Josh,
I have a few issues with the coding of Oktoberfest, I really hope they addressed this with the new update. For instance, My first stein collected was yours! Slosh Rosh Lager, I then played the tent and sent the ball 3 maybe even 4 times up the ramp! Still didn't get the tent win? I mean there is no way anyone is going to make this shot from the right flipper only more than 3 times to win the tent, even when you have a stein? Not fun even for amateurs.
2 weeks ago I was getting frustrated after owning this game after 11 months and wasn't getting anywhere. I dialed back everything to easy or extra easy on the menu and it started to be entertaining again. I hate to be on P*sy level but thats how it is in order to progress.
I loved listening to the Super Awesome Podcast that you mentioned this game was designed for bars and Houdini was too difficult. I think the problem with this game is not the art, layout, or theme but that no one in a bar (which this game was intended) after a drink or two or is going to be making any of these shots frequently enough to explore everything it has to offer.
Here is the number one quote review of this game. "I want to like this game".
Someone said that at Pincinnati last year out loud after playing it and it struck a cord with me and was exactly what I remember thinking myself after playing my first time. This is everyones first impression.
Josh you are genius when it comes to ideas and implementing into the theme, stuff I would have never thought of, but if the target audience is a bar with a few people having drinks or my friends who come over and have no experience in pinball it's not going to work. They flock to Metallica because they can hit Sparky and the tomb stones, hammer or snake mouth and feel they got pleasure from a multiball. That easy.
I recommend with the new code slicing everything in half so the default (operators normal)is what easy is now or more. To prove this, set up the game next to each other on location like the old days with extra easy and default next to each other and see what people have more fun playing. Filling 20 mugs in Tap It is hard enough even after collecting a stein. It's a tough line coding I get it. Too easy everyone walks away and too hard the same thing. I just think the setting need to be dialed back to draw a larger crowd. Especially for location and an average player like myself.
Take Care