Lol I’ve been thinking the bottom doesn’t seem to mesh with the top. The R2 part looks great. But WTF is up with the rest?

Stern is also smart, having the pro version (I know stripped down) but we can almost buy 2 pins for the price of one ultra pin from JJP or MM remake.

I’ve looked at some nice tutorials and just trying to understand how you lock/unlock the multiplier X

Best I can figure the X X X are red unlocked and you can move them with the flippers right/left and then lock again with the action button?

The first ball launch with character selection requires only using the right flipper to pick your path, the x's are also moving so you can scroll through the path's repeatedly with the right flipper to start the x's in the exact position you want them before the first launch

When the ball is in play, you can press the action button at any time and move the flippers to reposition the X's then lock again with the action button

In addition, you can do this during the Mystery R2 Selection, and also before relaunching a ball after a drain, select the character path bonus with the right, and re position the x's with the left, then wherever you launch the ball, the x's will auto turn green from their red unlocked state

Ok thanks. I don’t know what the mystery R2 selection is.

If I’m a big novice and don’t want to be fiddling to switch to the next super jackpot what is the better shots to leave the shots on in general? Also when you lose a X does that just subtract one for the right or left most shot?

Yup, that is exactly it. Button switches between unlocked (red) and locked (green). When red you can move with flippers, but the multiplier is not counted. Green locks it in to not move and to multiply. When in doubt or not feeling like messing with them, park them in the LL,LR,RL area. Also the spread will shrink down to only one shot as the multiplier increases above a certain level (R2 ability helps this).

Increase and maintain multiplier level at the standup bank. Any of the three targets will do. You will hear an urgent sound when they are about to expire. R2 again helps here by giving you more time between target hit requirements.

That's all that's to it...not nearly as hard as most people make it out to be...it's just an unfamiliar mechanic. Enjoy!

I believe he means you can safely reposition your multipliers while Mystery is being collected at the Tattooine shot.

Just park them on the Death Star (LL), Endor (LR), Hoth (RL) shots if you do not want to mess with them. As multiplier increases to where you only have one multiplied shot, I usually park it on the Death Star as that is usually a money shot. Depends what you are doing though.

Not sure what you mean by lose a X. If you mean when the window narrows as you increase multiplier level, then yes...I believe you lose them from right to left. If you mean when they expire because you went too long without hitting the target bank, then it drops from wherever you were (max 40x) all the way back to 2x. It's a really clever mechanic. Love Dwight's work!

Thanks. I’m now reading the rules and will play the games in the wild next week (pro and premium) debating which one to get or neither. Currently I’ve played them both but no knowledge of the rules and was more frustrating than fun.

Just on theory sounds like the pro plays better (smoother shot to Death Star) but the premium has much better toy factor. Reminds me of Metallica or TWD in both regards.

If you’re first learning the game; then ball trap up, move the multipliers to the big 3 (Death Star / left ramp / Hoth) and leave then there rest of the game.

Pro v prem. You’re pretty much spot on, pro plays smoother, but the premium ‘feels’ better due to Death Star + metal ramps. However, Premium also plays harder with even more cheap drains than the pro which is either a pro or con on an already brutal and cheap drain layout.

I will say, once you gain ball control and dial in your shots, the game feels damn good no matter which version.

For a long time, I went back and forth about moving the outlane posts (to be a purist) but I just feel in the normal position, there were just way too many cheap drains with the Playfield at 6.5 deg., which is perfect for all the ramps and shots on my game, but just made the drains ridiculous. Finally moved the posts to the smallest outlane opening for overall family enjoyment and haven't looked back. Still very brutal, but less straight shots to the outlanes which at least gives a fighting chance without having to nudge the hell out of the machine. I rationalized it with the Deathstar being a harder shot, and the Extra post on the Pro.

I understand some people wanting to be purists, but in my opinion, there is nothing wrong with adjusting a machine to maximize your enjoyment of it, especially if within the parameters the designer gave you to work with. I wouldn't fault anyone moving the posts to the "easiest" position, any more than I would fault someone for moving them to the "hardest" position if they wanted more of a challenge. Steve f'ing Ritchie gave you those options for a reason...and with an item this expensive, you deserve to get maximum enjoyment out of it. Now if you were drilling extra holes or stuffing socks in your outlanes...that might not be as cool, but on the other hand it's your machine! Simply moving the posts though...that's a designed in option. I wouldn't never adjust my car's seat just because it came in one position.

I wonder if all the purists who frown upon moving posts also have their machines set at exactly 6.5 degrees? That's what they were designed for, so anything outside of that is not "factory". To me that's pretty much the same thing.

Life is short, pins are expensive...do what makes you happy!

My left post is all the way in. I have the right one in the the middle since it has the escape on it. Seems pretty fair.

Agree 100%. When we got our first machine about 22 years ago (DE SW), my boys were 3 & 6 years old. I set the game up on 5 ball. When we all played, I let my first two drain to make it more "fair." Now with two more machines in the house, including our SW Prem, I still leave them all on 5 ball. Yeah, I'll never win a tournament, but then again, I would probably never enter one. We just have fun!

Steve Ritchie actually told me at a convention that I should have the left post all the way in on my SW. He's a super-nice guy.

Nothing wrong with bringing the posts in, especially on SW!

When I have non pinball guests over, I’ll also set tie fighter multiball at a low # like 15 hits so they can get that multiball. It’s a great experience but impossible to achieve when you don’t know what you’re doing and this way they don’t have to worry about mashing the button.

The purist are probably going to have a fit, but putting in this Williams post has made the difference between a frustrating game and a dream machine. Let’s face it, the left lane drain is not good at all, even with the post all the way in, it still is unfair drain crazy. The post in the photo shows 2 of the screw holes being used. This Williams post creates similar geometry to the one added in the pro version. Don’t worry, the ball will still drain, but now it is a great deal more fun and fair. Family loves this one adjustment and now have a great time with an otherwise frustrating experience, unless your nudging skills are pro player level.

It is completely reversible without any changes to PF. It is a genius design done by a friend of mine. SWpre/LE is now so much more fun, can’t even begin to say how much more enjoyable it has become. The post floats above the PF. I think he could be talked into making more if anyone is interested. After installing that one post, the game has become family and friends favorite. Prior to that, no one hardly played it.
D0E1CB71-B4C0-4D32-B624-F03CFDCE600B (resized).jpeg

I still don't exactly understand why the pro version has a post below the drops and the premium version doesn't. I know it was a design decision, but why? I think the playfield plays the same in this area regardless of version, right?

With this post, my left drain is normal. It's still a pretty tough drain, but not at all unfair like it sounds like the premium version is.

SWPRO (resized).jpg

When the pro was first designed, the FORCE targets were stand up targets instead of drops. The posts are necessary with stand ups to prevent balls getting stuck. At some point in the game design, the pro got drop targets. They didn’t delete the posts and you have what you have today. That’s why the premium should have the left outlane post all the way down by default.

Interesting. I already had a star post there instead of the standard post, but it fits kind of tight. I could pretty easily 3D print something that would look good there using the two hole technique your buddy thought up.

Anyone heard if the comic versions are shipping yet?

In my case I have setup my pro to outlane posts in up position. I understand the premium being harder withouth the post at the drop targerts.
But I'm good at drop catching so whenever I have a wild ball, I gain control quite fast. If not and I get some slingshot action, yes then my game too likes to slam the ball in the left outlane.

The Premium ships with a post in the goody bag, if you want to install it.

Had the chance to buy a SW Pro "Movie Edition" because there is a hype for the "Comic Edition", so the price for ME is actualy too low to resist

What i wanted to say: I am in the club

There is no hole in my Premium?

Thanks for posting the experience with this mod. I went ahead and 3D modeled and printed a modified Siamese post to do the same thing as the mod you posted. On mine the post is aligned with the furthest open hole and adds a tab that screws into the lowest adjustment hole. The result is the outlane is still a large opening but the protruding post under the drops seems to cut way down on cheap drains. (I need to get a proper size/color rubber).
20191026_193909 (resized).jpg

Nice! This makes the game a pure joy to play. Without that post, the geometry on the left side of SW is baffling to me and cannot figure out why SR didn’t put this into the game to begin with. I think it is the single reason people rate this stellar game so low. I know I didn’t like it till my friend did the post to fix the geometry error. Now it plays like a wonder machine. With this left lane fixed, it should be ranked in the top five of all time. Certainly lots more game than any of the current old titles listed. I think those games get somewhat of a pass because of the nostalgic factor alone, although all good games.

Been clarified in this thread multiple times.

Finally battled the emperor! What a cool mode! I didnt have much of a clue how it worked, and i lost, but man was it cool! Pretty good score too

20191027_145959 (resized).jpg

Getting quite a few PMs from people interested in the SW left side post. How many additional people might be interested and I’ll ask my friend to make them. I know that post has made my game a keeper and a blast to play without the constant threat of cheap left hand drains, because of an unusually wide open gap on the LE/Pre left side, especially when the force drops are down. Let me know if you want one.

Put it on Shapeways?

Shapeways won’t really work, because 3D printed is not as good as the real post, made with metal. It needs that for stability when the ball hits it. Gathering a list of interested people now and will let everyone know as soon as my friend figures out costs and shipping, etc.

https://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/C-17492C

I saw these posts about the Prem left post/drain issue and I was already thinking the left drains on my Pro were bad. I did a simple reversable little trick I used on my Flash Gordon (which is an outlane vampire) and now my cheap left drains are reduced about 50%. I used one of the smaller rubber rings that comes in the SW rubber kit from Marco and 1) unscrew the left outlane post & take the tiny rubber off, 2) loop the new ring around it and stretch it over to the next post just above it. Unscrew the nut on the plastic above that 2nd post just enough to give you some room to get the new rubber in there. Now instead of half the balls catching in that little pocket and dropping strait down the left drain, they get slung right back out into play.
SWProLeftPostRing (resized).jpg

Why not remove the doughnut ring off the top post so it doesn't end up rolling around the game when it get's knocked off?

Guys, the Premium is designed without that post. Modifying it to your liking is your right as a owner, but its not how it was meant to be. Ask the designer. He's made the point and many other (pitch 6.5 i.e.) multiple times in interviews, on the forum and on facebook. If you can't deal with the frustration of playing the game as it was meant to be you might aswell close the outlanes alltogether and feel great about the inevitable highscores.

Everyone can do what he or she wants with his or her property, but unless you are doing this for your three year old, as a means to motivate him into eventually playing normal difficulty, any custom modification to ease the game that are beyond the design are and will always be cheating. Any score coming from it is a non-achievement.

I disrepect none of you as people, but this whole "how to cheat" post nonsense doesn't make you look all that great - and that doesn't change, just because you are here in numbers.

Aynway we're all here to have fun and share our opinions. This one is mine, sorry.

I felt like it helped hold the rubber ring in place tighter because those skinny ‘spike’ posts don’t have a deep divot where the rubber goes. But yea def don’t have to put it back on and whether it stays on better with or wout it I guess time will tell, either way I never mind a reason to pull the glass and wax the pf while I’m in there(:

Definitely don’t agree because the left lane drain geometry is unreal and not necessary to be in and of itself, cheating us the players. It works fine for location, so people pump in more dollars, but in the home, it is not cheating to improve the geometry on a gimped design. If that were not so, the first pros off the line wouldn’t have had the post there. I know it is said it was there originally because they were stand up targets instead of drop targets. Don’t believe that was the issue and think it was taken out to be a better money earner on location. When asked directly, even SR thinks we should all put the left lane post all the way down in position 3, which by the way is still not much of a difference on the unusually wider gap on the left lane drain.

So SR did design that post originally and then took it out, because it made the game easier when it was installed (not just for 3 year olds, lol). But I’m here to say, it still drains well with plenty of challenge, with the improved post installed. No “cheating” as you call it is involved. What is nonsense is how bad the layout plays with that left lane drain so unusually wide open (no other layout to my knowledge, on any other machine is that wide open). It becomes an even wider open spot, when the drop targets are down. Only expert players can enjoy this machine without that post in and even they have very short ball times. How is it cheating to fix the geometry and balance the game???

The right lane doesn’t have this issue, because there are no bank of drop targets directly above it and it also has the force lane drop down diverter. Is that cheating too? That improved left post gives balance to the machine layout. Now drains are more evenly matched. Don’t know what SR was thinking by removing the post that was originally on the pro. Again imo, it is a must to fix the poor geometry on the unusually and overly high drain rate on the left side. The way the ball shoots out of the reduced shooter lane and into the 3 bank target and deflects and drains straight to the wide open left lane, even baffles the best nudgers in pinball. That poor left lane design is cheating us players out of fun and the reason this machine is sold by numerous people after owning it a while. Becomes too frustrating to play it that way. To correct and balance the left lane with the right lane: simply is not cheating as you call it. Makes the machine fun and enjoyable. Anyone can check in diagnostics to see how unbalanced the drains are on the left side versus the right side. After that improved post is installed, left and right drains become more balanced. SW then becomes one of the top games ever made, by this simple and improved post.

Does anyone have actual outlane audits before and after these mods?

As long as mine is leveled perfectly and the pitch is 6.5, I don’t have many cheap left drains. I’ve also learned where to hit the triple target bank so it minimizes the risk of a left drain.

This. A big part of skill on any machine is learning how to minimize the high risk shots that send your ball out of control if you miss, or make a shot that doesn’t return to the flipper, like the 3 bank. Avoid the dangerous shots as much as possible.

Depends on the design. 3D printed is plenty strong if printed with nice thick walls. Easily as good as the cheap plastic posts that come in the game or available at Marcos and others. There are tons of posts on yeggi and thingiverse and I have used them in games with no issues regarding strength.

As for this mod, I'm sure your friend's metal base is the cat's meow. I'm also sure in this spot a proper 3D printed mod will work fine too.

Calling people cheaters is disrespecting them. Oh well. Funny how some people can't comprehend the idea that others might not be as good a player as them and simply want to enjoy the game. Putting a wood screw in the middle of the outlane to prevent all balls from going through would be cheating. Making the game drain at a similar percentage in the left outlane to other modern games is more of a fix than a cheat to me. All of these games have adjustable posts in the outlanes and in this case the adjustment doesn't quite cut it. I suppose people who have to close the outlane to the smallest setting are also cheating? Or people who use 5-balls or don't disable extra balls? What about all the people who make replays and specials award an extra ball? Not everyone is a tournament player and sometimes small changes are needed to enjoy the game.

Personally I like my games set up in the middle post position, with factory settings and 3-balls. In some few cases I have to adjust the posts to the easiest position and/or add an extra ball at a certain point plateau to make the game fun. The two recent games in my collection that fall into this category are Ironman and SW Premium.

People made the same negative comments regarding the extended outlane guides for STTNG. In the end Steve Ritchie himself endorsed the use of them saying his original design was not nearly as fun or fair to use.

Well, modify as you like. It really is your game. Make it fun for you. Purists will be purists...that doesn’t mean they are right. Pinball should be fun, not how someone dictates as correct. IMO

How dare people not pinball "right".....

This is exactly the point I was going to bring up. For all we know Steve would endorse a fair augmentation to this game as well given how cheap the left drain is on the Premiums.

Silly question I’m sure .............

Any news or updates on a Star Wars Topper .?.?.?

Check out the ACNC topper...that’s done right and worth the $300 they are charging. Stern has a lot to live up to.

That topper looks horrible IMO.

Did you watch the video. It’s highly interactive with the game too. Each to their own. Sad that Stern/Disney duffed the SW topper.

Anyone know photoshop? I’d love to see comic art cabinet with premium translight.

Yes I watched the video. The brain with the googly eyes was very amateurish and strange.