Play better.

If you are going to cut a big hole in the middle of the playfield to house a useless robot mech that simply goes up and down, why not instead use it for the actual tank. It could raise when attacking and lie in wait, otherwise. This would dynamically change the playfield, alternating the currently all the time 'in-your-face' shot with new longer shots behind the tank when it is down. The space currently occupied by the uneventful pop bumper cluster and upper lanes could be completely reimagined. An additional featured mech, along with additional ramps and targets. Definitely would add more potential to the ruleset.

The attacking tank emerging from the playfield would become a genuine pinball moment. And consider this. When presenting itself, the tank could rotate back and forth a bit, as if aiming it's turret. This would alter the angle of the 5bank in real time, adding further randomness and less SDTM potential. It could then 'lock in' on you [ready to fire] at a time when the bank is facing straight at you, just like in the arcade 'battlezone'. If you nail it in that timed hurry-up high risk position - greater reward.

The way it sits today Nordman and AP are feeding you an admittedly little-changed, 10 year old design.

I know you will do your best. But it won't change the fact that the tank is fixed in its position on the playfield. Given 10 years to think about it, I believe this should have been done differently.

Next week at Pinfest in Allentown, I am going to this place, only a half mile from the Fairgrounds. I plan to order the Christy Brinkley.Screenshot (283) (resized).pngScreenshot (282) (resized).png

Haha. Don't tell me. Tell Jack. The guy that's 100x better than me and still won't shoot the tank because it's a sucker shot with little value.

Also fun when Jack says 'I'm going to do something stupid ' then hits the tank and drains.

I also found it strange that during the dead flip stream people were not shooting at the center targets. I think in general pinball has a tradition going back to the EM era in which there are center targets which must be avoided, so maybe we are just conditioned to avoid center targets if they feel too close. I think the American Pinball team missed an opportunity to illustrate the joys and advantages of hitting these center targets during the stream. From some of the rules descriptions from the folks at American Pinball in this thread, it sounds like some real thought has gone into the rules regarding these targets, and there are definite reasons to hit them under certain circumstances. At the end of the day, it is the scoring which will determine how often we shoot for these center targets.

Or other rewards like multiball, or getting closer to a (mini)wizard mode. And those should reward good scoring as well if it's hard to achieve. So I agree with you, but I also often play to achieve other things like 'getting far in the game', reaching a special mode, etc. If that's not achieved and there's only direct (even lots of?) points, I'll often go for something else in a game, because 'just points' can be boring if there's nothing else. I hope AP has, or will, implement that in software for the middle targets.

While not a highly desired game, Mousin' Around is more similar in target bank placement to GTF than AFM. I didn't feel that game was necessarily too brutal...you just need to beware and not smack the targets straight on.

Mousin Around targets also move out of the way to open up another ramp shot

That with all the prime real estate taken this surprisingly does not do…

Hmmmm. Maybe its real??? https://www.foxnews.com/media/mysterious-deaths-six-cattle-texas-sparks-ufo-fears-something-strange-happening

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Now you guys are just picking on me.

I’ve already conceded that this game is exactly like AFM In every way.

What more do you want?! It’s just getting cruel.

GTF is one of the best layouts in pinball history. And the humor?

Chef’s kiss!

If you like AFM, you simply MUST buy Galactic tank force or you are nothing but a hypocrite of low Character!!! (Maybe buy two of them just to be safe)

You really do have some sort of personal vendetta against this machine. As a child were you abused by aliens.... ice cream vendors.... cows.... all of the above?

I have a personal vendetta against stupid arguments such as “GTF remotely resembles AFM in a kind of esoteric way therefore if you like AFM you need to like GTF.”

And hey, child abuse jokes are hilarious. Really jibes with the whole vibe of this project so keep ‘em coming! Maybe they can work some of that into a future code update.

Thanks, saves me some cash
I have an AFM so I don't need a GTF

Looks like the flippers might be 20% moved up also?
You can see in the pic, red lines show huge differences in shots to tank and saucer.
Also this ice cream cone is 20% bigger then the other!

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Careful dude. Your causal observation of the painfully obvious truth that GTF and AFM have different playfield layouts and that it’s possible to like one and not the other might lead to accusations of bias or being abused by an ice cream man in your youth!

Figured someone would get on their high horse and take the joke out of context, didn’t think it would be such a sensitive guy as you. But I will agree that the AFM comparisons are completely pointless.

Jeez. I didn't notice it until now that the Lucky Break lanes really eat up the lower playfield space and shoves the flippers further away from the player and closer to the tank. Older players with slower reaction times are gonna hate this.

Cancel my order.

What do the lucky break lanes even do?

Save your ball

<blockquote
Btw appreciate Ferret and the other guy being here in the lions den with us.

They currently really do nothing except score points. I was told that future updates will add more functionality to them.

My experience was just hang the ball between the flipper and the rails.

I really didn't notice a difference in distance from flipper to player when I was playing, and I didn't find the tank to be an issue for the most part. I was actually aiming for the tank quite a bit. My only real complaint was that the ball saver plunger thing didn't always come up like I thought it should have.

I herd that when you hit the tank you have a great chance of draining your ball. They honestly should of moved it back a little further. Herd from dealers no one knows for sure when they are getting GTF. My distributor said he is still waiting on Hot wheels

I can't wait until I can play this on location and collect me some cow farts. It's pinball hilarity at its best!

Working on putting LEDs in fake poop for a possible mod.
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herd; plural noun: herds
a large group of animals, especially hoofed mammals, that live, feed, or migrate together or are kept together as livestock.
"a herd of elephants"

Heard means "perceived by the sense of hearing." If you detected a sound using your ears, you heard it.

“Hey it’s a herd”

“Heard of what?”

“Herd of cows”

“Of course I’ve heard of cows”

“No, cow herd”

“What do I care what a cow heard I’m not a cow”

“Yes you are”

Ya Herd!

Herd about what?

There’s a sheeple problem a’ brewin.

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Imagine a pinball world where GTF sits NEXT to AFM?

Houdini…

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Hype sure died on this!

Definition & Meaning of "no news is good news" per Merriam-Webster dictionary:
As a rule people are told only the bad things about something.
So without information to the contrary you can assume that all is well.

Its going to get real exciting for me in 4 days....

You can do it!

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I’m still excited to try one out when I can. Just having a brain freeze when thinking of new ice cream jokes.

Cougar is locked in !

That’s going to be a problem. Unless AP can sell GTF! to 50 pinball locations and then build and ship them, you won’t have a chance. Need to attend a pinball show to play one and then hope that game is modified and set up correctly.

Yes the hype has melted.

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I think once it was established that GTF is exactly the same gene in every conceivable way as AFM, the thread simply had nowhere to go.

The haters have all been owned!

If GTF doesn't do well, is there any chance American might do another run of Hot Wheels instead? Asking for a friend...

Christie's berries are sagging a bit but they will firm up very soon.
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Looking forward to play it on Friday at the Allentown pinfest!

Are there really no hot wheels sitting around at any distributors?

took me 10 seconds to find 2 dealers on pinside that have it in stock. and of course you can save over $1000 by buying one of the gentle used ones on pinside. I think the existence of $6200 hotwheels are a main reason people are hesitant to risk $9400 on GTF

Yeah, get a lightly used HW for <$6.5k. I think those all have the scalloped shaped head while future ones get the traditional shape. A few plays doesn’t matter as HW is built to last and I’ve read numerous Ops state it is a workhorse. Ones I’ve seen on location are in good shape and I don’t see any areas of wear. HW is an excellent pin at $6.5k. At $9.5k, it is hard to swallow. I realize this is a GTF! thread but it is an American Pinball one also.

So I was curious about Legends of Valhalla and find barely used ones available at $6.5k to $7k. That sounds like an insta-buy for someone wanting one. I’ve played hours on one and enjoy the shots and the modes themselves. Pounding the hammer feels great.