Quoted from jonny_eh

Necro, I'll probably be needed to pick your brain if I decide to go for it. I do in fact have the WRT54GL router with the full dd-wrt (been using it for a couple years). I'm a bit rusty with iptables but I like to consider myself technically savvy, I am a linux developer afterall.

To do the online stuff, I need this v1.8 right? Where can I find it?

You need to get v1.8 from the guy hosting the tourney server.

Quoted from Menace

As soon as I get my RFM, I will be installing all of the tourney gear I've managed to acquire over the past couple years in anticipation.  As long as the tourney hosts fee is reasonable I don't have any problem donating, after all the host is out of pocket for everything so far...

It's free.

He gives you a link to download v1.8 down the road when you become a trusted agent.

You would think he was dealing in crack the way he protects this version. Problem is you need the thing from the onset to get it to work right. I have no idea why he would let you struggle with a lesser version to find out that it is the reason for things not functioning correctly. At least if I had known what wasn't supported in these versions I would have anticipated the problems rather than waiting to get the correct version after being indoctrinated in as a patched member.

V1.5 will get you close to full functionality. If you go without a reader make sure he puts your IP address in the server. I spent countless hours troubleshooting because he didn't do this when he said he did. Without the reader it's the only way his site knows that it's your game sending stats and logs them appropriately.

Also the card is given as black on blue. I used the exact reader and the other linked RFM I know of uses a handheld reader. We both could not get the printout in colour or grayscale to work. I had to clean up the artwork in Corel, increase the size of the barcode and replace the blue background to get it to read. The reader reads the default cards fine. He has since added a link to produce these factory cards but I had to hunt for them. You need to set parity etc. with these cards. If memory serves defaulting the reader is the correct settings for RFM.

I don't want to bother with the barcode reader, seems kinda unnecessary. I'm the only one in my house that plays these infernal machines.

Quoted from jonny_eh

I don't want to bother with the barcode reader, seems kinda unnecessary. I'm the only one in my house that plays these infernal machines.

Then V1.5 is fine. Just make sure he puts in your IP address. Problem is your IP address is probably dynamic and will change in time from your ISP.

With 1.5 you won't get the scrolling highscore table with pics. You have to go online to get this information with that version.

I have a static IP, so no worries!

With 1.5, will it still show the international high score table? What exactly are the differences between 1.5 and 1.8?

Quoted from jonny_eh

What exactly are the differences between 1.5 and 1.8?

I wish I knew "exactly" what the differences were. AFAIK it's the scrolling table and card support.

For you install I would suggest.

• V1.5 or V1.8
  Install NIC and extra RAM.
  Flash his flash since you have the exact router.
  Set up your RFM and the router settings to suit your network.
  Have him put in your IP address.
  

Your done!

Good timing?

NuCore complete:
http://groups.google.ca/group/rec.games.pinball/browse_thread/thread/36cfde820ceab39f#

Almost complete. If you use the original monitor you need the adapter otherwise your into a monitor.

It is! Price is a bit high, but if it means I can buy a new game kit down the road, or my current system goes belly up, then it's good to have. I'm glad those guys made the system!

It's also tempting to get it just to tinker. Will they allow people to write their own native game code? Or does it need to be emulated to work?

Quoted from jonny_eh

It is! Price is a bit high

Price seems fair if you got a gutted RFM or SWE1 for a good deal.

If your looking at hocking out the guts of a working game I agree without other game offerings it makes little sense to spend the money.

All in all what they are providing though if you add up the nuts and bolts and R&D seems quite fair, but lets face it we pay to play games not buy nuts and bolts.

Ya, it's totally fair. It's just not worth it yet for someone that has a working machine. I 'hope' the one I bought will be working. Please be working!!

I plan on going NuCore even if I have a working CPU.  I'll just sell off all the bits I don't need to help re-coup the cost.  The featureset and enhancements that NuCore brings to P2K will be worth the couple hundred I will be out of pocket after selling all the stuff I don't need.  (and I won't have to worry about the crappy original computer packing it in and being stuck with a paperweight)

D