A lot of people are having issues with their game. This game sounds like a huge pain in the butt out of the box. I’m waiting on a premium but I don’t want to buy a headache. Do you think I should switch to a new game or is it really worth it.

The sound as is, is very good...errie music as you would expect given the theme, campy music during some modes...it can only get better. The call outs are sparse but enough to keep you entertained..."hey, Elvira, look, I have junk in the trunk!"...but you know more are coming. The foundation of this machine is solid...when finished this pinball machine will be awsome.

From what I have been reading, most people seem to be having issues with code update...I didn't experience that...I simply downloaded the code from the Stern website to my Desktop...when I opened the destination it was already unzipped into the 4 load files...I transfered them to a jump-drive (make sure you have a large enough jump drive) and updated EHOH as typical using the USB port in the head...no issues. Other than that, the machine is performing as expected given the immature code...still playable and a great deal of fun...they did remove the swim rings that occurred during pop-bumper scoring. To answer your question, if you like the theme, I would hold fast and stick with EHOH as I believe this machine will evolve into an amazing game...if you can't wait and want a new machine, I suppose there is always Jurassic Park...not a theme for me but I have heard great things about that game.

I really like the sound package they have so far . As stated it's very early code and there will be lots more to come ( In Lyman We Trust ) . I don't own a stern pin but I would have confidence in buying one after seeing them putting in the time , effort and money to revamp the sound and code in games , like adding extra songs to GOTG and updating older games like GOT & GB . The only thing that might make me hold off on buying a new pin
( besides lack of money ) is waiting for internet connectivity , which will be coming very soon , it might make these current pins all of sudden look very old .

I think the machine lacks too much for me at this moment, so a very easy pass for me.
They should learn to release games with a solid ruleset from the start. If not you get situations where you should hope for years that the game will get it's updates, soundquotes, light effects, etc.. and games are eventually finished but then maybe in a bad unbalanced way because some things were added in a late stadium.
Or the risk it will be the next munsters regarding code depth.

Really a mistake by Stern to have this dev and release pattern cause I had looked forward to this machine a lot.
JP is not finished either but seems to have a better base in it and you can see where they are going to within a short timeframe

I own both, and Elvira has a great base also. You are making the mistake of basing your opinion on top of the opinions of many people that haven't even played the game yet. I'm sure the schedule/timing was squeezed to get Elvira out for Expo/Halloween, but the base is very solid.

Given your nervousness, you should pass until you get a chance to actually play the game - or at least get opinions from people that HAVE played it.

There are not a lot of people having issues - other than difficulty applying the code update.

From the 2 Elvira threads...
- The code is early, so there are some things not done/finished (just like every game LOL, including JP2)
- 2 or 3 people had issues, that sound like a switch needing adjustment, or an alignment issue - to be expected IMO

NOTE: Code updating is frequently an issue, but everyone always gets it done eventually

Guys we can complain all we want. New games need adjustments out of the box. Is it right? No but its simply the nature of the beast now. Being an earlier purchaser lf Batman 66, all i can say is the wait will be worth it. The file for code is already bigger than Batman 66 so i expect a ton of content still
Also lymans updates being .01 or .1 are much more then most coders who have the core and just tweak to balence etc

the wait might be worth it, but everyone needs to start voting with our dollars and quit all the "take my money now" crap and then whine about the fact that the companies are shipping a half-baked product.

I get the fact that everyone is so worried about missing out on being able to purchase an LE or SLE, but when you put your money down on a product sight unseen, you really have no right to complain. and until a good majority of all pinball customers stop this trend, stern, jjp and other manufacturers will continue to ship their machines without finalized (or near finished) code. plain and simple.

Yeah that's why I'm waiting. Theres no guarantee that Elvira 3 will have as deep and unique of code as Batman 66. What if Stern doesn't want Lyman to work on the game for the next 3 years like he did with Batman 66? Lyman may not be coding Elvira 3 to be crazy deep either, perhaps the intention is a more simple ruleset?

I was hoping there would be 26 haunt modes as someone suggested but now I'm hearing of 6 and a bonus one? Combine that with a few multiballs and a couple wizard modes. I don't think that's enough considering the price of the game. I would like to see Elivra 3 have a crazy deep / unique ruleset but I'm not about to gamble $7.5k - $10k on something that is unclear at this time. Hopefully we get some news about ruleset direction from Lyman at Expo.

Yeah, the simple rule set worked so well for Stern with Munsters ...

The game has great bones. Yes, the code is pretty raw, and when you play it you can definitely tell that it still needs work, but what is already there IS AWESOME and it will only get better!!!

Lyman is able to pull of the best games, has done it and will do it again, there's no doubt in that... but will it happen within an exceptable timeframe?

I owned B66 and it's at 90%/95%. Its's been like this for quite a while and it's current state bothers me... unbalanced and no final wizard mode.. You can 'beat' the machine it's seperate wizard modes quite fast and the scoring is unbalanced once you have the right combos running. Which takes away a lot of the fun of all the other games you have on the machine.
'But there is so much else in the game regarding content'.. yes there is... but at 8K there should!

What I'm just trying to say is that a game should have a clear vision where it will go to from the start. Look at the star wars, iron maiden releases. Very descent very defined.
JP feels the same way even at this stage where wizard modes are not there.

A game not having bonus count, no attract mode, no lightshows, no HS table for special modes, etc... it just missed the first impression and not only with me but a lot of people and wallets will have to recover from that first blow.

So yes, I vote with my wallet today, and I'm hoping the game will be a deep as .. and blast to play.

Elvira has a ton of stuff in it ruleset wise...

- Junk In The Trunk Awards
- Junk in the Trunk Multiball (2-Ball)
- Phone a Fiend Mini-Wizard Multiball
- Wild Women Multiball
- Add-a-Zombie Multiball
- Attic Attack Multiball
- Gappa Battle (mini-wizard mode) -> if you beat Gappa, you get to play Gappa Multiball
- 6 Haunts modes, plus additional bonus Haunt modes
--- each haunt mode has it's own special rules - in Lyman fashion
- House Party Multiball after playing 3 haunts
- Attic Party Multiball after playing all 6 haunts
- Hand of Fate wheel -> when completed there is a bonus Mode (Mini-Wizard?)
- 12 Dead Heads (Crypt Cleaner) -> Super Head Shot -> Mini-Wizard for beating all 12 Dead Heads???
- Directors Cut Wizard Mode - available after beating 4 Haunt modes
- Gar-Goils Gone Wild mode
- Drive Me Crazy (loops mode)
- Un-Happy Hour (ramps mode)
- Trailer Trash mode

That's at least 8 multiballs, and at least 4 Wizard modes.
It's ridiculous that people keep speculating that the ruleset is simple/light IMO.

Are there really 12 Dead Heads? That's awesome! I've only seen 3 so far!

The other 9 aren't in the game yet LOL

Great to know, though!

Just to be clear - I’m not the one that said that maybe the goal was to have a simple rule set. I can’t imagine a modern Lyman game with a simple rule set. I’m expecting Elvira to be epic when done.

Tx T7 for the detailed list. And yes that seems enough for a deep ruleset.
The game just feels far from finished at this point, and that's something they should avoid at any time in the future.

I thought with the aerosmith, kiss, ghostbusters, got updates now done. Descent releases of star wars, iron maiden, deadpool, ..
That every release from now on would be quite 1.0...

Really? You are a LOT better pinball player than me. LOL. You can get through all of the villains 3 deep levels and the 3 mini wizard modes "quite fast"?

I'm really impressed

I guess this goes to the whole issue of who your market is. My wife and I are decent pinball players and with the exception of one guy who was ranked, we are much, much better than anyone else who has ever played at our house. We aren't in leagues, we don't play in tournaments, we don't practice for hours trying to hone our skills we just have fun playing a few games a couple of times a week. And here is the really strange thing, the people that come over and are worse than we...they enjoy playing too! Final wizard mode? I ain't getting there so it is a moot point to me.

I guess the question for Stern is what % of their market won't buy due to incomplete code? In fact, what % of their market would even recognize incomplete code? Now, I'm not giving them a pass....they should complete the code, no question. I just wonder how much it impacts business.

While I'm not in the market for this game (or any other Stern games), I also wonder about how the whole update thing impacts sales. I am probably odd in that I think I might like getting multiple updates over time adding new features, callouts and video. Would feel like a new game every time.

He’s the Wizz

Not sure if he was saying he’s beat each Wizard mode in the same game, I read it as you can beat the game getting to the wizard modes and beating those quite quite fast, but David’s finished top 20ish at EPC so I’d believe him if he said he has.

I believe him. But many ways to play the pin.

“Beat it” can mean a lot of diff things with games like TWD and BM66

I’ve gotten to and beaten LMS a handful of times on TWD. Siege is as or more difficult. Crossbow mb, etc

If Lyman games get old fast for you I almost feel bad for you. Great players like Elwin and the like don’t really have any sustained challenges over time. To be that good can be a curse too

I’m a happy average player!

So much wrong with this idea when you are talking about a 9k toy. Shipping without fleshed out code should be an exception, not the standard.

It's actually NOT intended to be a consumer toy, though.

Well, that's a valid point, and very true pre-decline, but I would argue that we are way past that being the case now.

We like getting new Stern games with the code half cooked. Watching the game progress with code is part of the fun. Plenty of Pinsiders love 3lvira already.

Vote with your wallet. Buy the game when you are sure you will love it. If you do not love it leave it.

Did an ebay search for "Elvira" and found lots of nudie stuff but this one made me laugh (I added the X's). Might make a nice keychain for some?

No no, I mean: play one game and focus on the easier minor villains and then you can choose quite fast one of the 3 wizard modes... there is no such thing as a fourth wizard mode (like end of the line in metallica) where you have to play all of them in one game.
I'm not playing all of them in one game, but I mostly get one of them in each game.. So after like 20 games you have seen all the wizard modes.
So no final wizard mode present is what is missing for me.. Even if it was only the objective to play/beat each minor villain and one of each major villains. This is what I mean with no predefined path in development. And current state of B66 that there is no real thing to finally beat the game. And scoring the huge billions as a result of having the correct things combined (freeze, bookworm, tuts and some pfd shot multipliers) overpowers everything else.

Where SW, GOT, DP, JP seem to have that from the start and every aspect in the game contributes to reaching the final mode (like star wars: tie fighters, modes, boba fett, lightsaber, ...)

Don't worry I enjoy MET, TWD a lot and have started LMS a nr of times but haven't beaten it.

I justed wanted to say: It will most probably be a good game in the end, but at this point, I'm really holding back to see where it will evolve to so I don't have the feelling like I did with B66.
And the game just screams for lightshows and some choreo at multiball start

Gary Stern Should be one of the deadheads at this price. At least a caricature. It’s the least he could do.

I think they bash him enough here on Pinside. You want to be able to bash him in the game also?

Where would the hobby be without Gary Stern?

It can be funny, doesn’t have to be mean. I meant it a decent tone. I understand they’ll only go so far.
Anyways-

For whatever reason I could imagine Gary going along with being in the game as a deadhead. He seems to have a sense of humor.

If they could get him to do
The call outs, yes. The call outs should be based on the renderings of his staff, things he says that are quotable.

Ideas for the others?

I was simply making an observation, not trying to sound insulting...Gary Stern gets a lot of Flak out here but if you stop to consider his contributions to the hobby...or better, remove him all together where would we be...?

I can’t think of another title where Gary would fit in so well and be welcomed by most playing the game. He could turn out lights in the game to save money or something. And Maybe that’s satire too far off. Idk. Only those that know him well enough should venture here. Has there ever been a title with a Gary Easter egg?

LOTR

Gary is also featured in World Poker Tour in Spot the Tell mode.

A special attract mode in sterns potc with the staff and gary

So, are there any prospective "mods" in the works out there yet for this machine?...there is a big gaping space in the right corner behind the Pop-Bumpers...
20191017_083800 (resized).jpg

Maybe a nice Elvira "bobblehead" could go in that corner??

I could think of other things i would like to see "jiggling" instead of her head

The master would not approve!

New Elvira Code .84...

V0.84.0 - Oct. 16, 2019
=======================

- Added sounds for the start of Junk In The Trunk multiball.
- Added game over display effect.
- Inhibited trunk lock speech if lock was not lit.
- Removed duplicate speech for shooting the house ramp to advance to light
the next haunt.
- Added sounds for Junk In The Trunk lit and Junk In The Trunk ball
locked.
- Dimmed the playfield lamps for skill shot. This makes the skill shot
lights stand out a bit more.
- Fixed a bug in the HauntOMeter where if a shot was made during Teenagers
From Outer Space or The Werewolf of Washington during the grace period
and the HauntOMeter was not on the display, the game would crash.
- Added video for Hand Of Fate lit. Cleaned up text.
- Changed double trouble so the lit lanes cannot be stacked.
- Double trouble lights the lane based on the last target bank that was
completed. Left Bank=Left Return Lane, Right Bank=Right Return Lane.
- Added animations for lighting Double Trouble.
- Added a mechanism to allow the HauntOMeter to play when the display for
the award terminates.
- Added animations, sounds, and text/instructions for Gargoyles Gone Wild.
Cleaned up scoring.
- Added light shows for starting a haunt.
- Fixed torgo "I'll get the luggage" video and speech.
- Added sounds and text for Shoot Again.
- Fixed a problem that would cause the game to reset during the final
(turret) haunt.
- Changed Happy Hour music so it starts with an intro.
- Added additional sounds and speech to The Werewolf of Washington haunt.
- Fixed a problem during video playback where it was possible for a blank
frame to be rendered between successive video clips.
- Added additional sounds and speech to The Night of the Living Dead
haunt.
- Drop target is left down during multiball.
- Added full Elvira video outros to haunt completions.
- Added additional stock music for The Night of the Living Dead haunt.
- Added Jar Head (deadhead) to the Deadhead Family Crypt.
- Added a light show for Crypt Phase start.
- Added some Elvira popups. These are videos with speech that show up
during gameplay.
- Added additional sounds and speech to the Teenagers From Outer Space
haunt.

Played 5 games on a just set up LE at Pinball Pete’s East Lansing, MI. Loving this pin!!! A few glitches to be ironed out, but so much potential to be one of the greatest. Drop dead gorgeous all around IMO. Hoping/planning to own one sometime next year.

- Added full Elvira video outros to haunt completions.
- Added some Elvira popups. These are videos with speech that show up
during gameplay.

That's what I was hoping for!

Is there an attract light show yet?