Here's the deal fellas. Brian Eddy legitimately cracked the code for what pinheads wanted and will want with variations of course with AFM. The birth of the orbit, ramp, bash, scoop, ramp, orbit layout. This has been seen constantly ever since. The man should have patented the layout. It is now the base from which all other playfields are created. MM was a reworking of the same layout, so it comes down to rules, and I like AFM better. I also love MM but I think AFM might be the most brilliant moment in pinball history outside of Ted Zale's Fireball. It's a perfect game in every respect, MM might have better toys but the rules are too focused on the castle. If you own one PLEASE do not buy the other, it's the same game and a lot of money unless status symbols are your thing then you are gonna need a Monster Bash too. Mark my word here, modern pinball owes everything to a guy who only designed a few games. For one inspired moment figured it out and Stern has been building on his layouts for years. Ask Steve Ritchie the most incredible thing he has ever seen in his 40 years in pinball and I guarantee it will be Brian Eddy's solo performance on The Shadow. Design, engineering, and code. The dude is a beast!

Do yo know of a good knee pad manufacturer? They get raw at my level

I don't own any of these games, I am pure early SS and hopefully going to get into EM's real soon. I can't justify a 5K purchase on one game, no way, that is the beauty of this hobby there are so many ways to go about enjoying it.

That's cool man, just my opinion. If YOU get joy out of it, that's all that matters. This is exactly why I love this hobby so much, there isn't only one way to enjoy it. Find what makes YOU happy and leave the noise in the background.