Metallica 2.01 is here! This is a major refactoring of the entire game code from the core engines up. All crucial trigger sequences are now monitored by dedicated state machines, enhancing performance and reliability, tightening up response times and facilitating more and better stacking.
Sequences that previously showed delays in triggering are now aligned perfectly.
Blackened has been brought back into the main code and runs in conjunction with multiballs. Previously other effects were suspended while Blackened was running.
Multiball stacking is enhanced with very few effects suspended at all.
CIU engine has been completely rebuilt.

Code is now available for download at the website..
http://www.redshiftled.com.au/downloads.php

Here is a video of me stacking the hell out of it. All the effects are the same as before, but the end effect is a very tight performance that I'm now completely satisfied feels like factory. But I'm biased of course
(Note that during any CIU mode, other effects are deliberately suspended to match the lighting design of the Premium.)

If you've installed the correct code your status LEDs will look like this (except for the shutter deficiencies of an iphone).

1:00am here..night.

Attract fade version, epthegeek variation and cross-mech support version will be posted over the coming day or two.

It uses white, red and blue bulbs in the same way the premium/LE does. More details here..
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/ramp-lighting-in-your-face-st-pro-brought-to-lifevideo

epthegeek is a great pinsider.

The epthegeek version is a version in which red and blue are switched off when not being used for an effect. Suggested by epthegeek.

Thumbs up for the self deprecation..certainly not the content.

Bug alert. Fix will be done in a few hours. If you light extra ball WHILE you are in a CIU mode and then have extra ball AND mystery lit when you hit the scoop AND are able to collect CIU, it will not let you collect CIU. It will let you continue ok, and you will be able to collect next time you are in the scoop, but not first time. Pretty rare event, but we're shooting for perfection here. Damn. Thought I was home. Haha.

Now, this could be the coolest thing I have ever done. In response to RobertWinter's crazy request to have the scheme selectable between regular full colour and epthegeek white-only-between-effects GI schemes, I have provided in-game choice between the two.

How??, you ask.

As the first ball of your game rests in the shooterlane, the GI will alternate every two seconds between tri-colour and just white. Whatever state the GI is when you plunge will be your scheme for the remainder of the game. The colour alternating cycle will not reoccur on subsequent balls. If you restart further games quickly the scheme will remain as chosen, again without the alternating colour on even your first ball. To get your ability to choose again, simply let the end sequence play out until attract mode comes on. The first ball of your next game will have the choice cycle active.

Remember, the only-white scheme merely refers to the time between effects. Effects are all still there and in the same colours as regular code.

Available now on the website as Met Pro V2.01 Dual Scheme.

I don't mind saying that this one is an effing cool piece of work. Please tell your friends.

Absolutely. But I need to rest a few days. I've been holed up in the basement for weeks and the missus is getting pretty angry. Maybe a few days of testing anyway could be useful.

I would just check your terminal block connections back at the main board. As they are a screw terminal they may work loose over time.
No lights is not a big problem. Will just be a connection somewhere. Lights stuck on is the one to worry about.

I gotta spam the forums a bit more then!

I'll shoot you an email with some tests you can do.

That's a very good question. No it won't work. I'll send you a replacement board. I'll PM you for details. Easier all round if I do that. Or if you or a buddy can do SMD board work it's a five minute job to swap out the blown fet. I can have the spare part delivered straight to you.

I've had a bit of an epiphany surrounding Blackened this evening. Please continue to enjoy the latest version, but there will be bigger and better by the end of the weekend. I can bring almost all effects into Blackened and now hold it properly over CIU. I think I may even by now be stacking more than factory Premiums. I sold my LE a while ago and can't quite remember, but I don't think a lot stacks with Blackened. I could very well be remembering wrongly though.

Hey, everybody set your Blackened difficulty to easy and enjoy this shizzle!

Those people with orders for the kit in the system, if I haven't contacted you directly yet, I am holding your shipment until I finish these last few tweaks. Everything should be in the post Monday with fresh code installed.

AND he has seven children. And just between you and me, I think he's a little bit crazy.

Well, on to 2.02 we go. Final version ever (until something breaks ) is there on the website with attract fade..

http://www.redshiftled.com.au/downloads.php and choose Met Pro V2.02_af.

You will see inactive links for the other three variations that are coming. They will be made live over the weekend. Cross-mech coming too, but I will put that up when I get the cross mech itself finished.

I'm also uploading a 35 minute, ten-ball, 15 second ball-save, rubber bands on the outlanes, game that shows that she does not break. There's a nice Blackened super J towards the end, so it covers the whole spectrum.

Seriously, set your band member collects to 1 and 0. Blackened is nuts, and really should be played more during the game. Well, with these lights anyway.

Dupe.

Was thinking like you. The ep version seems a minimal but effective bling variation. Solid attract.

But I do. I was saving them until I had all the variations of the board worked out to see where they might be most useful. I've still got cross platform functionality to come, and whether the serial outputs are driving lights or servos. It's only a 2-bank. Maybe I just give them a go here.

Sure thing if you prefer. Just wanted to give credit where due. What if I just shorten it to ep, to give the nod but not make it so personal?

Here it is. V2.02 in all its glory for 35 minutes. All effects covered at some point. I'm happy to call this done, or at least the "point where I give up" as Herg puts it so well.

Yes you did. There was definitely an error when collecting a CIU in some instances. Fixed in 2.02.

There's a nice little pinball moment in here towards the end. I wanted to capture the Blackened SJ in its natural habitat, and I was at half an hour of filming and on ball nine of my ten balls. I drained with Blackened lit and thought it was gone. I forgot it carries over like CIU lit, so I was pleasantly surprised to see it lit for start of ball ten. While attempting to collect all the band members to light the SJ, I think I was on the last one, I hit Sparky SU dead on and then STDM in the blink of an eye. FORTUNATELY, the Sparky hit had just glanced the captive ball and coffin MB was lit. I didn't notice the hit, and the drain was so fast that the ball was dead before the coffin MB sequence started. So, thinking it was all over and waiting for the drain sequence, that beautiful red saturated playfield appeared and literally pulled me out of the grave. You can hear my joy.
I love this game.

Up at the website now..

Met Pro V2.02_af (Latest update - with attract mode fade effect)
Met Pro V2.02_nf (Latest update - with no attract mode fade effect)
Met Pro V2.02_ep (Latest update - with red/blue bulbs off between effect patterns)

http://www.redshiftled.com.au/downloads.php

Enjoy!

Just one last thing. I'm not changing the version number, but I've just erased the power-up flicker. Please reload if you've already installed v2.02 before now..which is 1:43pm Sunday 22 May, Sydney time.

Not quite. I said I got rid of the power up flicker. There was a moment of craziness on initial power up. Powers up clean now.

DIP switch selectable code now available. Metallica V2.03 is up at the website. Details on the download page.
http://www.redshiftled.com.au/downloads.php
All three versions now contained in the same download. Select which you want through changing the DIP switch positions.

plus fixed a bug in the ep version (both 2.02 and contained in 2.03) where entering the mystery scoop would put all the colours to on before fading them for the mystery effect. Now it only fades the white that is already on.

Rising Cross mechanism support added. Version 2.04 is now up at the website.. http://redshiftled.com.au/downloads.php

Version 2.04 is the universal version. You can choose the lighting version you prefer via DIP switch adjustment, plus it drives the rising cross mech if you have it installed correctly. All users of Metallica Pro GI Theatre now download the same code. And THAT'S justice for all!

My own Universal Piston Mechanism (which I guess could move a cross up and down if you really wanted it to) is through the design phase and now just getting fabricators involved.

Holy cow! That's the nicest thing anyone has said to/about me in a long time. Thank you, sir. This is what makes it worth doing. (The general air of positivity and productivity I mean, not just nice things said about me, haha. )

Well, colour me flattered that this has been the topic of someone's first Pinside post. Welcome to Pinside and to Metallica pinball! You won't be disappointed by either!