I can't tell you how many games I start with a 10M skill shot and still wind up with under 20M after the 1st ball. If I only get 5M on the skill shot I' lucky to get 10M. That game hates me, but I'll eventually smack it down and do well on it.
I put this fix in place and it works perfectly now...
http://retroblast.arcadecontrols.com/articles/modzone_3.html#Bounce
"Anti-Bounce" Post for Rocket Ship
Another gameplay annoyance is a ball that pops out of the rocketship kickout area before getting launched across the playfield: Not only do you miss an easy way to add another Hitchhiker to your score, but the ball has a nasty habit of bumping against the top of the right slingshot and bouncing straight down the middle, right between your flippers.
Players have tried various fixes, and I found a simple one — adding a second minipost behind the upper right flipper slows the ball down so that it always lands in the kickout.
The only problem was finding the right kind of minipost: you need to swap out a playfield screw for the post, so you need a minipost with wood threads. With a little searching, I found a minipost with wood threads at Marco Specialties.
Installation took seconds: unscrew the old hex-head screw, screw in the post, and put on a minipost ring. I'd recommend that you use a 23/64" minipost rubber instead of the more typical 27/64" rubber, as there's just enough room with the 23/64" rubber for the ball to roll past the post.
Quoted from Matt1724:I put this fix in place and it works perfectly now...
http://retroblast.arcadecontrols.com/articles/modzone_3.html#Bounce
I modded my TZ like this as well. A lot of purists will argue that it changes the game for the worse, but I think it corrects an annoying design flaw. You cannot convince me that Lawlor intended to have the ball occasionally bounce out of the rocket.
I've never seen any tournament players go for the skill shot - the bumpers in this game are just to dangerous to mess with - maybe with a long ball save or something it would make sense, but I think the general idea is to avoid the pops at all costs - left outlane can be really unforgiving. I think the best thing to do on any game is get control as quickly as possible - sometimes that means no skill shot - but I'm more of a control player then a flow player.
Quoted from Matt1724:I put this fix in place and it works perfectly now...
http://retroblast.arcadecontrols.com/articles/modzone_3.html#Bounce
"Anti-Bounce" Post for Rocket Ship
Another gameplay annoyance is a ball that pops out of the rocketship kickout area before getting launched across the playfield: Not only do you miss an easy way to add another Hitchhiker to your score, but the ball has a nasty habit of bumping against the top of the right slingshot and bouncing straight down the middle, right between your flippers.
Players have tried various fixes, and I found a simple one — adding a second minipost behind the upper right flipper slows the ball down so that it always lands in the kickout.
The only problem was finding the right kind of minipost: you need to swap out a playfield screw for the post, so you need a minipost with wood threads. With a little searching, I found a minipost with wood threads at Marco Specialties.
Installation took seconds: unscrew the old hex-head screw, screw in the post, and put on a minipost ring. I'd recommend that you use a 23/64" minipost rubber instead of the more typical 27/64" rubber, as there's just enough room with the 23/64" rubber for the ball to roll past the post.
I have the extra post added also, nut no rubber on it, since I dont have a thin enough one. The standard post ring is too large and the ball cant pass. you need the thinner one there, but the bare post works fine, its a slow hot so you wont e bashing high speed metal on metal.
Quoted from fusion301:I've never seen any tournament players go for the skill shot - the bumpers in this game are just to dangerous to mess with ...
I think that's the whole point of the skill shot, and how Lawlor envisioned it. You make the skill shot, and you wind up in the pops. Ultimately, you have to decide if it's worth it. In most instances, I would say it isn't. I think the reason some players don't like the no bounce-out mod is because they like to go for the skill shot, and then nudge the ball out of the rocket. Basically, it's like having your cake and eating it too. 
TZs I have found it matter A LOT per specific game. I wouldn't do that post mod becasue I don;t like adding things like that to game certainly, but more than that My TZ doesn't have problems coughing the ball out of the rocket hole.
I also don't live my life in fear of the pop bumpers, excuse me, in fear of MY bumpers. I've played other games that are just freakin' horrible and shoot right out the game anytime they hit them.
Quoted from TheLaw:but more than that My TZ doesn't have problems coughing the ball out of the rocket hole.
It's not the coughing them out, it's getting the ball to stay in the rocket hole when you plunge
Quoted from DrainO:It's not the coughing them out, it's getting the ball to stay in the rocket hole when you plunge
I think we are saying the exact same thing. My machine doesn't "cough up" the ball, meaning the ball sits in the rocket hole fine, and then is shot out. Doesn't bounce out so i don't need to change anything.
Quoted from gweempose:is because they like to go for the skill shot, and then nudge the ball out of the rocket.
Yeh if your feeling confident thats def having your cake and eating it to - that would be ideally what you do - but with that tournament pressure on you, phew man I couldnt do it..LOL time to start practicing for PAPA
I also get my butt kicked, right now I do better at TZ then TAF, but I have had my days with TZ for sure.. I did mod my rocket because it's reversible, never thought about the cake and eating it too with the nudge out of the rocket.. That is interesting and fun. However I also am not scared of the pops, my most common drain is upper right flip to left outline and lower right bumper kick (triangle thing) to left outline.
I do run white rubber and small outlanes, also run 5 ball rather then 3
After all it's a game and I want to have fun!
Quoted from TheLaw:I think we are saying the exact same thing. My machine doesn't "cough up" the ball, meaning the ball sits in the rocket hole fine, and then is shot out. Doesn't bounce out so i don't need to change anything.
Ah....gotcha
Quoted from Spudgunman:my most common drain is upper right flip to left outline and lower right bumper kick (triangle thing) to left outline.
god I hate being late on a screaming loop and have that UR flipper go right to the drain.
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