Make sure that if the post to the left of the ring ramp is not modded, you do so, so you don't peen the leftedge of the ramp.

Congrats! Valinor awaits....

Dan

If you don't mind upgrading some chips in your pin to make it an unofficial LE, add a shaker motor. It's really well integrated with the Balrog and various other modes.

Add a high score!

The shaker motor is great. LEDs look horrible in LOTR, lots of white inserts.

IMO, just about every mod is extremely lame. The shaker motor is at least installing a feature I consider missing, since it exists in the LE. Cluttering the game up with a bunch of cheap junk takes away from the gameplay and the look.

+1 for the shaker

Also, something to protect the shire. I have a few protectors left or use something temporary until Cliffy's is released. There is a whole thread on it if you want to read up on the problem and what is being done about it. Mine was to the point of splinting wood all over my playfield

http://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/lotr-shire-protector-available

Pinball Life sells all you need to prevent damage. Link below:

http://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p=product&id=1045

Dan

I agree on most LOTR mods I've seen so far... But speaking of lame, what about the stock Palantir? I'm working on an actual crystal Palantir mod to replace the original goofy plastic stock one with the big screw hole through it. I have a spotlight wired to the 44 socket so it makes the entire crystal ball glow when the Palantir is lit. I'll see if I have a pic of it and post it.

I agree. LEDs work well along the backboard, the Path of the Dead, and some of the GI, but are pretty terrible for insert lighting. Originally I put LEDs in mine and ended up removing them 6 months ago to go back to incandescent bulbs in the inserts. They just look "right" in LOTR IMO.

Make sure to get the arwen plastic protector.

Inserts--- LED definitely!
GI--- Stay with standard bulbs.

See "LOTR habitrail mod" in forum search for a lower ugly plastic alternative.

shaker for sure....potd lighted figures from Hemi look great....color changing palantir light...and some led's ...nothing else needed..

do you have any pics of your lotr setup?

the palantir mod was done a few years back..... i'm not sure who sells them, but my buddy bought one and installed it for me in my lotr. it looks WAAAY better than that craptastic stock palantir that stern threw in there.

oh yeah...and the potd diverter to trail, I like it instead of the the arwen plastic protector...even though some want to get extra points that way..

There should be a sticker on the back with the production date I think.

Pay attention to when you have played the game for an extended period (30 minutes to an hour), whether the flippers seem to weaken. If they do, there are upgraded replacement flipper coils available.

http://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p=product&id=1112

Dan

I recently added LOTR back to the lineup. It had no LEDs in it. I have added LEDs to 80% of the GI and it looks great. I have no intention of putting LEDs in the inserts. The fading effects on this pin are prevalent in attract mode and LEDs look like crap for that. Also, this pin ghosts like crazy with LEDs so you need the no ghost LEDs. I did put a color changing LED in the Mode insert and Palantir.

I used a lot of orange LEDs in the upper part of the PF, including the back box. Gives it a "fiery" type of appearance, which matches the theme well. I put a green CT Superbright on the far left of the backbox, so it lights the POTD green.

Here ya go.

IMG_0320.jpg

Ya got it backwards!

I got the true crystal ball mod with color changing led... looks way getter than stock. Getting the potd mod from hemi...and put all the protectors in from pinbits. I thought about leds as well...but its true, standard lights look "right" in this machine. Maybe a couple green by potd..can't think of anywhere else that would look good...:/

I actually recommend these even if you don't feel like the flippers weaken over time. These are just a tad crisper than the stock ones, even when they aren't hot. Game plays quite a bit better with these coils IMO.

Orange Cliffy sleeves for the posts look great on LOTR.

I got the true crystal ball mod with color changing led... looks way getter than stock. Getting the potd mod from hemi...and put all the protectors in from pinbits. I thought about leds as well...but its true, standard lights look "right" in this machine. Maybe a couple green by potd..can't think of anywhere else that would look good...:/

Do you have pics of the one that was made before? I couldn't find it when I looked. Here is the one I made.

1-DSC00177.JPG

I'd love to have a nice crystal ball mod if anyone still makes them.

Sounds like we have almost identical setups! Only difference is that I used red and purple along the backboard. Otherwise the rest sounds the same. The color changer for the mode start and Palantir works nicely. Also, I did leave an LED in the Destroy Ring insert. Figure it gives it a bit of extra punch when it is lit (which isn't that often for me).

One man's "extra points" is another man's "the way it was intended by the designer".

I like it because it makes the game flow better. Playing one without it just feels wrong to me. Seems clumsy how the ball falls on the Arwen plastic and then into the Shire. I know that is how it is supposed to be, but it feels unfinished to me. Mine will always have the diverter installed.

I got the POTD diverter also--
WAY better flow!!!!

potd plastic, figures, and leds look great!

I could certainly see how some people may feel that way. It certainly adds a randomness, or slowing of flow as well, to the game that I don't find in some of my other games. Kind of reminds me of when the ringmaster tosses the ball off his head in CV.

Mine was that way when I got it, and I guess I just never knew any better.

pinbits plastic protectors and upgraded flipper coils too.

I know what you mean. Mine came with the diverter installed, so I never knew another way until I eventually played one on route. Funny thing is, I actually thought the route game was messed up because it didn't have the diverter.

Only later did I find out the diverter was an add on and that the route game I encountered was actually set up the way the game was intended to be played!

I think white rubber looks great on LOTR (see pictures below, the Paths of the Dead looks pretty funky). I also have the colour changing Palantir and it's very cool. Don't forget to add a Cliffy (Gimli shot) and a set of plastic protectors from Pinbits! I have the Arwen protector, it's the second generation one that Scott from Australia makes. I had the first generation one on there before but it broke pretty easily. I've had the new one on since last June and it's awesome. Not sure if Scott is still making them or not, his email is: [email protected] . Only took 9 days to ship to Canada so not that long at all.

I tried a bunch of LEDs and didn't like most of them. Ended up putting some of Cointaker's new premium frosted non ghosting ones in a bunch of the inserts and I quite like them. Didn't like them down near the bottom of the playfield as there are too many white inserts and the overall brightness was too much. Also tried some in the GI and preferred the old style #44s better. As with any machine, it's all personal preference and in LOTR I think it's one machine that looks just fine the way it originally came.

LOTR_1.JPG LOTR_2.JPG LOTR_4.JPG LOTR_5.JPG LOTR_6.JPG

Here is a mod that I make for the POTD fading on/off LEDs. I am currently sold out of the first run of them but I am going to do another run of this mod in a bit and I have 3 more complete kits that will be available with the parts that I have in stock.

Let me know if you would like one.... here is the video of it in action

Thanks for the kind words Buckles . It is / was me that redisigned and made the 2nd generation Arwen protector ramps .

I have only ever had the one batch of 100 made which sold out quite a few months ago now . I would consider getting more made but the problem being that the manufacturer that I had make these worked on a minimum batch of 100 units to make it cost effective per unit . The cost that I was selling them at had very little mark-up on them as I was really just trying to recoup the costs of having them made and end up with a ramp for my own personal machine .

As I hope everyone would understand that outlaying the initial costs of getting another 100 made is simply out of my budget .

I would get more made on the condition that if I could get enough pre-orders to cover the costs of getting the batch made . I would then ask for 50% deposits before they get made and then buyers pay the remaining 50% + postage costs when they are done .

The speaker light mod is tasteful in my humble opinion. Photo toward the middle of the thread: http://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/pinballtopperscom-new-product-light-kits

Ryan's habit rail mod is super great, completely spaced it. Super subtle and gets rid of a big ugly clear plastic.

In terms of playability, I need to mod that POTD post so it works...

A color changing LED behind the crystal ball thing is decent as well.

LOTR has great shaker effects, the best of any game. I think they are a lot more subtle, a little tactile feedback when you make a shot goes a long way.

Yes!

I....have an idea....... .....somebody needs to take JJ's Woz crystal ball and figure out a way to duplicate it with video clips inside the ball....why not, let's go modders, lets figure something out

Maybe a little ambitious?...

And way harder to achieve ROTK multiball.

Actually its not too ambitous at all I have been working on that very idea and almost have it ready for final testing. As of now I have made different triggers for different lighting and video events "flaming eye" and so forth. I was going to wait to say anything for a week or so until i could do some more tweaks and take some videos of it in the machine but this thread beat me too it. I will say this though it is pretty damn looking cool so far

Thanks,
Ryan

All that was mentioned above are good ideas... LED are definitely preference.. I prefer the warm glow of the old incadescents on this swampy looking pf...

I'm also in the process of exchanging legs/siderails/lockdown bar/hinges to brass/gold...

Speaker light mod looks great... a new set of instruction cards are a must... Stern yellow is ugly!

I'm also going to add the entire Flipper fidelity speaker upgrade and glowing colored LED backlite effects...

With all the standard toys and POTD mod... pf is all ready pretty much maxed out..

Oh my goodness!! That is excellent!

I am going to go ahead and start my thread about it.

Thanks

Funny you mention the Ring insert. I do plan on putting an LED there as well