I've gotta see if the final version can be a potential viable product. If it takes two+ hours to post process and paint, it will probably cost too much (I just don't have that kind of time to dedicate). Hopefully I'll figure out a good process to make them at a reasonable end user price. The surrounding models look so good on Hobbit, I have to make sure whatever I make looks as if it came from the factory. Stern Pro pins are easier to make mods for since there are hardly any other models on the playfield to integrate with

I will for sure though get an .STL version out there for all to print free on Thingiverse! I did this for my last mod for GoT Pro (link below) and it worked out good. You can print a sweet version for free, or buy the more complex lighted version. I am going to try to stick with this same concept for Hobbit:

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3601649

I'm going to need a bigger printer :O

jaws (resized).jpg

I'm with you on that! After measuring, I decided that the final model can be no taller than 65mm or it will start to obstruct the visuals in the pops. The pic below is an eye level view. I'm going to try to stay within that footprint. Probably have a little bit of play on the left and right to add inset hill details.

Baf End Eye Level (resized).jpg

Maybe design it and sell it raw and let the new owners paint it and add lights. And get the Radagast cliffy fixed!

This is awesome!

Man, do you a great eye Yeah, that Cliffy has been bent up a little bit since I owned it. It hasn't made the shot any harder, so I figured don't fix what's not broken!

I agree - it doesn't appear to block the shot at all - but I wish it would fit more flush with the PF.

NOTE: There is a small strip of double sided tape under it, so make sure you use that. I removed the film, cleaned the PF, and stuck it on as part of the install - but it didn't hold. I was thinking I would order another set of Cliffy's and replace it but I was waiting to see if the design of the piece changed a bit first.

I've owned several Cliffys and to be honest they didn't stick for shit. So, since I' being honest I will also add I do think it was my fault.
Use the alcohol pads and scrub the hell out of the playfield to remove the wax. Paper towel dry and scrub it hard. Do the alcohol again and paper towel it again. Remove tape cover, apply Cliffy ensuring you start with securing the very front edge down FIRST. Why? Great question glad you asked. Hey dummy, that's where the 3m sticky is LOL. Seriously because you want full adhesion on the tape and then bend the back sides to line up with the the post holding it down. If you do it backwards you run the risk of stressing the metal and thus adding stress to the tape from the side. And DONT crank down the posts. This also causes undue stress on the entire protector. DO NOT PLAY YOUR GAME FOR AT LEAST 24 hours. Let her sit and cure. I honestly believe that is what has screwed me every single time up until my Hobbit and new Funhouse play field. Since doing it as I described both machines are perfect. No lifting, they sit flat. I failed on my LOTR and WCS94. They both popped within a week and I don't care what you say, that little bit sticking up has a chance of screwing up a slow roller and ruining your potential high score and then your kids get beaten because your mad. "Will nobody think of the children?!" ~Alfrid Lickspittle

I just joined the club and the only thing I’m wondering is why no dedicated shot from the upper flipper?

It has a dedicated shot to kill Smaug if you can get that far in Smaug multiball.

You can use a bottom flipper also, I normally have one cradled on a bottom flipper ready to fire after loading the windlance. I like having the third flipper, but it isn't a must have flipper.

There are several shots you can use that flipper for - Killing Smaug is certainly one, but there are also modes which require a quick hit up there. I think it’s funny almost nobody talks about how cool the Windlance set up shots are, where it fires the ball right to that flipper so you can nail the Dwarf targets or kill Smaug.

But you are right, there is no “dedicated” shot from that flipper

Yes, correct you can do it from the lower flippers. It’s a great game I just wish it had a dedicated shot. They could have easily added a pop up post wear you could hit the right spinner, the post pops up then on the way down you have to hit the targets-just like on RBION

I played this game again at pinburgh.... What a gorgeous game with great sound and modes and integration.

The flipper serves many purposes.
Killing Smaug
Hitting dwarf targets
Directing ball flow out of the right orbit toward left lanes to potentially get warg or ELF target
Balin shot .. also useful for extra ball
And if you're good enough you can make the left ramp shot.
Collecting Thorin
Adding more thorin awards towards extra ball
Collecting Erobor spinner award
Hitting orc for beast frenzy
Hitting orc for interrogation mode
You can squeeze a Radagast shot in

So what's this about it not having a dedicated purpose? Lol

Maybe I haven't gotten that much into the game but couldn't all those shots be made from the bottom flippers? I'm talking about a shot that couldn't be made from a bottom flipper. Don't get me wrong, I love the game. I just wish it would have had one dedicated shot for that flipper (icing on the cake).

When you shoot the windlance at full power, where should the ball end up? Mine makes it close to the upper flipper at full power so I'm guessing I need to increase the coil number

It should go a little past the upper flipper so you have a split second to prepare while it rolls down and you can make a precise shot

Thank you, adjusted the coil to 24 and it seems to do the trick now

Maybe they can tweak the code a bit to kill lower flippers when you load the windlance during Smaug multiball, and you can only kill Smaug from upper flipper. To make it fair if you miss the first shot you can get a second try within a given amount of time(hurry up).

My mini LCD on the playfield is a bit dark, how can I adjust the brightness?

Great idea

I’m not into the movies at all but do find this pin intriguing. I’ve played it a few times and I’m now on the fence about owning one.

I’ve missed a few good deals but one day I just might get lucky and snag one.

I second this it's so hard to get to this point and no matter how I adjust my game I can't get this feeding correctly so it's a bad penalty

Adjust the playfield pitch to 7.1 degrees.

Adjust flipper settings so that you can make either ramp from either flipper from a cradled position.

The ball should make the ramp easily but not overly fast.

Unlikely.
It has more to do with pitch and flipper adjustments.

I have my flippers at 26l and 27r.
Pitch 7.2 average from 3 measurements.

I like the current setup . It's hard enough to kill Smaug as it is , and a lot of machines won't hit the ball into the right orbit and if you kill the flippers you won't be able to make it up there again for a second shot and even if you make it so they work after a couple seconds that would make it the same setup as it is now

One thing I hate about pinball is weak flippers .
At first I had a lot of air balls but now the pin has settled in I rarely get them . A lot of people complain about The Hobbit being slow and floaty but mine plays hard and fast , it's just all to do with how your pin is setup .

First ensure you're not dealing with ramp flap curl. For whatever reason it seems to he more predominate on the left than the right. Keep in mind the lock buttons cause air balls which also affects ball speed/trajectory.
Secondly, the ball should have enough speed/power to make the ramp shot but not where it hauls ass. If the flipper power is set too strong, the ball will fly off the hobbit trail on the right and potentially cause magnet catch issues on the left. There truly is a fine balance to set when it comes to flipper power on this game. I should mention I did have to ever so slightly bend the right hobbit trail to allow enough flipper power on the right flipper. The ball would fly off and get stuck on the right hand plastics which requires pulling the glass.

I've had this game now for 6 months! NIB. Mine has settled in and I think? that I've got the settings right. Did all the mods and Cliffy's. I've gotten a handful of 800-900 games, wife has 980 as the machine high. A normal game is ~100-150. Ours is set to three balls, is that correct? We have to be doing something wrong? I still don't understand all the "modes" and what is most important to do and when. For instance, I'll get to Erebor (no small feat), then will note that I'm back on a trail to Erebor again. We've found our best games are with "Mode Balls" locked, then get MultiBall. A game with 3 MB's will get me up close 700-900. You guys talk about killing Smaug. I've heard the call for "Load the Windlance", which I do via the "red" right ramp. I assume then that triggers some sort of shot to kill Smaug? Haven't figured that out yet either...

Wish there was a "Hobbit for Dummies" book. It's bad enough that I'm not the best pin shooter/aimer, but this theme is VERY hard to get down. If anyone could explain the way to success, my wife and I would be very appreciative.

Every time I think about playing this game I play it again and get right back into it...

There are a lot of rules, but it isn’t THAT complicated - the game is fairly linear. If you are playing the “story mode”, you want to start up the 3 wizard modes. You do this by the following:

1) start Smaug multiball
2) collect all the dwarves around the play field (you have to hit the stand ups behind the drop targets)
3) start beast multi ball by hitting all 4 of the beast mechs (I think this has to be done in a single ball but I’m not sure)
4) make it to Erebor by hitting the spinners a whole bunch of times
5) finish a mode at 100%

As you
Progress, it takes more and more shots to get these to start up. I think Smaug multiball is always the same steps (lock 3 balls) .

Once you’ve satisfied those 5 conditions, you start the wizard mode by hitting the right or left holes. After you finish the wizard mode or drain, you start again and need to satisfy those conditions again to start the next wizard mode

Oil the spinners.
Make it to erebor in 2 shots! lol.

Did this issue ever get run to ground. Last night I was in the middle of a multiball fest, Smaug, Beast Frenzy... and BAM lights out. I have an early LE (sackchin) and I am running the latest code.

Oiling the spinners was the best thing that ever happened to my Hobbit. I love nailing those spinners now and hauling a$$ to Erebor For some reason, I have a problem hitting those orbits

Anybody know if there was a CPU change later in the run ?

If the ball doesn’t make it to the upper flipper then it just needs to be adjusted in order to play the game the way it was intended. After thinking a bit...when the ball is loaded in the wind lance and the kill shot is ready(Smaug multiball)all flippers could die drain all balls then when the wind lance is fired flipper power can be restored. This way would give you a chance to catch the ball on the lower flipper and shoot Smaug from different ways. This would make killing Smaug a super special shot.

Cool idea! This would make the shot WAY easier though so there’s that

Check the ramp anchor screws - and what I mean by that is if you screw those down all the way it introduces ramp curl. Back em off a bit and look at that ramp flap from every angle ya can and ensure you don't see a "curl" type shadow.

So please explain how to get to the option of killing Smaug.

How to kill Smaug . check out video on Post #7654

Uh... I don’t think we made it that far yet

I got inspired by the discussion about Bag End. I feel like this game could have SO much more in terms of mods.

Prototype in progress:

BA9C95C3-9F3A-49CB-9917-9E769386192F (resized).jpeg

F34260CC-B90F-49DA-9739-38680C461AC2 (resized).jpeg

Whoops # 6754

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/hobbit-owners-thread/page/136#post-4914645