The Aussie Pinball Arcade

Aussie Pinball Forums => Custom Games => Pinball Mods => NPC - Coconut Island => Topic started by: pinnies4me on February 07, 2009, 12:19:39 AM

Title: Here we go - special mini-playfiled update
Post by: pinnies4me on February 07, 2009, 12:19:39 AM
The clear is dry on some parts, particularly the mini-playfield....

The main playfield, ready for final sand and final clear coat
Title: Re: Here we go - special mini-playfiled update
Post by: pinnies4me on February 07, 2009, 12:21:24 AM
And now for tonight's grand finale...
Title: Re: Here we go - special mini-playfiled update
Post by: Strangeways on February 07, 2009, 12:22:10 AM
Looking good !

Will the clearcoat have to "cure" for long before re populating the playfield ?

I can't wait to see some hardware on the wood !
Title: Re: Here we go - special mini-playfiled update
Post by: pinnies4me on February 07, 2009, 12:59:13 AM
I can't wait to see some hardware on the wood !

Too busy typing to look at the picture Spamways?  !@# Try pictures 4 through 8!!
Title: Re: Here we go - special mini-playfiled update
Post by: ktm450 on February 07, 2009, 11:51:16 AM
Very nice boys  ^^^
Title: Re: Here we go - special mini-playfiled update
Post by: Creech on February 07, 2009, 12:02:59 PM
A lot of effort has gone into that. Well done boys.
Title: Re: Here we go - special mini-playfiled update
Post by: Strangeways on February 07, 2009, 12:13:23 PM
I can't wait to see some hardware on the wood !

Too busy typing to look at the picture Spamways?  !@# Try pictures 4 through 8!!

We posted at the same time  ^%^

Please use WHITE Rubbers ! It will look much better and match the already colorful and vibrant playfield. BLACK rubbers will look dull.

 @@*
Title: Re: Here we go - special mini-playfiled update
Post by: pinnies4me on February 07, 2009, 02:46:01 PM
We posted at the same time  ^%^

Ah, was wondering how you missed the second lot, must have been typing while the second post with the assembled mini-playfield was being uploaded.

Please use WHITE Rubbers ! It will look much better and match the already colorful and vibrant playfield. BLACK rubbers will look dull.

We debated that last night. The decision (just for the photo shoot - not locked in) was to go black simply because it is a modern game (2008-9 build) and therefore keep in the theme of the current industry standards. Also, we think the game is going to be crazy fast (ie like AFM) and the extra bounce might be too much. But testing will sort that bit. Personally I never use black on anything (except BBB which looks right black), so there's a chance things might whiten up before completion...

Thanks for the kind comments guys!
Title: Re: Here we go - special mini-playfiled update
Post by: ajlaird on February 07, 2009, 06:56:19 PM
Looking good - you guys must be struggling to contain the excitement as you are so close now.
Title: Re: Here we go - special mini-playfiled update
Post by: pinnies4me on February 07, 2009, 07:02:01 PM
i just cant wait to see a pinball  finally made  in  Australia
well done guys  on all the hard work
how long has it taken so far ?   and this is all from nothing  right ?

Thought I should answer this in the latest official thread, so as not to detract from the side art discussion.

Work in earnest can be dated back to 24 March 2007, which was the day the web site went on line. Up to that point the ideas had been discussed by nug and I, but to date nug had not been able to gain much interest from RGP, where the only real gathering of pinheads existed (that is until AP came on line!).

Nug had come across a driver board design on a web site, intended to be used with pinmame. The idea behind the board was that it could be used with a PC to run the pinmame version of an existing game, and then drive a real cabinet in circumstances where the CPU for that particular game was no longer available. I suspect things like Pascal Jannin's Gottlieb CPU's dried up any potential demand for the product, and it disappeared. While nug could recreate a similar board, or design one from scratch, being able to secure one "off the shelf" would save a major amount of time in the early stages. But his emails to the designers went unanswered.

I suggested to nug that I believed I could garner some interest, and maybe get the designers of that board to contact us, so I posted this to RGP - http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.pinball/browse_thread/thread/853870abe6b34134/63b44a35fad367d1?q=aussies+race+to+produce&lnk=ol&#

You can see from the level of the responses that we got the interest! Out of that thread came:

- the web site made for us;
- parts;
- most importantly - emails from the guys who designed the boards, and shortly after, the last two of the proto boards.

The "Contributors" area highlights some of what was given to us. http://www.users.on.net/~spaners/Coconut%20Island/contrib.html

Now, from that March 2007 date it seems that it's almost two years. But you need to bear in mind that not only was a game being built, the whole basis for the system to drive the game - hardware, software and the mechanics themselves were all being built and tested as the game was developed. Even learning to paint a playfield and apply clear is a new endeavor full of learning, so over a year of that time should be allocated to "R&D" and will not need to be repeated. Also bear in mind nug built a new house and established the gardens etc all during the same period, and he does have a full time job too!

The next game, working as we do for the fun of it as a hobby, will probably take six months. Nothing needs to be invented this time, it's just a matter of building the physical side, writing the game specific code, and nailing it all together!



Title: Re: Here we go - special mini-playfiled update
Post by: pinnies4me on February 07, 2009, 07:07:38 PM
Looking good - you guys must be struggling to contain the excitement as you are so close now.

Aint that the truth! We were rolling a pinball around that mini-playfield - smoooooooth!
Title: Re: Here we go - special mini-playfiled update
Post by: Nug on February 10, 2009, 07:25:13 PM
Looking good - you guys must be struggling to contain the excitement as you are so close now.

Aint that the truth! We were rolling a pinball around that mini-playfield - smoooooooth!

that was funny !  *%*
Title: Re: Here we go - special mini-playfiled update
Post by: Chuck on February 11, 2009, 01:03:03 PM
Looking good - you guys must be struggling to contain the excitement as you are so close now.

Aint that the truth! We were rolling a pinball around that mini-playfield - smoooooooth!

that was funny !  *%*

I remember reading that and I thought you guys were kooks.  It wasn't til recently that I was sure of it =)
Title: Re: Here we go - special mini-playfiled update
Post by: pinnies4me on February 11, 2009, 03:14:33 PM
Thanks Chuck!  #(&
Title: Re: Here we go - special mini-playfiled update
Post by: Chuck on February 11, 2009, 03:32:10 PM
I think I have it figured out but what is that yellow thingy on the mini playfield?  Is it a ball trap that raises and lowers?  If so I've never seen anything like it.
Title: Re: Here we go - special mini-playfiled update
Post by: pinnies4me on February 11, 2009, 04:16:12 PM
I think I have it figured out but what is that yellow thingy on the mini playfield?  Is it a ball trap that raises and lowers?  If so I've never seen anything like it.

That's exactly what it is. Here's a vid where the ball is trapped (note - this was an early software test).


(Near the end, about 1.14)
Title: Re: Here we go - special mini-playfiled update
Post by: spacies on February 11, 2009, 05:06:28 PM
Man that is COOOOLLLLLLL!!!!!!!
Title: Re: Here we go - special mini-playfiled update
Post by: v8racefan on February 11, 2009, 06:06:35 PM
cool video, this project is progressing very well
Title: Re: Here we go - special mini-playfiled update
Post by: pinnies4me on February 11, 2009, 07:08:23 PM
Here's a better vid - the ball lock captures a ball, and the next time another ball enters the mini-playfield two-ball multiball starts.

Title: Re: Here we go - special mini-playfiled update
Post by: markc on February 11, 2009, 07:30:53 PM


sweet 

job well done

 @@* @@*
Title: Re: Here we go - special mini-playfiled update
Post by: ajlaird on February 11, 2009, 09:49:26 PM
So from which pin is the ball lock - to me it looks plastic so I am guessing not a Mousin' Around! but something more recent?
Title: Re: Here we go - special mini-playfiled update
Post by: Pinfan on February 11, 2009, 10:29:16 PM
Hey Nick, thats awesome !

Mate the playfield looks to be at a serious angle and she looks like she plays like dynamite !  ^^^
Title: Re: Here we go - special mini-playfiled update
Post by: Strangeways on February 11, 2009, 11:41:59 PM
Hey Nick, thats awesome !

Mate the playfield looks to be at a serious angle and she looks like she plays like dynamite !  ^^^

I think it will be even FASTER with the clearcoat. I hope the guys have plastic protectors. Replacing the NONFactory ones is going to be hard  !^!
Title: Re: Here we go - special mini-playfiled update
Post by: pinnies4me on February 12, 2009, 10:38:10 AM
I think you're right Nino, we've spoken about the likely speed a few times. Might have to set this one at 6.5 degrees max I suspect!
Title: Re: Here we go - special mini-playfiled update
Post by: Strangeways on February 12, 2009, 11:10:01 AM

How close are you guys to populating the main Playfield ?
Title: Re: Here we go - special mini-playfiled update
Post by: Chuck on February 12, 2009, 12:08:08 PM
That's exactly what it is. Here's a vid where the ball is trapped (note - this was an early software test).

So does Nuggy get a very cool toy award or was something like that done before?
Title: Re: Here we go - special mini-playfiled update
Post by: pinnies4me on February 12, 2009, 02:18:32 PM
So from which pin is the ball lock - to me it looks plastic so I am guessing not a Mousin' Around! but something more recent?

It's a Data East part, from Secret Service.
Title: Re: Here we go - special mini-playfiled update
Post by: Nug on February 12, 2009, 07:47:23 PM

How close are you guys to populating the main Playfield ?

Sunday i reckon...   *%*

hey chuck...im really suprised they didnt use this part on another game?!

so i did  <.>

regards
Title: Re: Here we go - special mini-playfiled update
Post by: Strangeways on February 12, 2009, 09:30:44 PM

How close are you guys to populating the main Playfield ?

Sunday i reckon...   *%*

hey chuck...im really suprised they didnt use this part on another game?!

so i did  <.>

regards

Can't wait !

That's only two sleeps !

 $#$



Title: Re: Here we go - special mini-playfiled update
Post by: ajlaird on February 12, 2009, 10:36:51 PM
That's exactly what it is. Here's a vid where the ball is trapped (note - this was an early software test).

So does Nuggy get a very cool toy award or was something like that done before?

Mousin' Around! has similar ball locks - called ball eaters - on the left and right loops which are activated by completing the MOUSE TRAP stand-ups (helped by the light letter rollovers in the flipper returns). Completing both ball locks enables three ball multiball. Jackpot is achieved by completing the ball locks again (which release the ball this time and drops the ball lock back level with the playfield) and then shooting the right ramp well enough to get to the mouse hole.

I haven't seen a Secret Service which was manufactured a year before MA, I believe, but it looks like it too has two ball eaters which lead to a 2 or 3 ball multiball depending on which targets you hit. Well, I'm sort of guessing as I can't really tell from the pictures.
Title: Re: Here we go - special mini-playfiled update
Post by: pinnies4me on February 13, 2009, 08:59:22 AM
Nug has a Secret Service. Actually, I bought it to use for parts for the next NPC project, and we brought it to nug's place because I was out of room. We unloaded it in the garage, looked it over, and nug said - "What did you pay for this?" I told him, and he comes back with the amount I paid and said "It's mine now - too nice to tear apart" hands me the cash and I realise I just sold a game without any intention!

Cool actually, we've been sourcing the missing bits and might get it back together after CI is done.

Now I need to find a new source of bits for the next game, bugger!

Title: Re: Here we go - special mini-playfiled update
Post by: ktm450 on February 13, 2009, 01:10:25 PM
Great vid Nick ^^^
Exciting weekend for you boys   *%*

Title: Re: Here we go - special mini-playfiled update
Post by: pinnies4me on February 16, 2009, 10:44:51 AM
...and now for the main playfield.
Title: Re: Here we go - special mini-playfiled update
Post by: ajlaird on February 16, 2009, 09:53:06 PM
So close now...