No replies to this topic

[fripounet]

File Name: TIME LINE

File Submitter: fripounet

File Submitted: 10 Mar 2016

File Category: Future Pinball

Author(s): GRANIT
SOUND GHOST
Manufacturer: Gottlieb
Year: 1980
Permission to MOD?: Yes, without approval

GAME FEATURES & RULES
 
GAME OBJECTIVES SUMMARY: Tic-Tac-Toe! Noughts and crosses! Morpion in France! Call it what you will. Completing drop-target banks, spot-targets and rollovers lights an X in the grid for the player, which the game counters with an X in return. Complete a line of X-X-X in the grid (up, down or diagonal) to WIN before the game runs up O-O-O and you LOSE. Dead simple! The more times you win, the higher the bonus multiplier rises and the higher the reward for your next win. 
The game is handicapped as it cannot put an O in the centre of the grid and it is also not programmed to play the smartest move but rather it always goes for the 2nd, 6th and 8th spaces in that order and if available. On the one hand, there was almost certainly insufficient memory to programme more than a handful of moves and on the other, reducing the likelihood of drawn games and giving more wins would help to give the game more appeal. So the the player is at a great advantage provided he can light the centre X! An example of the game's "stupidity", and the fastest way to a win without making the black drop-target bank twice (=automatic win), is to make 7-9 black drop-targets which will put an X in the centre square. The game will counter with an O in the 2nd square. If the player then makes the right-side or return lane rollovers, he will put an X in the 6th square, which the game counters with an O in the 8th, rather than the obvious move in the 4th! Dropping the ball now into the left-side ball kicker put an X in the 4th square and X-X-X across the middle row: 3 moves to a WIN! 
Each ball is first launched into the mini-playfield. Use the 2 mini-flippers to contain the ball and shoot at the bank of 5 drop-targets. Hitting the first target starts a timer and after 10 "Atomic" clock beats, power to the mini-flippers is cut. Before this happens, or the ball drains between the flippers, hit 7 targets to light the stretgically important centre X in the grid, or better yet, complete the bank twice to get an instant win. 
Each Win advances the Bonus Multiplier and Win or Draw award from 5000 to 20000, to Extra Ball, to 50000, to Special. A Win when Special is lit resets the Win/Draw award to the second level. Each Loss moves the Bonus Multiplier and Win/Draw award back one level, and lights the left lane spot target for Extra Ball, and the right side rollover for Special. 
Time Line is a game that requires quite some thought about what to shoot for, but the game-within-a-game concept works very well and it's fun to play, especially when that gong rings out for a replay! 
 
MINI-PLAYFIELD
BLACK DROP-TARGETS (5) 
Location: Top of mini-playfield. 
Scoring: None. 
Extra: Add 1000 bonus and start time. Completing 7 targets gives X in centre circle or circle 7 ,as lit. COLLECT BONUS ROLLOVER 
Location: Exit from mini-playfield. 
Scoring: 1000 x Bonus x Multiplier. 
Extra: Lights runway rollover.  
 
MAIN-PLAYFIELD 
RED 1-2-3 SPOT TARGETS (3) 
Location: Top right of playfield. 
Scoring: 500 
Extra: Adds 1000 bonus. Completing 1-2-3 sequence gives X in circle 9 and opens ball return gate. 
RED DROP-TARGETS (5) 
Location: Top of playfield. 
Scoring: 500 or 5000 when lit. 20000 when 2 hit at once. 
Extra: Add 1000 bonus. Completing bank scores 30000, gives X in circle 7, lights bank for 5000 scoring and opens ball return gate. 
YELLOW DROP-TARGETS (4) 
Location: Centre left of playfield. 
Scoring: 500 or 5000 when lit and 20000 each when 2 hit at once. 
Extra: Add 1000 bonus. Completing bank scores 20000, gives X in circle 1 and lights bank for 5000 scoring. 
LEFT LANE SPOT TARGET 
Location: Left of playfield. 
Scoring: 15000 
Extra: Adds 1000 bonus. Gives X in circle 3. Extra Ball when lit. 
RIGHT SIDE SPOT TARGET 
Location: Centre right of playfield. 
Scoring: 5000 
Extra: Adds 1000 bonus. Gives X in circle 3. 
10-POINT SWITCHES (8)
Location: All over the place! 
Scoring: 10 BALL KICKER 
Location: Bottom left of playfield. 
Scoring: 10000 
Extra: Adds 1000 bonus. Gives X in circle 4. 
RIGHT SIDE ROLLOVER 
Location: Top right of playfield. 
Scoring: 500 
Extra: Adds 1000 bonus. Gives X in 1st available circle: 2, 6 or 8 in that order. Special when lit. 
RUNWAY ROLLOVER 
Location: Shooter lane. 
Scoring: 15000 when lit. 
LEFT, CENTRE & RIGHT RETURN ROLLOVERS 
Location: Bottom of playfield. 
Scoring: 500 
Extra: Adds 1000 bonus. Gives X in 1st available circle: 2, 6 or 8 in that order. 
LEFT & RIGHT OUTSIDE ROLLOVERS 
Location: Bottom of playfield. 
Scoring: 5000 
Extra: Adds 1000 bonus. 
POP-BUMPERS (3) 
Location: Centre of playfield. 
Scoring: 1000 (3-ball), 100 (5-ball). 
Other: If CPU dip-switch 32 is OFF, scoring 1 million awards a replay.  
 
 

Click here to download this file