Version 1.1
January 1, 2018
Checksum D5005AE7
Changes since 1.02:
Bug Fixes:
- Fixed a bug where a player would not be able to enter initials for a high score, if another player had already entered initials.
- Fixed another bug when entering initials where the wrong player number would be announced.
- Fixed a display glitch after one player entered initials, if another player also made the high score table but hadn't entered initials yet. The "pending" entry was rendered incorrectly.
- Fix presentation of Host Value award.
- Fixed several bugs in the extra ball buy-in logic.
- Fixed "0 Credits, Press Start" message in attract mode.
- Fixed Airlock scoop switch from reporting the inverse of its switch level sometimes.
- Fixed Save Newt insert not blinking during its multiball.
- Fixed mismatch between display instructions, playfield lighting, and what shots actually scored during Derelict Ship. Everything should match now.
- Fixed infinite ball saver bug that would occur if ball saver was turned on after a "Revive" was started, but before the ball returned to the trough.
- Fixed ball saver bug if test mode started while a game was in bonus.
- Fixed multiball modes sometimes not ending after returning to 1-ball play.
- Fixed IO board firmware update failure if interrupted by pressing another coin door button.
- Increased duty cycle to the up posts as some machines were not holding reliably.
- Center magnet now activates sooner when attempting to grab the ball; this should eliminate some cases of the magnet missing the ball.
- Fix Xenomorph eating the ball when you had 1 more Lifecycle to go for Save Newt and multiple shots to be completed.
- Added a brief delay between knocker and shaker motor during replay/match effects.
- Fixed the General Brightness adjustment. Setting it to 9 or 10 (the highest) would not turn on the backbox/side panel lights at all. This now works.
- Reduced the factory default shaker motor power to 50%. Existing users will need to apply this adjustment manually.
- Reduced duty cycle on the center magnet when flinging the ball.
- Fixed entering test mode from within a game and returning all balls to the trough before the game resumes. Previously the game would wait forever. Now, the game will either end ball, or, if the playfield was never validated, put a ball back to the shooter. Note: setting adjustment OPEN DOOR SAVE to YES will ensure that balls get returned to play from the trough instead of ending the ball.
- Fixed a sound system bug that caused the bonus background to be louder than intended.
- Progress towards Ambush MB was counted if you entered test mode during a game and activated the center targets; this has been corrected.
- Ambush MB would continue advancing Xenos toward the center if you entered test mode during a game; this has been corrected.
- Fixed a system bug that would cause the game to reset, which was triggered during the Ambush multiball start sequence.
System Features:
- Added the coil adjustments menu. Each coil can be individually adjusted between 25% weaker and 25% stronger from the recommended value.
- Improved knocker sound plus increased its volume.
- Added knocker sound to sound test.
- Improved the communications between the CPU and the I/O boards in several ways, so that the game should feel more responsive than before.
- Added support for IO board firmware version 0.8.
- Improved the way that the front cabinet lights (start, launch) are strobed.
- Coin door lamp is now illuminated anytime credits can be added.
- Increased delay between ball launches slightly.
- Auto launch will now retry a few more times before going into panic mode.
- Auto launch will now wait a little longer before launching a ball just kicked from the trough. This should reduce failed attempts that bounce back because the ball had not settled.
- Added playfield coordinates to Coils Test.
- In tests which display the playfield map, the selected item is now highlighted with a blinking marker.
- Extra-ball buyin adjustments have changed. The on/off adjustment now configures the price of an extra ball, and may be set to OFF (default), 1/2 CREDIT, or 1 CREDIT. Also added an adjustment BUYIN LIMIT which determines the maximum number of times a player may buyin when not set to OFF. Default is 3.
Game Features:
- Don't start background lamp effect for Mother award during multiball play, as it makes it harder to follow the other ball(s).
- Changed insert color for Drop Ship/2X scoring to differentiate from other similar colors.
- Smart Gun now much smarter about which shot to award, including considering an implied value of advancing towards or starting multiballs.
- Light Extra Ball at a certain number of Lifecycles (adjustable; default is 3).
- Light Special after a certain number of modes won (adjustable; default is 4).
- Extra Ball/Special point awards added when they can't be awarded.
- Add Hypersleep MB difficulty adjustment, which controls how many ball locks are required to start the first Hypersleep MB. Subsequent Hypersleep MBs require an extra lock, to a limit of 3.
- Add Recharge difficulty adjustment, which controls whether Recharge can be used multiple times per mode/multiball (Easy), or only once (Hard). Default is EASY.
- Add new rule for increasing the Host Value by making Combos.
- Add points when winning some modes, where nothing was awarded before.
- Drop targets no longer validate the playfield.
- Add additional sounds for the upper left loop
- Pop bumpers no longer pause timers during multiball.
- Don't bring out the xenomorph toy if Ambush MB is started by activating a weapon. This is to prevent damage to the mechanism caused by a free ball on the playfield.
- Derelict Ship now shows progress towards completing the first phase on the display.
- Airlock LCD now shows more information during modes and multiballs.
- Added new sounds for the Vent 2 and Vent 3 shots.
- Added new sounds for Double Scoring.
- Added a sound for active ball saver.
- Changed how the Chestburster shot is scored to improve tolerance for a bad inductive lane switch:
* If Chestburster Lane Diff is set to Easy, either the lane switch OR the standup will award the shot. This is now the default behavior.
* If Chestburster Lane Diff is set to Hard, the standup is required, and the lane switch is effectively ignored.
- Slightly reduce the ammo boost provided by the main shots towards qualifying Sentry Guns.
- During Queen's Nest, Vent 3 now diverts to the eggs, unless mode win is qualified.
- Add information about how to qualify Hypersleep locks to the status line.
- Improved choreography during Ambush MB.
- Scenes can now be resumed from grace periods correctly. This fixes the false awarding of "Add More Time" from Mother when the mode had expired due to the ball sitting in the eject for too long.
- Multiballs can now be resumed from grace periods correctly. This fixes the false awarding of "Add-A-Ball" from Mother when the multiball had drained out due to the ball sitting in the eject for too long.
- Combo lamp effects are reduced in priority.
- Improved lighting for Queen's Nest start.
- Mother Mystery now more likely to give "Reset Tilt Warnings".
- Mother Mystery "Special" now possible, though very low probability.
- Egg Value raised during Derelict Ship and Queen's Nest.
- Add +2X shot multiplier for completing drops sequentially during APC mode.
- Increased Rescue scoring; reduced frenzy timer.
- Added Rescue pot multiplier rule. Completing the APC targets in order during Rescue multiplies the pot collected. This can be repeated multiple times.
- Changes to All Out War:
* AOW now shows a simple background display with mode instructions.
* AOW now starts with 5 balls instead of 4.
* Completing all weapons targets now adds a ball if possible, else starts a ball saver.
* Completing all 6 "big arrows" now increases the shot multiplier for all "big arrow" shots.
- Bleeped a few more callouts when adult content turned off.
- Adjusted volume levels better at start of Acid Burn.