I’ll have to check the code revision I’m running; the balls won’t eject after lock on mine.
It’s extremely likely you aren’t running the same code as I have in mine since I wrote it, and unless the 2 beta testers have spread it around, it’s only in 3 machines so far.
Want to beta test it? (You’d need a system 7 mpu board, 7 digit displays, and the ability to make a small wiring harness)
Oh, and anyone who saw the firepower at the TPF last month with the green starburst on it, that was one of the beta test machines.
Found out recently after I posted this! 
I may be interested down the road - I have some other work I’d like to finish up on before I get back around to Firepower. I’ll keep you updated!
Creature from the black lagoon is a real problem because it takes forever to get the score after play is over. If you have a qualifying time scenario in tourney , we had creature in tourney but it was bogging down the scorekeepers waiting on the score to show. Wish you could push both buttons like newer sterns to get score. so no creature in a Flippers event especially circuit event in november
Games like CFTBL and WCS94 that take forever to scroll through generally show the scores immediately upon power cycling.
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BSD as well?
Pretty sure, yeah.
Some of the older DE games did this too. Was kinda agonizing having to wait over a minute for the whole attract mode sequence while scorekeeping at INDISC two years ago.
LotR can be prepped for high level competition play with large yellow rubber bumpers between the lanes/ramps. A tight tilt, wide open outlanes, lightning flipper bats and adjustments to the rules (ie: to extra hard to qualify the K-E-E-P inlane lights to light the lanes on and off as the ball passes over the switches) balances this title out pretty well. That’s how I have my own copy setup.
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Yep that is exactly what I do…
Thanks for sharing. Certainly a quirky game.
I’d rather not play LOTR at all than play one that’s been bastardized like that. Software settings I have no problem with, but if a game needs that many hardware modifications to be usable in a tournament, I’d just leave it out. It’s supposed to be fun on some level, right?
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When I toughen up a long playing game, my goal is to reduce the gametime but not necessarily to make things harder to start. Lightning flippers and reconfigured outlanes can make shorter games without resorting to frustratingly-long qualification for modes or features under “very hard” rulesets. If a particular feature is easy to start or a shot too easy to make, I’ll address those specifics, but overall I want to preserve the ruleset and gameplay, just make the bottom of the PF more drainy. Basically, “I want this LOTR to drain as often as a Rollergames.” Players are challenged to start more than one mode or multiball per game, and that’s good IMHO.
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What about tampering with the left inlane feed on say, something like Tron so that the ball does not slow down to give one any time to aim for the scoop? Would you be psychotic enough to try something like that?
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Agree 100%. You should only change rules when absolutely necessary. When setting up a game for tournament play, think like a noob. A noob looks at a lineup and looks for games that they’re familiar with. There were (and still is) tons of LOTR’s out on location. Most competitive players are familiar with it. If a noob steps up and finds that the rules have been changed and shots they make don’t do what they normally do, they get frustrated and don’t come back.
A LOTR with the Pinball Life coils is extremely fun to play, but it’s not a good tournament game. If at all possible, don’t use it. I would add Pirates and Spidey to that list. All three are great games, but they need to be bastardized too much for competitive play.
If you do change rules from default, put a note on the apron saying what the change is, so there are no surprises.
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MHS has talked previously about strategic use of wax. That inlane would be a great area for that. Don’t need to wax the whole playfield, just the area(s) that need it. Legit tool in my book.
Tampering? I considered the ramp rollbacks a flaw and permanently fixed that nonsense years ago. Take a piece of polycarbonate, cut to about the size you see, heat and bend, then affix to the ramp ends with mylar. I’m so used to it now it feels weird to play a Tron with rollbacks. You gotta earn your EOL jackpots on my game!
Ask @Shep what he thinks about my Tron 
I’ll take some footage of ramp shots later when I get a chance…
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I’ll hold you to that. I wouldn’t mind seeing something like this on a PAPA tournament game 
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Haven’t tried it but it seems like a piece of Pinbit’s drop dead foam in place of the rubber bumper there would fix that. They sell 1" circles (for SM) that would probably do it.
I keep a strip of that foam in my tool bag. Both the strips and the circles are under $3. Highly recommend. Will definitely stop even a fast moving ball.