Hey thanks for this. I do agree they are similar in code depth. I need more time on IMDN for sure. Really enjoying it right now and I realize it does take time to perhaps fully appreciate its depth.

Couple things missing from your LOTR list:

LOTR also has the collecting of the 3 different rings (conbo shots) and the eventually Ring madness or whatever it is called (keep shooting ring shots to build jackpot and reset timer but have to hit the ring before timer runs out to collect the entire built jackpot)

There is also Ring Multiball which is one of the elf gifts you receive.

Also someone mentioned you can’t stack but you can. You can have a mode running, start Gollum multiball and still start a regular multiball. That’s a nice triple stack for sure!

LOTR is way easier in terms of shots (Radom shots have almost no way to hit at least something in the massive shot layout) but making it to Valinor is no way easy. With the easiest outlane setting and loose tilt it can probably be done. I have not set mine that easy and have honestly been one ring shot away from getting to Valinor but have never made it.

I don’t find them similar when playing back to back since the shots are so different and the theme/code is different. Even the playfield... IMDN has a very unique layout and cool features with the upper flipper and loops. LOTR has the ring shot which is really satisfying especially in the final destroy the ring when you blast a locked ball through the ring. The Balroy Toy is pretty cool and battling the Balrog and then escaping each character is a super immersive multiball not seen on many games.

Errrmmm can we get back to talking about our Iron Maiden pinnies? I don't give a rats scrotum about the LOTR machine, partly cause i don't own one and mostly cause this is the WRONG club thread

I love this game a little more every day. A few weeks ago I started to really nail down those ramp shots and that felt great. Tonight I was hitting both loops with much more consistency than I have in the past. Getting a feel for the shots in this game takes some time but feels so good when you do.
Week one was smash it up the ramp over and over. Now I only shoot for the ramp when its will start something. I have the Vireland fireball loop mod. Nice to finally see it lighting up during actual play now.
I'm not totally clear on some things.
-How exactly am I adding a ball to mb? I thought I knew but apparently I've been wrong.
-How do I earn an extra ball? I never seem to see how I've done it. I just know where to collect it once its lit.
-is the playfield multiplier just hit the x's then the rollover? Sometimes I feel like I've earned it another way but there is a lot going on in this game.
Thanks

Depends on the multiball.

Mummy - hit both ramps
Trooper - hit the center shot when it's oscillating red and blue (purple?)
Aces High - hit the orb/power jackpot target
Rime - hit the orb/power jackpot target
Cyborg - Super Jackpot target. Also, hitting the orb after completing each triangle puts balls out again.

I still look forward to lighting up that fireball loop with the colors on the inserts. Makes the animation much cooler and incentivizes me to keep the loop going.

Pin Monk has already briefly mentioned about the add-a-balls, but to flesh it out a bit more:

Mummy - first AAB is both ramps (lit yellow - 2 shots), second AAB is both ramps and both orbits (4 shots), 3rd AAB is all 8 major shots
Trooper - clear drops to load cannon (Pharoh target/center shot) then hit it. Will award AAB once, but also award a number of jackpots still lit
Aces & Rime - AAB is the first mystery award, claimed at the orb target once qualified
Cyborg - awards up to 2 AABs for clearing the pyramid

Extra balls can be earned in 3 (4?) ways
Complete 3 power shots will light EB target
50 loops will light EB target
5th tomb treasure will light EB

Mystery award ?

You're right with the playfield multipliers, hitting all 4 light inlanes for 2x playfield multiplier, completing them all again lights inlane for 3x playfield multiplier.
But you can also light a playfield 'x target' by shatzing the left inlane and hitting the tombstone target when not in a mode.
It can also be awarded from a mystery award.

Extend the time of the playfield multiplier once running, by hitting the 'x targets' again.

Interesting...never noticed the taper. The only thing I noticed when replacing the posts is how hard they were...they don't flex at all. The stock posts feel like solid plastic...not rubber. I much prefer the feel of the Titan rubbers/posts on this game. fwiw, I don't notice *any* airballs from hitting posts.

Since many folks replace the stock rubber, I'm interested if they believe the Stern hard/tapered posts had any effect on airballs.

I did flippers, slings and posts that have rings but left the post sleeves stock.

I replaced all my post rubber and I didn’t notice a jump in airballs. Now that I think about it I really don’t have as many airballs.

I was worried about this but after switching all rubbers out air balls have not been an issue.

How’s this?

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Anything over 100 is great.

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Would anyone be able to give me a quick run down on how Madness Mode works? I've gotten there a few times but never got anywhere with it. I don't see that mode explained in the Tilt Forums rules doc. Thanks!

Also, I'd like to hear how people go for the 6-way combo? What order of shots do you think works out well? Seems like a fun way of getting a Tomb Treasure.
Thanks again!

Proudly joining the club with my Pro that I drove 600 miles round trip yesterday to pick up. I can’t believe how fortunate I am to have these 2 great games side by side!

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Nah, bad choices

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Mini loop, inner orbit, big loop, left ramp, right ramp, right orbit.

Get the toughest shots out of the way early, the upper loops.

I hadn't thought of doing it that way, thanks! Can the jump ramp or the left spinner shot be used in combos?

No, they award the death blow (left spinner awards 3 x value)

my 6 way combo of choice is :

Right Ramp
Left Orbit
Big Loop
Left Ramp
Right Orbit
Mini Loop

Cash out on Left Spinner

For those of you that haven’t seen it yet, Robert Gagno live-streamed his gameplay on IMDN and he got to Run to the Hills and a score of over 3 billion. Enjoy.

Impressive ! I wonder what the pitch is set at. Game play seems a bit slower than mine. He does a good job of slowing down the game and great use of control.

I finally know the secret to this game.

I need to sit down and play it

My biggest takeaway, and one that I use every time now, is immediately lighting Revive. My scores are almost always over 100M every time I play. It’s a huge benefactor.

Watched it a few weeks ago. If I remember right, he got around 6M on his first ball. But he didn’t think twice about it and went on to have an awesome game. I don’t restart games if I have a crappy first ball anymore. This is why. Also, staging the flippers! What a benefit! Gotta practice that. He made it look like the game has four flipper buttons.

Anyone know the part # or flipper bat size of the upper left flipper? I cant find it anywhere in the manual.

Seems to be the same one as the upper left one in Family Guy and the lower playfield of AC/DC. Part number 515-6275-06.

I’m back in the club! I had to sell my LE last year (never even got to unbox it).. Just picked LE 376 from a buddy, the game is beautiful and plays great.. even the auto launch works flawlessly. The only downside for me is that we got hit with a snow storm and our power is out so I can’t play

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Nice game!

Imressive!
That guy is a machine.

Robert Gagno is a freak

I am sure you didn't mean anything by it but I wouldn't say he's a freak. He is just one hell of a pinball player.

I think you will find that was said and meant in the Aussie vernacular! Not meant as a put down in the slightest, more a compliment!

Exactly.

Power outages suck. We were without power for almost 3 days after the last freak snowstorm dropped about a foot of wet, heavy snow on the city and broke a TON of trees still recovering from the huge Carr fire this past summer. Literally never seen an outage that long in the city limits in over 40 years.

Welcome back to the club, though! Hope you've been able to get some time on it now...

We used to have at least one or two power outages every year in my neighborhood. I solved that by buying a generator. Since then, we've never had another outage.

Ha! About right. This last outage pushed me to get a generator. It would have been TERRIBLE without one, even though we were just running some key appliances and charging our tech.

...and he did all that, with no rubber on the mini flipper!

(takes off rubber on mini flipper on the one here)

3 billion scores is the advantage. Disadvantage is maybe more likely to crack the bat?

Robert also held balls on left flipper and still could hit loops with upper left flipper?

Don't seem to be able to do that on my game?

You just need to adjust the switch stack on your left flipper so there's a delay between the lower and upper flipper engaging/disengaging. So, you make it so the gap between the middle and last switch connection is very small so the first and middle contact stay engaged (and the lower flipper remains energized) while removing pressure from the lower flipper button SLIGHTLY and re-engaging will cause the upper to flip. Even with proper adjustment, it's a skill that requires a lot of practice.

So, if I understand right, you have to adjust the flippers from factory? So, making it easier?

Is this aa common adjustment? First I have heard of it!

i will just put it here.... hahaha

COMING SOON TO MEZEL MODS!

here is a sketch only without paint of my patent pending 3d sculpted apron covers. this one i made for this great game iron maiden and im working on 100 designs for other machines i also made one for indiana jones. and working on munsters, bsd, potc (jjp) and more machines (i also got license for few top games).

this is only a prototype. The middle line in the steps is for perspective only and i need to make few changes like to finish the plunger area to make something very cool there and to add more texture to the stairs bricks and to make them look like broken in few areas and its will be awesome! and after paint its will be just perfect

this item is mezel mods exclusive item!!!! check them out for more info soon!

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for more info you can check my other mods and threads

Finally ! I've been saying this for a while now for Iron Maiden and BSD!!!

That looks super cool!

It's not really "easier" as it requires a lot of skill to pull off even when the game is helping it happen. Some machines are "loose" from the factory and some are tighter, so whether or not you need to adjust it to get this to work is different machine to machine.

Looks really good overall. Having spent a LOT of time with the Anubis character to get it into 3D for the mod on the back wall, I would suggest that the angle of the eyes is too horizontal (they should angle up more towards nw/ne instead of almost due w/e) and the nose/mouth area needs to be more triangular. Wide and flat like it is now gives a cow nose impression rather than a jackal/dog. That's not to take away from everything else you've done, which looks really great. Just a little more tweaking on the anubii (anubuses?) will really polish it.

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Most of the time no adjustments need to be made. I’ve played over a dozen IMDN’s, mostly pros but at least 1 premium and 2-3 LE’s and flipper staying worked just fine, including my pro version. I also own a NIB Aerosmith Prem and no adjustments were required on that game either.

It doesn’t necessarily make it easier, but it does allow you to hit shots you otherwise can’t make it. It’s an acquired skill that has to be done with precision.

I use this same strategy on my Grand Lizard, White Water, and Demo Man.

Hi guys. Occasionally I seem to be starting battles without hitting the centre ramp target. Is there any other way of starting a battle or do I have a false activation. Perhaps a very tight switch gap on the target which is being triggered by vibration. Thanks. Gaz

Trying to get some opinions on what color I should powder coat my ramps/wireframe (Pro model) I'm leaning towards some sort of orange, but truthfully I have no idea what would look good. Does anyone have their ramps and/or wireframes powder coated that wants to share some pictures or their input? Thanks.

I cant bring myself to paint these ones. I thought about it after doing the Metallica snake wireform but it's already so shiney and too nice to cover imo.