From: adoerfer@bk2000.bb.dec.com (_bill)   
Subject: Re: BLACKWATER 100
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Date: 11 APR 92 19:00:47    


In article <1992Apr9.160112.5126@cbnewsd.cb.att.com>, knudsen@cbnewsd.cb.att.com (michael.j.knudsen) writes...
>a Bally BLACKWATER 100 in very good shape, with maybe a few problems.
>I'd like to hear anyone's opinions and experiences with this game,
>and of course any tips for playing strategies.

I'll put my strategies at the end, in case they're spoliers.
Opinions - fair enough, but keep in mind they are only opinions...
This seems to be an either you like it or you hate it game.  I agree
with Jerry (no surpise there) it's "clunky".  To me, it's the flippers.
They feel slow and heavy, but powerfull.  I don't really consider it
pinball, but that's not bad.  On the plus side, with no bumpers and
few kicking rubbers (like 2, which you can turn off even), the ball is
going to go where you send it.  It's a nice companion piece to ORBITOR I,
and it's been a favorite when I have people over.  Again, that banjo music,
you'll either love it or hate it - Michael, you might like the tilt warning
as you appear to be into sound.

>and spoken "whoo-hah" every time you pull off a good shot.
Actually, I think there are 2 whoo-hahs, but it's only when you go up
a ramp.

>Its only problem seems to be losing track of its
>balls sometimes and putting up a 4th ball normally reserved for when
>you lock some balls in various saucers (yes, it has "honest" multiball
>as well).  Then you end up with two in the plunger on the next go-round,
>which takes some fancy timing to knock one up into the starting gate.

As far as I'm concerned, that is in the area of it's number 1 problem, and it
could be a lot of things.  Unfortunately, it's not very smart recovering when
balls get out of sync, and you'll almost always have to re-boot it to get
it back.    It should always wait for 3 balls in the start gate.

First off, I believe the 4th ball is just a
place holder; you should never see it in play.  I would disagree, there is
no "honest" multiball on it.  The saucers HOLD, but will not put another
ball into play.  So, (in no particular order) trouble point one is upper
right.  The gate catch and lift will bend, so the gate doesn't raise and
lower correctly.  The wire it rolls under seems to control firing the next ball
into the shooter lane - that has to be perfect.  NO bounces, can't miss.
Next area is lower right.  There are connectors that you can't let interfere
with the fast line switch, I keep mine both below the board.  The problem there
is stress on the optics board.  It's a wierd set up. the first ball in the
trough seems to have no sensor.  The next is ball trough 1, through the
4th ball being switch 3.  If the relatively fragile leads disconnect, you'll
get very wierd play, or ball missing at startup.  The manual (an EXCELLENT
one by the way - you'll like the vectors of page 4-8) describes all this
better than I just did on 9-9.  :-)  The last critical area
is the outhole switch.  On mine, the wire really isn't very well connected
to the switch assembly, just sort of stuck between the leaves.  It also
got bent.  Apparently, when raising or lowering the playfield, the outhole
is a good place to grab(not), or if you manage to set it on the palm bar, it can
really go out of whack.  Anyway, outhole switch has to be perfect, also.
As a sidelight, they do a relatively unique way of programming the game, using
the flipper buttons.  But guess what, that depends on the game being able to
READ the flipper buttons... :-).  If you game ever won't start, and self test
says game status and you can't get any farther, check for 2 red/yellow wires
on the start switch.  I didn't get schematics with my game, but it's either
a strobe or return needed to read the start and flipper buttons, and one
mine that was the first wire to jump loose.
You don't want the fast line to close by itself or get hit by wires and
close, but they have warnings all over the place for that.

>Also the sound cut out on me during one game, but resumed on the next game.
>Others have recently complained about this in other pins -- probably
>have to jiggle some connectors.
Sound seems to drop out when it is displaying which rider is up, mine has
never cut out a whole game (without a sound board re-set)

>This will be my first S-S Bally (won't pick it up for a couple weeks),
>and my most modern machine, being dated 1988.  Was this just before
>Williams bought out Bally's pin division?  Any comments?
The manual (no. 0365-00H07-1001 for game  0H07) is dated March, 1988.
The roms I have were date 6 Apr 88, and Bally was sold early July.
You might be impressed - this game will TELL the operator when to adjust
the outlane posts when HELP - READ ME - HELP comes up.  SO for all the
discussion about ruthless outlines, this GAME will chip in ITs' 2 cents. :-)
It DOES have a register for times multiball, it's not documented as far as
I can tell.  Also, I don't believe you can get the match routine if you
set it on free play - which reminds me, it has a free play option.
I like the lights shining up through the backbox top, I like that you can
"adjust" which feature you really want to hit, and if you get that feature
when it's flashing you get more points, I like the warning it gives on the
holes when it's about to kickout, though as far as I know it's just
lights/sound then kick.  It's also neat in that if you are 2 ball
play and have a ball locked, hitting in the other hole releases the locked
ball.
The Chicago Connection rated this game a "4", about the lowest I've ever
seen, except that same month he gave TX-SECTOR a "3", so maybe he was
just having a bad day :-), anyway, Jerry is correct from what I've seen,
this game has a terrible reputation, and people could hardly give them
away (Jerry's 1200 being the only 4 digit price I've EVER seen for this
game, usually it'll cost more to ship it than buy it :-)  )  Still, I like
it, if you did dirt, you'll probably really like it.  I never though of
it as theme companion to BANZAI RUN before, but there's "DILLON" (and others)
racing on both! :-)
There are tricky things they did with 2 player/4 player mode if you
ever have display problems, it has a lot of adjustables....
A little care when you put it together and work on it, and you should
have a lot of fun with it!
Possible spoilers (for a 4 year old game!?!) follows

BIGGEST HINT - don't loose the ball from the left outline.  Raise the right
flipper, sometimes give it a hit, but your attention REALLY has to elsewhere
(or you have to be playing another game at the same time), if you can't save
a left drain.  Also, watch when balls get stacked up in the outhole, OFTEN
they will fire back into play on the outhole kick.

It almost goes without saying - you want to FAST LINE  the "never endin
bike suckin swamp"

On bottom level "save it shot" (the U turn), hit the lower button to light
the side you're trying for, it's probably the fastest way to a free ball.
Oh, with free balls, it IS only 1 ball, not a free heat (of 3 balls).
BUT it still shouldn't serve the free ball 'till all 3 in play drain.
_bill
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