Has anyone ever made the "Last Call" shot? I find it impossible.

This is the right thread. We are just all busy playing our Oktoberfest pins...

With beer barrel multiball, you should hear Otto say, "This keg is tapped" and then kick out one ball at a time where the beer magnet will grab it and throw it around. Most times the beer magnet will catch all 3 balls and then they just come down to the flippers. Very occasionally there will be some odd behavior on my game, like you describe, but a quick reset of the power and all is back to normal. If you think you are having an issue, you can connect a usb drive to the inside of the cabinet to get the diagnostics and send to API. https://www.american-pinball.com/support/

Just take a vacation to Vermont. You can come over and play.

The topper light on my Houdini is just a 12 volt light strip that attaches to the backbox lighting. I would imagine it should be really easy to attach it there and feed it up through one of the holes in the head.

I noticed that recently my bar door wouldn't open all the way so I went to investigate. It appears that the sticker on the bar door is starting to lift and is curling back, causing it to jam up against the inner post and wire bundle. I used a pick to try and adhere the sticker back down but after a few plays it is back to binding again.

It looks like I am going to have to remove the entire assembly to fix the issue but not sure how to go about it. If I remove Otto and the wood bar around the door, will I be able to remove it from below? There is a ton of stuff in the way above and below so it looks to be a challenging disassembly. I plan on just slicing away the decal that is lifting with a razor blade.

I would just like to know if there is an easier way to access the door on the left side?

Thanks for any help.

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Disassembly was easier than I anticipated. Here is the culprit. I just trimmed it off and back to 100%.

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The ball flying off the ramp only seems to happen when I hit a Picard maneuver or similar speed. Off the magnet or out of the pops would hardly ever cause it to jump out, at least on my machine.

Baywatch is one of the few pins I regret selling. But it did help pay for my Houdini...

No, unfortunately it had legs.

It is the same way with Hot wheels. When I would watch a stream I constantly heard the shrill of the air gun and thought it to be annoying. But in real life I hardly notice it while playing. I actually like the giggling on Houdini as it adds a level of creepiness to it.

After a few games tonight, I have come to realize that Stein Race is by far the hardest mode in the game. Why do I suck so bad while playing that mode? Plus I have to shoot only certain shots to make it even harder? I guess I'll have to play more one handed beer in hand mode. Either I get better at it or become an alcoholic. Thanks, API.

The sticker that is on the bar door is starting to peel up in the back, causing the door to bind up and not work, I'll bet. And yes, it is a bit of a pain to remove the assembly. You will have to physically remove the wood part of the bar from the top in order to remove the assembly from the bottom. And to do that you will have to remove the yellow ramp, the beer barrel, and the subway underneath. Good luck with that. How do I know all this? I just had to do it myself.

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In order to remove the mech I had to remove the wood decoration from the bar. I couldn't do that until I partially removed the yellow ramp and the habitrail to the beer barrel lock to access the screws and have enough room to remove it. Then I had to remove the bottom subway in order to reach the 4 bolts holding the door mech.

If there is an easier way please let me know.

Does anyone have the direct download link to update the game code for Oktoberfest? I am too impatient to wait for the website to be back up.

One of my favorite video modes of any pinball machine Tap It, I somehow achieved an extra ball while the mode was playing, obscuring the mode and causing me to mess up and end the mode. It would be nice to be able to finish the mode and then be awarded an extra ball.

I have had the same issue. It is probably due to magnetized balls and/or faulty switch membrane in the beer barrel lock. Still working out the kinks on mine but I did recently replace one ball that did seem to quickly magnetize. I put the old one back in and the pin performed much better.

Watch this video, it helped me.

This issue has cropped up several times in several posts. Either your balls are magnetized, your beer barrel switch membrane is dirty/faulty, or you haven't enabled lock compensation in the settings. Just read a few posts back to see what's going on.

I am so in love with this game. What is so incredible is that every mode feels different and unique. I have been playing this game every day for months and I still try different combos to try and improve my scores. I usually go only one layer deep on the steins but today I went 3 deep on bumper cars, started it with beer barrel ready and the score went through the roof. Just from that one mode got me close to 3rd place. Amazing replay value. This pin is fantastic!

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I believe all the bulbs in this game are attached to circuit boards as they are rgb so don't try to pull them out.

I wouldn't be in a position to tell you how, as I wouldn't want to give bad advice and damage your machine. But I believe the bulbs are possibly running 12 volts. I would just use your voltmeter to find 12-13 volts and connect your spots there. But again, do it at your own risk.

I think these look fantastic and are perfect for the theme but I just don't like the 3d printed look. It's overly plastic and shiny. I wonder if these could be sanded down or are there materials that have a dull look?

I'm lost as to why that would look like it belongs on Godzilla. Is that supposed to be an egg or something?

I'm sure berating the company will get them right on it.

Look, we all have been waiting and wanting the new code for co-op, but there are far greater things in this world to get upset over. Put a beer in one hand and play Oktoberfest in the other. It practically doesn't get any better than that. I often raise a glass to such an awesome game that we get to play every day. Prost!

The game will get confused easily if your balls are magnetized. I had a dinged up ball and replaced one with one I had lying around. It quickly got magnetized and weird things started happening. Put the old one back in and all was well. I now use Titan carbons and no problems since.

The new Otto is light years better than the old one and even matches the bar underneath better IMO. Well done Josh. I will be needing one for sure.

Magnetized balls will cause a lot of problems too. Whenever I get a high score that is not deserved, I usually put my family names or make one up.

Downloaded the beta and I can't seem to initiate team play. Is it in a setting or something?

On LOV the left scoop shot during a battle "adds more time" to that battle. Houdini also has an "add more time" by hitting the orbits. Maybe the 180 shot could be similar? If you are about to time out on the mode, hitting the 180 will add more time when you need it. As Big_Whoopin said, I too struggle hitting that shot.

I just had a strange occurrence. I was playing a game and locked my first ball in the roller-coaster ramp and soon after the game locked up. Everything froze and the flippers went dead. I gave it a few moments and then I cycled the game. When the game booted back up I could not start a game. Thinking it was the ball still stuck up into the coaster lock I went into service mode to try and release the ball. No coils would work. Fearing the worst, I stuck a USB into the machine to capture some logs. Then I rebooted the game again. This time everything worked as expected and had a killer game. Running the latest beta. The game has never locked up on me before.

I can put it in my machine while you wait...

While I am eagerly awaiting for the new Otto to be available from rosh (soon pretty please!), I have decided to add some extra flood lighting to the bar area. I tapped into the 12v and put a spot over the PROST island.
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I then decided to just add some spots to the playfield and in the trough. It looks a little harsh on the photo but in person it looks great.
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I love this game!

Similar situation. Sending logs.

Don't hesitate to put up the new code. Has been working great after 50+ plays.

My houdini came that way. At some point during shipping, someone layed it or dropped it with the glass side down. The playfield popped out and slammed into the glass. The hangers were bent just like that. I just bent it back and everything was fine. I am sure it wasn't the fault of AP or the dealer I got it from. AP has the best customer service out there so don't hesitate to contact them if you need anything.

As Otto likes to say, "Holy shit!"

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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.

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.

One more thing to check and see if your pinballs have gotten magnetized. My Oktoberfest is super sensitive to any balls that are magnetized and will start to behave exactly as you describe. I replaced a dinged up ball with another I had laying around and almost instantly I started having issues. I put the old ball back in and problem went away.

Yep, normal. Sometimes the timing of the magnet will even shoot the ball back up the orbit. Keeps you on your toes.

Art blades and powder coated lockdown bar and side rails too.

Is your ball going airborne up the beer barrel ramp? It may be hitting the VUK wireform to cause the ball to derail. I had this problem with a fast shot to the ramp. I fixed this issue by adding a cover to the ramp. Pinstyle here on pinside makes a clear acrylic cover that works great. Maybe reach out to him to see if he still has some.

https://pinside.com/pinball/community/pinsiders/pinstyle

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My scoop shoots the ball out to right flipper every time. It is odd that different power settings has no effect to the trajectory of the ball. I believe the scoop bracket is similar with Houdini's so reshaping it may be a solution. I believe there might be a ball save setting for that scoop too. I know there is one on Houdini.

I crushed it today.

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A little of both. I ended up maxing out Steins on outlane ball saves, easier collect tent letters and easier to collect ducks? or Steins? and had all Steins by ball 2. Anyway, at one point I had almost 20 million in bonus on ball 2. Several extra balls (standard game rules) and had multiple multiballs. Every multiball had a mode stacked with it or with a calorie item.

My strategy always starts with collecting steins on the plunge. I hardly ever shoot for any other skill shot. It's easy and gets a Stein every time. I often backhand the left orbit, into pops to get playfield multiplier going, or if the ball rolls past, hitting the upper ramp. Also I always try to go back and finish a mode to completion if failed. Extending the time on modes is one of the first Steins I go for. When I am close to multiball, I will start a mode like duck hunt or food frenzy so I can maximize shots to targets. I think the single best way to score points is to collect as many ducks as possible. Mystery awards is very awesome because most times will reset tilt warnings allowing for more life saving nudges. And I NEVER try to hit the scoop with the right flipper. That is the most dangerous shot in the game imo, and will often rocket straight back at me if i miss.

One reason I really enjoy Oktoberfest (there are a million reasons why I love it) is that after a ball lock or if you can get the ball in the shooter lane, the ball will not autoplunge. I like that because I can calm down, take a drink, and plan my next move. I can't do that on Houdini or most other pins.

Finally, Last Call is the single best mode in all of pinball. I have never played anything like it in any other pin and absolutely love it. Beer goggles and weak flippers make me giggle every time, and if I am able to complete it, I always fist pump high in the air! Whoever came up with the idea and coding for that deserves the highest recognition.

Don't worry, AP will get you through it. They have the best customer service in the business. I hope you can get it sorted soon.

Oktoberfest is my favorite pin in my lineup. LOV has great flow, and the upper flipper shot is fun, but doesn't have the variety of modes that Oktoberfest has. What I like best about Oktoberfest is each mode feels and plays completely different from one another. It is incredibly fun stacking certain modes with multiball. Spelling SOBER while having drunk flippers and beer goggles is one of the most creative and fun modes in the game. The left ramp is super steep and very satisfying when you hit it. I can go on and on about this game. I have had all of the American Pinball machines so far (except GTF coming soon) and Oktoberfest and Houdini are by far the most fun to play. Hotwheels and LOV have since moved on to new owners, but Oktoberfest and Houdini are not leaving anytime soon.

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Most my machines pop on startup.

Of all the pins I have rated, look at what's on top. I do love me some Oktoberfest.

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"The Picard maneuver, nicely done," was a callout I would hear on occasion with a left orbit to upper ramp shot. But lately, I have not heard that callout in the last 15 to 20 times making that same shot. Has this callout been removed with the latest update? Since I am a big Star Trek fan, I would love to hear it more often.

Here is my best score in one handed mode so far. I played the entire game holding a beer. Oktoberfest owners, let's see your best scores with only one hand.

By the way, I think I found a glitch when I made it to last call where one handed mode ended and left and right flippers were used until sober finished and then went back to one handed mode. All the while i was wasting magna grabs whenever I pressed the left flipper. Not a big deal but was disorienting to say the least.

Anyway, I am going out on a limb (again) to say Oktoberfest is the most fun pinball machine currently in my lineup. What a great game!

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I would try to raise the VUK by adding some washers under the screw holes. It will be a pain to get them there but it may be your only option.

That is a steal! Oktoberfest is such a great game. It's sad that these games are going for so little. I would put my Oktoberfest up against most sterns.

So just to be sure, have you tested the coils with the coin door closed, or better yet started a game with the glass off and manually tested the coils? I have adjusted the coil switches too sensitive in the past and had issues with the coils not firing because they eventually appeared as closed when starting the game. I imagine there is some software coding that will disable them if found to be closed when the game starts to prevent them from locking on and cooking themselves. I opened the gaps of the switches and have not had an issue since.

If it was me and I had the money for either, I would choose new. I don't see much of the allure with a prototype pin. If I had one of the prototypes I would be less likely to play it thinking it would have to be preserved or something. I'd much rather play it than admire it. Either way, Oktoberfest is a blast to play so get one.

The last few weeks I have been having issues with my Oktoberfest with random balls kicking out of the trough and causing the computer to get confused. After checking every switch, connector, and every mechanical part in the machine it ended up being slightly magnetized balls. Ball Baron to the rescue!

I just found a bug that I have not experienced before but is easily repeatable. I was showing someone how to play the game and got to the Tap it! mode. As I was explaining how the mode worked, without hitting any buttons, the machine went into ball search and then spit out a ball as the video mode started. When the ball drained, the mode ended with a ball lost. This surprised me as I always in the past have hit both buttons to skip the lengthy explanation and go right into the mode. But as I didn't this time, it went into ball search and evidently ended with a lost ball. The game wouldn't even let me finish the video mode. The only setting related that I have changed from the very beginning is Selection Timeout set to medium. I did that when I first got the game to help me choose the mode I wanted as a beginner.

With more settings manipulation it seems to only do this when Selection Timeout is set to medium. When set to long or off it doesn't do this. I did not try it on fast but assume it is fine.

Would anyone like to verify this bug?