Nice work Star Gazer, you have a great talent, and hopefully sketches like these for my game but especially those you did for Ghostbusters gets you recognised by a real pinball company.
As for updates, 1 step back but is the direction I wanted to go for a few reasons (see my cad drawings - sorry crap at sketches):
- cross over return lanes to the flippers, but these are a little different to regular ones as they are equal on both sides of the gap and the outer side not raised. My intention is there will be a mechanical flip gate that bridges the gap.
- see image with the name tags - cooters garage and petrol pump because all the driving you need fuel unless you go to cooters a few times (and ring the bell / pop bumper) and hassle him for long range tanks and other car upgrades
- spell Barn or door to activate the 3rd flipper - not operational straight away
- 8 missions per "Film" season
- sheriff badge and blue and red car topper lights flash for a chase
- 9th mission is bust out of jail, but if you can avoid jail for the season (successful getaways from chases you get a large bonus that multiples over seasons).
- Dukes of Hazzard went for 7 seasons so thinking of working in 7 stars to the apron to show season progress. Each season gets harder so 1st season is hit each mission once and it increase by 1 hit with each season ??????
- since no shooter lane with the goal for between the flipper launch if not balls (think I have a solution for a 3 ball gravity fed system) otherwise will eject out of the circle / hole in the barn
- did lose some inserts in the screen shot - to go back in.
- daisy distraction - will be to call daisy to help distract boss hogg or enos to bust out of jail or crack the safe but don't do it too much as you might be rated as a prankster and she will ignore you???
Back to the cross over return lanes as a few reasons for these with mechanical gates:
- something different and never done before I think ?? (Dungeons and Dragons and BMX had close off lanes but not cross over lanes
- wanted to introduce a new game play feature for kids so when a kid plays they can chose for skill level and the gates close permanently for kid mode for all balls so the ball can only drain down the centre - like ten pin bowling for kids - bumper bowling here in Aus.
- ramps feed and drain to the playfield with a flowing curve behind cooters and the barn to hit the playfield fast - like the Dukes driving fast but the barn will have a pop up post to turn on and off if desired to slow it down
- there will be a proxy (my goal) sensor at the top of the drain lane to trigger the gate to open for a possible drain
- but if you have completed all three missions on one side the arrow will light creating a permanently close gap on that side for the rest of the ball. ??????
- also like the feature when a ball goes up the lane like a regular layout so this design allows this
- also if there is a police chase and you are caught the gate can open for a fast drain
Goals for the next week:
- start filling the middle section with parts
- work on layout for the top 1/3
