Lane extenders are more like LAME extenders. Am I right?!?!!!

Nah but for real they totally suck. Learn how to play pinball better.

Or just sell it to me for $1000.

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Lame extenders - not necessary.

False!

Pay MORE attention as the curmugeons (sic) are always right.

I'd also suggest you turn off the Buy-In - they are an obnoxious distraction in home use and they should always be turned off.

Steve's said a lot of stuff. He's said T3 sucked "because arnold was too old" (as if that has anything to do with the quality of the game). He's said Rollergames is the worst game he ever designed. I think both of those games are a ton of fun (especially Rollergames). Steve isn't the pope of pinball - he's entitled to his opinion just like anyone else but what his opinions aren't to be taken as gospel. His approval of lame extenders doesn't mean people who want to keep that game interesting - and improve as players - should install them.

That game is fantastic just the way it is. I put up massive scores on STTNG all the time on location, because I'm a good player and I've learned how to deal with it. I've played the game with lame extenders and I don't think it's more fun - it takes a lot away from the game when the ball keeps plopping harmlessly into the inlanes because the game has been altered. I had a friend in high school who had a High Speed...one day I came over to his place and found they'd stuck a rubber band over the right outlane. I didn't like that either.

So to sum up - lame extenders aren't cool. MAJOR not cool!

So everybody who likes Rollergames - or prefers it to other Steve Ritchie games - is wrong because Steve said in the past that it was his worst game?

I'm not sure what you know, but the definition of "opinion" isn't one of them.

I'm still waiting for someone to print Steve's comments where he orders all STTNG owners to install lame extenders.

I keep hearing about this, but I've never seen it. Can someone point it out to me?

Hollywood Heat was never cool. Mullets were REALLY never cool. Except for when Steve had one.

Rollergames was always cool, and just gets cooler with every single year.

Someone back me up on this. Steve...you around? Forget about the Star Trek code update, this is more important.

They are reversible, so you can put 'em on when your lame friends come over.

But there's another thing...not EVERY game needs to be accepted by guests, wives, kids.

It's my favorite game. If my friends come over and would rather play my other 10 games because they suck at pinball, what do I care? No skin off my nose. They can go play Waterworld.

I seriously can't imagine basing a pinball collection on what other people think of the games. That's a rant for another day...

Actually he's talking about the path of the kickback - not the use of the kickback itself.

Likely, dude needs to adjust the metal rail/guide to the left of the left inlane. I'd guess you can loosen a screw and shift that one way or another, and he can adjust the path of a kicked back ball so it is more pleasing.

Friendly answer:

Not sure...ask the guys at Jackbar NYC (22 billion on un-lame extended STTNG, and 67 million on Rollergames). Or gaze in wonder upon the NYC Pinball League Spring 2014 Division A trophy, proudly displayed at Pioneers bar on 29th st (along with GC scores reading LEV on all four machines).

Look me up! Somewhere way way way down low. Ive only done a few of those events.

The point is, even a lowly amateur like myself can enjoy STTNG without lame extenders.

I think. Is that the point? Are we trying to prove I'm an awesome player, or I suck?

Anyway, back the subject at hand-

Lame extenders are not good. STTNG is. I'm not sure what being a noob or being an experienced player has to do with anything - none of the games I played when I was starting out were bastardized to remove the challenge. If they were, it's possible I'd never have gotten in to pinball.

I'm a big fish in a big pond - there are lots of great players in NYC. But hanging with those at the top of the IFPA rankings is completely next-level. I'm happy covering Big Apple turf for now.

This tragic tale reminds us all of the dangers of lame extenders - bastardizing a fine, challenging machine, and leading to confusion - and yes - chaos! An identity crisis that ends in doubt and misconceptions.

I urge prospective lame-extender installers to take heed - don't make the same mistake someonelse did! Don't introduce this evil into your home - for once it has planted its talons into your STTNG, it may never release them.

You can rollyeye all you want. But consider this!

First they rollyeye'd my pleas to not molest your outlanes.
And pinsiders did nothing.

Then, they rollyeye'd three ball settings, and put ém on 5.
And still pinsiders did nothing.

And then they rollyeye'd when I said you shouldn't set your ballsave on 20 seconds.
And still...noone fought for those calling for justice.

Let me ask you pinside - when they decide pinball is simply too difficult, and decide to smite it from the Earth, who will fight for us? When the eyes of our community sit idly by rolling, will we even be able to see it coming?

Yes, brothers and sisters. I ask you to contemplate that.

I recently purchased an STTNG with the laser sights - they were already there when I got the game.

I consider them a spectacular novelty. They don't help me at all. The light isn't always visible, and kind of bounces around, and I have not been able to translate their presence into hitting those shots more consistently at all. I've gone back to my previous method, which was watching the turrets themselves, and not the projected light.

My "guests" seem to love them, so I don't have any plans on removing them. But as far as making the cannon shots easier, I don't see it at all.

How can some people play pinball so well, while others are so awful?

All the STTNGs I play seemed to have been tested pretty well. Maybe the one in your house just wasn't tested properly.

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STTNG destroys families and psyches.

There's an entire wing at Bellvue dedicated to STTNG victims.

Ok...I gotta ask...

Can someone point me to a quote where steve actually said this?

I've heard it a million times but never seen it for myself.

Maybe Steve will chime in.

Stop badmouthing STTNG and stop with the threats.

"I'm gonna put extended outlanes on this thing SO HELP ME!"

"I was gonna mod it...but NOW I'm thinking twice!!!!"

Do you think constantly threatening your STTNG will make it easier, or make you play better? Ain't gonna happen. STTNG cowers before no one!

it's rated high because it's an awesome game for skilled players. You and your friends obviously aren't skilled players. You should sell this game to someone who will appreciate it and fill your place up with Sega games. South Park might be more your speed.

What's more obnoxious than a guy who created a thread to whine about a game that nobody is forcing him to own, and then stops in once every few weeks to whine about it some more and insult everyone who likes it?

What's the point? It's approaching "This food is terrible...and such small portions!" territory.

For the love of god sell it already. There are plenty of people who will take that "dud" off your hands.

Did you try to adjust the kickback lane like I suggested? There's obviously something wrong with the alignment. About 5 minutes and a screwdriver would probably fix this issue.

This is true for most games.

People are inclined to think steeper games are more difficult, because it can increase the need for reaction time. But the fact is it's much easier to trap the ball on a game that is steep, and it also reduces that side to side drift that can send the ball into the outlanes.