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Northern Lights at Play Expo Manchester. Official machine pledges.

Yeah, I noticed some weird coloured DMD's - they didn't actually have the distinct dots any more and instead the mash of colours all melded together making it look really weird.
And that's another part of the fun - the 'better' color DMD brand out there optionally can implement something that looks very similar to 2xSai to give smoothing to the image.

I will say as a graphics guy that normally prefers accuracy over enhancement, that the smoothing implemented on those screens is very well tuned indeed, and even I would think twice about turning it off.
 
I will never understand the obsession with colour DMDs. They look awful full stop.
Horses for courses! When I first heard about them I was prejudiced to hate them immediately but actually, I quite like the look of the smoothed-but-black-and-white mode on Twilight Zone, and Johnny Mnemonic is incredible with a full color DMD. Addams Family also really benefits. Whereas I think the original blood-red on BSD and the blue of Tron are best left untouched.

It's also easier to understand that they are popular, because the plasma displays of all kinds are beginning to rot, unfortunately, so replacements are bound to happen...
 
Horses for courses! When I first heard about them I was prejudiced to hate them immediately but actually, I quite like the look of the smoothed-but-black-and-white mode on Twilight Zone, and Johnny Mnemonic is incredible with a full color DMD. Addams Family also really benefits. Whereas I think the original blood-red on BSD and the blue of Tron are best left untouched.

It's also easier to understand that they are popular, because the plasma displays of all kinds are beginning to rot, unfortunately, so replacements are bound to happen...

Colour DMD on a BSD is absolutely criminal. Same with TWD.
 
Some of us just like the 'artist original' and we grew up liking the 'mind's image' space that the gaps between pixels offer you ;)
 
And to REALLY get the blood flowing, let's throw in time-old incandescent versus LED debate!

...or lets not
 
Had a great time - thanks to everyone for taking their machines! Highlights were getting to see and play Batman 66 for the first time and that stunning Twilight Zone with the TV mod - really great condition machine!
 
Dr. Who was mine, bought from Darren Ross about a year ago, previously was Lee Riley I believe. It played well until the lock in when the sound stopped working, no idea why. Need to try have a look at it in the next couple of days. Although Chris B has rightly pointed out it would benefit from a pinsound in it. But other than it stood up to the weekend well. Thanks for the comment.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Where did you get the alternative translight?
When I had mine I swopped the switch covers for a davros and k9 model and also swopped the tardis. Think there's a thread on here actually.
 
Fab weekend as ever guys and great to meet up with you all again - yes I finally did it and bought my first NIB a 'Dialled in' !! Sorry wasn't there on the Ssunday to say bye to everyone, but a certain son of mine caused a bit of an issue in scarborough that I had to sort out!!!!! I will let him have the pleasure of telling you all about it at the next gig - so until then chaps!!!

Cheers

kev
 
And to top of the fab weekend, it looks like I've caught the dreaded "event lurgie". Feel a bit heady and throaty.
 
Tip for anyone next year, if it’s remotely warm, do not get hammered the night before.

The heat and stench from some people brought an incredible hangover on. I think I drank a gallon of sprite just to get through it.

The whole even is well worth it as I ended up spending a decent amount of time in the retro area even playing a BBC Micro.

Didn’t see it on the list but Radical was a pin I’ve wanted to play for some time and thankfull it was loud enough to get the music etc.

I echo what’s been said about Robocop. Also wheel of fortune was a nice game, smashing the wee bobble heads and a simple rule set was exactly what I needed. The T2 was very pretty, so why not another shot?
 

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Had a great weekend, thanks everyone.
Special mention to Wayne, Julie and Tim who looked after me in the lock in.
No qualification for me in the tournament, But I'm very pleased with my mid-ish table finish and had great fun for my 1st "real" tournament.
Man I love dialed in. That pin is everything a modern pin should be IMO. loads to do, easy to learn but tough to master. but not ironman punishing.
Sorry to the other 2 guys who played it with me, I've forgotten your names. We had a good laugh though.
All in all brilliant weekend, it flew by. Also my 8yr old daughter beat 15 people in qualifying! shes going to be stoked.
 
I would like to thank all of the NLP crew for all their hard work, the machine donors for sharing, volunteers for their time and the security staff whom I gave a hard time to.

The competition ran smoothly (or appeared to) and was a welcome addition to the show I thought.

The lock in was great and the time when I enjoyed playing the machines most.

I would also like to thank @robertlucas1970 for bringing R2D2 along, it was all my kids talked about!

Cheers

Matt
 
Yeah, thanks to everyone who lent machines and helped to organise etc. Me and the family had an awesome time, although I think Lou spent more time (and money) shopping at the trafford centre than I did in the tournament. :confused:

And apologies to anyone who wanted to play the turtles game in the arcade bit. Max was on there for most of sunday and didn't really get that other people want to play, although it is a 4 player game so other people joined in to help him beat shredder twice!!

The tournament format was too hard for me, but I did enjoy trying to qualify, although if I had hooked up the right 3 games together I could have scraped through, and I kept reminding myself that I was just donating to charity by entering as many times as I did...

We avoided the M6 after hearing how crap it was but then we had to contend with A-roads with a van full of pins. Got back about 10:30 and couldn't be ****d to unload last night so did it this morning. Opened the van to find this...

20171016_094422.jpg


The Flintstones was bungee strapped in but it had still managed to tip over onto the trolley. I thought I had "done a wayne" but fortunately it was just broken glass from the bottom of the cab (from a previous broken glass - that I haven't yet cleaned up.) that had worked its way out in transit.

All my machines behaved themselves all weekend which was good, but I've still got to set them up and power them on to see if any of my high scores have survived as well.

I thought my fishtales high scores would be gone once I saw that it was being used in the comp, but I think it was only Nick that managed to get his name up there, and my high score is still top (although I couldn't get anywhere near it in the comp. )

The kids have decided were going back next year, so it looks like its gone from a lads weekend away every year to a family weekend but its still one of the best weekends of the year, so thanks again to everyone who makes it happen.
 
Can’t remember who it was but I followed the recommendation of hand sanitizer! And it really is a must, at times I used it just to cover some of the smells.
I neglected to heed the advice.

But, with all of us appearing to have come back with a bug and with some discussion in the office we won't make the same mistake next year. There really were some 'orrible folk there with incredibly poor hygiene.
 
I neglected to heed the advice.

But, with all of us appearing to have come back with a bug and with some discussion in the office we won't make the same mistake next year. There really were some 'orrible folk there with incredibly poor hygiene.
Cast-iron immune system is required. I've survived without issue but I'm no stranger to these kinds of shows, have been going to them before getting actively into pinball.

Sadly, this Manchester show was just par for the course in the hygiene and smell department. This kind of show at large (Play Expo) attracts a lot of people with minimal social graces.
 
Cast-iron immune system is required. I've survived without issue but I'm no stranger to these kinds of shows, have been going to them before getting actively into pinball.

Sadly, this Manchester show was just par for the course in the hygiene and smell department. This kind of show at large (Play Expo) attracts a lot of people with minimal social graces.

It was great advice glad I picked up some at the airport on the way up!
 
Had a great time - thanks to everyone for taking their machines! Highlights were getting to see and play Batman 66 for the first time and that stunning Twilight Zone with the TV mod - really great condition machine!

Yes I played that TZ also, it was fantastic!
 
Just want to say a massive thankyou too all the donators and the team for organising this great event a lot of hardwork and dedication to put together a great event for people like myself...

and thanks to everyones efforts I have managed to narrow down the next pin on my hit-list... its between the avatar, star wars and xmen, loved these pins the most just wish I could of spent more time on them.

I am updating my SF2 pin so if anyone can assist with this please let me know any helpful links for modding/ re-doing the paintwork and a new playfield glass would be appreciated.
 
Well that a fantastic weekend!

This was my first NLP, always clashes with other events I do but this year scheduled this one in first! The Northern Lads do a great job organising the event and the Lock In was top notch

Kudos to Wayne for organising a really professional ran competition - I think its the future for competitions in the UK

To say I'm a little broken is an under estimate, moving 19 machines on 2 vans with a chest infection and two dodgy hands (had both hands operated on) is more taxing then expected!

Roll on next year!
 
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