(Topic ID: 213534)

Undertale: Pinball Edition

By Gornkleschnitzer

6 years ago


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There are 221 posts in this topic. You are on page 2 of 5.
#51 5 years ago

This is amazing - my son lost his mind when he heard the music in the other room, wondering, "Why are you listening to Underta... OH MY GOD ARE YOU BUYING THAT RIGHT NOW?"

Definitely interested in heading up to MWGC 2019!

#52 5 years ago
Quoted from mystman12:

I'm curious, why would you say designing the game in Future Pinball was a mistake? Do the measurements of objects in FP not translate to real life properly, or was it because FP allows you to leave out elements that with be crucial IRL? I've got some designs I made in FP that I think I'd enjoy building IRL if I ever find the time and resources, but I'm curious how much of a challenge that would be with them being FP blueprints.

I can answer this - it's partly the first two, but also that the default FP physics are bobbins - there are too many elements that don't behave in a realistic way. I still use VP 9.9 as a design tool, with my own set of accurately-built custom objects, and custom physics routines in the script. It still isn't perfect of course - VP's physics timer runs on cycles that are long enough to eventually predict, and it doesn't allow for skips and air balls unless things go seriously haywire.

At Heighway, when myself and SlamTilt would come up with intriguing ideas, or wanted to prove a concept, what would happen is one of us would build us something flippable in one engine, and the other would present it in the other engine - me in VP, him in FP with his own settings. Anything that after some tweaking flipped well in both versions, we could be pretty sure we had the best of both worlds and it ought to translate well to a potential whitewood. We built up a fair library of unused designs between us this way.

#53 5 years ago
Quoted from EalaDubhSidhe:

I can answer this - it's partly the first two, but also that the default FP physics are bobbins - there are too many elements that don't behave in a realistic way.

You just hit the nail on the head right there. I still have an archive of old FP tables I designed years ago. Some of them have some nice ideas that I might reuse in the future, but the bulk of them would be either impossible to build, overly expensive to build in a way that works, or impossible to play properly because the layout depended on FP's wonky flipper physics.

One of the biggest issues that I had was that FP's more realistic graphics and components give you a false sense of confidence that something can be built as designed. While the 3D features might have been nice to have for UT's design, I feel like VP gave me the advantage that I had to think more carefully about what I was designing and how everything was going to fit together.

That said, I wish VP's saucer kickers behaved more realistically. The VUK in the upper left is so bloody impossible to hit that I am basically writing it out of the game rules. If I had thought to design that area differently (to soak up ball velocity instead of bouncing it straight back out), that would be different now.

In other news, this project has been a very expensive electronics lesson about how not to avoid inductance loops and interference. Further software compensation to follow.

#54 5 years ago
Quoted from Gornkleschnitzer:

That said, I wish VP's saucer kickers behaved more realistically.

They've got a new beta for 10.6 that's looking to grant your wish - they're adding a "playfield primitive" object that you can punch holes into with a 3d modeling program, and with some work on the kicker size/hit height, you can basically make a saucer that the ball can roll around and into/past.

#55 5 years ago
Quoted from LynnInDenver:

They've got a new beta for 10.6 that's looking to grant your wish - they're adding a "playfield primitive" object that you can punch holes into with a 3d modeling program, and with some work on the kicker size/hit height, you can basically make a saucer that the ball can roll around and into/past.

Saucer-lipping has been part of my custom scripts on tables for years, as is drop targets sweep physics, magnets, impact-type captive ball brackets, vari-targets and spinning posts. That's the other advantage of VP over FP: the ability to read the velocity and position of every ball on the playfield in real time, and directly manipulate those values in the script to create realistic interactions with other objects.

4 weeks later
#56 5 years ago

Well, I don't know what specific part of my wiring I messed up, but my controllers have been getting progressively less reliable due to what I strongly assume is electromagnetic interference.

-The autoplunger sometimes pulses if you hit the flipper button too hard.
-There were so many phantom switch closures that I had to modify the software to compensate.
-PWMing the lamps to make them fade was making the game almost PLAY ITSELF by causing even more phantom switches.
-An old controller crash bug has come back in spades, and controllers will stop responding after something as innocent as a random target hit, and won't come back until a power cycle.
-Oh, and the knocker doesn't work. No idea why. Driver circuit is perfectly fine and tested.

I realized a couple of weeks ago that it has gotten so bad that it's barely presentable. Have you noticed the lack of gameplay videos? I can barely keep it running long enough to record one.

And thus, I have four and a half months to redesign the game's wiring, from scratch, to be more reliable in time for the Midwest Gaming Classic. This means pulling out all the electronics, chopping out most of the wire, and putting it back together like a real pinball machine is supposed to be.

The first thing to go is this horrible backbox wiring. Let's see...
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-Bulbs are attached to the back wall, six inches away from the backglass. And they're only 5v instead of 6.3. You can barely tell the backglass is even lit.
-Monitor is mounted to an irregularly shaped chunk of wood held in place with drywall screws. You have to remove the panel to reach the monitor's cable connections.
-But you basically can't remove the panel, because the wires for the FIGHT and MERCY lights are soldered directly into the rest of the light circuit and are too short to effectively get the panel off. No connectors of course.
-Plus the panel blocks too much light, so the fallen human children are only half lit up.
-Wires for speakers and knocker are just weaved through the field of GI lights.

Gutting the backbox was way too much fun.
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First order of business is to make a proper light panel, and a 1/2" sheet of plywood cut to 26x20 fit the bill. I took the basic method of marking holes - arrange GI bulb socket holes in Inkscape, print onto a few sheets of paper, tape them on, and drill through.
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It worked reasonably well, although I'll be adding a couple extra holes between the logo and ASGORE's head.
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Please excuse the monitor mounting holes, which somehow took me several tries to get right. Up next: sanding and painting gloss white, then mounting. Yes, I have already test mounted it and it's in the right place!

Big electronics order arrives Monday, including -stranded- wire (not solid, which likes to break) in all the appropriate colors. Stay tuned!

#57 5 years ago

Was Napstablook in there, sneaking a quick go with the phantom switches?

#58 5 years ago

"oh....
I just wanted to try the game once.....
I didn't know....
Oh.....
I messed everything up.....
sorry........"
~Napstablook

I gotta hand it to you, that was a joke I didn't even think of!

Last night I successfully built a prototype version of the brand new switch matrix. Super pleased with how well it worked. Going to look into building a lamp matrix next, then I can start properly rewiring this thing!

1 week later
#59 5 years ago

Four months remain. Clock is ticking.

Finished the new lamp panel, with all lamps installed including flashers. Yes, flashers have been added - most of the major characters have one. I will simply tie them in with the flashers on the playfield, plus a couple extra - now that I will have a few drivers to spare - for the characters that didn't have representation.

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When I wasn't getting my panel sorted out, I was working on the new circuit boards. I do have KiCad on my computer, but learning it - and getting PCBs printed - is going to have to wait until I'm not on a deadline. I bought two new breadboards and arranged them in the most sensible way I could. Picked up a solderless board as well so I could prototype them and hopefully not mess up the layouts this time. Indeed, I think it went well.

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The top two boards pictured are the solenoid driver boards from under the playfield, which will have a new home in the backbox as nature intended. Board 3 is the switch matrix controller. Off to the side is a 9V regulator (for the sound system) and the filter cap for the 18V lamp power. Still need to order a transformer for that! The last board is the lamp matrix controller, with an extra ULN2803A driver chip off to the left for direct driving the flashers.

Tonight I got the computer mounted properly in the backbox. Contrast with the cabinet floor photo on page 1. Now THIS is how to mount the CPU! Plenty of space is left over for my playfield interface boards - and yes, there is clearance space to close the lamp panel without it hitting the power supply unit.

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Plugged in a 6V power brick to test backbox GI, and I am LOVING the brightness. Camera phone washed out the color a tad (and indeed the translite colors in general are not as bright and vivid when backlit, for some reason), but it's definitely more eye catching than the old lights.

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#60 5 years ago

Demolition is WAY too much fun. Pulled the whole wiring "harness" - if you can even call it that - from the cabinet. This looks like the wiring on a homemade pinball machine. This is not how I want it to look!

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Cabinet is basically empty now except a bit of extra wiring and the fixtures that will stay. I finally cut the hole for the subwoofer, which ought to improve the game's bass response even further. Since taking this cabinet photo, I reinstalled the speaker with grille, and added in the ever-present duplex outlet that will provide power to the computer and (switched) playfield. Bonus will be that I can unplug either one and use it as a service outlet when needed.

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Backbox is taking shape. Added some cable management and my controller boards. All that remains here are terminations for cab/playfield harnesses, and the audio amplifier. And hopefully the knocker will work this time around.

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3 weeks later
#61 5 years ago

Three months. Clock is ticking.

But the progress is so beautiful. Did some hardcore cord-cutting and eliminated 99% of the wires from under the playfield, then started from scratch. This is really my first time doing new wiring for a matrix, but I'm pleased to report that except for two lamps with backwards diodes, all controlled lamps and switches tested as perfect. Exceptions are a nonexistent switch (the VUK switch turned out to be defective - no wonder it was unreliable!) and the two ball trough opto switches, which will need to be wired up properly to a power supply in order to function.

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YES, I AM RETRYING THE USE OF THE OPTO SWITCHES. Can't give up on them just yet.

And here's a manual page. I don't want to come back to this thing in six months with a problem, and not remember where the wires go! The lamp matrix polarity is backwards relative to the WPC/Sys11 design I copied, but it works fine as long as I pay attention to the diodes. Secondary wire colors do not, in fact, exist, but maybe someday I'll stripe them with paint or something.

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#62 5 years ago

looks great - nice and clean

#63 5 years ago

I had been following along with this because of your plan to take it to MGC. Thought it was cool, didn't really get the Undertale theme.

Picked up Undertale recently from Best Buy with some credit I have. Have played it for maybe an hour so far.

*totally* get it now. What an incredible game. Super excited for this. If you'd like to share it when you feel complete on our pages, I'd be happy to spread the word

#64 5 years ago

That's a very nice offer and I will definitely take you up on that! Now the pressure is really on.

Playfield wiring is almost done. Remaining:
- 2 flashers
- GI
- Power to trough optos

After that, cabinet and backbox wiring remain. The moment that this thing comes alive again will be a beautiful moment.

I think I will have to cut the "Genocide" / "Neutral" story branches prior to the show, as they will both add another layer of rule complexity. As long as you can complete a "Pacifist" run, I will consider it good enough for a first show.

#65 5 years ago

Tonight I pulled the playfield again, ideally for the last time. Finished up a few wiring bits - GI from plug to relay to socket - and tidied up the wiring harness coming off the back - which I believe is done!

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For playfield, all that remains are two things. The first is ball trough opto power, which requires two resistors I forgot to order. Yay. The other is the GI harness, which definitely warranted the removal of the playfield. I removed all GI sockets, dropped them into this pile, and have been working on removing the old solder and remnants of wire.

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Once all the terminal holes are opened up, I can reinstall the sockets and get them wired up properly.

Then the next order of business is cabinet wiring.

#66 5 years ago

Playfield wiring is done, and every connection tested.
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The only thing left unattached is the power for trough optos, for reasons already specified. Having finished the wiring up, I moved on to the cabinet. First order of business was cleaning it out, since I had pretty much been using the bottom of the cabinet as a giant trash can for the old wires and bits of solder. Rather than further mess with the flipper button switches, and live with switch blade bounce, I dug through the parts bin and installed something much better.
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The Start button will get proper wires and plugs when all is said and done. Speaking of that button, I never did fix the decal around the outside, leaving a ratty edge where I didn't quite cut it into a perfect circle. Finally it is fixed! I removed the button, cut a smoother edge, then sanded the edge and fixed the paint. I think it looks much neater now.
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#67 5 years ago

Cabinet, this is Playfield. I believe you've met before?

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Got the ground strap routing done throughout cabinet and backbox, and although it's not as neat as some, it should serve its purpose. Inside the backbox, I ran the playfield cables through one of the access holes and snapped the Molex connectors into their mates. This way I could guarantee I had enough connectors and will be crimping the correct wires into the correct housings.

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And then, a package arrived at my door. Could it be... the rest of the supplies needed for the cabinet wiring???

(Yes.)

#68 5 years ago

Two down, one to go; cabinet wiring is done. For sure this time. Definitely.
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Well, almost done - next order from PBL will include a coin door interlock switch, and that'll be the end of the loose wires you can see in the front left corner. All wiring harnesses have been tested for tightness; it is safe to raise the playfield and lower the backbox without tugging any wires too hard.

So now all that remains is to connect all THIS stuff:
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Definitely a lot less spaghetti-like than it used to be, although I suppose this would disappoint Papyrus. I have a backbox wiring diagram to go by for this. However, I'll need to be careful as I ended up tweaking the number and arrangement of plugs when I did the cabinet wiring.

Meanwhile, the 6V wall wart that I tapped into the GI circuit is telling me my playfield is showing signs of life again!
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1 week later
#69 5 years ago

Solenoids work.

Today, while testing the game (missing reflex control and controlled lamps but otherwise coming together nicely), I earned a replay. Finally, at long last, hearing that knocker fire as I hit 500,000 points was the sweetest sound I've heard this week.

Some VERY weird issues cropped up this time around, but thankfully nothing that crashes the game. Left flippers bizarrely seem to be linked to the ball trough optos, and when a ball is served, they fire. And, given that they stay up for 0.8 seconds, they are somehow being triggered in software to fire at that time. The left flipper also flips itself when the m-o-n-s-t-e-r "N" target is hit, and when the ball lands in the Ruins scoop. And turning reflex devices on (slingshots and jet bumper) makes everything go insane. So yes, bugs to fix in the new software.

Oh yeah, that thing about the ball trough optos? Other than the weird bug, they work perfectly. I don't know what I did wrong that first time around, but it's working great now.

And speaking of optos: Fliptronic opto switch boards work flawlessly with basic logic switch systems with absolutely no modifications or accommodations necessary. This discovery was one of my most exciting moments of this project. The flipper action is SO smooth and precise now!

Remaining:
- Solenoid driver bug fixes
- Lamp interconnect harness.

Since I am still using prototype breadboards and didn't have many options as far as connectors, I terminated the playfield wiring with Molex Mini-Fit connectors, and will make up the difference (one more foot of wiring for each row/column/flasher) with a short bundle ending in 0.1" circuit board header plugs. Better board design next time!

#70 5 years ago

Two months (and three days) remain.

The clock might be ticking, but it now ticks much slower and quieter.

We are BACK IN ACTION!

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Some minor software bugs to work out, some related to the rewiring and some left over from before. Also swapped out the flipper buttons. White matches the cabinet logo and also the color of the flippers themselves.

Gameplay video coming soon, following the next batch of code improvements!

And goatdan - Yep, at this point it's pretty much confirmed that I will be bringing this one to the MGC.

#71 5 years ago
Quoted from Gornkleschnitzer:

I realized a couple of weeks ago that it has gotten so bad that it's barely presentable. Have you noticed the lack of gameplay videos? I can barely keep it running long enough to record one.

And now that the wiring is back in action... here's a gameplay video! At long last!

Seeing as my last video didn't even have the ramps installed yet, there is a LOT that has changed since then. Content warning: The end of this video contains a software crash. Segfault while trying to award a Tem Shop bonus. Will have to go back and debug. The game probably did it on purpose to avoid spoiling the wizard modes for you guys just yet... shame because I was so close!

(Perhaps a bit ironic given the quote above. But at least this is an issue in software, not in hardware.)

Some notes:
- Yes, the feature lights are a bit dim and pulsey. Need to investigate how to bring the lamp matrix more power.
- Alphys's mode (the first one started in this video) is clearly unfinished, as you're instructed to "shoot lit arrows" and there are obviously no lit arrows. I might tweak the rules of this particular mode as it's very similar to Undyne ("Shoot lit shots to dodge my SPEAR OF JUSTICE, punk!") but without multiball.
- A few feature light bugs still need addressing. Collected Undyne shots stay flashing (which is why I ignore the flashing scoop after hitting it once), and Muffet's light doesn't immediately come on after collecting the Spider Donut. The orange bulb by the library scoop seems to have a connection problem as it flickers in and out of life.
- Collected Dog Residue during Toriel's mode (target bashing) and managed to score about 260,000 points in target hits. This mode is epically exploitable if you can manage a multiball at the same time. I don't think I'm going to change this. In fact, I might make the Tem Shop more likely to award this feature during that mode.
- REPLAY!!! at precisely the 3:30 mark. It's still awesome to hear the knocker working properly after all this time.
- Left inlane might need some tweaking as balls get stuck between slingshot and wall now and then.
- Mettaton EX's mode is pretty fun. In the original Undertale, Mettaton is known for his fabulous and deadly moves on his TV show. So in Underpin, his mode revolves around making combo shots - and it keeps going as long as you can keep making combos.
- Yes, requirements to hit the CORE shot will have to go. During Undyne, I make multiple desperate rejected attempts to shoot for the lit VUK and never manage it.

#72 5 years ago

This is amazing. What did you use to program control the board? Fast, p-roc with python ?

Seriously if the game was in production I would be interested for sure to buy it. What A GREAT project ... congrat.

#73 5 years ago

Outstanding! Congratulations!

#74 5 years ago

looking great!

excited to play it at MGC!!!

#75 5 years ago
Quoted from noitbe1:

What did you use to program control the board? Fast, p-roc with python ?

This revision of the game electronics is controlled by a Teensy 3.5 and a Teensy LC, two very capable dev boards programmed with the Arduino IDE. The game program itself is in C++, with the sound and graphics powered by the Allegro video game libraries. All pinball-related code, both on the PC and in the board firmware, was written completely from scratch.

#76 5 years ago
Quoted from Gornkleschnitzer:

This revision of the game electronics is controlled by a Teensy 3.5 and a Teensy LC, two very capable dev boards programmed with the Arduino IDE. The game program itself is in C++, with the sound and graphics powered by the Allegro video game libraries. All pinball-related code, both on the PC and in the board firmware, was written completely from scratch.

If you want to give MPF (https://missionpinball.org/) a try let me know and I will help you to get your boards supported as platform (http://docs.missionpinball.org/en/dev/hardware/index.html) in MPF.

#77 5 years ago

jabdoa Thanks for the offer! The software is pretty much figured out for this one, but MPF is a very attractive looking system that I will definitely be considering for future projects.

1 week later
#78 5 years ago

The rules are finally good enough to print out rule cards!

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Pretty generic styling, but I think it gets the job done. Made a "FREE PLAY" card for the other side, derived from the custom pricing cards I use on route.

#79 5 years ago
Quoted from Gornkleschnitzer:

This revision of the game electronics is controlled by a Teensy 3.5 and a Teensy LC, two very capable dev boards programmed with the Arduino IDE. The game program itself is in C++, with the sound and graphics powered by the Allegro video game libraries. All pinball-related code, both on the PC and in the board firmware, was written completely from scratch.

I was myself (and still) a C++ addict but now since I had to learn and practice Python for my own project, I have to say that it’s much more easier and you can focus more on the content than the memory release kindof things, arch, derivations...Anyway congrat for your project, it should have been a lot of work but great result at the end.

3 weeks later
#80 5 years ago

Well, I REALLY did it. This time for sure.

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The software is essentially done. Or at least as done as it's going to be before the show. And the wiring is done.

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The sound works, the lights work (feature lights are still dim, but... live with it!), the display works.
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And the playfield is done.
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Recorded a gameplay video this evening, which runs all the way through the final boss and ends with a score of 3.5 million. I'll post it here once it uploads.
I hosted a couple of three-player matches after dinner today, with only minor notes taken and no software crashes.

And in three weeks, some of you will be playing this!

#81 5 years ago

I've been watching your progress for a while. And it inspired me to play the game! (Switch) love it! Stoked to see the final product and maybe play it someday. Good work. Always awesome to see new cool titles getting enjoyed by others!

#82 5 years ago

look forward to the video, looks great

10
#83 5 years ago

Aaaaaand the video.

Contains boss fight spoilers; be warned. Also, contains a fanfare stolen DIRECTLY from a certain System 11 game. Don't hate me, I needed a way to transition back into normal gameplay! Maybe after the show I'll make my own sound effect.

Also, I actually did really bad on the modes. Missed most of the good shots!

#84 5 years ago
Quoted from Gornkleschnitzer:

Aaaaaand the video.
Contains boss fight spoilers; be warned. Also, contains a fanfare stolen DIRECTLY from a certain System 11 game. Don't hate me, I needed a way to transition back into normal gameplay! Maybe after the show I'll make my own sound effect.
Also, I actually did really bad on the modes. Missed most of the good shots!

Amazing

#85 5 years ago

Thanks for posting that video. I love to see projects progress, and find it informative as I too am starting a homebrew project.

A few observations. That cabinet art/color is not my favorite. I know it is a result of the theme, but that brown just falls flat.

The playfield, however, is quite stunning. Excellent use of colors and and is visually appealing. Just wish it extended to the cabinet/backglass.

After having watched many, many, MANY videos of homebrews in action, I can honestly say that I have never observed a better shooting game than yours. The geometry of shots is nearly spot on. Great flow with the ramps, ability to make the same shot with multiple flippers, and each flipper flows the ball with more than one shot. It is refreshing to see very few clunk shots. I am extremely impressed with how this pin shoots. You nailed it!!

If I can get even close to your results, I will be happy.

Excellent job!

#86 5 years ago
Quoted from Gornkleschnitzer:

And in three weeks, some of you will be playing this!

If this is not the one game that I get to play at the show for the year, I will be really, really sad. What an AWESOME job!

#87 5 years ago

great video and a nice shooter and like the use of the upper flippers, awesome job

#88 5 years ago
Quoted from Beechwood:

A few observations.

This was one of the most detailed reviews I've gotten. Much appreciated!

The cabinet art is taken from the game's intro cards, and although I did feel like they fit very nicely in the sizes and shapes of cabinet panels, I suppose I can agree about the colors. I could've tweaked them or gone with more black/green grid based art. The thing is... my talents are not in the field of art!

I'm glad to see that you guys are liking my shots and layout. Looks like all the time I've spent studying pinball layouts has paid off! I never really had much of a whitewood for this game - this early version was the closest it ever got:
proto2 (resized).jpgproto2 (resized).jpg

Only the bottom flippers worked at all. This was really just for testing object scale and basically sanity checking the build. In hindsight, I probably should have built a fully flipping whitewood as this would have made me notice the rejecting saucer shots, but oh well.

I think dropping two of the three bumpers was a mistake. Next time I build something, I am posting everything here, start to finish, and getting some proper peer review. Incidentally, anybody want me to post the rest of my early photos here? They're in the Imgur link on the first page but that's not exactly convenient to access as compared with Pinside's attachments.

I'm still tweaking the software. There is a card table set up next to the game with a notebook and pencil, and every time I see something I don't like, I write it down. When I finish playing, I bring the notebook to my work station, update the code, and apply the changes. Latest improvements include some boss fight fixes ("WARNING!" is now shown properly, for instance) and a new "Shoot Again" message that calls attention to it better.

#89 5 years ago
Quoted from Gornkleschnitzer:

This was one of the most detailed reviews I've gotten. Much appreciated!
The cabinet art is taken from the game's intro cards, and although I did feel like they fit very nicely in the sizes and shapes of cabinet panels, I suppose I can agree about the colors. I could've tweaked them or gone with more black/green grid based art. The thing is... my talents are not in the field of art!
I'm glad to see that you guys are liking my shots and layout. Looks like all the time I've spent studying pinball layouts has paid off! I never really had much of a whitewood for this game - this early version was the closest it ever got:
[quoted image]
Only the bottom flippers worked at all. This was really just for testing object scale and basically sanity checking the build. In hindsight, I probably should have built a fully flipping whitewood as this would have made me notice the rejecting saucer shots, but oh well.
I think dropping two of the three bumpers was a mistake. Next time I build something, I am posting everything here, start to finish, and getting some proper peer review. Incidentally, anybody want me to post the rest of my early photos here? They're in the Imgur link on the first page but that's not exactly convenient to access as compared with Pinside's attachments.
I'm still tweaking the software. There is a card table set up next to the game with a notebook and pencil, and every time I see something I don't like, I write it down. When I finish playing, I bring the notebook to my work station, update the code, and apply the changes. Latest improvements include some boss fight fixes ("WARNING!" is now shown properly, for instance) and a new "Shoot Again" message that calls attention to it better.

Here's the thing. Shots are #1. Period. You have got that down.

Code can always be updated/changed.

Shots is the foundation upon which everything else is built. And you have that.

Keep the ball in play. That is rule # 1

Make it fun to keep the ball in play, that is rule #2

Keep it going, You are doing great.

Cheers!

#90 5 years ago

That looks sweet!

#91 5 years ago

This is incredible, one of the most impressive homebrew pins I've seen! I wish I were going to MGC.

#92 5 years ago

Still making minor improvements. Next Monday I'll pull the USB extension cable I use for updating - otherwise I'll never stop messing with the code on this thing.

Another much-needed fix: Display panel light leakage! It's noticeable in the gameplay video whenever the playfield GI is out and the backbox GI is still on - there's a fair amount of space between the monitor and the backglass, and plenty of light leaks out from the insert panel.

Picked up this stuff from work:
IMG_20190330_123758623 (resized).jpgIMG_20190330_123758623 (resized).jpg

I cut it into short strips (and managed to cut myself with the scissors, somehow... yay) and applied it to the monitor bezel:
IMG_20190330_125224160 (resized).jpgIMG_20190330_125224160 (resized).jpg

It sealed off the gap very nicely, and while I'm not a big fan of the shadows it casts around the monitor, it's better than it was:
IMG_20190330_152715995 (resized).jpgIMG_20190330_152715995 (resized).jpg

Among many software improvements: You can now enter longer high score names. Previously the large font limited you to 11 characters, but it occurred to me that if I switch to the smaller font at 12 letters or more, you can fit names up to 18 characters long. Let the score table fun begin.
IMG_20190330_155241114 (resized).jpgIMG_20190330_155241114 (resized).jpg

#93 5 years ago

Really looking forward to playing this at MGC! Thx in advance for bringing it.

#94 5 years ago

I'm just going to say that a decent bass speaker, or really ANY bass speaker, makes a world of difference.

Last summer I picked up a set of car stereo speakers at a local rummage sale, hoping I could use them for pins. Unfortunately, when all hooked up, I found that they emitted unpleasant crackling noises when any actual bass was applied. So last week, I decided - finally - to upgrade. Ordered a generic speaker from Pinball Life, and it arrived today.

You never realize how crappy your audio was until you hear it with a full frequency response!

I'd record it, but I'm sure my phone mic won't do it any justice. But now I am confident that you MGC-goers will be able to hear this thing!

Meanwhile, I tried to fix a bug, caused a much worse bug in the process, and have hopefully solved the issue as of tonight.

#95 5 years ago

Time for a long post! I just got through writing up a rule sheet for the game as it stands now. If you plan on attending, feel free to study this ahead of time so you can kick butt on this machine.

Yesterday I pulled out the cable I use for updating the software, in the hopes that it won't need anything more for a while. So far I've logged a couple dozen games since the last critical bug fix. Not a single crash or freeze. Testing will continue through this week, but I am confident this game is ready for action at MGC 2019.

And I am freaking DONE with this software! I might come back to it later on (since a few features aren't implemented yet), but I am very glad to have it at a playable and relatively polished state that I don't have to think about. This basically marks two years of development, since I came up with the idea at MGC 2017.

And now without further ado... THE RULES OF UNDERPIN.

*** PLAYFIELD LAYOUT ***

Starting from lower left and going clockwise, as usual.

Lower flippers and slingshots:
The usual, in the usual places.

Left Inlane/Outlane:
Standard return lane configuration. Spells the first two letters in SOUL. Lanes can be changed with the flippers. Spelling SOUL advances bonus multiplier and lights the left ramp to collect an ITEM. Inlane is fed by the Waterfall Ramp.

Upper Left Flipper:
The third of four standard 3" flippers. May get in the way when trying to backhand the left ramp, but it can still be done.

Waterfall Scoop:
An eject hole along the left wall. Feeds the upper left flipper. This scoop can be lit for a random Tem Shop award.

Monster M:
The first of seven red standups. Completing all seven targets lights the Grillby scoop for a boss fight. Until all eight modes have been beaten, all major playfield shots will spot the next unhit Monster target. This is very useful as aiming for the actual targets can be dangerous.

Waterfall Ramp:
The left ramp. Curves sharply back to feed the lower left flipper. The ramp is also fed by the CORE eject VUK. When lit, this ramp collects an ITEM. Collecting items boosts the bonuses awarded during boss battles. This ramp builds towards lighting extra balls (one at 20 ramps, and one at 50).

Monster O:
The second red standup.

HOI:
A bank of three blue standup targets. Each one plays a note of the very strange Temmie Village song. Completing all three targets lights Tem Shop at the Waterfall scoop. It is possible to hit the Grillby scoop with a bank shot off these targets from the lower right flipper, or the Librarby scoop with a bank shot from the upper right flipper. The H-O-I targets were originally intended to be drop targets. However, the playfield hole was cut too small, causing them to bind.

Hotland Passage:
A lane leading to a hole that eventually comes out the Waterfall scoop. This lane is lit for FIGHT in the two endgame boss battles. There is also a light that says SAVE, but its purpose has not yet been decided.

Mettaton:
A single black standup. Doesn't do much. This may be subject to change later.

CORE:
A VUK in the top corner. Due to a design issue, it is extremely hard to hit, so it's not a required shot for anything. Located inside MTT Resort.

Lab Saucer:
Alphys's science lab of eldritch horrors (and anime catgirls). Although very difficult, this saucer can be hit from the shooter lane. This scores a skill shot, which ranges from 20,000 to 50,000. This saucer can be difficult to hit from the lower flippers, as it has no proper back stop and can easily brick.

Monster N:
The third red standup. Easy to hit from the upper right flipper.

Center Ramp:
Makes an elevator noise and feeds the lower right flipper. It is possible to make repeated center ramp shots, but due to past experiences with repetetive ramps, this does not qualify as a combo shot. Like the left ramp, this one builds towards lighting extra balls. During boss fight with Flowey, there is a timed shot here (ACT) to call the six souls. The switch for this ramp is not particularly well placed, and a slow-moving ball can get stuck on it.

Monster S:
The fourth red standup.

Grillby's:
When flashing, begins a battle with the selected boss. Feeds the Waterfall scoop via subway.

Jet Bumper:
Just one, above the Grillby scoop, but can be energetic if the ball ends up hitting it at just the right angle. Builds the payoff bonus at the library, along with the switches behind all the rubber rings in this area.

Skeleton House:
A saucer in the top right corner, that feeds the jet bumper area. Can be somewhat challenging to hit without bricking due to lack of a proper back stop. This saucer can be lit for MERCY on some modes, which adds 5 seconds to the mode timer.

Snowdin Gate:
One-way gate (debatable as it does bounce up easily) that generally keeps a Snowdin-bound ball on a path down to the upper right flipper.

Monster T:
The fifth red standup.

Librarby:
"Yes, we know the sign is misspelled." A scoop above the upper right flipper. Rather difficult to hit, although it's quite exposed to the upper left flipper. Can sometimes be hit from a bank shot off the upper side of the HOI targets. When the payoff bonus has been built to at least 20,000, this scoop is lit to collect it. Feeds the Ruins scoop via subway.

Monster E:
The sixth red standup.

Snowdin Passage:
A lane leading from Snowdin to the rest of the playfield. There was originally going to be a rollover switch here, but ran out of data pins on the original playfield electronics.

Upper Right Flipper:
Another standard 3". Can hit the HOI targets, the Hotland passage, MTT, CORE, N, center ramp, S, can bank shot Librarby, and can even backhand E and Grillby.

Monster R:
The last red standup.

Ruins Scoop:
Feeds the lower right flipper. Can be lit for extra balls.

Right Inlane/Outlane:
Last two letters of SOUL. Inlane in fed by the center ramp. Like the left inlane, sometimes the ball will overshoot the switch coming off the ramp, although not as often on this side.

*** TEM SHOP AWARDS ***
- Spider Donut. Spots the Muffet insert. This is as far as it goes, because the three miniboss inserts (Napstablook, Mad Dummy, and Muffet) have otherwise not been implemented into the rules yet. If it has not already been collected, this award will be the next one you get after beating the Alphys and MTT modes. The award will be given only once.
- Bisicle. Activates the ball saver for 30 seconds.
- Crab Apple. Spots all Monster targets, lighting Grillby scoop.
- Tem Flakes (three varieties). Awards points - 10,000, 25,000, or 50,000.
- Dog Residue. Empties the entire ball trough onto the playfield. Tem Shop and Grillby cannot be collected while more than one ball is up, but most other shots are still accessible. This award will be given only once.
- Butterscotch Pie. Lights the Ruins scoop for an extra ball. This award will be given only once.
- Cinnamon Bunny. Lights all general award arrows for about 15 seconds. Shooting any lit shot awards 25,000.
- Snowman Piece. Maxes out the payoff value at the library to 100,000.
- Free Item.
- Bonus Multiplier.

*** ITEMS AND SOUL AWARDS ***

Completing the lower lanes (usually with help from flipper lane change) advances bonus multiplier up to a max of 10. It also lights the Waterfall ramp to collect an ITEM, timing out after about 15 seconds. Collecting ITEMs increases the value of boss battle awards. The amount varies depending on the mode, but it's always worth more after an item grinding spree. Each "item" level corresponds with the next higher defense/attack item in the actual Undertale, and this level is also counted in your end-of-ball bonus.

*** MONSTERS ***

In the center of the playfield is the classic Undertale heart, with eight lights with character names. Each of them has a minigame - think TAF mansion rooms or TZ door panels - and completing all of them gives you a rather epic wizard mode.

Below is a description of each boss, and some strategies!

Toriel: Target bash fest. All shots and targets score 10K per shot (plus 500/item). A good bounce (typically off the HOI targets) can net 3-4 hits in one shot.

Sans: Hurry-up to the Grillby scoop. Minimum score (last moment shot) is 20K, maximum is 50K plus 5K/item. This can be worth over 100K late in the game. It is possible, although difficult, to hit the scoop before the first second has passed on the timer.

Papyrus: All switches in Snowdin (upper right playfield region) score 10K plus 500/item. The jet bumper is excluded, as a lucky bounce could get very exploitable. Valid switches are center ramp, Monster S, Grillby, rubber ring switches, Skeleton House, Monster T, and Librarby.

Undyne: Two-ball multiball in which spears are hurled your way at random. After the second ball is released, 1-3 shots are lit at random for 20K+500/item. Make the shot to cash in the points and dodge a spear. Random combinations of shots will continue lighting (and timing out) so this can be worth a lot of points if you can keep control of both balls. Losing one (after the ball saver expires) ends the round.

Alphys: All switches in the Hotland area score 20K+500/item - except Lab, which scores double, and treats you to the sound of Alphys attempting a cell phone mod. Valid switches are Hotland passage, Mettaton star target, CORE, Lab, and Monster N.

Mettaton: Prove how fabulous you are by making combo shots, for 20K+500/item. A combo is any shot that is directly fed by the previous shot. The easiest combo is arguably the ramps (left-center-left-center...) but most anything will work if you can aim well enough. If the mode timer is under 5 seconds remaining, the next combo adds another 5 seconds. Thus, the mode will continue forever until that critical moment when you mess a shot up.

Once you have completed the first six boss monsters, Asgore is next. This is a three-ball multiball in which the goal is to shoot the Hotland passage (lit for FIGHT). Each shot is a flat 25K. The mode continues until two of the three balls are lost. After the mode completes, you don't need to spell MONSTER - Grillby will already be lit for the final boss fight.

The final boss is Flowey, as most Undertale fans would probably expect. He taunts you with random phrases (mostly referencing other pinball games) until his mode starts, and he begins things off by calling you an idiot, then emptying the six-ball trough on you.

*** BOSS FIGHT ***

There are two stages to the Flowey battle. In the first stage, you simply deal with the mass pandemonium (or try to hit Hotland to slowly chip away at his health meter) until SOUL ## WARNING flashes on the screen, after which you collect the six human souls with repeated ramp shots. The ramp is open for a limited time, but will always keep re-opening until all souls are collected.

In the second stage of the boss fight, the souls are on your side, and the FIGHT passage does a lot more damage. The playfield re-fills with six balls again at the start of this stage, and if any are lost, a new one is kicked up every 30 seconds. When Flowey's health drops to 0 (after a maximum of 4 Hotland shots), you have won... for now. All balls are released, flippers are disabled, and Flowey laments his defeat on the screen with appropriately intense sound effects.

After Flowey, the monster lights are reset and the game continues from the beginning, releasing any balls still on the playfield. If more than one is still in play (such as if you managed to hit a subway shot just as you got the last hit on Flowey), the music switches to Dogsong and you have a random useless multiball.

#96 5 years ago

I must play this. More than anything else, I want to play this game at the show

#97 5 years ago

It would be great to make videos at MGC for oversea guy like me

#98 5 years ago
Quoted from noitbe1:

It would be great to make videos at MGC for oversea guy like me

I'll try and record everything I can!

#99 5 years ago
Quoted from Gornkleschnitzer:

I'll try and record everything I can!

Sounds great

#100 5 years ago

Folded up and ready to go to the MGC!

All that remains now is getting it out of the basement and into the car. Fortunately, my system for that is fully figured out.

IMG_20190410_223505807_BURST001 (resized).jpgIMG_20190410_223505807_BURST001 (resized).jpg
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