I'm new to pinball ownership and in the past couple months bought a JJPOTC LE and a STNG. Both have been great games to play, and searching Pinside forums has been super helpful in identifying and troubleshooting some issues popping up in both machines. Unfortunately I don't have much experience or knowledge with mechanical stuff and I don't have much of a tool collection, so it's been very slow learning for me. I've browsed a lot of the history on this JJPOTC thread (up to about page 50) and I've had many of the same issues with my POTC LE as others (ball hanging up on right ramp, balls entering chest but rolling right through instead of locking, and wire breaking under mini playfield - still don't have the courage to try to fix that one yet) and I just had a couple other issues pop up that I haven't seen mentioned (or I missed them). I was wondering if anyone might have some advice to offer on either of these:
- First, the wire return ramp from Malestrom has in the past day or so shifted to the right by about 1/2 inch so balls coming down it are getting hung up on the top edge of the right slingshot where they're supposed to drop down into the "R" lane. I see there are screws on the dividers between the P & I lane and the the I & R lane. It seems like I should just need to unscrew those a bit, nudge the ramp back over and re-tighten in place. Problem is I don't know what tool to use on those two screws. I checked the user manual (especially pages C-135 to C-151) to see what size they are but I couldn't identify it. I went out and bought a 7-piece SAE nut driver set thinking it should be one of those sizes but 5/16 was too small and 3/8 was too big. Any idea what tool I need for those screws?

- Second, in the past week I've had several shots bounced back at me from the left orbit (yellow skull shot). I think the post at the start of that lane may be raising when it shouldn't and blocking the ball, and then retracting when it gets hit. I haven't been able to confirm it for sure because the post is blocked from view when I'm playing and I don't know it's a problem until a shot gets blocked. Anyone have anything similar to this happen?

Any help would be really appreciated. Thank you.

Thank you! Yep, even without the chest lock working for me from day 1 and the left load cannon switch now out it's still playable and a ton of fun to play. Once I get those resolved it should be really great again. I've seen your posts with the mods available for the game and they look great. I didn't realize your location until seeing your message. I appreciate the offer. Once I get the chest lock and broken wire issues fixed the next step might be looking into getting that cannon mod

Thanks! I'm going to do a test run getting the ship in and out using that guidance, then I'll work up the nerve to attack the wiring. I appreciate the help.

I got a small crescent wrench and was able to make it work. Thanks for the tip!!!

My forks have seemed a bit wobbly and rejecting more shots lately so I lifted the playfield to check it out. Looking into the fork assembly it looked like one of the two screws holding the forks is missing and when I looked down I found the screw in the bottom of the cabinet. I see it's five screws to undo to get the fork assembly off the bottom of the playfield so I can put the missing screw back in. It looks like it might to be possible to do it without disconnecting any wiring, but does anyone know if that's the case or if I have to disconnect wires to pivot the fork assembly out and replace the screw? Even though my chest isn't locking balls I'd still like to fix this issue so balls go through the chest more often instead of getting rejected by the forks and rolling back down the middle.

My unit was built in Nov. and delivered in early Dec., so I'm still running into a lot of the common list of issues. It's a testament to the game though that even with no chest lock working, switches 9, 10, and 12 out due to a broken green/brown wire, and other nuisances popping up I'm still super addicted to it after two months, and my kids are still really into it too. I still have "one more game" syndrome keeping me up and playing for extended periods every day. I love trying to hit all the different shots, challenges, and rewards this game has, and I'm usually still playing an hour after I first tell myself, "Okay, one more game".

Tonight I got visual confirmation on my left orbit post question. The post is sometimes lifting up and blocking shots to the left orbit, and it's happening in single ball play even when On Stranger Tides multiball has not been qualified or played. Tonight I had a ball get blocked and it sounded like the post retracted after the block. I ducked down to see that the post was not up. About 20 seconds later with no other shots going to the upper area of the playfield, I again hit a clean shot to the left orbit that was blocked. This time I ducked down quicker just in time to see the post finish retracting as the ball rolled away from it. The post is never blocking shots coming around from the right orbit though, so it seems like the issue is that occasionally switch 77 for some reason raises the post as a ball enters the left orbit. Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks! I like the idea of using the loctite. I'm going to do that. I appreciate the help/confidence booster so I can give it a try to fix it.

Sorry, one more post looking for an assist. Tonight when I found the screw for the forks in the bottom of my cabinet I looked around and also found a small spring. Attached is a picture of it. Anyone have any idea as to where it might have come from?

POTC Spring (resized).jpeg

Flick my Bic = Flip my pinball

Ahhhh, so it's intentional. Okay, good to know. Thank you!

I'm really happy I bought this game. I'm completely hooked on it and I don't foresee my interest in it going down any time soon. I always loved the rare chances I'd had to play pinball over the years and took the plunge by buying a couple machines to fulfill a bit of a little kid dream I always had. I was and still am a very, very novice player (after 2 months I finally got to a wizard mode three nights ago). I've had my POTC since early December and still play just about every day for at least an hour and my grade school kids love it and are still playing it a bunch too. I think it says something that this game has captured some of their attention away from Fortnite and Minecraft. Whether it's me having fun trying to get better at playing pinball, my kids playing to hit shots & targets and getting a little interested in the object/rules of the game, or friends & neighbors coming over and having fun just hitting the ball around without caring what they're hitting it's been a lot of fun for everyone.

In a bit over 60 days ownership (including 2 weeks vacation when it was home alone and not played), it has 611 plays on it (counting each 1 through 4 player game as one play) and we're still getting more and more into it. For me, it had in one machine a wide variety of the individual elements I liked from other machines like an upper playfield, a fun & unique shot (the cannon shot), lots of different multiballs, and many target lanes & holes (I think 13) with a deep rule set that I knew would hold my interest for a long, long time because I might not ever be able to conquer the entire game. I like a challenge (I still play golf with clubs made in 1990), and I've really loved playing this game. I haven't spent a minute wishing I'd bought one of the other games instead. But that's just me, and I'm sure different games appeal to different people for different reasons.

Figures that I don't check the site for a day and an issue pops up that I might have been able to help with. Glad you got it resolved though. Any advice on a solder iron to get and what type/size solder to use? I would imagine I need one with a long cord too? I have the same issue where my green-brown wire is broken and those same three switches are out. I haven't soldered before and don't have the tools (let alone experience) for the job so I need to get some and give it a try.

Thanks!!!!!

I have my flasher hooked to the shaker also. For the GI connection I hooked into a spotlight so the Pin lights are always on. When connected to a spotlight the Pin light illumination is constantly on at whatever color and brightness you set them at. I started out with the GI tapped to an RGB insert light, but the Pin lights then just turned off when that insert light was illuminated as one of the two colors I hadn't tapped into. Made for a much darker game during modes when the Pin lights were off. I like playing in very dimmed lighting so I chose to go with constant Pin illumination from the spotlight connection. I also removed the bulbs from all the spotlights so now the only lights on are the Pin lights. For me, I liked doing that because it reduced the washed out lighting on the playfield from the spots and allowed me to get the overall lighting level where I wanted it. I've been happy with the result. There is reflection on the wire ramps, but I really stopped noticing it after awhile and it doesn't bother me.

I just had an interesting situation pop up. Wondering if anyone else has had it happen. During At World's End multiball, I used the left Black Pearl flipper to load the cannon on the upper playfield. Coincidentally (and unintentionally), on that same shot the upper left flipper on the lower playfield hit a ball that happened to be coming its way. That ball went around the inner loop and kicked off On Stranger Tides multiball. The animation for the start of On Stranger Tides multiball kicked on, and during that time the compass LCD and action button went inactive. That meant I wasn't able to fire the cannon until the On Stranger Tides multiball animation ended and the action button came back online. Unfortunately, the cannon shot timer must have expired and it dropped the ball out harmlessly out of the cannon right as the animation was ending. Probably a one-in-a-whole-bunch chance of a shot (and kind of a perfect storm set of facts lined up), but I was surprised I lost the cannon shot from having to wait for the animation on a new multiball to end.

Sorry to be dense, but I can't tell from the picture and the description where the post needs to be placed to resolve the problem. I've had this issue pop up on multiballs. Just can't visualize for sure where the post needs to be put in.

Forget about a ship in a bottle or a lit up flaming skull & crossbones. Bottles of Pyrat Rum, Kraken Rum, and Cannon Blast should be the toppers on every game!

I put Pinstadium lights on mine and I'm happy with them. I like having more lighting coverage throughout the playfield and I also didn't like the washing out from the spots. I pulled the lamps from the spots so the only lighting (other than the playfield lights) is now the Pinstadium. I like having the color selection to enhance the color tone of the playfield and I like controlling the brightness to get the lighting level where I like it. The Pinstadium lights don't turn on and off in sections. The Pin lights have two connections, one connection for the UV flasher and one GI connection for the main lights. If you hook up the UV flasher connection to the shaker motor and the GI connection to the wiring for a spotlight, then the main strips of lights on both sides of the cabinet stay on constantly at whatever brightness and color setting you select. The UV flasher activates (flashes) for an effect when the shaker motor activates. My GI connection was originally tapped into a regular playfield light, but since the Pinstadium connection tap has two connectors and the playfield light has four wires (RGB & white), the Pin lights were off when the playfield light was illuminated as one of the two color wires I hadn't tapped into. To keep the Pin lights on full time I switched the GI connection to the wiring for a spotlight. I looked recently at the installation instructions on the Pinstadium website and that's what they're recommending to do now also.

Let me preface by saying I'm a novice and not a very good player. That said, I've been playing Tia Dalma for the ability to select what chapter to start and she makes it easier to collect the pieces of eight to start At World's End multiball. I've been working on trying to get pretty reliable at a couple shots (the left orbit and the star map) to qualify and play chapters. I use the left orbit shot as a bit of a crutch, and I like to send it around into the bumpers to build the mystery award. That makes me not a huge fan of the left orbit post assist on some chapters, but I've been trying to learn to anticipate it and use it.

I try to complete each chapter I start. That leads to more ball drains & lower scores but has definitely improved my shooting accuracy over time. I'm much more able to work the ball around and be in the neighborhood of shots than I was a couple months ago, and playing POTC has really improved my ability to shoot & score on my other machine too.

I love the multiple characters & multiple daily high scores (my kids love that they can get their picture taken for a high score every day and friends love getting their picture taken too), and I really love the stacking of multiballs & chapters. I think it's fun to have 3 multi balls going while working on a chapter, or better yet hit the starfield to start a chapter during multiball and then have to try to flip to the movie chapter I want to select & start it while keeping balls in play, or better yet have the cannon load during multiball and take a shot while trying to keep balls in play, and if I can also get Arrrrrr Frenzy going on top of all this then it's just amazing & awesome sensory overload! Oh, and when a multi ball starts, I also like switching my pirate lane award to Add a Ball. Just an incredible number of fun little things to monkey with and aim for while playing this game and it's a ton of fun discovering them all and trying to become a bit competent at it. Last night I played Ragetti a few times and liked being able to add a ball, so I think playing that character is going to be the next fun world of discovery for me. I've played the game most every day since I got it in early December, and I still find myself saying "Ok, one more game" over and over and over each time I play.

I bought this game and an older machine together as my first pins last fall, so I've been in the same boat as you. I don't have any mechanical and/or soldering experience, but I've been able to fix & adjust a couple minor things that have come up. I do still have two issues pending due to my lack of mechanical ability. Neither have kept me from being able to enjoy the game but it'll be nice when they get fixed. One is the broken green-brown wire under the mini Black Pearl playfield which takes three targets on that playfield offline (I haven't been able to practice soldering to try to fix it myself) and the other is that my chest ball lock mechanism has never worked (balls roll through instead of locking). One idea is maybe a middle ground between the $500 service fee and going it alone. What if you negotiate a price for the distributor to run through ZaphX's excellent posting of currently known issues and have the distributor set up the game at his shop & run through it to do anything preventive necessary to make sure all of those known possible bugs are taken care of? Maybe the distributor could then guarantee that setup work by saying if any of those currently known issues pop up on your machine in the next X months he'll do a service call to fix them? I don't know if distributors would typically make an arrangement like that, but I thought I'd throw the idea out there in case it's worth looking at as an alternative if you're good with doing your own transport and setup at home. I think you'll really enjoy having the machine, it's been a lot of fun to play!!!

I haven't done it yet myself, but I think the picture on comment #4968 (3rd picture down of the screw/post pushing against the plastic subway) and the description on comment #5265 are general idea of what needs to be done.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/jjp-pirates-of-the-caribbean-official-owners-and-fan-club/page/100#post-4867175

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/jjp-pirates-of-the-caribbean-official-owners-and-fan-club/page/106#post-4874225

Is there anything in the game that tracks the highest score(s) attained for a single shot, sort of a leaderboard for single shots? I haven't seen it among all the leaderboard items the game tracks, but maybe I missed it. I'd be curious to see something like that put into a game though, because with my eyes on the playfield most of the time I miss most of the individual shot scores as they're displayed in real time on the back screen.

Thanks!

Pinball-Keefer's post #5216 indicates that will be fixed in the next code release. Here's a link to his post:
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/jjp-pirates-of-the-caribbean-official-owners-and-fan-club/page/105#post-4872993

I've noticed the lights (including target lights) on the Pearl turn off when, as a result of the ball getting kicked up to the Pearl, the Curse of the Black Pearl multiball gets qualified. I'm not sure what conditions have to be met for it to happen (x number of left loop shots or x number of times getting a ball on the Pearl maybe). But when this happens no target lights are on while I hit the ball around on the Pearl playfield. Then, like you said, the lights go back on when the ball exits the Pearl, but then the light indicating the multiball is qualified is flashing. Seems to just be an indicator that the multiball has been qualified. I could be wrong though.

Just my 2 cents, but I'm guessing general conversation would also end up getting mixed into a newly created separate thread. I like having the one thread to keep up with and search. I also think keeping it as link to a live document that can be added to and updated is better than a pdf posted to the site that would have to be re-posted over and over to the thread for every update. Again, just my thought. Setting up this document with access for us has been a big deal and a tremendous help. Thanks zaphX!

Mine was having the same issue. With the lock bar removed the button wasn't sticking though, so it seemed like my issue was that the narrow metal switch was slipping to the side of the screw head on the bottom of the button and catching on the underside of the screw head. I tried bending the switch different ways and the way that finally worked for me was to leave the switch flat but push the free end of it (gently!) just a bit toward the playfield so the narrow switch is no longer laying parallel to the front of the cabinet, but instead veering a bit away from it. I had tried bending the angle of the narrow switch or creating a bit of a hump in the middle of it and that didn't work, but just leaving the narrow switch flat and pushing the free end of it toward the playfield a bit so it doesn't slip to the side of the screw any more seemed to do the trick and mine's working reliably now.

And this is the second time I've made the same adjustment to correct it. It had the problem out of the box but it had been working with no issues for months after the first time I fixed it. Then I made a slight adjustment to the lock bar screws and the action button suddenly started catching again. The same nudge to the narrow switch fixed the action button both times though and it's working fine again. Seems as though having a slightly wider piece of metal for that switch so the screw head can't slip past it might clear up that particular issue.

What did you hook into to get the flashers popping? I have the regular Pinstadium lights and it had a 2-wire tap-in connection, so it could only tap into 2 of the 4 colors on the playfield lights and that meant they were inactive half the time. So I opted to just hook into the spotlights. Since they're constantly white the Pinstadium lights don't interact with the game for me. Do the Fusions have a 4-wire-tap in to connect to the RGB LEDs to get the full interaction?

Nice! Looked amazing in your video. That additional 4-wire flasher tap makes a big difference. Thanks.

I know there are a ton of leaderboards for the game already (and I love that), but I'd like to see a couple added if it's possible. One for highest score for a single shot and one for highest score for a ball. I think those might be kind of interesting additions.

Oh, and an adjustment to improve the accuracy of my shots. That would be a REALLY great adjustment.

Yep, I'd like to see a bit more fanfare for completing a chapter and for entering a wizard mode too. They're both pretty good accomplishments that seem to deserve more than just a quick transition.

Yep, I agree. It would be nice to have a quick ball save there. It's disappointing when the magnet flips the ball back and it still comes straight down the middle. Happens often enough that a quick ball save would be nice.

Mine didn't go off for the successful cannon shot. It did go off for starting At World's End multiball.

Yep, it's a pretty neat shot and the signature shot of the game. I think the animation for it is great, but it would be nice to add some shaker for it too.

Risking a jinx of myself here, but here goes. I have over 1,500 games played on my machine and I'm still using the balls that came with it. Haven't had any problems with them. One thing though is over 900 of those games have been played as Tia Dalma, which means the starfield magnet isn't on them as much. Could the starfield magnet be the main issue with magnetizing? Just curious.

Gameplay question (mostly)!!!! The manual says two hits on the Dauntless without it going through the hole destroys it and qualifies COTBP multiball. The past couple weeks I've noticed a few games where I've hit the ship twice without it going through the hole but the multiball didn't qualify. It seems to be qualifying multiball only when I get it through the target hole. When I hit the ship it plays the video animation for a hit, and I haven't had an error reported for Switch 48 so that means it's been registering hits. I also just took the glass off, pulled the playfield forward, and went into switch tests to check #48 by hand. When I rock the Dauntless by hand the physical switch clicks and the machine dings, so the switch seems to be okay. It does seem like the ship has be rocked almost completely left for the switch to click though, and if it only gets rocked halfway left then the switch doesn't click, so I guess maybe it's possible some of my missed shots just didn't rock it far enough left? I thought I had a couple of games where I twice got the animation for a hit without it qualifying the multiball, but I could be mistaken. Just thought I'd see if anyone has had a similar experience. Meanwhile, back to work playing & getting better at the shot so this becomes a moot point!

Should I put mylar on the side of the ship to protect it from missed shots? Sorry, I couldn't resist that one. I truly went back and forth on whether or not to make that joke but I couldn't help myself.

Gameplay question! I've played most games using Tia Dalma to try to get to wizard modes, but I'm thinking of trying Ragetti more under the theory that adding a ball can give me longer playing time and therefore a chance to play more chapters. Best way for me to get to wizard modes of course is to get better at shooting, but still... are there any preferences out there for which character to use to have a better chance at wizard modes?

Yep, just hit the action button as soon as the ball goes onto the Pearl.

I like that Norrington idea. Quicker chapter completion = more chance to play chapters before I drain. I'm going to give that a try!

Nice! That makes sense. Even when I play Tia Dalma I seem to play the most chapters when I get multiballs, but I haven't tried focusing on getting multiballs first and then playing chapters. I've always come out of the gate trying to play chapters. I like the idea of going right after multiballs to make it happen though. Thanks!

Plundering code/guideline here: wife, friends, & neighbors are always fair game. Plundering the kids not as often but certainly doing it sometimes (don't want to spoil them)!

Yep, I was thinking there were more negative traits also but for now these are the only ones showing.

It happens when there is not a character to collect on the left orbit shot but there is a character to collect in the map hole or inner orbit shots. Like others said, the idea is to block a shot going up the left orbit in order to feed the upper flipper and collect those characters. Personally I find it a bit jarring and I'm still trying to get better at using it because 1) I'm never expecting it when it happens & 2) the ball often bounces so hard off the post that it flies past the flipper before I can use it. Here's the explanation from Keefer earlier in this forum:

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/jjp-pirates-of-the-caribbean-official-owners-and-fan-club/page/74#post-4834845

Ha! I know the feeling. I'm almost wishing this "how many games were produced" topic would revert back to the good ol' days of how to coat the entire machine in mylar & amber to preserve it. Almost.

Okay, game play question: What does everybody like to choose for their PIRATE lane awards? I've been going with Super X, then Bonus X, then Arrrrrrrr Frenzy as soon as it's eligible. I've never yet been able to get all 6 multiballs going at the same time though. I'm thinking of switching it up to maybe do Super X and then Add Gold. Seems to me like the best chance to get all 6 multiballs going is to start COTBP first, then Tortuga, and then get the other 4 running from there. I think I need to have Tortuga multiball pretty well teed up & ready to go first or second because I have zero chance/ability to hit the button to collect gold while one multiball is running, let alone while a couple or more MBs are going at the same time. Anyone have thoughts/strategies on this to share?

And as for the 10 million score posted by JustLikeMe... I mean... just... wow. Unreal score and well done.

Apologies for being off-topic

Just had a run of some good (for me) games. On one game I won enough treasures in a round of liars dice to start treasure hoard mode. I hadn't reached that before and I haven't seen or read anything about what to do in it so I was a bit lost. I just searched this thread and Pinside forums in general and not much comes up about it. Unfortunately my ball got bounced around in the pop bumpers for a bit and then thrown to the slings & left flipper couple times during the mode so I didn't have much chance to complete anything. Toward the end of the timer I did hit a combo and saw something flash on the screen so I'm guessing the goal is to make combos during the mode. No idea what they're worth or if there are different objectives though. Anyone have info on what the objectives & scoring are in the treasure hoard mode?

One other thing, similar to entering a wizard mode the game got relatively quiet for the treasure hoard mode. I'm hoping they add some more dramatic or louder music & effects for the wizard modes and treasure hoard. To me it feels a bit off/odd to have the regular game play be sensory overload with lights & sounds and then become a lot calmer for those modes. Still loving this game after about 6 months of almost daily play.

There's a mylar joke to be made about that post but I'm not going to be the one to do it.

Couple game questions that I've been trying to figure out lately but can't figure out the rhyme or reason to them:
1) Occasionally a skull light on the playfield will turn from its regular color to white. Anyone know why this happens? It turns back to it's regular color again at some point, so I'm guessing it must be a signal about something related to game play but I can't figure it out.

2) During Tortuga multiball you can occasionally add a ball by hitting a jackpot. Anyone know what causes that to happen? Is it after hitting a certain number of jackpots or hitting the scoop for a super jackpot?

Oh boy, here we go!!! Looking forward to this release!!!!

I second that motion! Same for after chapter select in the star map area.

I'm picturing someone needing a straight jacket and a padded room on the day they get through 4 wizard modes and then drain to end the game during the 5th one right before getting a crack at Break the Curse. My sanity seems safe since I don't realistically think I'll ever get 3 wizard modes played in a game.

Thanks pinball_keefer for the work on this code. Can't wait to install & play it as a gift to my wife on Mother's Day lol. She won't care about the new code in the least, but hey you can't always get what you want right? Current plan is to tell her it's a date-sensitive install that can't be done on any other day. I give myself a 50-50 chance of pulling it off.

I have the same issue. Problem isn't so much alignment as it is the speed of the kickout varies from one time to the next. If I was getting consistent kickout speed then yes, I'd change the alignment as you suggest but I'm getting a consistent speed probably 5 or 6 times out of ten and then the other times the speeds are harder or softer with no predictability. When the ball comes out at the right/wrong speed it's SDTM instead of where it's usually hitting. The depths does the same thing for me. Sometimes it comes out of there hot and other times slower.

Yep, I've tried many different power settings too. Same inconsistency though. It just is what it is.

Maybe one day we can say “Alexa, change my PIRATE inlane award.”

Yes, I think you're correct that the diverter has the ball come out the depths instead of back out the Devil's Triangle opening. I think it diverts into the same hole as the Maelstrom funnel.

Arrrrrrrr!!! I love the new character traits! Really impressed with the addition of the constellation for Carina too - perfectly fitting for that character in the movie. Can tell a lot of good thought went into the traits for all of the characters. Still loving this game and playing just about every day!!!

I think the starmap menu adjustment changes how quickly/slowly the lights flash together to make the image they're forming on the map easier or more difficult to visualize. Going one direction in the menu adjustment makes it so more lights are on at once and you can more easily see what the image is. Opposite for the other direction. I think I remember seeing or reading something about scoring related to constellations being decreased if you adjust the map to the easier side of default.

Yes you have to hit the map hole to complete the skill shot. You can go for as many loops as you want but you have to hit the map hole to finish it.

Closing in on post #10,000 on this topic. I remember when I first started following it in Dec when I got my machine I think the topic had about 25-30 pages and something like 1,300-1,400 posts. Who’s going to be the author of post #10,000?

I think you already posted the answer to your own question. Elizabeth Swan on a pole.

Have you given Norrington a try? I used to only play Tia Dalma but have switched more to Norrington on advice from a post some time back. Completing chapters is faster with him and I find that helps me complete a movie to get to wizard modes. It doesn't seem like it should work out that way but I'm not a great shot and I seem to do better when I'm not trying to be a sniper to start a particular movie chapter and instead just go more with the flow of the shots. When I play Norrington I get more into that mindset of not trying to be too perfect with the order of my shots so it seems to work out for me. The combination of all the different shots & characters in this game really is amazing.

That is a pretty great effect. I had a thought the other night that it would be neat if they could put some sort of animation over the cannon door when that movie's wizard mode has been played. Right now I think after the wizard mode has been played the cannon door just stays shut the way it usually is when the chapter hasn't been qualified (although I haven't updated code so maybe it's different on .99). Might be interesting to make it look like a cannon has been shot through the door or have some other look to the door to indicate the wizard mode has been played.

Yep, Devil’s Triangle and Extra Ball shots give me fits. Can’t hit them when I’m trying but when I don’t need to hit them the ball frequently finds it’s way there as if to say “it’s this way, moron”. Love the challenge - it keeps me playing game after game.

Definitely! I love hearing that clank too! The variability of the shot from both flippers combined with the ship rocking makes it a pretty different challenge each time. Very fun though and that sound really does add to it. My best chance for loading the cannon seems to be when the ball happens to be at the left flipper as the ship is rocking left. I’ve yet to develop any consistency in being able to arrange those two things occurring at the same time though. Most of the time I’m just trying to keep it on board as long as possible and hoping for the best.

Very sorry to hear that and very glad you're still sailing the pirate seas with us. This game is already brilliant as is, and anything more will be icing on the cake. Even though it's all too easy to get caught up in the rat race, health before work always. Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!

All you should need to do for Ragetti's add-a-ball is hit the action button as soon as the ball goes up on the Pearl. You can do it once per ball.

From page A-13 of the manual (the section titled “Skill Shots”):
3) Plunge the ball with medium strength to send the ball toward the top of the playfield. If you are able to drop it into the subway entrance, beneath the Black Pearl mini playfield, you are awarded points and one stage of progress toward sinking the Dauntless with the Black Pearl cannon (below, center) and qualifying The Curse of The Black Pearl Multiball. You also get to board the Black Pearl mini playfield in an attempt to further your progress (more on this feature to follow).

Or get the load cannon light (green arrow) lit on the Black Pearl and then skill shot to advance it to the next step. Very simple concept. COTBP MB requires steps:
1) Raise Sails (spinners to light stand up targets)
2) Load Cannon (stand up targets to light green arrow)
3) Sink ship (load ball & fire while arrow lit)
4) Shoot Port Royal to start MB (insert flashing)

Whichever step you’re currently on, the skill shot will advance you to the next step.

That seems right. I've noticed that after playing COTBP MB trying to qualify it again seems a bit more difficult. It seems like more turns of the spinner are required to activate the stand ups (I'll try to not raise the hair on anyone's neck by saying raise the sails... oops I just said it), and it seems like the rocking motion of the ship becomes more difficult also.

These posts might help:
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/jjp-pirates-of-the-caribbean-official-owners-and-fan-club/page/84#post-4849012

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/jjp-pirates-of-the-caribbean-official-owners-and-fan-club/page/49#post-4757198

Much wisdom from over 10K posts ago:

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/jjp-pirates-of-the-caribbean-official-owners-and-fan-club/page/9#post-4657535

I used the app and it seems to work on the iPhone because step 1 is calibration on a flat surface.

I think I recall reading somewhere or seeing in a video where they said the original design did have the chapter selected by the ball hitting the targets as it was flung around by the magnet. The last target hit by the ball was the one selected to play. However they realized the way the mech was working caused the ball to be much more likely to hit some targets than others, so it wasn't going to be truly random selection (odds of the ball hitting some targets last were much greater than others). That led to creating the random choice by software.

I think so.

Honestly not trying to be a smart alec, just wondering what the interest is in having a printed manual as long as one is available online. I'd think it would be kind of like phone books now - good in print at one time but better online now with searchable text.

Here’s a link to the advice I followed when I installed my Cliffy’s. Worked for me.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/jjpirates-of-the-caribbean-troubleshooting-tips-issues#post-4934930

One idea: Maybe watch an archived stream somewhere and check to see if what you’re seeing is the same on other machines.

I’d put neoprene and steel washers (steel washer on top of neoprene washer) under as many mini posts as you can get to. One mini post on mine did already have a steel washer but I couldn’t add neoprene under it because the steel washer seems to be stuck in the clear coat.

Also check that both the chest lock mech and cannon load door (in the mini playfield) are working correctly. Out of the box, my chest latch needed to be slightly bent to hold balls in and my cannon door also needed to be adjusted because it was only staying all the way up. The arm connecting it needed to be bent so the door could close. I didn’t even realize there was a cannon load door until several months after I got the machine and I noticed it on a stream and said “What the...?”

Also, make note of the post I’m linking below. Not necessary to do it now but once the rubber at the corner of the star map area wears out you’ll need to replace it, so while you’re there I think it’s a good idea to also put the 1/2 inch post sleeve there. That should prevent needing to replace the rubber ring again for a long time (also helped cut way down on balls going SDTM after chapter starts).

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/jjp-pirates-of-the-caribbean-official-owners-and-fan-club/page/227#post-5094603

I’d also consider the POTC pirate ship protector from Pinball life. I’ve had three switch wires under the Pearl break and need re-soldering due to bounce backs off the Dauntless. It also prevents balls from getting stuck under the Pearl. I put it in and I like having it there. Here’s a link:

https://www.pinballlife.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=POTCCS_UK

It’s a great game to play though!!! Welcome aboard!

Shot X means the next shot you hit will be worth X times its usual value. Good for one shot. Super X starts a timer during which every shot you hit will be worth X times its usual value. So 2X is double value, 3X is triple, etc.

With over 11k posts in this thread there’s a lot of information available by keyword searching. More on the multipliers here:

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/jjp-pirates-of-the-caribbean-official-owners-and-fan-club/page/8#post-4637259

Yep, I got mine from Marco but it's the same thing. 1/2 inch high and 3/8 inch inner diameter. When I ordered I thought about whether or not it might make sense anywhere else but nothing jumped out at me. It would fit on the opposite post for the star map opening but that rubber was still in really good shape. I don't think it takes near as many direct hits like the left side does.

I got my neoprene washers for the mini posts at Home Depot. I think they were 3/16 inner diameter (hole size) and 1/2 inch outer diameter. I’ll check tonight when I get home and then update this post with a link. I didn’t put any under the sling posts yet. That’s this weekend’s to-do.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/3-16-in-x-1-2-in-Black-Neoprene-Washer-4-Piece-815728/204276433

Yep that’s the one I bought. It’s working very well.

I’m not sure, but I think it’s a case of two different issues. One issue is rippling, and another issue is chipping. I put neoprene washers under the mini posts to try to prevent chipping at the base of them. I don’t know, but I don’t think a washer is going to prevent rippling, regardless of what material the washer is. If the clear is shifting and causing rippling I think it’s going to happen no matter what material the clear is pushing against.

To clarify, what’s going on game-wise when the video was taken? I hear the “What are you waiting for?” callout, so I’m guessing it’s either the start of a new game or between balls on a game in progress, where some shots have already been made on a previous ball. The brightness of the right loop arrow seemed normal when it flashed. Your description of the arrows going solid after hitting the shots while others might be flickering seems consistent with normal game play.

Still less than one year since the games rolled out the door and they had an update in May with another one a few months before that. If they hold a pattern of every 4-5 months for a release we’ll have 1.0 by October, which I think is right around when games shipped last year.

I’m not saying I’m confident it’ll happen. I’m just saying I think they’ve still got a bit of time until it’s time to get negative on that topic. There’s a subtle difference

I looked at my game when I played last night and prior to plunges I had the same flickering and mixing of colors on the inner orbit and map hole lights, which is done on those lights to call attention to the skill shot available off the plunge. My large red arrow on the Open Seas (outer right orbit) was also flashing the same as yours prior to plunges. And my left orbit arrow also flickered a bit. I’d have to look again tonight at the specific case of what your other unlit arrows are doing after power up and selecting a character, but it seems to make sense those would be unlit until their respective shots are made.

My thinking is the lights on your game appear to be working the same as mine prior to plunges (though I’d have to double check the specific instance of after character selection). You’ve said none of the lights on your machine are completely inoperable, and that they come on when shots are made, so it seems like your lighting is correct and that’s just how the machine is programmed. If your main issue is just with what’s going on prior to plunges and you don’t have any inoperable lights, then my thought is your game is lighting as normal. Have you viewed any archived streams online to compare how those machines are lit after character select? You’d want to view a stream of a machine that’s using the same code yours is currently running.

For Depths I just lined it up at the edge of the hole from the topside, put my middle (longest) finger on it and slowly slid it over the edge until the lip of the protector was hanging onto the edge of the hole. Then, going slowly to hold the protector in the same position, I slid my finger a fraction of an inch into the hole and pressed the back plate of the protector forward toward the front of the machine and it snapped into place. Your magnet will come in handy if you slip up and drop the protector into the hole the first couple times like I did. Also, I unscrewed the wire return from Malestrom and slid it down through the Devil’s Triangle rock as far as it would go so I could then turn it out of the way (laying more horizontal across the playfield) so it wouldn’t block my hand. Put a rag or towel on the playfield under the wire so you don’t scratch anything. It seems daunting but on my 3rd try it snapped into place easily.

I’ve only taken it off and put it back on once, but here’s one thought on a way to troubleshoot it: if you turn power off and unhook it from the linkage arm it’s connected to behind the back wall, can you manually rock it back and forth the whole way or is it still limited? If you can rock it the whole way then the issue is with the connection to the linkage. If you can’t manually rock it the whole way then the issue might be that it’s not seated properly or there’s a wire in the way under the ship. I don’t know offhand if the rod usually goes all the way to the bottom when it’s connected and powered. I can look at mine tonight.

These wires have been an issue for me too. Anyone know if re-soldering is the only option or is there a different way to make a reliable connection that won’t be as likely to break?

I just checked and the rod on my Black Pearl also does not travel all the way to the bottom of the slot. There's still a decent gap at its lowest point both when there's a ball on the Pearl and when there's a ball loaded in the cannon ready to shoot.

“At some point” definitely doesn’t sound encouraging. I’m thinking mid- to late October would be a reasonable time frame (about a year after shipping) but I’m not holding my breath. JJP seems to be pretty far from firing on all cylinders right now.

Where I’m getting what from? It was posted that someone at JJP on Google said code will be coming “at some point”. To me the phrase “at some point” doesn’t sound like it’s only 1-2 months away when it’s coming from a representative of the company. I hope I’m wrong though. As for JJP not firing on all cylinders I wasn’t referring to just code. I was referring to my impression of their overall operation (products and service) based on my own recent experience with them.

Are you talking about the black railing on the left side of the upper playfield in your picture (with the nut in the middle of it) or the clear plastic under the upper playfield and above the star map area? If you mean the black railing in your picture, can you remove the back of the Pearl so you can lift that plastic off? The left side top rear of the ship above the cannon door can be easily removed by three nuts behind that section near the coil on the back of the ship (between the upper playfield and the back board of the cabinet). Maybe you can lift that section up so you can remove the railing plastic?

If you’re referring to the clear plastic over the star map then go with what Heater suggests.

Yep, here's a link to a post with a picture of what it looks like with that rear plastic off, and the three screws that fasten it from the back.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/jjpirates-of-the-caribbean-troubleshooting-tips-issues/page/40#post-5154002

VERY fun game to play!!! Tweaks haven't been too crazy. Welcome aboard!!!