Godzilla (Limited Edition)
Stern, 2021
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Quoted from SimplePin:Should be free shipping for all NIB Stern Machines.
Unless shipped and reshipped!
That's only how the distributor is pricing your complete package...
Games dropped shipped from Stern have to have shipping paid by someone... hidden or not in your pricing you're paying for it 
Games the distros have in hand of course they will charge based on whatever they - but they paid shipping to get the game to them too. So no free rides.
Quoted from NeilMcRae:anyone with the pinball machine take a photo of the MPU in the backbox? keen to see the wifi part of it. (sorry I'm a network geek). I'm in on an LE but expect it won't be here in the UK until November.
Already posted in the stern insider thread - just a simple usb wifi dongle
Quoted from Gov:This. I get made fun of by my pin friends for bringing this up, but it really screams laziness to me from a design standpoint. You get a few things like the Jackpot that shows up on Godzilla MB and it looks great, then everything goes back to Arial Bold that barely takes up 1/25 of the screen. Make things big and readable. Give it some style, it deserves it! At the very least, match the fonts that are on the playfield!
Unlike many of the prior games... no one in our days of play has complained about readability of the screen or the text in anyway.
Quoted from mahony:Is it a dongle or a chip on the board? I would have guessed they'd just update the boards with a chip. Are there any antennas? No rj45 I'm guessing?
Simple USB dongle.
There is already ethernet on the board.
Updating the CPU creates region issues and doesn't offer cheap upgrades to existing games in the field.
Quoted from Hayfarmer:When is pinside gonna combine these threads? Games are in private homes now,,,
Pinside doesn't have a merge feature AFAIK
Two, this thread was made and labeled against the prior established rules for owner threads anyway...
Maybe ask why there needed to be a separate preorder thread and a hype thread before
Quoted from mahony:Will you be able to connect to the internet with the ethernet port to access IC is what I should have asked? I assumed the rj45 ports were just used to connect boards.
Yes you can use wired ethernet.
ETA: I didn't check for ethernet on the board, but I think I saw it before. and was going from that memory. Wired ethernet is in the software configuration - but maybe will need a dongle to use. Im not in front of the game at the moment. Will look again tonight.
Quoted from mahony:I thought the Spike 2 CPU boards have different versions for other regions? Is that just to accommodate for power requirements? Forgive me I never really messed with the Spike 2 other than to update the code.
The game can detect different power configs - but AFAIK there is no different SKU for the different regions. It's done through some provisioning. The point of the comment is putting radios as modules is common to compartmentalize a problem.
I turned off the magnet grab today and it seems the game lets the magnet grab the ball to redirect it but doesn’t do the holding on the magnet. We’ll use that until stern fixes the code
Quoted from PinMonk:Perspective.
The app's pretty basic. Being super-generous, let's say it was $100k to develop. That's about $30/machine, fully amortized by the time Godzilla is done. So we're at about $50/machine with the app and wifi dongle. Dunno what they're using for QR reading, but would not be surprised if it was a basic webcam because QR codes are not complicated so a low res webcam is fine. Those Chinese "door lock" QR code readers would also do the job (see example below that looks a lot like what Stern's using in the videos). Whichever case, about $10 in quantity. So $60/machine.
No idea what art you're talking about that was any significant cost. Payroll raises are completely untethered from the online system.
There's also server fees for the data management of the system, but again, those are not crazy if they're using AWS and managing it themselves, and I'm sure the upcoming OP fees will more than cover it.
[quoted image]
Sure AWS makes hosting like paying a credit card bill - but doesn't mean those services automatically configure and run themselves.. nor support it. That's Operational manpower you have to add now, either in-house or contracted. That's ongoing cost, on top of your cheap servers.
Then your app was never a one-time thing, it's a product you built, delivered 1.0, and now have to not just support, but continue to develop. This isn't a one developer sized task. So again, this is ongoing cost you will incur, in addition to your initial contracting or investing in building the app. Something that you would either contract out or hire people to do.
The QR reader isn't just the reader - but the Stern-specific node board they designed and implemented for the system. Plus the platform work put into the game... then going back and adding new content to 17 titles. Even just touching 17 releases is expensive timewise, let alone the actual feature development put into each one.
Just because you have some capacity of people on payroll doesn't mean costs are disassociated from functionality. Time is money - and time implementing this is time not spent elsewhere and capacity that likely didn't exist before... so is more than likely increasing your recurring payroll.
Any system that will be a foundation for other work and requires continually being updated to just operate in the continuously changing world of devices and services will represent a significant investment in initial time, capital, and ongoing costs too. And programmers aren't cheap.
Quoted from PinMonk:Okay, forget about one-time amortization. The AWS management will be *extremely* basic since the kind of data it's tracking is not complicated (even if they add operator error and revenue tracking - for an additional fee). If Stern's doing 3 games a year, you have a generous $300k to keep the pretty basic app fresh, and that's still about $50/a machine on a rolling amortization per year. Haven't seen the node board, so I can't comment on that, but I would be shocked if it adds $30/machine in quantity. How complicated does it need to be? Power and a USB or serial interface and that's it. Spitballing components and development, only about 20% of that price hike is actual costs.
You keep suggesting AWS somehow makes their product self running? AWS is just a platform and set of tools. It's not sentient. It still takes Ops to monitor, update, do pushes, plan for the future, etc. They aren't going to give that task to the existing guy running cable and fixing the printers. This is a service that will require ongoing support and upkeep -- let alone their ongoing feature development. Both the backend and front-end need ongoing TLC just to stay safe and operational. They are either going to expand their staff capacity to support this or contract it out and pay for it.
Then eventually someone will want to spend time making this platform useful for both internal and external parties... so you'll get some basic data analyst, and maybe some business dev type trying to advance all those great 'possibilities' stern outlined. It's also something Stern will want to keep expanding, so you'll have development time spent on that. Stern already does a ton of work in house, so eventually you would probably bring that work in house even if you contracted it out to boot strap it for launch.
This is going to represent a significant ongoing opex for Stern to operate and advance. Opex that obviously needs to be supported with sales or service fees.
Quoted from PinMonk:I'm just talking about the bump we got in retail vs the cost of that network/online bump. And analyzing what we got vs the sizable price jump, it's hard to see the size of the bump as much less than an opportunistic money grab because Stern knew people would excuse it due to the pandemic and "new hardware" (even if that new hardware is essentially pretty cheap).
For sure - we were getting a price bump because of people paying stupid money for games and the usual increases anyway. The blaming it on IC is a matter of convenience to try to tie value to what is otherwise just price increases.
But please give me more Elwin games over more Borg rehashes. k thx bye
Quoted from Gogdog:Now that you have it and have played a bunch of games....does that hairpin to the left of the building actually do anything in the code? Like, does it give out jackpots or increase a counter to something or ?
I believe I got a double super jackpot for shooting the building backwards vs normal super jackpot.. but it was in realtime and I don't know the full rules to confirm that or not.
Quoted from nicoy3k:Do you think it would have been make able if they used the aiq banana ramp?
No, the ball just seems to lose energy. You can make it halfway up the ramp all day long from the upper flipper. But besides multiball jackpots, I wouldn't be aiming from the ramp from there anyway.
I'm aiming for loops, tailwhip, or mechzilla target.
Quoted from beltking:Could you connect noise canceling headphones via Bluetooth with new stern connect?
No
Game doesn't have bluetooth, only wifi
and trying to send audio from the game to the cloud, to your app... would suck for latency.
Quoted from Pin_Fandango:what do you guys think of the rules currently? don't you find the multi ball too easy to start and the modes often being ignored? just 'shoot' the building a lot sort of thing? I am hoping the code changes this a bit... thoughts?
Poor strategy for scoring points. Yes the MB is easy to qualify, but it's more like a booster than an objective of it's own. The easy MB is a common design choice to make the game more approachable for casual or new players. You can easily make the game dance.. but the more advanced play is beyond that.
Quoted from Pin_Fandango:sure but this apply to any game really, including IJ. I hope the MB starts is a bit more difficult in future code.
So if it applies to all games - why is it a concern for you here?
I mean.. some games GIVE you multiball on ball three for similar reasons... make sure the casual gets to some excitement.
Focus on getting an ally and a monster and then look at MB.
Quoted from J85M:From someone who already has their game or played it already, what is the lockbar action button used for? Charging your heat ray? Selecting allies, cities and battles? Thank you
Yes to all above
Heat ray… activating alley add a ball…
Scoop selections
Quoted from Taygeta:I’m curious how many others feel this way, I think Elwin's games all have amazing layouts and rules, but none thus far to me have had good mechs or a reason to buy the premium/LE.
The building diverters and bridge mech likely won't change the game's flow too much, but I'm curious how the Mechagodzilla mech works for flow/transitions off the jump ramp. On the pro its a quick, satisfying return with the spinner.
Mechzilla wasn’t that interesting to me. Doesn’t help that the multiball for it and bridge seem less interesting. Need more time with those rules i guess.
The building is great tho… if it dropped instead of the slow elevator ride down it would be life changing. Using the different ball returns to help finish gigan etc is sweet.
Pro is an instant hit. Premium is a must have. Le is sexy.
Quoted from Swoods5688:Anyone seeing premiums delivered yet?
We got our shipping notice for it…
Quoted from Pinballfantexas:Okay LE is in the house and have a few questions, yes I have a email into my distro but figured I ask here to see if we can solve it before tech support gets back.
1st) Connected to the internet and everything seems good regarding code and has a good solid internet connection. But I have noticed my QR reader is not lighting up. It is connected and I get a dull ding when I scan my code but its a different ding from what I have heard on video streams. Also it doesn't bring any of my info up on the display and nothing on my profile on my phone.
2nd) My shooter rod is hitting the auto launcher and is not center to the shooter lane. Are stern plungers adjustable?
3rd) The glass is very tight compared to my mando and I will also say its tight to fit the playfield hooks back in to the lockbar receiver.
Thoughts?
[quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]
Did you complete the game's registration in the insider connected web page?
Quoted from NashtyFunk:I think it's funny that there are guys rating the LE at 3.4 etc.
Pro tip... never look at the pinside rankings.... and certainly not the reviews.
Quoted from Pdxmonkey:Same issue as you I think the loop metal needs to be bend towards the flippers to give it a smoother transition [quoted image]
I had some succcess by knocking down the upper flipper power 5 steps. In our case it looks like the ball is just going head onto the wall and bouncing back instead of riding the rail.
Our premium has much snappier flippers than our pro... but the ball drop from the building is a straight train SDTM and the loop feed was not consistent.
I put a slider dot on the plastic to deflect the ball lock drop but its only about 3/4 effective so far.
The balls actually bounce off the plastic… maybe my down position isnt far enough? Regardless, the first ball tends to bounce and roll over my flat top dot but delays ball 2 and 3 enough most of the time. Round top dot maybe necessary… anout 1/8” thick at least.
Games at expo didn’t do this nearly as much. Probably some setup issue but not sure which way to go yet. Mine is setup at 6.7 deg
Changing the slope of the building plastic won't do it. The balls move too fast across that short distance to matter. A small dot wasn't enough for this very reason.. the balls literally drop and bounce on the plastic as they race over the building entrance.
Quoted from PinMonk:Been playing the game with the pedal and it's night and day when that formerly accursed "charge the heat ray" callout happens. With the pedal? No problemo.
Sure… put rubbers over those outlanes too… no problemo!
Quoted from PinMonk:Dunno. For example, gold gathering on jjPotC IS fun, and that's repeatedly tapping the lockdown bar button. Almost the same thing on paper. Charging the heat ray? Not fun. And NO ONE can convince me that moving the magna save from a dedicated button on the side of the cabinet on prior BK's to the lockdown bar improved the game on BK:SoR. It made it SIGNIFICANTLY worse and had nothing to do with "intent" and everything to do with cost cutting.
Yes, but BKSOR is not Godzilla and the heat ray charging is about gameplay, not cost cutting. So you can drop BKSOR from your discussion - they are different beasts. If you were talking about adding a button to make BKSOR better, few would disagree with you. But here you are talking something entirely different.
Check out this stall ball sk8ball
We were having problems with balls getting stuck on the return to the right inlane after about a week of play on the premium. There really wasn't play left to right for the habit trail, but I was able to push the slingshot plastic towards the center more to prevent the hang-ups in the hole. But we got issues like this too... this seems due to the small flat spots in the rails and the exit tear drop loop appears to be raised vs where the mounting tab is on the habittrail.
We tried to eliminate it by increasing the speed of the feed (bending the cross playfield section to be steeper), but I found the flat spots on the habit trail odd. Not sure if they are just clamp/vise artifacts or what. See it on both our games... but haven't had stall issues on our games before this.
Quoted from PinMonk:The pedal setup works for both (or any Spike machine with a lockdown button, really). No one is holding a gun to your head to do it. Don't like it? Don't do it. simple as that.
But you're also suggesting Stern add wiring and a jack and a cabinet element TO EVERY GAME for an accommodation that goes AGAINST the game play design... in a world where Stern is eliminating washers on a game. It's comical.
Sell your mods for people who want them - but suggesting Stern build those plug and play into their games to fit those... bizarre.
Quoted from pch3727:I was able to play both a Godzilla Premium and Pro at the Houston Expo this weekend, and I could not get the scoop to be activated for the city selection/battles. I know I needed to hit the left and right ramps to activate, but what's considered the left ramp?
The left ramp It's the farthest left shot above the flipper and to the left of the magnet. You'll see the the 3 LED signs on the backboard as well
Godzilla is new and unfamilar - of course it's going to feel more interesting and exploratory compared to something old and familiar.
Godzilla is actually pretty simple right now once you get past the discovery phase... there isn't a ton there. But the area yet to be developed is huge. And the stuff that IS there is fantastic. It also helps greatly that the playfield has so much going on in terms of directions and where the areas of importance are distributed.
I've always considered deadpool avg at best and way overhyped on pinside. Deadpool has more code objectives going on then Godzilla right now, but Godzilla's future looks great.. and godzilla is far more fun as a shooter.
Compare deadpool as it's basically done, while Godzilla is not even halfway done and the playfield is more fun.
Quoted from crwjumper:Anybody else have the antenna?
Note that Neil's game who posted the picture is an international game. It's possible they are using different adaptors for UK games due to regulations.
Quoted from skink91:Easiest mistake to make with that stuff is not shutting your coin door when removing the glass after undoing the lockdown bar, as the top of the door can easily scratch the glass.
Ive noticed lately our game examples (avengers and Godzilla) have been tighter getting glass in and out and the glass’ height verse the front of the cabinet. It is just how the trim is mounted. I would not be much to actually contact the cabinet front while extracting the glass.
Quoted from DeathHimself:So with insider connect does the game download an update automatically or do you have to go into the settings and see if there’s an update?
There is an option to install or just download automatically
Quoted from Charger68:Just set up premium, everything checks out except right flipper. Coil doesn't fire from the test menu or from flipper button. Flipper button works for other functions. Swapped out node 8 with functioning one from elvira, same issue. No power to coil when attempting to test. Left shows pulse on meter. Any ideas where to start
Thanks in advance
Standard coil testing - checking wire connections. Checking for wire breaks (continunity), checking for resistance. Tracing wires back, checking for continuity.
Quoted from Happy81724:Is there ever a reason you want to hit next to the building that makes it drain stdm some of the time? I don’t see it registering or qualifying anything.
Its not an objective shot… but if you hit it when the building is a jackpot it scores and doubles the jackpot
Quoted from EaglePin:So one minor “complaint” about code/rules.
It’s a lot of fun to work to get Gigan started together with jets and also with lock lit so the building is down and you can just loop the right ramp for both Gigan and jet shots. So it’s a bummer if Gigan ends first and the building raises for Destruction JP while you’re still going after a couple more jets.
Seems like it might be nice for the Destruction JP light to wait until no other modes are running.
Except while you can loop the tight ramp repeatedly- you will not get combo values for it.
Destruction jp is worth more now than your free jets shots. Make the upper spinner instead
Quoted from EaglePin:True about the combos, but 10 jets gets an extra ball too. Also, Destruction JP being lit doesn't time out so I like doing both by finishing jets and then moving on to still get DJP.
In the new code it does in some cases.. I haven't quite figured it out. Doesn't stick around (even through drain) like it used to. DJP is heavily reworked in 0.81 with multipliers moving, base value changes, etc.
Quoted from gamera9:They are contractually obligated to release the new titles. It is a licensing issue.
Contracts can be redone. They tend to have long windows when games can be done. They secure a right (like a hold), then later secure an execution deal.
Its not uncommon for games to move around when they actually will get done (it happened to Godzilla too).
Stern needs to slow down - and certainly not put things off for another rock pin
Quoted from TigerLaw:I disagree. Every manufacturer wants to be in the position to control/limit their output. Stern is loving being able to jack up the price and sit on a 12,500 machine order backlog. They would keep this status forever if they could, it is adding to their FOMO.
There is balance though. Buyer patience is not forever. People will eventually bail to something they can buy and get their hands on. It’s the whole reason stern moved to the small batch runs to begin with… ensuring people had actual inventory to pick from… not just the one game being built now. They wanted inventory and diversity in the channel inventory.
Now they have no inventory and any diversity could be 6-12mon out. You won’t sell B or C tier rerun games with a 9mon wait.
They are losing money by not selling the games with better margins and selling them while they still can. People will buy the future game whenever it is out… stern is making its newest unproven game displace known better margin goods.
Quoted from Ben41:someone know if "Monster Zero Wizard" after finishing all Kaiju Battles is programmed yet? and if yes how to start it ?
and is "Planet X" is programmed yet ?
and destroying a city does it mean in each city
- RAID (Kaiju Battles) -> must be won ? or just played ?
- BRIDGE -> SUPERJACKPOT ?
- TANKS -> SUPERJACKPOT ?
- POWER (Tesla Strike) - > must be won ? or just played ?
and King of the Monsters (FINAL Wizard Mode) is it similar to JP Final Wizard Mode When Dinosaur rule the World ?
just available if you WIN all KAIJU BATTLES AND also destroy all 4 Cities including all SUPERJACKPOTS and also all won Tesla Strikes ?
or will it be similar to AIQ with something like Trophies for each Battle ans SUPERJACKPOTS ... or how it was ment earlier on JP with the Fossils ?
Short answer - no one knows
This isn't done in the code yet to have reasons to finish cities for different reasons, and no wizard modes yet.
Quoted from cooked71:So there is a switch that registers that shot but it's really not tied to anything?
switch is needed to time the magnet grab when you shoot it through the building.
game knows you shoot it backwards and will award 2x jackpot value for doing it during godzilla MB.
Quoted from fastchef:Anyone else having issues with a consistent skill shot behind the upper flipper. Seems like most of my plunges get rattled by that small bar on the play field. I tried to adjust the shooter housing and the housing barley moves much.
At this point - there is no reason to go for that skill shot. Eventually it seems the game will reward making unique skill shots (not duplicating the same shot) but right now it's at best one multiplier.
On every example I've played (over ten) the plunge can be inconsistent and rattle at times as it goes behind mechzilla. I just stopped trying - no payoff for getting it.
Quoted from eyeamred2u:Yes. So if you have a multiball happening and then shoot a ball back into the building, the game somehow loses track of the game ball. All balls get kicked out, then it find the ball and continues to play. Stern needs to fix this.
How are you getting a ball in the building after multiball starts? Are you talking the special case where you have a ball on the PF before and somehow manage to shoot the lock shot 2nd level of the building before it goes fully up?
The building should be in the 'loop through' level during multiball.
Quoted from cyberock:I think he means when the multiball lock becomes available when the building lowers. That is what is happening with my game, it isn't sensing the ball going into the building about 50% of the time now so before it brings the ball to the roof, it goes through a ball find.
Sounds like a simple switch issue or ball not getting to the vuk. Never seen a problem with the lock vuk not firing when expected
Quoted from blueberryjohnson:Anyone else get ball traps at the very back of the game when a too slow loop shot goes past the entrance to the heat ray but not far enough to continue rolling out the left ramp entrance?
This is the only one I've experienced and has happened several times at multiple pitches. I have a pretty tight tilt and wasn't able to nudge it out without both warnings and titling.
Yes… the orbit has an inexplicable flat spot and the ball can get stuck there
43D673F9-A12F-4344-93C4-2055FBD22AB0 (resized).jpegQuoted from eyeamred2u:Is anyone experiencing this issue. Ball is locked, then go to shoot red flashing arrow for destruction jackpot the game goes into ball search. I made a video clip.
Looks like the ball isn’t making it fully through the loop and is getting stuck as it tries to roll back through the building. Your ball also got stuck at the building entrance. So the stop point of the building is likely your problem. Its simply not a flat ball path and getting stuck
Quoted from blueberryjohnson:That's the one. Thoughts on how to address?
I’ve only seen it like twice since we got the game… so haven’t bothered investigating further. If memory serves i believe its a gap between two ball guides there. Something to prevent a lie there or change in leveling should make a diuretic
Quoted from Nstone4425:Received my premium yesterday. My dad and I put some serious games on it today. My dad absolutely loves it.
Two issues need help with hoping someone here knows before I email Stern.
1. The auto plunger auto plunges everytime no matter what. (my AIQ does this at times)
2. When waiting for the building to come down and release the balls for multi-ball, when we hit both flippers it start saying jackpot. Pretty sure that's not intended so maybe a switch?
Appreciate any insight and help.
You have a seitch firing inadvertently- use switch test to try to figure out which switch is triggering. Shake the game etc
Quoted from Mattyk:Are they still using a fluorescent bulb? If so wrapping 2 pieces of printer paper around the bulb completely made the glare go away on my TSPP
Spike cpu has leds on it - but brightness is controlled in software too
Quoted from per3per3:One small issue is that the lockdown bar latched are super tight and the lockdown bar button doesn't work when the bar is latched down. I need to experiment with either moving the button, adjusting the positioning of the switch that the button hits, or possibly adjust the latches. The button works when the bar isn't down. When it's latched, it's so tight that it's pulling the lockdown bar out of position
You can adjust the position of the switch - we had to do this too, the button was getting stuck down frequently due to binding because the blade wasn't really square to where the button engaged. Easy adjustment, just annoying to reach.
Quoted from per3per3:Also, what have folks been doing about the bridge plastics? Is there a way to adjust them so they don't rub together when the bridge shakes/moves? I was thinking about putting some mylar on the edges.
Someone said you can loosen screws and adjust.. haven't on our yet so can't confirm.
Quoted from per3per3:Appreciate it...I'll need to take a look at how that adjustment can be made. I need to either move the button to the right or move the switch to the right. I have had several stern machines with this action button and haven't had an issue until now. This lockdown bar really latches down tight
I just had to adjust the tilt of the switch if I recall.. loosening the stack or similar. In our case the blade would bind on the edge of the button's shaft because the button would skate off the blade.
The glass has gotten really tight on the last few titles, but our lockdown bars haven't been extreme.
Quoted from AntennaMan:The skill shot behind the upper flipper is only registering about 50% on the time it’s hit. Any ideas?
The rollover switch needs adjusted. If it doesn’t clear this can happen. Saw it with another le. Switch was not going to off
Had to bend the wire until it cleanly engaged AND disengages.
Stupid plastic mounts have no adjustment
Quoted from jonnyqtrek:Bridge attack multiball. It's all about the bridge attack multiball.
? It's one of the lower scoring modes
Quoted from HoakyPoaky:So this might have been answered before, but how long a delay is there usually between a game release & the Stern official accessories made available for purchase on their website? Supply chain issues & demand might be an issue now, but generally speaking, how long did it usually take on prior game releases?
I want to purchase the official Stern cabinet art blades & the Mothra shooter knob. So call your distributor, or just wait for them to pop up on the Stern website?
There is no answer to this - it seems to be a complete 'whatever happened, happens' topic with Stern. Sometimes it's early, sometimes it's forever, and almost always it's never in stock nor available consistently. They are highly inconsistent with accessories... the only constant seems to be 'low stock', so get it early if you want it.
Quoted from Flipstream:It's the main Godzilla MB that has all the points right now...
Meh.. a single Super Spinner shot can rival a good Godzilla MB.
You're not getting great points with just focusing on that.. unless you can get like 4x+ JPs and just keep going. Elwin game requires spreading the love.. get that monster going, get that Godzilla MB, maybe get that tesla strike going.... get that ally 2x with it.. now you're cooking with gas
Tesla Strike and Super Spinner after heat ray are big point opportunities.
Quoted from jonnyqtrek:Really? Sorry about that... Hmm... both times that i've entered the billions range, it's been almost exclusively during bridge attack multiball... Maybe it was just luck on those times...
[quoted image]
(I'm running 0.81, does that make a difference? My son got up in the 50 billion range once because of the same... And believe me, neither of us are spectacular players )
24bil? Uhh.. something is wrong with your game dude. You should probably look for some switches registering unexpectedly
Quoted from Flipstream:Not even close for the Super Spinner since it's about 1 million per spin, but you're right on the Godzilla MB process. The first two jackpot sets aren't worth much, although the third Godzilla MB super jackpot is worth about 200 million by itself.
My point was super spinner is easily 30-40mil typically for a single shot. Getting 50+mil on Godzilla MB takes a fairly decent run.
Quoted from eyeamred2u:To disprove, take the NC contact and make it NO and then see what happens. Switch test is only firing the ground state, not opening the contact. This is how I would rule out incorrect wiring, before swapping boards. Downside is, the coil may fire repeatedly, until you manually close the contact, but you then know it is wired incorrectly. I included pics of my flipper mechs, hope the images help.
Why would you do this verse simply looking at the switch test output while manually moving the flipper paw?
If the flipper fires in coil test but not when he flips, the problem is likely in the flipper switch circuit which he can also investigate with switch test.
Quoted from eyeamred2u:He may only be a one man show. So was just a suggestion, so not permanent if he bends leaf. Harder to manually operate and look at display if you are a one man show sometimes, from my experience.
Already know it fires in coil test, will not flip, but upper does fire. I believe I read it does report as working in switch test, but I could be wrong, that is why I suggested check wiring on EOS.
You don't even need to lift the playfield to check this with switch test Just manually move the flipper while looking at switch test on the display. Upper flipper is a separate switch on the same stack. It's even possible the two switches are just stacked wrong and the second switch isn't getting enough travel to engage.
He should just open the coin door, enable the high power with the interlock switch, goto switch test, test the flipper buttons. The left flippers are switch 25 and 27 and should each both close when he hits the left flipper button. If they they never close, lift the playfield and check the mechanical action at the switch at the cabinet, visually inspect the two wire tabs on each switch and ensure nothing is disconnected. Try to manually close switch and see if switch test shows closure. If not, follow wiring back to CN9 on Node board 9 and look for something amiss. All three flipper switches are on that same CN9 connector.
EOS he can test by just manually moving the flipper during switch test and ensuring switch 16 opens when the flipper bat nears its end of swing.
It's likely something simple with either a single disconnected wire or simply the switches stacked wrong and not engaging.. which is easily tested with your fingers first.
Quoted from Briks-707:Silverjets from Marco
Those are gonna magnetize in no time at all in Godzilla and cause problems. Can't use silverjets in games that use magnets heavily.
Quoted from RikV:Seems like a fine field fix, but I'm still confused on this; do you think that the steel captured nuts where never installed on the left side? It looks like the right side is the way both sides are intended, are you positive that there aren't two small nuts rattling around in the bottom of the cabinet?
Its either a batch of defective guides or assembly errors at the factory. Either way, it seems be a batch of games at this point… not all.
Quoted from JakePG:Which is really strange. You'd think as the largest distributor you'd have people on a waiting list for those games, but they are being sold on market instead
They see the opportunity and are taking it. They are large enough they aren't afraid of floating inventory.
Quoted from UCFKnight71:Now that Godzilla is settling into the #1 spot in the top 100, how do you all feel about the pro version? The Premium/LE's are clearly the best, but is Godzilla Pro better than all of the other Stern Pro models? Is it better than Deadpool Pro and Jurassic Park Pro? I've only played Godzilla Pro a few times on location. It seems like Jurassic Park Pro might have a little more in it compared with Godzilla Pro, but I need more time with it.
I have a pro sitting right next to a premium... we still play the premium when given the choice
Quoted from bigd1979:Ok my premium came with .80 code and apparently .81 is the newest??....so I hooked it up to my wifi but it says no new code available and it's up to date? So then I tried to do it the old way and it won't find it on the drive? It been long time since I've updated a stern ...how do I put it on the drive ? Thanks in advance
Online updates dont work if the game isn’t fully IC registered. Make sure you complete your game’s registration on the web after scanning you qr code.
Old updates work just as before. Make sure you unzipped the files and are using a properly formatted drive
Quoted from bigd1979:I was trying to avoid the registry lol... any idea how to put the files onto the drive Correctly so the pin reads it?
Fat32 8 or 16gig mbr partitioned flash drive
Unzip download files and copy the spk files to the drive.
Put in usb port on cpu and power cycle game
Quoted from Chitownpinball:Why do you lie, liar?
How do I get this game to update. W t f[quoted image]
Your game needs to be registered with IC and complete - not just on network.
Quoted from SantaEatsCheese:Just joined the club after finding an in Stock premium local to me yesterday. This is my first new Stern. Is anyone using any shooter lane protector and if so, what are you using that fits and looks good? I've used Cliffy's before. Also, where are people getting the power line mods from. Thanks!
[quoted image]
just turn down the trough eject to like 185 to start
Total expected - Stern's manual publishing of code on the website and announcements is gonna be a separate workflow from getting it on the CDN and the IC checks toggled to push a new code version.
Don't expect this to be simultaneous - they will try to coordinate those things, but they are separate.
Quoted from NightTrain:That makes zeroes of sense. Why not have it ready and THEN send the email?
Its just a choice of which to enable first. Point being is they are different things that require different steps. Don’t expect things to necessarily be exactly synced. People were freaking out over what was just minutes.
If speed is your need - IC isn’t your quickest method at this point anyways
Quoted from mbrave77:Loosing a ton of balls shooting the right ramp from the upper flipper. Is there an upper flipper strength number that makes that possible consistently?
Yeah - don't try to make that shot
It's not a reliable shot - and half shots are risks for drains. It's pinball - mistakes often lead to risk.
If you make the upper flipper stronger, you will hurt your ability to make the loop repeatedly.
Don't go for the sucker shot
Quoted from navajas:I'm concerned that my left flipper is a little weak. I'm not a pro, but I'm not a rank novice, and there are shots I would definitely expect to score that die almost up, before coming back down to drain (if I'm already on tilt warnings). And I'm not crazy right, that thing is fading in power as I play it? New rubbers? Weak coils?
Would different balls help?
Does it come cleaned and waxed? Do I need to do that already?
It's totally possible there's an existing FAQ or thread covering this shit already. If so, feel free to just point me to it.
Get a simple analog inclinometer - https://www.homedepot.com/p/Empire-Polycast-Magnetic-Protractor-36/100165800?MERCH=REC-_-searchViewed-_-NA-_-100165800-_-N and you'll never worry about those inconsistently mounted bubble levels
Use anywhere from 6.5 to 6.9 or so incline on your game to your tastes.
The right ramp is a simple shot - shots from the left flipper should go around that shot with authority easily. shots from the upper flipper to the ramp are more likely to drain then make the ramp.
Game is not waxed from factory - but this wouldn't impact your ability to make shots. That's just nice preventative care to do.
You don't need to worry about rubbers or balls - It's going to be playfield pitch, and your mechanical flipper action. The one thing to look for with new Sterns is make sure the coil stop hasn't failed - that will always lead to weak flippers. The pressed back of the coil stop should be solid, and not rotate or move at all in the coil stop bracket. If you can press on it and it moves, or it rotates. It's junk and needs to be replaced.
Quoted from Kenswift:Found this tiny screw in front of the scoop. (Premium) any ideas where it is from? [quoted image]
check the rubber bumpers under the building... those are small hex machine bolts holding the plate that secures the rubber.
Quoted from BallyKISS1978:Getting node board 8 over charge error. Checked connectors and all are ok. Also trying to update the game with usb stick and doesn’t detect it when I start the game. Going to download the game code again or just create an image file and see if that works.
[quoted image][quoted image]
Well its telling you over current
Look for something shorted on the devices driven from that board
Quoted from BallyKISS1978:It’s on CN15 Chuck. Pulled connector from the board and error gone. It’s node board 8 in test mode.
65080DC6-59CB-4070-ABD0-37FFDB8D6E8F (resized).jpeg
So look for a smashed led bulb or something shorting a socket or gi wire
Quoted from chuckwurt:I will say I’m not sure how it’s possible to get a left outlane drain from a missed right ramp shot. Maybe it is your setup.
All the time….
On multiple Godzillas. Bad shots to the ramp are no bueno
Weak orbits are deadly too
Quoted from mpdpvdpin:Has anyone tried putting an extra rubber ring on that post to bounce it out of drain trajectory? I might give that a try. Even nudging is futile on mine 80% of the time.
Don’t
Quoted from DakotaMike:A lot of Prem/LE owners have reported the ball hanging up behind the building, which doesn't seem to ever happen on the Pro version
Godzilla pro enters the chat...
bc0da11e2270b9f4465bc818805bf73b1d2b4626 (resized).jpeg
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/stern-godzilla-official-owners-club/page/71#post-6624483
Both the kind of ball flow things you talk about are not unique to either title.
We had a pro and premium operating right next to each other for almost two months. Trust me.
Quoted from WizzardRob:How is changing coil stops making the flippers stronger? I am getting to 400 games, did not notice weak flippers yet
They are referring to the stern coil stops that self-destruct. When the stop works its way loose, your first symptom will be weak flippers.
Quoted from EaglePin:Lol, Pinside when a game doesn't have much licensed video in it: "They should have licensed a bunch of video and put it in the game. The game needs more video."
Pinside when a game has a bunch of great licensed video in it: "They need to let us skip the video. It's too much."
have you played it? The game commonly gets 3++ tasks built up and it sits and walks through each of them as it plays them out while holding on the magnet. The tension build of the release is really ruined when you gotta take a coffee break before you actually get to the countdown while it plays out pointless clips like battle ready...
If your mechzilla goes Alien mode.. don't wait. Get to the screw before the mech comes apart.
image_from_ios (1) (resized).jpg
Here's the setup.. the pan head screw holding the magnet can work free.
Image from iOS (4) (resized).jpg
It's kind of a PITA because that spring washer doesn't fit through the plastic shell easily, so if it escapes the magnet pole.. it's a PITA to get on the magnet, through the hole, and aligned with the coil at once. I had pulled it out, bent it a bit narrower.. and by not aligning it with the coil, I was able to get it halfway through the hole, and force it through with the magnet pole... then get it in the coil.
But note when trying to put the screw back in, you have to lift the coil (it's otherwise not supported) up some to get a nice squared fit for the screw. You can't hold the magnet to keep it from spinning either, but the spring washer is there I think to help get that tension for you. Recommend putting some locktite on the screw when you re-install it.
Probably easier if you took the mech off completely, but I didn't see an easy way to get to the screws holding mechzilla on.
Quoted from j_m_:I really hate to bring this up (and beat a dead horse), but has anyone else noticed what appears to be a really bad prep job on the playfield prior to the ink screening and clear coating on any of stern's current offerings? I can't find a photo of LZ, but all 3 of the last 3 LEs (mandolorian, led zepplin and godzilla) that the arcade where we do most of our playing look to exhibit some really bad planking.
given all of the recent price increases, this seems like stern has really been cutting corners and it's going to lead to playfields wearing a lot sooner than they should.
[quoted image]
[quoted image]
It's a lottery... sometimes you get a glassy one.. sometimes you get a planky one. Been like this for a long time with Stern PFs... the standout memory I have is fresh Iron Maidens... and it seems like 30-50% of the time you see this.
Two godzillas here.. and one is certainly worse than the other.
"within tolerances"
I haven't heard of anyone getting restitution for visual planking. I've not seen any fail from it either, just visual.
Quoted from Kevlar:You're right, it does scan even though not lit up. I just tried re-seating the rj45 but no difference. While I can here it scanning it isn't logging me in despite everything looking fine in network settings. Any ideas?
Usually people forget to complete the game registration in the website. After scanning your qr code to add the game, you must find the game in the insider webpage and complete the registration.
The game doesn’t give good feedback that its in this half finished state.
Quoted from Palmer:I haven't had a chance to look but when I relayed my experience with Pablo from Stern, he said to reseat the ribbon cable. I thought it was only a R45 that connected to it. Did you see any ribbon cable?
RJ45 feeds the node board assembly. There are ribbon cables between the node board PCB and the QR reader components themselves. Basically cables within the larger assembly itself.
Quoted from PinMonk:I'm assuming space is the issue. I was talking about this with someone else and we were speculating that the change might be because of insider connected. They need to reserve probably 4 gigs on the card now to download the update to a partition, then install from that partition to the live partition. That's a new requirement on the card space.
They already put in another M-SD card for this likely that reason of needing an isolated filesystem for their online related tasks.
Quoted from SimplePin:What is this black residue I keep hearing people complain about from Stern rubbers? Isn't this just the normal coil dust that affects all machines? I have not owned a new Stern yet (JP Prem, GZ Prem arriving in the next runs). Is there something about Stern stock rubbers that I'm not aware of? All three of my W/B machines have black residue (coil dust) that builds up fairly quickly and I run super bands on all of my machines. Just curious.
The tldr - black rubber tends to create more filth in the game than white or silicone
This is in addition to the usual coil dust that gets dragged around
Quoted from El_Patron:When you say "Titans" are you referring to rubbers from Titan Pinball? I would like to replace the rubbers and see if I can reduce the black residue on the playfield. Their black ones do not produce black residue or did you change color?
Color doesn’t matter. The silicone bands don’t shed like the rubber ones do.
Quoted from GroggyFrogFace:I am having issues with a roll-over gate, specifically #34, aka "Mecha Exit Bottom". As of a few days ago, I've had a number of instances where the ball will just stop and not roll-over the gate. You have to nudge the side of the machine to get it loose (and hard enough that it inevitably tilts). Nothing impeding under the playfield or on top (or so it seems), doesn't look bent or misaligned, and a switch test comes back ok. It's not with every ball, but enough to be irritating.
Any ideas?[quoted image]
Bend the wire loop downward so the ball can climb it easier. Just adjust so the switch still clicks with ball movement (not your finger) and you don't get hangups.
Quoted from chuckwurt:Yeah, right now I don’t see any reason to try for consecutive loops outside of getting the loop champ.
Spot ally is nice
Quoted from chuckwurt:Did not know this. Consecutive loops or just after a certain number of loops?
5 consecutive loops lights ally
Quoted from greenhorn1:I've played about 5 different GZ's and the loop feed seems different on each of them. On 1, it's very consistent and I think i've gotten 11 consecutive but most of them have the problem where the ball tends to not hug the wall after 2-3 loops and makes it very difficult to keep going. Could also possibly be setup related and not necessarily game construction.
flipper power and slope make a big difference. People originally were cranking the Flipper power (vs turning it down) and when the ball moves too fast it tends to push out from the rail more. Also why often it gets harder the quicker the shots.
Quoted from rue_:Anyone experience the game randomly reset? I was checking on the game today and cleaning it (it’s on route) and I played about 3 games when I noticed the screen that shows the map of Tokyo or whatever had a black shadow covering the middle of the screen. I thought maybe it was part of the new code I uploaded last week and kept playing. Couple of seconds later it reset and showed the Godzilla screen when you first power it up then the version of the game, etc. played maybe 6-7 games after no problem. Should I call Stern?
for a single reset? No - send them a bug report email if you want... but don't waste time over isolated incidents. if it starts happening regularly.. then maybe.
Another thing stern should be doing themselves via Insider Connected...
Quoted from VirtualMayhem:Godzilla is here! Unboxed over the weekend and now just starting to set it up.
For Stern connected I have it connected to WiFi and the connection tests work. When I go to check for updates it is telling me .80 firmware is current. Do I need to update the firmware manually the first time or am I missing something here?
When going into Stern connected menu in settings It kept saying close coin door interlock which interferes with selecting options on that screen. Manually pressing the white button on the inside cleared that message so I could select them. This wasn’t a problem selecting options in other settings sub menus just the connected menu.
[quoted image]
your game registration isn't complete. After you scanned the QR code to link the game, you must goto the insider webpage and confirm the game and assign it to your location. Game will say connected, but it won't let the features work until the registration steps are complete in the web.
Quoted from jonahk:Been doing some digging and I see I’m not the only one with the game losing track of the ball lock at the top of the building.
This game is on route and has a very high play count. That being said, it’s been pretty much flawless until we installed the .90 code on January 28th. On the 29th I got a text from one of our regulars that the ball was making it to the top of the building but not registering, and the game would have to go into ball search. Sometimes it would drop the ball and sometimes it would not (just giving the player another ball). I came in later that day and the TX opto at the top of the building ramp was dead. No biggie, swapped the opto and everything seemed fine.
Fast forward to last Saturday, same issue comes up from another player. I have them cycle the game, balls still don’t register. As I’m getting ready to leave and come check it out, I get a message from another player that now it’s working just fine. Cool. Game ran for about 8 days with no problems whatsoever. Maybe its just a fluke.
Owner comes by the next day, runs switch tests reseats connectors plays games can NOT get it to reproduce the issue.
This evening, I get another message from a different player (btw, as a tech don’t ever join a discord with all of the players hah) where the same thing is happening and but this time with more detail. It seems like the game is losing track of balls because the player also got a double ball launch on his 2nd ball of the game and the turn ended when one of his balls drained.
He finally got the 3rd ball to lock (5 shots total), but it only gave him two balls for the multi ball and it ended as soon as the 2nd ball drained.
It’s almost like the game never found the ball that originally went up the VUK to the building and couldn’t recover from that.
Other players before him tonight had 3 player games with multiple GZ multi balls including the shadow locks, so I can’t find a consistent pattern that would blame code but when all the hardware checks out I’m running out of ideas.
Tl;dr - recurring Drake hotel ball lock issues on GZLE since the .90 code was installed. Ball search required to release unregistered ball. Other balls in the same game will register but game loses track of active balls and only does 2 ball multi balls. Opto switch is fine.
Full code reinstall maybe?
Sorry our premium has shown nothing like this. Check ball count and the switches/optos for trough and building. Sounds like ball tracking issues
Quoted from NightTrain:Exactly. It changes a lot of ways that you would normally play. I love Keith’s layouts, but the flipper alignment is one thing I wish he didn’t do. I wish he’d design the playfield to be shot with standard flipper alignment.
I'll take better and more interesting playfields over improving your ball trap success.
Quoted from mpdpvdpin:I prefer to shoot for an extra ball not just have it awarded
It's awarded for making the shot needed - instead of qualifying and then collecting. It's a nit pick I can do without. Don't waste a controlled lamp on this when people 'earn' the award just the same.
Quoted from MikeS:2. The whole building area just shoots cleaner on the Pro. The ball is rolling over the actual playfield vs. a layer of metal that moves. On the Prem it is more common to have the Wallop shot exit SDTM. I have also had issues with the building rejecting shots because it wasn't perfectly level or because the building was moving when you hit the shot. The Pro never rejects and never has issues with SDTM drains from Wallop.
3. I like not having to wait for balls to lock for MB and having to plunge a new ball. The Pro skips the virtual locks and goes straight into multi-ball. It's also frustrating on the Premium to have the balls all release SDTM. Yes there are mods to fix this but on the Pro you don't have to worry about it.
I do miss the moving bridge on the Premium but I know it can also cause damage to the plastic below it. The Premium I play on route has a busted plastic. On this Premium the MechaGodzilla figure also has the magnet protruding a good half inch out of its belly button. I'm not sure what the deal with that is.
Mechzilla is just a screw that came out. Covered in these threads before. They need to fix
The pro will sdtm on backwards building shots too.
The lock release takes a simple rubber nub to fix.
Godzilla is one of the best pros you can buy… along with TWD and Metallica… but the premium is still worth it on Godzilla imo. The only real flaw imo is the bridge issue which will get resolved.
Quoted from Budman:Have any of you installed Brite Button flipper buttons? Do you like them?
PBL's flipper button kits are very nicely done. No hesitation recommending them.
Quoted from MikeS:I must be lucky then. I've got over 450 plays on my Pro and played another 25 or so on location and I have never gotten a SDTM drain on Wallop shots exiting through the building. I've had them occur on weak shots that didn't make it around, but those were on me.
The problem occurs quite regularly on both the Premium and LE I've played on location. Maybe it's just a combination of coincidence and luck?
Just some examples and setups are more prone. We have a day 1 pro, and play on 2 other pros, an LE, and a premium.. all of them would do it at various times. It's not really something I would call out as a model difference.
Quoted from MikeS:I was fortunate that this location had both games side by side.
Yes, I know the feeling We operated a pro and a premium together for about a month before we moved the pro off to another location.
Quoted from MikeS:I played a Premium Thursday night after not playing one in a month and a half (basically since I got my Pro) and playing it again after knowing the intricacies of playing my Pro for 450+ games that the subtleties of the shot feel and geometry became even more apparent. The Pro just shoots smoother and the geometry just feels tighter and more precise. It's hard to explain and you really need to spend extended time on both models to feel the difference for yourself. If I actually liked the Premium better I would have one on order to upgrade to later which it seems that a lot of people do.
That can also just be a matter of different examples. I feel very much the same way about our AIQ pro vs our premium. The Pro I can dial in on a lot more than the premium.. but it's the exact same shots. Just some examples differ enough. All of the Godzillas on location around me play differently.. with one more noticeably annoying than the others. It's just part of pinball.
This is one of the great things about the resurgence in pinball... no longer do we struggle to find just one example of a game. Even though we route all the latest Stern titles.. multiple operators around us do as well so there tends to be many examples to compare with.
Quoted from bigd1979:Sounds like maybe the game needs raised up some if there is a issue? Mine is around 7 and haven't had anything stuck and good feeds from that area 95 percent of the time. But I suppose putting one those neat switches in cldnt hurt . Was just wondering as I haven't had or seen any issues on pins I've played
The switch is stiff enough it can cause hangups when fully up. I’ve had to bend the switch on a fee examples to keep it from happening. Just making the blade not as tall above the playfield is all it takes (pulling the hoop down)
Quoted from Mattyk:Why wouldn’t stern or JJP just purchase the same items that are available to us?
Why would a manufacturer want to buy retail.. or even wholesale.. if they didn't have to? They want to pay the least markup possible and control their own destiny. They have buyers to manage those relationships... and buy in manufacturing level quantities. You and I don't.
A business like Stern will often buy from an established market retailer when they are fresh to a space... but eventually want to cut that middleman out and generally will. (See socketed LEDs, etc)
Re-rubbered our premium because the stock game was just getting SO FILTHY so quick. I'm not kidding... this was about one week of play.. ball trails would appear in a day.
So redid the game with Titans.. and of course found errors in the manual as typical.
Interesting difference between Prem and Pro. Both have a starpost behind the city scoop plastic.. on the Pro they rubbered it, on Prem they skipped the rubber. They also call for different sizes on the same starpost for some reason in the pro.. calling for 7/16 ID on a starpost! Nah... besides, no point in changing the rubber on the ball trap posts unless you are doing it for artistic reasons. They also call for 3/8" ID on the star posts, were 5/16" was more common before.
Anyway, some insights I thought I'd share for others who haven't crossed this bridge yet.
1 - like most modern sterns of late, there is very little rubber on this game.. super easy to access all the spots. Only very minor disassembly needed... one plastic on the left, the city scoop plastic, the left habittrail return needs to be freed up and the right spiral habittrail needs to be freed up.
2 - EVERY THREADED POST was loose. This is annoying because of course the post will want to unscrew vs just the nylon nut. SAVE YOURSELF FOR THE FUTURE, tighten every one of these threaded posts when you do your rubber job.. so you don't have loose posts haunting you. The post at the upper flipper tip was close to wobbling.. but that one takes hits.
3 - Check out this re-enforcement they used on the city scoop!
IMG_2021 copy (resized).jpg
Updated the manual drawing - you can also add this list easily in my Titan kits in the db
Godzilla Prem-LE Rubber (resized).png
Prem/LE Kit - https://www.titanpinball.com/kits/index.php/browse/bygame/5762#collapse2053
Godzilla Rubber (resized).png
Pro kit - https://www.titanpinball.com/kits/index.php/browse/bygame/5761#collapse2052
Quoted from gumnut01:Did you find the entrance to the subway ramp on the right was worn? I’m finding now and then a reject from our left ramp is hitting the right of the metal 180 degree ramp. There is no rubber there.
I am sorry - i am not following your description. Which spot?
Quoted from gumnut01:Just curious if you found how badly this was beat up. When a weak left ramp shot is hugging the guide it hits the metal on the right side of the turn pipe.
[quoted image]
Sorry, I had no reason to get into that part of the game, so I don't have any observation about it. There are no rubbers anywhere in that region of the game... none past the upper left flipper area.
Considering that is at the farthest point from the flippers and never takes a head on shot... that design is more a worry for the longevity of the balls than anything else. Maybe get some peaning over time, but protecting the ball would probably be what to worry about. Wedging an old blue bumper rubber as noted is not a bad idea. But looks like the plastic goes over the top of that gap too.. making getting something in there from the backside a bit more of an adventure.
Quoted from gumnut01:Thanks. Would also have to take care it did not affect the loops by adding a bump or friction point. Maybe that was why one was not added.
Sounds like a perfect opportunity for a 3d printed wedge
Quoted from PinMonk:Dunno offhand since I don't have any B/W to compare them to right now. Likely not, but maybe someone can chime in that can direct compare.
They are different.
But hopefully the supply at vendors like Marco and PBL aren't from Stern itself.
Prior ones would basically last forever in a home environment and at least a few flipper rebuild cycles onsite. Now.. they are breaking in a few thousand plays.
At least I was able to swap them out without having to pull the coil, etc.
Quoted from beltking:I never understood why stern doesn’t create the topper the same time as pin so when released it doesn’t take forever to come out. Mando still nothing. They have the rods and stuff designed when game comes out. Really need a topper sooner than later.
67r1xo (resized).jpeg
Quoted from teddyb73:It's not a stupid question. The answer is no.
Old thinking. It totally depends on the state in question and the distributors nexus condition with that state.
More and more states are requiring they collect tax… but the thresholds are not uniform
Quoted from Had:Is it typical/intentional for the cap that sits on top of the bridge/Godzilla magnet to be free to spin?
Thanks in advance
Cap? You mean the screw holding the metal barrel the ball actually hits? No, you need to tighten that screw. (The mech will eventually work its way loose and look like this)
Should just be the metal barrel, screw, and the playfield plastic that sits over the whole area.
Quoted from chuckwurt:So the metal barrel should not move at all? Mine spins too.
I honestly forget if it bottoms out tight. It's obvious when you work on it. Our pro worked its way free after awhile, and eventually just came off entirely. It's trivial.. it's just the screw on top. See if it's snug.
Quoted from j_m_:you can probably use some blue loctite on the screw threads to keep it from vibrating loose. DO NOT use red loctite!
of course - which was done after it failed
Same with the mechzilla magnet in the premium.
But the bridge magnet gets so hot.. red loctite may not so perm either 
Both have held up since re-securing. But loose screws has been a recurring theme in our Godzillas. Like I said before when I redid the rubber on the game, EVERY SINGLE THREADED POST I touched was loose.
Quoted from Magicmike0:Yep. Same here. Every post spins. Had to put some needle nose on the nut to get the screw out so I could replace the post rubbers. I had a small wrench from Titan but wrong size.
Get a set of midget wrenches/ignition wrenches. Basically toy sized box wrenches. . Works great for this application
Quoted from bloodonthepins:Godzilla Premium will be my first NiB pin, and I hadn't thought about the rubber at all. How does the black rubber dirty the playfield? Through contact with the balls?
There's a few user-made kits on Titan's website for Godzilla Premium, but they seem more or less identical, save a few color variations. Is any one of those kits considered to be more ideal than the others?
Godzilla gets DIRTY - more so then it's peers (I've posted this before). Certainly nothing you can't manage in a home setting, but it gets filthy.
Godzilla is a brain simple game rubber wise. You can order my kit from titan which is just black but only the ones you actually need - https://www.titanpinball.com/kits/index.php/view/id/2053
Quoted from chuckwurt:Just leave the post sleeves stock. You’ll never need to replace them and they don’t dirty the playfield like the black rubber rings do.
There are only three rings in the entire game.. and two of them are the slingshots
The rest are post rings or post sleeves- tgere is verrry little rubber in tge game. Yet it gets filthy
Quoted from chuckwurt:That’s a good thing. These don’t get nearly as dirty as their predecessors.
Godzilla does. I still can’t explain it. It gets dirtier than all my other sterns lined up next to it.
Even after swapping all the rubber it still gets quite dirty… just at about 1/4 the speed now
Quoted from Frax:Stupid question...is Stern still not including the good rails on Premiums and still putting pegs on there?
Guardians was the last pro to use pegs
Thank you keith elwin
Quoted from MUGEN_4_LIFE:The coilstops that stern use are coil
This just happened to mine but the damn magnet core fell outta the belly! So this means the screw and washer are who knows where! Gotta get in there and find em tonight.
Common parts, so not a huge deal. But good news is you know they in there… so just shakem out if you need to
Quoted from SimplePin:Off topic. Just curious how you handle the rivets when you rebuild stand ups. I've been pushing this off until I figure out a viable solution that isn't an industrial press.
Thanks
Find the 3rd hand c clamp riveter. Cheapest reliable solution. Now redesigned- http://www.arbortime.com/
The real tool is 300 and still doesn’t fit all scenarios. The c clamp one will deal with most situations
Quoted from beltking:Hot wheels topper is horrible. Should be that orange track with a car or something.
Free topper on the games that pretty much are the cheapest available today... maybe an expectation reset? All the AP games have had simple acrylic toppers included. These aren't the $500+ toppers Stern or 3rd parties are trying to get away with.
Quoted from KJL:Good to know. I was told not to remove the head to transport a NIB AC/DC and just believed it. But that was 2012
Also, a SAM era game is a hellva lot harder to separate than a spike 2 game Have done it for moving games and thought 'this will way be way easier than WPC...'.. PITA
Quoted from Hayfarmer:Hey, easy bud. Wasn't implying anything, just saying it doesn't really serve a purpose
It does - you just happen to accept the consequences of it being removed. It's there to prevent ball traps. In home, you may accept that... as a route guy that means $$ out of our pocket.
Quoted from blueberryjohnson:I tried pressing the bar up to try to narrow the gap without success. Perhaps I'd be able to bend it that way if I disassembled the stuff around it. But I still think the comparative lack of tension/springiness in the bar would remain.
You don't need tension in the switch actuator to the spinner - you just need it to cleanly trip and release for each cycle of the spinner. Your engagement point of the switch may simply be too far away due to the position of the switch blade vs the spinner. This can be adjusted sometimes by the switch position itself or by bending the actuator arm.
Just test manualy in switch test, does the switch trigger as you cycle the spinner slowly and consistently? It should cleanly trip and clear. Then try doing it fast and see if you get inregular results or not.
This like every other microswitch in pinball you want to cleanly and consistently have the blade be able to trip the microswitch but not bind.
First step, check that your spinner cleanly rotates when spun by hand.. first check is always 'check for something physical'
Then check the switch is registering accurately in switch test. If not, manually actuate switch and ensure the switch registers and clears consistently. if it does, then work on the switch position or actuator blade to get it to engage the switch consistently.
Quoted from blueberryjohnson:Thanks. I agree it is something physical. And I can tell it's not spinning like it's supposed to compared to the other two. So I'm glad to have this and various recommendations of how to assess where the problem is.
It won't physically spin freely when you spin it with your finger? Check for contact with the frame holding the spinner, and make sure the spinner is sitting there square in the bracket. You should be able to just flick it with your finger and have it spin several seconds. If not, you have an issue with something rubbing due to position or not being squared up.
Anyone having problems with the building vuk not registering after the latest update?
Ours is very intermittently not registering the ball in the vuk so waits till ball search and game gets kinda funky afterwards.
You can feed it manually 20 times in a row during switch test without issue - but still every few games in real play it fails after making the lock shot through the building and relies on the ball search.
Behavior is new this week. Nothing looks odd about the optos and tests fine during switch test.
Quoted from Nokoro:Next time it happens, try gently shaking the machine forward and back. That works for me.
Quoted from scootss:On the pinball show, they mentioned that Keith said this is fixed by putting a small bit of business card / fish paper / etc to bridge the gap where the subway connects to the vuk.
Interesting- but i am not sure this is it. The ball is sitting in the vuk because it makes the jump the first time the vuk fires. And ghis game has been fine for like 9months prior.
Unfortunately it is very difficult to see what is happening as it clears quickly and its all under the pf with no way to see anything top side.
And that subway is attached backside. Yuk… is the subway easily removed/opened?
Something to watch out for…
Seems the wiring to the right scoop switch can be kinda tight. The scoop worked its way a little loose and the blades broke right off the switch.
I know these microswitch terminals like to break off these days, but i think the things above triggered it.
When replacing the switch I rerouted the wires a bit to create more slack. Just made the branch come out of the loom a liitle sooner and come out the side rather than under and around.
Tightening the scoop was just the two screws behind it. Just take off the one plastic above to access
Quoted from AMartin56:Just did my part supporting pinball on location. Even played a game of Godzilla. But I felt terrible for this machine. The balls were BLACK. We need to get a crew together to rescue it....[quoted image][quoted image]
that PF is actually pretty clean.
Godzilla is a game that gets dark ball trails in just days on location..
So conspiracy theory time....
Is it
A) Stern is outsourcing accessory work to a team that his horrible and that explains the extremely long delays and pathetic designs
or
B) Stern's own teams are sabotaging accessories in a form of protest to sink the ridiculous pricing strategy leadership is pushing...
I just can't get my head around how the team that comes up with these great designs are so bad with the toppers. I mean, it's so disconnected I can't see how they can be coming from the same people.
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West Des Moines, IA