nice idea, any pics of a dodge ignition

and that was my intention with a revving hemi

found one - seems pretty basic but would be cool over a MM style push button

also saw that all the different product companies are banning anything with the federation flag and possibly the dukes taken off tv - just going too far

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I really wanted to do keep the player 1 and 2 buttons for player game select but for the ball launch I could do a key turn, just don't know if that would get old twisting a key but will look into a design

- unlike ghost busters with the ghost trap I am not sure how to incorporate a gas pedal
- as for layout I like a good loop shot so my intention with a police chase is 4 lit shots have to be made but with one flashing at a time so have to be shot in a order but will be random but the last shot is the getaway shot - either through cooter's, the barn, jump shot or slip behind the bushes with a custom sling shot mech in the back to activate the ball into a almost impossible lane without the mech.

the difference with the escape is that it will be a 2 ball multiball for the first 20 seconds and then a 3rd ball is added at the 40 seconds while your goal is to shoot the 4 lit shots. Any balls that drain will automatically re-shoot out, then after 60 seconds any targets / switches hit will start to score negative points mean while you still have to hit the 4 shots including the getaway shot while balls are being re-launched. This will have a easy to hard setting with the time frames adjustable in the menu. Should add a challenge and something a little different.

that's the basic idea but want to use the standard shooter rod hole so then if I change my mind I can switch and to have a universal cabinet. But I am leaning to something similar to that mech but then use a typical US coin (year of the DoH show) which is dropped into the slot and twisted for ball launch ???? not sure.

have made a start on the playfield cad with the design hinged on a particular concept so need to start at the bottom

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DoH_5.1_(resized).png

there will definiteley be races and chases

great idea as I was thinking of flat spinner for the bar area with 2-3 posts but maybe change for a flat spinner with 2 trees would be cool and appropriate. cheers

as for the sheriff badge in the game, the dukes are always in trouble with the law so the badge will be a focal point (for missions to achieve) with something like a graphic of dirt "donut" circle work around the badge as the Dukes like to tease the law.

as a design just this feature is important as I wanted the badge to be true to the graphic scale and then suit current available inserts - 1 1/16" equilateral triangle inserts and a 1 1/2" round insert for the centre - I was thinking of fully lighting the triangle but then there is no meat left in the playfield between the triangles so decided to light up the leaf scroll work and then the centre scale.

game will have 6 different challenges relating to the badge points with the centre then being a wizard mode and then once the badge is white lit (silver badge) then a harder batch of challenges turn the silver badge to a gold badge with yellow light and the centre then being the grand wizard mode. I won't to have that clear visual of modes to complete and how far you are away from a wizard mode. One of the apron rule cards will clearly state what has to be achieved to lit each point of the badge so the playfield is not full of writing
eg1. 50 x hits of the pops starts a bar fit and police have to go in there to arrest / chase the dukes
eg2. 5 x runs through cooters upgrades the General Lee with a dixie air horn but causes noise disturbance - which will turn on a real dixie air horn when a rump is completed

these are just ideas but I want to ensure players have to uterlise all features of the playfield yet simple to read off a card what to shot for.

in the end a fun learning design exercise.

that's a cool idea

A small update to feed those that are curious. Have been finishing off some other projects but hope to get in to this more in near future.

I decided to move away from the large sheriff badge for modes and go for something like this.

9 mods related to the layout and still need to come up with shorter catchy names for them.

- the layout will be 3 flippers
- the lhs middle will be cooters
- the rhs middle will be the farm
- inserts leading to the centre upwards take you to Boss Hoggs office, Boars Nest

- 3 rectangle inserts (modes) to the lhs are cooter related
1. Hazzard race
2. stunt show
3. police chase

- 3 rectangle inserts (modes) to the rhs are farm related
4. save the farm
5. moonshine still
6. moonshine deliveries

- 2 vertical rectangle inserts
7. crack the safe
8. steel the pokies

- round insert in the centre is the police badge

- rectangular insert above the round insert is the 9th mode
9. break out of jail

the 4 inserts leading to the inalnes to the flippers will spell barn - lighting will activate the 3rd barn door flipper but will be dead until it is spelt adding some slight challenge and just not a give away as without it you won't be able to access the jump ramp, boss hogs office and the courthouse

The round insert is the wizard mode 1 and 2
1. white light is a silver badge and will be a night time moonshine delivery with the sheriffs in hot pursuit so a blackout mode
2. will be something like a day and night race with lighting to blend from a sunrise to day to sunset to blackout

Either side of the badge will be a smaller stippled rectangular insert representing the light bar on the sheriffs car which will flash red and blue for pursuits

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as for some of the design elements this game will be different in a few ways,
- no shooter lane as wanting to get that wide body feel and allow up to 4 inlanes to the flippers for future games
- why does the ball come from - either ejected from the barn / farm or shoots from the centre between the flippers - still working out the mechs. having a centre shooter means potentially just one mech to manage and shoot the balls.
- in the inlane leading to the flipper is a extra disc - this will be a stainless steel disc that can be swapped out and where balls will drop from the ramps so removes the potential for playfield divots in this area.
- and have Trudeau 7 1/8" flipper spacing

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I am sure much of the design will change alot and I still want to have some random award type inserts for some fun mini modes but haven't thought those up yet - open for suggestions.

yes thinking of using proxy sensors but planning for worst sizing switches at the moment

standard width playfield, wider spaced flippers, just modelling up 3 playfield lowers now to play around:

1 - single inlane guides using standard parts leaves room for the extra space on the side, not really desired but a option - there is a sketch line showing the extra space down each side and contemplating letterbox targets down the sides for something different.
2 - double inlanes to flippers with custom inlane guides
3 - reverse lanes on both sides with the outer lanes feeding the flippers like 80's games - which is what I will most probably be doing for this game

personally really wanted the flippers dead centre on all 3 options and effectively gives a little more room to the middle 1/3 of the playfield for the real game features - all part of the learning and fun.

as for ball launch, hoping to still use a standard the one piece ball launch mech from pinballlife and then have a custom gravity feed ball system / plate under the apron to steer balls to the lhs and rhs of the launch ball (3 ball system) that feed to the launch when one ball is shot out - still a challenge to be solved and may not work but curious, otherwise will do a small vertical wheel system (4-5 ball system) that stores balls and rotates the ball to the ball launch mech - dream goal of allowing certain coloured balls out for certain features or represent a character though not needed for this game.

all fun

there's been surf but the shoulder is still not great but getting there and this is fun as well

a arrow insert will be in it but didn't think of a dynamite insert, good idea

I have seen a few pics of the car after jumps and the car buckles up really bad

yeah that is a photo shop job floating around and I pretty sure never made just a computer chop job

not alot to update on as got to the point where I am going to convert to reverse outlane on both sides where the dukes can do their power slides in the paddock and come back to play, last shot of the standard well known style of layout - but has a few more inserts mid flipper on the rhs and mid lonesome pop on the lhs

DoH_PF.pdf

that is awesome Star_Gazer, you have got me thinking alot, love the idea and thanks for the effort, this just made a quick move to the top of the list of game inclusions, though might just make it one way to fit in with the mid playfield area ??? you have a natural talent in concept designing - can't give you enough upvotes

I have said this before Star Gazer is awesome with his concepts (in GB) and would be a asset to a pinball design group, but maybe some designers may not like suggestions, unlike me I am not expert and welcome advice, tips and ideas.

Thanks heaps Star_Gazer

Here is a slightly dated top view layout sketch as a few were curious. The outlanes will now be flipper feeds so reverse as want fast feed ramps to the playfield that hit the playfield before the inlanes and won't drop but will be fast feed - I hope.

The mid ramp might curl around to the back of cooters now possibly using Star Gazers jump ramp idea and a third ramp might be designed in from a shot between Star Gazers police car / jump ramp. This extra ramp might be a straight jump ramp for people to have a power shot to jump but it might lead to the courthouse in the corner and have a almost slight vertical up and then drop down to issue a speed shot to the right flipper. The rhs ramp will be just a sweeping drive through the country side to the lhs flipper - no jumps. Both ramps will be flipper feed shots blending to the playfield not dropping down, then feed behind the Cooters Garage and the Barn and hug the outer rails to feed the reverse feed inlanes.

On lonesome pop at the end of Cooters garage like the bell on entry to the garage, Will have a petrol bowser to fill up petrol with all the driving your fuel will time out unless you get long range tanks from cooters through award upgrades.

Spell Barn via the 4 inserts to the flippers and drain to spell barn or door to activate the 3rd flipper so not a given and must be earnt at each ball.

I want a drop target built into the ramp to be knocked down and then take the shot again to make the jump.

Boss Hoggs office will have a safe to crack.

Boards Nest on the upper right will have 2 pops and a 3 post rubbered spinner to randomise the ball to return back down, send the ball left or right into the pops.

Spell Drive to activate one of the 3 lhs mission inserts
Spell Law to activate one of the 3 centre mission inserts
Shoot the barn or spell LEE in the top lanes? to activate one of the 3 rhs mission inserts

Spell

in and outlanes to be swapped around - currently doing CAD for this

That's the theory and with Star Gazers recent sketch the mid ramp might change and allow for the 3rd ramp to be added.

Also the reason I wanted a 3rd flipper is to get a shot through there for moonshine pickups and escapes as well design a couple of shots that can only be hit with that flipper so players can't advance everything without the 3rd flipper which must be earnt.

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the barn spinner is sweet, thanks so much for your effort and very theme appropriate

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. I had pictured to do something different for the translite but really like what you have down, would be good with a added black outer border then the timber frame that you did so the car can flow out of the frame on the the black but like the addition of the 3 main characters alot, with the scenery in the back ground. My biggest downside I will never be that talented to do a finished version - will have to hire that work out.

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

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thats my plan, procrastinated for a long time, now jumping in the deep end and is motivating to have people chime in and make suggests, give advice and offer help

what was you custom?

I plan to have high score identification somehow and great point with the hit it, pass it - that didn't click for me

thanks for the advice

even though I have already added inserts for modes it is helping me visualize the game play as well as the 7 series of Dukes of Hazzard indication being worked in.

My thoughts were eg, series 1 is very simple hit targets once to activate a mode and then once to complete and then the modes mid way eg series 3-4 is 3-4 times harder coupled with a number of shots required for a mode as well as say a midnight moonshine delivery so all lights out mode and then 7th series is dam hard with more hits for each goal but also more night modes. I am hoping that some of the goals in the harder levels with differ - time will tell.

My goal is that each player when they step up to their first game can on ball 1 choose a game type:
- lhs flipper button to select kid mode (permanently closed gates) / adult mode (gates open and close throughout game) - < KID / ADULT on the dmd
- rhs flipper button to select series 1-6 buy in so even though they can skip a series they get to experience the challenges of a higher level game - series 1 will have all 3 flippers work straight away where in higher levels they have to be earnt and certain goals can't be achieved without the 3rd flipper - SERIES 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 but 7 has to be earnt not a given
- then inside the door for a tournament setup which captures the best modes from various levels from Series 4-7.

Scoring is my only challenge in separating people's scores - but solve that when I have a playing game, maybe the points will be a lot less in the early series and get higher, the higher the series you go ?????. The ultimate challenge is playing series 1-7 right through.

So the game will play linear in series 1 to 7 but have alot of freedom of mode selection within playing a series and there will even be some short cuts / strategy to complete some modes like daisy distraction target hits will allow crack the safe without a risky police chase. Or say with the jump ramp I want to have a target on the backside of a jump close to the playfield for a ball that does not make the jump and if the target is hit = a crashed cop car then you have 1 minute to achieve a goal while the cop car is getting fixed.

All theory at this stage but lots of ideas.