agreed. as both a patron and a volunteer, when I found an issue with a game, I turned it off and let angela know about it.

at no time was I going to start messing with other peoples' machines since it was never stated that we were there for tech support services

Was this the one in the freeplay area?

I agree that nobody should be going around trying to fix games that don't belong to them unless they are asked to do so by the owner.

Maybe it was the 'tech' that picked up the Joust and dropped it when it wasn't working?

I find this almost hard to believe but given the behavior of a few other ppl talked about at Expo, nothing surprises me.

What a goofball. Maybe next year i'll volunteer do to a neighborhood watch over these games. Or rotate nights with someone else if anyone is up for it. Least I can do if I don't end up bringing a game.

The Joust is mine so the "tech" that you are talking about for it was me...and it was having an issue with the ball getting hung up in the trough. So in order to unjam the ball so folks could play it needed to be wiggled or shaken to get the balls to the shooter lane. I had adjusted the kicker and switch and it was still hanging sometimes. Plus folks don't know to hit 2 player start even though I put a flashing color changing LED In it to draw attention to it. Also once the start button is hit you hit the flippers to start the game...
No I did not see the tech you are talking about

Phoebe

What was the deal with the blue balls? They seemed extra bouncy.

I think it was that "larry" guy. he was definitely one shifty looking character

(I did pick it up a few times for others to get the balls in the trough re-situated and launch, but owning one myself there's no way I would have dropped phoebe's machine and I probably would have slapped anyone something silly if I did see them do something stupid like that

you'd probably be a bit more jumpy if you had "blue" balls too

I think it played faster with the glo-balls (they're a bit lighter than the standard steel pinballs, so it changed the physics of the game a bit and made me re-think my strategies when playing it

If it was you, that's cool it's your game, and it looked very nice. Even I saw the 2 player sign and I'm not always that observant. Although this wasn't a jiggle, it was a pick up one end and drop it. Just assumed it was someone trying to play a game and then thinking, hey if I pick it up and drop it maybe something will jiggle loose.

Maybe someone took their game down, loaded it onto a trailer, drove it to Chicago, unloaded it into the game room, set it up, leveled it, then just forgot to plug in their perfectly working game for people to play. That's totally the reason pinball machines are usually turned off

I wouldn't touch someones game but they should of had signs to put on games (Out of Order).

Was there a specific form you had to sign when bringing a game into the free-play area? i.e. I allow the shows tech to work on my game but i assume liability?

Most people that own games know to just shut it off (whether it's my game or someone else's) if there are issues. That's about the best Out of Order sign there is. Although it would be nice to leave a note describing the issue (stuck ball, stuck coil, resets, fire shooting out the backbox, etc.) I would never buy into having a tech work on one of my games. Maybe to loosen a stuck ball, but that's it.

No. And I wouldn't sign it anyways.

Im curious about something though, I saw your machine there, and i actually have bought many rifle games. But i dont understand why you bring a non-working game as you stated, and put it in a show. Now myself, I brought a project game, clearly wrote on it that it was a project and put a price on it and sold it. But you had a sign marked "Not for Sale" so what was the purpose?

St. Nick going around fixing games. lol . My apartment is full of them. he can go there and fix them.

Maybe get some of these to bring to shows too to make sure random people don't try to fix it. Change tomorrow to "soon"

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You put non-working games in "Free Play"???
How were people supposed to play them?
Should they have been in a flee market area if expo has one?
Normally the "tech" should call the number on the card to discuss you / him fixing it or getting it off the floor. Never work on someone's game without permission. It is reasonable that they plug in the cord, see it is broken and unplug it.
Free play at the 3 other shows I have been to is not the place to leave broken junk that is not playable.
Sorry I will get back to work now. I hope no damage was caused by the tech.

Sometimes the working games turn into non-working games.

He bought other working games and one non working game to sell as he already mentioned multiple times? What's the issue?

Do they have staff around watching that no one tampers with anything?

It wasn't an issue this year because of the lack of games at the show but in all fairness, once the game goes down for good or is inoperable it should be removed from the free play area or at least push it away from the working machines off into a corner or something. Non-working projects have no business being in the free-play area.

That's one of the reasons I didn't bring any games to the Expo this year (and I live 8 miles away from the show). Last year there were numerous machines not plugged-in or out of commission while my games sat out in the hallway for most of the show. I finally squeezed one into the overflow room last year but ended-up taking the other one back home. Neither were there simply to flip or sell. I brought them for people to play and paid full price to attend too.

I was just asking a question and you answered it even with your snide remarks. Would have been much clearer to have "sold" written on it instead of not for sale.

I saw it there. It should have never been placed in line with the working machines. Just because you brought three other working machines to sell and get in to the Expo for free doesn't make it right.

I don't think I've ever seen anyone do that before. I've seen some go down during the show and left in place but never a non-functional "project" placed alongside working ones the free-play area as-if it was operational. Not very courteous to those who brought machines for others to play and those that were not for sale.

I agree with you,but I also want to thank the real volunteers for doing all that they do,to make sure things go as smoothly as possible.

I also want to thank Pie, cause it is delicious

I had my Fast Draw go down on Friday right after the tournament. I spent 2 hours getting it going. There is nobody that hates a non-working game more than me. Even a burned out or flickering bulb will warrant the game be opened up.

I was sent a text once for an issue that got me over to my game promptly. I appreciated that.

I like pie to, i hate cake

Plus, i brought 5 games to expo, I had a hard time knowing which of my games got me in the freeplay room each time i walked in

-c Next year We should make up some out of order pages for when games are down. Maybe even laminated where the owner can write down any parts or help needed in dry erase. I.e. Brought em but need a contact file. Or looking for system 80 expert to debug a problem.
-c

Sorry I understand that games go down and some out of order signs would be cool, but I really don't think it is a good plan to bring a bunch of games with issues, put signs on them and expect them to get fixed there. Yes if you have a game go down and need a part maybe that would work...but to encourage none working games be brought to be fixed there is just asking to have a free play room full of project games that need fixed and aren't working...
For instance My Congo had a flipper bracket break in half, and I had to search for one (note to self add those to the list of spare parts in the in case it breaks box) and wasn't having much luck, I texted a friend that also had games there and also parts in his van, and he was able to hook me up with a new one so we could get it up and running again (even if it was the "worst" playing Congo one attendee had ever played...) I still wanted to get it back up because I don't want to take up space in the free play room with a game that won't be up and running for the rest of the show. It is embarrassing to me to have a game there not working, that to me is not the purpose of the free play room.

Phoebe

I really wanted to play your safari. I debated fixing it but let it be as I don't know you and it's not mine

I was just disappointed that it sat on the floor off all weekend. The buyer should have put it on the wall or something

-Jeff

You can be embarrassed?

- Taxman (Shrekman)

I powered games up Thursday (after the hall re-opened), checked them with a few test balls, texted issues & re-downed machines that had fatal issues. But if it didn't power up for any reason (fuse, plug, whatever) I left it the hell alone. I always pull the main fuse if a game I bring NEEDS to stay dead, just in case. Though I wouldn't expect anyone to plug in a machine.

At shows - I move the power switch inside the cabinet therefore nobody can touch it when it is turned off.

With that many games, 1 tech should have worked.

You're right Craig, if it's not yours, stay the fuck out of it and if you don't bring games, shut the fuck up

Thanks to Korn's cool cart pinball setter upper that made it a lot easier for the 2 games I brought. I will have my friend upgrade his cart to that style as well. A big thanks to the staff for all the help.

We sentence you to read the entire Jpop thread, from beginning to end!