Comon man, it's the only thing they can cling onto for buying a $15,000 clunker that's "well integrated"

I like Jack, but he says a lot of things.

This song could work for the

I played about seven games of pirates at Louisville I really enjoyed the game thought it was very fun but balls kept getting stuck everywhere which was annoying but hopefully the final version of the game will fix that but I really did enjoy it.

Yeah it’s weird I know

Potc doesn’t need the characters and movie clips for me because the films sucked. BM66 def does. I’d buy Potc without video but BM66 couldn’t survive without it. And it’s great btw

Tron pin with the original arcade game used for video modes on the JJP backglass, I’m in for CE!

I don't think it's weird at all.

At the end of the day the reality is what people really crave is atmosphere, the feeling of the theme, living the game, world under glass, blah blah blah.

There's a reason Tron, a game with a not particularly inspired layout and ruleset, is so well loved. It would be one of my hardest games to sell. It just feels good to play. The soundtrack, the lights, the callouts, the feel of everything is just pitch perfect. It doesn't need an LCD screen.

Batman 66 is all about the cheese. It's campy and corny and bright and colorful, and the LCD works great for it. It's like a live action cartoon. The way the screen is set up like a TV is perfect for the feel of the show, and the memories we have. (I haven't even played the game, only saw it at the first Expo reveal, and yet I totally get it.)

The truth is the Pirates movies aren't really all that good. IMHO they just got worse with each subsequent release too. The first is pretty fun, and then you kind of just go along for the ride, and take pleasure in the ridiculousness of it all. But the last thing I actually want is to watch a bunch of movie clips. Hobbit was bad enough, those were shitty movies too. Watching Bilbo walk around his apartment reading the contract? So incredibly lame.

The point is to play the game. That should be obvious, but the way people talk in this thread you'd think they were just going to turn it on and watch it. Does the game feel like a fun ride? Are you in the world? Is the rocking upper playfield ship more interesting than passively watching a ship bob around on the LCD screen?

If JJP does a good job then the game will be better off for being less about the films, and more about the game. If they don't, then they messed up, but the lack of assets won't be the problem. These aren't quotable films. When Alien was under development all people wanted to know was if "game over man!" was going to be in the game. Heard it 100 times. (It is for what it's worth.) I don't see anyone actually talking about must have lines and scenes, just some general angst that the assets aren't there.

What exactly is it you're dying to see and hear every time you play the game? Because I have no idea.

Designers are still trying to figure out the right balance of video screen
vs playfield. JJP has done a nice job of using the video screen to help game play, with tips between ball play and the compass over the lockdown bar that tells you where you should be shooting and what mode you're working. You never have to look away from a live ball to see play this game.

The audio does a great job of pulling you in. The narrator is a pirate that you can understand. He helps you out with his callout tips and sets the tone with pirate phrases. Then you have David Theil's mastery of pinball sound. The pirates cheering in Tortuga, the fantastic music, there is even a heartbeat in there somewhere when the game gets going too, can't remeber where exactly, maybe during a multiball, but it pulled me it..
I have enjoyed playing this game as a casual player, now it's gotten even better with the SDTM video...
Look forward to more players chiming in.

Completely agree

I understand that we play pinball machines to play them but for a licensed game it's the actor audio and actor video that pulls you into the theme and adds to the world under glass feeling. Even if someone thinks The Hobbit were shitty movies there are many that don't and they enjoy seeing and hearing those clips in the game. Without them the game wouldn't be as good as it is today.

Take Alien for example as well. If that game didn't have the actor audio and actor video I don't think a lot of people would have been interested. Why? What is Alien and Aliens without the actors (even if Ripley isn't in the game)? A generic Alien game with a bunch of Alien screeches doesn't sound as fun compared to what was made.

It's not just about seeing the video clips either, personally I would take hearing the actor audio over seeing the video with actors. For the player they will always hear the actor audio. If you took away the actor audio away from DMD era games such as Addams Family, LOTR, Star Trek, etc I guarantee those games wouldn't be ranked as high or be as sought after as much as they are today.

I'm not saying that a licensed game without actor audio and actor video isn't fun as that's not the case. I'm just trying to say that having those assets in the games adds to creating that world under glass feeling and bringing a theme to life.

Good thing they got one of the actors from the series to do many of the voice overs then!

Not sure I understand your examples. Yes Alien had many video assets but in the end they are barely able to make a game years later if at all. As for Hobbit, I think the used market has has shown you need more than video content to make for a great Pinball machine. I like my Hobbit don’t get me wrong but if there was one thing I Wished they did was Minimize the video clip and paste and make some awesome Pinall content! Kind of like they did with POTC. Smart move!

Is it a HIT or a FLOP?!

SDTM Episode 52: JJP Pirates of the Caribbean Deluxe Review Part 2

Put the glass back on....

Great review guys. I think these videos are the most enjoyable pinball related content ever, right up there with the PAPA tutorials, but those I watch for a different reason. For me the casual look and feel of the videos make them great, no need to go and overproduce them IMHO.

Great, another evening watching SDTM videos. My wife is starting to think I have issues. More anyway. Keep up the Awesome work and Thank you both.

You’re telling me! I not only have to deal with Greg in real life, but then I have to spend hours listening to him while editing. Tough gig but someone’s gotta do it haha. I think the world is gonna need a Mod Couple SDTM video interview soon! Then you can watch yourselves! Haha

Is there a video yet of the upper pf removal process and operator/repair processes? I thought I heard some buzz about that but cannot find on YT...

Check out SDTM pinball POTC Deluxe Review Part 1 and the designer Eric Meunier has the entire mechanism out and talks about the ease of maintenance.

Wouldn't it be a lot more fun if you couldn't start a movie multiball during a movie multiball, but you have to set up as many movie multiball's as possible and then start them all at once (like acdc). maybe all jackpots 2x when 2 mb's running, 3x when 3 are running and so on.

When you can start a movie mb during another movie mb and so on, it can become an endless multiball fest.

don't shoot me...just my opinion...

Played JJP Pirates several times at LAX this past weekend...really liked the game and I plan to buy one, I have no doubt it will be much better when complete and all the bugs are resolved (stuck ball etc)...my one critique is the rocking upper ship mini-playfield...when ships rock they don't "clunk" from side to side...smooth out the rocking.

https://www.facebook.com/MadisonPinball/posts/1852550644769601

That's...random. What's it doing at LAX?

it is in reference to the Louisville Arcade Expo (LAX), not the airport. I always have to look at it twice too.

Haha, that makes more sense. I was like, "LAX? Really?"

Joe and Keith showed off a new match sequence on today's stream, and I grabbed a clip. Check it!

https://clips.twitch.tv/DrabVictoriousStarlingTebowing

I like the idea of matching characters rather than numbers. Cool match sequence. Could use a smidge more animation and sound, but cool.

needs a separate "fail" or "win" callout for each character.

will make the match sequence fun and hopefully funny to watch love me some comedy in pinball

Or just drop the non-matching loser(s) off the screen with a splash like they're walking the plank.

I think the game looks amazing and am interested in purchasing one. One question though for people who have played it, do the chapters feel like they have separation or are unique from each other. I have been watching the streams and with only a snippet of movie animation and then looking at the map the rest of the time, it looks like the chapters appear exactly the same. Just curious.

All modes/chapters are: shoot the caracter shots.

chapters are more scoring based than mode based. There's ways to increase chapter scoring, hold chapter scoring, and the wizard modes are based on how well you did in each chapter's score.

Has anyone heard an update as to when POTC will start shipping?

No. I check the Facebook page daily for any action, or especially Jack doing a cartwheel as the first truck load goes out.

LTG : )

I'm still hanging on April/May.

I’m thinking May. Wasn’t Dialed In out being tested for about 6 months before shipping? That would be a similar timeline.

The game is bueatiful and is already a lot of fun.

Potc is supposed to be shipping first quarter of 2018....

Was. Was supposed to be shipping.

Ok. Bottom line for me when it comes to music is this: Does it have the original "Pirates Life For Me" song from the ride? Without that, it just isn't POTC to me.

I could care less about Depp and the mostly bad movies.

Nope.

I am all for this right here! Get it out there and test it. Find out what breaks and what needs tweaked. I am sure they are testing it a lot at the factory and I do believe I heard Eric say they had one going all the time. But lets get it out there and let it run for 6 months. I would love to see one at CP Pinball!!!!!! Its closer than Chicago for me. This would help greatly in that we as huo buyers would rather be playing our machines then trying to figure out wtf is wrong with my very expensive toy!!! As well as the operators having to do less work on them and the calls to the help desk and cutting back on help me LTG pm's!
As I can not speak for every one, but I can wait and be patient. Also my wife is not going to be happy when there is a 9500 dollar pin that she can not play!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Its already out.

Yes, I know. Should have phrased it better.

With this being the case I wonder how the modes will feel unique seeing as theres no actor audio from the films, as well as video, that plays when that characters shot is hit.

Are there custom Gibbs lines that are unique to each mode? If so that will help fill in the gap left by no actor audio for scene and help each mode stand on its own. However, if that's not the case I wonder how 100+ modes will feel unique?

Yes - Eric wrote a script on what Gibbs should say pertaining to the pin. Eric even helped to direct the voice recordings.

Still cld .... but doubtful

I don't think the modes are going to feel particularly unique. The start of the mode will be a little different, with the movie clips that play, but I think it will be hit the lit shots after that. There will be a lot of strategy in stacking modes and a lot of ways to play the game in general, but I don't think it's going to be one of those games where you just love certain modes. I don't think that was what Keith was going for even. I could be wrong, only time will really tell as the code matures.

Starting and playing the 5 main multiballs is where the game will really shine (along with the amazing features and layout) I believe, and trying to get to the mini wizard modes for the movies...which require playing the modes.

Based on what i have seen, this is not a mode game. Yes, it has modes, lots of the, but the modes are kind of Stern Star Trek, shoot the flashing shots.
That´s pretty uninspired in my book. When they play the modes in the stream, they don`t even play the modes. They start a mode, and bring in a multiball.

In my book, some of the great mode based games are IJ, TS and STTNG. they have varied shots and varied objectives.
Modes in STTNG where you start with one shot, how fast you are to hit that shot gives you the score base on the rest of the shots that opens up.
Or in Q where the shots become fewer and fewer until you hit a lit shot or the Q target.

I do hope I am horribly wrong!

I hope pinball_keefer has a plan for the modes, he is my favourite programmer right now.

I wish JJP would include that song as an option for attract mode or something. The advertisement slogan "The Pirate's Life for You" on JJP's website should be corrected to "No Pirate's Life for You."

I have about 20 games on the pre-production POTC that has been on route in Madison and all I can say is WOW!

Most important to me is layout/shots and this game is super duper fun to shoot!
Next for me is code/immersion and again this is very impressive! I have to be honest that most JJP games are not intuitive, lack enough callouts for me, and I struggle with a desire to even learn the ruleset. POTC is different. My wife I had a handful of games spotting for each other and quickly already grasp the basics of the game. The modes seem to actually feel different due to flow of shots, light show, and general 'feel' they make on each character, mode, mb, etc...

I really walked in thinking "meh" for the theme and that I was not going to like the game.

Reality was that both the wife and I are looking forward to how the game develops, playing production models once out, and possibly even adding one to the home collection.

JJP has got a solid winner after the first impression.

Anyone going to TPF should take your headphone so you can plug in and hear stuff!