-You can get a "real" skill shot by holding the left button when you launch.

-Disabling the diverter makes it relatively impossible to get the the ball in the pops.

-Start a ramp combo and the orbits stay open. This is the flow you want cuz it MEANS something (combos). If you disable the post, sure you're getting 100% flow but it doesn't get you anything meaningful in the game.

Mine is disabled 100% of the time. I find no use for it. It's not even a skill shot with it on.. you are guaranteed to make the skill shot and its just damn annoying during regular play.

At least when you soft plunge to make the skillshot with it disabled, you earned it

When they add rules for the 3 little inserts on the leftside fuel lane shot, you'll need the ball to go into the bumpers. That's how they light up.

Is the loop post a pitch setting or design flaw? On the met pro i played at RVDs house, I think 1 of 20 shots would make it to the pops. So if the ball isn't going to make it to the pops anyways, I can see disabling the post a good thing.

As for skill shots; doesn't everyone know by now to try skill shots holding the flippers...? TF, TRON, ACDC, avengers, MET...starting to become a stern standard; and I like it

I have no trouble getting the ball into the pops?

^^^ALL THIS

I love the game but think that diverter is up way too often during gameplay. If there is a reason it needs to go in the pops so often it wouldn't be a bad idea to change that a bit and make it less of a necessity IMO.

OK, so what would be the condition for it not to be up so often? They already open up during combos and some modes. If you're not in a combo or mode it stops the ball so it goes to the pops. Even though the post isn't as elegant as a controlled gate, it's doing the same exact thing Monster Bash does. Ball is diverted to the bumpers until you start Wolfman...then the orbits open up for flow. I don't think I've ever noticed anyone complain about that. So - right off the bat, Metallica has that orbit opened more than MB, cuz it opens whenever you initiate a combo from the ramps.

I think their argument is that the diverter doesn't send the ball to the pops but trickles back down the loop entrance; so why not disable it altogether since it doesnt work per design anyway? I liked Metallica but would have thought better of the game if the diverter actually worked as intended or was removed altogether.

Maybe it's just me but it usually works as intended on mine. It didn't at first but maybe a little "breaking in" does the trick. I don't mind it - again, if I want flow I'll start a combo or mode....and I don't see how you'd consistently get it in the pops without it. It works better from the right shot than the left...maybe the left should be a 100% flow-thru shot and the right can be a divert-to-pops shot?

For the record, I disable my post on Tron...cuz you'll still always get the ball in the pops from a left orbit shot...but disabling it on Metallica will theoretically always have the ball passing the pops from an orbit shot.

You want it to go loop..make a ramp combo.

Love it.

I think we just disagree on this features implementation and that is okay. I think the game would play better with it up less often. That is all I am saying.

I don't totally disagree but there has to be a gameplay reason for it. I offered one theoretical solution - making it so the left shot is always an orbit and the right shot diverts into the pops. That's the only thing I can think of, since it is already disabled in various other scenarios.

I'm fine with there being a post there. But I'd love to not have the ball fly off it almost as fast as it hits it. Right orbit shot under normal conditions? Wails right back down the right orbit. Solid Left orbit shot? Back down the left orbit. Weaker shots seem to work 'properly' but who do you know who actively strives to aim poorly?

I wish there was some way us owners could tweak or fix the post. I have no idea how though and can't see anything that could be done.

Someone mentioned replacing it w/ a metal version that's used on TOTAN...the metal on metal contact stops the ball better than the nylon post.

I got a metal post coming from Marco..

A-17986 - Armature

The thing should be completely off for LEFT shots and only UP for the right shots.
FLOW KILLER

Thats my 2c worth again

Not a bad idea at all.

I think if it ends up being used as much as Iron Man that would be perfect. I would also add no post to completed hurry up inserts on the orbits. Once you collect the hurry-up then the post is disabled. Maybe even a super loop mode! The metal Congo/ TOTAN post makes a huge difference. Well worth the $10!

Ill say this.... The fact that it comes up when u shoot the orbit makes it very gratifying when you hit a combo and it goes all the way around. I like that it goes all the way around after a combo.

http://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/metallica-orbit-post... I was saying this a week ago, sooooo much better flow!

I agree with this.

I noticed that the Pro that we played was the worst of the four different MET's that I have played (three LE's, one Pro) in terms of how poorly the diverter works.

My Pro on location works as designed 9 times out of 10. *shrug*.

My prem works 9 out of 10 times on the left side. The bubble in my level is being split by the top line. The left side usually only sends it back on weak shot. Now on the right side a hard shot comes back. I have never played with it disabled as I do not mind how it currently works. The one exception would be to disable it when hurry up collect is lit.

Mine works about 50/50, but even when it 'works' the ball sloooooooooooowly rolls to the right into the pops. That happens more often than the fast bounce backs. Two posts would have been a million times better, maybe even a gate system. I like the idea of left down, right up. My CSI has two, and while they ALWAYS pop up, they do work great and as intended.

This is a great idea and adds some progression and speed to the game as you get closer to SaD.

Does the post pop when you activate a right or left orbit hurry up? I'm pretty sure it does... it really shouldn't pop up anymore after activating the hurry up, let alone after collecting it.

The pitch of the field may come into play here (post roll backs). If Stern designs certain features to work better at a certain pitch it would be nice if they let us know about it. Also equally important is making sure the playfield is level from side to side.

One would think bubble in the middle of the level would be that pitch point. It really isn't...

For starters, I would like to see it always down when I shoot the left orbit. That usually doesn't end up in the pops anyway. I think that would be a great compromise.

I personally would not like to see it down all the time . You would be constantly making orbit loops and the ball would rarely see the pops. Its no different than B/W games like AFM or MB where you must make a ramp shot first before it opens up the orbit shot. It makes you shoot with more skill not just flail away on orbit loops

I like it just the way it is, Hobbs

On mine it rejects about 90% of the time on the left orbit, and about 50% of the time on the right. I just disabled it for now. If the metal post helps others, I'll probably give it a shot too. I'd just be happy if they disabled the post on left orbits, it doesn't even make sense for it to be up, given it's location. Too bad they didn't cheap out on us and just give us a couple of controlled gates, then it would of worked as intended.

What angle should the game be at? I'm at 6.9 degrees... I'm guessing 6.5?

The setup instructions said 6.5-7 degrees, so I set it at about 6.8 degrees.

Mine is about 6.8-6.9 as well..

after extensive testing i realized i am a "post disabled" kind of guy.

my tron and metallica both have the post disabled.

at this point there is no reason to have the post enabled.

My Pro came with an extra post in the loop area... Noticed it about 30 seconds into the first game. Screen_shot_2013-07-25_at_10.46.22_PM..png

I got the metal uppost in the mail today. Will do some testing tonight and report back...

I also snagged a black spiderweb ball, gonna throw one in

You'd think that would be easy enough, much like the rear ramp in HS2 when lock is lit and you shoot the right orbit.

Bingo. It's kinda pathetic that Stern completely bungled the orbit/bumper functionality, when my 17+ year old AFM across the room has a near-perfect design for the same area. Didn't they learn from Spider-Man and Iron Man's lame orbit posts? Can they not afford one extra assembly in a $6k+ LE to give us controlled gates?

On my SM (and I assume it's the same on Met) the post is too close to the guide rail. They need to move it away from the rail so it hits the center of the ball. I'm sure the plastic post doesn't help either, as metal may be a better solution to deaden the movement.

Metal post is installed, also dropped in my spiderweb ball (only one), and put down some shooter lane mylar. You could see the smallest bit of shooter lane groove wear starting to happen, gotta protect that spot. Everyone knows it's the most important I also pinched close the auto shooter a bit, should help it hit the ball more square...

Will test tonight, after baby is down...

Blame the designer, not the company. TRON/IM/MET = post = Borg. TF/AV = gate = Gomez. Sterns not afraid to use gates, but some designers prefer them, others don't.

To be fair, gotta throw Steve in there for the Spider-Man orbit post. When I said "Stern" I meant the designers, just didn't want to single anyone out. Borg & Ritchie do a heck of a lot more great work than bad.

It's more than just the designers, everything affects the BOM and the bottomline, so they are always forced to cut things as designers. I'd just blame Stern in general, it's hard to say who exactly is to blame.

This isnt really a valid comparison. Steve used controlled gates to divert the ball into the pops on Spiderman. The up post is only used for the ball lock.

I would hope they control this diverter better in future codes. I think it kills the flow and it should be addressed.

Be patient...i said it before,i will say it again

Code is not nearly done,software will FIX LOTS AND LOTS of things and Lyman is working
on it,let the Master do is thing.

Be Patient!!!