109 replies to this topic

[lodger]

So regarding design, I'd like to propose that we look at doing a widebodied table, I think it would be interesting to have a whirlwind style upper flipper shot that will either loop back to the upper flipper or to a ramp. I'd also be curious to incorporate an upper playfield, but am not sure that would be compatible. I think DMD would be awesome to incorporate. I'm imagining that the upper level could potentially serve as a deck to the overall ship, maybe having a set of bumpers as an engine room, and if we're going with the idea of using a time portal to divert the meteor, having the upper flipper loop sort of acting as a recurring/loop that symbolizes the portal loop. It would also be cool to have a magnet that can freeze a ball during a multiball to allow the player to focus on a jackpot shot.

 

It would be cool if we could find ways of setting up the table so that the theme could be swapped out, as well I.e transition to captain EO if Shoopity would be interested if approaching this project like that (sort of like how shrek and family guy are the same table reskinned)

 

Does anyone have any thoughts on a final theme or playfield elements that they would like to involve in the game?

Aside from brainstorming on what could go into the game, we could potentially start writing a coding shell that could serve as a basis for this game (I already have one done from previous games but would *really* value input or suggestions from Shoopity or someone else who is skilled with coding-pm me if you are interested in seeing what i have so far). This could be really helpful to fledgling designers and could serve as the basis for future original tables.

 

-lodger

[cyberpez]

I like the ideas everyone has put forth on the meteor table..  and the idea of a team coming together on it!!  The ideas so far make me think of Armageddon (the movie)  meets Taxi (the pinball)..  plus others...  Earth is about to be destroyed and you have to gather your team to go destroy it.  An idea I had was after your team is gathered, you could go fight an actual meteor..  It could come up out of the playfield and spin like the soccer ball in WCS..  Could make a hectic multi-ball, throwing your ball all over the place.  You could have different power up shots to do more damage to the meteor.

 

 

Attached Files

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[kruge99]

So regarding design, I'd like to propose that we look at doing a widebodied table, I think it would be interesting to have a whirlwind style upper flipper shot that will either loop back to the upper flipper or to a ramp. I'd also be curious to incorporate an upper playfield, but am not sure that would be compatible. I think DMD would be awesome to incorporate. I'm imagining that the upper level could potentially serve as a deck to the overall ship, maybe having a set of bumpers as an engine room, and if we're going with the idea of using a time portal to divert the meteor, having the upper flipper loop sort of acting as a recurring/loop that symbolizes the portal loop. It would also be cool to have a magnet that can freeze a ball during a multiball to allow the player to focus on a jackpot shot.

 

It would be cool if we could find ways of setting up the table so that the theme could be swapped out, as well I.e transition to captain EO if Shoopity would be interested if approaching this project like that (sort of like how shrek and family guy are the same table reskinned)

 

Does anyone have any thoughts on a final theme or playfield elements that they would like to involve in the game?

Aside from brainstorming on what could go into the game, we could potentially start writing a coding shell that could serve as a basis for this game (I already have one done from previous games but would *really* value input or suggestions from Shoopity or someone else who is skilled with coding-pm me if you are interested in seeing what i have so far). This could be really helpful to fledgling designers and could serve as the basis for future original tables.

 

-lodger

 

A similar template like that already exists... ;-)

 

http://www.vpforums....s&showfile=6586

 

 

Best Regards,

Kruge99.

[nodz509]

I'd be happy to assist with sound i can do pretty much everything to do with music composition, sound effects, voice acting, mixing down the sound effects so the levels are consistent, sampling new sounds. etc. Also i have lots of beta testing experience with farsight and would be happy to playtest for countless hours when it gets to that point.

[EalaDubhSidhe]

Let me give you a piece of advice from bitter personal experience: never design ANYTHING by committee. By all means have idea sessions and let members of the team make suggestions if there's a fresh perspective to be gleaned. But everybody has to work to the same page, and the way NOT to do that is to keep everyone sweet by cramming in as much as gets brought up. or (shudder) subjecting every idea to the popular vote. You just end up with mulch that's no fun to work on. The person (or close-knit group of three or four, as usually happened at Williams) with the creative vision has to be allowed to direct how that vision is going to go; but at the same time they mustn't throw their weight around either to get their own way, and has to delegate to the rest of the team's strengths.

[lodger]

Eala- would you be willing to take a lead as design director (final say so or overseer of design gruntwork- this might help fix the design by consensus issue)?  I'd be happy to help anyway I can (I'm sure I could pick up a lot from you all.)

[EalaDubhSidhe]

Nnnnnnot on this one - it's a good idea but it's not my vision and I have a plethora of concepts of my own to use up first. I also have my hands very full with Alien. I'll keep an eye on the progress though.

Edited by EalaDubhSidhe, 03 March 2016 - 01:01 AM.

[lodger]

@ Eala: Gotcha- perhaps your role could be more consultative (i.e. is x,y,z design plausible/might there be a better way to do it? )

 

I'd like to be a part of the table design team...anyone else that explicitly would like to be a part of that group? PM and we can throw together some ideas and present it back to the group?

[EalaDubhSidhe]

I'll be here to offer advice, sure.

[Shooby Doo]

If any artwork is needed, original or any vectoring help, I'd be up for it.

[lodger]

Just to follow up with people on who we have available to do what

 

Theme/Concept design: CyberPez, Allknowing2012, Lodger, Kruge99,  Eala (Consultative), Uncle Willy, Cyberpez

Art: Lodger, Shannon1, Shooby Doo, Uncle Willy, Cyberpez

 

Table Design: Lodger, Eala (Consultative) *we will need more people to assist with this, but this will likely come after we flesh out the game theme, Uncle Willy

 

Sound Design: Nodz509, Lodger

 

Rule Design/Programming:  Lodger, Shoopity, Eala(consultative), Uncle Willy, Cyberpez

 

Let me know if I missed anyone who volunteered- let me know if there are any of these areas where you may be able to help.

 

Our next step will be developing our concept just a bit more. I'd ask that anyone interested in the project take about 20 or so minutes to brainstorm ideas based on the idea of "team of scientists have to stop a meteor from hitting earth" and post them here by the end of next week. To avoid the "design by committee" effect Eala had stated earlier, I'd recommend that we have a few people who make final decisions regarding theme/preliminary plot and tie all this together. I'd be willing to be one of those people if everyone would be cool with that.

 

Thanks and lets make a game!

 

-lodger

Edited by lodger, 05 March 2016 - 11:33 PM.

[unclewilly]

I can do anything needed. As far as coding, building, lighting. I'm good with some modeling. And some art

[cyberpez]

I can help out where I can.  I'm no pro at a lot of things.... but can do basic programing (pretty good at figuring things out), Some art (combine element's/pictures... redraws if the art is basic enough), Basic 3d modeling (targets, gates other odds and ends)  I've also been working on my ramp skills, I'm no Dark or Zany but getting the hang of it.  I've also toyed around with UltraDMD.

[lodger]

Hey all- threw a few ideas together this afternoon. I like the flow of shots, but the target and bumper implementation is unclear. Let me know if you have any ideas

 

https://www.dropbox....ea 3-5.vpx?dl=0

[nodz509]

this will be fun,  to you guys doing the table design and the artwork and such just message me with the sound effects and musical segments that you will need on a mode by mode basis as the game comes along,  I dont think there will be any need for us to do any mechanical sound effects as there are plenty of resources out there but i can always resample off of my machines here at home if you want to go that route, but i will need a list for everything from the pressing of the start button beeper and the associated "player 1" or "1st scientist" call out that it needs, if the ball hits a drop target what kind of sound do you want to hear other than the mechanical clanks. etc. etc.

 

Please give me the most detailed list possible and add to the list as you find the need for a new sound effect, make me several lists, non-mechanical universal sounds e.g. the beeps and blips and thuds that will remain the same regardless of what mode the player is in.  then seperate lists of the sounds needed for each game mode, hurry ups, multi balls, game overs, insults, praises, easter eggs (toasty!) game overs etc etc etc.  

 

Lodger do you agree you would rather us develop the sound right along with the table play as it progresses than try to add a score and sounds to a nearly finished product?

 

If we do it in this fashion that will also allow us to do the actual music part of it after the game starts taking shape which the sound effects and call outs are a huge huge crucial part of the table's personality and the vibe that the player gets when playing,  as i have an easier time writing music in this fashion as whatever the musician is feeling the music will follow suite, imagine if the music from a looney tunes cartoon was the score to a movie like american sniper or saving private ryan or some shit,   there you go, thats why the music must be written after the game has taken on its personality naturally as the call outs, sounds and objective modes start coming together.

 

This is all just a bunch of gibberish most likely as i usually have no idea what i'm talking about so anyone who would like to shut me up and give me something productive to do please do so otherwise i will be right here trying to figure out why my only interests outside of pinball consists of nothing but saw blade paintings, womanizing, narrow mindedness, bernie sanders sister and her hood of traveling pants, baseball and a primitive fear of the unusual and why i gave up being the president of my lazy boy throne and became a marxist, thats right ladies and gents im a commie, lenin and stalin are the only heroes i believe in, you see it was all about liberating our comrades from liberty and free thought thus delivering them into an abyss of mind control and inconceivable horror, however since the end of the cold war and the demise of the soviet union i now spend most of my time masturbating and idolizing nancy reagan because without the thrill of a looming apocalypse there is no longer anything that gets me more excited than rodeos and redneck fuckin honkies spittin chew and riding dumb fuckin cows until their subservient wives burst with litters of imbred offspring...

 

i feel better now that i got that all out there, so if i'm still allowed to post on here that means i can definitely work with you guys and i'm down to get down! lets get to it!

[lodger]

So today I had a chance to fool around with some of the ideas from the table I posted yesterday and think that a widebody design may be more appropriate, especially when it comes to elements like bumpers, etc. I'm not 100% sure on how to go about expanding it, but gather that there might still be some worthwhile parts in there.

 

A few things that I'd like to propose to everyone is that

 

a) the game itself will take place in a space station, different parts of the table could be representative of different parts of the ship. Parts tentatively could include the deck, the engine room (bumpers), a flux capacitor sort of portal gun (instead of blowing the meteor up, doing something weird like trying to send it elsewhere in space/time, perhaps trying to get it looping between portals), the storage/cargo area of the ship, a lab, and a section that would symbolize outside of the ship.

 

b) the members of the crew are: the captain of the vessel, a scientist, a marine/combat expert, the daredevil pilot, and the ship maintenance/repairman/janitor. I am imagining the team as having an almost ghostbusters like feel

 

c) the people who are in there are not the most ideal, however happen to be in the right place, at the right time. Each of these people can play a big role in solving puzzles, you will select and change between players by hitting a particular shot.

 

d) playing through all modes throws the players into a wizard mode in which the team somehow opens a time portal and sends themselves back in time just as the game begins, leaving them to redo the missions.

 

e) i think it would be interesting to use plastics to our advantage by having things that may rotate under them to give the illusion of gears pistons moving, etc

 

let me know if you have any plot ideas, etc.

Edited by lodger, 07 March 2016 - 05:55 PM.

[kruge99]

Are you still planning on making space for 3 jet bumpers?

[lodger]

Are you still planning on making space for 3 jet bumpers?

I'd like to have some sort of bumper area- I had tried to fit in in the upper flipper loop, but the spacing seemed awkward. I'd appreciate any suggestions. If we'd go widebody, that would give some more room to work them in. I'm gathering that this is why Eala had said in another discussion about laying bumpers out after the flipper area.in priority.let me know if anyone has any ideas

Edited by lodger, 07 March 2016 - 02:14 PM.

[kruge99]

 

Are you still planning on making space for 3 jet bumpers?

I'd like to have some sort of vumper area- I had tried to fit in in the upper flipper loop, but the spacing seemed awkward. I'd appreciate any suggestions. If we'd go widebody, that would give some more room to work them in. I'm gathering that this is why Eala had said in another discussion about laying bumpers out after the flipper area.in priority.let me know if anyone has any ideas

 

 

Correct about Eala's suggestion. With the plunger exiting towards the upper left of the playfield, there should be two shots, maybe three shots, to a set of roll-overs at the top left which exit into the bumper area.  The first shot needs to go to the top left for a skillshot award.  (Take a look at Independence Day - ID4 - for a suggested layout.) The second shot needs to come from the upper right flipper, and a third possible shot could come from the lower right flipper.  There also could be a fourth shot somewhere, somehow that comes from the lower left flipper and loops around an upper right orbit.  This could also be a ramp shot, with the ramp exiting into the roll-over area as well as having a diverter to a ramp which crosses the playfield and deposits the ball to a lane to the lower left flipper.

 

 

Best Regards,

Kruge99.

[cyberpez]

Hey there, Just got a chance to check out your table.  I like the flow of the ramps, and the looping bit at the start.  I wonder if you could fit some pop bumpers where you have the blue wall/drop target in the top right..  after your ball loops around you could use the flipper to loop back up into them...  not sure how that would effect that ramp though...  hmmm

 

Another idea I had over the weekend for fighting the meteor...  but may not be of use now..  but anyway  was to add a basement..  like black hole..  I had thought that after you collected the crew it could raise a ramp giving you an entrance to the basement..  in the basement you could have the meteor up top (away from flippers)  and maybe drops on the left and right to power up your shots...  just an idea..