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How often we play our pins?


Glenn70

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Sorry if this has been covered, but I am interested in how often and what times of the day/week people usually play their pins. In other words, what are your playing habits?

 

For me, it’s when I am in the mood and when time permits. Obviously the commitments of family life can be trying with school/kinder, food shopping and preparation, house cleaning/upkeep and duties, garden maintenance, walking dog, pressure from wife to do ‘family stuff’, etc. Don't get me wrong, my family will always come first, but trying to find my pin time can be challenging at times. Although I only work part time, I find myself playing my machines late at night after work when Mrs and kids asleep. I find I get into ‘the zone’ and play better without the interruptions of mobile phone and kids. The pins get turned on for 30-60 mins and I really enjoy myself. Next year when both kids at school, I will most likely play more, but currently, I play 1-2 times a week - so not much really.

 

Is ‘personal pinball time’ completely random when time permits or do you have arranged session times? I’ve heard of guys playing their machines for hours on a specific night of the week and only on that night. I am considering starting 'FPT' (Family Pinball Time) every Tuesday from 6pm after dinner, but don't want to force kids to play of course, as it might turn them off it. My Mrs will just hog TWD for the entire time anyway!

 

Do guys without machines (or small collections) play pins on site more than guys with larger collections?

 

Do you play a certain title when in a certain mood? If I am in a shit mood, I generally play an easier title.

 

Also, your thoughts on just turning a machine on for 30 mins or should it remain on longer? Will it effect longevity of a machine? I assume it wouldn't.

 

Looking forward to replies people.

 

Cheers, Glenn

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I'd play daily but there are those games that I have that don't get a run often

 

so I'm interested if any technical minded people can advise how often should they be operated or is it OK to leave them in storage for periods of time

 

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Now my kids are young adults and never home :) my wife and I are also never home lol (we have our life back at last) so I never play-down sized to 1 game and that’s now folded up in the spare room. Always Play if I see one on site of course :)
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Is ‘personal pinball time’ completely random when time permits or do you have arranged session times? I’ve heard of guys playing their machines for hours on a specific night of the week and only on that night. I am considering starting 'FPT' (Family Pinball Time) every Tuesday from 6pm after dinner, but don't want to force kids to play of course, as it might turn them off it. My Mrs will just hog TWD for the entire time anyway!

I try to play at least once a day as I have some calf stretching physio crap to do that's way more interesting while playing pins. I work from home so throughout the day I'll pop in to the games room as time allows and play a few games.

 

Tuesday night the missus is out so it's a good time to play pins. I've fiddled around with recording/streaming things recently to see if I can figure out a few problems with things.

 

Do guys without machines (or small collections) play pins on site more than guys with larger collections?

I only have a small collection of 3 machines (Pioneer, Space Station and Radical!), but the nearest on site is 75km away at the Australian Pinball Museum so I tend to play at home most of the time. When they have a 3 hour freeplay thing at the APM I'll try my best to get out there for those.

 

Most Friday nights I go to a friend's place and play his machine for a hour or so. Just to make sure it's all still working fine, etc. ;)

 

When I'm travelling, I get what I can on site.

 

Do you play a certain title when in a certain mood? If I am in a shit mood, I generally play an easier title.

The new game in the house gets first dibs usually. Once the shine has gone off it, I tend to try and play each machine at least once.

 

Also, your thoughts on just turning a machine on for 30 mins or should it remain on longer? Will it effect longevity of a machine? I assume it wouldn't.

I tend to think the less time things are on the better. Older EMs there's a few hold coils that are on the whole time the machine is on. The longer they're on, the hotter they get. Likewise, the shitty GI connectors seem to be problematic on some of the solid state machines. Again, the longer they're on, the hotter they get, which increases the speed of the oxidation reaction, which increases the resistance, which increases the heat, etc. The less time it's on, the longer that will last. The plasma displays have a limited lifespan too so again, so less time spent idling in attract mode the better.

 

With more modern machines, I don't know because I don't own one (yet).

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How often we play our pins?

 

My pinball playing can go from every night to maybe once or twice a fortnight. Always at night after the kids are in bed except maybe a game on the weekend if time permits.

If I have a restoration on the go,I can go without a game for weeks. I seem to enjoy restoring just as much if not more than playing.

I’ve only got 9 games so not a big collection. I can play the one game over and over to death for a bit, then go a while where I have a go on everyone in one night.

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I'd play daily but there are those games that I have that don't get a run often

so I'm interested if any technical minded people can advise how often should they be operated or is it OK to leave them in storage for periods of time

In my experience, batteries leaking and leaf switch contacts getting a bit dicky are the two main issues. The first one is easy to avoid, either pull the batteries before storage or replace them with nvram or whatever. The latter is just something you deal with and more of an issue with EMs than solid state machines. Others with more extensive collections might have other gotchas to watch out for.

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My pinball playing can go from every night to maybe once or twice a fortnight. Always at night after the kids are in bed except maybe a game on the weekend if time permits.

If I have a restoration on the go,I can go without a game for weeks. I seem to enjoy restoring just as much if not more than playing.

I’ve only got 9 games so not a big collection. I can play the one game over and over to death for a bit, then go a while where I have a go on everyone in one night.

 

Yes sounds similar to me I guess. Sometimes I go weeks without playing and then go quite a few days in a row playing the crap out of them. I also get satisfaction from restoring. 9 games is a decent collection.

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How often we play our pins?

 

Yes sounds similar to me I guess. Sometimes I go weeks without playing and then go quite a few days in a row playing the crap out of them. I also get satisfaction from restoring. 9 games is a decent collection.

 

That’s a good question. When does a small collection become decent, decent become big and big become a holy shit that’s huge a collection?

 

 

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Play everyday pretty much. Sessions can be a single play to multiple plays and titles. My games can be turn on for only minutes most times.

 

Can get rough with any of my games when in a bad mood, but usually can't be bothered nudging/shoving much. Best games are when i'm not trying to get to wizard modes or posting a highscore.

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At the moment for me it's tuesday and saturday nights, when there isn't something else on. These are the days I am generally at the workshop in the hills. Friends are around those nights, regularly, helping with "testing" ;)

 

The games vary depending what is in the shed at the time.

 

There is a small group of us over in town as well, whom collect together and play the games at the local pizza shop once a month. This is always Monday and fits into my work week in the big smoke.

 

Last night was a pinball night. 8pm through to after 1am this morning, three of us disturbing the possums with TZ, SoF, Demo Man and Addams... volume turned well up! Everyone loves that Addams multiball start! ... "Now You've Done It..." ....except the possums :lol

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8pm through to after 1am this morning

 

Now that's a decent session. Nice.

 

- - - Updated - - -

 

That’s a good question. When does a small collection become decent, decent become big and big become a holy shit that’s huge a collection?

 

Yes I've often wondered that. Opinions will vary of course but mine is this:

 

 

Small collection is 6 and under.

 

Decent-mid size collection 7-12.

 

Huge collection 13 or more.

 

Insane/too much money 30+

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Once in a blue moon,mine are more decorations nowadays

 

Know what you mean as they all look great. They really are a focal point when new people attend the house. Most people that attend mine just don't realise they still make them.

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Yep, no set times for us either.

 

Often the intention is there, but always something else that needs doing...

 

When the 'outlaws' come over, they usually get some play. My sis is not at all interested, but her boy loves them.

They all get played, 2 player games, and play one ball, move to the next machine, play the next ball.

He has no interest at all in the rules / strategies (I've tried), just likes bashing the ball around.....

 

When it's just me / us, maybe once a week they'll get a play for several games. Usually one or two pins only. It's definitely more fun and more interesting when there's a few people involved. Pinball is a social game......

 

Mike.

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Tough juggle isn’t it.

Today I fired up a quick game on a pin and proceeded to hit every shot and potentially roll over my hs, but I got the call to come in to the next room from my wife. you know the one where it can quickly escalate to get the fark in here...

Just drained the ball and came back for the 3rd - which drained after popping off the sling

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I play about once every two days i dont have a machine of my own the closest machine on site is a 1.8km walk

 

Nothing wrong with that at all and you play more than I do. Good incentive to exercise 3.6km every two days at least.

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Very rarely.

 

Before I had kids, daily for at least an hour, sometimes 2hrs. That all stopped once I had kids. Going on 8 years now and I'll fire up IM or Tron maybe once every 3 months. It was more a couple of years back when @Dedrok was down here often, but now with 4 kids 7 and under, I rarely make the time.

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Its a weekend pleasure for us, generally play either Friday or Saturday night depending whats on. Sometimes both!

 

One thing we do make a point of is having a game on each machine, only problem with that is I hardly get a good score as I only play one game on each! :laugh:

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