Excellent, thx!

"+Added adjustment that inhibits Beast Frenzy and Smaug MB overlap (default OFF)"

Wow! This is an incredible update, tons of stuff added and many of them items that owners and players have been suggesting.

This is a type of code update that will take The Hobbit to the next level! Thank you JJP

Can't come soon enough! Thanks all at JJP for making a great pin even better!

PinballSTAR has both Hobbit LE and Hobbit BA in stock ready to ship. I know many have inquired who were waiting for this big code update. Contact Joe at [email protected] for info / pricing.

What is Book Mode Multi-ball? Is that essentially locking balls before mode start then starting mode?

I think book mode mutilball occurs when you can lock in balls via the orbits 1,2 and maybe 3 locked . Then when you start one of the 31 modes those balls are used for that mode.

Sometimes they are a help and other times a curse in completing the mode. However one complaint is the game is multi ball heavy. BMMB doesn't help that argument.

Great to know! Just brought my Smaug back off route. Good timing!

Yes, it basically goes like this:

-Roll over the LOCK inserts to light lock at Smaug
-Roll over the LOCK inserts again before locking Smaug, and you'll see the orbit inserts light green.
-Shoot either orbit, the magnet back there will stop the ball and drop it in the "cave", and then make the next mode you start a Multiball.

Simple enough, thanks. Thought I was missing out on a undocumented multiball. So funny.

Still don’t see how code can save a pin with such few satisfying shots but happy for those who still own it. Software updates are always a wonderful thing!

Not save. Enhance. If you don't see that, then in the lexicon of today's youth: "it's whatever, yo!"

Thank you JJP for making an ethereal pinball experience even more epic! This pin is an adventure!

Still bashing the game I see....in a code update thread of all things, wow.

The Hobbit is a great pin. The code update is certainly welcome as JJP continues to provide amazing substantial updates to their already stellar coded games. This will give the hobbit its final wizard mode and other updates to improve the game based on feedback and where JJP wants the code to go. I have played all the latest sterns (metallica to maiden, GOT to Guardians, Star Wars, Ghostbusters and Aerosmith). I played all of those in the last week locally. As I played each one I was thinking 'These are cool, but no way would I rather have this over my hobbit' - fact.

So go ahead a trash the game ever chance you can - even in the code update thread. I know where your thoughts are on the game - you tell us EVERY TIME you get the chance.

It’s a phenomenal game. This will bring it to another level. Your loss.

If you’ve played the game with semi-recent code, you would know that the rhyme and reason of the code/rules & cinematic nature of the game makes the shots very satisfying.

Thanks for the announcement post. Every owner is excited for the changes. What I found interesting were the words “the next software version”. I am not looking ahead of this announcement and getting greedy but JJP leaving the door open for even future coding is pretty cool.

There is a ton of denial going on in this thread. Lol

Love this game, there are so many satisfying shots and very unique ways of using the shots for a lot of the modes.
Even the multiple way they use the drop targets is awesome, true skill shots, nice mix of wide body and stanard body play,
Absolutely stunning theme integration and the sound and use of it is the best I’ve heard, I’ve added an active sub and unlike on other games it is controlled and makes Smaug’s voice fill the room.
The only issue I had was beast MB running at same time as Smaug, that’s now fixed - awesome.
Love my DI but this just keeps me coming back for more

Dude, get out of here and stop trolling.

Absolutely. This is the type of code update that elevates a game to a new level. Pretty much everything that has been mentioned multiple times by owners over the past year has been added. Very impressed.

Thank you all for your excitement surrounding the upcoming software update.

Here are some screen captures from Status Report that show the details on the Arkenstone weighting ("TIER") for the book modes. I completed "Resurgence of Sauron" to illustrate how that is highlighted.

--Ted

Book Modes, page 1Book Modes, page 2Book Modes, page 3

It's even possible to add another ball to this, correct?

Wow. How are the modes grouped to get an Arkenstone Qualifier?

Wow! Very cool. Thanks Ted for all of your hard work on this update.

Yup.

Denial of what? Are you going to tell me I’m not having fun when I’m having fun? F you, troll.

Here are a few quotes from cscmtp from the Hobbit thread:

post #1471
"Anyone on the fence I'd HIGHLY recommend purchasing it. Its my families all time favorite pin after 3-4 weeks of heavy play. Its a ton of fun, built like a tank, amazing light and video show...I know its likely never leaving our lineup."

post #1681
"Man I love this game. Just had my best score to date, 5.5 Million, and after the first ball I finished Into the Fire twice! By the end of the game I had killed smaug and got to Barrel Escape (but did not finish that mode) Such a fun game!"

post #1158
"Just scored 4,238,307 with stock settings. Killed smaug, won 3 extra balls..game took an hour. I'm spent. But LOVE this pin!"

Just your typical run-of-the-mill, hypocritical troll...

Hobbits in stock and ready to ship. One Smaug gold left with upgraded radcals. PM for pricing.

Awesome Update Ted, Thankyou.
As an aside, do you think it would be possible to add a camera mounted on the top box to capture for high scores like DI and forthcoming POTC? I don’t know how difficult it would be to incorporate in the code and for JJP to sell a camera with mount to plug into the usb and it would be well kwl if the pictures were made to look like drawings similar to how you’ve done the wanted posters in POTC.
We keep posing for the camera on Hobbit when we enter scores as we are so used to doing it for DI and it’s so much fun.
Anyway, just an idea but very grateful for the huge update

I thought I wanted this feature as well. I'm not so sure I will use this feature long term. I think it will make killing Smaug too easy, thus less satisfying when it happens. What do others think?

I think this is why it's good as an option. I've had my beast qualify settings as easy for a few months, to try and play beast MB first. Most of the time it worked, so I would then play Smaug on its own - and I still never managed to kill Smaug.

Hey Ted, I just wondered if a date has been posted to release this code? I can't see it in this thread but in my head I thought Saturday.

Someone did say Saturday in the hobbit owners thread. I hope that’s the case!! Can’t wait to dive into this new code and reaffirm my love for the game. Frankly I think it’s great as is. The most immersive pinball experience ever delivered to this day.

Cheers for that, yeah I'm also getting excited for Saturday! Ted if this is not going to be the case please let me know so I don't get my hopes up for nothing...

During Jersey Jack's seminar last Friday at Pintastic he was specific that 7/7 was the code release date. Plans can change if they find bugs I suppose, but that's what he said.

We are on track to post a release on Friday afternoon, July 6th. The plan is to bump the rev to 2.95 and create a delta update for Friday's release.

Version 3.00 will be an ISO-only release, and will update the underlying Linux code. We hope to issue 3.00 in another week or two, unless something urgent diverts the SW team's efforts. The game code for 3.00 will be the same as 2.95, except for fixes for any bugs that get reported.

--Ted

You beauty Ted, not long to go now!!

What? So Delta version 2.95 will not update the "underlying Linux code" ?

This post is confusing, and I work in software.

Sorry for the confusion. A "delta update" cannot update the underlying Linux OS, because Linux needs to be running in order to make the delta update work.

Also, making an ISO release is a lot more work for us than doing a delta update release. Given that this is a holiday week in the US, we don't have the resources to get an ISO put together by Friday. Rather than make everyone wait, I'm going to release a delta update with an intermediate revision number.

If you have any additional questions, feel free to send a private message.
--Ted

Got it. Thanks for clarifying.

Do you think that the ISO release will contain more or better stuff than the Delta Update?

In other words, should users that apply the Delta Update Friday also apply the big ISO update when it comes out (a week from Friday) ?

(I am assuming you'll need the underlying Linux updated for FULL effect?)

There's one question remaining and that is...Will we eventually see a "Bilbos Auction" super duper wizard mode added? That is the last major event of the trilogy after all. Lol, just joking.

As I mentioned above, the game code in 3.0 (ISO install) will be the same as in 2.95 (delta update), except for any bug fixes.

While I would like to claim that there won't be any bug reports for 2.95, I know better. In fact, I fully expect that someone will find a bug that's been in there for a long time, just because they are scrutinizing things closely after updating.

Anyway, I leave it up to you to decide about which update to apply. If you want to play new stuff, and potentially help looking for bugs, install 2.95. Delta updates are a fairly simple process and go quickly.
--Ted

Thanks Ted
I for one will be installing the delta the moment it becomes available, and really looking forward to seeing what you’ve done, coupled that with going to TILT in Birmingham UK to play the pre release version of POTC for the first time, which I’ve preordered and this is Xmas come early, although I do hope I’m playing on my own POTC LE on Xmas day
Have a storm Ted

Ted, in the 'book modes' status screens, will they tell you the % completion of each mode? Was just thinking this would help the player to prioritise which modes to play.

Thanks.

Dear American Friends, is it officially the afternoon yet?

I hope someone will put a link to the stream because it will be on really early in the morning here

Joe promises to put the stream up on YouTube as soon as he can.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-wyrXBG6hubXIzT4uaYtqw

--Ted

Yes, that's on the status report screen.
--Ted

screencap3a (resized).jpg

Good call Ted. Great news that a delta version will be available soon, rather than delaying. This is a big update with lots of moving parts. Heading home in an hour