That's a matter of opinion. But if games were priced based on gameplay, there would be a lot of changes in the marketplace.

Do I have to learn a funny handshake to join the ACDC club?

I'm not a acdc. Fan but I do like a couple of there songs like the gameplay on it and SR/LS worked on the game just made it amazing but the next SR/LS game which is Star Trek(romur ish) Would be far better than it for me and I hope it will be more amazing than acdc (no offence to any acdc pin owners)
But everyone is per ordered this does that mean that there would be a less chance of people who haven't preordered to get a le hope they make a premium with powdercoat
Sorry for getting off track with Star Trek than acdc

If anyone's interested, I put these posts in to help reduce the side drains.
Yes, I babied-it-up a little but I was finding the game too frustrating.
Love it even more now.

IMG_0041.jpg

I need to give Mark a little support here...

For me, hard is good, frustrating not so good. Hard is when a missed shot results in a drain. Frustrating is you make a shot that results in a drain. As far as I can tell, there are only 4 "safe" shots...the 2 ramps and 2 loops.

So if I care about keeping the ball in play, the shot selection is really limited.

I just don't know why hitting the TNT drops should result in so many drains. Some games I just shake my head and wonder if it's a "bug or a feature"? Did Ritchie really want to make the game so brutal? I imagine so, however sometimes think it's just too brutal.

Nevertheless, because I'm always attracted to a challenge, it is my "go to" pin in a 13 pin collection. Really enjoy it, despite it's nasty attitude

Love AC/DC
Love The Rolling Stones
Love Ted Nugent
Heck I even have a healthy respect for Dolly Parton
But I've never played a band themed pinball machine that I would consider an A title.
AC/DC is the best to date but after about 25 plays on route I would say it's a solid B title all the way.

Not really wanting to step into this quagmire, but I just have an observation. My perspective means squat, all my own opinion.

The first pin I owned was Addams Family. Great pin, want to find another one day. Before starting multiball, the 'power' is enabled, causing 3 magnets below the play field to cycle. Occasionally, the power would grab the ball and fire it down an outlane or SDTM. Frustrating? Yes. Still super fun? Of course!

The second pin I owned was Twilight Zone. Battling the power field is one of the highlights of the game, once again, a great feature. The majority of the time the ball falls out into the pops. Occasionally afterwards, it's out of the pops, straight down the left out lane. Frustrating? Yes. Still super fun? Of course!

I could provide more examples of games I have owned (MM, WH2O, MB, WW) that have frustrating elements of so called 'cheap' drains. Risk/Reward. Nothing is taken away from these games because of this. It makes it random, every game is different, and you roll with it.

Personally, I shoot the bell as much as possible, from the canon or the flips. Nudge like crazy if I suspect a chance of SDTM.

As to the OPS question of not getting the appeal of AC/DC. I'm not sure I 'get' the appeal. One thing I am sure of, is that the pin is super fun, super challenging and deserves it's place as one of the greats. It quickly jumped into my top 3, and seems to only get better with each update. IMHO, YMMV, etc.

Clueless ! IF the songs and albums were witches and monkeys or rings and swords would you get the game ?

This is pathetic that people refuse the learn the game because it has songs and albums and tours that go in the order they came out ? How hard is that .. Oh no a new thing to learn and I am too dumb to learn so it sucks ? Typical !

This is pathetic that people refuse the learn the game because it has songs and albums and tours that go in the order they came out ?

McCune has invited anyone who doesnt like AC/DC to his house for a tutorial.

images.jpeg

Can anyone identify those exact parts in the photo?

some kind of double star?

I say after 3500 plays it is a Soild "A" title ! Now what ?

There are plenty of games that will offer "cheap" drains by the definitions I've seen here. Anything with a magnet, TAF, Avatar, XM, etc etc.. Anything with spinning discs, NGG, WW, Fireball, etc..

Isn't pinball fun because there's a random element to it? I get that some people like all shots to be returned safely to the flippers. If that's what you're looking for, just choose a different game.

I think this is a legitimate point. SR has had these kinds of problems in at least one other game, STTNG where the outlanes were so notoriously loose it was considered a design flaw that many enthusiasts have corrected with longer lane guides. I'm a huge fan of "recreating original game play" and not changing the original playability of the game, but I felt the extended lane guides in STTNG were necessary to take the game from "frustrating" to "hard." If in ACDC, you have a similar problem involving a portion of the playfield that really needs to be played in order to progress deep in the game, it's another design flaw.

Contrast this with BSD, which is also notoriously hard and in some cases, people would call "frustrating" but with proper ball control you can get to all areas in the ruleset without having to deal with the more conservative/frustrating areas of the playfield.

I still end up going back to TSPP as a benchmark of good playfield design + ruleset. That game is only frustrating because you cannot afford to make mistakes and have to be really precise in order to go very far. In my experience, ACDC, you have to be more "lucky" to go far. Granted... I don't own and ACDC and I hope to get more plays on the game, but after ~ 100 or so games, that's the feeling I get. There are times when it doesn't matter how you play, the ball can end up in a bad zone and it's all over -- a lot more often than many of us should feel falls into mere "bad pinball luck" in a "skill-based game."

Absolutely this.

And that is also correct......but a great pin nonetheless and a ton of fun to play...

This is what I love about pinside! Grown men arguing like 3 year olds....I love it and guilty as charged myself, its pretty much "subjective" on a lot of preferential type issues....that's why there are mostly no wrong answers.....kind of like is the what is the best teams of all time, Celtics (many different versions), 80's Lakers, 80's/90's Bulls.....

Right now I would say AC/DC is about 2.98765 times better than Woz...but then again, I haven't even played Woz and nobody has played a finished version (insert jokes here)....when the comparisons would be more valid in terms of "game play" and "code".....

I love the idea of "sloppy bell shots"...I guess I don't have the ability to control the exact speed and direction of the ball to 1/100th of an inch to make it less "sloppy"...but then again, by my calculations, I only had about 13.8% of bell drains...if I could only get it under 10%!

That pic is hilarious...Rob and Smassa will assist with the interrogation...and mind control

Well, thankfully you'll be able to enjoy DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING, endless loops of "Yellow Brick Road" and those gaddamn annoying as f*ck voices in Stereo.....we'll enjoy our AC/DC's and everyone in pinball land will be happy.

I was going to post here...but decided not to....

PLAY BETTER !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's just not a game for me.

I love a lot of the newer Stern's...but just can't get into AC/DC.

I'm very happy that people are enjoying the game, and appreciate the diverse tastes of the community.

I totally understand. Not everyone is going to like every game. I was simply pointing out the fact there is a difference between not liking a game and saying you feel it has cheap drains when in fact it's probably the player doing something wrong as opposed to the game having cheap drains.

Agree...

I also think that theme has an awful lot to do with a consumers like/dislike of a game.

If you love the theme, then you can forgive a lot of flaws. If you dislike the theme, then there is potential to have little things bother you.

Obviously, there are exceptions to the rule. Shadow, Judge Dredd, Johnny Mnemonic and others have pretty lousy themes, but are regarded pretty highly. I'm not a huge fan of the LoTR movies, but love the games....and so on.

When someone doesn't like a game and can't quite put their finger on why, you tend to get explanations like "cheap drains", or "feels clunky." In reality, the pin just doesn't quite connect with the player...and the game just isn't for them.

If we knew exactly why/how this happens, we'd be rich.

Pete

I think its a solid playing game and from a gameplay standpoint, its certainly a top 3 Stern pin for sure. The only reason I opted not to purchase one was purely on theme, as I'm not into band pins (I do however enjoy some of their music). I would likely never purchase a pin that's based purely off the band itself, just not my cup of tea. It's hard to deny its an adrenaline pumping game though.

I feel the same. Great playing pin (the LE) Except for The Beatles, not sure if I would buy a music theme pin. But it WAS fun and now I can see what people see in it. I'm glad a friend has one so close...

That's a load of crap. You can get to the wizard mode without a single cannon shot to the drops/standups or the bell. Period. Pro, premium, LE, whatever. In fact, it's best to avoid the cannon as much as possible when going for Encore. It's also entirely possible to reach Encore without hitting the bell shot a single time from the flippers or the cannon.

If you don't understand the game, you shouldn't be dissing it here. When you make incorrect statements like that, you only make yourself look bad. Say you don't like it all you want, but don't be saying things that aren't true.

I think the band is just "meh" but love the game. I know the "you have to play it X number of times to enjoy it" is often used to excuse bad games, but in this case I think it's true. I disliked this game at the beginning and over time I became flat out addicted. Once you get a grasp on the rules and form your own strategies, it's an absolute blast. One of the most strategic games ever made.

With a great sound system on the machine ...the first time I heard that bell!...wow!

'nuff said

Some of us have played both. Not all opinions are equal.

Dude... reading comprehension is your friend. Look into it. Note that at the beginning of my sentence I said "IF". Do you understand what "if" means?

I never made ANY definitive statement about ACDC's ruleset of its design being flawed.

Look again at what I wrote:

If in ACDC, you have a similar problem involving a portion of the playfield that really needs to be played in order to progress deep in the game, it's another design flaw.

Get your facts straight before you accuse someone else of not getting the facts straight.

Reeelax dude.. the world is not going to end if you encounter someone who doesn't 100% agree with you that ACDC is the second pinball coming.

Riiiiight.. Physician heal thyself!

Let me state again, that I like ACDC. I would love to have the game. But I think at seven grand, it's overpriced. That's my opinion. If you disagree and want to personally attack me, please re-think the wisdom of such a tactic.

No one's selling AC/DC for 7 grand. Knock 1 off and reassess opinion.

I don't care if you prefaced it with an if or not. Just making a comment like that shows that you're clueless when it comes to gameplay. Stick to talking about the art or theme.

WINNNNER!!!

Ok, got the game turned on...flipping back and forth from that and the Voice....and just popped a bag of popcorn....

Ready for round two..

I bought ACDC Premium over WOZ. Why? Well I wanted a complete game now. I may get a WOZ one day but it will at least be a year from now when the code is hopefully complete and bugs are worked out. I have played WOZ and its already fun. There really both completely differently games. Personally, I think it's just awesome that in 2013 we are debating about two great (I think WOZ will be) pinball machines. Who would of those that in 2000-2001?

If there's one knock I have against WOZ it's the number of standup targets used. The drop targets in ACDC Premium are awesome and really let you know what you have already shot at. Personally I find the 7 "Rainbow" stand up targets in WOZ to be excessive.

worst thread ever

Really? I dont mind a good debate.....Can it be any worse then the 6 or 8 members only threads???

Inch?

Actually the gun debate threads got the worst. This one was a debate that at times touched on personal. People get emotionally in defense of their pins because they have so much invested in them. If they were all going for under a grand, most wouldn't even break a sweat over defending them.

Uh, people actually ENJOY those threads. You don't HAVE to go there if you don't like them.

Yeah actually I think they're a pretty good idea. No need to have bunches of T2 or SS threads when one will do. Maybe when ACDC simmers down it can get the same.

It's nice being able to talk about a machine you like without all the BS...

I was initially surprised there wasn't sub-forums for popular tables so I'll take the owners thread as the next best thing.

Thanks!

I haven't had a chance to play AC/DC, but have to after all I've heard about it here.

On a side note, I can't tell you how many years i thought they were saying, "Dirty knees and the Thunder Chief, Dirty knees and the Thunder Chief."

I guess that's why they left that song off. Not politically correct.

You got a total of 8 thumbs down, but I'm the one you call out?

And my thumbs down to your post was for this:

Got it sweet peach?

This has been kind of a nasty little thread. Surprised it is still kicking.

This is comedy gold. I thought McCune was going to marry his machine for a long time.

Lol at them only having one song.....I now understand why the OP doesnt get ACDC.

Pinball machines are created to drain and make money. Get over it!`