Welcome to the world of new games. As with all new games; early code. Hasn't been implemented yet. The fact that its embedded on the pf and in the flyer tells me they have ideas for it. But has yet to be implemented. And that's one of the questions for potential buyers..how long will it take them to get the code right on this game? Will it be abandoned like so many other sterns? (Xmen, TF, wof, etc...)

I played ST yesterday. And it was definitely a nice, flowing layout, with really easy intuitive shots.

I think after I owned it for awhile I could probably keep backhanding the left ramp from the left flipper until I just got tired of hitting it. Very Rolling Stones-ish quick and easy left/right ramp shots. The Warp shot is definitely cool and diverting it around is an improvement over the Venom shot. Nothing new but still a really nice shooting layout.

Nobody had any doubts that it would shoot great. Ritchie, to me, has become more of a craftsman than a creator in his later years, maybe since his Elvis or WPT designs. His last few have been retro/throwback designs, almost like a Greatest Hits album. I'd rather see him swing for the fences and try to blow us away with things we haven't seen before, than choke up and try to avoid a strike out by making contact. It sort of feels like that with the design. But again, there's no mistaking the perfect placement and flow of the shots, whether or not a recycled layout will engage me into the future is completely up to the software.

By the way, I heard a rumor that ST is Ritchie's last design. I hope that's not the case, and even if it is, that he stay involved with pinball design as a kinetic mentor. Ritchie may have run out of new ideas, but he can craft a wonderful shot without question. I think he'd best be used working with young creative designers and their new ideas, while helping to tweak their layouts into kinetically satisfying shots.

I hope that ST becomes one of the best examples of the traditional flowing fan layout with the big toy up the middle. If the software is eventually fresh, unique, deep and just mind-blowing, then this will be a winner. Putting my faith in Stern's non-Lyman rule designers (Lonnie, Waison, etc) is not a bet I'd feel safe with, however. I could definitely see myself adding a premium to my collection one day if the software gives me a reason to!

By the way, we had a ST launch party yesterday thanks to Curly at Little Shop of Games and Ron in Palm Beach! Our dear friend Rosie took 1st place in the Launch Party tourney, and I was so happy for her! I took 3rd and won a ST translite. Thanks Curly, it was a fun day!

Funny how I haven't seen the people from Stern ever post? Have I missed those? You can't say that for JJP. Maybe they should try the Stern approach and stay away?

I really wish that people would stop throwing this unsubstantiated rumor around.

It isn't true.

I heard that one out of every 100 LE's will have a vacation package somewhere in the game. It could be between the layers of the playfield or cabinet so you will have to sledgehammer the game to see.
I also heard that this will be the best game Stern has ever released until the next Stern title is released.
I also heard that when the ship crashes it will literally burn your playfield.

You get my point.

Hey, I hadn't heard it before and as I stated, just a rumor... but it was from someone who didn't just make it up; he heard from Stern. And also like I said, hope you are correct and it isn't true!

It's amazing how much information you can find out just by using this new invention called email. Sometimes people will even reply!

It's SR's last design for Stern, he is becoming a "free agent" and going to work for JJP....

You wish!

Playing devil's advocate, there's always the chance that what he believes to true has not been decided upon by the powers that be or relayed to him yet. I'm sure he thought his Avatar design was going to be built for a long time, too!

All kidding aside, I'm very happy to hear that Steve's saying it's not his last design. I want to see more of the WPT/Elvis creativity from him in the future! I know he has one more really unique layout in him, if not many!

I am surprise the Star Trek code still doesn't have any release notes.
Certainly the code will be more by expo, at least I hope so.

I love SR designs because of what you said earlier: his pins are great shooters! You can rely on that being the case. Same cannot be said for other designers, including one's that I really like, including Borg and Gomez. That said, I think Borg has done an amazing job on MET, as that is an excellent shooting pin.

As for unique layouts, I understand the desire, but as has been said many times before, there's only so much you can do with the limited space you have on a PF. Geometry dictates where most shots will go. Avengers gave us a somewhat unique design, and it gets panned by most players. So it's like you say: a risk.

Of course they will. And don't call me Shirley.

He's already a free agent.

Please, anyone correct me if I'm wrong, but Steve doesn't work for Stern directly. He sells his designs through Steve Ritchie Productions to Stern.

I believe Pat Lawlor worked in a similar manner for Stern.

Borg has been there since the Data East days. I assume he is a direct employee, but again, if anyone knows better, feel free to chime in.

I'm sure JJP would love to get there hands on a SRP produced game, I'd bet Stern has the money to make sure that never happens.

SR + JJP = incredible!

Sorry guys but the KING will be busy doing SUPERMAN for STERN

with all the marvel stuff do you really see stern doing DC stuff?

stern's partners said they will step away from super zero for awhile.

Say it ain't so......please tell me you are just screwing with us....

If its true, another superhero pin, oh no......

there are other things out there...

That was the old days. There is no more SRP....24 was the last "freelance" SRP project. Steve is a Stern employee & lives in IL now.

Stern does Super Hero / Music titles and JJP does games for old ladies in their 70's and the D&D crowd. LOL!!!

No superhero or band pins for a while please.

Guys you forget avengers was two pins before and there two more pins before superman. ALso Superman is not your typical superhero; only the most known superhero of all time; not to mention that Ritchie is a huge SUPERMAN fan

Steve Ritchie........The man of steel........................Balls

Well if they are doing Superman, I really hope they do something innovative with a Krypton mini playfield, color changing LEDs modes to switch from Clark Kent mode to Superman mode, some really cool,twisting ramps with Ball accelerators, an extra ramp instead of boring pop bumpers, a third flipper lower on the playfield, kryptonite mode that lowers the voltage to the flippers, some kind of moving target, flying mode involving some interesting jump ramp like LOTR, nice dark color scheme, and an LCD for f sake

WOW!

Either way is fine with me.

I would have to imagine, for a man at SR's age, possible retirement in coming years, the thought of creating a game for a new platform like JJP before he retired would be more appealing that money. Gary Stern would be aware of this though and would probably do everything he could to keep SR in the fold.

For all we know you are right and that signature in the clear coat was charged a heavy premium for.

I don't buy into this. I'm sure designers were saying this in the 50's, 60's, 70's, etc. "That's it! That's all we can do, there's only so much space on a playfield!" Nah....

TAV's layout is not bad, except it needed a couple of return shots instead of being so loopy! And the build is cheap, the art is dark and terrible, the plastics block the inlanes, the big toy is a ball trap from hell, etc. It seems like a half-ass design, IMHO!

I think one of the problems is we have had the same 7-8 guys designing most all the biggest production pins of the last 20 years! So when all the ideas come from 0.000000000000000000000001% of the pinball minds, it makes it appear as though "Well, that's it! That's all the shots there are, and that's all we can do, so let's keep recycling..."

I honestly just think it's past time for new designers, and that some of these designers need to either move into a mentor role (ala Kordek in the 80's/90's) or just be put out to pasture. I really want to see pinball pushed and innovated. It might be up to JJP and the boutique companies...

You are bad mouthing both a unique design and recycled designs in the same breath. That is the risk with innovation, it's hit and miss.

Yep, TAV was a risk but I pointed out the obvious problems that should've easily been avoided by a top designer. Making a unique design does not have to include the problems that TAV had which had nothing do to with layout (ball traps, cheap build, plastics designed without thought, mediocre art package, etc). Even so, TAV is an interesting layout and not unfun at all! But it could've been a lot better with some tweaking and refinement.

I read in an interview with him that he really dislikes working on widebody's. Because it's not a natural fit for his style of game. So i doubt he will be working with JJP anytime soon then.

Gotcha. So he wasn't really laid off from Stern, they just stopped doing business with SRP? Then, after a couple of years, Stern hired him back directly?

I had heard Steve talked to JPP, and talked to Stern, and decided to through his lot in with Stern again.

I'm sure at the time Stern seemed like a logical choice. Do you really think JJP has the capital to pay? Think about it, going to move to NJ for a start up?? How many games has JJP produced? I was told by a Dealer last week 179 total as of last week, that's it!!!! That's not much of a production for what 7 months. Going with Stern still seems like the smart move.

All good points. I only heard the Steve talked with JJP, but choose Stern. I wasn't advocating where Steve should have gone. Only he can do that!

The Stern choice was pragmatic. It meant you would have games on the street guaranteed. Woz is barely out the door and SR has his second game coming out in that time frame.

Seriously Man. You're just stirring the pot. Unless you have some kind of evidence, why make comments like this?

Getting back to Star Trek, I'm stoked! I think this thread will explode next week because the LE is due for delivery Oct. 16th I was told by my distributor. Anyone have confirmed info on when the LE's will be available to purchase???

They're available for purchase now, no?

No. Next week some time according to my distributor. The LE, you can buy the pro now.

From this point forward please do not post anymore trolling posts regarding JJP. This is a thread regarding Stern's Star Trek lets keep it that way. Please no further posts from you like this in this thread.

Yes, you can purchase the LE now. You won't get it until Stern actually makes them, but you can definitely order it now.