Hello,

I know its been discussed many times but I just go my Cliffy set and heard Black Pearl is recommended to be removed to get to map area.

Which post # talks about removing ship. Thanks in advance.

He (Kaneda) is predisposed to not like the game. He has gone to great lengths to show he hates the license and the films. He only like Franchi art (his head is way up his...). He rants forever about the delay in production. He hated the JJP Standard, LE, CE system because it is not the same as Stern. He has made it clear he does not like Keefer's deep rules (funny, because he touts LOTR as the greatest Stern ever). No matter what, he will never love this game. Which is ridiculous given the 3 things he professes to believe:

1) pinball needs to be a world under glass, which JJPOTC is in spades

2) people should not judge too soon and should be allowed to change their minds (this only seems to apply to people whom he has offended)

3) value is in the BOM, quality, and mechs not "fun = value"

He won't admit his own failure in lack of objectivity. I will never like Iron Maiden because I just can't stand their music or their style. I would never be a fan of the game regardless of the layout or gameplay. But I can appreciate it for being unique and interesting. I can appreciate that for a lot of folks it is fun and their favorite game. Because of that, I dont feel the need to crap on the game whenever possible. That is the problem with Kaneda. He professes and talks a lot, but then does the opposite. Most recently doing a podcast titled, "LE buyers are wimps." Well, you own a Super LE, Mr. Kaneda, that makes you a super wimp. Pull the plank out of your own eye and respect people who paid their hard earned money for the best darn world under glass out there with a unique new layout and code. And to quote the next future great release, "I said, good day sir!"

So many words, “We be but humble Pirates” the game is just bat shit awesome FUN! Argggghhh!

Who cares what Kman thinks about a game

He is in the overwhelming minority on Potc.

It’s too complicated for him to understand

Which is amusing because the rulesheet/flow chart is far simpler than WOZ or Hobbit. I guess he is waiting for "Chutes and Ladders the Pin".

#4565 is one. There are a few.

LTG : )

Agreed. While I rarely advise anyone what to like or buy the last thing I care about is someone telling me why I shouldn’t like something. There are many games I have bought and played and just didn’t find them fun so I move on. I will always share why I got rid of it but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t like it? For us and our collection this game hit top 2 status and amazes us every day we play it. The only Sad or upsetting part of POTC is the possibility this game will stop being made and many will miss out on what I believe to be the current Highest bar in pinball to Date.

Writing it down. Thanks LTG

I agree. Stay tuned.

Yeah I checked all the boxes. No hardware for the topper.

Gerry

Not in the sealed blister packs either? Should have 4 plastic plugs and 4 screws.

My biggest issue with his viewpoint is exactly in concert with what you've expressed here. He had a predisposed idea from however long he played prior, then hypes up this idea for weeks, weeks mind you, that he was going to be shown the game by someone who knew and adored it in spades, yet upon meeting him, he simply echoes the same issues he had prior to going to play. So.....what was the point? He didn't care for it, and seemingly wasn't open to shifting his viewpoints? I egged him on in a drunken voicemail, to stick to his views, (jokingly so, feeling he might consider the game upon seeing different aspects with a proper pin tutor) and man...he actually DID stick entirely to his script.

Pirates is the antithesis of the Munsters, and for what they both seek to achieve, that's okay! Pirates is not at all easily comprehensible in five minutes, and the Munsters sadly, somewhat can be. That doesn't negate either game's value, it simply lends itself to different gaming palettes, which should ideally strike the tone of his review. This isn't his style of game, and that's fine, but I can in no way fathom Batman 66' being as dense as Pirates, also while being as accessible and fun. Batman has many accessible avenues to take, but that doesn't make it's dense and layered. It simply means it has options, and options that when I've played it, seem scattered and detached. That said, I could definitely use a Batman Pin Tutor!

When I first approached this game, man was I iffy on it. Then playing it time and time again, I was still not seeing what it brought to the literal and figurative table. It was only WHEN I watched the JJP Pin Masters play it, that I observed the layers of insane fun that could be tapped into, with enough patience and diligence, and most of all.... open mindedness. And wasn't that..exactly..the take Kaneda was supposed to take upon this POTC Guided Tour this weekend???

Exactly! It's immediate fun if you're open to it! The Black Pearl alone, with loading and firing the cannon, is executed in a way that never ceases to be exciting!

I care because he seems passionate, articulate, and able to create a good flow of words, ideas, and do with a sense of pizazz and showmanship that I haven't heard in other pinball podcast avenues. He has a necessary sense of style and "voice".

I don't need to agree with him entirely all the time, to see value in his or anyone's constructive viewpoints.....but I do feel he was predisposed and not open to seeing the game at all in any new perceivable way. I shift my views, as I try to after any impression I get, whether it's a first play of pinball, meeting someone for the first time, or taking in any new information. First impressions are invaluable, but the ability to be flexible and allow those impressions to be maleable down the road with more exposure, all the more so.

My first thought was the screw hole was stripped but it went in no problem.

Is the piece of foam in the chest supposed to be removed or should it be stuck above the ball sensors?

In other words he's "full of shit"

He's entitled to his opinion. He did play it for 3 hours yesterday.

I find the game extremely approachable and intuitive. I was worried before I got it that it would take a long time to get the hang of. Everything is right there in front of you. It's brilliant. Now, my TWD, on the other hand....after months, the rules still are murky to me.
I don't know why anyone would waste even 5minutes listening to that k dude.

This seems to have done the trick!! Thanks so much! Had about 4 games and no hang ups!

The little clear rubber was there, but I found another one here;

Any idea where it belongs?

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LE #78 (Build date 2/4/19) is now setup in my house, picked it up yesterday from ZMeny from Flip N Out Pinball, even got Hollywoodbone to help us load it:

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Went thru everything with a fine tooth comb, some fixes were already installed from the factory, which shows they do listen to Pinside:

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Also added Titan Silicone rings on the Black Pearl and Flippers, @tonycip's Medallion Shooter, as well as MezelMods clear plastic protectors. Hopefully the ordered Cliffys will come in sometime soon.....

I've only problems with two issues, one is the Black Pearl wasn't quite centered in its rocking action, which was easily addressed adjusting the screws on back.

The other issue is a PITA that I've yet to been able to fix: Upon setting up the pin I discovered that the display itself not latched in place correctly during shipping on the right side. Luckily it did not damage the backglass. Once I moved the wooden shipping blocks and latched the display into place the right is sagging almost 3/8-1/2" too low. I tried everyday possible to adjustment to the display and mounting arm possible short of total disassembly of the mount with no improvement, the silver frame of the display is still visible and showing on the left. My temporary solution for now is inserting a wooden block as wedge to push up the right side, it's not visible while the backglass is on but its not right. I'm contacting Zach & JJP tomorrow to see if they have any suggestions. I tried most tricks in this thread with no avail.

Besides that she is a best to play. Be looking for an order in the next couple of days Yelobird ! Hoping to keep her in the lineup for a long time:

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Already have one near D, this seems to be another one?

Back of Tortuga scoop have one?

Here's what I love about Kanedas review, he addressed POTC being referred to as the GOAT as so many people are considering it just that

When it comes to dropping $8k+ on a pin it needs to have legs. Many of Sterns pins are approachable yet most don't have legs in terms of unique and deep code. As Zach from SDTM said in his POTC review "this is a masterpiece code" and I agree. The ruleset of POTC is very approachable yet has a ton of depth, variety, and strategy to it. That is what I want in an $8k+ pin, that's a big reason why I bought an LE, and that's why I continue to buy JJP pins.

I’ll post some thoughts i feel about JJPOTC in regards to Kaneda cause i think he may learn a thing or two here. Now, i could care less if he or anyone doesn’t like the pin - after all, it is pinball. But, i’d Like to tackle this from a different perspective in hope’s to open up the third eye:

First, JJPOTC vs. SFII the arcade game. I grew up in the 90’s and spent many countless hours in arcades, mainly playing the SFII & MK2 games. Heck, i even worked in arcade for 10 years and eventually became a store manager before moving on to my current career. That said, arcade games were very linear structured games, basic storylines, intuitive rules and understanding, and very story driven. Then along comes SFII; the story lines and single player progression was very weak compared to most arcade games, but what SFII had was character selection with very deep rules which began a saga of pvp. Then came SFII Chapmions edition with even more characters, and eventually Marvel vs SF and capcom vs SF with loads and loads of character selection. And now to this day, because of that, video games have endless possibilities for character selection, development, and depth. You pick a few characters you relate to, and master their abilities and style. It wouldn’t be til countless weeks or months of playing that you would veer off and try different characters and specialties. Now onto JJPOTC - a deep rule set but like SFII, it has many characters to choose from and for you, the player, to specialize & focus on your path to ruling the pirates universe. Do you bring in a character like Salazar and focus on movie 5 objectives and go for its wizard mode, or do you pick a more general character like Elizabeth swan able to progress steadily on all movie objectives? Or perhaps you go with a fan favorite like Captain Jack Sparrow and benefit from the luck of the draw like he seems to in the movies and rely heavily on tortuga mystery awards? Or do you take captain Barbosa who rules the ships and treasures (i.e. the multiball jackpots)? So many possibilities; like SFII, you wont learn each characters strengths and weaknesses in a day of playing. It will take many many games than that.

That brings us to Theme Integration. If this game was based on Curse of the Black Pearl; then yes, it would make sense to make this a more story driven game. But, it’s not. I may be in the minority, but i happen to like all the Pirate movies. Are they the best movies ever made? Not by a long shot. They are fun and campy pirate movies. That said, the movies aren’t just focused on Captain Jack Sparrow. There are so many sub plots, and sub stories that focus on all sorts of characters. And in the movies, each character has a different pirate like personality that is brought to life and plays a roll in each scene. The pinball takes advantage of this allowing players to take on one of these characteristics to battle in the pirate universe. In the movies, each person (or pirate) has their own agenda for acquiring what they want most which is what the movie is mostly about. So who are you going to choose and which direction are you going to go with? To me, the JJP team did a fantastic job of incorporating the theme to this game.

Lastly, many JJP games (JJPOTC is not alone here) have problems on location. I think Dialed in is their worst of the 4 pins by JJP, but it’s also the best for on location as it has the fewest issues. Ive played finely tuned JJPOTC’s and not so fine tuned and there is a major difference; just as the same with stern games. And i think Kaneda has no room to talk about ball times when comparing it to BM66, holy marathon ball times Batman!

SKB out...

None of my switches on the Black Pearl are working. I believe it's the green and brown wire that's the problem. Has anyone been able to fix that wire without removing the ship? I haven't done it yet, and would prefer to not remove it until I have my Cliffys.

Anyone not watch any of the movies until after they started playing this machine? I haven't seen any of them and I'm wondering if it will enhance my enjoyment of the game if I do watch them.

I should also note the plunger tip was ripped/bent. Looks like it go smashed up against something and the plastic tip already ripped off. Not damage to the box but looks like that side of the cab/game took a beating it was barley assembled before it left JJP. Again this was a game built two weeks ago.

I had a torn shooter tip as did a friend. In my case I thought it was caused by the shooter contacting the autoplunger but maybe they are just being applied too aggressively at the factory, or are a cheap part.

Yep. One of my maybe projects is to put together a wiki which lists the chapters in the game along with 2-3 sentences describing what is going on.

I had one machine where 3 of the Pearl switches were out and yes it was that wire. Sorry to say it has to come out, there is no way you’re going to solder it back without doing so.

Bummer. Hopefully I receive my protectors soon. Thank you for your response.

The JJP folks definitely read this thread and they are really great. I am glad to hear some of the fixes are being done proactively!

It sounds like you had a great unboxing! I hope you enjoy the game as much as I do!

I had this happen with my screen too. Here's how I fixed it: loosen the screw on the wooden block on right side above the tab and slide wooden block up. Raise the tab, push the right side of monitor in towards the center and up simultaneously. It should catch the latch and hold better.

I can allow Kaneda's view that POTC isn't a"Greatest of all time" game as some have proclaimed it to be. That is a subjective ranking opinion and he's entitled to it. However, to pronounce it a loser because it doesn't meet his narrow definition of a winning pinball game (must tell a story and be approachable) is simply absurd. Additionally, stating that it doesn't take advantage of its widebody playfield, has no toys of value, and the center spinner has absolutely no effect on the ball, all make me wonder what the hell he was looking at while playing the POTC at Sunshine Laundromat and/or how their game has been set up!

I also wonder how well he could hear the game at Sunshine as the audio on POTC is not only amazingly good, it REALLY enhances the gameplay and significantly aids a player's understanding of its various features.

One only needs to watch a portion of Karl DeAngelo's latest fantastic POTC stream from this very afternoon to see what a wonderful game it is!

https://www.twitch.tv/videos/389946436

The fact that you actually own two POTC's is already quite a personal endorsement!

I’m thinking of dumping them both for a CE, but I’d like to stay married.

Lol. Do it! Selling my POTC LE after 3 weeks was the hardest thing I ever did Until my CE arrived. Just beautiful is the only way to describe it.....

As someone interested in an LE, do you feel the increase in price has merit?

His ideas on story enabling a better game experience are a bit misplaced, disingenuous even. How many pinball games have notable story based experiences at this point? (Maybe something DeepRoot wants to explore more supposedly..). Does killing Smaug in the Hobbit or saving the Princess in TOTAN really create atmosphere and value outside of the first few times a player accomplishes that? Most pins have barely any narrative structure, yet so many are incredibly revered, and on a higher level of nuance and less scrutiny than POTC?

I like Kanedas Podcast. It's just his opinion... For me it doesn't change anything about my enjoyment of my POTC.

Every player, buyer, and collector has there own personal interest. For me I wouldn't have done it if I didn't see the value and long term enjoyment of the game. ALL models are great just depends on what You think is important. I am very happy with my decision!

What pushed you over the edge? It seems more unique than the Dialed-In CE.

Oh, I do too, but at this point it feels more like stirring the pot more to be contrary than anything else, and most likely to garner discussion on here indirectly/directly for sure. He has a fantastic ability to stretch time, detail a story, and do lead-in's in ways most podcasters don't, somewhat akin to radio dj's of yore.

To go off on a very quick tangent, pinball is at it's core, metal meeting wood and plastic. We've even seen P3 involve glass, and the loss of tactile feedback alters pinball in a way where it's no longer pinball. Down that road, to heavily weigh plot structure or narrative advancement would need to be facilitated via moving, interchangable pieces on the playfield itself, and outside of glass, that's impossible. So to do so now, has to be done via an LCD screen somehow. LCD's definitely remove a viewer from the main component of pinball again, the tactile feedback.

Unless 3 to 4 dedicated years were spent engineering entirely new game advancements and engineering feats, which in turn would sink any company wishing to profit, there won't ever be narrative journeys more substantial than jumbled video and audio clips mashed oddly together, ala the Hobbit or Batman 66. The limit isn't necessarily the creators, it's the medium, and again, pinball being pinball, with elaborate nuances at best, and that is more than fine by me.

Killing Smaug never gets old for me . The flippers go dead and you watch the animation and then get to do victory laps . For me it's not easy to do so I find it very satisfying and feel as though I have really achieved something . One of the best pinball moments going around in my opinion .

I think you are onto something here (again)

Got a pic of yours?

They are bit like a puzzle from the moment your receive them. Having said that. I’ve had lots of fun dialing it in and getting it going 100%

Just on a personal note , if the rumours are true and pirates is the last wide-body jjp are going to make I will be very disappointed . ( but I can understand , lots of people complaining about how expensive they are )After owning woz and TH and having a deposit on Pirates 16 months and counting , wide bodies feel the norm to me now .

I agree. It's one of the reason I like JJP pins. When I play a standard body pin now, they just feel "mini" or small to me.

Do you know what the fix is? Is it an update that they would send to current owners?

I've had this same trap happen to me as well.