While I will always recommend Pinball Arcade to people that want to prepare themselves for tournament scoring on tables on machines they can't readily access, it is a product that you need to be able to 'look past' the idiosyncrasies of the simulator like railroading, the lack of precision in the 60fps-locked physics, the glitches, the incredibly strong, predictable infinite tilting and the fact that it doesn't simulate ball spin and airballs. And of course the fact that it doesn't simulate the raw violence of the real thing whatsoever (and it never will.) All of those things totally change how you will view the table if you don't know how to look 'through' them, and that's not an easy task when clunky tables play smooth and easy as glass, and games that you can smash every time and play for 40+ mins in one ball will murder you on location.
With all respect, the amount of uncertainty you have in this thread is telling me that basing your decision at all on Pinball Arcade is a mistake. I'm still on my first table, but I arrived into the scene with a razor-sharp focus on one single game, chosen because it's the only table I ever truly remembered from my childhood, and because I know that I will never truly master it - nostalgia is a deeply powerful motivator, but add in toughness, and you have a perfect combination for me to never let go of. You're almost the exact opposite - and I know that we all like different things, but your fixation on more than two flippers will have you overlooking some very deep and very challenging tables that would be ideal for longer period play, which is what you say your ideal is. And ruling out Road Show, absolutely perfect for your situation because of the talking heads - I know you say that's your wife talking, but honestly, Redd and Tedd are not creepy, they're a lot more talkative and personable than Rudy so that uncanny valley will very quickly leave.
And the market is only getting crazier. You most likely aren't going to lose money on anything you buy. If you get bored of it - sell it for virtually exactly what you paid (as long as you paid sensibly) and just get something else.
I will also say that all three of your entries on the 'definite' list are not tables you will find for your budget. Not anymore. No chance. And I'll believe you when you say Medieval Madness is not challenging enough when you can score Battle For The Kingdom on every other credit, and also collect tens of millions on the castle hurry-ups.
Play the *REAL* thing, buy a game, try it at home for a while, fully develop your taste for games, and then trade in. You'll do better that way than trying to 'get it perfect' the first time.
With all respect, the amount of uncertainty you have in this thread is telling me that basing your decision at all on Pinball Arcade is a mistake. I'm still on my first table, but I arrived into the scene with a razor-sharp focus on one single game, chosen because it's the only table I ever truly remembered from my childhood, and because I know that I will never truly master it - nostalgia is a deeply powerful motivator, but add in toughness, and you have a perfect combination for me to never let go of. You're almost the exact opposite - and I know that we all like different things, but your fixation on more than two flippers will have you overlooking some very deep and very challenging tables that would be ideal for longer period play, which is what you say your ideal is. And ruling out Road Show, absolutely perfect for your situation because of the talking heads - I know you say that's your wife talking, but honestly, Redd and Tedd are not creepy, they're a lot more talkative and personable than Rudy so that uncanny valley will very quickly leave.
And the market is only getting crazier. You most likely aren't going to lose money on anything you buy. If you get bored of it - sell it for virtually exactly what you paid (as long as you paid sensibly) and just get something else.
I will also say that all three of your entries on the 'definite' list are not tables you will find for your budget. Not anymore. No chance. And I'll believe you when you say Medieval Madness is not challenging enough when you can score Battle For The Kingdom on every other credit, and also collect tens of millions on the castle hurry-ups.
Play the *REAL* thing, buy a game, try it at home for a while, fully develop your taste for games, and then trade in. You'll do better that way than trying to 'get it perfect' the first time.
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