Pinball Rule Dynamics: Difference between revisions

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! Name !! Description !! Additional Info
! Name !! Description !! Additional Info
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|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.
|Skill Shot
 
|A special objective/switch to hit during plunging the ball into play, usually indicated by blinking lights.
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|-
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| Flipper Equity || X number of flipper flips are available.  Do what you can in X flips.  Possibly with ways to add more flipper flips. ||
|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.
|-
|-
| 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 ||
| 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. ||


|-
|-
| 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)
| 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)


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| 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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| Switch Frenzy || Timed mode where all switches are worth extra points ||


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| Bonus Carryover || A certain bonus amount, based on achieving goals, becomes a permanent carryover for each subsequent ball|Certain game features will incur permanent bonus for the rest of the game. This can include ladder objectives.
| Bonus Carryover || A certain bonus amount, based on achieving goals, becomes a permanent carryover for each subsequent ball|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 || Adding 2x, 3x or more to active scoring on the playfield, usually a timed mode |On Godzilla, if you complete a city, it provides a permanent playfield multiplier for the rest of the game.
|-
| Ladder Objective || An ongoing counter of accomplishments that adds to bonus and unlocks additional game features.|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.


|-
|-
| Ladder Objective || An ongoing counter of accomplishments that adds to bonus and unlocks additional game features.|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
|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.


|-
|-
| 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. ||
| Switch Frenzy || Timed mode where all switches are worth extra points ||
 


|-
|-
| 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)
| Flipper Equity || X number of flipper flips are available.  Do what you can in X flips.  Possibly with ways to add more flipper flips. ||


|-
|-
| Playfield Multiplier || Adding 2x, 3x or more to active scoring on the playfield, usually a timed mode|On Godzilla, if you complete a city, it provides a permanent playfield multiplier for the rest of the game.
| 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 ||


|-
|-
| 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.
| 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. ||
|-
|-
| Add more.. || ||
| Add more.. || ||


|}
|}

Latest revision as of 13:00, 22 March 2023

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.
Add more..