Indianapolis, IN
I've got a Hobbit on order, so I definitely want to see this game a big success. I'm also a professional artist, so I'll throw in some (hopefully) constructive opinions, in case JJP's playfield designer is able and willing to make improvements at this point.
Quoted from Asael:I think the size of Smaug should not be bigger. It's good as it is. The lonely Mountain is the key element to this playfield symbol. Smaug will be present as a big toy in the back. But here right in the middle of the playfield more important is the big target of the journey, the mountain, home for the dwarfs.
I completely agree with this. Making the dragon bigger would be a design mistake. The mountain section of the playfield is one section that really works; it is a nice representation of the overall quest and the dragon is a distant threat. When Smaug does appear, he will be a cool interactive toy, or a glorious multi-million dollar CGI monster ALIVE on the LCD screen. Let's have some confidence in the complete game design, people.
The Dwarf heads could and should be better, Aurich's earlier comments are right on the money. The disembodied heads look clumsy, real design work is needed to incorporate the heads into the layout in a uniform way that works with the theme. If the license allows, removing "The Dwarf" would be wise, but if that is something out of JJP's control then so be it. I also agree that making the names as uniform as possible is a good idea. Pinball playfields are chaotic, and the eye is overwhelmed with all of the images, text, lights, and toys. Please keep the fonts as uniform as possible, it will help to tie the disparate parts together and easier for the player to read.
Personally, I would remove the GIANT white orc at the bottom of the playfield. He looks out-of-place, and out-of-scale, and his presence lessens the impact of the mountain and the colossal dwarf statues. As with Smaug above, I'm sure the white orc is going to make regular appearances on the LCD screen when relevant to the game. The bottom of the playfield would be better served as the overall goal of the quest - the Lonely Mountain, with mysterious armies massing in the distance and the threat of the dragon looming over all. The orc is cluttering an otherwise well-done part of the thematic design. Without the orc it would have a simple, elegant symmetry, here is a rough idea of what I mean:
The L-O-C-K coins seem like unnecessary clutter, why not make these labeled lit inserts? They would look better as labeled inserts:
There are some bits of messy design work that really need cleaned up. For instance, below are the Fili and Kili heads decorating each of the ramp entrances. The problem is, each head/text is spaced differently: Fili is nicely sitting within the runic border, and Kili's text is on top of it. There is no need for stuff like this - it is probably an oversight, but the designer should follow his own rules. Both sides should be spaced in the same way, there is plenty of room:
Another element I would consider is altering some of the cut & paste elements so that they are in perspective with what is happening on the playfield. For instance, on the Fili/Kili ramp entrances, the scrolls would be better if they were in line with the sweep of the arrow-border. This way they are in harmony with the motion of the design; as they are now, they interrupt what should be a nice sweeping design element. Here is a rough example of what I mean:
That is one example above, but the perspective effect could also be used on Balin, Gandalf, Thorin, Bilbo, and Radigast's scrolls. The trapdoor scrolls look fine, as they seem to be lying flat on the playfield.
I hope these observations are seen as constructive by JJP. Overall, I think the playfield has great potential, but I feel some refinements would help to make it truly a work of art. I expect the artist was working against a tight deadline, and some of these little elements were overlooked in the rush to completion. Hopefully there is still the time and commitment to improve things.
