I really HIGHLY doubt this is the solution. I'm telling you that if you switch out your pinballs for new, never used one this issue would resolve. This game magnetizes the heck out of the balls for some reason even though the only magnet is up under Captain Cutler.

There are two magnets up by Captain Cutler and another on the bottom at the secret passage.

Posting this for all of you with launch issues.

At Pinfest I chatted with Luke extensively about the issue and explained how frustrated we have been over the launcher. He had AJ send me the launch mech/mount for LT and I have had it for a while. I haven't bothered to put it in as I knew it would be a chore.

Well last night night the fork cover we had been using came off for about the 800th time. It was the only thing that was giving us relatively consistent launches. It also broke in multiple places. I have done every tweak in the book and have the fork cover, the ninjacamp stabilizer etc etc. I have NEVER had good consistent reliable launches - EVER.

After losing my patience with the game I decided today was the day and I was putting this new mech in by hook or by crook.

Danzig on post #12052 did this mod with parts from PBL. His post and pics are spot on even though the mount is slightly different than what Spooky sent me to use.

I did the swap out today and I now have proper launches. I have played about 10 games and manually had the game do about 100 launches after the install and so far so good.

The swap is not terribly hard but is a bit annoying and requires some basic tool skills. Special notes to keep in mind below.

- remove all the old mech and parts - you need none of them except some of the mounting screws

- you will HAVE to cut the mounting bracket as Danzig shows in his pics - there is no choice. He used a dremel I used a jigsaw with metal cutting blade - annoying but not hard

- you will HAVE to make additional mounting holes as mentioned. You will also want to make them a hair larger than the screws just to give you some wiggle room when mounting in order to line things up for the proper contact with the ball. I used one that is on the mount and added two others to be sure I had it mounted at 3 points.

- I had to clip several zip ties holding wires in place to mounts as I had no slack and the wires to the coil which has to move higher up than before

- I used the same coil that was already in the machine just put it into the new mech with the parts - I was being lazy about soldering. The coils are the same (in game and on new mech) but of course launch parts are different since this is a push pin launcher vs the forks

- Once you have the bracket cut and parts mounted to it You will want to lower the PF and start working on the alignment. As Danzig noted the mount will be flush to the bottom of the PF but not left to right (this is why your holes need a small bit of play in them). Once I had the positioning I wanted I marked each spot with a marker. I then screwed 2 of them in snug but not tight. I checked alignment one last time then put the PF in place to launch some balls in coil test. Once I had good alignment and launches I went ahead and tightened everything down and put in the third screw as well. Keep in mind to take your time on this part and make small movements on your mount til you have the "pin" part making proper contact with the center of the ball. Its not hard but don't just mount the mech and roll with it as it won't be centered on ball.

This did not require any major special tools or anything crazy. All total it took me about 2 hours or so but I would say a good part of that was me just being overly cautious. Took a bit to figure out the best way to mount it but if I had to do this all over again I could probably bang it out in about 45 mins max.

One other note when removing the old mech be mindful of the shooter lane switch. I managed to get mine out of alignment without knowing and once I had everything in place and went to play a game I couldn't get it to put a ball in the lane. That ate up a bunch of my time finding out the switch had ever so slightly popped out of the holder causing it to be triggered thus no ball into the lane. Popped it back in place and was all set. Just check this when you are done so you don't waste a bunch of time like I did.

I hate to complain about Spooky as love those guys and this game but this launcher mech is an absolute disaster and should have never been used in the first place. I also think it would be VERY EASY for Spooky to create a retrofit kit to change to the LT launcher mech. They would be able to very easily fab the proper bracket so you wouldn't have to cut one and make mounting holes for it. That being said it won't happen you will have to DIY things for yourself.

It is 10000% worth the change if you have or have ever had launch issues. I am grateful to AJ for sending me the part(s) and for Danzig's post as it gave me a good starting point.

We will keep playing and I will keep doing launch tests but I am hoping this is the ultimate fix for this massive PITA problem.

***Very important note I got from AJ and noticed myself. TURN DOWN your launch power if you make this change. The new mech works differently and doesn't need as much power. I think mine is down to like 60%. It was previously at 90+ I think and was way too hard for this new mech.

Does anyone have a list or reference to what behavior the mystery machine lights should be exhibiting and when?

Would spooky provide the assembly instructions for the playfield if asked? The machine I bought, the upper ball guide on the left side that guides the balls into the wireframe has had the screw holes sheard off somehow. I have a replacement guide but I have no idea how to get the screws out that hold those pieces in to hold the ball guide in place.

Topper arrived today! Superb packing by Spooky. Haven’t installed yet. I did add a translite to my lit frame. Took a bit of trimming but it’s one of my favorite translites. Awesome art!

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Anyone have any idea how to remove these clear posts?

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I can’t figure out what qualifies the ball locks that eventually gets Scooby snack multi ball. What do I have to hit to get them to lock?

Shoot a lot of Scooby Snacks on the playfield.

Shoot the drops on the left to light Scooby snacks.

rd

This is linked in the key topics index, I've not been checking to see how often it's being updated but it's a good place to start for any rules questions: https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/scooby-doo-where-are-you-club-scooby-snacks-for-all/page/167#post-7858620

They're pretty standard posts, pull that plastic off and there will be a nut that is part of the metal post. Remove that and the plastic post comes off with it.

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Just installed the IPS screen and noticing the high scores in attract mode are not scaling; other IPS screen folks, does yours look like below? Thanks!

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That had the info I was looking for! Thank you!!

Thanks! I think someone at the factory got a little happy with their screw gun and really torques these things down. The screw posts that kept the ball guide in place were essentially dug into the playfield. Had to dig them out with a flathead screwdriver.

I got my topper on down here in Aus today after finally receiving it last week. looks brilliant, well done Spooky! Puts the Jaws topper next to it to shame!

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It's so good isnt it? Mixed emotions to follow....

I took it out of the box and gave a very audible "whooooahhhhh".

Then it didn't work after I installed it, bah.

It's fixed now though, so totally happy with it, it's amazing.

Yes. I upgraded to the IPS early on and a lot of content didn’t scale, they’ve been fixing it in the code updates.

Fortunately mine was spot on from the get go, had been a bit nervous in case there were any issue of course.

Yes Please! Coin Coin Coin....And the origional chase music from the show please!

Anyone know the major differences in tournament mode for this game (assuming there is a setting for it). I am hosting a local club tournament and wanna make sure it's as fair as possible.

Has anyone connected a power supply to their original topper to light it up as decor?

I just realised I haven't seen the topper's video mode yet - how do you start it?

OK, you make shots right up the middle ramp to the upper playfield, but don't use the upper left flipper to snag the ball, let it roll right on through and back down.

Repeat that shot 3 times, as quickly as possible.

Look at the exit inserts on the left side of the upper playfield. They will add one lit (yellow I think). for each of these shots.

If you take too long between shots and drains to the upper playfield, the lit inserts will start blinking and then go back out, so they are timed.

Once 3 are lit there will be one more shot to hit on the upper playfield.

That will start the Ghost of Elias Kingston video mode (if you have the topper), and a Hurry-Up if you don't.

RussMyers

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So when are we going to get a non-beta version of code? It has been 4 months since the last official release, 17 months or so since games started to ship and the game still isn't feature complete.

Mini rant:

I don't know how Spooky works internally or what processes they use or are thinking of using, but from the outside looking in it feels like they don't really have a handle on the software side of things as much as the hardware side of things.

The vibe I get from looking at different releases for the games is that the software lead on each game is a contractor and gets to decide tools, versioning, packaging, coding practices and the like. Nothing wrong with that approach in the short term, but risky longer term imo.

As they start to produce more and more games as it will make their established base of games harder and more expensive to maintain and they are potentially missing opportunities to build a solid foundation of code that they can use to bootstrap newer games.

Being a Scooby owner and spooky follower for a couple years, I'll say the code issue was a major concern for me. They seem to have dedicated more resources to this and while scooby isn't complete yet, I have no doubt it will be. I do wish it was quicker though.

To be clear, I don't think they are going to abandon the game and that they have nothing but good intentions. But how much longer? Three months? Six? A year?

I know things always take longer than expected, and with software especially things can get pushed especially if resourcing is an issue, but I hope they have a plan with resourcing and estimates and have a rough idea on when this will get wrapped up.

I'm not sure how long it will take. I'm just saying I've noticed a significant pick up in the quality and speed of their code releases compared to the past.

Regarding programming at Spooky, does anyone know if their teams have expanded? Say if they've hired more programmers or are doing any or more outsourcing?
It seems like there are 2 separate teams now. The DJ headed group (? Bug as well in this group but I don't know the hierarchy, please correct me if I'm wrong, I'm new to spooky info ) group seems to on scooby and looney tunes. I'm assuming looney tunes would be their current primary focus, but maybe it's more split (?). Anyways, am a bit worried that the scooby code has so many bugs still and the team is on to a new game. But knowing that the scooby run still isn't complete gives me confidence they'll still put resources into it.
I've been playing the newest beta and am loving the direction but have found a ton of bugs. Does anyone know the most effective way to get these to the programmers? Is the bug reporting email effective? Or is posting it in a forum?

If you look at Stern who have a much larger code staff, some of their games aren't complete until a year or longer (Bond and several others). But they make great titles. What I like about Spooky is they add so much more thought in the code for their games IMO. The betas do address bug fixes and issues pretty quickly while usually adding features of some sort. At least Spooky listens to their audience vs many others out there. GnR code was in beta for how long before they finally released their code? Not calling one out vs the other, they all have their pros and cons.

We're "pushing code" in all directions: past, present, and future. Within the past two years we've transitioned from one coder to four coders. I was also added during that time. By an large, I've been working on every game, but there are games I'm a bit more involved on then others...taking the lead on Scooby-Doo and Looney Tunes. Bringing this team together, we've been able to vastly increase our pace for code updates. I have no doubt in the last two years we've far exceeded our code output over the pervious eight years. Our coders are also working together to build a strong framework, so there is more consistency in the future. Again, we really are pushing, very hard, in all directions.

In terms of code bugs, emailing us is ALWAYS better. My direct email is [email protected]. When reporting bugs the ideal is to provide a step by step guide for how to recreate the bug: step 1, step 2, step 3, etc. If it's repeatable across all games then it's for sure code and it's generally pretty easy to fix. A video can also help. While recording, it helps to not narrate, generally we can see what's happening and we are listening for audio cues provided by callouts and sound effects. Those cues often help us understand what is happening in the code. Not saying there aren't code issues, but we often use the aforementioned reports to help our service team diagnose physical problems that might be the root cause of the issues reported. Even then we review the code to see if we can find a better way of addressing the issue, so it can function despite said physical problem. Either way, the step by step list plus a video is a great way to start.

PS: The current Beta Code has been downloaded 100s of times. Believe me, if there was anything major in there it would have been pulled at this point. That said, we do have some minor changes that we snuck in that we'll eventually package up for an official release.

Poor performance by others isn't an excuse to not do better.

aaah....the internet.

For better or worse it's basically become the norm now that code slowly evolves over a year or 2 before completion (not just with Spooky) and even then sometimes things can be added later on (we got some amazing R&M code updates last year). In a way it's great, you get so many more features now, but patience definitely required lol.

I'm still waiting for Halloween to be complete (it's almost there), but wow I'm more than happy with how the code has transformed that game it's been a hell of a journey.

You were right @cincypinballer! I swapped out my old balls for non-magnetized ones, played a game and it worked normally (after swapping out the PC too). AJ from Spooky Pinball suggested a degaussing wand (it demagnetizes the pinballs). I'm looking on Amazon and there's one going for $18.99.

https://www.amazon.com/Degausser-Degaussing-Demagnetizer-Monitors-Television/dp/B07Z2KP11C

I have our Polaris balls (in our store) in mine with no issues and no degaussing but I support the idea of refreshing your balls.

Great feedback! It's much appreciated and a breath of fresh air too.
A quick question for you: does the SD ball save led and the trap door led work independently, or are they on the same circuit?
I ask because it kinda drives me nuts. I'm sure you've already aware of the ball save issues in the newest code, but what drives me nuts is the SD light flashing when the ball save isn't on for the outlanes, or sneaks by the trap door. I've noticed this in the latest beta but also (I believe) in the last stable too. But I have not noticed the trap door light lit up separate from the SD insert. I get that you might want to let the player know the trap door is up with the light, but having a flashing light seems pretty universal in pinball to mean the ball save is on. If the trap door light works independently, I would think it could be just for illuminating the trap door when it's up, and it wouldn't need to flash.
Just a comment though, I hope you see this as constructive. And I love the code so far overall; you're doing a fantastic job. It's really ambitious and I'm glad to see you guys pushing your own limits. It is appreciated.
I'll probably hold off writing up a bug report on this beta as it sounds like you've got a lot of feedback and fixes already. But thanks for the info on the most efficient way to report. I'll try to do my best when the next code release (beta or stable) comes out and hopefully It'll be useful for you. I'm newish to Scooby but feel I'm getting good grasp of the rules now which also should help to see if any odd behaviors are coming up.
Thanks again.

Based on the discussion above, doesn’t seem like a final code release is in the immediate future.

Has everyone just installed the beta code? Or nah…gonna hold out?

Running on beta with no major issues. I'm sure there are some small bugs remaining that people notice, you can always go back to previous non beta code if you see something you can't live with.

I’ve finally played “The Gangs All Here” wizard mode a few times and absolutely love it. Also enjoying the video mode on the new topper. IMO, this is the best coded game ever, (yeah I said it) and there’s still more to come!

That reminded me... I finally got the video mode going over the weekend. Kinda short but certainly fun - seemed like as soon as you get 1 wrong you are out?

Had already seen Gang's All Here mode.

I find I can get to either mini-wizard modes if I really focus, but I can't see myself doing both in 1 game yet. I need the motivation of an available final wizard mode!

The case of the missing extra ball when you hit 50 scooby snacks is probably more crucial to progress than most realize…once they code that back into the game I could see hitting both mini wiz modes as a possibility

Hey everyone. I just wanted to share pics of my Scooby with the set of Pinlights I put on over the weekend. I previously had them on my Star Wars Pro, but since I've decided to sell/trade that game and for me, Scooby is a keeper.

The difference on Scooby isn't as dramatic as it was on Star Wars, but for $200, I consider this a nice upgrade. I have my flashers hooked up with the shaker, and Pinlights sent me a connector to hook up to the main spotlight that is almost always on located in the middle of the apron. The hook up was super simple. My kids and I are big fans of this mod. I put on the classics, but I plan on buying another set down the road and will upgrade to the slim version. I highly recommend the extra low-profile mounting option if you get a pair. Attached are some pics without and 2 pics with the lights on.

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I'm going to wait until the fully updated code arrives. Last Beta Code I updated, I had to turn on the machine normally AND open up the head to power it on.

I know it’s all subjective…but any mods that are no brainer additions to the game? I see the apron which is too much $$; the lanterns are cool but no longer available and seem like a decent install. The signs are fine, but replace existing signs. Slime is meh; the magnet over the speakers might be nice as that is a lot of green.

Wondering about the gate as well as the flashing guy above the plunger.

Also, am I missing any other ones?

I did this mod for adding Shaggy errrr Shannon. Looks like it went up in price but I like it.
https://cointaker.com/products/shannon-in-mine-cart

Same for me.

I did the speaker mesh change to the white/clear mesh instead of the black, added the pinlights, and plan on getting a piece of wide invisiglass. Thats about it.

Pinstadium Neo atoms really help a lot. I know they are more expensive but seem to do a better job with Scooby.

What are your inputs tied into? After the video I turned down the UV and dialed back the GI balancing cool and warm white so it isn't too glaringly bright. In person always looks different.
I'll say the Neo's look good. You are correct, they are expensive $650 in comparison with the Pinlights $180.

I have a pair of Pinstadium I’d sell for $250 if anyone is interested. Ended up being extra from my stth install.