HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: overturf@bigbootay.sw.stratus.com (Dallas Overturf)
Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball
Subject: Re: LW3 - Just a note
Date: 4 Sep 92 21:19:14 GMT
Organization: Stratus Computer, Software Engineering

In article <chupchup.715597895@piggy> chupchup@ferkel.ucsb.edu (Robert Earl) writes:
>tek0@ns1.cc.lehigh.edu (TOYOTA ERIC KOMATSU) writes:
>
>| I was playing LW3 the other day when a funny thing happened.
>
>Hmm, you were lucky.  I was playing LW3 just tonight, and what
>happened to me was, the ball jumped up onto the scenery and nestled
>above the saucer on the left side.  The game sat around waiting to
>find the ball, did ball checks a few times, but the ball stayed put.
>Then it told me "Missing 1 Pinball" and shot me a new ball.  Well,
>that's fine, but when I got multiball, and knocked that ball clear
>back into play, then lost two balls, guess what happened.  The
>flippers went dead and I watched helplessly as my third ball sail past
>them.
>
>Well, guess Data East still makes stupid software.  Why do they shut
>down the flippers when you lose a ball?  It doesn't make sense.

No; acutally Data East does a decent job with the software for
the most part.  They just have not figured out that they need to 
test it better.  I was told that LW3 was going to be one of
the 1st games that they really tried to improve on this; but
so far from what I've seen they are still missing things.

Whoever tests the software needs to take the approach of:
"What happens if this occurs?" even if it never should.
Then they will find out where the holes lie.  Just putting
out proto-types does not cut the mustard.

			D...
From: knudsen@cbnewsd.cb.att.com (michael.j.knudsen)
Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball
Subject: Re: Pinball Auction Summary
Keywords: pinball auction sale money
Date: 8 Sep 92 18:18:54 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: AT&T

In article <1992Sep4.224213.10585@javelin.sim.es.com>, dpettit@javelin.sim.es.com (Daina Pettit) writes:

> Here's what my comprehensive pinlist says which machines have
> moving/swinging targets.  

Wow, this must be some list -- xref'ed by features even!
Daina, didn't you once say this was available on request?
If so, please consider it requested.
If there's a fee, consider it in the mail upon request.
--mike k
-- 
	"I don't think so, Al"
  Programmers Do It on paper.  So do puppies.
	knudsen@iexist.att.com
From: remy@sun450a.ccs.northeastern.edu (Remy Evard)
Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball
Subject: Re: About that time (poll & ftp site)
Date: 14 Sep 92 13:53:10 GMT
Organization: /net/systems/remy/.organization

jm7w+@andrew.cmu.edu (Joelle Ann Mellon) writes:
(Although it's apparently really Robert Chesnavich...)
>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?

Whoa... calm down.... I'm out here, and it's in the works.  Like I said 
back in June or July, I'm waiting for the back-to-school crowd to get back
to school, and in some cases, that means another week.   It'll happen very
soon.  I've been a bit busy setting up a rec.games.pinball ftp site.

Sneak preview announcement:
  You can ftp to "ftp.ccs.northeastern.edu" to get pinball related 
material.  At the moment, it contains mostly rule sheets, opinions,
previous polls, the quotes lists and various other text files that 
I've pulled from this group, but we're hoping to get some images in 
fairly soon. 
  Ftp there, try it out, let me know how it goes, and if you have 
anything to add to it, just mail it to me, or put it in the /incoming 
directory.

  I'll be working on filling it up over the next couple of weeks,
getting it listed in the FAQ(s?), and contacting various authors of
the rules sheets.  If you can think of anything else we should keep
in there, let me know...

 -r'm

.... .  .   .    .     .      . 
Remy Evard                           . 
remy@ccs.northeastern.edu               . 
Systems Wrangler                              .      .     .    .   .  . ....
15 CN  College of CS  Northeastern University  Boston MA 02115   617 437 3787
From: ung@felix.filenet.com (Bill Ung)
Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball
Subject: Re: Only ONE reply?
Date: 15 Sep 92 21:24:50 GMT
Reply-To: ung@fritz.filenet.com (Bill Ung)
Organization: FileNet Corp., Costa Mesa, CA

In article <14485@goanna.cs.rmit.oz.au> s892031@yallara.cs.rmit.OZ.AU (Pumpkin Power) writes:
|On all previous machines I've played a replay is awarded at the first replay
|score, and at double this score.  Today I played a High Speed II which
|awarded only the first scored replay.  Is this operator settable?

Yup.

|I had always figured it was not, as every machine I played had always only
|rewarded one - if the local operators want to stop people getting credits
|they just seem to set the lowest possible replay scores extremely high.

HIGH SPEED, and I suspect games before and after it, allowed four replay
levels.  For the most part, I've almost never seen an operator use all
four replay levels, they usually set for one.  I think that's the factory
setting anyway.  Count yourself lucky, operators have the option of
turning replays off altogether, including MATCH, SPECIAL or HIGH SCORE(s).

|Peter Barton : s892031@minyos.xx.rmit.oz.au

Bill Ung
  ung@filenet.com
Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball
From: phaedrus@milton.u.washington.edu (Phaedrus)
Subject: Re: About that time (poll & ftp site)
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1992 07:01:46 GMT

In article <BuLIv7.Fyy@csugrad.cs.vt.edu> kjohnson@csugrad.cs.vt.edu (Keith Johnson) writes:
>In quotes.funhouse, there's one missing that I've heard (only once) and I
>wondered if anyone else had heard it before.  I was playing with a friend,
>and he got the ball to the steps, but failed to get a lit value, to which
>Rudy responded "Who's the dummy now?"

     I think the quote you're after is "So who's the dummy?"  This is one of
those quotes that can only come up during a game that's in "silly mode" (I
think).  You're right that it happens when you blow the shot from the Steps
ramp.
-- 
Internet: phaedrus@u.washington.edu        (University of Washington, Seattle)
 "If you can keep your head while those about you are losing theirs,
    consider an exciting career as a guillotine operator!"
Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball
From: d91-jal@dront.nada.kth.se (Johan Almen)
Subject: Re: Pinball Volume...
Organization: Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
Date: Sun, 6 Sep 1992 15:33:26 GMT

No. The volume knob is inside the cabinet.


-- 
_____________________________________________________________________
Johan Almen			  I "I found it hard,	
School of Computer Science        I  it's hard to find.
Royal Institute of Technology     I  Oh well, whatever
Stockholm, Sweden                 I  nevermind."
email: d91-jal@dront.nada.kth.se  I		       - NIRVANA
From: jmm@scarabz.Corp.Sun.COM (John Morrison)
Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball
Subject: ****  Joker Poker  **** ????
Date: 14 Sep 1992 16:39:51 GMT
Organization: Sun Microsystems
Distribution: usa
Reply-To: jmm@scarabz.Corp.Sun.COM
NNTP-Posting-Host: scarabz.corp.sun.com


Hey guys,

     Does anyone know of a spare brain-board for this game??  I found a really
nice one, except for one little thing.  The operator says it is sufferring 
from severe brain damage.

     The guy also has a OLD game called "A-GO-GO".  It has mechanical score
keeping.  The game is in pieces and the backglass is water-damaged down the 
center.  He made the comment that "it is all there" and that if not for the 
water damage, it would be going for a lot more.

jmm
From: kjohnson@csugrad.cs.vt.edu (Keith Johnson)
Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball
Subject: Re: Which One???
Date: 9 Sep 92 01:32:12 GMT
Organization: Virginia Tech Computer Science Dept, Blacksburg, VA

Although TAF IS a very good game and has lots of neat new scoring features
(it's got the frenzy-type scoring, a hurry-up shot, 3 & 4 way combos, 2 &
3 ball multiball, mansion scoring), I think I have to say that it really
is just another Whirlwind-genre game.

I said it in my first post, but if you're going to take a poll, then I 
will say it again:  My favorite game is FunHouse (also a Whirlwind-genre
game).

FunHouse has every possible feature you could want, including almost if
not all features in TAF, plus a couple that TAF doesn't have.  It has the
mirror (tons easier to complete than the mansion [or the cellar door for
that matter]), Gangways (a scoring technique TAF lacks), 2 & 3 ball
multiball, skill shot, 3 & 4 way combos, Frenzy & SuperFrenzy, and of
course, the Crazy Steps.  (That is just an outstanding gimmick, if you
ask me.  WAY good idea.)  Oh, and the SuperDog, which TAF sort of has,
but links it into the frenzy idea ala Cousin It.  And of course, a 
couple of hidden values (including those combos) like the Rudy Gulp and
the Sausage Bonus.  And I will admit I still am not positive what lights
the Sausage Bonus.  That is the only thing I don't understand about that
game.

Anyway, even though FunHouse was before the dot matrix generation, it is
still the best game around at the moment.

keith

PS - Speaking of Cousin It, I meant to ask how well people have done on
that...  A lot of people neglect It during that time, but I lit it once
right before 3-ball multiball and wound up having a total for Cousin It
that ball of 44,350,000!!  I couldn't believe it when I saw it...

-- 
|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|
From: zweldron@ruhets.rutgers.edu (Matthew Charlap)
Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball
Subject: TAF resets on L-4!
Summary: more bad news on TAF...
Keywords: TAF
Date: 14 Sep 92 17:12:25 GMT
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.

Remember the old bug of the TAF resetting by itself on revisions L-2 abd 
earlier? well I've seen this happen on L-4 twice now. be careful, the bug 
has NOT been completely fixed!
--Matthew
Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball
From: josh@cqs.washington.edu (Josh Hayes)
Subject: Re: Fish Tales
Organization: University of Washington
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 1992 00:40:34 GMT

{previous poster asks for rule sheet}

Agreed! One of these showed up in our arcade - Phaedrus must be
out of town, as I managed to squeak onto the high score list, but
it seems like it would be ridiculously easy with a little practice
to get scores well over 500M.

One complaint: the crossing ramp returns are TOO LOW! a lot of
shots that get a little bit airborne hit these things, just above
the flippers, and bounce in unappealing directions. It's cute, I
think, but more cute than good...I doubt I'll put much money or
time into it.

Josh

--
Josh Hayes, Quantitative Sciences HR-20 U of Washington
josh@mowgli.cqs.washington.edu             206 685-2793
Exclaimer: Hey!           Plan: Birth School Work Death
From: jerryc@tekig7.PEN.TEK.COM (Jerry C Carathers)
Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball
Subject: Gone Fishin'
Keywords: Take the catch home for Christmas
Date: 14 Sep 92 17:46:24 GMT
Article-I.D.: tekig7.6946
Organization: Tektronix Inc., Beaverton, Or.


Over the weekend, I finally had my first opportunity to play Fish Tales. I
really like it. It's definitely not as good as TAF or T2, but it has a unique
feel that works.

The fish in the headboard is great as well as the green playfield. Green is my
favorite color. The sound on the one I was playing wasn't quite loud enough to
hear if the music was any good (perhaps I'm just going deaf from too much home
play ;^). Crazy as it may seem, it reminded me of my old favorite Fathom
(Bally 1981). It think maybe the fish theme combined with green triggered
that.

Overall it has a Diner, Taxi feel to it, both of which were earlier Mark
Ritchie classics. I think the video mode on Fish Tales is by far the best I've
seen yet. The fishing reel plunger-firing device was also very well designed.

The one I played was a proto and didn't seem to have any bugs in it. Perhaps
LED contributed to the software. I sense this will be my Christmas present to
me, but I'll wait until the price drops a bit. 

So what's the general concensus on this piece? Am I the only pinhead foolish
enough to plunk down $2.9K for it?


		 How Big Was It...

		 Jerry (Mr. Pinball) Carathers

T -16 days and counting...
-- 
Internet: jerryc@tekig7.MAP.TEK.COM
___          __   __                __                        __  __
|_ ) | |\ | |__) |__| |   |      | (__     |\/| \ /    |   | |_  |_    
|    | | \| |__) |  | |__ |__    | ___)    |  |  |     |__ | |   |__     
Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball
From: jrr@jukes.eslvcr.wimsey.bc.ca (John Robertson)
Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball
Subject: ****  Joker Poker  **** ????
Date: 16 Sep 92 03:43:54 GMT
Organization: John's Jukes BBS, Vancouver, BC (604) 872-2010

To: jmm@scarabz.Corp.Sun.COM ( Morrison)
 JM> From: jmm@scarabz.Corp.Sun.COM (John Morrison)
 JM> Date: 14 Sep 1992 16:39:51 GMT
 JM> Organization: Sun Microsystems
 JM> Message-ID: <lb9g2nINNfbd@jethro.Corp.Sun.COM>
 JM> Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball
 JM> Hey guys,                          
 JM>      Does anyone know of a spare brain-board for this 
 JM> game??  I found a really
 JM> nice one, except for one little thing.  The operator 
 JM> says it is sufferring from severe brain damage.

We have an exchange program for system 1 Gottlieb CPU's - $125.
Also there are a few things you should know befor attempting to replace this. What caused the CPU to fail in the first place. Gotlieb's are known for their suicidle tendencies when switch lines are shorted to power, also if there is no protection diodes on the driver boards a defective driver transistor can cause much damage. If others are interested will write an article on it. for regular information call me at my shop, (604)872-5757.
--  
jrr@jukes.eslvcr.wimsey.bc.ca     John Robertson
Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball
From: goodman@royvax.enet.dec.com (Roy Goodman)
Subject: Good pins in downtown SF?
Keywords: arcades
Reply-To: goodman@thebay.enet.dec.com
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Distribution: ba
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 1992 17:22:02 GMT


Can anyone recommend a good play to play some new(er?) pins in the downtown
San Francisco area?  I've been to Bonkers at Pine and Belden for a while now,
and their pins are getting boring... (Shoot the Transporter!  Ah, shut up, 
Scotty...)

Anything within a 10-15 minute walk of First and Market would be good.

Thanks very much for your time...

--
Roy Goodman                                 Digital Equipment Corporation
goodman@thebay.enet.dec.com                 455 Market Street, Suite 700
..!decwrl!thebay.enet!goodman              San Francisco, CA  94105
goodman%thebay.enet@decwrl.dec.com          +1 415 882 3690
          Disclaimer: These opinions are mine only.  Thank goodness.
Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball
From: d91-jal@dront.nada.kth.se (Johan Almen)
Subject: Re: Eldorado Products
Organization: Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1992 15:38:29 GMT

In article <1992Sep8.191708.10718@cabezon.uucp> joee@cabezon.uucp (Joe Eckardt) writes:
>In article <1992Sep8.123450.21497@kth.se> d91-jal@dront.nada.kth.se (Johan Almen) writes:
>>Hello Net!
>>
>>I'm going to order a pinball manual from Eldorado Products, and I have their
>>address. It would be easier for me to be able to fax my request to them, so
>>I wonder if someone knows a faxnumber to them.
>
>Wouldn't help you.  They don't accept charge cards and won't mail
>COD.  They want a check up front.  And plan on waiting 6 to 12 weeks
>for the manual to arrive.  
>
>>
>>		With hope...Johan
>>-- 
>>_____________________________________________________________________
>>Johan Almen			  I "I found it hard,	
>>School of Computer Science        I  it's hard to find.
>>Royal Institute of Technology     I  Oh well, whatever
>>Stockholm, Sweden                 I  nevermind."
>>email: d91-jal@dront.nada.kth.se  I		       - NIRVANA
>
>
>		Joe Eckardt
>		Logic Modeling Corporation 
>		(formally Logic Automation Incorporated)
>
>            Please use one of these return addresses instead of 
>            the one on the return address line:
>
>		joee@lmc.com   		,or
>		...!uunet!lmc.com!joee

OK.... DISSAPOINTED!!! (sorry)

Since I live in Sweden that means a lot of trouble for me....



-- 
_____________________________________________________________________
Johan Almen			  I "I found it hard,	
School of Computer Science        I  it's hard to find.
Royal Institute of Technology     I  Oh well, whatever
Stockholm, Sweden                 I  nevermind."
email: d91-jal@dront.nada.kth.se  I		       - NIRVANA
Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball
From: jrapacz@uumeme.chi.il.us (Justin Rapacz)
Subject: Which One???
Organization: UUMEME Public Access UNIX
Date: Mon, 07 Sep 92 20:07:51 GMT
Summary: A beginner needs help buying a Pinball Machine. 

Well, I know this is not a very good question, but I want to buy the 
absolutly best pinball machine for my basement.  I want it brand new,
high tech, and high quality.  I have a rather large amount of money saved
up for this so that is no problem.  Can someone please enlighten me on the
best game and its features so I may make a better decision.


				Justin M. Rapacz
				(jrapacz@uumeme.chi.il.us)
				UUMEME Public Access UNIX
From: bcasper@eos.ncsu.edu (Brian Casper)
Subject: Re: Level question
Originator: bcasper@c00060-100lez.eos.ncsu.edu
Keywords: Gorgar, question
Reply-To: bcasper@eos.ncsu.edu
Organization: North Carolina State University
Distribution: na
Date: Mon, 7 Sep 1992 16:04:05 GMT


In article <1992Sep4.191756.7671@javelin.sim.es.com>, dpettit@javelin.sim.es.com (Daina Pettit) writes:
|>I've got two manuals.  They are
|>
|>     Williams Pinball Troubleshooting & Reference Manual by James T. Hawes
|>        16-8955 April 21, 1986 (System 9 games)
|>
|>     Bally Electronic Pinball Games Repair Procedures, Module & Component
|>        Replacement F.O. 560-1 July, 1978


|>I don't know if Williams sells these.  Does anybody else know?
I know Brady Distributing has a lot of older manuals and stuff lying around
so they might have these as well...  I have a copy of a later revision of
the Bally one which was done in 1981.  Another avenue is to check with a local
operator.  If you can find one who is willing to let you peruse through his
schematic drawer, you might find something useful.  I have a pretty good
relationship with the guys at Raleigh Amusements and they have gone so far
as to have _given_ me a few of their duplicates.  But, I remember a time a few
years ago when they were hesitant to even talk with me because they thought
I might be a competitor...
-- 
-- 
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: bcasper@eos.ncsu.edu (BRIAN  CASPER)
Subject: Re: Ball return gate (was: Re: Pinball Auction Summary)
Originator: bcasper@c00100-100lez.eos.ncsu.edu
Reply-To: bcasper@eos.ncsu.edu
Organization: North Carolina State University
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1992 14:50:03 GMT


In article <20570005@hpsrsjk.sr.hp.com>, pazar@hpmwtd.sr.hp.com (Steve Pazar) writes:
|>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!

Space Shuttle is like this also...
-- 
-- 
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
From: cjm9321@hertz.njit.edu (The InfoMan)
Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball
Subject: Re: *** High Speed II ***
Date: 15 Sep 92 13:27:29 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, N.J.

In article <1992Sep4.211938.8983@cbnewsd.cb.att.com> knudsen@cbnewsd.cb.att.com (michael.j.knudsen) writes:
>In article <1992Aug31.230158.4124@cbnewsd.cb.att.com>, knudsen@cbnewsd.cb.att.com (michael.j.knudsen) writes:
>
>> Anyone else shift gears with his knee?
>> After losing a ball off the left flipper while I was shifting,
>> I learned to prop my left leg up so I can easily pop an up-shift
>
>Oops...
>anyone can tell I really meant my RIGHT knee shifts the gears.
>"I know the difference, just get the names crossed up."
>
>Anyone else play HS-II this way?
>-- 
>	"I don't think so, Al"
>  Programmers Do It on paper.  So do puppies.
>	knudsen@iexist.att.com

	Yes, I do.
	
	The place where I play has stools and the game is much easier to
play than standing up, IMHO.



-- 
M A D E   .   . .---. .---.    \  Buy U.S.A. products,  /    xxxxx ==========
  I N     |   |  \    |___|    <     It's YOUR job.     >    xxxxx ========== 
 T H E    |   |    \  |   |    <  Christopher J. Massa  >    ================
-------   `---' `---' '   `    / cjm9321@hertz.njit.edu \    ================
Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball
From: bbs-garfield@jwt.UUCP (David Eison)
Subject: Re: The right stuff
Reply-To: bbs-garfield@jwt.UUCP
Organization: The Matrix
Date: Sat, 12 Sep 1992 01:31:06 GMT

hal@gateway.mitre.org (Hal Feinstein) writes:

> Lets boil this down to a few questions: (1) What makes a game exciting.
> (2) What makes the public want to play a game (hence good for the operator)
> and profitable for the maker. (3) Must a game be tied to a pop-culture 
> marketing gimmik to make money? (4) Will a straight forward minimalist game e
> compare with TAF for excitment and profit.

1)  For a Novice: Scoring REALLY HIGH SCORES.. (Look ma, I got millions!) 
It doesn't seem to matter that a single jet bumper scores 10000 points... 
<Grin>
For a good player, in my opinion, what makes a game exciting is WINNING. 
Being the top score, getting extra balls and free replays, and performing 
special shots and combos.  This is why I play pinball.  I play because I 
know if I'm good, I can win something (free games), and if I lose, it's 
MY fault (with a little luck), not some computer's fault.  The more games 
and balls and such I win, the more excited I get... Plus it's got to be 
fun.  I have to earn them.  ANYONE can hit the stupid center ramp in 
Batman all day long.  Yippee.  Boring.
2) The Public seems to mostly want to play the themed games.  It seems to 
me that the VAST number of pinball players are people who play pinball 
once in a blue moon when they see a machine that looks neat.  
Unfortunatly, this vast number of people is also the group that the 
managers get profit off of.  This is the ONLY thing that could POSSIBLY 
explain why The SIMPSONS seems to be the most played game at a local mall 
arcade, RIGHT NEXT to a Rollergames and The Machine:Bride of Pinbot, 
which is next to a Dr. Dude, I believe.  Why play SIMPSONS?  Because 
people see it and recognize it.
3) Probably. That's why Simpsons made money.  Games don't HAVE to be tied 
into pop-culture stuff, but it sure does help.  And when it's got a 
Movie/TV tie in AND is a good game (TAF), then it makes LOTS of money.
4) Probably not.  At least, not for profit. See 2 and 3.  But fun, sure.  
Look at computer games.  The old computer games with lousy/no graphics 
were still FUN, but now you can buy one with amazing graphics and sound, 
and it's STUPID and not fun...  But extras like cool art and sound and 
music can make it more fun.  (I try to hit as many different shots as 
possible in TAF so I can see the animations and hear the voice... But 
that's just me.. I also liked LW3's video scene, and most people on here 
seem to think it's sinful.. <G>)

---
David Eison - Garfield           bbs-garfield@jwt.uucp
I'm not writing a message.  These words are just here to take up space.
Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball