I bought this ship awhile ago...http://www.roddenberry.com/star-trek-uss-enterprise-ncc-1701-d.html

Stern's track record on caring about the toy aesthetics isn't great, so I'm not surprised the ship looks less-than-great.

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they do have time to ban people if someone uses words they dont like @ stern..
i wish they invest more into making good and regular updates for their pinballmachine, then to ban people on their page!

if this was on their FB page i would bet that i been banned instantly

such an bad protocol

I thought Alex got banned for telling someone this. What, you can't argue your point without resorting to this?

Hazoff is on vacation for his actions.

Already sold out. That was quick! I bet a few in here might be responsible!

I think I will stick to the original one and get practical add ons like the coindoor headphone jack. Does the STLE have dollar bill bezel?

You figured it out. ...and the only cure for us neglected children is to purchase over-priced pinball machines.
Is the next one out yet? I'm feeling sorry for myself again.

It took me a little while to learn this lesson about pinball machine toys and graphics.
They are meant to look a little campy.
Look at some of the older and newer machines like Twilight Zone, Cyclone, AcDc or WOZ. The witch looks like a wedding cake figure, but you know what, that's what she should look like!

Indeed
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Sounds like rationalizing to me. Many folks critique the artwork (PF, cabinet, translate) till the cows come home. The toys are 3D artwork…if you care about the quality of the artwork (and I understand not everyone does), it only natural to care about the quality of the toys. For example, the original TRON arcade was really ugly/cheap…one of the most common mods. From my perspective, something that looks like it came out of a "cracker jack" box shouldn't be on a 4-8k pinball machine.

I understand what your saying, and as I mentioned, I used to think that same way. I would look at the playfield for example of Cyclone and say, why are those graphics so cartoonish and look so bad. There are artists that could make that so realistic. But now I get it.
When I look at "real" photographs such as the faces on Tron, they don't work for me. I'm sure someone is going to say "My XYZ pin has great photos on the playfield" and that's fine. I am just going back to the original post on this topic about the detail of the Enterprise. I think it would look like Tron if Stern didn't make it the way they did. I think it was a nice balance of the way the bridge looks in the movies, and the models they included.
Even my old favorite game, SW DE had campy looking graphics, and the death star dome was very much low detail.
If that model of the Enterprise bothers the author so much, replace it with the Hallmark model. I understand those are nice and detailed.
Personally if Hallmark made a witch from the Wizard Of Oz with wicked details, I don't know that I would swap it out.

I considered swapping out to the Hallmark Enterprise, but when my LE arrived, I thought the Enterprise looked great. Sure, there are better, and more detailed models out there, but in comparison to the models in my STTNG (as posted above) these look incredible! It's a simple aesthetic thing. Making something more realistic doesn't necessarily make it better. I've always felt that the figures in LOTR look really cheesy too, and not to scale etc. I can't stand the photoshopped image collages that have become so rampant (IE ACDC etc). I think the MOD has every right to critique the quality of the play field toys, but it's clearly not the norm to have state of the art realistic playfield toys, regardless of the price of the machine. That's part of what makes modding fun. STLE is a hell of a machine. I'm super happy with mine.

This thread is the equivalent of after a critically acclaimed movie, reviewers trash it so they can generate more traffic on their site. LAMP thread.

Frank F., leave that body, stop possessing innocent souls and go back to RGP...

actually they both suck. I'm holding out a couple of years to see what happens with the software manufacturers and see if anyone jumps on board with that Software dedication ability.

irrelevant.

I never said either were good, but one has to be better than the other or else there's nothing to fight about.

sure, we can argue they both suck, or one or both are good. It's a 3 some.

I'm not getting a Premium, after pulsing a few people for prices (thanks!) and trying to decide what to let go so it would fit in the space I have.

I know my non-pin friends, the grand-kids, hell even me would really enjoy playing that game...maybe even my wife.

I really liked playing "The Dudes" refinery pro.

But at $6500, it's just too much money...not the code, not the toys, not the color...but the price.

Robert

my cutoff is 6k. not a penny over.

If I think in pinball terms, that doesn't seem to buy as much as it did 3 years ago anymore. But if you think about it in actual money and day to day life. 6k is more than I paid for any car in my entire life (except 1). I've owned around 20 cars in my life. None of them were even close to 6k except 1. In fact. i think my first 8 cars combined didn't even cost 6k. If I skip the 1 that cost way over 6k. (the one and only time i've ever had car payments. Never again. Car payments is like pissing money out the window).

4500 for the pro. Powder coat 250-500 depending if you want to buy new set or send yours in. Metal apron that lights (awesome!) 195. Shaker 170. So worst case you can get a great looking game for under 5500.

you don't get the shaker with the premium either. So that cost you have to add to the premium and LE prices as well.

Yes, I appreciate the info...really would like to have that game in my home, but just can't justify the costs...I would pay $5k for a premium, but not $6500...and maybe $4500 for a blinged out pro.

I just got a SM and probably paid more than it sold for new, so I understand the possibility that downstream that a ST may not be less expensive, given that it will also be pretty used. I would guess that in a route, these will get lots of play.

I may change my mind after someone near me gets a Premium, but for now I think I'm out.

$5.5k sure sounds better than 6.5k and 7.8k though. I think $4700 was the least I was quoted on a ST pro.

Like I heard about a month ago, buy both a ST pro & MET pro, for about the price on an ST-LE.

Robert

Exactly why you have the Refinery crew out there Robert. At $5600 you can have powder coat that looks better than any of the other models, an apron (with lighting effects tied to gameplay) that looks better than any of the other models, and plenty of added lighting effects. Pro model on this title is an excellent value.

Have to say the refinery apron smokes the Prem and Le.

Why doesn't that surprise me Neo? Is there anything you like!

I'm getting a PS4 when I can find one.....

Wow factor and great value, those guys are something else!

Yes it does, way better then the disco ball thing and shield lights.

How would you know ? You cheaped out and bought a pro and now you are trying to convince yourself that you made the right decision.

I think the PF projector adds to the game as a extra bonus .

Im going to play it on Saturday and then want it on Sunday. From hell's heart, I stab at thee Steve Richie. For hate's sake, I spit my last post at thee Stern!!!!

I really hate to say this, but it's actually how I feel: the majority of your posts regarding STLE really come across as petty and a constant attempt to justify you backing out of the LE. I'm sure you will say that you are happy with your decision, just like you have before, but I really don't know if I believe you anymore.

Of course you thumbs down and attack me and not the person who initially said it, weird bunch (always the same 6 or 7 people though, the rest should be here soon ). But that is how I actually feel about the Refinery apron, I actually feel it is better then the Premium/LE apron. That is my personal opinion, I'm not taking anything else away from the Premium/LE, I've stated before I like the LE, LOVE the Premium but my personal opinion is I personally like the Refinery apron better then the Premium LE apron, others agree, others disagree, that is fine. Not everyone likes the same things. I like the LE backglass the best, some agree, some disagree. I like different aspects from each version. I won't post anything more on the matter as I have realized some people thrive on this stuff. And if you don't respond it ends quickly.

Wile I am not a big fan of more than one version of a game being made,I understand why they do, different strokes for different folks. I have never been a big fan of changing or modifying my games. I like to keep them as original as possible. With that said their are exceptions to every rule, take my STTNG. I did add a ColorDMD as well as lasers in the gun turret but that's as far as I go. Wile most people replace the ship models and even add a few more and change the positions and turn the shuttle craft and the Klingon bird of pray around so they face you, I left mine original but if I do make a change it's always something that I can change back to it's original condition. Nothing wrong I guess with adding bling but to me even if it's done tastefully, to me it's the same as defacing the game and lowering the games original value. But if it's your thing go for it.
The only thing I have plained for my STLE is installing a ColorDMD and adding speaker lights which I thought Stern had already done like the one they had on the factory tour. It clearly had LEDs in the speakers.

No. You were just piling on, and added a bunch of other stuff on the LE that you thought it was "better then".

Saying things like the refinery apron is "better then" the "disco ball thing" isn't even remotely close to what The Dude and Hwawonyu were saying. Seriously. Not even close!

And to use the phrase "disco ball thing" makes it even more clear that you are doing nothing more than bashing the LE, regardless of your weak attempts to say that's not the case.

Give me a break.

Did my part yesterday. Had a friend over in the morning. He had played it before but a few more games helped, he bought a premium today.
Then last night I had two friends over and today one got a refinery edition and the other bought an LE.

Star Trek LE - Disappointed...... that I don't have one!

Someone want to make me a smoking deal on one

Rob, Jim
The apron really is that cool. I would not downgrade from an LE for it but hopefully they can modify the LE version because it's amazing. Instead of the les squares the triangles have emblems and the whole thing lights up In red or blue based on the mode. Plus the entrance lights.
Again, not an Le and hopefully can be added but this one feature is really cool.

Your post made me want one more, thanks. I like to be different, I like bells and whistles. . Think the cheapness of the plastic toy is the least of my concerns. If the shots are fun and the sound is good and lighting rocks I think it may be worth it to me. It actually looks like a game that needs very little in terms of modding.

Geez, I want to hang in your group. 3 people drop $20,000 on pinball machines in 24 hours after only a few games? Those are some deep and open pockets.

It's the game. It's that good ; )

Has to be cheaper as mustang owners are cheap

Man you scared me... I thought FF had managed to finally sneak in here. That's when you do shout "fire everything!"

Sorry guys I didn't mean to start any drama the gameplay on all models is a blast and that's what is really important. Didn't sound like Robert was going to buy an LE or Premium so I was just trying to tempt him with a Refinery Pro.

That's why I got the chrome one. Gonna need thesewhen ya come over to play my Pro.

Thems is fight words mister.

Trekkie owners fighting with each other over which model is best, classic

Epic battle!
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whoever is wearing the red shirt will lose.

Dave and Dude, I have no problem with what you guys were saying. You were giving your opinions on a apron mod and comparing it directly to the apron on the LE. QG simply continues to feel like he always has to add his 2 cents in on any post that makes *anything* other than the LE look better.

But more specifically, in this case, he went further by comparing an *apron* mod to the "disco ball thing" (derogatory).

And even if he said "the star field projector", how the hell do you compare an apron mod to the star field projector?

Pathetic.

It's because, despite the fact that pin is the greatest pin ever, the "disco ball thing" sucks.......but I guess everything about the greatest pin ever is the greatest?

Yeah so what, I'm jealous I don't have one.

Get over it

Guys and their aprons!