Out of curiosity, do many players reach Portal ?

I was a few shots away from reaching it, just had to validate light cycles in Sea of Simulation, and I'm a below average player, so I was wondering... Either I made tremendous progress in my game skills, or the game is easier than others I own

I've always felt Tron was relatively easy to do well (i.e. get to Sea of Simulation), but difficult to master (i.e. get to Portal). For me, that's the secret sauce for a game that makes you want to hit the start button just one more time.

I'm a reasonably good player (2014 GA State Champ) and reach Portal less than regularly, but almost get there frequently. How your game plays and is set up can make a big difference as well (outlane posts, tourney settings).

I think I've reached Portal maybe 5 or less times in a few years. SOS much more often. I don't play terribly often and I'm not a great player, maybe average or slightly above average.

I’ve had my Tron for about 3 years, and still haven’t reached Portal. I’ve been one or two shots away from it a few times. I reach Sea of Sim probably about half the time. I start the modes easily, but I seldom finish them. I’m probably an average player for a collector, but I’m the best player in my household, with my wife second and my toddler third.

Tron switch matrix issue:

1. In the middle of a game (right when I got another Quorra add-a-ball...), row 2 of my switch matrix went out (stuck open, wouldn't register). This same thing actually happened 4.5 years ago & I took good notes then, so I made quick work of replacing the 2N3904 transistor at Q2.
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/tron-pro-switch-matrix-row-2-unresponsive

2. Switch matrix row 2 fixed!

...but...

3. Now columns 2, 3, 4, & 5 are stuck closed. I double-checked all connectors on the CPU board. Everything in its place. Troubleshooting revealed the following:
a) If I unplug the trough opto PCBs (I know, weird--but it cleared up a problem that I once had that manifested as hits on the Recognizer bank!), then the other switches on column 5 behave.
b) If I unplug the connector near the trough (see attached), which leads to all of the trough switches, then all of the other switches on columns 2, 3, 4, & 5 behave.

Given the above information, what seems to be the culprit? Something somehow weird w/ the trough...but how could those switches foul 4 columns when they're plugged in???

Thank you!
-Jason

Tron switches are dumb (resized).JPG

Tron switches are fussypants (resized).JPG

I would suspect a short, can you test continuity between each columns directly on the switch side of the connector (ie the part which is connected to the switch themselves, not the part which is connected to the backbox)

Logic would dictate that you will see a short between several signals.

Just wanted to bump this question in case anyone new. I used to be able to find this but it has vanished from my settings. Do I need to re-load the code? Can one of you check where it is in your settings? Thanks!

What code are you on?

Thanks for the reply.
With the incomplete information I posted, that's some good advice.

However, it didn't add up to me. Replace 1 transistor in the backbox, then instantly develop multiple shorts under the PF, even though I didn't even raise the PF when fixing the CPU board? Nah, I suspected the backbox, esp. the CPU PCB.

More thorough testing showed that, whenever a switch on row 2 closed, the corresponding entire column would also close.

Hmmm, the new transistor was bad, output stuck low? Possibly. Logic probe suggested yes. (This gave me a legitimate opportunity to state boldly, "Bring in the logic probe!")

Pulled the CPU PCB, ready to swap for another transistor, and...

...heeeeey, why are these long legs still on the transistor? These things are supposed to be trimmed after soldering. Surely they'll short against the metal chassis plate right behind the PCB, and...ooooohhhhhh...

Snip, snip, fixed.

Thanks,
-Jason

Ah indeed, that's another explanation It was a still a short in the end, but not at the right location

Thanks for posting the fix!

LOL. We’ve all been there. Glad you figured it out and it didn’t damage anything else!

—Donnie

Last weekend I was on a trip and found a pinball place (Game Terminal). I tried a bunch of games, but do you know what I could NOT stop going back to? Tron. Despite how loud the rest of the arcade was (and the LZ next to me grrrrr) I could JUST hear Daft Punk enough to feel my heart rate going up as I got deeper into each game. I'd play a few games, then try to go to another machine, but Tron kept calling me back for just one more credit.
I'm seriously getting the pinball itch, and while I'm still looking for my first game for the house, I would LOVE for it to be Tron.

Thanks everyone for all your incredible posts in this thread!

Hey guys. I'm hoping someone can help me. I was having trouble where the machine would think I drained even though the ball was still in play. It still does that, but now it's not ending a game when the ball actually does drain. I thought for sure it was the trough switches but I've been running switch tests and it looks like the trough switches are firing. It also shows all the balls in the trough when I do the trough test. Any ideas?

Check the optos at the up kick of the trough.

Good morning,

I have open sourced my Tron disc mod. Documentation is scarce, as honestly I'm abysmal at documentation, plus I lack time

Video of the mod:

Github of the mod: https://github.com/Ashram56/Tron-Pinball-Disc-Mod

Note the licence: this is GPL3, free to use and free for commercial usage, but you are required to give credit, and to release any change (both HW and SW) made to the design publicly, ideally as a commit or a fork of my github.

Questions, feel free to ask

Love this! Hopefully someone puts one together as a plug-and-play solution.

Yep. It was a loose wire running into the opto. All fixed now. Thanks for the help.

This looks awesome. I will have to give this a go. I wonder if it can be set to only turn on when the rectifier goes down.

There are three operating states:
- Disc motor not running (so recognizer up usually), the yellow dual trail effect
- Disc motor running, clockwise : rotating light (blue or red, can't remember)
- Disc motor running, counter clockwise : rotating light (opposite of other)

So if you don't want any light show when recognizer bank is up, easiest is to modify color from orange to black (line 34 and 35 in my Arduino .ino file)

Hell yeah! Thank you. This is perfect.

awesome, glad you were able to fix it!

Version 1.74. I checked again tonight, still can’t find where to adjust GEM. It is the oddest thing.

I just looked and didn’t see anything. Do you think it was the code level before this one? Like 1.70 or whatever it was.

Could be. I had to update the code to restore the original music. I had the ability to reduce the number of GEM shots when I had the other music on it, but now it’s gone.

Does anyone else recall being able to do things in the code like reduce the number of GEM shots needed or reduce the number of recognizer hits needed? Can anyone still access these things on the latest code?

I forgot what I’m on. Stock or remix but it’s 1.74. Ive never changed the gem shot even when on older code.

I remember seeing a gem shot change in the settings. I’ll look tomorrow

Thanks for checking northvibe

Anyone else have any idea where in the settings to adjust the number of GEM hits it takes to start GEM? Is that simply not possible to do on code 1.74? That is a really odd thing to have disappear from the code. Thanks in advance.

Confirmed. I just went through all my settings on 1.74 and there is no Gem adjustment.

What an odd thing to have removed in a final code update. Had to be simply an over site to have that taken out of the game. Not the end of the world of course, but Wow!!! I wonder what other settings accidentally didn’t make the final code update.

Wonder if anyone has the prior file version to try

Great question! Anyone running the prior code?

What's really cool is reaching Portal without needing SOS! I've done it once...50M bonus! My son has done it several times...

I just joined the club. Loving the machine. Can someone hook me up with some custom sound mix? I can donate for your time. Please DM me. Thank you in advance.

J

Reach out to Scott D.(TheNoTrashCougar), he can prob hook you up.

Just turned on TronLE for the first time in a while and the arcade mod is not working. The flasher portion is working but not the LCD is not working.

Any trouble shooting help?

Is this mod even available anymore?

Been out of the Tron scene for a while.

Thanks,

Mike

Try the pin connector, sometimes it comes loose a bit. Could be the same under the hood.

The thread you want to use to contact the maker is here:

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/tron-mini-arcade-cabinet-we-are-now-taking-preorders-for-the-second-run/page/16#post-6438439

Seems like yes, they do still do runs of them, and I’m pretty sure they’ll do repairs. But like was said, check the connector. If that doesn’t work and you’re capable, it sounds like these can suffer from solder joints that go bad. Fairly easy repair if you’re comfortable soldering small things.

—Donnie

It’s usually the plug to the lcd inside the cab. I just fixed my own a little bit ago.

I just installed a Stern shaker motor... When it's on the video and audio in the Pin go crazy. Almost like voltage is back feeding to them. I shut it off right away.
Any suggestions on what to look for? Everything is wired according to the instructions. I installed this same kit on an AC/DC Luci several months ago with no problems... I checked the ground to the pin it looks good.

My boys little pinny project. Like, subscribe and make his day

9th Episode
14th September 2021
Fathers Day
Stern Tron Legacy

Hey Tron brothers and sisters. I am back and may do very, very small runs of Tron ramp kits. I can't do volume runs anymore because of the risk of failure on an entire batch like last time. That was a devastating cost that I can't afford again. (couldn't really afford it the first time, lol).

They will unfortunately be more expensive because of the small runs. They used to run at around USD300, but will now more likely be at the USD500 mark.

My website won't be back and I will be putting them exclusively through Pinside.

It's good to be back. I love pinball like nothing else, but it bitch-slapped me hard man.

So glad to have you back. Sign me up for the ramp kit. I need one desperately.

I’m in!

I would still love to have one for my Tron. I'll start saving my dollars!

Please count me in for a set. One of the best Tron mods out there!!!!

Anyone would have any advice on how to restore that area of the playfield ? (the white line around the TRON insert)

On top of that the insert is slightly raised and not flush anymore with the playfield, any advice would be welcome.

Regards

IMG_3088 (Large) (resized).jpg

unfortunately pretty common. Theres a few ways to do it. You can be cheap and just black marker or paint that edge. You could heat up the inserts, tap them down and re-glue. You could also take the pf out and have someone restore it. Few ways to go about it, all depends on what you may be looking for in quality of fix.

Here's picks of mine. I got it with 500ish plays. It now has about 4800. I put a playfield protector on. I'll never sell this machine, so i was thinking of getting a new playfield for insurance down the road

20210920_172834 (resized).jpg20210920_172844 (resized).jpg20210920_172849 (resized).jpg20210920_172938 (resized).jpg20210920_172949 (resized).jpg

Interesting, so you also have the same issue with the insert rising.

Kind of wonder, if I go the hard route (heat and unglue, realign and glue, replace clearcoat), I don't see any reason for the issue to not appear again, right?

With regards to the quick and dirty approach, do I need to remove the clearcoat, and any guidance on how to do it? Posca pencil with a ruler?

Regards

And sidenote... Where do you get a replacement playfield?? Could not find one myself.