HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: kevin@modcomp.uucp (Kevin Smith)
Subject: Was there a trip report for the MIDWEST tournament?
Organization: MODCOMP, an AEG company
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 1992 11:55:01 GMT

I went to the MIDWEST Pinball tournamnent in Denver a couple of
weeks ago and was wondering if anybody else went and was a 
trip report given on the net?  I have not been in touch with usenet
for two weeks so I don't know whether anyone else has described
the event?

--
Kevin Smith				uunet!modcomp!glsdev!kevin
MODCOMP, an AEG company                 if (windspeed < 15)
1650 W McNab Road                         go_diving();
P.O. Box 6099			        else
Fort Lauderdale,Florida 33340-6099        go_windsurfing();
Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball
From: jchamber@ecst.csuchico.edu (John William Chamberlain)
Subject: Re: Pinball Auction Summary
Keywords: pinball auction sale money
Organization: California State University, Chico
Distribution: na
Date: Sat, 05 Sep 1992 16:27:35 GMT

King Kool had the gate that would return the ball to the playfield.

John
Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball
From: gleeson@mundil.cs.mu.OZ.AU (Red Mountain)
Subject: Re: LW3 - Just a note
Organization: Computer Science, University of Melbourne, Australia
Date: Sat, 5 Sep 1992 02:20:33 GMT

In <1992Sep4.015615.87291@ns1.cc.lehigh.edu> tek0@ns1.cc.lehigh.edu (TOYOTA ERIC KOMATSU) writes:

>I was playing LW3 the other day when a funny thing happened. After already
>having used my Karate Kick (on the far left side), the ball went down the left
>side again. It was rolling pretty slowly and it got stuck right where the
>karate kick shoots the ball back (the kickback). Anyway, the ball sat there
>for a while, and then the machine started doing the system check thing -- what
>happened was it also executes the kickback, so luckily I was able to continue
>playing.

This seems quite common on recent DE pins. I've had it happen on Star Trek
and Hook, and on Star Trek, it even got to the point that I could give the
machine the right sort of jolt for the kicker hole to "catch" the ball.
I think doing something like that on a DE pin is pretty fair, to equalise
the pin's advantage of crap software.

Marty.
----------------------=============***O***=============-------------------------
Martin J. Gleeson   | Computer Science, Melbourne Uni, Oz |    ...  __o    Outta
gleeson@cs.mu.oz.au |  E Pluribus Unix  |  BIKE  IT   !!  |  ...   -\<,       my
" We gladly feast on those who would subdue us." - Addams |  ....(_)/(_)..  way!
 "I can't give you brains, but I can give you a diploma." - The Wizard of Oz
----------------------=============***O***=============-------------------------
From: knudsen@cbnewsd.cb.att.com (michael.j.knudsen)
Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball
Subject: Re: Pachinko Machines?
Summary: They DO have states
Date: 8 Sep 92 18:07:43 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: AT&T

In article <1992Sep4.213818.9388@cbnewsd.cb.att.com>, knudsen@cbnewsd.cb.att.com (michael.j.knudsen) writes:

> Fortunately, the lights are either general illumination
> or simply flash whenever you land in a score pocket,
> so aren't really needed to play the game -- no state info
> to keep track of.  Of course the machine is prettier and a little

Actually, I was wrong.  There IS some state info in a pachinko.
Landing in the big central payoff area not only pays off N balls
(where N==15 or so), but also opens up the lotus-blossom petals
on some of the side and bottom-center ball pockets.  These little
plastic "jaws" deploy and raise the effective cross-section
(and your chances of catching another ball) by at least 5X.

The jaws close again once a ball is caught, but stay open till then.
Funny, I'd seen these jaws close before, but never realized what opened
them up, till I found my first pachinko at a garage sale this Sat.
Asking $80, and I paid $70.  It included genuine Japanese pachinko balls,
with imprinted logo and Japanese characters on every little ball,
not just plain old ball bearings.

Say, do those new electronic pachinkos have automatic lift to return
spent balls to the payoff hopper on top, or do they still depend on
an operator behind the wall?
-- 
	"I don't think so, Al"
  Programmers Do It on paper.  So do puppies.
	knudsen@iexist.att.com
From: johny@cogs.sussex.ac.uk (Lord Yak Da Hairy)
Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball
Subject: Re: Weak flipper cures?
Date: 8 Sep 92 13:39:36 GMT
Organization: The Devastating Rear Shot, Inc.

In article <1395@eouk7.eoe.co.uk> dhembrow@eoe.co.uk (David Hembrow) writes:
>There definitely are electronic Zaccarria machines in the UK. There
>were some at the Poly which I used to go to and I've seen them in other
>places too. I'm not exactly sure what happened to Zaccaria as I've not
>seen any recent machines ( did they decide to call themselves technoplay? )

Yes, they called themselves Technoplay. I used to like playing Soccer Kings
in my younger days...

"Careful - watch the goalie!"

-- John Yeates (Lord Yak Da Hairy) ---------------- johny@cogs.susx.ac.uk --
-- ...THIS definitely takes, eats and shits the cake. - allane@unsw.oz.au --
From: pazar@hpmwtd.sr.hp.com (Steve Pazar)
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 1992 23:16:45 GMT
Subject: Re: Ball return gate (was: Re: Pinball Auction Summary)
Organization: HP Santa Rosa Site (NMD MTA MWTD)
Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball

Another one is Gotlieb ROYAL FLUSH circa 1976. Ballys KISS also has a gate, but it "saves" the ball
back into the flippers. Kinda different!

			     Steve Pazar
			     pazar@hpnmdla.sr.hp.com

Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball
From: rls@cbnewsc.cb.att.com (richard.l.schieve)
Subject: Original High Speed sound problem?
Organization: AT&T
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 1992 12:51:43 GMT
Keywords: 3rd sound in self test distorted?


I just finished resurrecting my High Speed.  While the playfield
needed lots of work, this is the first machine I've worked on for
quite some time that had no trouble with it's circuit boards
except maybe the sound board...

The third sound in the self test sounds distorted to me.  During
game play it is the sound made when the game ejects the ball after
a ramp shot or when the ball is ejected from the saucer.  I believe
it is supposed to be an explosion.

For thoses familiar with the game, is this sound a clear noise or
is the distorted crackle the normal sound?  If I have just one bad
sound I think I may be looking for another sound ROM...

				Rick Schieve
				rls@ihlpb.att.com
From: kjohnson@csugrad.cs.vt.edu (Keith Johnson)
Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball
Subject: Re: Leaving credits (was Re: LW3 and Super Mario Brothers)
Date: 5 Sep 92 07:57:57 GMT
Organization: Virginia Tech Computer Science Dept, Blacksburg, VA

Actually, sometimes I try to sell games at incredible prices.  Esp. on
Hurricane, the winner of "Easiest game to win credits on award" by me at any
rate...  (Also, Hurricane seems to have a 10-credit cap, BTW.)  Often I can
sell 6 credits for a buck.  (Makes up for initial investment on my part, and
gives a great break for the next guy.)

However, I have walked away from many-a-credit myself.  Just the other day I
was playing HSII and in one game I got:  replay score, special from Burn
Rubber, the special lit after 8 tunnel shots, a credit for getting a high
score, AND I matched at the end!!  And I had a class in 15 minutes, so I
left 7 credits behind.  :(

keith
-- 
|kjohnson@csugrad.cs.vt.edu|\\\XXXXX///|"The players tried to take the field, |
|.....Keith P. Johnson.....| \XXXXXXX/ | The marching band refused to yield.  |
|.1711 Whipple Dr. Apt. 11.| /XXXXXXX\ | Do you recall what was revealed      |
|...Blacksburg, VA 24060...|///XXXXX\\\| The day the music died?" -Don MacLean|
Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball
Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball
Date: Sun, 13 Sep 1992 19:44:49 -0400 
From: Joelle Ann Mellon <jm7w+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: About that time

If Remy isn't out there (called for him a little while ago), then I
think the semi-annual pinball poll is long overdue. I'm willing to do it
this time around. YOu out there Remy? If not, does anyone have a problem
with me doing it?

-Robert Chesnavich
Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball
From: bhayes@Xenon.Stanford.EDU (Barry Hayes)
Subject: Re: Older Pinball Machines (Games left light)
Organization: Computer Science Department, Stanford University.
Date: Sat, 5 Sep 1992 22:28:12 GMT

In article <9208261451.AA01348@rwasic24.aud.alcatel.com>, wasallee@RWASIC24.AUD.ALCATEL.COM (}Bill Sallee) writes:
>       -It was not uncommon to see people rack up 20 or 30 replays.

One very odd feature that showed up on old machines. . .  In some
places, machines were not allowed to display how many games were left.
The rationale was that people would sell the games [no shit] and that
this would encourage skillful pinball players to be professionals by
spending a nickle on a game and selling 20 for a buck.  On all old
machines that I knew there was a light somewhere under the glass but
off the playfield that was lit if there were more games left -- you
could tell if there was a game, but not how many.  I never could
understand why they had that AND the wheel counting games left until I
heard the above.

I never actually saw any games with the count disabled, and so it's
Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball
From: bcasper@eos.ncsu.edu (Brian Casper)
Subject: Re: getting inside that coin door
Originator: bcasper@c00060-100lez.eos.ncsu.edu
Keywords: coin door, operators, self-test
Reply-To: bcasper@eos.ncsu.edu
Organization: North Carolina State University
Date: Mon, 7 Sep 1992 15:52:53 GMT


In article <chupchup.715596141@piggy>, chupchup@ferkel.ucsb.edu (Robert Earl) writes:
[Yet another tale of operator ignorance...]
|>So in an effort to just find out what's wrong with the game, mostly to
|>figure out if it's affecting my play before I sink a dollar or so into
|>it, I'm quite willing to rely on deceit or just a good story to tell
|>these people.  Is there a good way to really hose a machine that would
|>warrant opening the door?  Like a good way to jam up the coin door so
|>everyone starts losing tokens?  Or a good way to deep-six a ball so
|>the machine gives "Pinball Missing" and the operator has to pull off
|>the glass?

A popsicle stick on the coin slot seems like it would do the trick...  But
then you run the risk of the idiot simply hanging an out of order sign on
it until his boss can get there to fix it...

Or, you could tell him that you just saw a mouse run down the playfield
into the outhole, could he please open the door and see where it went...

If you're that concerned about the dot, then power cycle when the bozo is
looking and when it gives it's warnings, get the guy to have a look at it.
Elseways, you could find a better location to patronize.

-- 
-- 
Brian Casper                |   "I like to study psychologists.  It gives
bcasper@eos.ncsu.edu        |    good insight into what rats are thinking."
  Pinball Consultant        |     -  Dr. Oscar Wesler
Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball
From: knudsen@cbnewsd.cb.att.com (michael.j.knudsen)
Subject: Re: The right stuff
Organization: AT&T
Distribution: na
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1992 23:12:37 GMT

In article <1992Sep10.131255.13477@athena.mit.edu>, sao@athena.mit.edu (Andy Oakland) writes:

> In fact, this has already happened!  I've played a game ("Blackwater
> 100," I believe) where each player selected a difficulty level to play

> I'm fuzzy on the name of the machine...I know "Blackwater" is the moto-
> cross theme game which starts out in multiball mode and has a little
> red/yellow/green stoplight in the upper right.  But I'm not certain

You have BW-100 identified right, but no, it doesn't have selectable
difficulty levels that I know of.  It does let you choose which of
several features you can make with one special feature, but that's
not really related.

Many video games had selectable levels, usually what screen number
you started on.  If you survived that screen, you got a BIG bonus.
Pinball could maybe do that -- if you get certain minimum requirements
on the first ball, you get a bonus related to your chosen level.
-- 
	"I don't think so, Al"
  Programmers Do It on paper.  So do puppies.
	knudsen@iexist.att.com
Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball
From: yyz@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (donald.w.coons)
Subject: Re: The right stuff
Organization: AT&T
Distribution: na
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1992 14:44:42 GMT

In article <1992Sep10.131255.13477@athena.mit.edu> sao@athena.mit.edu (Andy Oakland) writes:
>In article <BuBw6D.37v@usenet.ucs.indiana.edu> mdchaney@fractal.ucs.indiana.edu (M Darrin Chaney) writes:
>>...I suspect that in the near future, we might be able to
>>choose a certain "rule set" to play under when we walk up to a pinball
>>game.  That would be interesting.
>
>In fact, this has already happened!  I've played a game ("Blackwater
>100," I believe) where each player selected a difficulty level to play
>at.  Higher difficulties meant that sequences of targets were longer,
>timed shots had less time, and so forth.  The payoff for selecting
>a harder game was that you could get more points this way, since some
>big jackpot shots were activated only at the higher levels.
>
>I'm fuzzy on the name of the machine...I know "Blackwater" is the moto-
>cross theme game which starts out in multiball mode and has a little
>red/yellow/green stoplight in the upper right.  But I'm not certain
>this is the one with selectable difficulty levels.  Does anyone know
>for sure, and does anyone else know of games where you could select
>difficulty levels?
>
A friend of mine has a BW-100 and I played it for about 4 hours last weekend
you can select the shot you are going for by using the button below the
flipper button, this allows you a higher score if you actually make the
shot that was highlighted. This is the only adjusting I could see on the game
so the adjustable difficulty level you were referring to must be on another
game.

Don Coons
dwc@wnb3b2.att.com

From: halw@hpwrce.mayfield.hp.com (Hal Work)
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 1992 03:02:03 GMT
Subject: Pins for sale in Macys!!!
Organization: the HP Mtn.View Resp. Cntr.
Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball

I was at Macys in San Francisco this afternoon and they had pins for sale in
their electronics department.  The newest one they had was an F14.  They had
about 6 or 8 machines.  Spanish Eyes, Cyclone, don't remember the others.
No better than B condition.  Nothing under $2000.  A 60's vintage baseball
game, not a pin, went for $4000.  I asked what their warranty was like and the
sales guy said that these were antiques and didn't come with warranties except
to be able to bring it back to Macys within 30 days.

Is this respectability or what?!?
From: johny@cogs.sussex.ac.uk (Lord Yak Da Hairy)
Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball
Subject: Re: LW3 - Just a note
Date: 8 Sep 92 13:34:18 GMT
Organization: The Devastating Rear Shot, Inc.

In article <chupchup.715597895@piggy> chupchup@ferkel.ucsb.edu (Robert Earl) writes:
 [tales of DE bogosity WRT stuck balls deleted]

You should try getting the ball stuck on Super Mario Brothers sometime; it
tends to stick (at least on ours) on the ramp entrance on the upper
playfield, just right of Yoshi, when you hit it too softly.

The ball sits there. And sits there. The Castle revolves, but that's it.
Then the display prints "Ball stuck - call operator". At this point, if you
dislodge the ball, the next one will start, BUT THAT DISPLAY REMAINS. It
doesn't go away until you open the front door or kill the power; it might
go away if you're lucky, but only after a couple of balls.

This is OK if you're in an arcade where they just open the door and fish
the ball out, but NOT if you're somewhere with clueless staff or, worse
still, in a bar with no keys anywhere in sight...

PS: the worst thing with DE's software is if you DO get the case open and
rescue the ball in time. The operator will usually return it to the plunger
for you, right? Try it on TMNT, or another solenoid plunger machine. "Oh,
here's the ball on the plunger. Shouldn't be there. PWOINGGGG!" and the
ball shoots out and drains while the operator is putting the glass back
on...

-- John Yeates (Lord Yak Da Hairy) ---------------- johny@cogs.susx.ac.uk --
-- ...THIS definitely takes, eats and shits the cake. - allane@unsw.oz.au --
From: ung@felix.filenet.com (Bill Ung)
Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball
Subject: Re: licensed themes
Date: 15 Sep 92 21:01:47 GMT
Reply-To: ung@fritz.filenet.com (Bill Ung)
Organization: FileNet Corp., Costa Mesa, CA

In article <253@maxx.UUCP> tyager@maxx.UUCP (Tom Yager) writes:
|... manufacturers have already made
|room for bank-switched ROM sets that virtually eliminate the code-size
|ceiling that once limited game programmers.

Sounds cool!

|I'm waiting for the day when
|playfields, ROM code and backglass art become modular so pinball machines
|can be changed over like video games. I wonder how much operators could save
|by keeping the cabinet, electronics and coin door and swapping out the rest.

Wait!  I, for one, would never like to see that day.  I guess I could really
care if an entire row of video games look exactly alike, cabinet-wise, but
I would rather pinball keep going the current route.  I don't know how new
it was back then, but the rotating beacon light atop HIGH SPEED Classic
(and now HS2 and LW3) gave the game additional personality.  Other games
with similar gimmicks are WHIRLWIND, F-14 TOMCAT, POLICE FORCE, PINBOT,
and probably others.  I *LIKE* pinball cabinets with personality, artwork
and other things to make the game that much more real.  Generic pinball
game boxes would sadden me.  Especially if the next-step might be generic
"PINBALL" backglasses...

Bill Ung
  ung@filenet.com
Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball
From: S_WIEZORKE@iravcl.ira.uka.de (Hans B. Wiezorke)
Subject: Re: About that time (poll & ftp site)
Organization: University of Karlsruhe (FRG) - Informatik Rechnerabt.
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1992 15:24:01 GMT
X-News-Reader: VMS NEWS 1.23

hi all,

In <REMY.92Sep14085310@sun450a.ccs.northeastern.edu> remy@sun450a.ccs.northeastern.edu writes:

>   You can ftp to "ftp.ccs.northeastern.edu" to get pinball related 
> material.

our nameserver once again screwed up... :-(
can someone please tell me the ip number of that site?

thanks,

opus



 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I                  __     I   Hans Bernhard Wiezorke  (at Uni. of Karlsruhe)  I
I /opus\    _____(@  \    I   E-Mail :  S_WIEZORKE@iravcl.ira.uka.de          I
I \sndo/   /.         !   I          or UK9K@DKAUNI2.bitnet (for large mails) I
I          ------)    !   I- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -I
I                X~~~~!   I                    W A N T E D                    I
I- - - - - - - - - - - - -I                 Schroedinger's Cat                I
I std. disclaimers apply  I                   dead or alive                   I
 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
From: rale1@cs.aukuni.ac.nz (Ross Douglas        Alexander      )
Newsgroups: rec.games.cyber
Subject: Cyberspace vs Cyberpunk 2020 vs GURPS cyberpunk
Date: 9 Sep 92 02:34:57 GMT
Organization: Computer Science Dept. University of Auckland
Archive-Name: rgc587

I'm looking at buying a cyberpunk RPG so I thought I'd ask around
to see the pros and cons of each system.

Please POST any replies onto newsnet (as I don't have to pay for
it that way) ie ** PLEASE DO NOT MAIL ** replies (as the department
doesn't like it).

[[ And please be constructive in how you answer this question.
   Explain what you like and why you like it.  To steal a quote
   for the movie WALL STREET: ``Don't get emotional about games,
   it clouds your judgement.''
   --Joshua ]]

Ross Alexander
rale1@cs.aukuni.ac.nz
Computer Science Department
Auckland University
New Zealand
From: joshua@Veritas.COM (Joshua Levy)
Newsgroups: rec.games.cyber
Subject: Re: Cyberspace vs Cyberpunk 2020 vs GURPS cyberpunk
Date: 14 Sep 92 21:50:20 GMT
Organization: University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Content-Type: text
Archive-Name: rgc603
Content-Length: 1428
Apparently-To: rec-games-cyber@uunet.uu.net

rale1@cs.aukuni.ac.nz (Ross Douglas        Alexander      ) writes:

>I'm looking at buying a cyberpunk RPG so I thought I'd ask around
>to see the pros and cons of each system.

>Please POST any replies onto newsnet (as I don't have to pay for
>it that way) ie ** PLEASE DO NOT MAIL ** replies (as the department
If you already have Gurps, go with that version, as it will be easier for
you.  of the other two, Cyberpunk, and Cyberspace, I think its Space that
is good and Punk that isn't.(I'll get back on that).  If you like the
Twilight 2000 system, get Dark Conspiracy, its pretty good.  My personal
favorite is ShadowRun.  It has all of the aspects of the others, but adds
Magic and Muties.(Orks,Dwarves,Elves,and Trolls)  It combines the Punk
genre with Magic in an excellent way.  If you have access to Compu$erve
(if you can afford it, that is)  the creators of the game hang out there
and drop off new stuff.(like the draft version of one of the expansion
modules, ShadowBeat)
From: v076jy2p@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.cyber
Subject: Re: SR tech question...
Date: 4 Sep 92 18:17:00 GMT
Organization: University at Buffalo
Content-Type: text
Archive-Name: rgc586
Content-Length: 2084

>Ko, I play SR and have for quite some time... I'm just looking for an
>_opinion_ or two... No rule quoting please... I've got a player who
>is a modified Sam.  He also happens to have a datajack and the skills
>to run the matrix, but, what he wants to do is design a helmet that
>will support some of the other internal headware that he can't afford
>essence-wise.  Ie, he wants an orientation computer and targeting computer
>etc... He does have a display link so I don't see any problems there...
>So, do you think a 1/2 effectiveness penalty is fair or am I going to
>easy?  Whatcha THINK?

A person who's playing a street sam and not a mage?!?!? A chummer after my
own heart! (but you'll have to stand in line behind the corps/yak/mafia.)
Widget's the name and enhancement my game.  As for the Orientation computer
the shadowtech book hints that there already is one that you can buy that's 
external.  I got one built in 'cause it was too cool to pass up.  As for
the targeting computer, huh?  What's a targeting computer?  A smartgun-link?
Already got rules for that.  I can only assume that you're refering to the
tactical computer that you can have installed for 3.0 essance that gives
you all sorts of bonuses to your reaction roles.  Sorry, but this one is
right out.  I've got the boys down in R&D working on this one and as far
as we can tell the system needs to be big time invasive for a reason.  
However, for a couple of thousand Yen I'd be willing to let slide our
new Reaction Chip.  Does the same thing as a TacComp except that its
limited to what your level of skillwires is.  However, we only have got it up
to a level 3 chip, but we're working on it.  Or our new Dodge Chip, a fav among
the Johnson-set.  I have a charater who runs his own cybershop so if you got
any ideas please feel free to send them to me. I'm always looking for new
stuff to build.
	Oh, about the helmet idea... make sure to buy an improved data jack 
and maybe a SPU: I/O to take care of lag if your going to be using multiple
systems simulatiously.


						-Widget
						 CEO of CAW Co
From: U52025%uicvm.uic.edu>@OHSTVMA.ACS.OHIO-STATE.EDU
Newsgroups: rec.games.cyber
Subject: Questions about RPG??
Date: 11 Sep 92 12:31:17 GMT
	<1992Sep08.062845.2225@Veritas.COM>
Organization: University of Illinois at Chicago
Content-Type: text
Archive-Name: rgc590
Content-Length: 368

I never played an Role Playing Game before but I'm interested in playing
an cyber RPG, but I have two question?

1. How many people are need to play one game like SHADOWRUN?
   Can one person play a game or do you need more than one person to
            play the game?

2. What would you say is the best cyber RPG?

[[ The word "best" has no meaning the way you have used it.  If you
   tell us what you want (what is "best" for you), we might be able 
   to help.  In general, though, asking the net is a poor way to find
   the RPG which is best for you.  Instead, read or skim the rules
   and a suppliment or two of each rule system, and make your best
   guess.  --Joshua ]]

e-mail me or post the answer.
,Thanks in advance!