What's the feeling about the topper? I haven't been impressed with a Stern topper yet.

Alternative and fun option - there are some Star War Lego Collector sets that would be pretty cool if you have the headroom. I'm building Slave 1 with my daughter right now. It's not going on top, but it will go near it. It's a really cool set, and has been really fun to build. Price is 200.

https://shop.lego.com/en-US/product/Slave-I-75060?CMP=KAC-SAHCSEU8&HQS=75060&ef_id=Cj0KCQiAmuHhBRD0ARIsAFWyPwiXsy9Z-mfWLYgtJcjY6FNEVAj0HxtsUwI1pesGglTKQjspkHPrP5IaAjBmEALw_wcB%3AG%3As&s_kwcid=AL%21790%213%21284196092125%21%21%21g%21304920915248%21&cmp=KAC-INI-GOOGUS-GO-US-EN-SP-BUY-SHOP-LEGO_General-BP-SP-RN-Catch_All_Brand

Just a thought.

Stern toppers are just to expensive for what you get (and I am not a cheap person) plus I agree with others, stern should have a specialized topper division, and if they turned out toppers that resemble AFMr and MBr then I could see the value in a 500.00 topper.

If they still made it (and I'm kicking myself still for not buying it), the Super Star Destroyer would have made a cool topper. Either that, or the Millennium Falcon (the UCS one... not the regular kit). We have the UCS R2-D2 on a shelf above our SWLE and it looks pretty cool. Whatever Stern ends up putting out, it's not worth 500 or so bucks.

Installed the powdered leg bolts on my LE today. Small but meaningfull touch-up.

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Whoa I feel for you man...
I made it my first mission to accomplish when I bought the machine.
Took me around a week or so to do it..

Its just knowing how to get to it and choosing the right time to trigger Tie fighter multi ball.

Its actually not that hard to accomplish it!

I’ve gotten so close...like 2000 times.

Does someone sell these or were those customer made? Normally I don't really care about leg bolt color as long as the threads are still good, but those look fantastic!

I had them made at a powdercoater in my home town. It's a glossy finish RAL 9016.

Can you explain the strategy please (or a link, since this thread is now 127 pages)? Thank you

-Choose Han Solo
-Hit enough tie fighters to start the first hurry up and kill as many as possible
-Finish the Endor mission
-start Battle over Endor
-hit FORCE targets until the center button flashes orange.
-if you drain a ball hold the center button to activate add-a-ball. Continue Battle over Endor
-if you hit enough tie fighters to start the hurry up, mash the center button and tie fighter multiball will start. Continue Battle over Endor
-Blow up the Death Star

Thanks. I'll give it a shot

We've had SW's Premium in for several weeks now & it's fantastic! Anyhow, why does mystery always award the same "tie fighter" accomplish when initially triggering a mystery award? Is there a setting adjustment to activate the mystery hole as random?

Pretty much!

It's also achievable with R2D2 same technique.

Hmmm...is it in tournament mode?

The machine is set on Competition Mode & Player Competition. Would turning the mentioned off create a random award in the mystery hole? I haven't gone through the adjustments since acquiring SW's, but will need to do so soon.

Turn Competition mode off. That makes the playing field more even, player to player, so less random.

Will do & hopefully this will solve the linear mystery awards. Although everything's fantastic w/ the exception of this minor repetition.

All mystery awards are exactly the same for each player in competition mode. They are set this way so that all players get the same awards in the same order. By default it is random.

Now Stern is trolling!

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Hi guys, new to the club with a Star Wars Pro.
What’s considered a « good score » ?

Thanks, have fun.

That is all relative. I would say for someone who knows how to play pinball with average skill, 1B is a score they should hit pretty consistently.

I agree 1B is a score you should be seeing pretty often. However, you need to know the strategy of the game to get there. Just randomly hitting blinking lights and starting random modes will rarely get you over 300M.

Most important thing to Learn in SW is what each countdown timer sound means.

So, new code?

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Doubt it. Topper probably finally ready for production.

I think they're just referencing the Blood Moon tonight.

I'm doubting to add this machine to my collection...
The problem is... I haven't watched any star wars movies ever...and I'm not a fan at all...

I semi like star trek, I tried once one of the older star wars movies in the year 2000 and I don't know...wasn't convinced. I'm not even sure I completed the movie back then.

I still love the rules of the multipliers on this title and I amble to blow the game up (5B on 3 balls for example).

Should I be ok if I purchase this title or should I end up having regrets.

I'm doubting between GOT, MET (which I owned before) or this one.

I had a GoT and a SW. Liked the GoT books more than I liked the SW movies. Didn't help the game though, sold GoT. SW movies I've been warming up on (haven't seen them in decades) after playing the game so much, have resolved to rewatch them again some time. Lots of cool things I'd forgotten about

For home use, theme should matter. Not necessarily for following along with the game, but to give it some last ability Nostalgia.

Are you a fan of the GOT show? If so, that’s probably the way to go. Keep in mind, color dmd is an absolute must for GOT - biggest color dmd game changer to date IMO. That said, I have a couple coding issues with both SW and GOT, which I doubt you’d find in MET. However, if you already owned MET, why not try something new and fresh.

As for GOT; if you want flow flow flow > go pro. If you want something harder, a bit longer ball times, and a bit more technical > go PREM/LE.

As for my opinion of SW vs GOT. GOT blows SW away in sound and game display department. And what I mean about display, is ‘game display’. It’s very good at showing you what’s going on in relation to the game (i.e. scoring, multipliers, shot rules, etc...) Sure, SW has a beautiful LCD display but it’s not coded very intuitive and is a bit of a sloppy mess - Like putting makeup on a pig.

As for gameplay and rules. I think SW gets the edge. GOT takes a lot of setup, approx 5-10 minutes of setup. But once it’s all lined up and ready to cash in all that setup, it’s a freakin masterpiece. SW cuts out a lot of that setup time and once you learn the rules, you can cut through progression quite quickly.

Both games have fantastic multiplier rules. GOT is A bit more static in its multipliers (i.e. make combos and build the combo multiplier, hit the ram and build the playfield multiplier, and both those multipliers stack on top of each other and effects just about all the shots). Whereas SW you’re building up one multiplier, and it’s a shot multiplier that is player controlled. What a lot of people don’t understand is you really want to keep the multiplier static in one spot on the playfield (typically left furthest multiplier arrow on Death Star) and then only start really moving it during key moments and when it’s built up to 15x or more. Otherwise, moving it around with the speed of the game isn’t worth the risk. And it’s a blast getting that multiplier up and moving it around to key shots. Risk/reward. (I love playing the Tattoine multiball and trying to toggle the multiplier back and forth from Endor to Hoth for its jackpots). Or leave it be and play out the journey of destroying the Death Star, Jaba the hut, escaping Darth Vader, dueling darth Vader, and eventually defeating the emporor.

You get to play the game as either a journey, a scoring game, or go for both.

In short; GOT wins with sound, display, and actual theme integration. SW wins in art and overall rules. GOT PRO has the best flow, but SW is no slouch and is harder to keep the ball in play as it’s more uncontrollable.

Thank you eskaybee, that's an excellent write up.
I'm fan of the GOT show but my biggest concern is the software on the playfield multiplier at the ram.. it's hard to keep it going at 5x.

I really like the player controlled multiplier on star wars, and think star wars has more code depth (more modes) than GOT.

I sold GOT once I had SW.
For me SW display is much much better with the LCD...but agree with a most everything else eskaybee said.

I'd really like to get some time on a GOT sometime. I don't think you can really go wrong with Star Wars though, it's rules and implementation are so good it really is addicting. This is coming from someone who only played it in a few tournaments and I absolutely hated it.

Taking the time to learn the game changed my mind completely, this game has staying power. Also I'll add this I just played a pro on location that was rode very hard. This game really needs to be set up well to avoid some just straight cheap drains. I've tweaked mine on route quite a bit and actually closed both outlines recently, and that right kick out is very finicky, at home I'd imagine you could dial this into a non issue.

Theme is big with me and helps me relate to a pin and makes them keepers for me. You have had some good games in your line-up in the past and I think you may like Star Wars. If you owned an Avatar-you really can't care too much about theme (:
GOT is awesome, but does not give me the same excitement and rush as when I am playing SW. Metallica is also epic-but if you already owned it-may try something new? If you do consider SW-I do think the Premium/LE is the way to go. The hyperloop and fork really add to the experience. I highly recommend Star Wars and I highly recommend watching the movies(it helps understanding rules and objectives).

What! I still own an Avatar LE... one of the best movies ever. I just love that theme.
James Cameron = gold... James Horner soundtrack, etc...
Actually the rules aren't that bad, next up to Iron man. Just needs a little polish.
You better prepare yourself cause 4 Avatar movies are coming our way, starting in december 2020 and 2021

But I agree on the above. SW gives me a rush in making big multiplied shots. Something GOT gives me less. And as much as I like the GOT show, I think the pro artwork is really bad. Like a nineties photoshop thing.
GOT has the multiplier rule also but it resets a lot quicker so a few bricked shots and your multiplier is partially lost.

On star wars for example, is there software in it that you for example set the multiplier on the left loop or right ramp to boost the hyperspace hurryup value a few times before cashing in (of course multiplier changed to death star shot)? Or does the multiplier doesn't apply to that?

I you are a big Avatar fan you have to make your way to Orlando, Disneys Animal Kingdom's Pandora land, it has a ride that will blow your socks off!

To me, GOT has more satisfying multiplied shots as they are displayed prominently and graphically adequate in the display unlike SW. SW, lots of the times, either will not display scoring for a huge final shot (i.e. final shot of one of the major multiballs) or it won’t display your totals for key modes (i.e Boba Fett or LSD). The only time the display makes good use of scoring display is the hyperspace hurry up which so happens be the #1 priority for having a shot multiplied as it can reach the billions.

GOT is fantastic for its multipliers because you can track what’s happening on the display and it makes sense (unlike SW). Like getting a big combo X shot from a regular mode for half a billion points which is abnormal. Or wailing on the RAM for super jackpots.

GOT prem/LE isn’t very good at keeping multipliers alive because the upper pf can eat up the timers and you’re ruined. But the flow on the pro makes it much easier. As for playfield multipliers via RAM shot; it’s one of the biggest adjustments you have to make when you get the pin. It’s known to be stiff as a board and not register direct shots and this makes the game very frustrating. Once you loosen up the mech and it’s working more freely, it’s a matter of true risk/reward coupled with skill. On SW, the multipliers pretty much build itself; that’s when you have to pay attention to the countdown sound effect To keep it alive. GOT pf multiplier is more like acdc bell but much much more generous with the grace periods of refreshing it.

In essence, GOT feels much more satisfying because it compliments the rules so well and gives the player the payoff on the display. SW may feel better if they were more consistent with the scoring display. There are big moments in SW and a few of the main ones gets ruined by code; more specifically anytime you make the final shot of one of the planet multiballs it will not display your score for the shot nor for the multiball. Additionally, the fan fare of making that final shot is often interrupted because either tie fighter multiball is stacked, a hyperspace hurryup is running, or hyperspace multiball is stacked.

All in all GOT has more satisfying moments when it comes to multipliers for the reasons I stated. But remember, as I said in my previous post, setting up the board on GOT is much longer and takes a little more effort than SW which starts pretty fast paced and never really slows down.

The fantastic double edged sword of having completed, but not polished code

Thank you again Eskaybee, just the insight I needed!

This game had been kicking my ass for almost a year. Finally a break through.... still haven't destroyed the death star though.

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Who is Glen and what have you done with Ninjabones??

A moment of weakness and my alter ego emerged

I think apart from Hyperspace Hurry-Up, Asteroid Field Video Mode and Escape from Boba Fett Mode totals, all other modes or shots in the game can be interrupted before a shot or total is shown on screen by other choreography that has been given a higher priority on the main display. Like you said, if you have things like TIE Fighter/Victory/Hyperspace MB active or even LSD queued, then things can get very busy on the main display and very often the total points per mode and final shot are recorded but not shown.

Disclaimer: Just so there is no confusion for maybe those that are reading but are unfamiliar with the game, there is nothing wrong with the main score display in the game, everything gets recorded accurately. This is about temporally showing the player what total score the player earned during some modes and how some modes like TF MB when stacked can interrupt the display of that score.

Here's a pic showing that all the mode totals can in normal circumstances be shown in game:
SWTotal (resized).jpg
(I couldn't get a decent pic of video mode from that angle)

This is what I've concluded:

Hyperspace Hurry-Up: Total is displayed.

Lightsaber Duel: Total is usually displayed. I've recorded a few of my games and sometimes it doesn't appear.

Asteroid Field Video Mode: Total and breakdown of points are displayed.

Escape from Boba Fett: All shots and total are displayed.

Planet mini-wizard modes: All shots but the last are shown and a total for that mode is displayed but very often can get hidden/interrupted when stacked with things like TF MB.

Regular missions: Total is usually displayed, unless LSD is queued, then the LSD graphics take priority upon mission completion. TF MB can also hide the score being shown.

TIE Fighter MB: Total is usually displayed; I think LSD queued can interrupt it.

Hyperspace MB: Total is usually displayed; I think LSD queued can interrupt it.

I have had a SW:LE since its release, and this is STILL me... I have been watching the Dead Flip vids, but I still royally suck at this game. LOL

I just cant seem to want to sell it though. Its beautiful to look at...

Do you guys have it on 5 ball? If not change your settings to five ball, I have never been able to blow up Death Star on three ball.

Thanks for clearing that up.

Still, when you make the final shot destroying the Death Star, escaping Hoth, or blowing up Jaba’s palace; the score for that shot is not displayed and the fanfare SW theme music (and sometimes Lando’s Call out) is easily interrupted by tie fighter mb, hyperspace mb, or hyperspace hurryup. Those are 2 big climax points of the games, both in scoring and with the fanfare choreography that often gets dismissed or interrupted. It really takes the rush and achievement away.

Also, scoring shots when displayed are in small red fonts, not easy to see. Whereas GOT shows all shot scoring so prominently, And that is a dmd with much less real estate.

Perhaps I am nitpicking, but those 2 priorities for clearing planet multiballs, I find to be code polishing issues. Dwight said this has been his most proudly coded game, so hopefully there’s a chance he comes back to polish it.

I keep it on 5 ball as well because I always lose 1 or 2 balls on cheap ball launch drains. My only real issue with this game is the launch off the targets and straight down the outlane and there is nothing you can do.

This game is full of risk-reward shots. I have learned to try and slow this game down-it is lightning fast. Like Yoda keeps saying-Control, Control, you must learn Control. Slow it down-cradle a lot and concentrate on shots-especially fork-which can be frustrating.

It's not control that is the issue. You can't control an auto launch directly into the left outlane. SW is the most frustrating game I own. But when I do have a good game, it does feel great.

You can.

...by adjusting your shooter lane guide