The types of people that do this type of stuff should be profiled and documented so that they can be barred from any future events. It is total BS that they would mistreat those machines like that. I'm not sure I would be able to refrain from responding even if it wasn't my machine.

I think nudging is totally fine. Picking up the game or shoving it a foot to the side, or banging on the front of it is just ridiculous. I have found that nudging is much more useful on early SS games and EM games. The new games are giving you ball saves at start and multiballs left and right so the nudging is much more minimal except to help prevent a SDTM or a side drain IMO. Then again, I am not a wizard or anything, just my experience.

I have this same problem. I also squeeze my clubs way too hard when I play golf. No reason to do it, I just cannot help it.

I just press the flipper buttons in too hard, especially during multiball. I never shake the machine from it, just hurts my hands after doing it all day.

haha. That's like those people that used to play Nintendo and thrust the controller up in the air every time they pressed the jump button like it was going to make them jump higher.

Another bad habit is holding the flipper in when I am attempting a long accurate shot. I get bounce back drains that would've dead bounced if I just would've let go of the flipper after hitting the ball.

Seeing that you have a funhouse, I bet you get a lot of your backhands you try to hit up the left ramp end up hitting the bottom of the upper flipper like me haha.

I think people playing routed pins are bad too. They see that the bar doesn't even own the pin, so they just abuse away. I have had bartenders/owners tell me to lift up the machine and slam it down to free a stuck ball.

I have since gotten the contact info of the op to personally email him when there is an issue with the machine. I have found contacting the op directly keeps the pin that is on route in much better shape.

Oh yeah, my bad. Kind of got off topic. Then yeah, the tourney players seem to be the ones to shell out most of the abuse. I guess they have more at stake, but the over the top rage nudging is just absurd and uncalled for.

So maybe the solution would be to have games like DM, IJ, and others that can have massive end of ball bonuses as tourney games. I don't have any experience with tournaments, those might be too easy for tournament goers.

Also, are people seeing any machine abuse in the classics division? Those Early SS games are very bonus heavy.

I say no tilt, no issues. Assuming there is a reasonable tilt sensitivity set on the machine. The legs should never leave the ground, and the glass, coin door, or lockdown bar should never be bashed. That is just crybabies whining about their ball draining.

I would be interested to hear any unusual displays of frustration that people have done themselves or seen others do. Take for instance, I never bash or rage shake the machine obviously, but I tend to slap the ball of my right foot on the ground, and belt out a PG made up cuss word (my seven year old likes to watch me play). Pretty weird I know haha.

Well my point is, if a meat head hot head slams his fists on the lockdown bar, let's say he doesn't hit it on the front and hits it closer to the glass. Boom. Shattered glass. The point is, it's uncalled for, and just a crybaby move that has no place or purpose. Nothing good comes from it.

Seems to me now that anyone considering putting their game into a tournament should reconsider immediately, or just treat it as a loan at your own risk type situation. Anyone else thinking of putting their games in the free play area shouldn't have to worry about these issues since it is all casual play, and there is no need or purpose for these moves. These areas should just have a steadfast rule on abuse. Lay out the rules plain and simple, and if broken, no more free play for you. I think the point of the free play area is to showcase your wonderful game to someone that might never get a chance to play that game in any other setting. But again, I am still new to all this stuff.

hahaha. Amazing.

Do you know how many anonymous henchmen I have killed?

This is a perfect example of what I was talking about. None of what he did harmed the machine at all, but it was bush league bull crap, and has no place. Nothing good came from what he was doing. Plus that guy looks like he reeks of patchouli, so I wouldn't let him within a football field of my home.