Los Angeles, CA
Quoted from Kneissl:Would be nice if a premium clear job was at least an option.. although it should be standard on anything over pro.
It should be standard on everything, period.
(Topic ID: 172477)
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Quoted from RobT:GOT code is pretty much complete. Nothing major is missing.
ST code was updated by a different programmer who came in and added a new dimension to the rules (which you largely praised).
XMen code was changed dramatically since inception.
Now don't get me wrong, personally I disliked the rules/code on every single one of these pins, but I would never say that I felt that they were "abandoned" by Stern.
Seems like they're all missing that one final bug pass or polish, though.
Quoted from RobT:I agree with that. But you can say that about just about any pin, regardless of the manufacturer or year it was made to an extent.
Well, I don't notice any bugs or missing features on any of my games. I know people complain about some bugs on NGG...but I've never noticed them - it certainly hasn't ever made the game feel like it wasn't a satisfactory experience - and I think that's ultimately why people are still complaining about the last few Sterns...there's something that clearly lessens the gameplay experience.
Quoted from Jvspin:I don't know about that. I think TSPP and LOTR were the pinnacle.
Those were the Whitestar pinnacle...but the SAM years had an excellent run with FGY, SM, Tron, IM, AC/DC and Metallica! Plenty of other fun SAM era games. Things have been "off" since the move to Spike, IMO.
Quoted from Dr-Willy:For me its been a decline since they change lockdown bar mechs, and playfield service guides on the pro models which began with Met. Each game after has felt more and more stripped.
Actually the pegs replaced the service rails with Iron Man in '10
Quoted from JimB:I'm wondering if anybody considered that if they didn't do these high price points they go bankrupt? We have no way of knowing either way but like what was said above small volume that could keep getting smaller.
I think the Pro/Prem/LE thing was doing very well for them in terms of money and volume. When the LE was about $800 more than the Premium, from ACDC to Merallica - that pretty much guaranteed they would sell 500 units before we ever played them. There was an "unwritten contract" there: "Spend a little more & have some faith - and you might end up with a valuable collectible". No guarantees, but it was a worthwhile gamble for pinheads and an instant influx of cash to Stern. Win win. Then - if word of mouth on a game was good...sell unlimited Premiums and Pros...pure gravy profit.
This new greed era is perhaps getting more money upfront but is going to result in lower volume. Is the trade off worth it? I dunno, but as you can see here, they're losing reliable "usual suspects" as customers. I'm hopping off the bus for a while. I asked my distributor when I could expect my Ghostbusters refund...he said "Oh, I didn't know you wanted your money back - I moved it to the next game". I said "Until Stern can make reliable playfields, test games before shipping, finish code in a reasonable time frame, and stop charging $15k for games...I have zero interest in any next game. Check please!!!"
Meanwhile, I'm going to spend my pin money on a lightly used Hobbit this weekend. 
IMO, that purchase will have more value than any new Stern. It'll be nice to get something basically new, with modern features, finished code, and no shipping or tax! F NIB! 
...and just to put "luxury value" in perspective ...I could get 2 Hobbits for the price of 1 B66 SLE!!! WTF!?!?!?
Quoted from rai:So while I can see looking down your nose at his kind as exploiters of newbies
It's not that - he's coming onto a hobbyist/collector forum and dismissing our concerns because his "casual" buyers don't know any better and don't care.
Quoted from bigd1979:Dimples are normal and on every pin..... you just see them on newer pins bc its not been dimpled flat yet....metal ball and wood so something has to give.
Let's stop discounting people's dimple complaint. It's true to some extent,
but there are some Sterm playfields that dimple more than others. I had a STLE with a few dimples, nothing major though - but my friend's STLE playfield looked like it was made of soft clay...it was just lumpy and bumpy and pitted like crazy after only like 60 plays. My X-Men LE looked like it had craters all over. I have plenty of Sterns with no noticeable dimpling, or dimpling you can only see if you have a super bright light on it (like the backbox tube when you're updating code).
Even though WOF is the poster child for unfinished code - what's there is certainly more complete and imaginative than many of the current titles. Even tho it's missing the Wizard Bonus and has a few other minor bugs, what's there is rock solid.
Quoted from Rob_G:I'd say maybe ACDC is the poster child for unused inserts. Big and prominent above the flippers, the cannon inserts don't do a darn thing worth noticing. Long ago, someone made it a point to explain they did have some function, but it's so vague that nobody is going to care. ACDC might be the poster child for most useless mini playfield as well. If there's strategies involving that, they aren't exactly clear to the average player.
Rob
If you're complaining about ACDC's code, there must be no joy in your life. A few inserts that don't mean much isn't a big deal in a game that rich with variety and fun. Lyman probably went on a tangent from Steve's original intentions...and it turned into a masterpiece. I will always welcome more updates, but if ACDC is baked....I'm fine with that.
Quoted from Leeb18509:This and the fact that they're HUGE in comparison to their function and front and center. You'd expect them to be an integral part of the rules, kind of like the ones on MET.
If ACDC's rules sucked, maybe it'd be worth discussing ...but it's got one of the best rules in pinball that can be enjoyed in various ways by various players. But ACDC's rules don't suck...so...yeah.
Quoted from PW79:Why back out of a paid in full GB?
QC?
Communication?
Pricing?
DMD?
Code?
Expo party?
Pinball News?
BM66 BS?
Ghosting?
That's pretty much why I did the same thing. Plus forcing myself to try to enjoy the game and that just not happening.
Quoted from Razorbak86:If you want the topic to die, just stop responding.
If you want trolls to die, put them on ignore. Not even sure who you're talking to, but it looks like they're as annoying to you as they were to me. Simple click, they don't exist.
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