I''ve had an idea about a multiplayer form of pinball. If you had a number of tables, all identical, with entrance/exit tubes at the side, then you could set up a ''circle'' of players, where the tube on one machine is connected to the tube on the next. Each player can see their own table, plus a couple of statistics for the other players: number of balls on their table, and any points-modifiers they may have. They can''t see the other player''s score. Each player also has a ''ball store,'' where they keep unused balls. They can trade points for extra balls in the store. When all balls on their table are gone (either through the sink or to the other players) they don''t get kicked; they can sit and see if a ball is passed to them (by accident, one presumes), they can use a ball from their store, or they can buy a new ball and use it. Points-modifiers are, as you probably know, bonuses which increase the value of the targets on the playfield. So a 2x points-modifier will increase all points scored by 2. Now, all points-modifiers have a time limit - the limit is different each time (random) and is displayed along with the modifier to the player who collects it. The other players cannot see the time remaining on a points-modifier, only that the first player has it. The player with the most points at the end of the game is the winner. So, it becomes a game of both strategy and skill. You''ve got the standard prerequisite skill that pinball requires, but you''ve also got to make decisisions: If your 5x points-modifier has got 10 seconds left to go and your ball-store''s empty, can you buy a ball and recoup the points before the points-modifier expires to make it worth it? If your opponent has 5 balls on his/her table, do you pass your ball in too to try and mess things up even more for them? Of course, it depends on the points-modifiers they''ve got... If there are no balls on any table, should you launch a ball back into play to gain the lead, or would it only be unnecessary risk? (Because, of course, you might already have the lead...) What do people think? I know a lot of it would depend on the table used, but still, would the concept itself work? Superpig - saving pigs from untimely fates - sleeps in a ham-mock at www.thebinaryrefinery.cjb.net

that sounds like a really cool idea to me...

How many connected tables were you thinking? It would be pretty intense to have a 3 player game, with a tube on each side going to the player linked in that direction....

I bet that, done right, that could be a tremendously fun game...

just my 2c

-NerdWear-

Actually, something like this has been done in the arcades in the 80's (on those tabletop machines). I forgot the name of the game, but the game is set up with one player on each of the four corners of the screen, and each player has a wall with a symbol in the middle of it. Your goal is to knock the walls down by knocking the ball around with your paddle until you hit an opponent's symbol.

It does work, to a certain extent. Because there's only one ball being knocked around at a time, it does get too boring. However, keep in mind that if you have too many balls flying around, the game is basically out of control of the players, which makes it even worse.

[edited by - LyLFox on July 12, 2002 3:22:57 PM]

warlords?
that was more like pong or breakout than pinball though...

That''s it, Warlords. Yeah it''s more like pong or breakout, but really, isn''t that what pinball is? You just can''t move the paddle that''s all - the concepts are still the same.

well, there''s still a "ball" bouncing around... but pong/breakout/warlords is more about blocking and attacking with a moving paddle, whereas pinball involves gravity and timing with paddles that "flip"...

Phew. This topic was getting dangerously near the bottom of the list, with no replies...

I don''t think it should matter how many people you''ve got playing. I mean, 2-player would be just as playable as 12-player. It automatically scales itself down - when you''ve got 12 players, you''ve got enough points floating around for there to be loads of balls in play. But when there are only two, you''ll probably never have more than 3 balls in play across both tables.

Nerdwear: yes, that idea would be central to the game. You''ve got tubes going to the tables next to you in each direction (imagine all the players standing in a circle facing inwards), some of which are one-way, some two-way.

Part of the beauty of it, as I see it, is that it could be developed in such a way that the underlying game system is kept but different tables can be obtained for it - like extra levels for a game. I''m not talking about a ''pinball construction kit'' type thing, but it could be quite lucrative to keep releasing more and more ''table packs'' for it. The underlying multiplayer concept is the same, while each table can have gimmicks and devices to keep players interested.

Superpig
- saving pigs from untimely fates
- sleeps in a ham-mock at www.thebinaryrefinery.cjb.net

"As profitable as ''The Sims'' fanchise, as fun as the ''Quake'' franchise"

LOL, I like it.