Finally Played Real Table

[Trever Chalmers]

So, I have been on the hunt to play a real pinball machine but with no luck, as my hometown doesn't seem to have any. I had given up hope My buddy and I were in Winnipeg Canada, to watch the Black Sabbath concert and the hunt was back on lol. I had manage to spot a pinball machine in the corner of my eye after we watched Captain America (D-Box Seats Rule!!). I had to do a double take as I couldn't believe my eyes. It was a AC/DC Stern pinball machine tucked away in the corner. I had almost walked out of the movies without noticing it lol. So I played 3 tokens, lasted 2 secs. Not quite satisfied with my pinball fix, went back the next day, blew 10 bucks in the matter of a half an hour lol. All the balls seem to be gravitating towards the center or bouncing off the slingshots and into the outlane. I never did manage to play long enough to enter my high score but I sure was a happy camper

 

[brakel]

Cool. Real tables are so much more difficult than their virtual counterparts. Gravity is a b***h!

 

[Jeff Strong]

Nice! Yeah, they're just a weeee bit harder in real life, heh.

 

[George Klepacz]

At least you had the chance to play a good table. I like AC/DC, it's fun.

 

[Zombie Aladdin]

Cool. Real tables are so much more difficult than their virtual counterparts. Gravity is a b***h!

Not to mention all the little imperfections in the machine itself: The slight bumps and dents on the playfield surface, slightly changing strength and position of flippers and other solenoids, and, most noticeably, parts randomly not working as they should (or not working at all).

AC/DC, of any edition, seems to be pretty rare in public. It's a table I want to get good at, but it's not going to be easy due to their scarcity. (And I can't afford to buy one for myself.)

I'm not sure how accessible it is, but the only Pinball Map for eastern Canada is for Toronto. Did you go to Colossus Vaughan Cinemas? According to the Toronto Pinball Map, there's an AC/DC Pro there.

 

[Jeff Strong]

Yeah, Cinemas are definitely your friend in the North. Seems almost every theater has a couple pins from my time in Upper Michigan, which is practically Canada (it's actually quite a bit further north than Toronto).

 

[Shaneus]

Cool. Real tables are so much more difficult than their virtual counterparts. Gravity is a b***h!

Secret to pinball: Make gravity YOUR b***h

 

[brakel]

Secret to pinball: Make gravity YOUR b***h

I see what you did there.

 

[Trever Chalmers]

Not to mention all the little imperfections in the machine itself: The slight bumps and dents on the playfield surface, slightly changing strength and position of flippers and other solenoids, and, most noticeably, parts randomly not working as they should (or not working at all).

AC/DC, of any edition, seems to be pretty rare in public. It's a table I want to get good at, but it's not going to be easy due to their scarcity. (And I can't afford to buy one for myself.)

I'm not sure how accessible it is, but the only Pinball Map for eastern Canada is for Toronto. Did you go to Colossus Vaughan Cinemas? According to the Toronto Pinball Map, there's an AC/DC Pro there.

This was in polo park in Winnipeg. It's located next to the biggest mall they have. I couldn't believe it was an AC/DC machine of all tables.

 

[Trever Chalmers]

Yeah, Cinemas are definitely your friend in the North. Seems almost every theater has a couple pins from my time in Upper Michigan, which is practically Canada (it's actually quite a bit further north than Toronto).

Sadly, here in Thunder Bay, Canada, there are no pins. Have yet to locate one. The SilverCity here has none but I'm sure going to try and request one lol. Maybe they will bring one in, if there's enough interest. All we have is the huge arcade games like the dance music ones bah!! The 2 others I played here were Twilight and STTNG. Non existent

 

[Extork]

I've been looking around for some real tables aswell. At the truckstop right by work they have big buck pro and the sopranos. They were pretty tough as the angle of the play fields were way off. As shown by the little meter in the corner. That big buck was more fun than I thought since I could nudge the hell out of it without tilting.

I also found a Simpsons pinball party at a Main Street pub. Can't seem to get good at that one. The best one I've found is an avatar which is at a theatre at the mall. Got a top score. The rules are pretty clear and it just looks awesome. The only thing I need to do is learn how to nudge softer. It kept tilting the first time. There was some kid playing a basketball game next to me, kept bumping into me. And there were some little kids that would come up and watch. And I was only there for a little while. It would be so nice to own a table, for now im just gonna keep my eyes peeled whenever I go out

 

[PC.Doctor]

I was pretty much in the same boat as you were when i was looking for an actual pinball to play since my hometown doesn't have any near where i live. The only way I had to find one is on pinballmap.com.

 

[karl]

There is so many variables regarding a real machine. Bumps on the playfield, pitch, how it is leveled , flipper strength, rubber conditions, dirt on the playfield, old or new machine, etc. If you are new to pinball, you can play one machine and hate it, play the same machine in another place and get hooked right away.

Glad you got to try AC/DC. Less change of a poorly set up machine when it's almost new and it is a cool piece of machinery for sure, but it can be brutal

 

[Extork]

Just ran into a new challenge with local/real pinball... The angry truck drivers. The truckstop by me isn't design very well. The game room is right next to the lounge area. A couple minutes ago, as I was leaving, I got asked "hey, you're not coming back in here are ya? Cause we like to watch our tv." So now ima go there every day and play LOUD pinball before work

 

[DrainoBraino]

Just ran into a new challenge with local/real pinball... The angry truck drivers. The truckstop by me isn't design very well. The game room is right next to the lounge area. A couple minutes ago, as I was leaving, I got asked "hey, you're not coming back in here are ya? Cause we like to watch our tv." So now ima go there every day and play LOUD pinball before work

I experienced that problem a few times over the years. The college in town here has a student union with a bowling alley and 4 pinball machines. Problem, the Magic the Gathering kids are constantly hanging out there playing, and get mega nerd rage when someone plays the pinball. They have an Addams family that is cranked to max volume. So funny to see the look on their faces when the quarters are going in that machine HAHAHA. Once one of the guys ran over and tried to turn the volume down while I was playing lol. I told him to take it up with management, which is what you should do about the truckstop.

 

[Extork]

The volume seems to be fine. It's literally 2 feet away from those guys. But if I had the option I'd rather brawl with the magic the gathering crowd than trucker/biker fellas. No bother, I might as well go after work cause there's no one around. Or could stop slamming that Big Buck that doesn't tilt. It's worth talking to the management about the volume too. So, life will go on

 

[Zombie Aladdin]

That sounds like a genuine issue at the truck stop, if the sound of the pinball machine is disrupting their television. It sounds like it's best to ask whoever runs the place to move either the TV or the machine somewhere further apart and/or turn down the volume, or go there when these guys aren't present (if possible).

As for the Magic: The Gathering guys, it shouldn't be an issue unless the Addams Family is so loud that they can't hear what the others are saying, in which case it's also a real problem. That can be fixed by turning down the volume though. They don't sound like the territorial type that I occasionally find.

 

[DrainoBraino]

But if I had the option I'd rather brawl with the magic the gathering crowd than trucker/biker fellas.

Good point.

As for the Magic: The Gathering guys, it shouldn't be an issue unless the Addams Family is so loud that they can't hear what the others are saying, in which case it's also a real problem. That can be fixed by turning down the volume though. They don't sound like the territorial type that I occasionally find.

Oh it's an issue. The second anyone even goes near the pins they start getting antsy. Currently, they have resorted to putting "out of order" signs on every machine. HAHA

 

[Extork]

That sounds like a genuine issue at the truck stop, if the sound of the pinball machine is disrupting their television. It sounds like it's best to ask whoever runs the place to move either the TV or the machine somewhere further apart and/or turn down the volume, or go there when these guys aren't present (if possible).

As for the Magic: The Gathering guys, it shouldn't be an issue unless the Addams Family is so loud that they can't hear what the others are saying, in which case it's also a real problem. That can be fixed by turning down the volume though. They don't sound like the territorial type that I occasionally find.

It's kind of a lose lose situation. One would think that the machines are there to PLAY and not just for looks. The only way to avoid it is to take my business elsewhere (if it becomes a big problem). (Which, I'm guessing it'll happen again) since that was only my 3rd or 4rth time playing there. It's whatever

ZA.. After reading through your last post about mechanics/what makes a good table, I've realized that the 2 tables there aren't worth the hassle. I love how they play (the rule sets) but they are just so beat to hell. For example, on the Sopranos, if the ball is floating at all around the drain, it will do an 'unnatural' curve to the right. So the only way to counteract that is to anticipate it. But that shouldn't be necessary. The left flipper has gotten stuck in the 'up' position a couple of times. On the Big Buck pro, I've noticed a buzzing noise when I hold down the left flipper. Those things are just about to fall apart.

Long story short, it's time to find a new location. But like I said, I love the rules on the Sopranos. There's so many different options for strategy. I'm not that great at pinball, but what I've been doing is clearing out the ramps and loops for the envelopes right off the bat, then go for the safe, and then multiball... Repeat. Everyone's got there own way tho. That's what I love about pinball. Also I've tried only going for the safe, that might be smarter

 

[Zombie Aladdin]

I really like The Sopranos. When it's working properly, it's wonderful, and I've never seen the show (I don't have HBO because I don't feel like paying extra to watch it). Problem is that the only thing that can be broken that won't wreck the game is the stripper on the pole. (I go for the safe, as you get an extra ball around your third promotion or so. I also try to use Stugots Multiball to get the shots necessary to start Bada Bing! Multiball.) The strange trajectory of the ball, I would bet, is a tiny, microscopic bump or dent near the flippers. Tiny, unnoticeable things like these can cause a butterfly effect on the ball's path and screw you up majorly.

It's a real problem if you can only find one of a particular machine, and it's in miserable condition, even more so when the operator doesn't care or doesn't know how to fix it. For that Sopranos to be in that condition indicates one of the above, and they will likely only last at that truck stop until someone comes in offering to buy the machines from the operator. As for the Big Buck Hunter Pro, I've heard that buzzing sound. A pinball macine can last for quite a while if it's the same buzzing sound as I'm thinking of. A Lord of the Rings I've played has it coming out of both flipper buttons, and it's been in stable condition otherwise for at least months.

The deal with those truck drivers, of course, is that they're not interested in pinball. They want to watch TV and take a break, as truck driving is a stressful and demanding line of work, and they can't watch TV while on the job. Whoever decided the pinball machines should be there (both in terms of where they're placed in the building and that they're there at all) didn't account for those who just watched to watch TV. Clearly, the operator intends for people to play them but didn't think about the consequences of the machines being at a high volume and near a TV.

Oh it's an issue. The second anyone even goes near the pins they start getting antsy. Currently, they have resorted to putting "out of order" signs on every machine. HAHA

Ah, so they ARE the territorial type who refuse to share. Those guys are incredibly annoying but harmless. I've dealt with these people before too. Chances are they're not going to take it up with management because they know they're going to lose, which is why someone else has to. (That is, they know what they're doing is selfish and rude, but they don't care.)

Do they do this for the non-pinball machines too, like video games and air hockey and such?