Just exactly what is meant to open and close the gate from the lower playfield?

[Crush3d_Turtle]

Here is how it works currently in the state the table is in. If you have opened the gate from the top play field via the right return rollover below the four yellow drops ... when you go down into the lower play field and initiate multi-ball, the gate will remain open and never close until multi-ball ends. Now, if you have two balls captured and have not opened the gate from the top play field and go down into the lower play field with the gate closed .... you must open the gate from the lower play field but once you open it, it will not close until mulitball is over.

How I deal with this situation ... I usually try to set up multiball in this way ... when down in the lower play field, I drop the right purple drop targets twice to light up extra ball on the top play field ... then I drop two of the three purple drop targets ... then I lock the ball in the lower play field. Now back on top, I try to lock the other ball on the top play field. Then when I go back down to the lower play field, it initiates multiball but not immediately ... your ball comes down into the lower play field and I keep the left flipper in the open position to catch the ball and stop it ... I then shoot for the last purple drop target and once you hit it, you are home free and the gate stays open. You have plenty of time to do it because the locked ball in the lower play field takes a few second to come out and by that time, you already have opened the gate if you made that drop target shot.

That sounds like a pretty solid tactic and thanks for explaining about the gate remaining open if you open it from the upper playfield. Lately when I got the multiball and the gate would remain closed I would be really confused since I know for sure there have been times when I get it that the gate stayed open. I have only played a real machine at a pinball convention for a game or two so I don't know the rules that well. Is the current scenario what the designers had in mind with the real table or is it another bug in the game?

 

[RetroBlast]

The current scenario is actually worse than what is should be ... in reality, nothing in the lower playfield should close the gate under any circumstances .... at least if you take the rules for the real table literally, but I have never played the table in real life so I can not say for sure exactly what happens in real life.

 

[Heretic]

Bahhh seems i may be mistaken....hold on....heh

Wishful thinking its still closing....in the meantime i could try beating 999,999 with a 5x multi.

 

[Jeff Strong]

Check here for good news on this:

http://digitalpinballfans.com/showt...Unbelievable!!!!?p=11808&viewfull=1#post11808

 

[Heretic]

Was just about to repost man

Incase

Ok, so here is the down low on just exactly what is going on with BlackHole. In BlackHole, the real-life tables can run either way and we have seen them run both ways, where some the lower gate stays open ones opened, and others the gate will close due to various reasons. The reason the BH tables were reverted back to the old settings is because the rules did not match what was actually happening on the table. Once the rules are all up to standard, which I was just informed they are, BH will once again be re-reverted back to the fix with the rules matching completely. So there is hope in sight and BH will be updated in the next release. I hope that is the definitive answer you were all looking for. I know it isn't that great right now will the old fix in, but soon enough it will be updated accordingly.
-Jake

 

[RetroBlast]

After reading that, to be honest, I am not sure what exactly Jake is saying .... This is partly becasue I play on the Vita and the circumstances surrounding the gate have never changed so would someone please explain to me how exactly the gate opening and closing will work in the next update ... and give it to me in pure BLACK HOLE technobabble please ....

 

[RetroBlast]

Was just about to repost man

Incase

Ok, so here is the down low on just exactly what is going on with BlackHole. In BlackHole, the real-life tables can run either way and we have seen them run both ways, where some the lower gate stays open ones opened, and others the gate will close due to various reasons. The reason the BH tables were reverted back to the old settings is because the rules did not match what was actually happening on the table. Once the rules are all up to standard, which I was just informed they are, BH will once again be re-reverted back to the fix with the rules matching completely. So there is hope in sight and BH will be updated in the next release. I hope that is the definitive answer you were all looking for. I know it isn't that great right now will the old fix in, but soon enough it will be updated accordingly.
-Jake

Let me elaborate on my confusion here. First it says that real life tables can go either way. Then it says the IOS version was altered then reverted back to what it once was. Then it says the table will be re reverted back, once the rules are all up to standard and the rules will match completely what they should.

My question is what rules exactly are we talking about .... the real life tables go both ways, so which way? ... and it what ways? and what effect will these rules have on the gate when mulitplayer is not active?

I am really looking for someone to painstakingly spell it out for me. Mind you I am using PS3 / VITA, and will the changes also take effect there?

 

[Jeff Strong]

Let me see if I can help clarify (or further confuse, but hopefully the former rather than the latter ).....

Ok, the iOS rules have changed 3 times so far:

1.) They were originally the same as the Vita rules: The gate would close if you hit the Bumper or the Ten-Point Switches on the LOWER Playfield (and it would also close if you hit the Bumpers and Ten-Point Switches on the UPPER Playfield). I think this is the way it is on the Vita right now, correct?

2.) Then they updated the iOS version to where nothing on the lower playfield would close the gate.

3.) Currently, they have changed it back to the way it originally was. (Sidenote: I think the only reason they changed it back was because they accidentally introduced a camera bug, and the quickest way to fix it was to revert to the older version).

Now it sounds like they're going to change it again so that nothing on the LOWER Playfield will close the gate, and personally I think this is the way it should be because this is what the official instruction manual says:

Here are the excerpts from the ADDITIONAL FEATURES section:

UPPER PLAYFIELD

POP BUMPERS

* Score 1,000 points (3-ball).

* Score 100 points (5-ball).

* Closes gate except during multi-ball.

TEN-POINT SWITCHES

* Score 10 points.

* Closes gate except during multi-ball.

.......................................

LOWER PLAYFIELD

POP BUMPERS

* Score 100 points.

TEN-POINT SWITCHES

* Score 10 points.
Kicking Target
Kicking Rubbers

Notice that it has a section for the both the Upper and Lower Playfields, and the only time it says anything about the gate closing is in the Upper Playfield section, for the Pop Bumpers and Ten-Point Switches.....however, in the Lower Plyfield section, it doesn't mention the gate closing at all when anything is hit down there.

So I think Farsight is making the right decision to adjust the rules that way. I hope this helps!

 

[RetroBlast]

Thanks Jeff !!! Today I just popped the 3 MIL mark on this table on the Vita with the rules as you stated them in 1 above ... I dipped down in to the hole with 5x mulitplier lit, both accelerators, and all the yellow lights lit in front of the yellow drop targets ... it was a battle with the door opening and closing, not only in the Black Hole, but also on the bus which was packed. I was flanked with Jabba on my left and Granny on my right ... elbow room was no where to be found and I must have lost at least 4 balls that game due to buss jolts and Jabba & Granny nudging me in ways that could be considered sinful while in the act of executing a BODACIOUS BLACK HOLE MENUVER ... with each inexcusable ball drain the F BOMB was released from my lips and found its way reverberating deep inside the ears of all the riders, regardless of age or gender ... and then the critical moment ... FINAL BALL DRAIN ... the entering of my initials and then the vita frantically searching for a WiFi Signal ... and by the grace of god, it latched on to one just long enough to transport my score to the leaderboard ... Yes, Yes, Yes ... I gasped and looked up and all eyes were on the F BOMB boy! I could not help but smile back at all the stern faces.

 

[Mudfinger]

Retro, Really enjoyed your recount of your reaching 3M on BH. Very funny!

 

[RetroBlast]

Thanks Mudfinger, if you enjoyed that, you may enjoy another true story I posted about meeting The Bride of PinBot ... check it out here ... http://digitalpinballfans.com/showthread.php/550-Guilt-Free-Adultery

 

[Jeff Strong]

I always enjoy your stories too

 

[Metalzoic]

So the undertable bumper isn't supposed to close the gate? If that's true, and it means that this table doesn't work like the real one, then I won't play it again until it does.

Just like MM, I won't play a table that is screwed up.

 

[RetroBlast]

but how about bride of pinbot? that one is great too.

 

[Metalzoic]

I'm liking Bride, fun table!

 

[Tabe]

I spent over an hour on Black Hole last night and found myself going crazy at how ridiculously unfair the lower playfield is. So I came on here to get some tips on this table - my high score being just over 600,000 - and discover that the table isn't playing correctly. What a relief! I thought I was going insane with how hard it was to keep the gate open. Nice to know that it's actually screwed up and will (hopefully) get fixed some day.

Tabe

 

[Mudfinger]

I spent over an hour on Black Hole last night and found myself going crazy at how ridiculously unfair the lower playfield is. So I came on here to get some tips on this table - my high score being just over 600,000 - and discover that the table isn't playing correctly. What a relief! I thought I was going insane with how hard it was to keep the gate open. Nice to know that it's actually screwed up and will (hopefully) get fixed some day.

Tabe

Yes, Jake Lopez from Farsight promised all will be corrected in next monthly update. Nothing on the lower Playfield will close the gate once opened. (Kinda weird that my highscore so far of 6.9M was with the current configuration...go figure!)

 

[Sean DonCarlos]

So I'm fuming after the local TZ left me one door panel away from Lost in the Zone. I wander into the other building of my local arcade and find...a Black Hole...which was not there the month before.

I can now confirm that once the gate is open, nothing on the lower playfield should close it.

Also, I'm not sure if the proprietor hasn't had time to clean/restore the game yet, but this Black Hole was slow. As in, TPA's Black Hole is easily triple the speed of this particular real BH.

 

[PiN WiZ]

So I'm fuming after the local TZ left me one door panel away from Lost in the Zone. I wander into the other building of my local arcade and find...a Black Hole...which was not there the month before.

I can now confirm that once the gate is open, nothing on the lower playfield should close it.

Also, I'm not sure if the proprietor hasn't had time to clean/restore the game yet, but this Black Hole was slow. As in, TPA's Black Hole is easily triple the speed of this particular real BH.

The Black Hole at Pinballz plays slow as well, so this may be the way the table was meant to play.

 

[countcb]

The good thing is, that I learned to play with the gate closing on the lower playfield as well.
So this will get somewhat easier once it's changed

Still enjoying this table!