• Re: Brr

    From Mortar M.@618:250/19 to Daryl Stout on Mon Nov 24 14:09:16 2025
    Re: Re: Brr
    By: Daryl Stout to Rob Mccart on Sun Nov 23 2025 22:09:32

    I did that myself...especially when I had to get to my next class
    in college...although I enjoyed the Student Union Gameroom more. <G>

    I was like that with Tempest. I also spent lots of time in the SU. In my freshman year, I spent so much time there, I got put on FA probation; Seems my grades didn't quite thrill them. Next semester I was pretty much holed up in the library. Heh.
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  • From Rob Mccart@618:250/1 to DARYL STOUT on Tue Nov 25 08:49:28 2025
    That might sound like winning a free game but, what it involved
    was running the machine out of free games. Most machines could
    only rack up 15 free games

    I remember when you beat the high score, you got 3 free games, but
    >they usually had a max of 5 or 10 games to win. You tried to TILT it
    >just before it rolled over from 999,990 (for the games that had that
    >as the high water mark). Now, in some of the games, it takes well over
    >a million just to get 1 replay.

    This was a long time ago and the machine was very mechanical.
    I'm not sure if it even kept track of a high score, and there
    was no way to put in a name or initials if it did..

    ---
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  • From Jimmy Anderson@618:250/24 to Daryl Stout on Tue Nov 25 22:47:02 2025
    Daryl Stout wrote to digimaus <=-

    Sean,

    I've never watched "Top Gun" so don't feel bad. But if you do
    ever want to watch it, let me know.

    There was a neat pinball machine by that name. If you set a high
    score, or when the game finished, it played "Anchors Aweigh". It
    made me want to stand and salute. :)

    Yeah! Nothing to do with the movie, but a VERY cool machine!

    I have it on an iPad app too... :-)



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  • From Jimmy Anderson@618:250/24 to Daryl Stout on Tue Nov 25 22:47:02 2025
    Daryl Stout wrote to Mike Powell <=-

    I found neat YouTube Channel last night, Alpha Bravo Pinball...
    I watched videos on "Top Gun" and "High Speed", both manufactured
    by Williams in the mid 1980's.

    No telling how much money I spent over the years playing pinball, earning a Master Of Student Union and a Doctor Of Pinball in college,
    when I wasn't studying for my Bachelor Of Arts in Radio, TV, and Film.

    I played some video games, but love pinball to this day!!!


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  • From Jimmy Anderson@618:250/24 to Rob Mccart on Tue Nov 25 22:47:02 2025
    Rob Mccart wrote to DARYL STOUT <=-

    No telling how much money I spent over the years playing pinball,
    >earning a Master Of Student Union and a Doctor Of Pinball in college,
    >when I wasn't studying for my Bachelor Of Arts in Radio, TV, and Film.

    In my misspent youth, age 16 or 17, I spent a lot of hours hanging
    around in a pool hall that had a few pinball machines. I had a
    favourite I played most of the time and I learned all the tricks to
    make points and we used to have a contest to see if we could do what
    we called 'Beating the Machine'..

    That might sound like winning a free game but, what it involved was running the machine out of free games. Most machines could only rack
    up 15 free games, and then if you won one more, it made a loud 'CLACK' sound, and the whole place would know that you had 'Beat the Machine'.

    At that point, you usually grabbed some kid and told him he had 15
    free games to play and walked away..

    I definitely did that twice, possibly 3 times..

    It drove the owners nuts because you can imagine the how much
    time you had tied up that machine on just one lousy quarter.. B)

    Love it!!!

    I didn't know there was a limit like that. :-) I enjoyed the pre-
    digital days where you could 'roll over' the score. :-)



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  • From Daryl Stout@618:250/33 to Rob Mccart on Tue Nov 25 21:50:10 2025
    Rob,

    This was a long time ago and the machine was very mechanical.
    I'm not sure if it even kept track of a high score, and there
    was no way to put in a name or initials if it did..

    The numbers for the score were on wheels. Now, it's all digital
    electronics.

    Daryl

    ... ¯ìûÔÔh·¤ ŽCþhanks for hanging up, dear.
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  • From Daryl Stout@618:250/33 to Jimmy Anderson on Wed Nov 26 11:27:50 2025
    Jimmy,

    There was a neat pinball machine by that name. If you set a high
    score, or when the game finished, it played "Anchors Aweigh". It
    made me want to stand and salute. :)

    Yeah! Nothing to do with the movie, but a VERY cool machine!

    It's amazing how much technology has advanced with that.

    I have it on an iPad app too... :-)

    Really?? I found one pinball game for the Android, that has several variations, but I've played more with Pyramid Solitaire lately.

    Daryl

    ... Astronauts are out to launch.
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  • From Daryl Stout@618:250/33 to Jimmy Anderson on Wed Nov 26 11:27:50 2025
    Jimmy,

    I played some video games, but love pinball to this day!!!

    You and me both.

    Daryl

    ... Time Marches On. So does Life, Newsweek, National Geographic, etc.
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  • From Daryl Stout@618:250/33 to Jimmy Anderson on Wed Nov 26 11:27:51 2025
    Jimmy,

    I didn't know there was a limit like that. :-) I enjoyed the
    pre- digital days where you could 'roll over' the score. :-)

    And, there was 3 claps of the board as you rolled it over.

    Daryl

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  • From Rob Mccart@618:250/1 to JIMMY ANDERSON on Thu Nov 27 09:18:49 2025
    At that point, you usually grabbed some kid and told him he had 15
    free games to play and walked away..

    It drove the owners nuts because you can imagine the how much
    time you had tied up that machine on just one lousy quarter.. B)

    Love it!!!

    I didn't know there was a limit like that. :-) I enjoyed the pre-
    >digital days where you could 'roll over' the score. :-)

    Yes, it's a long time since I've touched a mechanical pin ball machine.
    I still play video games on my computer, and occasionally cell phone,
    but I don't frequent many places where I run into other options.

    ---
    * SLMR Rob * The majority is ALWAYS sane
    * Origin: capitolcityonline.net * Telnet/SSH:2022/HTTP (618:250/1)
  • From Rob Mccart@618:250/1 to DARYL STOUT on Thu Nov 27 09:18:49 2025
    This was a long time ago and the machine was very mechanical.
    I'm not sure if it even kept track of a high score, and there
    was no way to put in a name or initials if it did..

    The numbers for the score were on wheels. Now, it's all digital
    >electronics.

    Yes.. as I said I don't recall a high score on the machine but it's
    possible there was one. I was about to say that if I could run the
    machine out of free games then I should have had the high score but,
    in reality, to win 15 free games, you play a lot of separate games
    where you may win 2 or 3 free games that add up, so you could still
    be a long way from the highest score in a single game..

    ---
    * SLMR Rob * I know I'm paranoid - But am I paranoid ENOUGH
    * Origin: capitolcityonline.net * Telnet/SSH:2022/HTTP (618:250/1)
  • From Jimmy Anderson@618:250/24 to Daryl Stout on Wed Dec 3 22:10:57 2025
    Daryl Stout wrote to Rob Mccart <=-

    Rob,

    This was a long time ago and the machine was very mechanical.
    I'm not sure if it even kept track of a high score, and there
    was no way to put in a name or initials if it did..

    The numbers for the score were on wheels. Now, it's all digital electronics.

    And I love the sound of the 'reset' when you start a game...
    The knock downs pop up, the wheels turn, lining up one at a
    time until they are all at zero. :-)

    Lots of servos and sounds. :-)



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  • From Jimmy Anderson@618:250/24 to Daryl Stout on Wed Dec 3 22:10:57 2025
    Daryl Stout wrote to Jimmy Anderson <=-

    Jimmy,

    There was a neat pinball machine by that name. If you set a high
    score, or when the game finished, it played "Anchors Aweigh". It
    made me want to stand and salute. :)

    Yeah! Nothing to do with the movie, but a VERY cool machine!

    It's amazing how much technology has advanced with that.

    I have it on an iPad app too... :-)

    Really?? I found one pinball game for the Android, that has several variations, but I've played more with Pyramid Solitaire lately.

    I think it's called Pinball Arcade... Several good machines have
    been duplicated on it!



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  • From Jimmy Anderson@618:250/24 to Rob Mccart on Wed Dec 3 22:10:57 2025
    Rob Mccart wrote to JIMMY ANDERSON <=-

    At that point, you usually grabbed some kid and told him he had 15
    free games to play and walked away..

    It drove the owners nuts because you can imagine the how much
    time you had tied up that machine on just one lousy quarter.. B)

    Love it!!!

    I didn't know there was a limit like that. :-) I enjoyed the pre-
    >digital days where you could 'roll over' the score. :-)

    Yes, it's a long time since I've touched a mechanical pin ball machine.
    I still play video games on my computer, and occasionally cell phone,
    but I don't frequent many places where I run into other options.

    There are still places you can go where they have them, but it's been
    a couple of summers since I've been to one. They usually have a mix
    of mechanical and digital, and arcade games too.




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  • From Rob Mccart@618:250/1 to JIMMY ANDERSON on Fri Dec 5 09:21:48 2025
    Yes, it's a long time since I've touched a mechanical pin ball machine.
    I still play video games on my computer, and occasionally cell phone,
    but I don't frequent many places where I run into other options.

    There are still places you can go where they have them, but it's been
    >a couple of summers since I've been to one. They usually have a mix
    >of mechanical and digital, and arcade games too.

    I doubt I could beat the machine anymore.. It's probably 50 years
    since I last touched one... B)

    But, as I said, I play a wide variety of games on the computer..

    ---
    * SLMR Rob * Misery loves company - but company does not reciprocate
    * Origin: capitolcityonline.net * Telnet/SSH:2022/HTTP (618:250/1)
  • From Daryl Stout@618:250/33 to Jimmy Anderson on Thu Dec 4 23:08:01 2025
    Jimmy,

    The numbers for the score were on wheels. Now, it's all digital electronics.

    And I love the sound of the 'reset' when you start a game...
    The knock downs pop up, the wheels turn, lining up one at a
    time until they are all at zero. :-)

    Some of the Bally games would have the "dings" make the sound of
    "post time at the race track" when you pressed the start button.

    I need to make a list of pinball games I've played over the years.

    Lots of servos and sounds. :-)

    Just like the audio of the dial-up modem connecting to a BBS or to
    an ISP.

    Daryl

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  • From Daryl Stout@618:250/33 to Jimmy Anderson on Thu Dec 4 23:08:01 2025
    Jimmy,

    I think it's called Pinball Arcade... Several good machines
    have been duplicated on it!

    I think that's correct. I need to find more time to play it, but
    I've been playing Pyramid Solitaire like crazy, to keep my brain
    sharp.

    Daryl

    ... Police station toilets stolen, police have nothing to go on.
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  • From August Abolins@618:400/23.10 to Daryl Stout on Fri Dec 12 08:48:00 2025
    Hello Daryl!

    ** On Thursday 04.12.25 - 23:08, Daryl Stout wrote to Jimmy Anderson:

    [...] I need to find more time to play it, but
    I've been playing Pyramid Solitaire like crazy, to keep my brain
    sharp.

    Having a sharp mind is dangerous - one wrong thought and
    suddenly you've sliced open a whole existential crisis.

    Be careful with that razor-sharp mind. You could be a safety
    hazard.

    --
    ../|ug

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    * Origin: (618:400/23.10)
  • From Daryl Stout@618:250/33 to August Abolins on Fri Dec 12 12:14:02 2025
    August,

    Be careful with that razor-sharp mind. You could be a safety
    hazard.

    I'd like to be cutting off some weight...but I'm building up
    insulation for the cold winter. I feel like a polar bear getting
    ready for hibernation. <G>

    However, the sharp mind has helped with pun humor.

    Daryl

    ... Classically speaking, all musicians end up baroque.
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  • From Rob Mccart@618:250/1 to DARYL STOUT on Sun Dec 14 07:55:08 2025
    I've been playing Pyramid Solitaire like crazy, to keep my brain
    >sharp.

    I play a few games before shutting my computer down for the night
    and one of them is a Solitaire game, a 2 deck version of Golf
    Soliatire (A/K). I have nearly 4000 games in my stats on that one
    and they say the average chance of winning is about 25% but I've
    managed to get up to close to 80% wins.. Currently just over 78%.

    I like that one because it goes quick and, even at 25%, you have
    a decent chance to win now and then..

    ---
    * SLMR Rob * Could you repeat the part after "listen very carefully"
    * Origin: Capitol City Online (618:250/1)
  • From August Abolins@618:400/23.10 to Rob Mccart on Sun Dec 14 09:47:00 2025
    Hello Rob Mccart!

    ** On Sunday 14.12.25 - 07:55, Rob Mccart wrote to DARYL STOUT:

    I've been playing Pyramid Solitaire like crazy, to keep my brain
    sharp.

    I play a few games before shutting my computer down for the night
    and one of them is a Solitaire game, a 2 deck version of Golf ...

    I might tackle the NYT Wordle, occasionally.


    --
    ../|ug

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    * Origin: (618:400/23.10)
  • From Rob Mccart@618:250/1 to AUGUST ABOLINS on Tue Dec 16 08:08:50 2025
    I play a few games before shutting my computer down for the night
    and one of them is a Solitaire game, a 2 deck version of Golf ...

    I might tackle the NYT Wordle, occasionally.

    I'd heard of that but not tried it. I thought it would be something
    like a Jumble game but I just had a look at it online.

    I lost on my first/only try though.. B(

    ---
    * SLMR Rob * Pay attention to this part in case I say something good
    * Origin: Capitol City Online (618:250/1)
  • From August Abolins@618:400/23.10 to Rob Mccart on Wed Dec 17 08:39:00 2025
    Hello Rob!

    ** On Tuesday 16.12.25 - 08:08, you wrote:

    I might tackle the NYT Wordle, occasionally.

    I'd heard of that but not tried it. I thought it would be something
    like a Jumble game but I just had a look at it online.


    There is even a fine bbs version of it.
    See https://bbswordle.com/

    It's an independent game (not a duplication of the real NYT
    version) ..although, I've heard (and maybe even tried) one bbs
    that does the real one over telnet on their system.


    I lost on my first/only try though.. B(

    There is a pseudo-strategy to it. Think "wheel of fortune"
    strategy - RSTLN for first pick consonants, and start with a
    couple of vowels.

    --
    ../|ug

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  • From Sean Dennis@618:618/1 to August Abolins on Wed Dec 17 19:14:04 2025
    Hello August,

    17 Dec 25 08:39, you wrote to Rob Mccart:

    There is a pseudo-strategy to it. Think "wheel of fortune"
    strategy - RSTLN for first pick consonants, and start with a
    couple of vowels.

    There's this also: https://word.tips/wordle/

    I use the RSTLN idea when I play "Flip The Bits".

    -- Sean

    ... A failure will not appear till a unit has passed final inspection.
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  • From Rob Mccart@618:250/1 to AUGUST ABOLINS on Fri Dec 19 08:11:14 2025
    I might tackle the NYT Wordle, occasionally.

    I'd heard of that but not tried it.
    I lost on my first/only try though.. B(

    There is a pseudo-strategy to it. Think "wheel of fortune"
    >strategy - RSTLN for first pick consonants, and start with a
    >couple of vowels.

    Yes, I realized in that first game that there would be a method,
    using specific words to narrow down the needed letters faster
    than just randomly picking out words. On that first try I did
    try to use some common sense, and I had 4 of the 5 letters
    needed, but I didn't hit the correct word in the end.

    ---
    * SLMR Rob * I know everything. I just can't remember it all at once
    * Origin: Capitol City Online (618:250/1)
  • From Sean Dennis@618:618/1 to Rob Mccart on Fri Dec 19 09:23:37 2025
    Rob Mccart wrote to AUGUST ABOLINS:

    Yes, I realized in that first game that there would be a method,
    using specific words to narrow down the needed letters faster
    than just randomly picking out words. On that first try I did
    try to use some common sense, and I had 4 of the 5 letters
    needed, but I didn't hit the correct word in the end.

    Once you figure out a method, it's a lot more fun.

    -- Sean



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  • From Jimmy Anderson@618:250/24 to Rob Mccart on Fri Dec 26 19:28:48 2025
    Rob Mccart wrote to JIMMY ANDERSON <=-

    Yes, it's a long time since I've touched a mechanical pin ball machine.
    I still play video games on my computer, and occasionally cell phone,
    but I don't frequent many places where I run into other options.

    There are still places you can go where they have them, but it's been
    >a couple of summers since I've been to one. They usually have a mix
    >of mechanical and digital, and arcade games too.

    I doubt I could beat the machine anymore.. It's probably 50 years
    since I last touched one... B)

    When I had been years since I touched one, then went in one of those
    'pay one price and play all day' places, my ARMS were sore by the
    end of it! :-)



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