Your favourite playfield toys, design ideas

[shogun00]

I would like to see Easter Eggs/Cows thrown into Zen games like poker with Riker on STTNG.

First we need to create an inside joke, that everyone at Zen likes.

Maybe we can create an inside joke here on the forums and it could be applied to all future tables as an easter egg.

Cows were Williams' thing, so we need to think of something different.

[LeanderL]

Thanks for the thread but I only saw it by chance. Maybe a note in the Pinball FX2-PC-forum would be great, too. (https://forum.zenstudios.com/forumdi...l-FX2%99-Steam)

Personally, I don't like symmetric tables that much (Star Wars Empire strikes back, Avengers...)...apart from sound, music and color combinations I really like a limited number of 3D action going -> characters that pop out of the table and long and curvy ramps...corkscrew ramps (Spiderman!!!), the round ball platform with the hole in the middle -> the grey circle on the right side, next to the submarine.

I also love the silver half ramp of Moon Knight.

The key to a good table is having enough action going on but without getting a crowded table. World War Hulk has too many ramps for my taste or Iron Man too.

So the ideal table shouldn't have too many objects but a mix of cool ramps, 3D characters and objects such the galley (Rome) or the submarine (Secrets of the deep).

It's better to use 3D characters that pop out of the table or appear from nowhere than stuffing too many of them onto the table. The contents of a table doesn't need to be visible all the time. A second or third playfield you can get to is better than everything on just one table.

Missions are important, too. There shouldn't be just a main goal or some side goals but enough variety and missions to complete. The old Stones n bones table from Pinball Fantasies 2 is a good example.

Something like that:

1) Hit targets to start mission 1, hit them again for mission 2...up to mission 5...the missions are different 3D characters that jump on the table once activated. Win mission 1 by shooting ramp 1, ramp 2, ramp 1, ramp 3....win mission 2 by hitting the drop target 1, ramp 2, hitting the bumpers several times, then shooting ramp 2 again....so different tasks for each mission.
2) hit the bumpers to get the x2, x3 etc. bonus
3) hit other targets to choose from mission 6, 7 or 8 (but they aren't related to 1-5)...mission 6 is on the default playfield, 7 is on a second mini playfield and so is mission 8 (on a second mini playfield)
4) Light all lights to get a bonus, light them again to get a higher bonus, light them again for an extra ball
5) collect something to start two different video modes!

All in all, there should be enough stories, missions, sections to choose from.

[s-carnegie]

I would also like to see more tables with drop targets. Keep the great work coming Zen, you are by far #1 in pinball.

[deep]

Toys I hate are the cannons on STTNG and the giant lamp spinner in TOTAN. They always lead wild uncontrollable balls.

Layout: My favorite tables seem to have around 3 ramps and 3 flippers and the 3rd flipper is used to hit the 3rd ramp with a cross shot. I like tables that use the upper flipper for combo shots and the upper flipper has two things you can hit like a ramp and a sinkhole like STTNG.

Hmm, you are going to like and dislike my new table at the same time

[shogun00]

Hmm, you are going to like and dislike my new table at the same time

You mean there is going to be a spinning lamp cannon on your next table? Sweet!

[deep]

You mean there is going to be a spinning lamp cannon on your next table? Sweet!

Haha, yeah. And Aladdin with it

[shogun00]

Haha, yeah. And Aladdin with it

I can see it now.

"Rub the lamp Aladdin!"
"I'm am the Genie of the lamp. Say hello to my little friend."

**6 balls launch out of the spinning lamp cannon for multiball**

How's that for a pinball idea?

[BarbieBobomb]

My favorite table toy was the elephant on the Pinball Circus! When he has the ball, he lifts his head to channel the ball to an upper playfield. Simple but awesome.

[surf1der]

Hmm, you are going to like and dislike my new table at the same time

That's okay. There are many things in life that I have a love/hate relationship with. Why should pinball be any different.

[maink]

most liked part: i really actvating kickbacks by spelling a word on the rollovers
i like how you smashed god on infinity gaunlet , maybe more of that but like the game arkanoid ( brick breaker) in the middle of playfield

i would really want to see a dark colored table like blade again , night time smelly arcade style

i don't like invisible ramps (civil war style)
i don't like ramps popping up in middle of playfield (clone)
i don't like when the balls take forever to come back (esb sith cross shot into sinkhole) its like i know whats going to happen and the sequence is too long

i like sinkholes on tip of flip
i like ramdom rewards (maybe a mini playfield with that)
i really like the cross tie flipper shot on esb , i do that just to hear the sound effect and rebound trajectory !

[LeanderL]

How about a contest? Everyone sends his/her ideas (detailed explanations, how to, missions etc.) via email and the winner's ideas will be used for a newly designed tables?

[skyway73]

Regarding layouts, I prefer not too many ramps personally. 2 orbits, 2 main ramps and maybe 2 more ramps/orbits which can only be hit by an upper flipper. I'd rather have a mini-play field of some sort than a separate mini game any day. I have played nearly all Zen tables on the PS3 and I can't think of one mini-game I really like. Even the better ones I find are only 'ok' and the worst ones like the table at the back of Paranormal or the mini playfield on Excalibur are no fun.

I don't like to be taken away from the table for a mini-game, I like it when the camera zooms in on a part like the manifold on V12 or the Citadel on Blade. I really don't like the physics on some of the mini-games, they just don't feel natural.

I don't like missions that are overly hard or long-winded to start, I would rather make starting a mission simpler and the actual missions tougher. I think Zen have learned this is better too as most tables now seem to follow this philosophy.

Thinking about lighting, I think it has already sort of been mentioned somewhere that the ambient table lighting could be darker, this could make things look even nicer.

I love a Super Skillshot, the one on Paranormal I think is my favourite to hit. In fact the backwards flipper at the bottom is cool, I wouldn't mind seeing something like that again.

Finally (for now anyway!) I think my pet-hate is a ball-saver that is too easy to activate. Tesla and El Dorado spring to mind, I hate feeling like I need to have it activated before I take a shot. It's nice to have to earn it as a reward though, even better a lucky reward like on some tables.

I think that will do for now, I've got some new ideas for missions etc. which I will come back with soon...

[LeanderL]

Just bought Fantastic Four. This is what I call the perfect layout! Ramps, lanes, targets, flippers...3D characters.

[Trollwart]

My favorite table toy was the elephant on the Pinball Circus! When he has the ball, he lifts his head to channel the ball to an upper playfield. Simple but awesome.

Was in LV in April and played the hell out of this table at the Pinball Hall of Fame...so cool. The creepy clown at the top is a good 'toy' too.

Great thread, Deep...psyched to share thoughts and wish I had more.

Overall, I love affecting the table in some way...a hit somewhere makes something happen or changes the table in some subtle way, repeated hits stack up to a (not so subtle) event. Compare it to the shooting gallery at disneyworld if you follow. You guys have done a great job at this generally, but more changes are even better/less repetative. I also think it'd be great to see more 'permanent' affects on a table. For example: You've completed a 'destroying the castle' mission, the castle STAYS destroyed and now a new mission comes out of that...ogres invade the ruins and set up camp or whatever and the changes keep happening. Make it a cycle of 5 changes or so...that'd be rad.

Some favorite stuff from the previous tables:

1. The crossbow launch in Excalibur (go figure)
2. The background changes in Empire
3. Dracula reveal in Monster bash
4. Lighting effects in Blade
5. Subways and helicopters in Earth defense


That's all I got time for now....

[BarbieBobomb]

Was in LV in April and played the hell out of this table at the Pinball Hall of Fame...so cool. The creepy clown at the top is a good 'toy' too.

Really?! I was there in April too! I wanna go back