Possible Pinball game for the BBC Micro

[tricky]

I have mentioned in my what should I write next thread that I was playing with the physics for a pinball game.
I realised that although I was using integer maths that I was using 24/32 bit maths, so I have been more careful and converted it to 8.8 (16 bit) maths with mostly multiplies and a few divides (basic vector maths).

URL:https://youtu.be/22PuvXOXKxc View at 720p+ for 50hz.

Sorry, brain dump follows!

This video has a photo of my pinball table as a background, but eventually an artists will be needed
The physics currently works in 64ths of a MODE 1 pixel and runs at 250 updates per second. This feels possible on the beeb, although there is some margin for error that would allow either to be reduced.
I want to run at that speed to allow finer flipper control and to keep the physics simpler.
The PC is currently displaying the five ball positions for the five physics updates per frame and if there are enough CPU cycles on the beeb, I would like to leave this as an option to approximate motion blur.
Because the physics is separate from the graphics, tables could be made in different modes with only minor changes to the sprite code.
The table will use memory &0400..&7FFF so this will be SWRAM only, although a MODE 4/5 table would fit and I might make this an option too.
The table will scroll showing a 256 pixel high slice but the exact mechanism will probably need iterating on a beeb.
It would be possible to have palette changes tied to slices on the table, but this isn't guaranteed.
I will make some basic game mechanics, probably what is needed for this table including four player and extra balls but there will also be the option to attach a call to a label from the game physics with a register holding the table item index.
As an example, the 9 rollovers (*) in a square in the table start lit (O) and then as the ball travels over them, they go out. Once all are out, the extra ball lights and they relight. When they are all out again, the special (free game or 10K bonus) lights etc. The 10-A targets are out and when all have been hit, the double multiplier is lit for the 1-10K bonuses in the middle, hitting them all again lights the treble.
So having groups of items that turn lights on/off when hit and then the group triggers something else when all are lit/out will be needed.

[kieranhj]

Yes! We need this for the Beeb, Tricky! If the Amstrad CPC can have an awesome pinball game, then we surely deserve one too.

I don't know much about pinball playfield mechanics, so that part all sounds good to me. I'm surprised the physics would be running at 250Hz - presumably that's necessary for the speed of movement that can occur in pinball, plus the need for the ball to behave 'accurately' at all times? I love the motion blur effect in the video, if you can keep that on the Beeb that'd be really cool.

As the table itself would be two screens high, I'm guessing this would need to have single scanline scrolling for such a game? MODE 1 is a mixed blessing (I remember agonising for ages about whether POP should be MODE 1 or 2) - I love the higher resolution but can look bland in 4 colours. Dethmunk would be able to draw you something awesome in 8 colour MODE 2 (with the option for a 16 colour NULA version maybe?!?!) although if you reserved one of the colours in MODE 1 for the lights (say) and palette changed this in different slices of the table that would also go a long way I think.

I look forward to seeing how this one develops. Very tantalising indeed...

[tricky]

Yes scan line scrolling, but I thought I would just let it go of the top and may be the bottom to minimise the hassle, but it doesn't really make much difference.
I think I can bring the physics updates down a bit, but for small objects, I already have to backtrack to where the ball entered a post to stop static posts from accelerating the ball!
I'm planning on allowing mode selection at table export and maybe even at game boot!
With a single ball (no multi ball) game like Dealer's Choice, there should be time for motion blur

PS I thought you might be pleased that I finally got around to doing some more on this.

[tricky]

I now have a second table, on permanent loan from my uncle, it is a Gottleib Target Pool "Wedge Head" (single player).
There are lots of pictures, mostly of the state of it as I disassembled it and some after cleaning and reassembly here on FB https://www.facebook.com/media/set?vani ... 1846023907. I didn't think that FB Album links worked, but it is for now.

I am working on it early afternoons when the temperature in the garage is at its "maximum" and on the PC to beeb converter mornings and some evenings.
This will probably be my second table to be converted as a further proof of concept.
I've also decided to start with a non-scrolling 128x256 version of Dealer's Choice as testing without the scrolling will probably be easier and who knows, it may even make it to the Electron !!!

[fizgog]

Very nice pinball table, I bet that's worth a bit, I know when I looked into buying an original arcade cabinet they were very expensive and in the end I had to build my own.

Also looking forward to seeing your pinball game on the beeb as there are not that many currently.

[tricky]

Dealers Choice was a bit faulty, so the shop took £500. If I had bought it of FB the week before, it would have been less!
I think people are a bit afraid of EMs (electro mechanical pinball tables). There are a lot of wires, but with some patience and maybe even a copy of the schematic, they are really very simple to debug but parts aren't very cheap.
I'm expecting to have to do some fairly regular tweaks and fixes but that is something that I enjoy.
I nearly got an original defender for £1100, but waited until after my lung operation and missed it!
I really wish I had the money s and space to keep them when work used to smash them up

[grobda]

eventually an artists will be needed

Hello, occasional lurker here

This evening I had a play around with a paint program I'm trying out to do pixel art. This is what it came out as so far (battenburg palette, 255px wide... seems i lost a column cropping it);



Messed up some alignment trying to get stuff to fit. dunno if you're still working on this but I'd possibly like to do the art, if not it was fun drawing stuff again.

[tricky]

Looks great.
I did a little bit the other day, but I have 800 lines of dense c++ fixed point maths to convert to assembler and am considering whether it might be quicker to tweak a compiler to do what I need than convert it by hand!
I am still planning on completing this project and once I have this table and probably my other working, I will be looking for an editor to allow others to make tables.

[ChrisJC]

I always felt this was pretty good, from BITD.

http://bbcmicro.co.uk/game.php?id=713

Chris.

[tricky]

I think that is the one that we have played 3 or 4 player at the end of the day at some abugs.

[cmorley]

I think that is the one that we have played 3 or 4 player at the end of the day at some abugs.

Yes, that's the one Until the ball cips through the wall and gets stuck out of bounds!

[grobda]

got a bit further;

noticed it has been recreated as a vpx file for virtual pinball. theres hundreds of tables been done, just whip up a conversion tool

I used to own a EM pintable (zaccaria aerobatics), but it had gone a bit senile. was living in a flat at the time wasn't really the room for it.

[tricky]

I have finished all the major work on my uncle's Target Pool and it plays really nicely. The are a couple of bits to do and some paint that needs touching in.

I need to get back to fixing this one and of course finishing this code!