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
(Topic ID: 239307)
Linked Games
Black Knight Sword of Rage (LE)
Stern, 2019-
Black Knight Sword of Rage (Premium)
Stern, 2019
-
Black Knight Sword of Rage (Pro)
Stern, 2019
Topic Gallery
You're currently viewing posts by Pinsider grandfireball1.
Click here to go back to viewing the entire thread.
1 month later
1 month later
After owning the premium for a few months now: Here’s what I would like to see in future code updates:
- Another Knight mode (preferably single ball) that you can get on your first Knight spellout. Gets a little boring playing the Knight mb over and over
- More rules in Knight mb. Right now all there is a playfield x and every shot is lit for a small amount of points. Needs to be more interesting.
- Higher scoring in the Hydra mode
- Higher scoring in the Deep Freeze mode
- Catapult mb needs to be harder to get on the 3rd+ attempt.
- implement combo rules
- Setting to disable “Nice Knight” speech
- Rage wizard mode is cool, but super unclear what’s happening or what to do.
- implement the short plunge into some secret skill shot
- After the first Black Castle, only allow 1 spot shot hit from the upper playfield target
- After the Sauron mode on Deadpool, your next Battle modes are that character + Sauron. Playing the modes again after Black Castle should have a similar rule.
- When Knight is spelled, but another mode is started and played out to get the Knight letter, the game doesn’t actually roll over the letters like it should, and you get screwed out of a letter (or more)
- Some big bonus for running all the super features at once
- Lights to indicate super features (like pulsing pops or sling GI to indicate it’s super)
- more points for the right drop targets. Never really go for them
- When the game says “super level increased” I want the screen to show me numbers next to each super feature icon to show me the level. Not just different colors on the lightning wheel
- A mega wizard mode for completing the lightning wheel. (This is a stretch)
- The “hurry” light on the left ramp flashes sometimes but does nothing
- The “Realm” insert light does nothing
- More switching on/off the different GI colors
- After the first set of WAR hurry-ups, I want to hit other shots besides the center 3.
- Add a reason to hit one of the other 3 center shots to light a mode instead of bashing the same one.
Overall, I love what the team has done on this game. Animations are the best in pinball, and sounds and lighting are incredible. Just needs some more code work and polish to bring it to an A+ pin.
1 week later
Quoted from jeffspinballpalace:Anybody hear an update on the topper? Six months back Steve Ritchie announced that it was a bad ass design and that is was being made. There is no external sign off needed for this title so what could be the delay?
Should be announced in a few weeks.
2 weeks later
Quoted from applejuice:My first thought on ideas for the next code update would be to make more use of the optos up on the upper playfield. I see and have shot fairly often 3 different loop shots. Would be nice to have some reward/rule layering for these types of loops aswell as the traditional one .
On my diagram (sorry for the quick rough drawing!, need to get back playing, lol!) The white and blue arrows are loops without code (other than 30 points!) the yellow one is the regular loop.
[quoted image]
Great ideas. The blue arrow is definitely a very makable shot. I haven’t tried much of that white arrow loop. They could also add some neat combo rules. I think the main problem with adding additional loop rules is that there’s no inserts to guide you. I guess there could be some text on screen, but it’s unlikely they’ll do anything fancy.
3 weeks later
Not gonna lie, this could really use another code update real soon... hopefully something will be announced at Expo.
I love the game, it’s just a bit too linear right now, and I’d like some more variety and strategy
Quoted from Jesder:This is my first new Stern, so I'm not familiar with how often they update once 1.0 is released. Given it's been almost 3 months since the last update, do Stern often let 1.0 sit for several months before updating again?
Yeah 1.0 basically means that whatever is on the rule card or Playfield is in the game. Many titles get big updates past that (TWD, Metallica, Deadpool, heck even GB). Question is when.
2 weeks later
Less can be more... Unless you have the premium/LE which is super unbalanced. Nothing code can’t fix, so still hopeful
Quoted from tilted81:I’m hoping they could treat Either just the left, or both vuk’s on the pro as physical ball locks for another multi-ball sequence. It’d have to imagine it’s certainly possible with where we are in coding nowadays
Don’t think they will because catapult mb is a reason they wanted people to buy the premium
Quoted from jonesjb:We just got a Black Knight SOR Pro at our pinball league bar. I played it and think it’s quite a bit of fun, there are a few things I’m trying to figure out gameplay wise, I’m hoping someone here can help me with:
-How do the super modes work? It looks like I qualify with right flipper shots. But supposedly there is a way to boost the level (1-4) of super by hitting the left spinner. I can’t get this to work? Or I can’t see the level increasing. Once I hit the Black Knight, the super mode starts. Then what? I just keep hitting the associated item on the pin (slings, lanes, etc)... then cash out at the left spinner. How do I know how much I’ve accumulated? What if I don’t hit the left saucer? Do I lose any points logged in the super mode?
-With ‘Power’, when full, Should/can I hit the power before starting a mode? Or can I only hit power once a mode has started?
-are there any tournament strategies I should be aware of? I know to aim for locks and backhand the light lock. Are there things I should ignore? War hurry ups look like something potentially rewarding?
Thanks!
Super modes: left orbit will light the center for super. Hit center to start one of the 5 super modes. Hitting the far left spinner before starting your super mode boosts its value or “level.” Currently not obvious what level you are on. Purple is best value though. You can stack all super features at once. Every time you hit a super thing, you’ll see a jackpot increase in the upper left corner of the display. Collect this and end all super features by shooting the far left orbit into the saucer. Every time a new super feature is stacked on top of another, the 30 sec timer resets. The left side targets increase time and the timer is paused in any multiball. Super features reset at the start of a new ball.
Power: Drops on the right increase your “sword of rage” on the right side of the display. When it is full, the power light will turn on. During any monster mode, hitting the power shot (center) will double your mode value and make it easier. Lasts the rest of the mode. If you hit it and drain, you lose your power. Best to use at the start of a mode.
Strategy on the pro: Play modes and hurry ups. If you can safely shoot the left orbit, go for U-turn awards which can be quite valuable.
Strategy on the LE: Until new code drops, upper playfield all day.
Quoted from jonesjb:Thank you for this informative post. So the super level is indicated by color?
Yeah pretty much, but I wouldn’t worry about that too much. Just be aware of what’s currently running
1 week later
Quoted from whitey:SOR owners ? Will like this game as much as AC/DC? Comparison?
Sold AC/DC to get a BK LE. To me, it sounds better, is more brutal, and has a more interesting layout. It’s lacking the number of toys AC/DC has, but the Knight and upper pf are pretty cool. The rules on AC/DC just got pretty boring and repetitive and there were inserts that did nothing. BK still isn’t very deep, but there’s more code coming and what’s there is excellent. Score balancing could be in order though
Quoted from Jediturtle:Oh such a very loaded of a question...LOL! There are many who would argue that the game simply isn't BK if it doesn't have an upper playfield. I do not buy into that, as to me it's more about the battle, personality, and themed world it creates. I personally like the pro better, but I will admit I wish we had catapult multiball, or at least one more "side mission" type goal.
Here is a copy / paste of my defense of the pro when it was accused of being a one trick pony without the upper playfield:
"To me, it's more of a one trick pony WITH the upper PF. Why would you ever bother with the lower pf shots when you can progress battles with one target in the upper (thereby sucking all uniqueness out of the battles), and start multiball up there? The upper completely takes over the game, and just isn't much fun to shoot in my opinion. Plus you lose one of the best combo shots in pinball...the ramp to shield lock backhand. Sooooo good."
That's just my two cents though. I totally understand and respect that some like the prem/LE better. It's nice to have choices, and it's a great game either way. I think it's a lot like GoT, where they really feel like two different games. Some will prefer one over the other, but they are both awesome. I'm happy with my pro, but if only the prem/LE existed, I would be happy with that too (again, just like GoT)!
Definitely agree with you that the game is about the battle and the kickass nature. And you’re right, the upper pf on the premium is a bit of a one trick pony. Hoping code will improve this otherwise I may have to downgrade to a pro at some point...
Quoted from John1210:Have to respectfully disagree here:
Objectively the Upper pf is where all the points are gained from a variety of shots/setups:
- loop goes up in points each loop so building them up allows for quite lucrative loop shots as you progress through the game.
- also upper loop shots are big points in retro mode... also lucrative... and fun.
- target and loop in monster mode brings massive points... so building up the value with loops then hitting the target for a monster hit.
-lock shot is big points in catapult multiball when you nail 3x and 4x supers.
- also lock shot for super skillshot can be lucrative after a few successes.
There's plenty to do up there for a mini playfield imo.
One trick pony as in that’s all your shoot for. No reason to really do much on the Lower playfield
10 months later
I’d be hesitant to get another game coded by Tim since there’s not a lot on BK and it has its share of bugs and tweaks that have been neglected for months. Especially some of the scoring rules like TKC is worthless and Catapult is worth a ton. I also really don’t like the manga save to collect the super, and he nerfed it way too much.
At least with Elwin or Lyman, you know your game’s gonna get solid updates and be very deep.
1 month later
Yeah not gonna lie, this update sucks. It’s like Tim did it last minute and he didn’t really address any of the major flaws or obvious bugs in the game.
Quoted from ezatnova:I haven’t see him post anything in a LONG time on tiltforums either where he used to be active in responding to code and rules questions and concerns.
Maybe partly because there’s barely any rules to ask questions about lol
Quoted from newtoit:Youd think Timmy would want his first game to be a hit, especially with the history of the black knight. He got a real opportunity to make a name for himself and blew it.
All this down time and he doesnt do a damn thing for this game.
It was definetly not a code update. It was a DJ mixer add on. And he has the balls to make a post saying hes excited for the update. What update? Wheres the content?
Maybe they’ll be a surprise update later on, but unlikely.
Quoted from Jesder:Supers do need something. I'm not 100% sure on what either, but in their current form I feel they are mostly worthless and play little role in most of my games.
The super rules are just weird. I don’t like the fact that the manga save collects them. It’s like you build it and build it but then oh no, the ball is going to drain out the right, guess I have to prematurely cash in. It’s also pretty worthless now compared to mode points.
Spelling Knight on the premium/LE is far easier since you can easily get some from playing catapult. I agree the pro needs more, but if catapult was somehow added to the pro, the premium would tank in value since that’s really the only difference.
Quoted from tilted81:It used to be cashed out at the left vuk. The problem with that was accidentally cashing it out buy either missing a shot, or having a multiball slip in there. Now that it’s at the magna I either forget about it, or unsuccessfully try for it.
It was better at the vuk imo, but the magna save is pretty undervalued so it was a neat experiment.
Should be vuk, but have to quickly press action button when it’s in there to cash in.
Also, the value in the magna save should be that your ball is saved. Not sure why points need to be associated with it.
Quoted from cnuts13:If I have the pro model, do I need to doenload both parts? read me section and other section on the stern website? the game doesnt seem to recognize my usb stick when I turn the game on
Nope just the game code
3 months later
Having a strange light issue on mine all of a sudden. During attract mode, and not during gameplay at all, all the middle to backboard lights seem to “reset” about every 10 seconds. When it happens, I can hear a subtle click, the same sound as a node board resetting, and then the lights flick off/on. I can also hear a new slight buzzing sound. The flail also sometimes moves a tiny bit which is weird. I tried reconnecting a bunch of the connectors under the playfield, and no difference. I then thought it could be a power issue, so I reconnected some of the cables in the power supply. That seemed to work for a few minutes, but then it started doing it again. Any thoughts? Hope it’s not a bad node board, but it certainly may be.
Pics show before and after click sound.
0D69DF6B-3151-4632-BF45-CAC51CDF6C4E (resized).jpeg7A98123F-962E-4411-A031-C16019129F35 (resized).jpeg
8 months later
Quoted from Mathazar:Would love to be proven wrong....perhaps this is a restart of more regular SOR updates?
No way is this going to happen. They’re done making these and it wasn’t a hot title. Unfortunately Tim needs to work on other games. Would I like it if Tim polished the game more on his own time like Lyman used to do? Yes, but unfortunately the code that is in the game now is what we all get and it’s honestly pretty lackluster.
3 weeks later
Code is very much not “close to where it should be.” There’re too many bad code spots in this game. For example the Ransom mode where it seems like there’s a lot to shoot for, but the reality is the easy flail up the middle is a million+ and blows everything else away making that a very boring mode. Or the fact that a super jackpot in the main multiball is a small fraction of a single mode shot.
Promoted items from Pinside Marketplace and Pinside Shops!
Los Angeles, CA
You're currently viewing posts by Pinsider grandfireball1.
Click here to go back to viewing the entire thread.
Reply
Wanna join the discussion? Please sign in to reply to this topic.
Hey there! Welcome to Pinside!
Donate to PinsideGreat to see you're enjoying Pinside! Did you know Pinside is able to run without any 3rd-party banners or ads, thanks to the support from our visitors? Please consider a donation to Pinside and get anext to your username to show for it! Or better yet, subscribe to Pinside+!
