Scott works quick.
Bonus: I dont have to go to Pinside.
2 Likes
Does destroying the 9th reactor end the game completely? I watched the IE pinball video, and couldn’t tell if the flippers died after 9 or not.
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Sounded like he said the game ended at the end of that video, so my guess is that the game ends there. Are there other games that have that? Where you complete the objectives and it just ends? In Jurassic Park if you make it through all the modes you get System Failure, but then you can try to loop back through all the modes again to get a second System Failure…
The Matrix ends the game if you complete the wizard mode. I think that’s much better than “go back to the beginning and do it all again” because it creates closure and doesn’t destroy the accomplishment. If the game does not end, it’s impossible to win, only to delay the guaranteed death.
Operation Thunder by default.
[spoiler] This is not going to work, is it… [/spoiler]
Alright, don’t read if you don’t want to know.
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Yes, it ends your game completely. The screen becomes a test pattern, with the message “Flippers & Slings Disabled”. You drain, and your bonus includes Total Nuclear Annihilation, which awards you the grand total of all 9 reactor-destroy point totals.
Additionally, if you finish Reactor 9 with balls still left to play, they will plunge with the same message displayed. You will not get to do anything. However, your bonus will again include the massive Total Nuclear Annihilation bonus.
This is how I ended up with over 24 million on the 1.06 code – indication seems that 1.10 has significantly higher scoring.
1 Like
I have now had 50-100 games on TNA, enough to start to form real opinions and thought I would share my thoughts (maybe their exists one person who cares)
I am also throwing out an open invitation for glass off testing if anyone wants anything tested, let me know.
I enjoyed the game when I first played it, and enjoy it even more now that I am getting use to it. Some thoughts
- Very approachable game. My wife doesn’t play pinball, but she usually tries one or two games on my new machines. On TNA she started multiball, which I am not sure she has ever done before.
- On the fly flipping away can give high reward, but after a point, control play still seems to dominate.
- I think there is more than one way to play the game for score and risk reward associated with it.
- Multiball jackpots vs destroying reactors vs bonus building / reactor jackpots. I am playing to get to reactor 9 right now so that dictates my approach, but in head to head how to approach multiball is not obvious to me.
- Save lanes add great strategy. You can shatz the inlanes, so strong flipper skills could open up new strategies. On my game the third drop target seems dangerous. So shatzing the inlane to start the 10 sec ball save before shooting it can make it safe. This is cool.
- Plunging is way more important than I realized. The super skill shot gives you a lane save and a running reactor before you even flip. Locking and plunging is the safest way to get to the scoop.
- The displays are the greatest. All machines should have this,
- Mystery awards can be big. Although I am not convinced they are balanced and there is no “tournament mode”
- Quest to reactor 9 really feels possible, despite the fact that I haven’t even destroyed reactor 4 yet
Less positive things
- Having issues with hold strength on right flipper on my game. Concerned it will lead to many calls for rulings if I host tournaments.
- The machine legs are very solid. This is really impacting my center drain ball saving.
- I need to sand or file the lock bar. I have cut myself nudging
- Have not got a feel for the tilt, or managed to adjust it to were I like. On most games I understand when I am going to danger, here I don’t.
I think there are changes to be made to this wiki based on the new code. I will try to make a pass later to fix it up.
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How do you execute a super skill shot in the latest code? Is this the same thing as the “Secrect Skill Shot” I’ve heard about?
This is just the Hands Free skill shot described in the wiki. The the lane you want before plunge, and go through the flashing white lane. Competes keypad and awards a save level and 100k
If you move it it goes yellow and only gives save level and 50k.
I have yet to discover the secret skill shot. It is a secret.
Of I should add another cool thing. If you plunge short or long and don’t enter the core, if you immediately lock, you can still plunge for the yellow skill shot.
The issue you have with the hold on the right flipper is a known issue to Spooky.
Both Spooky and Scott are working hard on a fix for this.
You need to contact Spooky and let them know about the issue.
I have. I am raising it here because people are using TNA in tournaments and they often don’t have much time on the game before they do. It doesn’t really impact the enjoyment of the game, but a TD would need to be prepared to rule.
I am confident Spooky / Scott will find a solution.
2 Likes
Thanks! Looks like I’ll get to make a bunch of right flipper rulings this weekend. Is it predominantly when the left scoop fires out?
Did you guys see this exchange on Pinside?
Some Busybody: Can you describe what happens when you’re holding up the flipper and the ball comes down and hits it? Is the solution just to have the hold power strong enough to handle it?
Scott: I have something in my service menu called Flipper Hold Boost. If the regular flipper hold power is not enough to overcome the ball velocity out of that left scoop, you can set this higher and it will add a PWM to the main along with the hold coil. On the programming side, the trick is finding frequencies that do not burn up the coil and remain decently quiet. But all of this is trade secrets, so don’t tell anyone.
1 Like
Is there no EOS on their flippers? Is the kickout causing the flipper to collapse and it doesn’t re-fire?
If the flipper is collapsing, then step #1 would be to use the EOS to refire (assuming it’s there). If it’s not there, then, yeah you’ll have to use that hold power augment thing. Or post a note, be aware, play at own risk, etc.
Yes, no EOS switch.
I assume that’s the problem in a nutshell. Or possibly that the flipper has some give, then re-flips.
Yes it happens when firing out of left scoop. I have reduced the left scoop power and increased the hold power and it is much rarer now.
Good thing is that the left scoop has a ball save, so if it immediately drains no ruling needed. If it doesn’t immediately drain, then rule it didn’t cause the drain. Or it happens in multiball (most common) and it likely does not cause EOB.
To @keefer question. There is no EOS. When it falls, it starts to flutter (much like Dialed In attack actually) because of the PWM.
I don’t remember this coming up at INDISC, so it probably varies by machine. I would recommend some glass off testing of left scoop into held flipper to know what to expect.
Hey guys, OK, let me chime in here. I am using a dual wound coil (FL-11629) with no EOS switches on TNA. On the original whitewood, the game never had any issues with the flipper dropping, but some production games are able to break the hold due to the shear speed of the left scoop eject. I thought about adding an EOS switch to the production games, but production had already started at that point and I really hate the re-flip that happens when you break the flipper hold and it launches any trapped balls that are on that flipper.
I chose to go with a PWM method to add extra hold to the flippers along with the hold winding. This also works well if the flipper hold breaks, it will bring the flipper back into position without it re-flipping at full strength. This can be adjusted in the service menu as well. Other things that help are replacing the flipper return spring with the DE version. This is a nice thick version that will also resist breaking.
https://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p=product&id=774
Should I have put EOS switches on the game? Maybe, but this solution is pretty good in my opinion. Alternatively, you can also reduce the coil strength of the left scoop, but that sucks. 
Hope that helps clear up a few things. I am going to tweak a few things in the code to see if I can find a nicer PWM pattern to make this issue go away completely. This is not happening on every machine. There are over a hundred games out in the wild and I have only heard of several locations that are having this issue. We are actively working to figure out why some machines are having an issue and others are not.
Thanks,
–Scott
11 Likes
Hey @GaryTheNoTrashCougar thanks for chiming in. I appreciate having open discussion about these things. Hopefully it will help getting ready for events like TPF. Actually, let me rephrase that, I hope no problems occur at TPF, but the TDs are better informed.
Can you explain the spring change. I would love to try them, but unfortunately PBL is completely impractical from Canada ($33 shipping. No). Is there something specific about that spring, or is it about changing from a williams return spring to a DE return spring?
I am really, really hoping Spooky starts implementing some of these basic pinball switches in their games going forward. I am still dealing with trough stacks on my RZ, and am lucky to get through a multiplayer game without having to open the coin door and manually eject balls. I’ve yet to find a trough setting that ejects 100% correctly.
EOS and trough stack switches exist for a reason; I still do not know why Spooky thinks they did not need them. I am starting to regret my RZ purchase. The rules are finally coming together nicely but physical issues keep cropping up.