Quoted from J85M:Matt McKee, Laseriffic and all 3rd party toppers? Mod? Upgrade? Accessory? What is the non modding consensus in here regarding after market toppers?
Mods for sure if not included in the original machine in the old days.
Now with Sterns marketing they seem to be over priced Accessories.
I had this discussion yesterday.
The position was as the title shows, and their opinion to me was expressed as...."I take off any damn toys and figures people MOD-Add to their game."
My reply was to use Star Wars, as an example. Suppose they put a Toy Death Star, and a toy Storm trooper, but not an X wing and you add that....does it mean if Stern add toys OK, Period? and a 1-2 themed toys taboo?
Interesting.....I found it hypocritical, but maybe thats just me.
Quoted from OLDPINGUY:Suppose they put a Toy Death Star, and a toy Storm trooper, but not an X wing and you add that....does it mean if Stern add toys OK, Period?
Yes & no...because they add them they are not mods, as they are the 1st party. It of course doesn't make them "right" because some of them look like shit. 
Quoted from TheLaw:Mods for sure if not included in the original machine in the old days.
Now with Sterns marketing they seem to be over priced Accessories.
They seem to be loved those, for the life of me I can't understand why, I saw a IM and POTC McKee topper, sold pretty fast and no offence to Matt but why would anyone put one of them on their games, things are hideous and break the cohesiveness of the games art.
Quoted from OLDPINGUY:I had this discussion yesterday.
The position was as the title shows, and their opinion to me was expressed as...."I take off any damn toys and figures people MOD-Add to their game."
My reply was to use Star Wars, as an example. Suppose they put a Toy Death Star, and a toy Storm trooper, but not an X wing and you add that....does it mean if Stern add toys OK, Period? and a 1-2 themed toys taboo?
Interesting.....I found it hypocritical, but maybe thats just me.
Quoted from TheLaw:Yes & no...because they add them they are not mods, as they are the 1st party. It of course doesn't make them "right" because some of them look like shit.
See that right there is the fine line of modding! Like a great man once said "With great modding comes great responsibility".
There are a lot of great mods out there that belong/are a must have on a game - TRON arcade mod, WOZ red witch mod, flashinstinct IM Monger decal is another that just looks brilliant.
But for everyone one of those great mods there are a dozen sh*t ones like LED lit twinkies for GB 
Quoted from TheLaw:Yes & no...because they add them they are not mods, as they are the 1st party. It of course doesn't make them "right" because some of them look like shit.
But I'd give better odds to Stern's toys not looking like shit than after-market mods, as Stern's were chosen and designed around them being there, so they have a better ability to fit in with the rest of the package, while hallmark ornaments obviously don't.
Sometimes a mod will fit in that well though! But it's much harder.
Supposedly the new Star Wars is shipping without a Death Star, but will be sent out at a later date.
So I don't know what's worse, a crappy piece of shit toy that someone decides to add to a game, or one the game manufacturer sends you to add on later.
Quoted from J85M:They seem to be loved those, for the life of me I can't understand why,..
Yeah they're not my cup of tea at all, but very popular now. We're living in a time when people have the ability to buy a game they immediately look to see how many add-ons they can purchase. Personally I think a 300 pound box of flashing blinking lights is enough of a statement but whatever makes people happy 
Quoted from zacaj:But I'd give better odds to Stern's toys not looking like shit than after-market mods...
Agreed; But still some shit slips through every once in a awHile. The army men on POTC path & STLE tin foil balls are rare misses in the grand scheme of things. Mini Guitars being glued on KISS because someone plays a guitar is...well whatever.
Quoted from zacaj:But I'd give better odds to Stern's toys not looking like shit than after-market mods, as Stern's were chosen and designed around them being there, so they have a better ability to fit in with the rest of the package, while hallmark ornaments obviously don't.
Sometimes a mod will fit in that well though! But it's much harder.
There are "rare" times this rule doesn't apply. Take Sterns ST, the Enterprise model is okay at best that I guess Stern molded maybe brought off the shelf, I'm not sure, anyway Hallmarks Enterprise model is 10x as detailed.
In fact it looks more factory than the LED hacked one that came out of Stern, so in cases like that a mod can actually replace an identical but inferior part, in these cases I think modding is great.
Quoted from TheLaw:Yeah they're not my cup of tea at all, but very popular now. We're living in a time when people have the ability to buy a game they immediately look to see how many add-ons they can purchase. Personally I think a 300 pound box of flashing blinking lights is enough of a statement but whatever makes people happy
Im a Bi-Modder......I swing both ways!......GhostBusters, at home, is over the top, but I am happy. other games, maybe just new award cards, some lighting, and a glare guard.
Quoted from zacaj:Not always a good thing. ST isn't a very detailed game in general.
I don't know my STLE is probably my most stunning game, more than enough detail for my eyes
I will see if I can find my stock Enterprise, the think looks like it was hacked together with some hot glue and led's, Hallmark one is a vat improvement, like night and day, but this is a good example of how modding is dictated massively by individual taste and preferences, but there is always a difference between junk GB is one of the worst offenders for sh*t, junk mods.
I feel like tinkering is part of the hobby so I see the attraction to modding. I added the Backalley Temples to my Ripleys and I think it looks like it just belongs and is way better than the bent plastic temples that it came with. Also added the Bigfoot sign which goes well with the theme and makes it more apparent where that mode is. Hard to see without the sign. Probably all I'm doing. Though mine came with some good looking color matched leds and the tombstone stickers. May do a color DMD at some point though I think there are other titles that benefit more.
I'm a live and let live kind of guy so do what you want to your machine. I do like the red smoke witch WOZ upgrade, Tron arcade machine and the Jurassic Park gate and T Rex upgrades. They look like they belong from the factory.
Since I was one of the first people to help release a MOD (moving Dalek head for Doctor Who), I probably shouldn't be commenting. I like to MOD my games but I ALWAYS make them removable. I don't think the future next owner of my games should have to live with my decisions. Now that said, I ALWAYS remove LEDs whenever I have the chance. I believe they have very limited proper use and should never be used where light shows are affected. I used some in my BOP 2.0 but only under the pop-bumper caps because they are hard to change and are either off or on.
I don't mind new games with LEDs that were designed for them.
Your opinions may vary but thanks for starting this club!
Quoted from awarner:Since I was one of the first people to help release a MOD (moving Dalek head for Doctor Who), I probably shouldn't be commenting.
Though I'm not sure that reintroducing a device that was originally designed for a game but was then 'cost reduced' out necessarily falls into the category of a 'mod'.
Just the opinion of a very happy owner of the said device. 
Maybe this club should include those that remove crappy looking factory toys so many games come with now as well.
Quoted from o-din:Maybe this club should include those that remove crappy looking factory toys so many games come with now as well.
I support that! Hear it, Wolverine?
Quoted from J85M:Its not LEDS that are the problem if the bulbs are being changed like for like, so replacing all incandescent with a good quality warm white LED is certainly better for the game less strain on the boards etc, the BIG problem with LEDS is when people go JPOP on their games discolour the entire playfield that T3 above is the perfect example of how NOT to LED a game, looks like JPOP threw up all over it.
Like this...
The person who did this posted a before and after shot and was proud of the after shot... 
Quoted from o-din:Supposedly the new Star Wars is shipping without a Death Star, but will be sent out at a later date.
So I don't know what's worse, a crappy piece of shit toy that someone decides to add to a game, or one the game manufacturer sends you to add on later.
Is this for real? It has to be a joke, that kind of cash and some assembly required, fuck that.
Does anyone here have pics of that God-awful WH20 that someone white powder coated and LED'd out to the point where if you didn't have epilepsy before you viewed it, you almost certainly would have post viewing? WH20 is a beautiful machine when lit properly, but one of the worst when it's adulterated with LEDs....
Agree with this:
Quoted from J85M:ut for everyone one of those great mods there are a dozen sh*t ones like LED lit twinkies for GB
Quoted from Tommy_Pins:Judging by the Star Wars thread, when those machines hit the secondary market they're going to be loaded with junk
Just wait until they get their hands on the Death Star mold, there will be 100s per game.
Quoted from St0n3PiraT3:What's the thought on GameBlades as a mod? Horrible, or they are ok?
Modding is subject to individual tastes so what one person finds horrible the next might think is great, so really the question is what do you think?
Personally I like mirror blades they don't clutter up the playfield or look out of place and can make the game "world under glass" appear bigger, they also make light shows feel more effective due to the light being reflected around the playfield.
Art blades are hit and miss, it all comes down to the "art", my BM66LE came with them from Stern factory fitted and they look great but some of the aftermarket ones make games looked cluttered.
Quoted from J85M:https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/modded-a-star-wars-pro
Looks like SW is going to take the happy meal mod crown off TZ.
Might even set a new record for the game with the most happy meal mods mounted over a playfield
Quoted from Tommy_Pins:It's only 5 grand if you guys are interested
https://pinside.com/pinball/market/classifieds/ad/51647
OMG, I thought that the stretched side art, and the terrible "snobs against the slobs" text was a joke photoshop mockup
That's the worst thing I"ve ever seen, lol
Quoted from vid1900:OMG, I thought that the stretched side art, and the terrible "snobs against the slobs" text was a joke
Who said it wasn't? 
Has anyone ever removed those sideblade stickers with art work that some folks put in? Would you have to worry about damaging the interior wood at all, or is the worse you can expect to do is just clean up a bunch of adhesive?
I would worry that if the glue was too strong that it would end up pulling up small pieces of the wood grain, the way it does when people peel off the side artwork of a Williams game as opposed to just sanding through it.
I know the Williams side art isn't a sticker/decal btw, but sometimes people try to peel them off as if they were.
Quoted from Darscot:Do you mean cabinet decals or blades inside next the the playfield? Pin blades are just a static adhesive no glue involved.
Whaaa? Pingraffix pinblades have an adhesive.
Yeah like the graphics inside the cabinet play field area that look like more of the city or jungle or whatever is on the playfield. Where some people stick mirrorblades, but not mirrorblades 
Quoted from yzfguy:Whaaa? Pingraffix pinblades have an adhesive.
Hmmm, I don't remember any glue on mine. I have the set that looks like flames in my AC/DC. I could be wrong. I peeled them on and off a couple times to get them right.
Mods are personal preference IMO. To do it right it, the best effects look factory. But, many prefer dramatic mods and I don't fault people for it. It's what the individual likes. Personally the best customs I've done look factory but better. But doing it right is not easy
Quoted from TheLaw:What a total and udder shit show. Space rocks.... Uff
Oh yeah those, crikey! They look like bits of sh*t! Literally what I imagine a turd would look like in space 
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