
It’s been quite a while (ok, not in Stern code update months), hoping for another update soon?
Quoted from bobukcat:This is rather odd behavior and it would be interesting to see if it is reproducible on other machines, I'd try it but I won't be near my game for another week or so . Does the left lock switch show as closed in the switch test? What if you go into the clear Houdini's balls utility, does it release it then?
It does not release it when I do clear balls - it pops everything out of the trough continuously, but that ball stays.
Is there even a left lock switch? I need to check that.
Quoted from pinballinreno:I think he means the white peg in the upper right that blocks the inner loop shot if the ball doesnt go go the catapult via the diverter.
You had me adjust the timing a bit on mine, i believe that I turned it up a couple notches so It would stay down longer?. It wasnt releasing the ball and the game was doing the same thing.
The post on the upper left of the playfield, that holds the ball when it is not diverted to the catapult. It does not release the ball on ball search. I will check if it’s even going up and down at all on ball search - seemed like no.
This is not related to a ball being in the shooter lane, it occurs before the game even starts, before a ball is ejected to the shooter lane
Quoted from rosh:Ball search will not release a ball in left lock. Assuming the switch is working it will know it is there and release it when it wants to in game play.
Thanks Josh. I will check the switch - it is absolutely not releasing during gameplay.
Quoted from wesman:I'd say if this doesn't work out, after another adjustment, I just might do that. I also am fortunate enough to have some really solid game areas around me, so I might head there and ask specific questions.
I'm definitely anxious regarding home ownership. I never was when simply placing half a dollar or a dollar in a machine, but now everything seems much more serious, than simple fun. Hopefully in time, that shifts. I really do appreciate your advice, and concern.
I was pretty anxious just seeing scuff marks on the playfield, and assuming/hoping that's normal for regular play. [quoted image][quoted image]
I felt the same way at first - my 3rd game after 2 beaters was a pristine WOZ. I ended up selling it because it felt like I could never take care of it and learn everything there is to learn. I was wrong, it didn’t take as long as I thought, and I learned by reading a lot and asking questions, just like you’re doing. Every one almost without exception has been super patient and I’ve learned tons in the past few years. I guess I’m just saying don’t give up and no question is too small or too dumb!
Update
Quoted from rosh:Ball search will not release a ball in left lock. Assuming the switch is working it will know it is there and release it when it wants to in game play.
All right, so I am not experiencing this behavior during gameplay.
The switch is clearly working, I just pulled the glass and tested it, but the game appears to be ignoring the switch when the game starts. It performs a ball search immediately (which I think means it can not find the ball). In switch test the switch is definitely triggering.
I’m not sure what to try next, I can just remove the ball obviously when pulling the glass but it would
Be a non-starter to do this every time.
can anyone else confirm?
To test, just get a ball locked in the left lock (see pic), then turn the game off. Now wait a moment and turn back on. The game should do a ball search as if it doesn’t know where the ball is.
6BCC0B94-E88A-4554-8215-6D5212120761 (resized).jpegQuoted from Rdoyle1978:Update
All right, so I am not experiencing this behavior during gameplay.
The switch is clearly working, I just pulled the glass and tested it, but the game appears to be ignoring the switch when the game starts. It performs a ball search immediately (which I think means it can not find the ball). In switch test the switch is definitely triggering.
I’m not sure what to try next, I can just remove the ball obviously when pulling the glass but it would
Be a non-starter to do this every time.
can anyone else confirm?
To test, just get a ball locked in the left lock (see pic), then turn the game off. Now wait a moment and turn back on. The game should do a ball search as if it doesn’t know where the ball is.
[quoted image]
I guess it could be an intermittent switch. (?) but I can not get it to -not- register a ball in test.
So now, I locked a ball again, and then the game went all crazy. I shot a ball into the stage, the stage ate them, and then opened back up again, and I had no ball. The game then did a ball search, and popped another ball out, which the stage ate again, and never did the left lock let my ball go. I got a video of some of it, which I can post. Hard to hold the phone while you’re playing though! Haha
The game is now very confused. When I drain, it doesn’t react - I just lost a ball, and it still thinks a ball is in play. Eventually it shoot another one out, and only on that SECOND drain does the game acknowledge the drain. I did have a whole bunch of multiballs before, but still between the trough and the left lock switches the game should know where everything is.
Anybody else having this?
Quoted from zahner:I have. It’s usually deep in play after stacking a few modes. The game gets confused. I’ll end up, once in a while, with a sort of unofficial 2 ball multi-ball the just keeps recycling until I lose both balls at once. That’s happened a few times. Other times I’ll be in the middle of a ball, drop into the scoop, stage or hat, and then no ball. It searched, chugged a ball out the scoop, which drained (which was a rare coincidence) and then no ball search, no nothing.
However, I do note that my TZ would on rare occasion get confused and get lost in play. Usually when I gad a lot going on.
So, it’s rare, but does happen.
Hopefully the new firmware will take care of Master Magician resets and look into these intermittent issues too
Thanks for the confirmation - that appears to be exactly what's going on, and you described exactly what I am seeing. Whew. I hate dealing with those switches, and it does seem to make sense it's just a bug. I definitely had a host of multiballs going - I started Straitjacket multiball, then I believe Seance multiball started almost immediately, and *then* I got trunk multiball right when I only had 2 balls left. It was awesome! The flippers did not return to regular controls until I was down to 1 last ball, which was cool. Then the game got all screwy though.
Quoted from PinMonk:When you turned it back on, go to switch test immediately. Does it show that switch is triggered (on) solid?
Also, HOW did you test the switch? With your fingers or a ball? It matters. Those switches are really touchy. You MUST test with a ball.
I Always test w/ a ball
Quoted from PinMonk:So when you power on after it can't find it and go immediately to switch test, does it show the switch is on that the ball is under?
I ask because it's common for the ball to come in hot, activate the switch, then bounce back a hair and stop ON the switch, but not with enough force to activate it.
Yes, since the other day a ball has stayed in that lock - the switch is triggered consistently when it is sitting in there. It is triggering the switch. I will take a pic when I get home
Quoted from rosh:I don't think I am following what the issue is. At start of game, if a ball is there it will leave it. Are you saying it then never releases that ball at all during game play? Does it attempt to release it (but the ball does not actually release)?
When you start up, do you get a couple of ball searches before the game starts?
If a ball drains, is there a 5 second pause before it actually does end of ball stuff?
No problem at all -
The ball is released, but only if I put another ball in there (when lock is not lit obviously). The game does do a ball search at start, and yes there is a ~5 second pause when it drains.
I am going to try and adjust the switch and see if somehow it’s not triggering consistently, but it does trigger when the ball is locked, and as far as I can tell it stays triggered whilst a ball is in there. If I’ve locked 3 balls in there, sometimes it will release 2 at a time, which is weird.
Quoted from rosh:That makes me think it is not seeing that switch, and working in 'lost ball mode'. the five second pause is the game waiting to see if there are a switch hits after the drain, which indicate the lost ball has been found. Based on all the symptoms, certainly seems that switch is being flaky. Be very careful adjusting that switch, very easy to make things worse. Also, take a photo of the area, I want to see the positioning of the down post.
Not sure if it is a "trick", but if it pulls logs those might shed light on what is going on, depends on what is causing the issue.
Oh I know...! I hate these switches I once blundered my way into a total replacement on a LOTR of these darn rollover switches. Took forever!
I will report back! Thanks for the support!
One other thing - I am getting really good at hitting that inner loop , and I am noticing that when I really knock it into that left lock real good, the ball will bounce back *into* the VUK for the catapult, and I'll get a free ball lock for Trunk multiball, when obviously it should not count toward that.
Quoted from PhantomO:Has anyone seen an indicator of how many balls are locked in the trunk at any given time? There are 3 balls in the scoring display, but they don't change or light up--just part of the illustration. It would also be handy to know how many extra balls are stacked up. Finally, does anyone know is the rule for how much a secret mission scores? Mainly I get 50k, but sometimes 75k or 100k. It doesnt seem related to how long it takes me to finish the mission. Just wondering.
[quoted image]
Not sure on the balls, but secret missions increase in value the further along you get.
Quoted from pinballinreno:No problem, I thought the same.
But with the single hole in it I thought maybe its riveted on?
And it fell off.
It's not a horrible malfunction. I just put a 2 million+ game on it and it's still there.
It's just held on with some screws on the backboard; mine has fallen off 3 times now. It's the shade for the LED strip at the back. It's noticeable when not installed but not terrible. I am considering maybe adding washers to it next time to get better grip, since there are no holes drilled through the actual piece.
Quoted from pinballinreno:Can you post a close up pic of the installation? Or maybe one of the screws? Or reference an earlier post about it?
I'm not seeing it yet...
Will do when I get home! There are 3 screws IIRC, on the backboard. You may have to pull the PF to see them properly
Quoted from Manimal:Anyone else have trouble losing the ball in the trunk during the needle trick? My trunk shot never loses a ball unless i am in the indian needle illision. During that illusion, if i hit a ball into the trunk, it sits until a ball search releases it into the tunnell. Re-created that multiple times last night. One released, the ball comes back into play, but i lose most or all of my time. Anyone else see this?
This hasn't happened to me exactly, but I was losing balls in the catapult itself for a while - turned out to be a switch issue. I'd be willing to bet it's the same here. VERY Slightly bend the switch up a tiny tiny bit and it should register. Not sure why it only happens to you in Needle mode, but maybe something to do with how it lands when fired from the catapult.
Quoted from PinMonk:One-way gate will solve that problem.
I was thinking a code adjustment to momentarily fire the coil on that post that diverts to the catapult VUK, and traps the ball
Also, I got my left lock sorted out. It was indeed the switch! The ball was settling slightly to the left of the left lock post, and just not triggering the switch consistently. I guess this is why it worked in test but not all the time in gameplay. I slightly bent the switch to favor the left side of the game more, and it appears to be working well now. Like I said, I hate these rollover switches!
Thanks for talking me through Josh! Here's another shout out to AP's awesome customer service!
Quoted from RipleYYY:not sure i've got the correct info, but talking about the code, right now, what still need to be done for being complete ? only the final wizard mode ?
(than not talking about polishing & bug correction)
tanx
The final wizard mode exists, all mini-wizard modes exist in the latest beta. They are all functional but need a lot of polish - and if you get the final wizard mode, the game resets! But it’s just a bug, I think the last beta was in September, so there is probably a code update on the horizon. I do remember the September beta made the game a LOT more fun, seems like there were a lot of tweaks and small changes that really positively affected gameplay. So hopefully it will be release in full soon!
Quoted from RipleYYY:i dont have a HOUDINI (still), but seing guys from the company involved here with their customers is really a good thing !
even more when its (personal feeling) linked with the code evolution...
The guys have bent over backwards to help, it has been a pleasure and honour meeting them in person, and the legacy of this game will continue to benefit from it!
I can’t believe I’m not at home to test out this new code!!
Quoted from wesman:Nice work!
I'm lucky to get three minute games.....
Sloooooow down is the best advice i can give. Also when you’re first staring on this game, it helped me a lot to dial down the flipper strength. Make sure your scoop is shooting down to the right flipper too; that can throw your game off big time if it is positioned off.
Quoted from rosh:Just pushed up another update. Any issues reported to me (with logs) over the last few days have been corrected in this or the previous update.
Here is the latest code . . .
https://drive.google.com/open?id=16WHKGJnHhzxh_HK9BeNHSu14m3ZOznYy
Wow! Can’t wait to try it out tomorrow
Quoted from zahner:Ohhh, I see. I actually like that. The one time I "Conquered the Universe" in AFM, I thought things got kind of boring after that - no longer any point.
That is a really really good point - you kind of don’t know what to do. I hate leaving balls on a game but there’s almost no point. And getting master magician is SO hard it will be decades before this is a problem 
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Festus, MO