I’m in the camp that would love to see what’s in this manual... but it wouldn’t technically be his to post on the internet. At a minimum, Stern could possibly claim copyright infringement. And this doesn’t even address the potential loss of future Stern dealer rights. Now if it had been posted anonymously in a different way than originally revealed, that would have been juicy enough to make me want to drink a Zima!

I think it's safe to say we can move to "Munsters is coming thread" and drop the (speculation).
I'll freely admit I didn't think this would actually happen anytime soon...I am very pleased that I was wrong early on. Having that Munsters manual stapled inside that primus..pretty strong evidence.Congrats all that stood solid.

Ha, yeah. wouldn't know either...just speculated you could.

That's cRaZy tAlK!

Lets have a guess on code

My guess is 0.98

There has been a long grace for this team

So guessing code will be up there

I think you are probably correct. I would hope so anyway as long as this damn game is taking to get released!!

You'll have to update to "Official Club Thread" soon, I suspect......

It's Dwight. Star Wars pretty incomplete at launch. Ghostbusters pretty seriously broken for 2 years. I'm generously estimating 0.84, so Dwight, whatever state the code is in, call it at least 0.85 to make sure I'm wrong.

You may be right also. He doesn't seem to get in any hurry thats for sure.

0.83 code is my guess

Star Wars was absolutely not incomplete at launch. It was pretty much done. I owned GOT, GB and SW. Dwight has been one of the best coders to have a complete game at launch recently. Seriously dude this is just classic VWhining.

There was a LOT not right with Star Wars at launch. TWO MONTHS after launch, ONE update fixed and added all this:

Fixed:
- When the last mission to complete was started, the video introduction and
instructions were being skipped. This has been corrected.
- Fixed the name of the Adjustment to change the power for the 'RIGHT' Eject
kick-out.
- The spinner holo display effect was broken in V0.89. It now animates
properly.
- If a higher priority holo display effect was being displayed, each spinner
hit would extend its display time. This has been fixed.
- Fixed the fork ramp driver to properly move in both directions as needed.
- Fixed the fork ramp test to use the in-game driver.
- Fixed R2-D2 tag line in instant info.
- Fixed the interaction of the fork ramp and left inner loop awards. You will
no longer be able to complete left inner loop awards by shooting the right
inner loop or dribbling the ball over the ramp.
- Fixed the default number of balls available in Hyperspace Multiball.
- Fixed how and when the balls exit from the Accelerator during Hyperspace
Multiball.
- Fixed how the Accelerator exits the ball when lighting Death Star Missions.
- The right EOS switch will no longer report to be bad when it's not.
- The music for the mission Escape from Cloud City will no longer go silent.
- The orbit test will no longer make a sound as a ball goes around the orbit.
- Fixed how Victory Multiball handles grace period. If you Add-A-Ball in the
grace of two Victory Multiballs running at the same time they will now both
restart correctly.
- All timers will now pause during Boba Fett awards and total screens.
- Fixed when "Jedi Multiball Ready"starts. It now waits for multiball
grace periods in order to prevent resurrecting a multiball.
- The 3-bank skill shot arrows were not visible if you were in the middle
of "Fight the TIE fighters" mission. This has been corrected.
- The Accelerator test now reports the correct number of balls in the system.
- "Escape from Boba Fett" no longer starts with other modes if the final
shot to start Boba Fett is the same shot that starts a mission.
- Fixed the sudden jump in Jackpot value for Hyperspace Multiball. The value
will now grow as designed."
- Changing the "Choose Your Path" option will no longer kill the "Shoot Again"
sound effect.
- The small display no longer shows the incorrect background after MATCH.
- If Escape from Boba Fett and Death Star Missions are both lit and its the
last shot to start Escape from Boba Fett, then the ball will correctly be
retained by the accelerator and then be released when the start display
effect ends. Also the missions prompt will not start.
- Fixed some confusion at the end of Hyperspace multiball and Death Star
missions are lit. If you quickly shoot the left ramp the ball will now be
retained and you will be prompted to choose a mission.
- Attract mode no longer shows the incorrect data for REPLAY LEVEL 4, if
enabled.
- If REPLAY LEVELS adjustment is set for anything but 1 or 4, and you use the
left flipper to navigate backwards during attract, the wrong background clip
is displayed when showing replay level 2 or 3. This has been corrected.
- Instant Info HSTD #2 wasn't displaying the initials.
- Attract mode video clips and speech will no longer step on each other.
- Sometimes the theme music was not in sync with the intro video during
attract mode.
- Holotext effects were sometimes not displaying when collecting BONUS HOLD
and +X BONUS MULTIPLIERS.
- BONUS HOLD was carrying over some bonus scoring it shouldn't have.

New:
- Added instructions on the small lcd during mission start.
- Added "Navigate the Asteroid Field" Video Mode:
- You can play it two ways. You can choose the Hoth I mission. Also
you can light it by completing the FORCE drop targets 3 times.
- During the video mode:
- Use the left and right flipper buttons to move the Falcon
left and right.
- Use the action button to go faster for a short time.
- Avoid hitting Asteroids
- You receive points from passing asteroids and from your
best streak of asteroids without hitting one.
- Your Level and shot multiplier will also affect your scoring.
- There is a video mode champion
- Only Leia and Han can play the HOTH I mission.
- Added "Light Saber Duel":
- It will light when you complete the 5th set of FORCE targets
- Lightsaber Duel Ready will automatically start when you have it lit
and nothing else is running.
- Shoot the left ramp to then start Lightsaber Duel.
- During the mode:
- The object is to delay Vader while your friends escape
- Blue shots (both inner loop shots and right ramp) will help
your friends escape.
- Red Shots (Left ramp and 3-bank) will increase your time.
- The mode ends if the time runs out.
- The four character inserts (Han, Leia, R2-D2, and Luke) will
show your progress.
- The FORCE bank will increase the award values
- Regular FORCE bank rules are suspended during this
- The mode will only end when you complete all the blue shots or the
time runs out.
- The mode will continue at the start of the next ball if it was not
finished by either method.
- Added a CHOOSE YOUR PATH item for all characters allowing you to max
out your timer at the start of a new ball.
- Added a x-wing shooting type sound on the button during TIE fighter assault
- Added BONUS HOLD message during end of ball bonus.
- Added adjustment to disable any adult speech.
- Added Pop bumper lamp effects.

Tweaked:
- Improved some confusion when the multiplier was toggled on or off.
- Lowered the default score needed to beat the bonus champion
- The behavior of the gate is now improved.
- Moved Spinner and timer sounds to different tracks so they would not
interfere with each other.
- Improved the Single post and Fork ramp logic in the inner loop.
- Improved how the fork ramp stops. It will now stop quicker when needed.
- Reduced how long the fork ramp stays in the half up position waiting for
the ball to exit the accelerator.
- Tweaked the attract movie clips
- Cleaned up how the accelerator is handled during Hyperspace Hurry up and
Hyperspace Multiball
- Tweaked the volume of some tunes
- Changed the tune for Endor II - Throne Room Duel
- Changed the order of instant info. Moved more ball relevant data closer to
the top.
- Increased the scoring for Tatooine II - Escape from Mos Eisley.
- Increased the scoring for Tatooine III - The Rancor
- Changed 3-Bank skill shot to only be one shot that moves
- Added the shaker motor to the Match choreography.
- Added sounds to 10 point switches
- Added the Escape light to the lights that are not hidden during Escape from
Boba Fett. You can now see if you have Escape lit during that mode.
- Shortened how long the game holds the ball to show the player their Boba
Fett Total.
- Callouts in Death Star I are less repetitive.
- Attract mode no longer plays video clips while game over music is playing.
- The list of champions in the attract mode are now all on separate pages.
You can now use the flipper buttons to move to the one of interest quickly.
- Reordered CHAMPION adjustments to match attract mode and Instant Info.
- Completing a Jedi Rank will now spot a set of FORCE targets.
- Time of day during attract mode no longer uses an abbreviated name of the
month.
- Changed the color of combo shots from Mauve to Cyan.
- Canceling Bonus with the flippers now kills the sound from scene.

----------------------------------------------

Then two more months later, all this was fixed/added:

----------------------------------------------

Moved to System 1.88:
- Reworked boot time displays for node board firmware update and locating node
boards.
- Added boot time display for overcurrent detected (shorted coil or LED) on
node boards.
- Added support for dynamic detection and isolation of overcurrent coils or
LEDs. Previous behavior would disable all coils and LEDs for 1/2 second each
time a short was detected. New behavior will determine the short coil and/or
LED and disable only the offender.
- Added tech alert for overcurrent coils and LEDs on node boards. New
diagnostic test to retest node board and report with coils/LEDs are drawing
too much current. Excessive current draw could be the result of a shorted
coil, an incorrect replacement LED/incandescent bulb, shorted light socket,
et cetera.
- Every 15 minutes during attract mode overcurrent coils/led will be rechecked
and returned to service if operating correctly.
- Added adjustment for "GAME PLAY B.BOX BRIGHTNESS"
- Renamed "BACKBOX BRIGHTNESS" to "ATTRACT MODE B.BOX BRIGHTNESS"

Fixed:
- FORCE targets will no longer play a sound effect when reset during game over
or ball search.
- MYSTERY, PICTOPOPS and SKILL SHOT were sometimes awarding LIGHT ESCAPE
when it couldn't be lit.
- The center instruction display panel, during main play, will now indicate
when FORCE targets will award LIGHT VIDEO MODE correctly.
- TIE FIGHTER ASSAULT now shows exploding TIEs immediately.
- JEDI TRAINING now resets when selecting a new hero.
- The CHOOSE YOUR PATH prompt will now be seen during LIGHTSABER DUEL READY
- Corrected PICTOPOPS to only award ADD TIME when a timed or hurry up
mode is running.
- You can no longer start TIE FIGHTER MULTIBALL while it is already running.
- During JEDI MULTIBALL victory celebration, the ADD-A-BALL function was
still enabled even though it would be lost if used. This has been fixed.
- START MISSION as LUKE with multiple groups lit was displaying the wrong
image for DEATHSTAR III: FIGHT TIE FIGHTERS.
- CHOOSE YOUR PATH was offering HYPERSPACE HURRYUP when it wasn't playable.
- Sometimes the "NEXT AWARD" shown on the small display for TIE
achievement levels was not correct.
- The HEADPHONE CABLE KIT DETECT switch during ACTIVE SWITCH TEST was
overlapping the switch information.
- The shot multiplier was always 1X when playing VIDEO MODE from HOTH I.
It now uses the RIGHT INNER LOOP's multiplier correctly.
- If LIGHTSABER DUEL was played multiple times, only the most recent victory
or defeat was used to qualify towards JEDI MULTIBALL. Now any LIGHTSABER
DUEL victory will qualify.
- Very long tournament player names displayed during attract mode were being
truncated.
- Greatly improved process stability. The game will no longer hold on to the
ball when it should not. Also the some of the mechanical devices will be
better behaved. Also the screen should no longer freeze during TIE Fighter
Assault.
- Improved lamp effect resource allocation. The game will no longer crash from
missing resources.
- Sometimes Slave One would appear to be stuck or reappear too quickly on the
background display.

New:
- Added a right eject ball save adjustment. If the adjustment is non-zero, the
ball saver will activate for the amount of time of the adjustment whenever
balls are ejected from the scoop. The factory default is zero. If you want
to turn on 5 seconds is recommended.
- Added sound fx to Advanced TIE reveals in the small display.
- Added lamp effect when hitting FORCE targets.
- Added lamp effects when ESCAPE is lit or used.
- Added speech callouts when players are awarded some of the HSTD champions.
- Added instructional speech for FORCE target awards except when in
tournament mode.
- Added audits for extra balls lit from TIE Fighter achievements and from the
Advance TIE mini game.
- Added speech for
- TIE FIGHTER MULTIBALL SUPER JACKPOT
- VICTORY MULTIBALL
- EXTRA BALL LIT
- ESCAPE FROM BOBA FETT
- Lighting missions
- Shot Multipliers are DOUBLED
- During TIE FIGHTER ASSAULT
- The hurry up stages of DUEL ON CLOUD CITY and CLOUD CITY ESCAPE
- The hurry up stages of REPAIR THE HYPERDRIVE and TIE FIGHTER ESCAPE
- Lighting MYSTERY.
- Starting HYPERSPACE MULTIBALL.
- Added difficulty adjustments for JEDI TRAINING, LIGHTSABER DUEL
and ESCAPE FROM BOBA FETT.
- Added all difficulty adjustments to INSTALL functions
(INSTALL EASY, INSTALL 3 BALL, etc.)
- Added new rules and choreography to BATTLE ABOVE ENDOR:
- To destroy the Death Star you need to first light the inner left
loop.
- To light the inner left loop you have to complete 3 other shots
before the timer runs out.
- Each shot will start a timer for the next shot.
- The 3 bank will add time. The center target will add the most time.
- If the timer runs out the Death Star will destroy a Capital ship and
the mission will reset. You will need to complete 3 shots once more.
- Once the inner left loop is lit, shoot it to destroy the death star.
- Destroying the Death Star will take you to Victory Multiball.
- Added new rules and choreography to ESCAPE FROM HOTH. To complete this
mission you have to fire ion cannons so your transports can escape. Also you
need to destroy an AT-AT. Afterward you will be able to get to the Falcon
and "Punch it":
- The spinner and pop-bumpers will build your award value. Shoot the
left orbit 3 times to fire an ion cannon. Then the 3-bank will
collect the last award of this part.
- Afterward the 3-bank will continue to increase the award value.
- Shoot the inner loop 4 times to wrap your tow cable around the legs
of an AT-AT to bring it down.
- Last two ramp shots are needed to light the final HOTH shot.
- Shooting the final shot will allow Han and friends to escape from
Darth Vader and start Victory Multiball.
- Added new perk for playing Leia. Your shot multiplier is now +3X if you
are playing as Leia and you are playing in a 4th Mission multiball.
- Added compensation to the FORCE DROP TARGET BANK. If the DISABLE LEFT DROP
TARGETS adjustment is set to YES, then the game will spot a FORCE target
when any of the 9 standup targets are hit. The skill shot on the FORCE
TARGETS will also be disabled.
- Added new rules and choreography for ESCAPE FROM TATOOINE.
- Shoot the alternating shots of left ramp and right inner loop to
progress the story of Luke getting to the yacht, retrieving Leia,
and exploding Jaba's Yacht.
- There 9 parts to the story.
- Along the way the 3 bank, right ramp, and right eject will increase
your award value.
- So you have a choice of going straight for the end or trying to
maximize your scoring potential.
- Completing the 9 shots will start Victory Multiball
- Added a Perk for playing Han during ESCAPE FROM BOBA FETT. If you are
playing Han during, each leg of the gauntlet will have higher base value.
- Added a Perk for playing Luke during LIGHT SABER DUEL. If you are
playing Luke during your base award value will be greater.

Tweaked:
- Shortened the time that the "ENTER YOUR INITIALS" display is on the screen
when achieving high scores or champions.
- Adjusted "ball in play" display alignment when language is FRENCH or
ITALIAN.
- Removed the lamp effect game start that showed hyperspace hurry-up is lit.
- Changed the default master volume to 18
- The Adjustment that allows movie clips in the attract mode to play sounds
now defaults to NO. IF YOU WANT THESE CLIPS TO PLAY SOUND USE THIS
ADJUSTMENT.
- The Adjustment that allows the Opening Text Scroll in the attract mode to
play sounds now defaults to NO. IF YOU THE TEXT SCROLL TO PLAY MUSIC USE
THIS ADJUSTMENT.
- Improved the HYPERSPACE HURRYUP and VICTORY MULTIBALL JACKPOT award
animations
- The ball in play and shot multiplier are no longer displayed during MATCH.
- Corrected the order of some lamp sweeps
- Added a setting for the Mission stacking adjustment. Default is now 4th
missions do not stack with other missions.
- Improved the single post behavior in some edge cases.
- HYPERSPACE MULTIBALL's parsec display corrected to 3 decimal digits of
precision.
- All GI strings are now lit during test mode.
- The coin door GI was turning off and back on. This has been corrected.
- Reordered TEST MENU FEATURE AUDITS into logical groupings.
- Tweaked TIE FIGHTER MULTIBALL JACKPOT and SUPER JACKPOT sound effect
priorities.
- The deprecated BILL VALIDATOR adjustment has been removed.
- Enhanced the TIE FIGHTER MULTIBALL SUPER JACKPOT display effect.
- Removed the Adjustment Reduce intense lamp effects
- Removed sound attenuation settings from French overrides.
- During HYPERSPACE MULTIBALL, the PARSECS display will only increase while
balls are active on the playfield.
- The top lane inserts weren't visible during certain modes. They now light
up on a timer when the ball is in the area.
- If ESCAPE is lit and the ball misses the gate for some reason, the ball
is now returned to the player.
- Added Darth breathing effects to TIE FIGHTER MULTIBALL during SUPER JACKPOT.
- Tweaked the VIDEO MODE collision lamp effects.
- Adjusted the diagnostic values of some lamps, coils, and switches to match
the manual.
- Added time to DESTROY THE DEATHSTAR shot timer. This will make the mission a
bit easier to complete and destroy the Death Star
- Increased the ball save timer for all the multiballs by at least 5 seconds
each. For most of them this means they will be 15 seconds now by default
instead of 10.
- While HYPERSPACE HURRY UP was running, the left orbit and right ramp arrows
were solid yellow. They now cycle thru any other running mode's colors.
- Tweaked the timing of some speech calls to more better hear them.

----------------------------------------------

That's not a complete launch game. Those were not simple housekeeping changes, but essentially continued testing and development of an incomplete but launched game.

Dwight's Ghostbusters is still pretty broken 2 years on. Game of Thrones has serious bugs two years later, still. I love Dwight and am excited for this BFD Munsters release, but let's be HONEST about his record of code at launch in the modern Stern era. It's not super-great.

Did you really just copy and paste the release notes? Dude. Way over dramatic.

How many of these have you owned / played extensively? You are a serious keyboard commando here. Way over the top PinMonk

Damn thats quite a list there! lol

Also keep in mind that was only two months after launch. Batman took two years. Two months....

I find it amusing that someone with an avatar of Boba Fett typing on a keyboard call someone commenting on a Star Wars code post a keyboard commando.
No offense meant by it, I just found it funny.

Ha! No offense taken. But BS needs to be called out. It’s getting old. Dwight works his ass off to make awesome code shortly after a game is released. @xaqery has even chimed in recently so he is listening. Constructive criticism is all good but the whining gets old fast.

0.98
0.83

My guess is 0.73 because I’m from 1973

Two months to the FIRST giant update to fix the code. Another 2.5 months to the second, almost 5 months until the code was in the shape it should have been in at launch.

Most of them. I help with a route where we get the vast majority of Sterns, at least for a while. The rest I play plenty, certainly enough to form coherent and valid opinions.

That was only TWO of the updates, not all the release notes (which probably double that list). Yeah, posting the EXTENSIVE list of changes from only TWO updates that happened WELL AFTER LAUNCH from the release notes was dramatic, but given that you were saying "Star Wars was absolutely not incomplete at launch," it was an pretty effective way to demonstrate which statement was right, and which was dead.

And it's "overly dramatic."

Ghostbusters code is not awesome.

Game of Thrones code is broken in a number of ways.

I love Dwight's way of thinking in crafting code (GoT is one of my favorite pins), but take off the beer goggles. He has room to improve.

The End.

Everyone has room to improve. The end? Ok only if PinMonk says so...

If I broke out my guitar and strummed a few bars of kumbaya how fast would I get moderated?

If you start singing Bubblehead we are gonna ban you from the site forever, not moderate you!

I said “strum” not “hum”, but you might be surprised at my singing voice @who-dey lol

Just don’t play any Jim Morrison and the Doors and you got nothing to worry about. Get me drunk on tequila and hand me a microphone and a karaoke Doors track and all bets are off.

It was great at launch.

Your opinion is noted.

Thank you sir.

Well, let's not get carried away with the terms of formality for a Hamburger Helper'n beer guy.

I've been told it will be worth the wait. I don't know what decimal the code will be at, but I sure am looking forward to seeing this game, getting this game shipped to me, and finally playing this game. Talk about a delayed wait.

Damn the Beatles - Or at least the pricing levels of them. Those things just haven't been selling well - because of the pricing. Game play I'm sure is fun. Not selling anywhere near what Stern wants. Those Gold editions will be hanging around a long time. Dealers have all they want or need. The demand isn't there. Time to move on to the next game.

Release Herman and his family from the factory. They want to come home - to my house. 1313 Mockingbird Lane.

Bring on the Munsters !

If that's true, that's good news, isn't it? If they were selling great, Stern would be motivated to make a lot more games like those for those prices.

Yes that is good. There is a limit as to what most people will pay and perceived value.

Just too bad Beatles and Munsters release were switched. That is what happened. Only plus is maybe the code on Munsters may have gotten further work. Otherwise it would have been really nice to have had Munsters in late November or early December.

Anyway, now it is soon. (again) Really this time.

that there is pretty funny.... bwahahahahahaaaa.... its a Christmas miracle!!

I'm really glad that there is proof (basically) that the game exists and is going to be available to us soon. Photo-shopped art is one thing, but a printed manual in the wrong game is quite different.

This will be a fun one, I believe, and a nice way to start the year.....

2019 could be a great year! I haven’t brought anything since BM66LE but if the rumours are true about Stern having Bond and it’s a Brian Eddy design then that’s a must buy for me along with Munsters!

That’s an expensive way to start the year ....

Ho Ho Ho.....Merry Christmas Munsters fans!
98878FFC-4AED-46E5-9AE5-C1C5B9F7B6C1 (resized).png

Proof? Were the photos of Munsters on the line at the Stern factory in photos Stern posted to social media not enough?

The manual really sealed the deal!

I don't see a jolly rancher in that bottle.

Perhaps the guy that photoshopped the art, photoshopped the playfield leaks, did the same with the Stern factory and yesterday photoshopped RobOOZE Primus manual pics... that guy is a genius!...(and a bully).

Hey, we have the same address! Maybe it will get delivered to me instead.

vireland is frequently over the top. He’s never gotten over Batman not being released with 1.0 code. Stern told everyone at Expo what was going to happen, he bought the game knowing the code situation and bitched about it relentlessly for over a year. You want way over dramatic? Check out his posts in the Batman thread.

Stern has gotten significantly better with code over the last couple of years but still hasn’t reached their stated goal of feature complete at release. If that’s a problem for you, don’t buy a game until you are saisified with the code.

I bought a Batman LE because I wanted an LE and was willing to gamble that Lyman would make things right. And it was absolutely worth the gamble. But that’s the last time. I’m not going to buy and bitch.

I want both Munsters and Elvira but if I miss out on an LE because I’m not happy with the code at launch, so be it. Like everyone, I always want the code to be better. But it’s my responsibility to buy a game only when I’m happy with the code not before. I think Stern has finally learned that code matters, but we have to emphasize that by not buying games that aren’t at acceptable levels of code (or quality).

I like buying new with incomplete codes. It's kinda like getting a expansion pack with every update.

I suppose theres some truth to this.
Your game winds up getting better over time and stays fresh.

Just no. Please don't feed the beast. What you end up is a bunch of half working things that never actually get completed and bugs that never get fixed. You are making the assumption that they'll ever touch it after it is released. Maybe it's because I'm a lifelong gamer and IT person but I'm personally getting tired of being an unpaid beta tester for companies more concerned about release dates than a quality product.

Well said!

BE5DA98D-64F2-4157-85D7-08855BA2794F.gifCB638CD5-8085-4D07-9531-B1747A67EF1B.gif

I agree that people should know about Stern’s lack of competence with getting code done on time, but they are currently the largest and most successful pinball company. Every member here has a right to bitch about their business practices, especially in a public forum. “Don’t buy it then” is simply a put down, an attempt to limit opinions.

If Samsung makes a one-of-a-kind dream smart tv and announces that some of the cool features won’t be available for a year because they wanted to selfishly rush the release, people would and should bitch about it.

Recent stern games have been deplorable with code. GotG comes to mind. IMDN had a prototype, so it doesn’t count. Stern has also shown a history of completely abandoning games with incomplete code, something that should terrify NIB purchasers.

I’ve had my disagreements with Vireland, but I say, “bitch on, brother.”

I didn’t say “don’t buy it”. I said don’t buy it until you are happy with the code. Big difference.

Those that buy and bitch are rewarding Stern for bad behavior. If buyers don’t make feature complete code a priority, Stern certainly won’t.