Dialing PETA right now.....

Rob

I am really enjoying my Premium. I'm decent, not a great player, but I think I hit the right ramp about 1 out of every 20 attempts. I brick that shot almost EVERY FN TIME. It's really tilting.

Left ramp? No problem
Helipad shot? No problem
Smart Missile? 1 out of every 5 attempts
Control Room shot? Easy

Right Ramp? BRICK CITY.

Also, the outlane drains are brutal. If you get into the slings it's likely draining. The outlane posts are set in the middle.

Stern Cabinet Node Capacitor Kit For Spike Shaker Motors 502-7059-00

Factory recommended Stern shaker motor cabinet node capacitor kit for late model Stern SPIKE system pinball machines.

Eliminates mysterious SLAM TILT switch activation during gameplay in machines with shaker motors.

I recently also set my outlanes posts all the way down to hopefully make the game a bit less punishing.
However, now I’m thinking of returning them back to factory as it made little to no difference with balls draining out both sides at virtually the same rate.

I don’t find nudging particularity successful when I try to avoid those side drains. Ball just simply ricochets off the slings or posts so darn quickly.
As one of my close pinball friends says, I just need to play better and practice more.

Regardless, it’s a sensational game. Can’t stop hitting that start button.

Just got my PRO. I love it!!
My smart button is not working. Anybody have an idea? is there a repair group on here?

Likely just a switch adjustment. Take the lock bar off and put the game in switch test mode. Push on the switch and see if it registers. If it does, you need to bend it up. Retest after you make the adjustment.

Pull off the lock down bar. There is a screw you can adjust on the bottom of the clear button. Maybe it's not hitting the switch. Just thought.

@lermods @jon9508

Thanks guys! Got it!

The playfield layout is unique & difficult. I just waxed the JP3 playfield last week & now the ball is lightning fast without mercy. Regardless, this is a very challenging machine so it's necessary to control the ball when possible. When the ball's under control it's easier to hit those shots to progress further into the game. In any machine your game will sometimes go however the ball rolls, but the key to better progression & scores is ball control.

Glad you posted this!
I just got my ACNC a couple weeks ago. All the complaining about bricked shots is because people that play the game on location a few times and can't nail all the shots is a joke! This game is awesome once you practice and start getting the shots down It's a PLAYER'S PIN. This is what you want in your home. You can play it as much as you want and it will improve your skills. Honestly, ACNC is so great, I don't think I'll ever top it. Never experienced a game with more ambiance and thrill! So I have no reservations about buying JP3 because of difficulty. This will be another great PLAYERS PIN! Cheers!

You must be on Spookys payroll. This is the 2nd thread that you are trying to pump ACNC.

It does not compare to Jurassic Park.

Nope. Not on the payroll. And I beg to differ! Although I am so far planning to get a JP3 pro. Most people will never see ACNC in the wild. It's a shame. I'm just trying to let people know how good it really is because the game has gotten unfair press IMO. This is a forum about PINBALL where people share their experiences. So your statement about me trying to PUMP ACNC is B.S.

Thats great but this is a JP3 thread so whats the point? Start a ACNC appreciation thread and good luck to ya. I think many pinsiders including me have no desire to even play ACNC due to theme alone. Spooky games for me can be fun but they are lacking in comparison to Stern and JJP. Love the game Im happy for ya, actually I don`t care at all but why bring it here

No doubt, JP3 is a players pin. With so much going on & the demanding playfield layout this title is absolutely recommended for home use. JP3 is incredibly unique in so many ways, as Stern has truly thought outside the box w/ the JP3 theme, code & overall gameplay. To truly enjoy what this title has to offer one practically needs to play in a home environment to experience all the nuances. Just remember, w/ an already very good present code it's only going to get better! Looking forward>>>

Also, other titles that would be considered challenging & deep (possibly perfect home-use pins) > Stern SW's, Houdini, BM66. I had Houdini < Excellent! I have SW's < Another great one! We are considering BM66 as well. ACNC sounds tempting also. We only have room for a three pin lineup. Choices > Choices!

Made a comparison. That's it. It's called conversation! Your loss. And I don't care what you think either! And why are you so upset? Did I hurt your feelings?

Not correct. This is a thread for JP owners, not talk about ACNC. My JP Premium is coming this week and I'm really looking forward to it!

Rob

I was talking about JP. People also say this game is too hard. I just made a comparison to ACNC, because it gets the same rap. And I find it isn't fair in that these games are super fun once you adapt with practice. Sorry I brought it up now. Congrats on your new pin!. Hopefully I'll be joining the club next year!

Both are hard, but the shot geometry on JP is way better than ACNC.

Bowen has made the game a ton of fun now though.

The shot geometry on JP3 is beyond compare with other machines. It has four ramps! Amazing layout and very unique. Once flippers ball positions are learned, the table is moderate to on the easier side to shoot with proper setup (at least for me). It is buttery smooth and so much to shoot for with rewards galore. Took me around 30 games to dial it in, then off to the races. So much to offer on JP3, it is one that will be fun to shoot for years to come. Sorry, other company offerings don’t hold a candle to JP3, imo.

Some that think it is on the hard side, might consider the setup. If table is leveled top and bottom on each side to side, with proper pitch, it is not a difficult shooter, like some might think. Only becomes harder with poor setup values. JP3 tuned up plays on the moderate side.

It's pretty interesting to me that the shot geometry is so good. Most pins to me look like someone placed stuff within the theme around the playfield, and then built a pinball game around it. Neither the theme nor ball movement seem to correspond purposefully.

JP3s layout is the island and you travel through it for a reason. The structures have a connection with the story (you arrive on the helicopter like the ball, they drive to the back by the Trex, the control room is where they started and is by the raptor pen...) The theme layout looks like it was the priority.

Yet somehow, so were the shots. It's like KE designed a great pin game independent of the theme, too. How he got the theme to fit in to the layout is fantastic. But the layout is also so integrated to the theme... Ramps go up the tower and up the helicopter, into the Trex mouth, circling around the pteradons, the truck turns... The shots are also so tightly connected to the theme.

And then there's the gameplay. The ball goes places for a reason.

Before JP3, I thought there was a tradoff between sensical them layout and really great shots. It's amazing to see both.

Man u right, I'm seething over here. Seems maybe ur upset not too many people like ur little Alice Cooper game. Its ok. Oh and not listening to those AC songs is never a loss, all gain. Good day to u sir.

Got the Stern post fix on Friday game feels just that much more solid. Greatness.

I wouldn't associate ACNC, which has a flawed layout I don't care how good you are, with what is Stern's best game ever and the clear GOTY. Not even in the same category. Just not a logical comparison

Pretty sure Keith said on a podcast/interview he knew in advance his game was going to be Jurassic Park, knowing in advance probably helped him great such a cohesive package.

Excellent summary of how the game is incorporated with the theme. You should post that under the JP3 review section on the top 100.

I think Outlane is just pumping a game he is owner of. This sometimes creates a delusional review of a game.

With that said Stearns Jurassic Park is masterpiece on a completely different level!

Time to turn the page on that...

I'll be able to make a good comparison when I own both. But I'm enjoying the hell out ACNC! Most fun I ever had with a pin!

Actually, I couldn't care less! And the Alice Cooper songs Rock!

What pitch are you at?
And what are the most important things to get JP3 set up right for it to play on the Moderate side? ( I ask because my wife and others are more casual players than I am)
Thanks

I feel like it's a touch too early to declare this stern's best, what with the current lack of wizard modes and balancing. Not that I dont think it deserves to be in the running. I certainly look forward to playing the final product.

If you have had some decent time on JP3 then it's hard to deny that this machine is almost perfect pinball. No title is a true 10 but JP3 is in the realm of that assessment. Eventually as some time passes this title should no doubt remain in the top 10 for quite some time.

We've have had the majority of the "top rated" machines In our lineup as they have come & gone. However, JP3 is definitely here to stay for the distant future. We are extremely entertained w/ the pro as the overall package is simply fantastic. Hawkmoon hit it right on the money w/ take on JP3.

Yep, I did that. I tried it with 45 and 90 degree offsets. I should have taken video and folks would simply agree "yeah, that's totally messed up". Go take a steel hammer and slam it on a steel surface a thousand times a minute, THAT is what my factory shaker sounded like. The replacement sounds NOTHING like the original.

Need this advice also.

Ya, it sounds like you definitely had a defective shaker. Did you figure out what was wrong with it exactly?

Just got my premium on Saturday. Right ramp exit has a pretty big drop and then bounces around and doesn't let me get a flipper on it most of the time. I was looking around to see if I could adjust it. I noticed this plastic cable clamp thing that is not connected to anything. Is it supposed to hold the habitrail? Can anyone let me know what their's looks like?

jp (resized).jpg

That's a commonly used part to prevent ball traps

The pops on the premium looks like it's just amber caps over the normal plastics on the pro. They made it seem like it was something special.

#359 is in the house (Germany)

No I didn't, I feel like changing the software setting and then adjusting the hardware was the end of the of what my troubleshooting should be a as a NIB owner. At that point I reached out to the distributor and asked for a replacement unit to rule that out entirely.

Good catch. I thought the same. Initially I thought the caps were made with the actual mosquitoes trapped inside similar to the shooter rod upgrade. Now someone in the mod community needs to jump on this. LOL

The way Rex throws the ball around indiscriminately on "JP Slow" the caps are going to be cracked and broken in no time anyway. They probably just didn't think it was worth molding something fancy.

I really hope the new code throws the ball more b/c since I owned it, I haven't seen it once yet while when it was initially revealed, it would throw all the time. People are too worried about PF damage but the balance now is way too one sided. It's needs to be more mixed.

I think there is a setting to have the ball thrown or placed on the ramp. Pretty sure I read that somewhere.

Are the Premium playfield issues resolved? Flawless now?

There is - I have it turned on. Still no throw.

95% sure the only time the ball is thrown is on T-Rex Rampage mode.

It would be nice to have a setting in the adjumstments for "throw in all modes" on/off, and maybe a percent chance (so, throw available on all T-rex modes, 50% chance to throw vs. drop on habitrail)

T-Rex throws the ball on the T-Rex Rampage mode, places it on the ramp for the other two T-Rex modes.