back to that location, today it was with my son, and his 1st time for him on that pin
well, code is still 0.86, than i will not make more coms/feedback than last time
just say that we stay there a bit more than 3 houres, and have (only) 3 games each, because these last long...
my son scores 995M, than 1.2B, than 1.1B... while i set the hi to 1.3B
we leave because we had enough (0.86 !!!), with still 7 credits waiting (for the kids than )

about code/rules, my son (he's easy with coding/logic) says that there're more than few similitude with Stranger Things, and may be you guys talked about that already

Good and bad with the full wireform mod going around the rocket. The good is I ended up discovering a better way for intersecting wireforms to transition the ball. The lower ball guides are now a 3 rod design that carries the ball over the intersecting points easily as the ball is now raised. So I am verry happy to have that option with wireformed mods going forward.
The bad. The upper wireform as constructed is very time consuming and expensive to make as a result.(8 hours for the set) The wireformed version would be over $400 for the set. I understand there is a limit on the mods I sell and this one is at it “I am out” price wise. That all being said I can make it if you are interested, but I also understand if there is no interest. Here are the pictures of the around the rocket as it is now constructed. The lower rail will be redone. I cut a previous one just to test it, so just know the lower is hacked in these pictures.

Playtest:

Slow roll test:

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This isn’t your run of the mill off the shelf toy with a couple holes drilled in it for LEDs to stick out of them mod. Honestly for Pro owners I think this is worth $400 easily! It’s a game changer, it looks 100x better then the factory ramp, opens up the center of the playfield and fills up the empty back left area around the rocket, it looks to make the best shot in the game even sweeter, a must have for the pro.

Is wireform chrome plated? It's hard to tell in the images.

One last question fellas. What are you guys think is better? Pro or premium?

Thank you for your thoughts.

Can you even tell if the drop targets are up with that? Unfortunately for me this breaks my rule of blocking playfield instructions.

Pro all the way.

You can avoid the jetpack shenanigans (seems like the most likely part to break), and the jetpack dropping the ball is the only extra gameplay element in the premium.

But losing the physical ball lock improves gameplay--with the virtual lock, those center shots come back to the upper flipper. On the premium, the physical lock/autoplunge makes it very very hard to feed the upper flipper when lock is lit. So better opportunity to hit shots and better flow on the pro.

Thanks man.

I love how pro guys always sight the physical ball locks and the extra stuff as detrimental to the game. It’s what makes the premium a premium. I typically always try to go premium. It’s plays like it was designed too. No compromising.

That guy has a point but as a pro owner I can tell you I would love physical locks instead of virtual, at least maybe grab it with a post real quick or something! I hate how it flies down and the lock call outs are delayed

Depends on your taste. The Premium has a physical ball lock and some extra shots/bonuses with the Bond on a wand. I think they will code more in for the wand as well.

Pro is a great game and is faster as you don't have the lock and wand, it just shoots and when it's multiball time they start coming out. As was said, the pro is the only one where you can lock a Bird 1 ball and still get a henchman or multiplier shot but when you get multiball on the premium I like that it drops the balls one at a time giving me a chance to make the henchman shot and the multiplier shots for multiball bonuses.

Personally I love both games but got a premium because this game is a keeper for me and I like the few pauses in game play that the premium provides. It's a better experience in my opinion as you get some different shots and a chance to see whats going on. Also, if I want a super fast shooter I'll play my Star Wars. YMMV.

A couple of questions since I'm still fairly new to the game. BTW: I'm playing on a Pro.

With the new code, is it supposed to start Bird 1 multiball when you have two balls locked and attempt a skill shot with left flipper held? Mine has been doing it every time since the code update.

What does it take to activate the Villian modes? I'll shoot the left ramp a dozen times and it won't start a Villian mode. On the other hand, a single shot will sometimes start a Henchman mode. What am I missing?

Also it seems like weak shots on the right loop are pretty much guaranteed to drain STM. Is that common as well?

Villain mode is the right ramp

Yes, right ramp, I got my directions mixed up. I'll hit the right ramp over and over and over again and nothing activates

Sounds like a switch test is in order.

Is anyone else hearing a loud pop every once in a while? Not a static pop, the best way to describe it is almost the sound of a bat hitting a ball? It’s so weird.

I believe a combination of switches (in specific order) are required to trigger those modes. Villain is the villain ramp opto followed by the ramp exit opto into the wireform. Since you are getting Henchman mode as expected, the first place I'd look is the opto toward the top of the villain ramp. To get Villain Modes, you have to register that opto followed by the exit opto into the wireform. If you only get one, the mode does not start. You should be able to find it pretty easily in Switch Test.

Yes, weak shots up the right orbit will come back and drain. I start nudging the moment I know it’s happening.

Digital knocker?? Can be turned off in settings. Personally speaking i absolutely hate it!! First thing i will be ordering for my Premium is a PBL REAL knocker kit and a shaker motor.

Had a decent game going tonight.
Ripping through my second Jetpack multiball.
I get to the third stage and end up with two balls stuck behind Bond.
Historically he moves toward center and the second ball slightly magnetizes to the first and it falls off the wireform.
This time it went to a ball search cycle then the game reset the score to zero, said "Player One" and I essentially started a new game with two balls in play without plunging.
That was a first.

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I agree, would be better with a post to stop the ball when locking it.

Nothing against physical locks; the raptor pen on JP is awesome, for example. This one isn’t super novel and it makes it difficult to feed the upper flipper.

If you were to disable locks and make them "virtual" on the Premium (if you can), would a virtually locked ball return the ball to the upper left flipper?

I will check this out this evening, however the ramp does register during multiballs or any time an arrow to the ramp is lit. It's just not starting the Villian Modes until multiple shots.

Mine has been doing that since the update. First JP multiball is good and then it goes completely unpredictable. Never had an issue before so I'm thinking it's something in the code which is why I haven't begun messing with the Wand adjustments.

Mine hasn't done that as yet and the machine started with the previous code and then i updated after about 15 plays to the latest code. Haven't had any issues with Bond on a wand at all...so far!!

I noticed this, too. First jetpack the wand works fine and sits atop the tank. Second or third JPM and Band stands on the rail with the ball behind him on the magnet. I've just taken to avoiding any shots up the left orbit while Bond is there with the 1st ball. If you get through enough stuff, he eventually moves. But my wand hasn't been anything I can actually control with the flipper buttons. At least, I haven't noticed I can control it. Will try to troubleshoot that next week.

Holy crap, that’s exactly what it is. Thanks!

I just put a shaker in my pro this weekend.

My first NIB Stern was Iron Maiden, had no idea about the digital knocker. First time it went off it scared the crap outta me LOL

I sell a lot of games to noobs, and once every couple of years I get an angry call/text about the game making some horrific noise, "especially during multiball!"

Yeah dude, it's supposed to do that. Once I just let a guy yell at me for 45 seconds before calmly explaining what a knocker is to him and telling him if he wanted to remove it and mail it back to me I could use the parts.

Thanks for everyone's input. Going to be going with the premium.

Late to the party, but I've said it several times here: have an LE, prefer the gameplay on the pro. Grail theme so zero regrets, and premium/LE still plays awesome...pro flow is way better to me though. Genuinely hoping when the code settles out they add the ability to just turn the physical lock and diverter off, play it like a pro.

You'll love it once the code matures regardless. I'm playing it a lot again since the last update.

hmmm... what about that sweet "triple clack" sound

Quick

I would like to be able to raise the pop bumper gate on auto launch using the left flipper button, so that with locks enabled, we can still get a feed to the upper flipper.

+1. For anyone at Stern paying attention: it would be nice to bypass the top popbumpers each time the machine loads and launches a ball. Obviously, you'd just have to remove the skill shot bonus potential when it does, if including it is too generous...

Besides the obvious more songs and more bond content, what else would you want in the final code to make it more exciting for casual and expert players?

We've been discussing this for 100 pages but I'll mention a few...

Some kind of different special modes for finishing all the henchmen, finishing all the villians, and finishing both (I would think that's all in the pipeline)

Better staging and coordination for the clips/animations. Such a buzzkill that the ball still just gets dumped into play without any warning or consideration for what's happening on the screen.

Some bond babe animations...I mean...there's almost nothing! "My name is Pussy Galore."

Some reason for the 3 inserts between the two right ramps to exist.

Some reason - or at least explanation - for the center movie title inserts to exist.

BJB mode is cool, but let’s be honest. Game is over at that point.

I’ve never come close to finishing Godzilla and it has at least 5 mini wizard modes after the first one, then a wizard mode and I think even a super wizard mode. With bond all we have is this one mini wizard mode.

While I am sure bond will never be that deep nor does it need to be, we are a long way off. And that’s ok, and calling it out is ok too.

I really wish modes could be started some way besides "hit the same ramp a few times."

Really? I've made it to BJB about 70% of the time I play with very little completed.

The point is there is nothing else to go for besides score other than more modes that lead to nothing. I’d consider a complete game as one that always has another mode to go for for at least 45 minutes of play. That’s the bar for me anyway.

Seriously!?!? How long have you been playing pinball?? Play T3 and then you’ll know what to many ramp shots to start modes are. Bond is tame in comparison. I mean how else would you like to start modes?

Yeah I have no issue with starting modes this way.

Have I mentioned that I’d like to see a more
Elegant,
Coordinated start to the modes however?

Is this a codung glitch?
2 Bird 1 balls locked.
Left flipper held for skill shot.
When ball comes around to upper flipper, Bird 1 multiball starts

Don't have a Premium or LE, so I can't try to reproduce, but sounds odd to me. Maybe you have a switch registering when it shouldn't? It is possibly a bug, haven't seen anyone else posting about it.

Yes. This is a glitch.

Rocket bash toy

My stranger things is such a hit with casuals because of this very simple and easily understandable objective

A combo checklist like Jurassic has with the DNA shots that leads to an extra call after collecting 6 of them would be cool.

Would like to see some more clever modes put in. The radioactive recon for example is actually really neat and clever type of mode that is different. More creative and thematic modes would be great, lets get some use of the action button in modes... let me make a shot with the action button to launch missiles in my little helicopter mobile thingie for example. Lot of the modes right now are just boring make a ton of shots super fast which are a pain to get through cause of time limits and just way too many shots.

Obviously take a cue from other games with multiple layers of mini wizard modes also.

Collect the girl, henchman and villain from any film to light the insert and play the mission from that film along with the title music.