HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: blowfish@carina.unm.edu (rON.)
Subject: TAF- The Power
Date: Wed, 02 Sep 92 05:43:04 GMT
Organization: University of New Mexico, Albuquerque
Distribution: na

In article <1992Sep1.215431.17950@colorado.edu> drew@ophelia.cs.colorado.edu (Drew Eckhardt) writes:
>IMHO, TAF would be a fun game if it wasn't for The Power, and 
>the electric chair.  
>The Power is completely unpredicatable, and the few times I've played it, 
>I've had balls chucked down the center or side drains.  
>In some ways, the Power is similar to the spinning discs on Whirlwind, 
>but the Whirlwind disks have no effect if you make the shot, and don't 
>side drain it as badly.

The idea, with the Power, is to avoid rotten shots during that time.
The Power is active in two situations: The Seance and Multiball.

The secret to defeating the power is easy: Get it over with quickly.
If your ready for Multiball- and you've got a plunger shot, get it up
the stairs ramp to the left flipper, then straight into the chair or
vault (whichever is easier for you). If you miss that shot, work on
getting the ball back to a stable area- don't start hacking towards the
chair or vault- send the ball back to thing, so you can get it up the
stairs ramp to the left flipper, or up the bear kick ramp- just avoid
flipping at the ball wildly- you'll lose it for sure. During Multiball,
you've got three balls going, so 'setting' shots is tough. (well, its
tough for me :) There are only a few shots you need to try for in
Multiball, though- from the left flipper, send it up the bear kicks
ramp or into the vault as appropriate, from the lower right, send it to
thing, and from the upper right, score jackpots. (easier said than done,
I know :) If you try for anything fancier, the Power will eat your ball.
Of course, wierd things will still happen- I was playing a couple o'
months back and lost all three balls at the same time, one down each side
and one down the middle...but, since I started taking more care and setting
up shots when I knew the power was coming, I've lost very few balls to it.

Oh- and during the seance, the idea is the same- from the left, up the bear-
kick ramp, and from the right straight to thing. Trying to pass the ball
with the power on will get it eaten, as will right flipper->chair shots,
unless you send it straight in.

r.
From: anstey@sun.soe.clarkson.edu (Charles Anstey)
Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball
Subject: I have digitized TAF quotes from movie
Date: 26 Aug 92 06:48:54 GMT
Distribution: rec.games.pinball
Organization: Clarkson University, Potsdam NY

The other night I digitized as many quotes from the TAF movie as I could
find on the pinball machine plus several other favorites.  They are in
IFF 8SVX form on an Amiga.  I am not sure if I can distribute them due
to copyrights.  Anyone know for sure?

Right now I use a program to play random samples at random times (every 2-5min)
so while I am using my computer I hear "SHOWTIME" or my favorite line
"TISH, SEEING YOU LIKE THIS MAKE MY BLOOD BOIL..."

Of course the samples are not exactly like the pinball quotes since they were
specially recorded but at least these sound like the people.  I was seriously
disappointed in the sound quality of the TAF machine.  It sounded like a
6-bit digitized sample with lossy compression.

-Charles Anstey
From: overturf@bigbootay.sw.stratus.com (Dallas Overturf)
Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball
Subject: Re: Williams flippers (was: Re: Dr. Who (First Look) (SPOILERS))
Date: 25 Aug 92 23:09:18 GMT
Organization: Stratus Computer, Software Engineering

In article <SBB.92Aug24222041@panix.com> sbb@panix.com (Steve Baumgarten) writes:
>In article <1992Aug20.152618.12239@rtsg.mot.com> iott@rtsg.mot.com (Joel K. Iott) writes:
>
>
>I think they did them just right: good feel, good strong flips.  I
>certainly wouldn't want to go back to the flippers on DR. DUDE and
>PARTY ZONE which seemed constantly to need a tune-up in order to get
>the ball up those steep ramps.  In contrast, I've never had a problem
>getting the ball up the Bear Kicks ramp in TAF -- at least from the
>left flipper.
>
>--
>    Steve Baumgarten       |  "New York... when civilization falls apart,

Oh please!  While I aggree that they seem more reliable so far, we've not
seen enough of them yet to say for sure.  Also as to "good feel";
Bah Humbugh to both WMS and DE.  WMS does feel better in most instances
than DE but compared to the old style flipper that you could "Tap
Pass" across, these flippers both are lacking in design ingenuity
and functionality IMHO.

			Regards,	Dallas...
Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball
From: jjhoxsey@vela.acs.oakland.edu (Major Lee Obvious)
Subject: *** High Speed II ***
Organization: ACME Acres Looniversity Public Relations.
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1992 03:46:23 GMT

	Greetings.
	Does anyone out there have an extensive rule sheet to this
game that they wrote?  I've figured out quite a few things about this
game, but I'm sure that I could play more efficiently if I knew some
of the stuff that didn't make it on that little 3x5 card.
	Or, just general hints.  I usually play with the intent of
driving the RPM up as high as possible.
	Any and all hints would be appreciated.
	Thanks in advance....

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
"Even I must take a break from | jjhoxsey@vela.acs.oakland.edu (Kuros)
 wackiness occasionally."      |
               Gogo Dodo       | The IRC Silly Knight (w/rubber chicken)
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
From: ben@monmouth.edu (Bennett Broder)
Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball
Subject: Re: Solid-State Flippers (was: Re: Williams flippers)
Date: 26 Aug 92 19:10:18 GMT
Organization: Monmouth College, W. Long Branch, NJ  07764

In article <1992Aug26.152825.1685@rtsg.mot.com> iott@rtsg.mot.com (Joel K. Iott) writes:
>[ I am guessing about how Williams work - anybody know for sure?  Anybody know
>about Gottlieb? ]

Williams SS flippers also have a Data East style timer to cut power to
the main coil after a given amount of time elapses.  This protects
the flipper coil and also keeps the game working (and earning $$$) if
EOS switch fails.  (The failed EOS switch would be reported in the
diagnostics, and the affected flipper might lose its "classic" Williams
feel, but otherwise should operate fine)

Other differences are that the computer grade EOS switches on the new
machines are normally open, while the heavy duty switches on the older
machines were normally closed, and that the contacts on the new switches
shouldn't be filed or sanded clean as they could be on the older ones.

-- 

Bennett Broder               Monmouth College
                             Computer Services
ben@monmouth.edu             W. Long Branch, NJ 07764
Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball
From: yyz@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (donald.w.coons)
Subject: Re: Solid-State Flippers (was: Re: Williams flippers)
Organization: AT&T
Distribution: na
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1992 14:29:34 GMT

In article <SBB.92Sep2200955@panix.com> sbb@panix.com (Steve Baumgarten) writes:
>In article <1992Aug26.152825.1685@rtsg.mot.com> iott@rtsg.mot.com
>(Joel K. Iott) writes:
>
>   I believe "solid-state" flippers can still become weak over time
>   since what wears out is the flipper coil(s).
>
>T2 didn't have them -- I think TAF was the first.  Since then, every
>Williams/Bally game has had the new style solid state flippers.
>

I think HS2 is the first Williams/Bally with Solid State flippers. From what I
have seen they still seem to working out problems with them. Since I get a
chance to play a lot of Beta's I see bad flippers a lot. Last week I played
Dr. Who with a flipper that was random  as far as working goes, definitely 
not a treat.

   Don Coons
   dwc@wnb3b2.att.com
From: bradam@spyder.Eng.Sun.COM (Brad Martinson)
Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball
Subject: Schedule for Pinball Expo ??
Date: 28 Aug 1992 00:43:56 GMT
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Distribution: usa
NNTP-Posting-Host: spyder

Has anyone seen a preliminary schedule for Expo?  I am pretty sure I'll go
this year (for the first time) and would like to get an idea when I should
get there and how long to stay...  Chicago in November... This should be a 
nice reminder of why I moved to California in the first place :-)

Thanks, etc.

-- 
 +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
 | Brad Martinson, XWindows janitor   SunSoft,Inc   brad.martinson@sun.com |
 |    Sic Gorgiamus Allos Subjectatos Nunc   #include <std/disclaimers.h>  |
 +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
From: overturf@bigbootay.sw.stratus.com (Dallas Overturf)
Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball
Subject: Re: TAF bug
Date: 31 Aug 92 20:03:14 GMT
Organization: Stratus Computer, Software Engineering

In article <Btrq71.8Bs@acsu.buffalo.edu> dianetti@acsu.buffalo.edu (Donald J. Dianetti) writes:
>Ugh.
>
>I was cruising on TAF today.  Had a super game going.  
>Ball 1:    Collected extra ball for 7 Bear Kicks
>           Collected extra ball from mansion room
>Ball 1.1:  Toured the mansion - collected extra ball
>           lost ball during Mamushka, though (1st room).  Oh well.
>Ball 1.2:  Collected extra ball from 2nd mansion room
>     By this time I was through 2 multiballs and near 50 Bear Kicks, and
>had five rooms already towards my 2nd Tour.  Yeah!
>Checked my score - 576 million, still on Ball 1, got 2 extra balls
>waiting --
>     Folks, this was the best game I'd ever started on TAF - I had visions
>of reaching my goal of a 10-digit score for the first time out of about
>a thousand tries over the last year or so.
>
>Then it happened.  Total game reset.  No reason.  
>
>The following is a transcript of what went through my head in the next
>5 seconds:
>First order of business:  Scream.  Loudly.
> [If I do say so myself, it was a fine, fine scream.  One of my best]
>Reaction #2:  an intense desire to smash the machine into a pile of 
>              broken glass and various components.  This passes momentarily.
>Reaction #3:  an intenst desire to violently murder the game room 
>              attendant.  This passes momentarily.  [Luckily for him, he
>              was out of my arm's reach at this time.]
>Reaction #4:  stare blankly at the lovely attraction mode graphics that 
>              mock my pain and remind me that my game is lost forever.
>Reaction #5:  put my head down on the machine and whimper.  Admit defeat.
>              Feel helpless.  
>
>Is there a support group for players who have been victimized by this bug?
>I think I'd like to join.  I feel awful.  Thanks for listening.  Ugh.
>
>
>-- 
>Don Dianetti  --  SUNY at Buffalo  --  dianetti@acsu.buffalo.edu

Well your description of the bug is not very complete though possibly
you just did not see what the last thing that happened was.

I suspect that you made the final target to spell "Grave" and that
is when the machine reset.  The bug is to my knowledge fixed starting 
in Prom REV L-2 and beyond.  There is some sort of a race
condition in the software that causes this and I don't recall
exactly what but there is something that must occur for it to happen.

Moral of the story is get L-2 or later into your machine.

			Regards,	D...
Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball
From: mpalmer@encore.com (Mike Palmer)
Subject: TAF - What's so great about it ?????
Organization: Encore Computer Corporation
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1992 14:22:50 GMT

I finally found a TAF yesterday and had a couple of games (75c - 3 balls pg).

After reading all the hype about it on this group I was expecting an amazing
machine.  But I though it was appauling.  Too busy a play field, poor
flippers (that may have just been this example), flashing white light at lower
right was distracting....   Give me my FLASH anytime!
From: RWR.SBD-E@rx.xerox.com
Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball
Subject: TAF flipper/ramp problems.
Date: 1 Sep 92 10:45:09 GMT


When playing my TAF I have a couple of problems that are really annoying me.
If I shoot the ball up the bearkick ramp from the left flipper, 1/3rd to 1/2 of
the time it will hit the metal plate in front of the switch at the top and
bounce straight back down again (Draining out the center quite frequently :-().
I have a similar problem with the Million + ramp, a good shot up there stands a
good chance of bouncing when it gets to the tight turn at the top and coming
back down again.

Does anyone know anything I can do about this?
				--Richard
From: tyager@maxx.UUCP (Tom Yager)
Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball
Subject: Re: I have digitized TAF quotes from movie
Date: 28 Aug 92 03:33:37 GMT
Distribution: rec.games.pinball
Organization: New Hampshire Public Access UNIX

In article <ANSTEY.92Aug26014854@sunspot.clarkson.edu>, anstey@sun.soe.clarkson.edu (Charles Anstey) writes:
> The other night I digitized as many quotes from the TAF movie as I could
> find on the pinball machine plus several other favorites.  They are in
> IFF 8SVX form on an Amiga.  I am not sure if I can distribute them due
> to copyrights.  Anyone know for sure?

You're wise to ask.

It is actionable, although studios have been lax in enforcing copyrights on
digitized stills and audio clips posted to bulletin boards. I think it might
start getting nastier since one studio (Paramount) has finally figured out
it can make money licensing audio clips to software vendors. A set of disks
for the Mac has appeared featuring Star Trek audio. So if you post a film's
audio clips to a BBS, you risk prosecution from not only the studio, but from
any software company that has paid for rights to distribute the material. It'll
get event stickier when compression ratios shrink QuickTime movies to down-
loadable sizes. alt.binaries.pictures.erotica will never be the same again,
and we'll be lucky if Caballero Control Corp. and all the other porn houses
don't shut the whole net down. How that group gets away with as much as it
does now is beyond me (but more power to them for as long as it lasts, I
guess).

A common belief is that if the person redistributing the material isn't
charging money for it, there's no foul. Unfortunately, that's not true.
Next time you rent a movie, read the statements at the end and in the FBI
bit in the opening material. The language of both are very clear.

On the other hand, what you create for private use is your business, so just
as you can legally videotape and watch a cable movie over and over again, so 
can you use pieces of it for your own entertainment. That's fun enough, isn't
it?
(ty)

-- 
Tom Yager, BYTE Multimedia Lab Director
           Author, Addison-Wesley UNIX programming book (Summer, 1991)
           Author, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich multimedia book (Fall, 1992)
           decvax!maxx!tyager, maxx!tyager@bytepb.byte.com
From: drb@druwy.ATT.COM (BurrittD)
Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball
Subject: Re: Pachinko Machines?
Date: 31 Aug 92 15:25:02 GMT

in article <2AA1A1AA.13883@orion.oac.uci.edu>, gkwan@balboa.eng.uci.edu (Greg Kwan) says:
> Nntp-Posting-Host: balboa.eng.uci.edu
> 
> In article <Q!k-Rx#@engin.umich.edu> bovine@engin.umich.edu (Mitchell Rohde) writes:
>>  I own a pachinko that I have yet to restore...
>>  It has the Japanese gambling liscense plate ( gambling liscen) 
>>  ... but the back piece is not so good...
>>  I need to repair/make ssome of the behind-the-scenes ball shoots, etc...
>> I've seen them in decent shape for less than 100$ or so....
>> I paid $25 for mine... it was siezed by the cops from a gambling
>> house somewhere.. and I bought it from them...
> 
> Back in '79, my brother and I saved up our allowances and bought a
> pachinko machine from a mass import store (like Cost+ Imports here
> in CA now). It cost $19.95 but only worked mechanically (no lights
> functioning). Department stores were selling similar machines for
> ~$50 at the time (I think Sears Roebuck sold them, too (?)). Still
> have it somewhere.
> 
> greg
> 
> gkwan@balboa.eng.uci.edu

About $75.00 is the going rate (from what I have seen) for
older (> 10 years old) pachinko games. The older machines
do not have any electronics in them and are fully manual.
The new machines are electronic so they play music can
make the characters "dance". They also have a motor which
fires the balls so you can put the machine on autofire
and balls are spit out at about a rate of 2 per second.

Also, if you do buy an older machine make sure it is wired
for U.S. power. If it isn't plan on spending more time & 
money trying to find a transformer for the thing (I think
the older ones required 10 volts for the bulbs). Also, make
sure the bulbs work. Some of them require some strange types
and are very hard to replace.

Pachinko technology has advanced in the last 10 years about
the same as pinball technology has. Like pinball,
the game's idea is the same, but the new machines 
have a lot more features and are a lot more enjoyable to
play.

-- Dave Burritt
Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball
From: jjhoxsey@vela.acs.oakland.edu (Major Lee Obvious)
Subject: Re: High Speed II Shifting Question
Organization: ACME Acres Looniversity Public Relations.
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 1992 13:54:44 GMT

In article <1992Sep4.050851.8630@colorado.edu>
drew@kinglear.cs.colorado.edu (Drew Eckhardt) writes:
>
>When you've got video mode, but before it's started, you should shift up to 
>5th gear.
>

	Speed demon....  8)  Having your friends watch you play in
video mode (or your overanxiousness to redline each gear) makes them
think twice about letting you drive back home.  8)

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
"Even I must take a break from | jjhoxsey@vela.acs.oakland.edu (Kuros)
 wackiness occasionally."      |
               Gogo Dodo       | The IRC Silly Knight (w/rubber chicken)
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Xref: sparky rec.games.pinball:4036 misc.forsale:25287 ne.forsale:3866
From: richb@kronos.com (Rich Braun)
Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball,misc.forsale,ne.forsale
Subject: Re: Terminator 2 pinball machine for sale
Date: 3 Sep 92 17:04:09 GMT
Organization: Kronos Inc. / Waltham, MA
Disclaimer: This posting is a personal opinion and not that of Kronos Inc.

In article <247@maxx.UUCP> pinball@maxx.UUCP (Tom Yager) writes:
>when I have business
>to transact, I like to to put all my cards on the table. I'd rather be accused
>of "not being very nice" than of going back on my word or misleading someone.
>..
> $2500 is a lot of money, and when you're talking fairly big bucks, I think
>the old "handshake and a smile" system of doing business leaves both parties
>vulnerable.

Sounds like shopping at 47th Street photo in New York:  I've never had
a good time there, but I've never been ripped off.

Still, ya gotta get people to come into your store.  The posting probably
didn't do a thing to accomplish that.  But you're getting lots of free
publicity!

-rich
From: overturf@bigbootay.sw.stratus.com (Dallas Overturf)
Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball
Subject: Re: TAF problem
Date: 27 Aug 92 20:19:05 GMT
Organization: Stratus Computer, Software Engineering

In article <7526@monmouth.edu> ben@monmouth.edu (Bennett Broder) writes:
>I am having a problem with my home TAF, and am looking for advice and
>suggestions.
>
>The other day, when the ball was ejected from the electric chair, it
>lifted and removed a bit of DiamondPlate coated paint with it.  The
>area affected is about just under 1/2" wide and about 3/4" long, and
>is basically the unprotected paint between the edge of the hole and the
>start of the protective mylar under the hole.  Now the black outline
>around the electric chair has a 3/4" gap of bare wood showing.  A tiny
>bit of yellow paint is missing too.  (Why didn't they run the mylar
>directly to the edge of the hole?)
>
>I could understand this happening on a busy arcade machine, but this is a
>home machine with less than 2,500 plays on it, meticulously maintained
>with Novus 1 & 2 cleaners.
>
>First question.  The machine is 3 1/2 months old, and hence probably
>out of warrantee.  Should I pursue the distributor about having the
>playfield replaced (I guess it would have to be good will, I don't wan't
>to pay for it), or should I try to repair the damage?
>
>Any suggestions about how to proceed would be appreciated.
>
>-- 
>
>Bennett Broder               Monmouth College


There is no way this is supposed to happen.  Yes I would persue
it with your local distributor.  In effect what you are seeking'
is a new playfield.  Yours, if it has been maintained as you say
was obviously defective.  However I would not waste too much
time with the distributor.  If they don't seem helpfull then
I would suggest you call and write to Williams and explain it
to them.  Since TAF was such a long run they should have spare
playfields for the game.  Warranty or not I would think they would
be interested in your story.  You might also find out that there
was a bad batch of playfields that came through and they might
very well just ship you a knew one.  Be nice about it but do not
take "NO" for an answer.  There is absolutely no excuse for this
type of thing happening except a defective playfield or a poorly
maintained machine.

                   Regards,	Dallas...
From: wt124177@wvnvms.wvnet.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball
Subject: An old pinball question: Willams Reserve
Date: 1 Sep 92 18:24:12 GMT
Organization: West Virginia Network for Educational Telecomputing

I have an old Willams pinball called Reserve....and recently a major fuse
blew out....Does anybody know of a place where i can order these fuses,
and if possible, can somebody tell me which year "Reserve" was made.

"Note: it's an old one: it rolls over at 1999 pts., and gave a credit by
 matching the last digit of your score...."

"Thanks in advance......"
From: bdavis@netxcom.netx.com (Bill Davis)
Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball
Subject: Re: Non-English pins
Date: 2 Sep 92 07:56:50 GMT
Organization: NetExpress Inc., Vienna, VA, USA

In article <1992Aug27.091708.11466@kth.se> d91-jal@nada.kth.se (Johan Almen) writes:
|Steve Robert writes:
|
||> Can someone tell me whether pins in other countries speak and display
||> in the appropriate language?  How do they handle 'guest star' pins
||> whose stars don't speak (for example) German?
||> 
||> We were wondering specifically about Elvira.  Did they have Elvira
||> herself reading from a phonetic German script, or do they hire
||> a dubbing person, like for the movies?  (For TAF, Raoul Julia 
||> probably could handle Spanish, but I doubt that he speaks Dutch :-) ).
||> 
||> 
||> --
||> Steve Robert, UCSF, Box 0100, S.F.,Ca. 94143  (415) 476-1059
|
|I don't know about Elvira, but since I played a T2 with German speech 
|a while ago (in Sweden!!!), I guess they convert all the newer machines. 
|
|Then, of course, I bet Arnie boy can speak German pretty well...  ;)
|-- 
|_____________________________________________________________________
|Johan Almen			  I "I found it hard,	

A week or so ago I saw a real old clip of Raul Julia (I think it might have
been on Ed Sullivan) singing a love song in at least six different languages.
It was really funny.  Especially the Chinese one.  He is *really* good at
doing that.


--b

-- 
// Bill Davis, NetExpress, Foster City Ca.   |  \ O-|-< /
//           "Mr fun" 			     |   \_____/
// bill@netxwest.com  		    	     |    ^   ^ 
// Openwindows mailtool attachments accepted | "Victoria, take me away!"
Xref: sparky rec.games.pinball:3955 misc.forsale:24832 ne.forsale:3771