(Topic ID: 65064)

Star Trek Arrived. Impressions.

By markmon

10 years ago


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  • 301 posts
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  • Latest reply 10 years ago by RobT
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There are 301 posts in this topic. You are on page 3 of 7.
#101 10 years ago
Quoted from jitneystand1:

Perhaps it's a little brighter down by the flippers...I can't be sure based on memory. But I maintain that the photo on the left is NOT representative of how well lit the stock pro is. Not even close.

And I maintain he's stated at least twice that the Pro looked good out of the box as well. What's the big deal here? This is the softest sell I've seen in a while and people are jumping on him for basically nothing.

#102 10 years ago

More STID likes:

Away team shot where you can shoot the ball behind the upper flipper and back into the shooter lane.

Klingons speak "Klingonese" in the Klingon battle.

One "unsure":

Have to lean slightly to the right to see the left most top rollover to see if it's lit or not.

#103 10 years ago
Quoted from jitneystand1:

Perhaps it's a little brighter down by the flippers...I can't be sure based on memory. But I maintain that the photo on the left is NOT representative of how well lit the stock pro is. Not even close.

I'm not a professional photographer, and taking pictures in a pitch dark room is pretty difficult (for me) and they never come out perfect. But the level of difference between the two is accurate. If you think the before is way brighter in person, then the after will be even that much brighter. The important takeaway here is this. If you think the game is fine stock, leave it that way. I think it looked pretty good stock. But it didnt meet my standards (no game stock ever does), so I made some changes. I'm fine with people saying that the after looks worse or that the stock looks fine. Those are valid opinions. But I am not ok with people trying to tell me that this is a scam, I'm lying, I'm editing the photos. I'm not. This is how the two photos came out in a pitch dark room, same camera, same exposure, etc. Both the before and the after looked tons better in person than the photos.

#104 10 years ago
Quoted from markmon:

I'm not a professional photographer, and taking pictures in a pitch dark room is pretty difficult (for me) and they never come out perfect. But the level of difference between the two is accurate. If you think the before is way brighter in person, then the after will be even that much brighter. The important takeaway here is this. If you think the game is fine stock, leave it that way. I think it looked pretty good stock. But it didnt meet my standards (no game stock ever does), so I made some changes. I'm fine with people saying that the after looks worse or that the stock looks fine. Those are valid opinions. But I am not ok with people trying to tell me that this is a scam, I'm lying, I'm editing the photos. I'm not. This is how the two photos came out in a pitch dark room, same camera, same exposure, etc. Both the before and the after looked tons better in person than the photos.

I've bought a bunch of PinballBulbs kits and I can tell you after install they look exactly the the photos on his website.

#105 10 years ago

I'm on record as not being a big Stern fan, in fact some might call me a hater, but I got to play a ST Pro straight out of the box last night and I was quite impressed. Certainly a big improvement over the last 3 games, this is a very fast, smooth flowing game that I kept wanting to give one more try, a feeling I haven't had with a new Stern since Family Guy. The game had some software bugs, and it was pretty obvious how young the code was, but lots of potential. There was too much background noise, so I can't comment on the game's sound package, but the dot's were definitely disappointing, way too cartoonish, and I have a feeling there is going to be a shortage of Blue DMD's and a glut of Red soon.

Pretty shocked that they abandoned the hurricane lock for the backbox, that's been a big plus since the DE days, the new system looks cheap, but I guess that's the point

Overall I think this is going to be a winner for Stern, time will tell how they follow thru with the code, and how the gameplay stands the test of time, but I can see myself possibly buying one of these down the road, something I haven't been able to say about a Stern for a very long time.

#106 10 years ago
Quoted from dgpinball:

dot's were definitely disappointing, way too cartoonish, and I have a feeling there is going to be a shortage of Blue DMD's and a glut of Red soon.

Stern, Do you hear Us
The pin is Great
But
That dam RED DMD SUCKS
We wanted LCD with real video
Well, I did.

#107 10 years ago
Quoted from SaminVA:

We wanted LCD with real video

AMEN!!!

-2
#108 10 years ago
Quoted from markmon:

But I am not ok with people trying to tell me that this is a scam, I'm lying, I'm editing the photos. I'm not.

Before I hack you off, let me first say I believe you.
But personally it was a little too much to have a Sales Pitch highjack a thread on "playing impressions" of a new game. I see you have a high rating, and that you get Thumbs up on your posts. But speaking for me, I'd expect your pitch over in the "for sale" section of the forum. I thought it was slightly inconsiderate to do a hard sell with pics off topic within the thread. Whether your product performs as stated isn't an issue. For me, your having to defend it inside the wrong area is.
Murphy

#109 10 years ago
Quoted from MurphyPeoples:

Before I hack you off, let me first say I believe you.
But personally it was a little too much to have a Sales Pitch highjack a thread on "playing impressions" of a new game. I see you have a high rating, and that you get Thumbs up on your posts. But speaking for me, I'd expect your pitch over in the "for sale" section of the forum. I thought it was slightly inconsiderate to do a hard sell with pics off topic within the thread. Whether your product performs as stated isn't an issue. For me, your having to defend it inside the wrong area is.
Murphy

It was my fault not his. I was so impressed with the kits I got I had to hijack this thread and ask him if he was making one for Star Trek because I would buy it. Then he answered my question with a pic just to show ME, because I asked the question, what it looked like. Mark then states several times in this thread after that that this is not a for sale thread so lets get back to Star Trek. So I don't understand what your issue is?? Do you want free LED's?? PinballBulbs is so good they'll probably give them to you.

Quoted from markmon:

This isn't an led sales thread. It's a review of the Star Trek game. I made a couple comments about lighting and answered questions people asked here about what lighting I changed. I even said the game looked pretty good stock.

Quoted from markmon:

But this really isn't an LED sales thread. If people see no need to add any lighting to this game, by all means they shouldn't. Also, I support getting the game and judging yourself before buying any additional lighting.

You're right, he sold the crap out of it. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^

#110 10 years ago
Quoted from QuarterGrabber:

It was my fault not his. I was so impressed with the kits I got I had to hijack this thread and ask him if he was making one for Star Trek because I would buy it. Then he answered my question with a pic just to show ME, because I asked the question, what it looked like. Mark then states several times in this thread after that that this is not a for sale thread so lets get back to Star Trek. So I don't understand what your issue is?? Do you want free LED's?? PinballBulbs is so good they'll probably give them to you.

What? You guys don't know how to Personal Message each other? Or even me for that matter? The "issue" is off topic chatter like this. I'll shoot you a PM to address your accusations.

Post Script - PM'ing works. Quartergrabber and I are all good.

#111 10 years ago
Quoted from SaminVA:

Stern, Do you hear Us
The pin is Great
But
That dam RED DMD SUCKS

Why does it suck?

#112 10 years ago

Cointaker bulbs are the best of the best; which is why stern uses them guys

#113 10 years ago

3 reasons it sucks
!) It's a DMD not an LCD
2) It's red
3) It's in Star Trek, it should have a LCD

#114 10 years ago

Played the game tonight and it is so freaking fast, I have no idea what was on the DMD other than when selecting missions.

#115 10 years ago

... Oh and when locking a ball.

#116 10 years ago
Quoted from musketd:

Cointaker bulbs are the best of the best; which is why stern uses them guys

Yeah, Stern ALWAYS uses the cream of the crop hardware to make their games.

#117 10 years ago
Quoted from kirklake13:

Was looking at the LE pics on ebay from Automatedservices, appears to be red lighting strips embedded into side boards above pf. Anyone report on these or confirmed?

Ask Hemi(pinball refinery.com). He gave me the run down a few weeks ago, I believe it glows through the side rails. He rattled off over the phone to me some specs I hadn't heard before. Something about a laser lighting effect.

#118 10 years ago

I thought the quality of ST was fine. I liked the feel of the game. Visually, I thought it was an appealing package overall. Given it was the Pro model, I was impressed. It made me want to buy one. Another guy there, apparently a Stern hater, was playing the game but busy degrading it... so obviously he wasn't convinced. I have STTNG so I'm pretty comfortable having an opinion. ST is a much faster game than STTNG. There is much less on ST to slow down gameplay... I'm sure some will take "less" as a negative, but play ST and then STTNG and you'll realize how much gameplay gets interrupted with STTNG. Interestingly, despite similarity in the layouts (e.g. ramps & flippers), the new ST didn't remind of STTNG in terms of gameplay all that much. What did feel similar was the "mission" aspect. For those Trekkies out there, I would consider owning both.

#119 10 years ago
Quoted from SaminVA:

3 reasons it sucks
!) It's a DMD not an LCD
2) It's red
3) It's in Star Trek, it should have a LCD

LOL, serious question though. Because I have heard it from a few others. What is wrong with the red DMD? Does it clash with the artwork? Would you rather have the orange one? Blue is not an option from Stern.

-1
#120 10 years ago
Quoted from navajas:

And I maintain he's stated at least twice that the Pro looked good out of the box as well.

? I don't see your point. I am talking about the photo that shows completely dark flippers and a relatively dimly lit game. It doesn't matter what's been said, the game doesn't look like that in the dark (in person anyways).

Quoted from markmon:

But I am not ok with people trying to tell me that this is a scam, I'm lying, I'm editing the photos. I'm not. This is how the two photos came out in a pitch dark room, same camera, same exposure, etc.

I am absolutely not accusing you of lying/editing/etc. I believe yours is brighter, maybe even to the degree shown in the photos (how would I know? I haven't seen yours). But I played this thing in a completely dark room save for the other 3 pins that were on. It looked a LOT more like the photo on the right than the dark photo on the left.

After seeing/playing a ST Pro, one thing I never thought I'd hear was that there wasn't enough light. And while you have said, twice, that the stock lighting is good, the photo says differently.

#121 10 years ago
Quoted from PappyBoyington:

LOL, serious question though. Because I have heard it from a few others. What is wrong with the red DMD? Does it clash with the artwork? Would you rather have the orange one? Blue is not an option from Stern.

What's wrong with the DMD???
The animations for a start! I find them extremely bad (the 2 guys running for example). Make it orange or white or green won't change that.

I must confess this is the one thing I don't like with that pin, I am OK with the rest. The Pro looks fine (with or without mod LEDs... please give Markmon a break... the only way to provide an unbiased comparison would be to have the two machines side by side on the same picture!)

#122 10 years ago
Quoted from PappyBoyington:

LOL, serious question though. Because I have heard it from a few others. What is wrong with the red DMD? Does it clash with the artwork? Would you rather have the orange one? Blue is not an option from Stern.

Well, it's hard to explain but I'll try. For me I guess it's a lot of little things that all adds up to disappointment so far but being frustrated at the same time because we still don't know if the LE will have a red DMD as we haven't seen one yet, only a photo shopped picture. I have always been a big Star Trek fan and a video and pinball game collector. My first game was a Bally Star Trek I bought at auction back in 1982 followed by a SEGA Star Trek vector game in 1985 followed by DE Star Trek 25Th in 1999 and another Star Trek vector dedicated upright in 1999 and the captain's chair cockpit in 2000 and STTNG in 2003. In 2004 I bought a NIB Star Trek Voyager Kit and in 2009 I bought a Star Trek Voyager cockpit and now I have ordered a Stern Star Trek LE so you can see I am passionate when it comes to Star Trek. On another note I have always loved the idea of games like Baby Pac-man which I have and Granny and the Gator's which I would love to have if I had the room and I thought when pinball 2000 came out that was the future of pinball and I would love to have both of those games some day but I am not rich and I have ran out of space but I will make room for the ST LE.
The first time I heard anything about Stern making a new Star Trek pin was in a thread on KLOV, my other hangout, in a post about what should be JJP next pin and I said I would want a Star Trek 50 Anniversary pin with the LCD like WOZ and it could have video from all the ST series and movies including the new movies. Then someone replied Stern was already making a Star Trek pin so I then searched for everything I could find and was happy when I read it was supposed to be Stern's first LCD pin. I don't know if that was only a rumor because JJP WOZ had a LCD or if they really plained to make it their first LCD game. You would think with the new back box and slanted display it could be so but who really knows. Some still have hopes it will but I think we all know that's a pipe dream at this point.
Now why do I hate The red DMD, I guess their ok on a pin like BS Dracula which I have played. I thought the movie sucked and the pin was slightly better. Sorry BSD fans.
Blue is my favorite color and I think it goes better with Star Trek or any space theme.
At this point if we are stuck with the red DMD then I hope ColorDMD will make a color DMD kit like I have on my STTNG but boy an LDC screen with real movie clips would have been awesome.

#123 10 years ago
Quoted from jlm33:

What's wrong with the DMD???
The animations for a start! I find them extremely bad (the 2 guys running for example). Make it orange or white or green won't change that.

I must confess this is the one thing I don't like with that pin, I am OK with the rest.

O yea what jim33 said too, I also agree.

#124 10 years ago
Quoted from SaminVA:

I read it was supposed to be Stern's first LCD pin.

It was never Stern that said this. They've mused publicly about their new "bus system" but it was never tied to an LCD. Just an example where rumors set expectations and then people are disappointed because it couldn't live up to the unfounded rumors.

I get that your disappointed, but I can't blame Stern for it or add to the false rumors about how they WERE going to have LCD and then changed the plans at the 11th hour. I don't buy that either.

#125 10 years ago
Quoted from SaminVA:

Well, it's hard to explain but I'll try. For me I guess it's a lot of little things that all adds up to disappointment so far but being frustrated at the same time because we still don't know if the LE will have a red DMD as we haven't seen one yet, only a photo shopped picture. I have always been a big Star Trek fan and a video and pinball game collector. My first game was a Bally Star Trek I bought at auction back in 1982 followed by a SEGA Star Trek vector game in 1985 followed by DE Star Trek 25Th in 1999 and another Star Trek vector dedicated upright in 1999 and the captain's chair cockpit in 2000 and STTNG in 2003. In 2004 I bought a NIB Star Trek Voyager Kit and in 2009 I bought a Star Trek Voyager cockpit and now I have ordered a Stern Star Trek LE so you can see I am passionate when it comes to Star Trek. On another note I have always loved the idea of games like Baby Pac-man which I have and Granny and the Gator's which I would love to have if I had the room and I thought when pinball 2000 came out that was the future of pinball and I would love to have both of those games some day but I am not rich and I have ran out of space but I will make room for the ST LE.
The first time I heard anything about Stern making a new Star Trek pin was in a thread on KLOV, my other hangout, in a post about what should be JJP next pin and I said I would want a Star Trek 50 Anniversary pin with the LCD like WOZ and it could have video from all the ST series and movies including the new movies. Then someone replied Stern was already making a Star Trek pin so I then searched for everything I could find and was happy when I read it was supposed to be Stern's first LCD pin. I don't know if that was only a rumor because JJP WOZ had a LCD or if they really plained to make it their first LCD game. You would think with the new back box and slanted display it could be so but who really knows. Some still have hopes it will but I think we all know that's a pipe dream at this point.
Now why do I hate The red DMD, I guess their ok on a pin like BS Dracula which I have played. I thought the movie sucked and the pin was slightly better. Sorry BSD fans.
Blue is my favorite color and I think it goes better with Star Trek or any space theme.
At this point if we are stuck with the red DMD then I hope ColorDMD will make a color DMD kit like I have on my STTNG but boy an LDC screen with real movie clips would have been awesome.

Using similar logic, I was hoping the game would be made out of pure gold, and issue $50 bills every time you hit the start button. Nobody ever told me this would be the case, but like you, I want it. Now that I hear it's not going to happen, this game is a failure in my eyes.
Quit your whining Man! Post after post, you keep saying you want an LCD. Maybe this isn't the game for you!

#126 10 years ago
Quoted from Chambahz:

Using similar logic, I was hoping the game would be made out of pure gold, and issue $50 bills every time you hit the start button. Nobody ever told me this would be the case, but like you, I want it. Now that I hear it's not going to happen, this game is a failure in my eyes.
Quit your whining Man! Post after post, you keep saying you want an LCD. Maybe this isn't the game for you!

But he's still buying it so the LCD thing must not bug him THAT much or he would pass on it.

#127 10 years ago
Quoted from Hitch9:

It's the same old screech new sterns are famous for.

Wow! Hitch has been here for 2015 years! I will certainly listen more closely to anything he says now.

Hitch9.jpgHitch9.jpg
#128 10 years ago
Quoted from John_I:

Wow! Hitch has been here for 2015 years!

Hitch9.jpg 50 KB

We are not worthy!

#129 10 years ago
Quoted from PappyBoyington:

LOL, serious question though. Because I have heard it from a few others. What is wrong with the red DMD? Does it clash with the artwork? Would you rather have the orange one? Blue is not an option from Stern.

Blue is an option from Stern. They sell the kit separately.

http://www.sternpinball.com/Community/Blogs/news/36375.aspx

#130 10 years ago
Quoted from Part_3:

Blue is an option from Stern. They sell the kit separately.

http://www.sternpinball.com/Community/Blogs/news/36375.aspx

Yep you are right. When I said "not an option from Stern" I meant not shipped with a blue DMD in the game.

#131 10 years ago
Quoted from SaminVA:

Now why do I hate The red DMD, I guess their ok on a pin like BS Dracula which I have played. I thought the movie sucked and the pin was slightly better. Sorry BSD fans.
Blue is my favorite color and I think it goes better with Star Trek or any space theme.
At this point if we are stuck with the red DMD then I hope ColorDMD will make a color DMD kit like I have on my STTNG but boy an LDC screen with real movie c

Thank you for the post but it really doesn't explain why a blue DMD is better than a red DMD.

#132 10 years ago

Red seems harsher on the eyes......

#133 10 years ago
Quoted from Part_3:

Red seems harsher on the eyes......

You could be right. I feel that red may be a better choice for the premium owners because of the red side armor. Plus I like the contrast of red to blue on the LE. Too much blue and it's gets bland to me.

#134 10 years ago
Quoted from Part_3:

Red seems harsher on the eyes......

Well blue light has been shown to be harder for the eyes to define so not sure this is correct.

#135 10 years ago
Quoted from QuarterGrabber:

WOW! If it is a Cointaker kit on the left side pic and a PinballBulbs on the right side, I would take the pinballBulbs kit any day of the week! It looks way better then the one on the left.

To each his own. I think the one on the right looks so overlit that it looks like the sleezy neon lighting in a strip club. I don't get the need to put that much light in the playfield. The tones of the light wash out the colors of the playfield art.

And as for the game, I will NEVER understand how any of you can plop down 8K+ (or even 5K+) on a game that had unfinished code. I can't think of a single other consumer product people would run to pay a premium for that is not fully functional. At these insane prices, the MINIMUM expectation should be a game that ships fully debugged and with completely written code. Anything less just says that people are buying for the status of saying they own something rather than the reality of actual ownership.

#137 10 years ago
Quoted from The_Dude_Abides:

Well blue light has been shown to be harder for the eyes to define so not sure this is correct.

That's two different issues....

#138 10 years ago
Quoted from Part_3:

Red seems harsher on the eyes......

Have you seen blue DMDs in person? Those blue LEDs are pretty eye searing, you'd definitely want some kind of filter. I played a Tron with one and found it a little uncomfortable to look at. YMMV.

#139 10 years ago
Quoted from PappyBoyington:

You could be right. I feel that red may be a better choice for the premium owners because of the red side armor. Plus I like the contrast of red to blue on the LE. Too much blue and it's gets bland to me.

Funny, since the Premium would be the one I would purchase....and change the DMD to blue.

#140 10 years ago
Quoted from Aurich:

Have you seen blue DMDs in person? Those blue LEDs are pretty eye searing, you'd definitely want some kind of filter. I played a Tron with one and found it a little uncomfortable to look at. YMMV.

What kind of filter would you recommend?

#141 10 years ago
Quoted from Part_3:

What kind of filter would you recommend?

I don't have the experience to recommend one, some places sell a blue plexi one I think? You definitely need to take the edge off that blue, I really didn't like looking at it. It sounds cool to think about, but I just found the in-person experience uncomfortable. Maybe it wouldn't even bother you, I dunno.

#142 10 years ago
Quoted from Aurich:

I don't have the experience to recommend one, some places sell a blue plexi one I think? You definitely need to take the edge off that blue, I really didn't like looking at it. It sounds cool to think about, but I just found the in-person experience uncomfortable. Maybe it wouldn't even bother you, I dunno.

Good to know.

Not buying mine till next year, so might have a better idea if ColorDMD is ever going to get into the Stern business....would rather have one of theirs....even if it was a non-programmed Sigma in the beginning.

#143 10 years ago
Quoted from PappyBoyington:

Thank you for the post but it really doesn't explain why a blue DMD is better than a red DMD.

In my opinion, this is totally subjective. I think a blue DMD fits the space theme better and fits the LE MUCH better. You don't. Why on earth (or space) should that need to make one "better" than the other? It doesn't. In my opinion I'd rather have a blue DMD in that game for the Pro or the LE. They fit the colors of the entire game better (again in my opinion). No idea which I would like better in the Premium yet.

#144 10 years ago
Quoted from SaminVA:

Now why do I hate The red DMD, I guess their ok on a pin like BS Dracula which I have played. I thought the movie sucked and the pin was slightly better. Sorry BSD fans.

I want to cut off your head and take out your heart.

(DISCLAIMER - if you have not played BSD enough to know the quotes you may not get this one)

#146 10 years ago
Quoted from Part_3:

That's two different issues....

For some I guess. I have a red DMD in XM and have absolutely no issues with it and don't think it is hard on the eyes.

#147 10 years ago
Quoted from The_Dude_Abides:

For some I guess. I have a red DMD in XM and have absolutely no issues with it and don't think it is hard on the eyes.

I have zero problems looking at red LED DMDs. Hasn't anyone had a TV or something with a trendy blue LED indicator and realized how annoying bright it was? That stuff gets electrical taped over ASAP.

#148 10 years ago
Quoted from Part_3:

Red seems harsher on the eyes......

Red is better if you are playing wearing night vision.

#149 10 years ago

Well I can tolerate the red DMD for a wile in hopes Color DMD releases a color DMD. I might even consider one of those big ass DMD's that mount on top of the back box in blue. Why Blue you ask, because blue IMO looks better for scenes in space and the ships. Why do you think Earth is called the big blue marble.
enterprise new 423x319.jpgenterprise new 423x319.jpg
Vengeance_command_chair.jpgVengeance_command_chair.jpg

#150 10 years ago

Plenty of red in ST toostid-spock.jpegstid-spock.jpegstar-trek-into-darkness-chris-pine-karl-urban.jpegstar-trek-into-darkness-chris-pine-karl-urban.jpegSTAR-TREK-INTO-DARKNESS-03.jpegSTAR-TREK-INTO-DARKNESS-03.jpegstar_trek_into_darkness_movie-wide.jpegstar_trek_into_darkness_movie-wide.jpegST into darkness.jpegST into darkness.jpeg

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