I've run into what is either a bug in the game code, or a setting issue on my end. Played a bunch of games this weekend with friends over. When playing a game with more than one person, so not playing in the team mode, if someone has a score that should be on the scoreboard at the end, there isn't a prompt to enter a name. It happened a number of times this weekend. Has anyone else noticed this?

That bug was recently reported and will be fixed in an upcoming update.

Proved myself SOBER for the first time! So much fun!

So I just had a game of Duck Derby and while playing the mode it ended while in multiball and my flippers died. The balls drained and it offered up a new ball. I have played this mode a hundred times and that has never happened before. Is that what happens when you lose the race? I assume so. I rarely finish the mode with mostly a drain or occasional win.

How do you get to the SOBER mode?

SOBER is the left outline mode "Last Call". It is lit on the second or third (default) 'ball save' earned and is considered a 'hard' save vs 'easy', since you have to earn it, so to speak. If you drain on the left outlane when lit, t he game will pause and put you into the mode, where you need to spell SOBER by hitting the various stand-up targets, while the flippers responsiveness is slow, given you have been drinking. The delay lessens as you start to sober up. If you can spell SOBER before draining, the game will resume exactly where you left off.

You can make it easier to earn saves (done via the little stand up targets by t he outlines), by collecting the appropriate stein, which I think it is Ish Pale Ale, but not certain. You can also adjust the setting to have the 'hard ball save' sooner.

Thanks for the detailed explanation Josh!

Kernenmeister

It's one of the first steins I usually go for.

I had not noticed this before, I'll have to pay attention for it! (and adjust flipping accordingly... maybe why I've never completed SOBER.)

I though it was getting easier as I was getting closer. Wasn't sure if my timing was getting better or if the delay was lessening. At the time I was just holding on for dear life!

I've had this game for a while and have never seen that mode.

I tend to choose the more outlane saves stein pretty early, so I've gotten to attempt SOBER 4 times I think. I've only gotten the opposite side "re-etnry" once. For that one you need to plunge the ball directly into the scoop, I did not come close.

I also grab it early often, since an outlane save is almost like an extra ball, so want to fully leverage that.

sure you think you are getting better at it, when in reality the delay is less. Be hard to get the last letter or two at the delay we start the mode with. Early on, lots of potential targets so you don't need the accuracy like you do late.

Change the setting "Outlane Modes on Save Number" to 2 and then grab Kernenmeister early. Also remember to nudge when appropriate to hit the targets to light the saves.

And maybe tweak the ball save target switch leaves so they're really sensitive, if so inclined.

You certainly want to be sure they register effectively.

Probably worth noting the meaning behind the insert colors for the outlane saves/modes…
green = save is available,
yellow = one more hit needed for save, so nudge accordingly
red = more than one hit away

Also note that an active ball save takes precedence over an outlane save/mode.

For those who get to sober for the first time, be sure to give the animations a glance along the way.

Good morning, I was playing Oktoberfest this morning and got excited to get a high score but unfortunately it did not save it. I thought maybe a battery problem but it remembers all my past scores, it just won't save new high scores. I went through all the settings but couldn't find anything to fix it. Does anyone know how to fix this issue?

Was it a multi player game? If so, this is a known issue in the latest code, we’ll have a fix posted soon.

Yes it was, thanks for the update!

Hello all!

I am excited to say that I am now the proud owner of an Oktoberfest! I just paid up and am awaiting shipment. Have always enjoyed this game at shows and events. Looking forward to bringing it home and truly learning how to play properly!

Congrats!! Welcome and it is a great game! Got mine in August and having a blast.

Did your machine arrive like this?

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Similar, but hangers bent more than the lockdown receiver. Sorry, you gotta deal with that. They did take care of everything quickly for me though. Definitely a bit of a bummer though.

After mighty feats of strength to reshape the lockbar receiver, apron, and hangers, I have officially joined the club.

Ein Prosit der Gemütlichkeit!

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I just got my November build game this week. I notice on the back box that there are only two speakers. I notice on earlier pictures there are 4 and the cabinet features on the website say four speakers. Did AP change the build?

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Yep. Houdini had 4 mid range speakers and separate tweeters with no sub. Don’t know about the first Oktoberfest but the rest of the games built in the last several years had 2 midrange / separate tweeters and a cabinet sub.

My Oktoberfest has 4 speakers. June 2019 build.

Interesting. Guess they made the change after that.

original Oktoberfest had 7 speakers, 4 in the top of the head (midrange and tweeter), 2 in the bottom of the head (midrange) and a subwoofer.

It was later changed to 5, 4 in the top of the head and the subwoofer.

Not sure if anything was changed after I left.

Glad you finally got your game, I sent you your Otto months ago. He certainly looks happy behind his bar.

This is what I have - hadn't heard AP downgraded the speaker system. Good to know...

He adds so much to the game. Thanks, Josh!

Thank you for the information

What did you do to fix your lockdown bar? Mine just doesn’t fix right and I can’t figure what is wrong. There is a gap on the left and right side between the lockdown bar and the side rails.

A friend has this issue on their recent build too. My suspicion is the lockdown bar bracket that also supports the playfield is mounted too high as the beer barrel has been scratched by the glass removal/insertion. I can confirm this happens with the playfield properly sat in the front mount. How close is your beer barrel to the glass?

My recently-built game has the same issue with lockdown bar and glass/barrel. My backbox was also misaligned with cabinet by ~.25" (and couldn't lock it). That was particularly irritating.

My lockdown bar bracket was bent down and into the cabinet (see picture). Removed from the cabinet and disassembled the lever assembly, then used a small sledgehammer to align the bent corner up and applied weight to bend it back in to be mostly flush with the cabinet. I say mostly as I still have a bit of a gap like you mentioned, but I'm able to launch a ball. The hanger that connects with that jacked up corner was also quite jacked. I got both hangers in a decent place. Though I got the game where I can play and enjoy it, I don't think it launches as intended.

Also, today I noticed the spring action on the lockdown bar kept catching, so I disassembled again for another tweak. It will never be perfect, but including a picture of how it looks today.

I had the same contact with both beer barrel and Otto on the glass. They don't touch now, but there was paint on the glass from both and a little damage to the molds.

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Did you put in a ticket with API? They sent me everything I needed with no hassle. My beer barrel was also scratched, but they sent a new one.

I also had to get a replacement beer barrel. Unfortunately the replacement also got scratched from the glass. Have you guys figured out something to fix it so the barrel doesn't continue to get scraped?

My lockdown bar isn't tight either.

I appreciate AP taking care of the parts but I would like an explanation of what happened for all these machines to arrive damaged in the same way. I am concerned that my playfield isn't sitting correctly in the cabinet.

My Houdini had playfield marks on the glass with a bent lock down bracket when I received it. I had determined it was caused during shipping. The pin must have experienced a jolt causing the heavy playfield to pull back away from the lockdown bracket (bending it) and the playfield came dislodged and slammed against the glass. I removed the bracket and bent it back into place and reinstalled it. For the amount of force it took me to bend back the bracket, it must have sustained a pretty big impact to do what it did.

There was a service note on the early ones for loose lockdown bars and a replacement piece to correct it was sent out. I thought that that was corrected on later production runs.

Found it, may or may not help with the current loose bars, but good info.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/joe-balcer-confirms-oktoberfest-as-american-pinbals-next-pin/page/85#post-5474081

My Otto and beer Barrel are getting scratched too

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Anyone know how to fix the bar door? It only opens 1/2 way and gets stuck

I had that problem, turned out the bar door sticker was coming loose. The sticker flap was keeping the door from rotating freely. I removed the sticker, it wasn't easy. There is a spare sticker included in the sticker set with new machines, but you have to take the bar apart to install it. I left mine off for now, it's not that obvious the sticker is missing. I've heard other people having mechanical problems instead of just the sticker.

Yeah, that was for side-to-side slop in the lockdown bar. I remember seeing the spacers installed on the sides, and also that it didn't seem to take much to knock them off when reinstalling the lockdown bar. The current problem seems to be the lockdown bar/playfield bracket is mounted too high. But the odd thing is comparing it to my earlier build unit there doesn't seem to be much difference. Symptoms are that the playfield sits a little high, allowing beer barrel and apparently Otto (hadn't seen that myself) get damaged by the glass, and the lockdown bar sitting high off the cabinet.

To help remove the slop in the lockdown bar sitting proud my friend has stuffed some stacks of those small post-it note tags (I think these) between the cabinet and the lockdown bar. Placed on the top of the cabinet side plywood. They don't resolve the issue, but they at least help remove the feel of the lockdown bar wobble when playing.

Yes. My temp fixes were just so I could get some much anticipated playtime in, even if it wasn't perfect.

As others have said, the API team are all standup folks. Very pleased with how it was handled.

Where did you get the keg sticker?

I bought various ones here:

https://www.redbubble.com/shop/german+beer+stickers