Ok,

I just played LOTR for around an hour and a half - not exactly sure as I don't know at what time I started. 415Million, Destroyed the Ring Twice (one shot from a third time); got all the Elf Gifts, completed all the multiballs at least 3 times; got to "There and back Again" but did not get to complete all the shots 9as time expirted). ... and I still did not get to valinor - What the hell was missing? I am (almost) ready to sell it as I know I will never ever have another game like that!

However, there is a little asterisk next to the score as my POTD VUK started to act up on the 3rd ball(s) and the ball search kept cutting in - making the multiballs a little easier (until I finally managed to lift the glass and prod the switch enough to finally get it to start working again.

Has anyone got to the Wizard mode yet?

Another question. Once you have destroyed the ring for the sceond time it appeared that it was much harder to get the modes light lit - i.e the ring shot rarely launched a mode but just kept awarding point. Is that normal in anyone elses experience?

Damn, Damn, Damn. I was soooo close - I may not play it again for the rest of the year.

Tom.

Quoted from tom_454

Ok,

I just played LOTR for around an hour and a half - not exactly sure as I don't know at what time I started. 415Million, Destroyed the Ring Twice (one shot from a third time); got all the Elf Gifts, completed all the multiballs at least 3 times; got to "There and back Again" but did not get to complete all the shots 9as time expirted). ... and I still did not get to valinor - What the hell was missing? I am (almost) ready to sell it as I know I will never ever have another game like that!

However, there is a little asterisk next to the score as my POTD VUK started to act up on the 3rd ball(s) and the ball search kept cutting in - making the multiballs a little easier (until I finally managed to lift the glass and prod the switch enough to finally get it to start working again.

Has anyone got to the Wizard mode yet?

Another question. Once you have destroyed the ring for the sceond time it appeared that it was much harder to get the modes light lit - i.e the ring shot rarely launched a mode but just kept awarding point. Is that normal in anyone elses experience?

Damn, Damn, Damn. I was soooo close - I may not play it again for the rest of the year.

Tom.

good game, let me know if you decide to sell

Quoted from tom_454

Ok, I just played LOTR for around an hour and a half ...

Wow, that's an epic game. I've enjoyed playing LoTR the few times I've had the opportunity and hope to own one one day, but one game for 1 1/2 hours scares me! That is looong time in my toddler-filled world.

Does Stern's Spider-man share the same long ball times?    

Holy crap! That was one hell of a game.

I don't know what you were missing to get to Valinor. Vengeance is the king of the rules. I'm sure he will post on that.

If you are having long games like that, it's time to make some changes. Have you opened the outlanes? When I got my LOTR, I found it a tad easy, so I opened the outlanes to the middle. I also set the Two Towers MB to med. or hard -- I'll have to look. By default, the first TT MB only requires you to spell KEEP once and then send the three balls up the sword to start MB. I found this too easy and by making the change to the setting, you have to spell KEEP for each MB. Makes the game much more fun in my opinion.

Cheers,
Duane

Quoted from OTTOgd

Wow, that's an epic game. I've enjoyed playing LoTR the few times I've had the opportunity and hope to own one one day, but one game for 1 1/2 hours scares me! That is looong time in my toddler-filled world.

Does Stern's Spider-man share the same long ball times?

LOTR does have long ball times, but subtle changes make all the difference. You can set the rules to hard and open up the outlanes. Ball times will be much less.

Spiderman, out of the box, has very long ball times. To make the times more reasonable, open the outlanes and make changes to the rules. Medvet did this to her Spiderman and it's a much game for it. Same holds true for 24. Out of the box, I found it too easy. Open up the outlanes and increase the rules...BANG what an amazing game!

Duane

All my game-play settings are factory default. It was a long long game but to put the score in perspective, my high score prior to that one game was 119Million. If all my games were (or become) like that I would definately have to make it harder. Some games can be a little long, however, other games are very short. I just think the stars were aligned for me a little today. It was a very exciting game, had me on edge the entire game but I was severly dissapointed at not getting to the Wizard mode.

I certainly wouldn't be able to dedicate that much time to a single game very often either - that is one of the things I like about pinball, you can usually play a quick game or two between loads of laundry.

It most likely had to do with the order you did the things in.

You need to have All the Gifts of the Elves and get the Gifts of the Elves Wizard mode (Super Ring Frenzy Multiball)

You need to play there and back again

You need to have gotten the super jackpot on all 3 multiballs

Then you have to destroy the ring and you actually have to complete destroying the ring.  

So sounds like you had everything completed (although you didn't mention the super ring frenzy multiball) But you must have completed something after the last time you finished destroy the ring or you didn't actually destroy the ring when you got into the mode.

Good score though.

You need to destroy the ring AFTER all the other criteria is met (winning multiballs, getting all the gifts, playing TABA). You do NOT have to 'complete' TABA or the modes, just play it. This is all hearsay, since I haven't been able to accomplish this.