Award this post
Report
What is one thing you wish pinball tables could have but it's just not possible?
Hey all doing some research,
I'm curious what is one thing in pinball you wish could be supported but is just not possible with a physical table?
Skies the limit.
Comments Section
Back at Williams we kept trying to think of ways to make the entire playfield a display. We experimented with electroluminescent elements on the playfield but just couldn't get the cost right, make it easy to fix, or make it last more than a year or two before it began to degrade. Big Bang Bar used a small animated element on the left ramp and that really caught our attention.
Multimorphic is probably the closest this has gotten to reality, but you can still see the physical limitations in play there.
Pinball 2000 partially did this.
I thought the Pinball 2000 concept had huge potential. Sad it all died after only 2 games released.
I'm really curious about Multimorphic's p3 platform. I'd love to try it, but there are virtually none in the wild.
A tilt "pause" button to let the machine know I'm just trying to get a ball unstuck.
Otherwise a drink order button. I hate running out of beer in the middle of a marathon Godzilla game.
That tilt pause could also activate a lost ball search as well.
Robot arms that come out and massage your shoulders and say "you're doing a good job, sweetie; I'm proud of you"
Freud: The Pinball Experience. Why do you enjoy pressing other people's buttons? Think back to the first time you lit multiball: how does that make you feel? What does the name Zingy Bingy mean to you?
Smoke machine
At Golden State Pinball Festival this year someone hooked up a fog machine and laser show to go off when a reactor was critical on TNA. All inside of an inflatable pyramid. One of my favorites pinball experiences ever.
Was it the same guy that had FIRE hooked up the the propane tank the year before? I was so sad I had to miss it this year.
Honestly, the only thing that might let me play a decent game of pinball is at the entire place field filled up with smoking, and you couldn’t see anything. 😆
Better access to the rules instead of a tiny little card which isn’t always there. Like hold the flipper before you play and see them on the screen
Well that’s totally possible on a physical table
Some of the LCD Sterns have sequences during attraction mode that show you shots and values - just not very often. But you can flip through the menu and see some standard rules on the screen.
Nothing ever breaks
Mine isn't technically possible, but since you couldn't add it to old machines the point would be mode.
A "time limit" on tournament games. So after 10 minutes or whatever, the game "stops" the player wouldn't lose a ball or anything, but then the next player could take thier turn. The player who stopped doesn't play again until thier score is lower than someone else's.
Basically a way to bring down game times in tournaments.
An in-game leveling mechanic. Something that shows up on the screen to help.
Easily swappable play fields and game code. Maybe even two games sandwiched in the same cabinet. Just lift, rotate and bam.. New game!
Also some kinda RIFD that tracks every ball and a stats graph and the end showing your accuracy and most valuable path.
Your first point basically describes Mulimorphic’s P3 system.
Hello? Is anyone using their creative side? A FUCKING TELEPORTER WOULD BE SICKKKK.
A physical window on the side of the cabinet through which one can see the tilt bob. The whole 60 seconds thing drives me nuts
On some game its actually possible to see the tilt bob by looking through the left outlane switch slot. Comes in handy sometimes!
LCD screen playfield. I know Multimorphic is doing it, but there's a lot of sacrifices made to get around the fact that you can't put holes in the screen.
wheels
A beer tap
Fish aquarium.
Little figures walking around on the playfield. Ball-trails and pop-up scores.
Landscape mode
A pause button so I don’t have to hold one of the flippers and maybe even some instructions on the screen.
Like when I enter a mode. I wish on the screen. It told me exactly which ramp to hit or what combination of things I need to do to maximize points.
Actual portals.
a sinking/rising part of the playfield that's not just a bash or spinner (Iron Man, Led Zep) but something the size of half the playfield that could also be a separate playfield. I think some Zacharia game did this, but don't quote me.
I know a couple games have multiple buttons on the side, I’d like to see more of that
I always thought a table where the entire playfield flips over would be incredible. Thought they might do it with Stranger Things, but no.
Height adjuster that can be adjusted as easy as moving a car seat back and allows you to adjust the height between players on a multi-player game.