Keith Johnson, the programmer of the game answered it on Pinside, and it wasn't enough. Add my thumbs down too. It isn't bias, it is just the design of the game. Same question on WOZ. Was it needed? Well, only if you wanted to melt the witch or collect horses.

Don't worry, you will get a chance to defend him and others as they ask again and again.

I'm not sure. I'll need to check with the pinball league I hosted at my house Thursday to see if they consider the things all over my house games

It isn't that I know so much, it is that I've played a lot of pinball over the years, and questions like this are always answered in one of three ways:

A mech is useful because that is the only way to do something. For instance the third flipper on Tron. The only way to hit the side ramp to the left flipper is with the third flipper. It was physically designed that way. Some say Gem as well, but Gem can't be hit from anywhere

Then we have a mech that can be used, but isn't required. I'll use WOZ here. The only thing the upper right flipper hits directly is the target in the haunted forest. Everything else can be hit by the other two flippers. So it is sort of tacked on. However, Keith (being Keith), made it an integral part of the game through software. And he did it over time. At first the BALL skill shot could be hit from anywhere (very lucrative shot), but now it can only be hit from the upper right (very dangerous). You can't melt the witch from any other flipper. He not only made it mean a lot, but it is part of the game.

And the third mech would be one that is tacked on, and programmed by a "lesser" programmer.

And this is where we hit the meat of this argument. If you take away the software, all of the mechs in a game become redundant and meaningless. Every shot is boring. Just shut off the sound, lights and scoring display and play a few games. The shots that are amazing in the game are meh. I don't care how good the game or the art are, it stinks.

As I recall, Keith said that the purpose of that flipper was to hit things (you can look up the exact quote yourself if you're interested). And that was a perfect explanation of it in my opinion. It fit in with the way he seems to do things. He doesn't seem to like to give exact explanations, and instead he tells a story and let's you explore that story. In his better games, it can feel like you just played the movie the game is based on.

I am very confident from the playing I have done on Hobbit that the flipper will have some use for a shot that is timed, and can only be hit from there. Some may consider that forced, and others may revel in both the excitement and pain of what that shot does (or doesn't do when you miss). Did you ever miss the witch shot on WOZ? Because then you have to trap the second ball and do the sequence again. And the whole time you tense up more and more because of the music, the lights, and knowing what happens when you use that upper right flipper to make the shot.

I'm sure it will all be more clear after the game is out a bit longer and people start getting deeper into the game. That isn't inside knowledge of anything except the knowledge of how games are programmed to make them great to play. And it has been part of pinball for a long time. From the clacking reward of earning a special to the most modern super jackpot callout.

I don't worry about that at all in a JJP game. It was a knock on WOZ for a long time, but if you ever had full access to all the setting of a WOZ you found out quickly that you could crank the power of the flippers to the power that you would smash everything inside the box. The level of adjustability was crazy. Hobbit is the same. You'll be able to dial it up to plastic smashing speeds with a few button presses if that is how you like to play it.

Ok, fine, here you go...

So I guess Keith is admitting he doesn't know anything.

He is directly stating that he is not going to fully describe what that exact feature of the game is used for. He doesn't want to spoil it. I don't understand why the question keeps getting asked.

He was directing that not at this particular question of its use, but more towards the fact that people seem insulted by the flippers existence when they didn't understand the shots from it.

But you're right, I'm admitting I don't know anything. Keep asking, because Keith isn't a stubborn guy. I'm sure he will crack the next time it's asked....

Nope, not for a second. I'd advise you to watch some interviews with him that are available on the web. Don't just listen to his answers, listen to the thought behind them. If he was some noob programmer and this was his first game, I'd be very worried. But I'm not worried because even I know that the flipper needs a shot, and some people think I'm an idiot. So if a much smarter guy is ... F it, you're either being stupid on purpose or you're just being a dink. Enjoy your willful ignorance.

Mountain Dew goes with Fritos, not Cheetos. The Cheetos are as useless as a third flipper in that drawing!!!

And please, help me understand. You ordered the game. You paid for it years ago. Why are you actually hung up on the flipper? I've had games on order, and I never worried about things like that. If I worried that much about a feature, I dumped out of the game. Pinball is a wicked fun hobby. When there are things in a game I don't understand or dislike, I usually don't own it.

It's not my fanboy-ism talking, it is my morbid curiosity of wondering why your acting as if Keith stuck that flipper in your backside.

And Alex takes the bait. Alex, he isn't actually trying to have a conversation, he was just insulting Keith and calling him a baby having a tantrum in order to try and make sure he doesn't come back??? What? Sorry SB, what were you trying to do? It sure looks like you called Keith a baby. I can't imagine why he wouldn't want to engage in such a fruitful discussion ... I'm not even going to put a sarcasm tag on that.

Did you see something saying they won't have that? Are you saying that JJP would remove one of their best features and the second best utilization of the massive LCD?

(Second best to the implementation of looking at the main screen and seeing the status of everything. That is the best feature, followed closely by the "What do I need to do next" screens you are asking for. And yet you are acting like they wouldn't have this fantastic feature. Poppycock.)

Sounds like you figured wrong. You might want to ask Jack when it will be in if it is such a concern for your enjoyment of the game.

Oh, what is the other one that is in? I've only played the first and I'm curious to hear the newer stuff.

Ouch.

I need a Ted? I'm not so sure about that. I can smoke my own cigars