i agree with some of your points and gave you a thumbs up on one post you have here. my only point of contention is the fact some have dropped a huge amount of money on buying the stle and don't appreciate your negativity on the machine, which i can appreciate.

i just hope this machine turns out exceeding all buyers expectations, it's important and healthy for the hobby to have more studs then duds.

Studs over duds, I like it........I hope it meets expectations......

Stern? Maybe. Ritchie? No.

From my understanding, Stern didn't instigate the redesign, Ritchie did because he wasn't happy with its performance efficacy to operate as intended under all conditions. "We" should be happy that there is a designer that cares enough about a product they design that they pull it out to work on it to try to make up and "fix" a possible problem, rather than just releasing it because the release schedule says so.

I played the pro today for the first time, very solid machine. Build quality felt good, very simple, effective design so there shouldn't be a bunch of mechanical issues to suck up time or adjustments to make out of box to make it "play correctly". I will stay optimistic about the adjustments that are being made to the LE/prem models until I play one.

As much of a stink that some are throwing about the changes, just think about how stressed out i assume Ritchie must be having to cram all this and come up with an adequate solution fast enough to be effective and keep "us" happy by releasing it with as little delay as possible. Probably been a firestorm for the past two weeks. Yes it sucks that they advertised something that won't be the same on the actual machine, but it's a bummer for both ends here, "us" and Stern. I will keep the faith until I physically play an LE/prem, because I really enjoyed playing the pro today, granted the code is infantile, but I can look past that and see the potential based on the shots layout

I see this differently; it doesn't need a lot of toys because the PF design is so fast and fun. You want the ball to keep moving as fast as possible. I think it's an amazing game, just as it is.

Kind of like Tron IMHO not a ton of stuff on the playfield but it sure is a fun game

Exactly!

RobT, I'd consider this a badge of honor! Hopefully, you keep rising on his list!

Hasn't the pro been out long enough now to have a ranking?

I wasn't implying that the pro sales Would trump anything LE, just that there making the pros now and there working all the bugs out during production that would obviously delay starting production. Gameplay, code issues would delay as well. I don't think they would do both productions at the same time. LE and premium maybe. It's a minor delay and if there is a vuk issue as rob t states it is minor. The playfields have been made already. Not much they could do with it except replace with a different vuk.

I assure you these are not silly rumors but fact. Pictures will be changed when new design is complete which I imagine will be within the next week or two.

Stern got less than huge fanfare on ST's initial release. Based on the 5,yes FIVE! Distributor undercut offers I was pm'd here on Pinside and the other three from private emails, I think the STLE preorders were not there. I didn't post anywhere else but here about my findings with the STLE price, so not like I hunted for a deal.

I hope stern is rethinking his 'build based on cost only' approach and is listening to SR.

I would need to be fricken' wowed at this point to consider an LE. Or stern would have to release TWD title. Either is good!

What is the best current pic of the VUK? Can someone post it here?

TIA

How complete is code on the pro?

define complete....

Complete code to me would be all modes and features working. I personally would have a hard time ranking a game with incomplete code unless it was left incomplete after a prolonged period of time. With hot off the press titles I think its important to let the manufacturers the time to get the rules done.

The STLE pre-orders WERE there (past tense). But many if not most were cancelled when Stern announced their pricing.

As many threads pointed out pricing has leveled off. Stern found the ceiling.

We have been testing in the studio a scatter-laser (will show at Expo) onto the playfield this year. Pretty darn cool but has issues like not burning your eyes, shock and placement, effect. But really awesome otherwise and I hope to make it work. I have some vids I will show. Jpop

That sounds awesome John! Especially if you can avoid the "not burning your eyes" part So excited by everything we have seen so far........

Hey John, if you crank the laser's power up you could turn the player into a zombie, or make the machine appear to go invisible...

Lawrence

I'm with you and ready for some new season TWD tonight!

the game already is invisible

Had to LOL on that one.

And broke through it.

Well you're one in a million. Almost all of Xmen's ratings were based on unfinished original code, and no one bothered going back and updating them when the new code came out. I'm assuming the same will happen with Star Trek.

im thinking maybe stern should open a dialog w/ the pin community and people can send in ideas about what games should have on them as far as toys, modes, lay outs, ect. i mean here is a huge group of people excited about the next great licensed game is.

this needs to happen for success. lets put it this way;

1) stern has to make a profit, or why bother.
2) within there time frame of getting a game out and ready for market, they make the best w/ what they have at the time.
3) they produce/sell, we buy.

kill two birds with one stone stern..... open up a dialog with your buyers on what they're ideas, and wants are. instead of producing the same game over and over w/ different art/themes. let the buyers come up with creative ideas for no cost to you. wow!

Yes. I was one of them.

I initially inquired when title was first announced, then hadn't said anything for months. One day a Pinsider had a thread on stern pricing; I chimed in. Next thing I knew, within 3 days I had 8 offers. None were close to what I would pay for a stern pin. I declined them all. Best was $7500 not including shipping. Yeah? You're about $600 too high on my price point for what I saw.

Waiting on next title. This one is history for me. Unless stern raises or keeps pricing where it is with NO new tech or innovations? Yeah, then it'll be hobbit for me or older B/W titles I guess.

The tables are usually designed a year before they are announced.

I haven't rated a game I haven't owned for 5 years so maybe I am.

In a perfect world any game would ship 100% out of the box but it just isn't so and isn't fair to any manufacturer to rate a game in the first 6 months to a year out of the gates.

Hey, I was commenting on the lack of mechanical features on ST. I'm not contesting or denying that the game is fun for many--in fact, that seems to be the clear majority opinion. Many people like fast flowing layouts and ST clearly has one. Personally, I'd like to see more variety from Stern, but many customers like this type of layout so it makes sense to continue producing them! I hope everyone who buys ST really likes it (pretty sure they will) and that STern does well. That goes beyond my personal tastes, which are not always mainstream.

Here's an "invisible" for you.......Stern code updates, Stern himself, any video of the premium/Le for ST and a vuk that actually works the way it was supposed to on the premium/le.......

Now that's a funny and lol

Btw, its only "invisible" to most, owners have the "un cloaking" powers to actually make it "visible".....

Stern, JJP, Jpop all read these threads.

Stern games have to be licenses, so they can only make games they can acquire licenses for.

50% of all Stern sales go to Europe, so themes have to have European appeal.

The license holder must approve the art, so often Stern only has an approved "clip art" selection to work with.

Anything that strays to far from the usual fan layout will be attacked on these boards. Can you see a game like F-14 being produced today??? They only sold 15,000 of em......

Exactly.....let the other pin makers be different and see where the chips fall....

If they are counting on 50% of sales going to Europe with the recent price increases and the extra vig they have to pay, then they might have to pull out the calculator for the next run and do some re-ciphering......Jethro style, "naught, naught, carry your naught".....

Relax guy.. I'm sure when its done it will be incredible. Was just throwing a funny out there. Was to good to pass on the lay up.

Jpop eventually will show the world his work.

I know, that's why I was throwing a funny out there myself...

does that really matter if you have open dialog w pinball community about what they would love to play? mechanical wise. you really could have raised metal ball guides that come out of playfield on any game. things on playfield are basically universal. artwork, voice overs, some gameplay/code is not.