Quoted from CrazyLevi:I don't see this as an asset. 20 bad DIFFERENT designs are still 20 bad designs.
Steve Ritchie's games are good because they ALWAYS contain tons of Steve Ritchie-isms. Pat Lawlor games are good for the same reason. When these guys stray from the formula too much, you get WPT and NASCAR.
Innovation is the most pointlessly overrated and over-sought thing in pinball design.
Lawlor is probably the most "innovative" designer. Look at TZ, RS, RCT, Ripley's, and Banzai Run for the unique. Trudeau, while a horrible person made a ton of FUN games in the 80's and into the 90's. He designed Gottlieb's best games of the time, when those guys were given a fraction of the time to design that the B/W guys were given. Genesis, Robowar, TX Sector, Excalibur were all great games. There was a period in the mid 80's where he designed 5 or so pins in ONE YEAR. Then later on Creature was great and say what you will about Flintstones, that game is a blast to shoot. He should have retired years ago anyway. He was well past his prime when working for Stern. I think Ghostbusters is a steaming pile of horseshit and Mustang is mediocre at best and I haven't played WWE. Wasn't Ghostbusters a bestseller though? Either way, people seem to judge his games on his pathetic personal conduct and it's hard not too, but he was a much better designer than some seem to want to give him credit for being.