Do what you enjoy most! That's what these things are for anyways, right?

they were made to make money, so the drain on the outlanes is set up for that reason. if you want a challenge then leave it alone. if you want to make it more friendly to play adjust it how you want.

If the rules are deep then close the lanes.

If the rules are shallow open the lanes.

Up to you really, it your pin. As far as comps are concerned, as long as everyone is playing the same settings, I guess all is ok but can take a long time if its set too easy.

Adjust to your likes, that is why they are adjustable.

If you're not enjoying the game, adjust them all the way in - then once you get better / more used to the game and your ball times increase, adjust them back out.

Put a banana in the outlane to divert the ball. While you're at it stuff a sock in the outhole as well. NEVER LOSE!

Seriously, some folks that play at my house insist that all my games should have the center rebound post added between the flippers - not just the games that are supposed to have it. I like the games as is.

I like the 'standard' setup so I have the tilts set very liberal and if you can't nudge the game enough to keep it in play as the table in its standard setup...well then you deserve the ball drain. Next player up.

I think it is because we stuffed so many quarters in these games trying to get free games that now we get payback time by earning a free game on a machine set to free play. I win! All my machines are 5 ball, too.

Customize your game your way. ENJOY!

I've moved all of the outline posts on my machines to the most liberal position. I set them for three balls, but set the extra balls per game to maximum, set all rewards to EBs, and set the first score threshold for EB pretty low.

Do what you like. These things don't need to be sucking down quarters any more in order to justify their existence...

There is no equal anyway. You could have two TZ's for example, with the same settings, software and hardware (posts, colour in rubber), same angle, and I guarantee you they will still play noticeably different. I am always hesitant to even move a machine to a different location in my gameroom as it plays different. Sounds silly, but I just had this happen with my FH. I have a couple spots with lower ceilings were a non-topper machine must go, so I had no choice given another, but where my FH is now, I am not liking how it plays, despite having the same pitch. It’s hard to imagine anything more temperamental than a woman, but these things take the cake.

As such, play however you like.

If it were cheating the posts would not be adjustable. Now if you had to drill new holes (adding a centerpost) that would be cheating.

I say no. I always close down the outlanes and set all my games to 5 balls. I figure until someone else starts paying for them I'll set them up the way I want.

...or just buy AC/DC where it doesn't matter if you close them or not. The ball slips right past them without notice.

Make it fun for you. It's your toy that you paid for. That's the way I see it. One thing I learned though is that if you do make it easier you may grow tired of it sooner. Harder games keep you coming back for more.

You should set the outlines however you want.

Not much fun getten drained all the time close em and enjoy the game

I alway's lower the Posts ...

ridiculous... and so true...
and also because the knocker sound is something quite addictive, in the memory of all of us

i have seen people use rubber bands (yes rubber bands) to close the opening to the outlanes. so do what you want to enjoy it lol

Too true!

I have all my machines set with the outlines as closed as possible, my 4 kids get disinterested when they keep losing the ball quickly

how old are they !?

just because in the other way, its that frustration (of losing the ball) that will bring you back to play another game & than become better

5-7-8.5-10........I like em closed down for me too!

I added a rubber ring below the posts holding the standard rings in place to block the side outlanes on my first pin; a Bally Galahad. Brought back new interest in the pin for me.

your game, your rules.

No, cheating would be putting rubber bands across the outlanes.

If it was cheating, they wouldn't have accommodated us with the ability to make that adjustment.

I go on a pin by pin basis. If the ball keeps flying out the left outlane even during games where "I'm on" then I'll close it down a notch.

If they're closed and my ball times are excessive or I keep beating the pin.....I'll open them wide.

Your machine. Your house. Your rules.

Playing devils advocate here, but you can put your pin on 8 balls per play in the adjustments too. Would that be "cheating"?

nope, sounds good to me! I see a new high score in my future

To answer your DA question with another question: how is that cheating? If you set your home machine like that, you are just making it more difficult for yourself when you play in the real world. If a tournament machine is set up like that, it's an even playfield situation. It isn't as if one player gets 8 balls and the other only gets 3.

It's an extreme case of something like setting your tilt super loose or turning on EB's on your machine. I try to turn EB's off on my games because I wanna be use to practicing under basic tournament/competition standards. It doesn't mean turning EB on is "cheating". Yah' know?

Now, if you go adding rubber bands to the outlanes/center posts to games that did not allow a center post and start adding obvious ball-diverting/drain-blocking-stuff the designer didn't intend you to add/adjust -- *IMO* you're in "cheating" territory. There are things like the TNG outlane fix that skirt that line, but IIRC Ritchie gave that tweak a thumbs up. For some reason I am convinced Ritchie approved of that tweak in a PPE talk, but my memory is fuzzy and I'm not gonna put words into someone else's mouth.

In the end, it all still comes back to what I said at the start of this post anyways. If it is at home, all you're doing is making yourself "soft" to the hardened competitive settings that are in the real world. If it is in competition, it isn't as if everyone is not on an even playfield in that scenario.

*takes deep breath* phew

BLACK_ROSE just stuffs apostrophes in his outlanes to block the ball.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's rite !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pee Wee ,, Terrible Pict man..

was this semi famous story about some guy who had such high scores on his game,
you know braggin all the time tellin everyone how good he was and when someone came over to see the hero in action they found that he had blocked the outlanes closed completely.......

Well I do think its fine to do the adjustments that are specified in the manual but other than that I say no its cheating. Yes it's your game but you can say well its your life you can do what you want. There are certain rules in life. The game like society was made to be a certain way if not there is anarchy. Ha ha people will start screwing posts in the middle of playfields and call it bumper pinball. At this point you are designing your own game and renders the designers game void.

Ha ha I just told my girlfriend about the rubber bands and she loves the idea. I see your point. Ha ha she says now I see how someone scored 6 million on xenon

Well said, thanks for the response.

No as long as when scores are compared that is disclosed.

I tried 5 and 6 ball but the games seem too long. I did not like it.

unless you only have one flipper working, 5 ball games would be a cheat lol

You own the game, set it up the way you want it to be! One of the nicest compliments that I ever got on my machines was a buddy who said that I did a great job of making them nasty but leaving them just one hair on the fair side to keep you coming back. He told me he knew if he was playing one of my games, because if he played for five minutes he knew he just killed the machine.

That's how I like it. If you need the ball in play longer to like it, do it!

first of all, congrats to your... wife !!!

and than yes, you're right, its still young to undertsand & accept that "frustration"
but only some more years until they'll kick your a** (i know that with my son - but sometimes i reset the "old man" order - lol)

When I got my JD a few months ago I closed in the outlane posts because I was draining a lot. Now that I'm getting better (got $1.3 Billion at the weekend) I will move them back out again soon.

The problem I find is that I get bored of an easy pin but I really like friends to enjoy it, too. What I do is add buy-ins that they can use (and with JD they are multiball buy-ins which is even better). But this only helps a little. More balls aren't exactly cool when you lose them immediately! Drains are demoralising to noobs, not fuel for the fire like it is for us.

The two oldest are girls and really dont like pinball too much, they want to read books and play musical instruments, what the heck???

Do what you want to your machines.

Me personally, I like to have my games set up as stock as possible. And if that's hard, then that just makes me want to come back for more. If I beat a game too easily I will lose interest. I like a challenge.

I used to think you were a cool tequila drinking dude. Then this post killed it

Now I think the tequila effects your reaction times so you have to lower your posts.

You should either get a higher tolerance or practice playing more pinball

I lowered post on my Avengers and the game is just not as fun. I miss the older style post where you could adjust them just slightly lower

Play some Wood rails for a while, you will never cry about the new tables being tough ever again, some of these new machines if you hold both flippers up, there is barely enough room for a ball to fit between them.

Leave games stock. Put you time in, you might get better and beat it with out cheating/altering the game.

Good Luck

Brian
Madison Hts, Mi

I remember reading about an operator who took a 1991 Simpsons, put extra-extra-short legs on it, put rubber rings over both outlanes, and put it on free play, for a game for the little kids to play.

It's not really a question of "cheating" because you are asking if you can cheat yourself. "cheating" implies there are rules involved and what rule could there be saying you can't open the game up and remove posts completely; I do it all the time on games that are way too easy.

Make it play as hard as possible. How do you expect to get better? You say you don't want to be better?... then take all the displays out of your games and smash them up, you won't need them if you are playing only for fun.

Even understanding what makes a game play hard or easy is an important exercise in understanding the true dynamics regarding pinball technology and design.