Came across this thread and can say that the Hobbit is going to be a great game. I got to spend a lot of time with the game at a launch party last weekend and it was awesome. The ramps could be hit with both flippers and the new code is phenomenal with lots of strategy.

I encourage all of you who think the game looks empty or too slow to really give it a chance. Make a concerted effort to learn the rules, they really aren't that difficult. The game has so many strategic choices and fun aspects to it. The super spinner cash out is awesome and I actually feel its safer to use the upper flipper to hit the shot. The upper flipper is also used in one of the modes where the ball diverts to the mode start after every right ramp and then is shot up to the upper flipper for a shot into the drop targets. Additionally, I like to use the upper flipper to hit the "E" target in ELF since that shot is tight from the lower right flipper. Safe to say that proper use of the upper flipper was key to my score below on a 1 ball game. More strategic choices include whether or not to start a mode before starting multiball, start multiball before a mode and try hitting the mode start while the beast mech is down (very difficult, but fun!), when to hit captive ball number 15 for 2x scoring, when to start beast multiball (probably not smart if not close to SMAUG mb), and what mode to bring into multiball. Modes can be changed via the left ramp and can continued to be changed by hitting a flipper all the way until the ball returns to the inlane switch. Once again, so much strategy here.

I'm slowly learning the rules of each mode, which is a lot of fun to do since there are so many of them. Once Keith implements the completion bonus for modes as well as adds the 3 movie multi balls and final wizard mode this game is gonna be epic. Also big shout out to the sounds and music on this game. I always love when Dwarf Frenzy is running. I'm sure Keith is having a great time programming this game and can't wait to see what else he has up his sleeves.

Just my 2 cents. Can't wait to get my Hobbit in two weeks.

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I played mine for the first time last night, and the delivery people set it up at 6.6 degrees. I moved right flipper up one notch to 23 and kept left flipper at default and have no problem making any ramp shots. Keith said 1.21 code should be out very soon, so looking forward to that as well. Below is the notes for the versions.

== Version 1.21 ==
==============================================================================

=== Game Code

* Change Game Over music.
* Vastly improve Into the Fire choreography.
* Improve Gollum ball save choreography and execution.
+ Gollum Difficulty adjustment. Can be set from 1-6 (default 3). Sets the
relative difficulty (subject to in-game modifiers) of the "save area".
+ Gollum Save Limit adjustment. Can be set from 0-9 or unlimited (default
unlimited). Controls how many Gollum saves a player is allowed in a game.
* Update Smaug Edition UI.
* Mode instructions should always be on screen while a mode is running now.
* Changed ending of stage 1 of Into the Fire.
+ Arkenstone fragment audits.
+ Into the Fire stage audits.
* Fix Book Mode difficulty adjustment.
* Add-a-ball after each Into the Fire stage completion.

=== Core Code

* Fix Daily HSTD bug.

=== OS

==============================================================================
== Version 1.20 ==
==============================================================================

=== Game Code

* Fix playfield audit names for MAN targets.
+ Beorn multiball ball saver.
+ Daily HSTD to attract mode
* Grace periods added to super spinner, Feast Frenzy.
* Feast Frenzy scoring bumped.
* Improved choreography during Smaug MB.
* Added lots of speech to modes.
* Mirkwood now plays failed movie on bad shot.
* Fix logic error in Riddles.
+ Player added sound effect.
* Fix captive ball Erebor award going off the map.
* Jailbreak now engages right magnet when bumpers are needed.
+ Gollum attempt and success audits.
* Suppress flipper/start buttons until HSTD intro is over.
* HSTD intro only plays once.
* Smaug MB shaker choreography added.
* Improve Windlance choreography.
* Fix obscure barrel bumper crash.
* Improve Feast Frenzy choreography.
+ Arkenstone Mode qualifiers.
+ Arkenstone Mode: Into the Fire.
+ 2+ mode starts audit.
* Change Smaug MB music.
+ Added a couple of tunes to play when Attract Mode Music is set.
* Jackpot calls removed from beasts during Beast Multiball.

=== Core Code

+ Daily HSTD: 4 table entries, no defaults, valid time = 24 hours.
* Add delay to adding players.
* Coil test default mode is now MANUAL instead of RUNNING.
* Fix ball serve generating bogus ball saved calls.

=== OS

* Fix image display program showing a relatively small picture in the upper
left instead of fullscreen. (This affects things like the now updating
screen.)

1.21 is sweet! Into the Fire mini wizard mode is very cool. Still learning the rules, but lots of shot variety in the mode. How Keith uses the drop targets in that mode is awesome!

If these were your thoughts after playing V1.21, you are in for a real treat when you play V1.30 or whatever is released next. The "E" shot is very difficult, but doable on my machine. I'm sure it depends on machine set up. I know some people who can backhand the holes, which I cannot do on my machine.

For the "E" shot? Its doable but very risky since the left outaine is very close. Nothing is worse than sending an upper flipper shot straight to the left outlane without the kickback on.

Well one hour and 7 minutes later, I played 29 of the 31 modes in the game. It is hard to relight some of them as you progress in the game. I'm still very unsure how the modes reset after playing them. Still can't beat Barrel Escape and couldn't kill SMAUG in the 6 multiballs that I had. I'd like to see progress saved for the Arkenstone modes (Into the Fire and Barrel Escape).

If the final wizard mode is completing all 31 modes, then good luck lol. Starting all 31 modes is a astronomical feat in itself. This wizard mode will be the ultimate test for us players!

I agree there, definitely top 5 hardest to complete. Riddles in the Dark is another one that comes to mind that is very hard. I forget some of the others.

I've seen my timer up to 58 seconds before, but have no clue how it got that high. Factory settings. Typically it doesn't get much higher than 40 seconds.

The extra balls can coming rolling in after a while. But with how deep the code is, they are needed. That game I probably earned 5 or 6 extra balls.