Still no plastic protectors for Premium/LE??? I know they will be released as soon as I make my own...

I am suprised there was no side rail light illumination like in Star Trek. That would have been a nice interaction.

Code 0.94 is out :

LE/Premium V0.94 - May 29, 2019
==========================
Fixed:
- "INVALID" could sometimes show as a tease award during mystery but could not
be awarded. This has been corrected so "INVALID" will never show.
- Fixed an issue where sometimes the ball search would not raise the shield
for long enough to free a ball trapped behind it.
- Mystery Award: Light Ball Save now actually lights ball save instead of
advancing the ball save.
- Fixed an issue that would set shot values to 0 points during grace period.
- Fixed an issue where the wrong color would show progress on Black
Knight bashes later in the game.
- Fixed an issue which caused some display effects not to play from the
beginning on a jackpot shot or mode award.
- Fix an issue where orbit shots were not awarded while the ball was launching
on Premium/LE games.
- Fixed an issue where modes would be randomized at ball start, even if the
realm was locked in.
- Award the jackpot shot in Triple Knight's Challenge on either the drop
target or the castle VUK.
- Fixed an issue that could cause the ball to sit in the Castle VUK if the
VUK shot was the final shot in a mode and it would also start Retro Multiball.

Tweaked:
- Modified the rules for Catapult Multiball:
- Changed the rules for catapult multiball so that every lower playfield shot
always stays lit during the multiball for a jackpot. All jackpots build
value of super jackpot on the upper playfield.
- Added double, triple, and quadruple super jackpots to catapult multiball
with appropriate lights and speech calls.
- Adjusted scoring.
- Enhanced the upper playfield loop base scoring.
- Added bi-directional stacking to Catapult and Triple Knight's Challenge
Multiball. Either multiball can be started and stacked with the other.
- Added warning lights to upper playfield lock release.
- Made relighting locks for the 2nd Catapult Multiball easier.
- Added the upper flipper to ball search when ball search occurs outside
of gameplay.
- Changed catapult multiball default color to orange.
- Pause the game timers while certain display effects are running.
- Exclude shoot again light from knight bashed and realm ready light shows
- Changed the skill shot behavior so the shield is not repeatedly activated
during skill shot.
- Changed default Modes complete for Extra Ball to 1.
- Changed Mystery and Triple Knights Multiball locks so mode lights are not
hidden while a multiball is running.
- Super Features now light more frequently.
- Increased the duration of the magna-save hold.
- Modified the rules for Deep Freeze
- Red shots collect all red shots on the playfield with a bonus added for
each shot that it lit.
- Added scoring increases for all Cyan shots.
- Added scoring increses for non-seal shots in Hydra mode.
- Added adjustments for default ball save time for all multiballs.
- Changed default times for multiball ball savers.
- Add time now adds 3 seconds on a hit to any target to start the timer and
12 seconds on a completion of the Add Time target bank.
- Lowered base scoring for spinners.

New:
- Modified the behavior of the 5 main modes.
- Modes now continue from ball to ball if a player drained while the mode
was running.
- Modes continue with the time the player had left when they drained.
- If a player drained with little time left, modes continue with a minimum
of 12 seconds.
- Modes are only marked as completed if a player beats the modes. Modes that
are started but not completed can be restarted from where a player left off.
- All 5 modes must be completed (not just started) to play Black Castle
mode.
- Added additional shooter groove tunes for all modes.
- Upper playfield loops now boosts the scoring of the running mode.
- Upper playfield loop target now spots a shot during running modes.
- Added flail behaviors to Catapult Multiball.
- Added grace period to all multiballs. Catapult and TKC Multiball can restart
each other from grace. Add-a-ball can restart all running multiballs.
- Added Glowy font treatment to retro multiball score font.
- Added light shows for:
- Ball Save
- Add-a-ball Lit
- Add-a-ball Awarded
- Game Over
- Knight 1 Locked
- Knight 2 Locked
- Added shaker effects for:
- Bonus
- Ball Save
- Mystery
- Added Magna-Save bonus scoring and displays.
- Added Loop Bonus to bonus screen.
- Competition mode sets the starting mode to SAND WORM for all players at
first ball.
- Added attract mode game tutorial videos.

Moved to System 2.28:
Updated to nodeboard firmware v0.48.0

Coin door interlock switch support for Spike2.

Really happy to see some creative use with the upper playfield. Tim’s coming through! Excited to see what else he brings. Still hoping for another set of modes or something to make it a bit deeper

i'm in

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What is a "shooter groove tune?"@

Ha I wondered the same. It’s gotta be the droning music at ball launch. Never bothered me btw

I think I’m averaging 1 in every 1.5 games.

My distributor got this from Steve Ritchie. No time for me to pursue this until the weekend.

This is a symptom of a missing washer in the stack on the flipper shaft underneath the "ironing board."

It can be fixed on most machines by adding a 1" dia. X 1/4" hole washer under the ironing board. Most games included this washer, but I guess not all.

Even without the washer, loosen the hex screw at the flipper shaft and remove all up and down play in the flipper. Re-tighten and check if ball can be stuck behind the flipper.

That is a pretty sizeable update for only going from .93 to .94! Hopefully a few more like that before we hit 1.0 and beyond! Downloading now...

I don't know, more of a bug fix than anything else. I love the game, but I don't expect any improvements at this point, though I wish I was wrong.

What a pessimist. In spite of getting 2 huge updates in a matter of 2 weeks you think it wont advance much beyond this?? Wheres your logic?

Your wish is granted: you're wrong.

Although I wish you were right. Because if this release really was mostly a bug fix, then I can't wait to see what Tim will come up with when he finally gets around to seriously working on enhancements and new stuff.

Just got word my LE will arrive tomorrow!

how do you guys like 0.94 code? quite a big change staying in modes after draining. feels great imo, very satisfying when you finish a mode but i whish the machine would give a better feedback, maybe a death animation of some kind.
can somebody tell me what cycles the modes before you start them?
love the game so far

My LE just arrived today, also finally got Simpsons, southpark and family guy all lined up.

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Anyone have trouble downloading the new code I keep hitting the download but It keeps sending me to the read me file.

I can download it, but can't open it. It's an spk file. The unarchiver on my Mac won't extract the files. Any advice?

Where’d you get this?

Just drop the spk directly on the thumb drive

This just make sure its not in a folder 9r anything. It didn't take long at all

It came in the goodie bag. However there was no instructions on how to install it. I screwed it up and had to contact Stern (Chaz) to get a replacement.

Where does it go and do we think it’s needed?

Goes directly in front of the knight. Under his shield, and in front of the ramp... it’s like the whole area

You clicking the correct link?

I think we need it, I'm getting some dimples from the ball dropping right there.

Is anyone worried about upper playfield wear? Any solutions, if so?

Chas or Patrick at Stern will send you the replacement screws. Very low profile screws. Not very many threads. I suggest if you use the stock screw to blue locktite them. They will work themselves out. Most of the ramps have them. With the Shaker motor going they will pop out. I added a dab of " blue" locktite on any I could get a screw driver to .

Im in with #453! Unreal game it is Steve Ritchies Magna Carta.

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I don’t understand why it wasn’t there from the factory? Chances of me getting that on bubble free since being riddled w/ divots is about 0% I’d say.

I agree 100%

Bubbles have a lot more to do with technique than dimples. Sure doing it before the dimples would be preferable, but doing a piece of mylar that size is not easy even on a perfectly smooth playfield. If you do it right, roll it down slowly and keep the bubbles out as you go, it will be fine. I've laid mylar on old Williams games that were as dimpled as can possibly be and had no bubbles...

I don't suppose there are any instructions how to install that properly for those of us who have never applied mylar to a (dimpled) play field?

This time I think I'll have better luck. At least I hope so, I have a plan of attack this time LOL.

Agree.. and what I was really trying to say is it would have been preferable to have had it done at the factory.

Well, I don’t generally think of myself as a pessimist, especially in pinball games that I enjoy. Maybe a realist, in not expecting .93 code to have a “huge” advance in game play left in it. From what I read about .94, I don’t count this as a huge update in that way of thinking. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad to get any code loving, new sounds, better light shows, etc., and it sounds like this one has a lot to like. However, I don’t think it added alternative versions of the modes for extra depth, similar to BM66 or the like, which is what would be a huge update in my mind. I just got my new Node Board 8 in, so I haven’t been able to load and explore the new code yet. Maybe I’m wrong, the list is long but the read me shows a lot of bug fixes, tweaks, polish, and a few mode tweaks like the deep freeze change, timer adjustments, and need to complete them all for Black Knight.

Does the new code make the music seem less repetitive as monster modes now carry over to the next ball? So that music for that specific mode continues ? Also, with this new code doesn’t the gameplay dynamic and feel change? or not really? I haven’t played this game yet. From watching past gameplay of the pro online , players seem to focus on locking balls for the Knight’s Challenge MB as a failed mode would advance the game’s final objective of reaching the Black Knight and fighting him. Am I correct here? Or in 0.93 did the player also have to complete the mode to get to the Black Knight? I’m not quite sure.

Anyways, if I’m correct in my assumption the player will now focus much more on mode completion and take MBs as they come since they are kinda forced to stick with beating the monsters. Similar to Bowen’s code in ACNC (but obviously not exactly the same) were monster modes have no timers and players must complete the mode or drain.

Question, my sound on the LE is scratchy and sounds a bit off. Anyone have to adjust the settings and if so, what are the best settings?

My sound is scratchy as well but i installed code .94 without playing the code it came with.
I adjusted the music attenuation to -15 and the speech attenuation to 3. It amps up the music and cuts the vocals diwn a bit.

As far as the new modes rules. Id rather have to re acquire the mode then to start it from where i left off at the last ball. It feels weird to just start a ball in the middle of a mode.

Edit. Turns out my knocker board had a bad solder joint. Quick dab of solder and its working great now.

Update on my location machine.
It’s flawless.
No broken plastics.
No white upper flipper plug thingy issues.

Game is awesome.

Anyone on the fence should jump firmly in, and preferably into a Prem/LE if the coin is available.

in my opinion (3 intense days, about 6 hours playing BK nonstop, first day with .93 code) focusing on multiball is the best strategy for big scores. with three or four balls in play you constantly start and collect super features and war hurry ups. they add up quickly and are way bigger than mode scores. just had a game with 130 million points just from one long multiball! after draining, retromode was lit and i ended up with 219 million

I feel like I hit the blue lit sword shot and nothing happens to show me I'm in an advanced scoring mode or anything. Is it off during multiball or certain times or something? What's going on here? So far I havent seen a reason to aim for the right side drop targets.

you can tell from the x2 multiplier for every mode shot and the slowly depleting sword gauge. but i agree, the game could use some better way of telling.

also i think some modes end when finished, others continue till the time runs out, even when you complete them. that's perfectly ok but i would love to have some indicator where i'm at in completing them.

Where is the 2x multiplier shown?

The other thing I dont have a handle on is the orbit inserts. I know the gates are open when they are lit red but I dont know what controls it.

Logged 200 games on LE v.93 code and having a ball. BKSoR Prem/LE for the win over pro model (still haven’t played a pro but I enjoy this upper playfield so much that I refuse to lose it). Looking forward to trying v.94 soon because big changes are afoot at the circle k.

Easy to reach upper pf from 3 paths, the left outlane is always available, hence it is the most reliable and least risky path from the bottom flippers. With the upper playfield comes an extra catapult multiball. Lately I’ve been getting 2+ catapult mb’s per game and 4 times on a great game. This in turn powers my ability to start the three knights multiballs on the main playfield. Lately I’ve been getting 2+ mb’s per games and 5 times on a great game, making it easy to imagine how much better I am doing over playing on a pro. Not just scorewise but codewise and funwise. Was having trouble progressing deeply into the modes before now, but with the new code things are aboot to become greta!

Significant v.94 changes were 1) allowing incomplete modes to continue playing the music and staying in the mode with the next ball, makes it more feasible to eventually complete 3 beast modes to qualify the final Black Knight mode. It has consequences too in that you are locked into that mode until all levels are finished and the mode is completed 2) both 3 ball multiballs run at same time more frequently because you can start one while playing the other without haste. There are other improvements and bug fixes, speaking of which I forgot to mention another big one 3) allows shield to stay up longer to clear a ball caught behind it. That may not have been like dripping water torture to you, but it was to me.

If you are on the fence about installing an incremental update rather than holding out for 1.0, I’d suggest upgrading now!

I had an odd situation occur. I went into knight /retro mode and after a few seconds my flippers died but then came back. Also the white pf gi went out and didn't come back even after the mode ended. I did the ol power cycling and everything came back to working fine. Any idea what that was about? I played like 10 more games after with no further issues so I'm sure it's fine. Curious though if it happened to anyone else. I do feel like the flippers are slightly stronger in the 0.94. I've had quite a few shots air ball and rebound over top of my flippers. I always laugh about it but yeah. It seems like something changed a bit.

Yeah, it’s strange but yeah, there seemed to be a marked difference. It was easier to backhand the center ramp up to the upper pf when I played today on 0.94

A welcome change if if so (if it isn’t just in our heads...)