Total Nuclear Annihilation
Spooky Pinball, 2017
Total Nuclear Annihilation (CE)
Spooky Pinball, 2022Quoted from TheNoTrashCougar:But I still say officially, do not change your amp settings.
quick suggestion.
Have the factory put a white mark on edge of dial for suggested amp settings.
Thins get moved in transit or when reaching around in the cab. Nice to have it for reminder of best practice on position.
Quoted from TheNoTrashCougar:This could work, but please be careful if you turn the bass up too high on the upper speakers as this can easily overdrive the amplifier if you do not know what you are doing. I posted a while back about how to properly adjust your amp if it gets screwy. But I still say officially, do not change your amp settings.
--Scott
Yea there should be a funny spooky warning sticker on the amp too 
that sub level adjustment knob is either off or T.N.A..!
Quoted from Fytr:On behalf of the staff at the restaurant/bar location where my TNA is at, I'd like to suggest perhaps a configuration to replace the giant bass drops at ball end with a really cool bonus meltdown sequence (still fast, but awesome) that might not be heard throughout the entire building due to the low frequencies.
The ball drops are great but everytime someone loses a ball you can hear it anywhere in the building, which is pretty disruptive in a publc venue that isn't just a barcade.
FAIL
Quoted from iEatHands:Yea there should be a funny spooky warning sticker on the amp too
A Bryan Kelly, Quiet, Beer Napping Sound Level.
Quoted from Aurich:Just turn your game down? You're seriously asking Scott to change something in the game because some customers don't want to hear the bass. Turn the volume down if people don't want to hear it. Work on a headphone jack, whatever, but take a little initiative instead of thinking the game should change to cater to you.
Quoted from cooked71:On behalf of everyone else, maybe your TNA is just at the wrong location.
Quoted from TheBEAVR:Or just put a potentiometer in there, but I'd vote you stop being a sissy.
Quoted from TheNoTrashCougar:Or block the ports in the bottom of the cab...
Quoted from iEatHands:To give you some serious advice, you're just going to have to turn off the sub because that bass drop at the end of the ball kicks ass at any volume level! This is the thin knob on the amp closest to the coin door which controls the sub volume. Then maybe you can adjust a little more bass into the head speakers so it still sounds somewhat OK.. This will stop the booming bass at the end of the ball and scott doesn't need to adjust the game for one person.
Look, I totally get the negative gut reactions to my suggestion, but hear me out a bit.
First, I'm not some lightweight who doesn't like loud games/music. I love loud and proud games. All the games in my personal collection have powered subs on them, even the SS classics. I sound-proofed my basement rec room for the express purpose of playing pinball loudly when the kids were asleep. One of main things I love about TNA is how the sound package sucks you in to the intensity of the experience.
But looking at this from an operator's perspective ONLY:
Stuff that is freaking awesome at home during occasional play is not always a good idea with near continuous play in a public space.
My location is an old 1970's theatre building converted to a large restaurant/bar. There are 10 games in a back room. Volume levels on the games are high because it is a group of local collectors and competitive players putting our own games out there so they are dialed in, clean, and fun to play. The place has sports on during the day/evening, on weekends there are live bands on the stage. So it's not some super quiet place where any reasonable volume would be too loud. The pinballs are loud, league nights are like attending a rock concert. Normally, the pinballs are barely noticeable in the main room, more of a background din off in the distance. And then TNA came to town. 
The fact of the matter is that you can't isolate low frequencies, they travel far and wide. The most noticeable low frequencies in TNA are the bass drops after a ball drains. Even that would be fine except they are going off every 30-50 seconds, all day long (well hopefully). You can hear them anywhere in the building, distinctly.
As much as I like the bass drops when I'm playing, I wouldn't fault anyone for not wanting to be subjected to it continuously all day long. So what to do?
Most operators would lower the game volume low enough so it's not a problem, which will destroy the intensity of the game experience for the players. I'm more of a purist and that doesn't sit right with me at all. Option B is to gut the sub settings/setup so the sound is tinny and thin. Also not doing the game credit. Ultimately both of these options will reduce player enjoyment and end up reducing income on the game, which is clearly bad for the operator and Spooky.
So my suggestion is simply that if an ALTERNATIVE, COMPLETELY OPTIONAL ball-end sequence was available that avoided the low-frequencies, in order to make it more appropriate for continuous play in a public space, the game would be better accepted at more locations and could still be setup to provide the best audio experience to players.
Don't we all want more pinball, and especially TNA, on location? Setup so you can enjoy the sound package?
Scott is a creative genius IMHO, I'm sure he could come up with something truly amazing.
Again, just a suggestion, purely from an operator's perspective.
Anyway, thanks for reading this far. Go ahead, shoot the messenger... 
Quoted from Whysnow:quick suggestion.
Have the factory put a white mark on edge of dial for suggested amp settings.
Thins get moved in transit or when reaching around in the cab. Nice to have it for reminder of best practice on position.
Seems like a good idea, but my game came with the sub levels completely mis-adjusted though. Not sure if they just got bumped or something after the factory set them up. I've got a fair amount of experience dialing in audio equipment so wasn't a big deal for me to tune mine once I figured out the monitor also had volume controls that were important in the process. It's also good to be able to adjust things for your environment, game in a corner, etc.
Quoted from Fytr:Look, I totally get the negative gut reactions to my suggestion, but hear me out a bit.
First, I'm not some lightweight who doesn't like loud games/music. I love loud and proud games. All the games in my personal collection have powered subs on them, even the SS classics. I sound-proofed my basement rec room for the express purpose of playing pinball loudly when the kids were asleep. One of main things I love about TNA is how the sound package sucks you in to the intensity of the experience.
But looking at this from an operator's perspective ONLY:
Stuff that is freaking awesome at home during occasional play is not always a good idea with near continuous play in a public space.
My location is an old 1970's theatre building converted to a large restaurant/bar. There are 10 games in a back room. Volume levels on the games are high because it is a group of local collectors and competitive players putting our own games out there so they are dialed in, clean, and fun to play. The place has sports on during the day/evening, on weekends there are live bands on the stage. So it's not some super quiet place where any reasonable volume would be too loud. The pinballs are loud, league nights are like attending a rock concert. Normally, the pinballs are barely noticeable in the main room, more of a background din off in the distance. And then TNA came to town.
The fact of the matter is that you can't isolate low frequencies, they travel far and wide. The most noticeable low frequencies in TNA are the bass drops after a ball drains. Even that would be fine except they are going off every 30-50 seconds, all day long (well hopefully). You can hear them anywhere in the building, distinctly.
As much as I like the bass drops when I'm playing, I wouldn't fault anyone for not wanting to be subjected to it continuously all day long. So what to do?
Most operators would lower the game volume low enough so it's not a problem, which will destroy the intensity of the game experience for the players. I'm more of a purist and that doesn't sit right with me at all. Option B is to gut the sub settings/setup so the sound is tinny and thin. Also not doing the game credit. Ultimately both of these options will reduce player enjoyment and end up reducing income on the game, which is clearly bad for the operator and Spooky.
So my suggestion is simply that if an ALTERNATIVE, COMPLETELY OPTIONAL ball-end sequence was available that avoided the low-frequencies, in order to make it more appropriate for continuous play in a public space, the game would be better accepted at more locations and could still be setup to provide the best audio experience to players.
Don't we all want more pinball, and especially TNA, on location? Setup so you can enjoy the sound package?
Scott is a creative genius IMHO, I'm sure he could come up with something truly amazing.
Again, just a suggestion, purely from an operator's perspective.
Anyway, thanks for reading this far. Go ahead, shoot the messenger...
Simple solution, offer to pay to have that done for you.
My game keeps freezing if I let it on. The voltage is at 5.4 volts. Anyone have any idea on how to fix or solve the issue? Does anyone else have similar issues?
Noticed recently the reactor display on the TNA we look after on location has some issues with the digits. Any known issues or fixes for this?
Anyone else's game freezing up? It's probably a software thing that I can fix. I have had 2 reports of it so far. I think I know what could be causing it with v1.1.0.
The reactor display being out looks like the 2 ribbon cables for the display are swapped.
Quoted from TheNoTrashCougar:The reactor display being out looks like the 2 ribbon cables for the display are swapped.
Thanks Scott! 
I’ll take a look as soon as we arn’t at capacity and i can take the glass off! Possibly tomorrow morning or after last call tonight. 
for now the playfield changing red is a decent enough signal to change focus on the game. Haha.
Quoted from JoshODBrown:Noticed recently the reactor display on the TNA we look after on location has some issues with the digits. Any known issues or fixes for this?
I have a few segments often not work. Support suggested reseating the cables. The cables are glued in, so push and wiggled then a bit and everything worked for a bit. Eventually, it I guess the vibration worked it out again. I think I need to reglue one of the ribbons, but I am having too much fun playing to be bothered.
Quoted from imharrow:I have a few segments often not work
Let me be more clear. They illuminate when "all segment" effects are on (pulsing 88.), but not when displaying other digits.
Looks like the loose ribbon cable was it for the reactor core display! seemed they weren't completely glued down in one spot and it was partially unplugged.
Is it true that TNA gets repetitive? I'm new to pinball and don't have mine yet, but am under the impression that after I get better at pinball, I will appreciate TNA more, and not consider it to be boring or repetitive? My assumption is that the ramps and 'toys' on pinballs can become background noise after a while and loose their fun-factor, and the game really becomes all about making 'the shot' and the code of the game? For example, I'm just realizing now that my AFMrLE's ramps just bring the ball back down to the flipper and may not be adding much 'fun' to the game? Does it do well in arcades or bars? I really want to get something that I can hang on to for years and not get bored with, so any input from old-timers would be appreciated I was planning on getting MMr but the game play/layout is too similar to my AFMrLE.
Quoted from bitpatrol:I really want to get something that I can hang on to for years and not get bored with
No such thing. It's just a game after all. TNA is awesome, but any pin gets old after a while.
Once you've been around for awhile & have played different pins from all different eras, you begin to realize what you like. Everyone is different, so take other people's opinions with a grain of salt.
I have come to the realization that I prefer games that kick my ass & frustrate the hell out of me. Games like that keep you coming back for more & eventually make you a better player. The harder a game is, the less likely you will get tired of it. Easy pins bore the hell out of me. When you keep getting pissed off & the game keeps fighting you back, you keep pressing start over & over. You want to do better & show that pin what's up! At least that's how I feel.
Personally I love early 80's solid state Bally/Williams pins, due to difficult gameplay, killer sounds & the incredible fantasy/sci-fi artwork. Great to play with friends as well as the games go quickly. There is no better era in pinball IMO. Think Flash Gordon, Eight Ball Deluxe, Centaur, etc etc.
Modern pins are pretty sweet as well, but if the gameplay isn't difficult, it better have some well-executed competitive code. I've stopped chasing the "next new thing", I could care less what's next from Stern. Just give me modern pins that are already developed, proven & great for competitive play. Think Ironman, Metallica, TWD, Tron. Basically anything Lyman coded. Yes I am a Lyman prude, for good reason.
That's why TNA fits the bill for so many reasons. Classic early 80s design & brutal gameplay, with modern lighting & sound. The best of both worlds. I expect it will never leave my collection.....once I finally receive it this week I think Spooky has realized they have something special with TNA, and that it certainly has scratched an itch for many pinball fans out there. They need to make more games like this in the future.
Quoted from Aurich:No such thing. It's just a game after all. TNA is awesome, but any pin gets old after a while.
relative to other pins.
Quoted from bitpatrol:relative to other pins.
I'm with HoakyPoaky, hard games have better longevity, but it's really about personal taste.
For instance, some people love super deep games, like LOTR for instance. That's the opposite of what I want to own, because I'll see it, think "you need a long game to really get anywhere on that pin" and walk past it without hitting start. I don't have the time and patience for that.
TNA is great because you can play one game, or a bunch, there's not commitment.
I used to own a Scared Stiff, one of my all time favorites in terms of theme and presentation. It's too easy, once I hit the wizard mode twice in one game I stopped playing it. Sold it after a while, even though I loved it, because I'm not running a museum.
Here's the truth: you can buy a game, enjoy it, get tired of it, and sell it for another. You don't have to marry the game.
But if you want a straight up answer? I think TNA is a great pick for longevity and fun, yes.
Quoted from HoakyPoaky:Once you've been around for awhile & have played different pins from all different eras, you begin to realize what you like. Everyone is different, so take other people's opinions with a grain of salt.
I have come to the realization that I prefer games that kick my ass & frustrate the hell out of me. Games like that keep you coming back for more & eventually make you a better player. The harder a game is, the less likely you will get tired of it. Easy pins bore the hell out of me. When you keep getting pissed off & the game keeps fighting you back, you keep pressing start over & over. You want to do better & show that pin what's up! At least that's how I feel.
Personally I love early 80's solid state Bally/Williams pins, due to difficult gameplay, killer sounds & the incredible fantasy/sci-fi artwork. Great to play with friends as well as the games go quickly. There is no better era in pinball IMO. Think Flash Gordon, Eight Ball Deluxe, Centaur, etc etc.
Modern pins are pretty sweet as well, but if the gameplay isn't difficult, it better have some well-executed competitive code. I've stopped chasing the "next new thing", I could care less what's next from Stern. Just give me modern pins that are already developed, proven & great for competitive play. Think Ironman, Metallica, TWD, Tron. Basically anything Lyman coded. Yes I am a Lyman prude, for good reason.
That's why TNA fits the bill for so many reasons. Classic early 80s design & brutal gameplay, with modern lighting & sound. The best of both worlds. I expect it will never leave my collection.....once I finally receive it this week I think Spooky has realized they have something special with TNA, and that it certainly has scratched an itch for many pinball fans out there. They need to make more games like this in the future.
Ditto for me, your list of modern Stern's matches those I'd be interested in also.
I've gotten less into longer-playing mode-based games and far more into faster playing games that are challenging and provide a specific "experience". By that generally I mean "intense" as in TNA, Flash Gordon, or Metallica. Other games, like Star Gazer are more "zen" to play and provide a nice change of pace. For me it's about the shots and flipper skills and then the theme/art/sound package applied on top. Generally prefer the older classic theme's where a lot is left to the imagination. Really, it just has to look and sound good. Making easy shots so I can watch the next video segment from a movie I wouldn't pay to see twice has no appeal.
It's easy to over-analyze things (and part of the fun) especially when deciding on a game for new or small collection. But I agree with Aurich, it's certainly not difficult to sell a game and bring in another in today's pinball market if you grow tired of one.
Quoted from HoakyPoaky:Once you've been around for awhile & have played different pins from all different eras, you begin to realize what you like. Everyone is different, so take other people's opinions with a grain of salt.
I have come to the realization that I prefer games that kick my ass & frustrate the hell out of me. Games like that keep you coming back for more & eventually make you a better player. The harder a game is, the less likely you will get tired of it. Easy pins bore the hell out of me. When you keep getting pissed off & the game keeps fighting you back, you keep pressing start over & over. You want to do better & show that pin what's up! At least that's how I feel.
Personally I love early 80's solid state Bally/Williams pins, due to difficult gameplay, killer sounds & the incredible fantasy/sci-fi artwork. Great to play with friends as well as the games go quickly. There is no better era in pinball IMO. Think Flash Gordon, Eight Ball Deluxe, Centaur, etc etc.
Modern pins are pretty sweet as well, but if the gameplay isn't difficult, it better have some well-executed competitive code. I've stopped chasing the "next new thing", I could care less what's next from Stern. Just give me modern pins that are already developed, proven & great for competitive play. Think Ironman, Metallica, TWD, Tron. Basically anything Lyman coded. Yes I am a Lyman prude, for good reason.
That's why TNA fits the bill for so many reasons. Classic early 80s design & brutal gameplay, with modern lighting & sound. The best of both worlds. I expect it will never leave my collection.....once I finally receive it this week I think Spooky has realized they have something special with TNA, and that it certainly has scratched an itch for many pinball fans out there. They need to make more games like this in the future.
Thanks, great info. so far!
I would imagine a long lasting game would involve rewarding the player for good 'flipper skills', and having a wide range of challenging target shots including orbits, as well as fast ball game play? I would think having toys and ramps are not as rewarding for an advanced player, as let say having to use good aim hitting targets in time or the right sequence?
Also looking forward to playing this game as I also like intense, one more game, type of games.
Long, deep games, just bore me.
It's either TNA or Iron Maiden and I will wait to play both.
And yes, it is personal taste. I have now played KISS more than any other game and am not bored with it due to the way the multipliers are used and why I always seem to be so close to blowing the game up, but hardly ever actually doing it.
Over time you get to know what you like - code is now mega important to me.
And I have an itch to get a Flash Gordon, Paragon, Quicksilver, Cyclopes and a few others from that era..... brutal, addictive games.
Quoted from Vino:IM can kick my butt, but the TNA on location over the last month has given me a full cavity search.
Ohhhhhhhh myyyyyyyy!
Quoted from Aurich:No such thing.
Tetris!
Quoted from DJNOEL30:Big mistake coming here to play this amazing game!! My game won’t be ready till May!!! I’m going to lose my mind waiting for this to show up!!
Played TNA for the first time this past Saturday. Freakin’ loved it from game #1. This is my kind of pinball. I Will be ordering one for myself.
Quoted from hassellcastle:Played TNA for the first time this past Saturday. Freakin’ loved it from game #1. This is my kind of pinball. I Will be ordering one for myself.
I ordered the side mirrors and side rail lights for mine. I only have room for 3 pins and have an AFMrLE now, with the TNA to go with it. I figure they are completely different styles and gameplays and its a better match than MMr since that would be too 'boring' being so similar to AFMr. Not sure what my third pin will be, but I'm fairly certain TNA is a good one I will enjoy for many years. I'm not sure how yet, but I think the lights sound and code will make this a favorite for long lasting fun factor. I also think if it does get repetitive ( and I don't think it will ) than that can be fixed with code.
Quoted from bitpatrol:I ordered the side mirrors and side rail lights for mine. I only have room for 3 pins and have an AFMrLE now, with the TNA to go with it. I figure they are completely different styles and gameplays and its a better match than MMr since that would be too 'boring' being so similar to AFMr. Not sure what my third pin will be, but I'm fairly certain TNA is a good one I will enjoy for many years. I'm not sure how yet, but I think the lights sound and code will make this a favorite for long lasting fun factor. I also think if it does get repetitive ( and I don't think it will ) than that can be fixed with code.
If you can find and like Radical! Space Station, or any Pat Lawlor game... I recommend it to round out your collection. Very cool first 2 Pins though!
Has there been any talk about open sourcing the code? Seems like this would be a fun one to tinker around with.
Quoted from Chosen_S:If you can find and like Radical! Space Station, or any Pat Lawlor game... I recommend it to round out your collection. Very cool first 2 Pins though!
Very cool pins, specially that Radical! I can totally see how newer electronics and software can revive these types of games too. I do like the ramps though, I kinda wish TNA had one
I'll keep an eye out for Pat Lawlor games for my third pin. Is he working on any new games?
Quoted from bitpatrol:I ordered the side mirrors and side rail lights for mine. I only have room for 3 pins and have an AFMrLE now, with the TNA to go with it. I figure they are completely different styles and gameplays and its a better match than MMr since that would be too 'boring' being so similar to AFMr. Not sure what my third pin will be, but I'm fairly certain TNA is a good one I will enjoy for many years. I'm not sure how yet, but I think the lights sound and code will make this a favorite for long lasting fun factor. I also think if it does get repetitive ( and I don't think it will ) than that can be fixed with code.
I have my TNA next to my AFMr LE. Perfect pins next to each other as they play so differently but both are pinball perfection.
Quoted from Pmaino:I have my TNA next to my AFMr LE. Perfect pins next to each other as they play so differently but both are pinball perfection.
awesome thanks!
Quoted from bitpatrol:Not sure what my third pin will be
My vote would be Dialed In or The Walking Dead premium. Both have reasonably deep rules and super enjoyable shots.
Indeed!
The many ways you can go about playing TNA is just icing on the neon cake.
For example:
My wife had three reactors down in single ball play and I focused on maxing out just one (with 4 balls in play); I still managed to beat her by a pretty large margin.
Love this game!
Can’t wait for the Co-Op.
Happy 3.14 day people! We will be attacking TNA Co-Op mode again tonight at 7PM, trying to blow up reactor 9. I can feel it that today is the day! - http://twitch.tv/owlnonymous
Quoted from NimblePin:Indeed!
The many ways you can go about playing TNA is just icing on the neon cake.
For example:
My wife had three reactors down in single ball play and I focused on maxing out just one; I still managed to beat her by a pretty large margin.
Love this game!
Can’t wait for the Co-Op.
Can't say I understand how the various playfield multipliers and bonus multipliers work, but they are essential for giving games longevity. For me anyway.
Quoted from Shapeshifter:Can't say I understand how the various playfield multipliers and bonus multipliers work, but they are essential for giving games longevity. For me anyway.
Spelling core in the top rollover lanes gives you bonus multipliers. Multiball gives you playfield scoring multipliers 2x, 3x, and possibly 4x depending on how many balls you have in play at the time. The number of reactors you have destroyed multiplies your jackpot values, so say you have destroyed 8 reactors, and then get a triple jackpot, with 4 balls in play, my math says that is a 96x jackpot (8x3x4). I'm theorizing, but I think that is actually possible.
Quoted from bob_e:Just placed my order....now to wait till september
Did you get that estimate from KT? Or are you going off the Pinside estimates in the production thread? Inquiring minds want to know...
Quoted from Owlnonymous:Happy 3.14 day people! We will be attacking TNA Co-Op mode again tonight at 7PM, trying to blow up reactor 9. I can feel it that today is the day! - http://twitch.tv/owlnonymous
Good luck!
Love the streams too. Thanks for giving those of us without a TNA yet a reason to hope and dream of one someday.
Quoted from Pinzap:Did you get that estimate from KT? Or are you going off the Pinside estimates in the production thread? Inquiring minds want to know...
#361 is due in September no date Just September.
It's awesome seeing all these new members join the club! Can't wait to get mine. Hopefully in the next couple months!
Quoted from FatPanda:It's awesome seeing all these new members join the club! Can't wait to get mine. Hopefully in the next couple months!
Yeah, I watched the TNA stream again for a bit and it sure does look fun, can't wait for mine.
Wanna join the discussion? Please sign in to reply to this topic.
Great to see you're enjoying Pinside! Did you know Pinside is able to run without any 3rd-party banners or ads, thanks to the support from our visitors? Please consider a donation to Pinside and get anext to your username to show for it! Or better yet, subscribe to Pinside+!
This page was printed from https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/total-nuclear-annihilation-cluball-welcome/page/37?hl=ghostthruster and we tried optimising it for printing. Some page elements may have been deliberately hidden.
Scan the QR code on the left to jump to the URL this document was printed from.
Sydney
Boulder, CO
Calgary, AB
Düsseldorf
Wiener Neustadt