Pinball Rule Dynamics

This is a master repository of the different types of pinball rules that can be implemented - this is an evolving, ever-expanding list.

- Mike (from PinballHelp.com)

My original inspiraction for compiling this list was from here: http://tiltforums.com/t/pinball-game-theory/7613

Pinball Dynamics

Name	Description	Additional Info
Skill Shot	A special objective/switch to hit during plunging the ball into play, usually indicated by blinking lights.
Secret Skill Shot	A special objective/switch/sequence to hit during plunging the ball into play, that may not be obvious and needs to be discovered.	Multiple secret skill shots may be indicated as "super secret skill shot", etc.
Bonus	Extra points awarded at end of each ball (as long as you don't tilt) - the points are determined either by hitting specific bonus targets (in older games) or as a value based on switch hits + other game objectives.
Bonus Multiplier	Adding 2x, 3x or more to bonus	Sometimes a multiplier can be carried over to subsequent balls (on Raven, completing the top rollovers add a permanent bonus multiplier the remainder of the game, so achieving those features early is beneficial)
Bonus Held	Bonus on one ball carries over to next ball
Bonus Carryover	Certain game features will incur permanent bonus for the rest of the game. This can include ladder objectives.	On Paragon, if you achieve a certain level of bonus (20k+) it will carry over to subsequent balls.
Combo	A series of shots that are worth extra points (or other features) if done in rapid sequence.
Playfield Multiplier	A (usually temporary) timed mode where all or certain switches are worth 2x, 3x, etc.
Playfield Multiplier / Carryover/Permanent	On Godzilla, if you complete a city, it provides a permanent playfield multiplier for the rest of the game.
Ladder Objective	i.e. Yellow Brick Road in WOZ, Zombie Kills in TWD, Ramps and combo shots in Rush. In some cases achieving x of these will grant things like extra balls and other game features
Secret Objective	A series of shots that are not well known/have to be discovered that produce some special reward.
Deep Rules	Any pinball rule dynamic that is not obvious to the player, and becomes advantageous for someone who has studied the specific rules of the game and/or knows the theme/subject matter well enough to find/exploit these "secret objectives." Also this can involve knowing differences in specific ruleset versions to maximize scoring.	For example, a music-themed pinball may give higher points if you start a song mode where the song is on one of the band's albums you have collected as an earlier objective. These deep rules require knowledge of both the license matter and the pinball rules. In cases like this, in a competitive environment, someone with deeper knowledge of the rules may be able to out-perform another player who is more skilled in general pinball skills.
Hurryup	A specific objective or target that lights for a large amount of points, and then "counts down" to 0 over a short period of time. The sooner you hit it, the more points you get.
Switch countdown	A hurry up that is based on the # of switch hits. For example a mode that will last as long as a counter stays above 0. That counter stars at 100, and drops by -1 for each switch that's hit.	Hitting certain shots adds value to the counter.
Switch Frenzy	Timed mode where all switches are worth extra points
Flipper Equity	X number of flipper flips are available. Do what you can in X flips. Possibly with ways to add more flipper flips.
High Score Profiles	In addition to storing the name/score for a player, also indicate the degree of their progress. i.e. grand champion achieved these goals: xxx
Player Profiles	Allow a player to store a profile. The "code word" for the player is a certain combination of L/R/x flipper button pattern or an ID number. Optionally allow a web interface to push data to a central server that the pinball machine regularly polls to get player info/progress/details	(originally pitched to JJP by Mike/Pinballhelp prior to Stern implementing this feature)
Mode Score Challenges	In addition to having high score tables per mode, while in the mode, keep a tab of how many points have been acquired in that mode thus far, along with the current high score for that mode - it could even be a bar graph.
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