Quoted from rosh:As I have said previously, to me production is when machines are going off the line, and while we have a few dozen cabinets ready and a couple of dozen playfields that are > 90% done, they are not rolling off the line. However, I expect that to change in the next couple of days, as we got most of the missing parts earlier this week and the last missing items, I am being told, will be here tomorrow. Accordingly, unless some new issue pops up, always a possibility, I would expect that machines will start rolling off the line next week. I will say that the first couple of dozen games will go through the standard testing and inspection done by our production team, but these first machines will also be individually inspected by Joe, Jim and myself. Once those machines pass inspection, they will be shipping. Our stated goal has always been to start shipping games before end of year. We are going to do everything we can to get as many out the door as we can.
I actually had planned to use their phrase in another way in the game, but it such cryptic phrase I did not feel it worked for what I had intended. Still thinking about match, I have some more important things to work on first, plus I need to give you guys something to look forward to.
Yes it will, but there are a few extra balls that can be enabled to help you get there, and some settings to make it easier to earn Houdini letters. Not sure why you guys like to put the depth (or reverse flippers) on Balcer. Joe does not get involved in the rules very much, he is all about creating great playfield designs that are unique and challenging, as well as engineering the game to be reliable and easy to maintain. Watching him work and how he approaches things and make just small adjustments to make it shoot better, remove ball traps, etc. has been really impressive to me. Joe did have a few requests of things he wanted me to include, such as having 'ball drain modes' and having a video mode, and I was happy to oblige, just as he was happy to oblige some of my requests on the playfield. His previous games that had great depth, (TSPP, Woz, etc.), I believe the rules were primarily driven by Keefer, who has done the coding on some of my favorite games. It is my impression that each designer has his own desired level of involvement in rules, running along a wide spectrum of barely involved to heavily driving it. Ultimately all good pinball machines are the result of a collaborative effort, with many folks providing input and perspective into its design, rules, look, animations, etc.
Funny thing is you can sort of do this now in Straitjacket multiball when going reverse and inverted, since the flipper default to being up, although, you would only have about 2 minutes, since if both flippers remain up for that length of time the game will automatically drop them. I will consider this for a later release.
For those who have been following along, you know that some of the 'dislikes' can be resolved (or will be resolvable) via settings. Notably the length of the verbal instructions, and giggling sling shot women. As far as the cartoony comment, our goal was to be true and honorable to this amazing man, and we decided going with a cartoony caricature was not in sync with that goal. Like with all pinball art, it is very subjective.