Ghostbusters (LE)
Stern, 2016
Ghostbusters (Premium)
Stern, 2016
Ghostbusters (Pro)
Stern, 2016You're currently viewing posts by Pinsider smokedog.
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Quoted from highdef:It's time for Stern to evolve with new technology (including artwork) or have someone else do it for them.
Have you checked out Spike, or the art on Metallica or Kiss? They certainly didn't develop Spike just for the heck of it, I'm sure more is coming.
How many other manufacturers are doing hand drawn art on a pin that you can buy today? Like, actually buy it, and have it show up next week?
Quoted from Whysnow:with no real idea if they are left for dead
Barring WoF, what other titles has Stern left for dead in order to come to that conclusion?
Quoted from kpg:Who really cares about earning.
I do.
Quoted from golfingdad1:does anyone have experience with these from another game ?
I can't think of another game that uses them.
Quoted from MikeS:Pretty much every Stern game's code is disappointing out of the gate.
Replace 'Stern' in the above sentence with 'Every Pinball Manufacturer' and I think you are on to something.
Quoted from DS_Nadine:Hand drawn Art is finally back to pinball
Did you not see Metallica or Kiss? Both have really good hand drawn art. Stern has been doing this for awhile now.
Quoted from SkillShot:Stern is going for relatively high margin low volume instead of low margin high volume. This is fine cuz you make same profit from selling less machines, but the problem is, you're not really growing your consumer base.
Stern is selling more machines now than they have in years, so much so, they had to move their factory. Obviously their customer base is growing, and the company is doing well with the model of business they have developed.
Quoted from kpg:I think I speak for many people here, when you are selling $7-8,000 fully loaded versions of their games and start collecting pre-order money for them,
Stern hasn't collected dime one for any Premium or LE.
Other companies do that. Stern doesn't receive any money until games ship.
Quoted from erak:Overall many shots fly and bounce around.
Landing on or hitting the plastics in the machine.
Sounds like it just needs breaking in, especially those drops. My guess is it will improve over time.
Quoted from erak:Not very many shots return the ball to the flippers. You have to constantly fight for control.
Excellent!
Mine shipped out today 
Not sure when the launch party will be at Sports on Tap.
Quoted from DuckBrian:But if they are frustrated playing it because of constant middle drains, that kind of defeats the purpose.
Only pin I've seen new players balk at is IM (cause it's tough as nails). TWD is a huge hit with newbies at my location, and I find it to be a very tough machine.
Quoted from kpg:person like him (Lloyd Olsen!) who does get paid by JJP for their technical support give tips and suggestions for Stern games.
Quoted from kpg:and I'm glad to know they have a guy like Lloyd Olsen on payroll.
I think Lloyd has stated many times, he is not on the JJP payroll. That may have changed though.
Quoted from Rarehero:I'm fully prepared to easy-ify the shit out of this game to make it enjoyable.
Im just over 150 games in on my Pro. Once you learn some of the shots, realize you have to nudge a lot, slap save, etc, the game is very enjoyable. Mine is still stock, except for I mylar'd the shooter lane. Keep the tilt loose as mentioned. Also, a lot of the orbits and ejects give really manageable dead bounces. Control and shot making. If you flail a lot, the game will punish you.
According to audits, avg game score is 34 million. GC is 360 million (which is on the low side from what I have been hearing). Play field multipliers are huge in this game, and they don't come easy.
I have noticed a few bugs in the software.
For location I plan on closing the out lanes (they ship in the middle) and jack up the ball save a few seconds, and leave the tilt loose.
Quoted from pinmister:Now that I have had some time on a Ghostbusters I can say that the 'Gap' is substantial and really makes the game difficult and it really sucks when the ball comes out of the pops and goes straight down the center regardless of nudging attempts.
That does happen, but it's pretty rare. I think a gentle nudge right when it's coming out that left side of the pops could help.
I would say give it some time. I find the out lanes drain more than the centre gap. My first 40 or so games was getting used to the pin and how it shoots. Now I know to avoid hitting certain areas, trapping the ball better, etc the game play is great.
The Prem/LE may play a lot differently than the pro as well.
Quoted from pinmister:With the gap and the magnetic slings-this could be a real ball buster.
Haha. It could be!
Some play tips for folks on the Pro*:
- left orbit (on a slower shot), right orbit, and both scoops - nice dead bounce to the other flipper for control
- drop targets - brush the side of them, like the Monger shot on IM
- Ghost stand up - think Palantir from LotR - dont hit this straight on unless you want it coming back at you at a million miles an hour
- 2x and 3x stand ups beside left ramp - death shots in single ball play, leave for multiball if lit
- left captive balls - really neat, tough shot, and essential to big scores - timed as well - I try and go for it when in multiball, or to light multi
- right orbit is the go to shot when flailing to gain back some control
- right ramp is the toughest shot in the game
*disclaimer: I'm not a great pinball player
Posts lowered, purple Cliffy post rubber added:
Quoted from alveolus:I had two consecutive left flipper shots to the ghost target that rocketed back and jumped the left inlane/outlane guide an in th the drain. I wish they would have engineered this to be taller to block some of those low-level air balls.
Yup, that target is like Palantir on LotR. Don't hit it straight on.
Quoted from alveolus:I see this machine becoming as much about what not to shoot as the reverse.
For sure. Flail and the game ends quickly. A shooters game for sure.
Quoted from pinmister:Has anyone tried longer flippers yet? I think I would want to try longer flippers before drilling a hole in the playfield for a center post. I am wondering if the longer flippers will really affect the gameplay? -Anyone know
I think people should probably put in a bunch of games and get used to the pin before making any alterations ... especially permanent ones.
I don't find the flipper gap bad. First few games it felt huge, but you get used to it, and now shoots like any other pin.
Audits after 262 games played (variety of players, aged 10 and up):
Avg score - 53 million
Left drains - 132
Centre drains - 530
Right drains - 91
Balls saved - 378
Avg game time - 2 minutes
Quoted from rai:I had no idea. Thanks for the data. I would say that the caliber of player has a lot to do with this. I do find I can nudge / save some center drains on my pins that I was not able to do in the past. I have no idea about GB.
Yup, for sure. A person has to nudge this game, slap save, etc. If you don't you will not do well.
I find a lot of the talk about centre drains and wire hopping will change once people get better at the game.
Quoted from TaylorVA:are the flippers on GB suppose to be in line with the inlane guides? The one on location near me has them more in the I500 position. Makes trapping hard as f*&*C
Tough to trap for sure, but not impossible.
I've found myself using dead bounces more than any other game. Scoop on the right kicks to left flipper for dead bounce to right flipper trap. Ball coming out of the right orbit leads to dead bounce on right flipper to left flipper trap. Also, if the ball comes down the farthest in lane, just hold the flipper up for a nice pass to the other flipper for a trap.
Game is all about ball control and making your shots. No flailing allowed.
Quoted from rai:So on all my pins (and your GB) it looks like center drain is 2-3x more likely than both R + L drain combined.
Yup. It's no different than any other game once you get used to playing it.
Quoted from TaylorVA:I'm talking specifically of the angle of the flipper. They were pointed downward like the position in Indy500. The picture posted elsewhere in this thread they look like they are pointed more in line with the ball guide that feeds the flipper.
Im not familiar with I500. Here is what mine look like. Plays fine by me.
Quoted from CaptainNeo:to me, they seem a little to far down. By a hair. I'd bring them up just a hair.
Naw, I'm good.
Quoted from swinks:as for the flippers I saw on another thread that the flippers are lined up with the playfield alignment holes but personally will be lining up to the inlane guide wire forms.
Quoted from MustangPaul:I might do that too.
I would wait and get some games in on it first. I think it will change the shot geometry. Two of the shots are very low on the play field and changing the flipper alignment may make those shots very tough to hit. Game is hard enough as it is! But, whatever floats your boat. I wouldn't be surprised if in any official competition the alignment will be stock (if you care about that stuff).
Personally I don't find the alignment is wrong at all. Feels right on the pin.
Quoted from PanzerFreak:Is that for normal play or just during a specific mode?
Mass Hysteria MB
Quoted from MRG:Anyone try this out?
Just tried it. The 'CCC' displays 'Hello, World' on the DMD.
Call outs in attract mode crack me up ... 'Since I joined these men, I have seen shit that’ll turn you white.'
Quoted from MRG:How about 123?
Plays the theme and scrolls the credits on the DMD
Quoted from iceman44:Totally agree, awesome but collecting 100 ghosts doesn't look that difficult.
Not even close to killing 115 Walkers.
I thought everyone was saying the game was too hard and no one would ever see any of the modes?
Quoted from flynnibus:Given how brutal people have been complaining the game is.. I'd wager many will prefer this 'dead sling' play as it makes the game easier.
Vocal minority. The game is hard, but not nearly as hard as say TWD or IM.
Quoted from kpg:This is why the game is obviously less brutal then the Pro machines, as the Pro's side-to-side normal sling action almost always ends in an outlane drain, where the magna slings balance this out completely.
You speak like someone who has put in a lot of games on the Pro. How many games have you played on it?
Quoted from Manic:No. Seemed like an afterthought to the gameplay actually. Still...better to have it than not. They could always add some objectives to it later in the code I suppose.
If it's the same width as the pro, it's the hardest shot in the game. Tough to hit (and punishes when missed). It is a required shot in a lot of the modes. Also starts/collects PKE mode. And it's worth a ghost when lit.
GB launch party was a success! Location players are loving the game.
Got to witness a big score last night on location by one of our league players. The rule change for the captive ball - flipper reversal during Mass Hysteria is awesome!
Scoring seems to be more balanced now.
Quoted from kpg:What's mindless is the people getting these crazy scores are simply mastering that left ramp hitting jackpot after jackpot with a playfield multiplier. The game pretty much comes down to that left ramp being hit over.. And over.. And over again. Really, getting a huge score is pretty much all about how many times you can get that jackpot looping that left ramp. Once again, pretty mindless right there...
Nope. Not cracking a billion with this strategy.
Quoted from kpg:I've watched people cracking 8 billion, with literally half that score being looping that left ramp for huge jackpots 25+ times in a row with a playfield multiplier.
On the latest code?
Have you played GB yet? Getting your play field multipliers is no small task.
Quoted from frolic:So to go nuts over a single Premium that was set up at a show seems a little premature.
Oh, Pinside.
Quoted from nitrojcrawf:People like easy and repetitive in today's age.
Yah, i was hoping for a machine where I got to see every mode the game has to offer in the first 4 plays I had on it. Like Monster Bash.
This game is not it.
Quoted from Chicoman:I'm glad I didn't buy this turd of a machine!
The location players are glad I bought this turd. Coin box reflects that.
Dropped the out lane posts, shortened the springs on drop targets and adjusted the slimer cable. Plays great, fun game. No ghosting on inserts. Art work is off the charts great, well done music, theme integration is top notch with a ton of movie quotes. Once the code is done and a colour DMD comes out for it, I'm sure it will remain a good earner.
Quoted from kpg:Because GB is just as brutal as IM
No, it's not. Not even close.
Quoted from RobT:But the reason it kicks ass is that the ruleset perfectly compliments the short ball times on that pin.
Can the same be said for the ruleset on GB?
Once they game is broken in and players learn the safe shots and the dangerous ones, GB is not really a short ball time game.
Quoted from MikeS:Because of the importance of starting the mode on the skill shot I almost always choose the right orbit as the first mode to start because it is the safest and easiest way to set yourself up for a good game.
I typically go for this or the 'We got One' on the first ball.
Don't underestimate the top roll over skill shots. On subsequent balls, the 'Light Playfield multipliers' in the middle roll over is huge when you have everything ready to go.
Again - imagine TSPP if you were only allowed to play a certain mode first every time and had to restart it and complete it as well. Would you enjoy it as much?
In your example, would it require the 3 easiest shots in the game to complete the mode?
Quoted from kpg:Majority of GB's 1.5-2min is selecting a skill shot, listening to "Who brought the dog", waiting for the long Tobin book animations, waiting for the scoops to serve the ball back, and playing the video mode.
The remaining 25 seconds is flipping the ball until it falls between the flippers or bounces to the outlanes, with no chance of saving it (in its factory configuration)
The timer does not start until first switch is hit. Selecting anything at the start has nothing to do with amount of time. If you left the ball in the shooter lane for 15 minutes it would not count as a 15 minute game.
IM is a harder game than GB. If you have some data that refutes that ...
Centre post? Not sure this game needs it.
We played a Pro last night in league, and GB slowed everything down. We had a few guys with games in the billions, 10+ minutes a game, with one game close to 30 minutes.
Last time it will be played in league for sure. Right up there with LotR when a decent player gets on a roll.
Quoted from spidey:Disable extra balls and open the outlanes, right?
No extra balls. Posts at factory.
Quoted from TigerLaw:Wow! That's interesting. All I've heard till now was the game was a drain hog.
Of course there were some quick games. But the 1.6 billion game was a long one.
The players have been playing the pin on location for almost 2 months. The pin has settled down, and once you learn the shots, it's not that tough a pin.
Quoted from jar155:Definitely the case. I've been saying that it's not as hard as Iron Man or The Walking Dead. It's not easy, but those two are definitely tougher.
Yup, I realized that after a week of ownership. Tried in a few threads to state that, and got shouted down how hard it is, unfair it is, needs lane extenders and centre post, larger flippers, etc, etc.
I decided to sit back and wait to see how many of those folks change their tune after owning/playing it more.
Quoted from Rarehero:Why the fuck are people getting so offended by people setting it up to play well?
Not sure anyone is offended, I certainly am not.
After two months of ownership, it plays well, without nerfing it. I think that may be the point everyone is trying to get across. Give it some time, learn the table, and discover that it plays great as is.
It's killing it on location. I don't think players would keep pumping coins in if it just kicked them in the nuts every game.
Quoted from Rarehero:It's not that I'm bad - it's that the game dumps the ball down the middle a lot and airballs off standups and Scorelli's.
After the game is played a bunch, this calms down and rarely happens anymore. Fresh out of the box it does for sure. My route game, it's very rare to see this now (though the stand ups can be death shots, sort of like every other stand up in other games.)
Quoted from Rarehero:3 shots doesn't seem like much, but when the game doesn't have flow, it makes making shots harder.
Who brought the dog is 3 shots, and they all flow together. I watched it happen last league night, many times, and did it myself. Many guys completing it making shot-shot-shot. Right loop off the skill shot. Dead bounce from left loop stall to right flipper. Left ramp shot, left loop, dead bounce to left flipper, right loop, done and started the 2nd mode.
Once you've played it a bunch, it's the easiest mode to complete, and very consistent.
Quoted from Rarehero:Would it be so bad to advance to the next mode in the ladder if you fail? But get a reward for completion? What would be wrong w/ that?
I see no issue in this. I see no issue in the way it is either though.
Quoted from Rarehero:Has anyone seen Marshmallow Man yet? Anyone!?!?! lol
Yes.
Quoted from Rarehero:You can insult me all you want - but just watch ANY of the streaming videos from shows over the last few months. Player after player DRAIN DRAIN DRAIN DRAIN and only starting 1 mode on the ladder and not finishing it.
Or better yet, watch someone who has played quite a few games on it, and watch them stack mass hysteria with a mode and PKE running, then smash the left captive for multipliers and quickly rack up a billion points. Hectic and good fun.
Quoted from tiesmasc:1. If slider not registering well it kills the game. Really need some alternate targets that score this shot (e.g 2x and 3x or gozer).
That's on the OP as well. Doesn't take much to make him trigger consistently.
Quoted from tiesmasc:two right ramp shots
Please no. That shot is tough! Love it, feels great when I hit it, but I'm fine with back handing the Ghost target to drop Slimer.
Everyone should really spend a bunch of time on GB before declaring it the hardest game ever that is so unfair you never see anything.
It. Is. Not. That. Hard.
Talking with a bunch in the league, everyone likes the game, but no one wants to play it in tourney's anymore unless we make it harder. If you get on a roll, you're going to have a long game.
The way the modes are set up, if you are not required to complete modes, you could literally plunge, make the left ramp skill shot, drain, and in two balls be a couple shots away (6? 8?) from a mini wizard mode (WCWS). Is that what people want?
Can you make Destroy the Ring in 8 shots? Why not? They should change it so everyone who walks up to the game can see Destroy the Ring.
Easy games have no longevity for anyone.
Quoted from jeffsgames:He ALMOST nails it. Not to start the whole "flipper gap" discussion again, but if this was a normal flipper gap this pin would have been the best ever. The gap brings it down to a very good pin but could be better.
The nice thing is you could put carrot flippers in and have your 'normal gap'. For those of us that appreciate his design as is, we leave it alone. Refreshing to see something different. And after playing a bunch, the gap makes no difference in enjoyment.
Game is killing it on route as well.
Quoted from JMK:I find this the most difficult game I've personally ever owned.
Harder than TWD?
I find IM, TWD, Tron and the like way harder than GB ... like not even in the same league.
Next time I'm at the location, I'll pull game time avg. and ball time avg. from the machines and see how they compare.
Quoted from JoshODBrown:Does this mean if I don't finish Gozer the Gozerian in time, it'll just let me move on to Staypuft Marshmallow man the next time I get to start a scene ?
I think so.
Now you can just trap the ball and let all the modes time out. Change Slimer to easy, and you'll get to see all the modes in one play through.
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Saskatoon, SK
Temecula, CA