Not very often I hear Stars and make it harder in the same discussion!

Yeah, stars is hard enough as it is. Of course I also have the outlane posts removed in mine, which is kind of insane, but it's still a lot of fun. You just learn to recognize what vectors on the PF are going to head for the outlane and try not to shoot those/nudge at that moment. I also have 3 tilt warnings on mine and I forget if the stock software has a setting to just go one bank for both the double and triple but the custom software in there I have set so easier to get the bonus X. At most you're only getting 57k in bonus anyway, it's not that game breaking. One rip of a 1k spinner will get you most of the way towards that score.

Everyone seems to chase the 100k special star anyway, so I make sure I have that turned off (although I did implement it..... there's still a bug in the software I can't nail down where the 100k lights at the wrong time. Might be time for another rewrite this time into mpu200 pigs instead of the experimental stuff I have in there now)

I may need easy setting since I just got this game

I love chasing the 100k star!
And while I really enjoy Dick Hamill’s 2021 code, I find that I play original rules much more of the time. What would be cool though would be an old rules tweak where the drop target scoring balances out against the spinners better.
I find that people like the change in the vibe during pinball night when we play Stars, since I don’t have any EMs and it feels/sounds so different.

post some old rules tweaks ideas. I need a small break from the couple of projects I'm doing, and reprogramming stars might be just the ticket. Maybe I'll even try to do it within the mpu100 framework for extra added fun. I enjoy a challenge.

So I love the 100k point list roving star target, so my suggestion would be some way to make the Drops worth more (beyond bonus), and thus more incentive to go for them. Maybe something like doing them in order (honestly not sure that is even possible on this boardset) could give out good points, or lock in the left spinner value rather than it resetting? The left spinner is my favorite shot in the game. Love hitting it for 1000.

I haven't had enough time with mine to have any rules tweak suggestions, but I think a spinner rip counter sure would be fun

I concur with the spinner count suggestion. Stars is pretty great just as is.

Yep, pretty much why I never changed anything, I do like the stock ruleset. But I've implemented rules for other games by request so why not. Spinner counters is for sure a no brainer.

Anything can be added to it although some of the more sophisticated effects that the arduino setup enables would be more challenging on the original hardware (or require something like the weebly extra rom/ram - that's what I have in there experimentally right now with a williams-like language implemented)

I also have options in the code right now for people to tune things, like carry over a star(s), always light one star in particular, etc. The tilt warnings are shown visually with a GI relay I added to an unused solenoid output.

Yes, spin counters for both spinners if possible (although just one would be great). And anything else that makes the game harder. Maybe no lit star at ball start, needing both sets of drops down for double bonus. I love the game as it is but if it can be made even harder, I’m all for it. Keeps my attention longer. Not like Stars is ever leaving here, but an even tougher gameplay would be welcomed.

The no lit star thing I tried and that causes a major screwup on the spinner scoring - it needs one star lit.

Of course, this can be fixed on a complete rewrite. What should the spinner score when there's no stars lit? 10? 100?

I did add a double drop needed for double on my experiment, which is why I ended up setting it to one bank each for 2x/3x instead... it was just too hard. The bonus pretty much became meaningless.

So my thoughts are similar to much you have mentioned, too hard is no good. Assuming the game is set to give points (is 100k the only option) for the lit star target, then that generally is the main way to play the game.

Big points for that and lesser points for everything else. Basically the gap is too great between drops/spinners and the big points for the lit star. Spinners and drops need some oomph behind them.

So options....
Instead of the spinner counter being just a feel good number, can awards be given after a number of spins? For example, 100 spins increase two bonus lights, 150 awards additional 50k points, 250 spins awards extra ball, etc. Just throwing those put, not at all tied to the specifics.

For Drops, maybe they can award a star target for a bank completion ( maybe two if done in order).

Anyways just throwing out ideas. The game is pretty fantastic as is.

Didn’t think about the fact that a star needs to be lit for the spinner to score points.

@slochar, I have the Stars rev A ROMs dumped. Will email them to you in a few days. Remind me if you don't get them by the weekend.

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was playing stars this morning and thought it would be nice if bonus went higher than 19, and maybe an option for drop target special to light 5X bonus multiplier. not that I've ever gotten a special from the drop targets, but those two together would make it more attractive to go for.

just little tweaks.

I thought about the 5x thing as well. As for > 19k bonus, the next 'step' up is to do the factorial bonus thing where it ramps up instead of being shown directly with a light bulb or 2 or 3. This gives you 55k with all the lamps lit. (This is the way fathom scoring works on each color). I did that in the past to Trident and believe it or not, it was terrible. Was too crazy long to count down the bonus and changed the tenor of the game too much. (The multiplier went up to 7x as well, or maybe I did 12x? Have not had the game for over a decade now so details fuzzy even though the software is still available).

I don't really think stars would need too much tweaks but these are all good ideas. We'll see how much time I think I actually have to implement any of this of course.... anything would require a minimum of jumpering the mpu board to 2x2732 for more room.

Of course, I'd add a better attract lamp show.

I've often wanted to implement the Lost Vegas rule of plunge softly, go through the spinner as your first switch, then hit <something> for increased scoring. (Within a short time period). (LV was to be a dolly parton conversion kit in case you didn't know).

With a complete rewrite, the need to have at least one star lit could be eliminated. The stock software just doesn't know what to do when there's no star lit so it just crashes.

Slochar
If I remember correctly, there’s a switch to defeat the countdown of the bonus so that it speeds up the game. I think the bonus is awarded instantly.

IIRC It counts it either one at a time for each of the 1x, 2x, 3x, or you can have it do the 3x for each count. Obviously as well anything can be changed once you're in the coding.

Very true. Switch 22 determines countdown per the manual.

Carry on - I enjoy your posts.

22 on or off?

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off

set it to off. Moved games around and put my 3 sterns together. Now I need quicksilver and star gazer.

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I bought the Swinks drop targets (thanks Swinks!). Where can I purchase the correct star stickers for it?

I used these

https://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/13A-11D

I think it was Tractordoc making them at one point, but not currently available. The Marcos set is holding up pretty well with the Swings targets in home use play.

Thank you! Ordered!

Thanks Swinks for the awesome targets and DudeRanger for letting me know where to get the decals!

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Working on a Stars. I hate when owners break-down a machine and add to the damage!! Sigh, will glue the chipped off wood back into place.

Playfield looks good that's a surface "split" that isn't really deep of affecting game play. Some messy touch-up around the inserts, but not that noticeable when playing. Will be working on removing the ball swirls.

Rehabbed coin door.

Looking for parts is a real PITA, so expect me to be bugging you guys about suggestions for options on replacements.

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I'm working on a STARS playfield and it's pretty clean outside of the yellow area near the middle/bottom (bonus) with the 1000 to 10,000 lights. While I normally don't mind wear it's somewhat annoying. I have a mimaki CJ150 at the office so I can print overlays or something close to an overlay, at the very least I know I can cover that area with the proper art. It will do the cutting for me. I was wondering if anyone had a scan of that yellow and red area to save me the time of having to render it myself.

I'm in. I see what others have said about this game being a "just one more game" kind of game. The cab is a little rough and has that nice, tobacco stain sides to it. Gross...looking forward to cleaning that nasty stuff off. Playfield has a little wear around the bonus insert key lines and and at some point, a flipper bushing must have failed so it has a nice flipper groove in the playfield, but other then that... its not too shabby.

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Ok, posts for the chime unit, does the Bally rebuild kit sold by Pinball Life work?

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Yes

Looking for a Stars in CO. Would prefer a bit of a project game. PM me if anyone has a lead on one. Thanks!

What's the correct nylon flipper bushing for Stars? Pinball life only has the type 2 bushing, I need the type 1.

Thanks,

N

https://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/4A-111-W-1

Can anyone tell me when during a Stars game does the game Knock?

I had been searching for a classic stern knocker assembly (Missing from mine) and finally found one, Installed it. Tested the knocker is operational in the solenoid test.

I would have assumed the game would give a knock when a special is achieved and that does not seem to be the case, I am yet to make a Match/Game end occur to verify if a knock happens then.

Going by memory, it knocks on score awards. Make sure your settings are for free game, not free ball. I don’t think it knocks for a free ball.

If not rigged for free play, set first free game at 10K. It’s hard NOT to get 10K in a game. That way, you will always keep getting a free game and won’t have to dump quarters.

Let us know what you find.

Thank you of course that makes sense.

After a bit more testing, Game Knocks;
-on match
-high score (3 knocks for 3 credits)
-Special when set for Free game - I have my 5 star special set to 100,000 points and no knock there I guess because it does not award a Replay in that setting.

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Special should be setting of your fourth chime which is not heard very often.

I owned a Stars as a kid and played it every morning before school. Sold it a few years later to buy other stuff.

Picked up a beater last summer and with a little elbow grease and too much money it cleaned up well! ( CPR kit is in) My first time doing powder coat. I might do another game like this but otherwise I’m liking original finish a bit better. The chrome pieces on the coin door were so beat up I had it match the door. Maybe someday I’ll find a nice chrome piece that’s original and switch it out.

I’m happy with the white displays though.

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Looks great! I like the white displays too. My game still has plasma, but white or maybe blue look pretty cool on Stars if I mine ever die.

Do you mean like these? I had one in my Stingray.

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I replaced it without testing since it was clearly home to some mud daubers at some point and I have oodles of LISY displays. Not sure if I sold it in a big box of untested displays or if it’s still on the shelf at home.

Agreed! Usually I’m not a big fan of colorful powder coated trim but this looks sharp. That’s a nice shade of blue.

Reall nice job!
Painted the cab as well?
What color did you use for powder coating?

Repainted cab as well. Here’s a few “during” pictures I stole off a thread I have going for all the stuff I work on. I also color matched the standup targets for the appropriate star.

Let me see if I can find the color code for the powder coat. It’s going to be pretty close to “Ink Blue” by Rustoleum though.

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Found it! It will likely shine more than your blue cabinet depending on the lighting (and paint) so personal preference you may want to clearcoat your cabinet after everything is done. I chose not to.

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I am only asking after searching, what are the correct legs for Stars?

The legs on my game are 28 & 5/8"s.
There are flat, with no ribbing and gray.

There are not flared out at the top like ever other leg I have ever seen so the game sits oddly if the the front levers are are all the way up and the rear are all the way down.

Are these the correct legs before I powder coat them?

Thanks to EJS for the motivation.

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