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Where to try machines?
- Thread starter richs01
- Start date
D
Deleted member 2463
I'd make sure your architect knows you are putting in 300KG of pinball machine. Typically lofts are not set up for big weights although some have strengthening for water tank.
Getting a modern stern up there will be fine. But anything else will be really difficult. Also think about how you get it down when after 6 months you fancy something different.
Getting a modern stern up there will be fine. But anything else will be really difficult. Also think about how you get it down when after 6 months you fancy something different.
Yeah I’d be more looking to move another room up into the attic and using a room closer to ground level as a games roomI gave up putting machines upstairs after just 2 machines, too much hassle
I used to play the ghost busters in brewdog reading used to walk over in my lunch break hehe
Yeah that’s good shout
Thanks for the replies. The games room is definitely staying upstairs, putting pinball machines in the middle of my lounge isn't a long term plan! I'm sure if I just stick to the modern machines we'll be fine, and distributing the weight over the area it will fill I'm sure will also be fine - I weigh almost as much as one of the modern Stern machines and I haven't fallen through the ceiling yet 
true but your weight isnt concentrated on four inch feet, which when in use is rocked back and found and side to side.Thanks for the replies. The games room is definitely staying upstairs, putting pinball machines in the middle of my lounge isn't a long term plan! I'm sure if I just stick to the modern machines we'll be fine, and distributing the weight over the area it will fill I'm sure will also be fine - I weigh almost as much as one of the modern Stern machines and I haven't fallen through the ceiling yet
I know - I think plenty of other people have put pinball machines in their loft conversions though. It's a modern house and the loft company will be putting in a new floor to support the rooms in there, so I'm OK with it!
Yes for sure, not trying to poo poo your idea, just giving some advice, last thing you want is your shiny new pin making a skylight in your kids bedroom,
we have all moved pins up stairs and alot of us wont want to do it again, and I can certainly vouch for wanting to change pins quite quickly,
Thank you - appreciate the guidance. Absolute worst case we'll have to rethink things if they won't go in the loft but I've got time to sort this - we'll think up a plan. Plan B - turn my kids ground floor playroom into a pinball room!
You are welcome to come and check out some of my machines. I am between Henley and Marlow, so not far from you. We got Stern, JJP, Spooky, Bally, Williams, Gottlieb and WhizzBang machines to try!
It’s worth mentioning that the whole ‘you will get bored after 6 months’ thing is not guaranteed. I admit that our Fish Tales spends too much time Out of Order, but we’re not bored of either it or Lord of the Rings. We’ve played a lot of pins over the last six months and, to be honest, we often come back from a pinball outing and play our pins because we prefer them to the selection on public display.
It does depend on how you choose pins and what you’re hoping to achieve by playing TBH. We‘ve generally tried to play lots of pins, or watched a lot of videos, before purchasing, and we purchase for longevity/playstyle rather than artwork/theme. Also, although we utterly suck at pinball - we’re interested in getting better and playing competitively. We often gather on an evening to play three player, with the aim of getting a top score in our own personal league. So, in a sense, the pinball machines are tournament training devices more than anything else, and it’s probably not too important what the specific machine is - provided it’s not a repetition of any of the others. This explains why my most recent Wanted advert is asking for a pin with sequenced drop targets for accuracy practice... !
I think you just need to be very careful about what you purchase and ensure that it’s something that most people regard as a stone-cold classic. Pins that people regret selling are a good bet - it means they’ve got lastability and are something you can leave and enjoy coming back to. For us, personally, our first pin (Fish Tales) was one I’d played in a virtual format about 200 times and it’s seen as a tough tournament machine. This explains why we own a pin themed around fishing despite being… totally uninterested in the sport.
You will get bored
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Deleted member 2463
Also note that I said “when you fancy something different” - as opposed to “you will get bored” but we can look forward to a two thousand word essay on that shortly! 
Thank you - very much appreciated! Will be in touch!
I guess that's the reason for trying out a few machines before I actually put a deposit down to order one. I've currently got my eye on a virtual machine as well, which would hopefully give me an idea of lots of tables and give me some variety, but I do need to go and play some machines first. Just from the game play I've seen online, my current favourites are a JP Premium or even a Ghostbusters Premium but the latter seems like rocking horse poo to get hold of, and I can reserve an order slot for a JP when the time is right. The objective is to have something to take my mind off work, and also have somewhere to spend time with friends and family. I'm not going to be a pinball pro!
I'm also going to remain confident that the stairs aren't a huge issue - just an inconvenience, and so long as I have the option of removing some of the weight from a machine, I can get it up and down the stairs. We've adjusted the loft design to allow for this!
So I guess I have a few months to get around and play a few machines and see if this is the right thing to do, what to buy, and if something comes up for sale I'll see if it's in budget. I'm off to High Score in Newbury on Friday night (not sure if I'm allowed to mention company names by the way, if not I'm sure a mod can remove!) to get an idea.
Thanks
Richard
Not sure moving is an option! But I sense this might be a slightly addictive hobby...
Anyone on here is more than welcome to play my pins anytime just dm me to arrange.
I always have several new pins here at any one time.
I’ve also been known to put people up for a night if it’s a long haul.
I always have several new pins here at any one time.
I’ve also been known to put people up for a night if it’s a long haul.
D
Deleted member 2463
aounds like you need something like Deadpool or Medieval Madness (get a remake easy to get up the stairs and 1000 times more reliable than the original) - maybe Stranger Things or Godzilla.
JP2 I suspect will frustrate you. Ghostbusters is just a turd from a gameplay POV (sadly as the theme is a winner for me).
Neil.
Just let the gent play some pins and decide for himself
I am, as evidenced by my league results, probably the worst pinball player posting on these forums and - genuinely - I love JP2. I also love TNA, on which my ball times are measured in milliseconds, and I enjoy a wide range of vintage pins that require precision accuracy (which I don’t have).
I think that the Medieval Madness (remake) and Godzilla are likely to be good choices because everyone (by Pinside rankings) seems to like these pins. However, you probably need to work out what sort of games you enjoy and what situations you expect to play games in (e.g. with friends, with kids) before making a big purchase (and a big trip upstairs).
Thanks Neil/ Vee.
It's really hard to say what I do or do not like until I actually spend some decent time playing them, which I intend to do over the next few months to get an idea. It's easy looking at games on youtube, but I have no sense of what they are like to play. Also I'm still set on having a virtual pin alongside one or two physical ones, so hopefully this would give me some variety.
So much as I prefer the look of JP to Godzilla, it's pointless spending £10K on a new JP if I get bored of it after a few weeks. Stranger Things looks like my kind of thing as well!
It's really hard to say what I do or do not like until I actually spend some decent time playing them, which I intend to do over the next few months to get an idea. It's easy looking at games on youtube, but I have no sense of what they are like to play. Also I'm still set on having a virtual pin alongside one or two physical ones, so hopefully this would give me some variety.
So much as I prefer the look of JP to Godzilla, it's pointless spending £10K on a new JP if I get bored of it after a few weeks. Stranger Things looks like my kind of thing as well!
Forget having a video nasty and stick to playing them on a PC or console - buy proper machines instead. The amount of times we have visitors who comment on how different the physical machines are compared to video ones of the same theme and that they much prefer the genuine thing.
We've had a few visitors from Reading in the past, you'll be more than welcome at Special When Lit http://www.specialwhenlit.co.uk/location.php
Thanks - will organise a visit to come and see you, much appreciated!Forget having a video nasty and stick to playing them on a PC or console - buy proper machines instead. The amount of times we have visitors who comment on how different the physical machines are compared to video ones of the same theme and that they much prefer the genuine thing.
We've had a few visitors from Reading in the past, you'll be more than welcome at Special When Lit http://www.specialwhenlit.co.uk/location.php
Be warned we have a habit of changing peoples minds about what machines they'd like to own...!!!
It's not that you'll get bored of it after a few weeks. Apparently, the problem is that progressing a long way into the game (not just through a couple of paddocks) requires very difficult timed shots. Many people find that frustrating and get fed up with the game.
Thanks, understood. So I'm curious as to how Stern seem to have since released a 'home' version of JP, is that therefore easier to play?
No. It's a cheaper, smaller pinball machine that is - AFAIK - designed to be harder to maintain, and is probably overpriced for what it is. You can get a nice classic second-hand pin with a better ruleset for the same price.
The big 'plus' of modern Sterns is that they have very complex rulesets compared to older pins. Thus, people feel you're less likely to reach Wizard mode and, subsequently, get bored of the gameplay. The 'home pin' won't have that benefit.
