Me too! We're about ready to ramp up on the artwork side of things (in about a month).

I don't know if I'll have it ready for Allentown, but if I do, you can rest assured that I'll announce it here and will bring it. I'm guessing that it will not be ready based on how complex our plans are for the artwork. I just got another project up and running, and am about to devote my time to finishing troubleshooting on this one... hopefully this afternoon, but times' a'wastin'.

Fixed the score motor. Noticed it turned when score relay was held (as it should), but not normally. Funny, if you don't wire the motor properly, it won't move. Fixed and now clicking away.

It is properly incrementing the timer unit.

Also, the reset relays, when manually held, will reset my reels to zero.

The reels for player 2 themselves had an issue with 10+ points - small adjustment on score 2 relay, and all was set.

Now, to figure out why the coin switch and start button won't actually fire the coin relay... They will when I jump the switch out, but not when the switch is triggered.

Once that's done, a matter of wiring the 30V across the timer unit. Then finding the 6V short (I set that aside for a moment). It might be resolved already with the minor changes I've made to the motor/common wiring.

Fuse blowing was caused by a problem with my player 2 robot trip relays. Part 1 & 2 were constantly energized as a piece of fish paper got stuck under the actuator arm, forcing the switch closed when it should have been opened. Thank goodness for fuses, right?

Unfortunately, I don't have any idea why my coin subsystem is failing. I'm using a Bally solid state door, and perhaps the switch contacts are gold, though they do not appear to be - either dirty or incorrect switch type would be my assumption. Coin switches are not working either, though, so probably something more elemental than that. Also, no lamps yet. Hopefully not all blown...

Another issue: robot parts trip simultaneously, which, when looking at the schematic, is exactly what is supposed to happen... So I've got to put a delay between trips, either through the motor or through the score relays or ?

Jumped each side of the lamps directly to post-fuse, no light. Also, the lamps test fine out of circuit. Continuity between each socket on the common side. Still plugging along.

Jumping out the plug on the common side of the GI causes the lamps to light. There's a break in the common chain somewhere. Back's about had it for today.

Wait a minute... I have a gear relay that should drop out when the part relay trips. Perhaps one more switch needed per relay... I'll have to look again soon, but I want to get the coin door and lamps working first.

It's been a couple of weeks since I have been able to do more troubleshooting on the remaining circuitry. Here's why:

A little self-promotion: Ryan Claytor and I have co-written a new E.M. publication -- Coin-Op Carnival. The Multi-Bingo and I will be at the Coin-Op Carnival booth at TPF, along with various merchandise for the publication.

If you would like to read more about the book or order one for yourself on March 22nd, please see either www.coinopcarnival.com or join the discussion at https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/coin-op-carnival-a-new-em-focused-publication

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Since finishing the book, Ryan and I have discussed a few new ideas for Robo-Frenzy that we will be tackling at some point after TPF! Very excited to keep pushing this forward.

I've been tinkering as much as time has allowed between work, family, and catching up on service calls.

I was able to figure out my lamp issue - I had cut the common lead between the GI and the rest of the light board when I decided to separately wire the gear and player lamps. I didn't realize or reconnect it, and there was my problem.

I wired up the coil and lamp power to the timer unit, and everything works! Pretty cool to watch, still more to do. The third finger on the timer unit needs to push 120V to each trip bank every 5 steps. I still have to wire the spaghetti side for that and the 120V circuits. I've held off for a bit as I wanted to get the low power circuits working properly first.

I have one small problem left to address on the tentacle trip banks: apparently I didn't wire in a cutoff switch for the coil. Let a little wisp of smoke out on one of the P2 coils, but it'll be fine.

I also have to wire up power to the player unit - score reel lamps are not working.

Once I have the above taken care of, 120V will be kicked through the system, then it will be taking care of reset and game over. As it stands, game over is on a pair of regular relays, but I think I should make it a trip/latch just for sanity's sake.

By the time this is done, my schematic will be more pencil than ink... Haha!

Cutoff switches have been wired. I also removed the extra positions on the tentacle trip bank so that I had a surplus of parts. I ended up needing to move the larger dual-stacked actuators to most positions, and that took up a couple of hours.

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Everything worked great, except one of the coils in the trip bank was burned out - not the wispy one from earlier, but its neighbor. Pulled that one out, soldered in a fresh one from an unused position and we are off to the races.

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Now I have the spaghetti plate taken apart for the timer unit, and will be adding tentacle trip resets every 5th position. Doing so will require that I push the actual 120V solenoid kick to the score motor as my trip banks don't have the finicky reset signal switch wired. While that switch offers a few advantages (namely, the solenoid can keep kicking if it doesn't succeed in resetting immediately), my timer unit design is such that a trip relay needs to drop immediately once the 120V solenoid kicks.

As soon as this is wired (I need to put in another couple fuse holders for the 120V solenoids - I'm not combining fuses for those guys), I'll be working on a similar bank reset for the robot relays.

Afterwards, I have some player unit cleanup to work on - I don't recall if I wired in lamp power to the unit - it's not currently highlighting the player score reels in the way that I want. Could also be just funky lamp stuff going on. I've got some of that happening as well. Almost certainly my fault.

Then it's just some minor coin/startup bugs and a game over/tilt trip. I'll probably stuff that on one of the tentacle banks (which are keyed so heavily to the timer unit). That'll allow me to cut out one of the momentary relays I currently have powering the game.

Finally, it's modifying/wiring in the player control units. Then the wiring for the game is done, and it'll all be woodworking and metal work (and art).

Wow. Productive evening that has been hard on my back.

The timer unit has been disassembled in place and re-wired on the unused, inner circle of rivets to shove 120V of sweet, sweet goodness to the reset coils for the tentacle trip banks. That heat runs through a switch on the motor, which will prevent that coil from burning out. I may need a rethink of the design as it is resetting the bank and stepping the timer unit at the same time.

In order to add this motor switch, I had to take apart a different motor switch stack to move insulators, switches, and lifters over to the primary motor stack I'm using to drive the game timing.

Then, I worked back through the schematic and my wiring to figure out where 120V was already flowing - turns out it is running to the robo trip relays, but as I mentioned, I want each coil separately fused for the big suckers.

I wired together another couple fuse blocks and will be removing some placeholder wire (and repurposing for the coils) later on.

I also wired in a position 41 trip relay for tilt. While not a trip/latch, I can bump the trip reset using the coin relay and all should be well. The only potential problem is guarding against someone mashing the start button a bunch... I'll have to think about that/look at how others have done it. Running through a switch on the motor makes sense, but my game doesn't have an 'at rest' position on the timing motor. ...... ..... Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

One of the 120V coils is firing when it is supposed to do so, but the other isn't firing at all...?

They both fire off the same switch. Not sure what's wrong yet.

I spent a bit of time redesigning the tilt circuit. Here's what's left to do:

There are going to be several switches involved. If the game is turned on and the relay is untripped, the relay will trip immediately via a separate relay with a NC switch. The tilt relay itself will cut off 30V power to the rest of the game, except for the coin door. Coin door switches will activate the coin relay and lock relay(s). The reset relay is fired by the coin relay. I will also add a switch to the coin relay to reset the trip bank containing the tilt relay. Lastly, I need to rewire the tilt bob to force the tilt relay to trip instead of forcing a game over as it does currently.

I don't have the individual reset relays wired into the reset relay yet - because I don't have the reset relay hold switch wired in. However, the game stops resetting when the score reels zero out properly when the reset relay is manually held. Pretty cool!

The last thing I'll need to wire in are the player control units. To do this, I'll have to drill the phenolic discs and move wipers around (these are snowshoe steppers). The player units provide power to the tentacle left/right relays and score relays. So about six or so wires per. They also provide lamp power to the gear and player position lamps - another 16 wires per player.

I need to lace the cables again - things are starting to get a bit hairy in there! However, part of me wants to wait until the remaining wires are in place.

Once the wiring is done, I can observe/play a full game but without player controls (which will be its own adventure), it's not going to be much fun!

Too easy - gotta do stuff the hard way!

No good pictures of the game, I'm pretty terrible at taking them! Today I pledge I'll get at least one good photo taken, though.

Here is the checklist / troubleshooting guide. Items with checks -should- be wired appropriately, I just have to test when the house isn't asleep.
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The other items need review/resolution. Some are simple tweaks of switches, others will be more difficult. Of particular concern is that the player unit is locking on trip relays(?) In the robo banks. I'll hopefully have that figured out today.

If I'm lucky, I'll have the checklist done today and will rotate the game around and take a video! Pretty darn close to finishing what can be finished today, though!

I still have player control units to wire into the game, as I've mentioned before. I'm considering removing the wiper disc (after marking for drilling) and getting that done as well. Probably too lofty a goal for today, when I've run out of several colors of wire.

A couple of issues require building new relays with more switches, so will not be resolved today, however, I do have some photos & videos:

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Looking in the back door.

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Close up of that door.

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And the back of the lightboard.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BwzwchxlyQZ/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=1bhebr3rxbagu

Video pt. 1 of game running.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BwzxakKFeV8/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=182lun0f8a23b

Video pt 2 from the front of the game.

Just bought another couple big, beefy relays to handle switching a few more things during startup. I really strained my brain to try to make the reset system work within the physical constraints I had. Could not be done. Now... I should be in great shape! I'll be replacing my reset and coin relays. Additional switches on the coin relay will trigger 120V reset to knock out tilt trip. Reset relay will now cut power to the lock relay until reset is complete. Once reset is finished, game will operate normally. I may need to add another switch in the reset to prevent the reset from being triggered on addition of second player, but I'll need to see how much of a problem this is in practice.

Overall, though, I'm pretty excited about the progress. A short leap from a working game.

I was able to scratch another thing off my list - I mocked up two control wheels in cardboard to try to get a feel for position and size. The concern is that penny pitch is too low, and since the mechanics are placed a small distance from the wheel, it really doesn't matter the placement as long as there is room to move the wheel.

I need a second person to get a feel for how close we will be with an 8" wheel/control.

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New relays should be here Thursday! I'll wire them up asap. Once reset is 100% perfect, I'll be able to move onto the player unit and player control.

Player unit is wired up, but if you see the checklist a couple posts above, there are a couple of bugs. Namely, that a trip relay in the scoring circuit locks on.

I may need to wire in some additional switches on my robo-trips. I'll investigate my parts and see what I can do without robbing from a future project.

I have a few minor switch adjustments to make (if you saw the video you'll notice the attack pattern doesn't have a good movement feel). I'm also considering speeding up the octopus by adding additional motor switches/positions. Right now I have a once per rotation switch that moves the timer unit. That may be too conservative. I can add another switch to triple the attack speed (based on post/switch positions), or move it to a cam to really change things up. I could even put it on the really bumpy cam to increase the danger, but it will decrease the game time by a significant factor when I do so.

If I had a moment to actually type out the rules, it would probably help.

I've been mired in the intricacies of circuit design for what feels like years as I've been flitting between this and various other projects. Sorry for all the tech. Interestingly, it's only been a little over two years since Ryan and I first discussed the game! Quite a lot has been happening since then.

Basic premise is that this is a two player, timed, competitive, EM arcade game.

Each player controls a small robot trying to climb down a hill and pick up a piece of a larger robot. Once the player successfully climbs with the piece to the top of the hill, the piece of the larger robot is applied and the player is free to pick up another piece.

The player controls the robot with a small handwheel. The game is "intelligent" enough to allow for the player to move forwards or backwards based on the direction of rotation.

While the player is frantically spinning a wheel, there is a large, menacing robo-octopus of some kind in the center that is attempting to inhibit the player's actions. There are four tentacles on either side, and the player can be stopped in any position. If the player makes "contact" with the tentacle while it is in the closest position, the player will immediately drop the part of the larger robot (if holding one) and cannot pick up another piece for a random amount of time (probably like 2 seconds).

The video above shows the tentacles reaching out. Based on the player control unit's position, the final segment of the tentacle can move in one of two directions. So though there are four tentacle trip relays, there are actually 8 relays involved: 4 additional momentary relays provide a SPDT switch to light the appropriate lamps, and a few other switches are for hit detection (one NC and the other NO).

Each player has a different bell, to alert the other player to their actions while they are focused on their own side of the game.

The game tracks points via score reels. Completing a large robot awards 2 points for the final part instead of one. Once the second point is awarded, the game will reset the robo relays via a 120V coil, mounted near the top of the game, for a satisfying THUNK.

The game can be played solo as well - two coins for a two player game, or one coin for single player. In single player, obviously you're just trying to get the largest number of points in the shortest time. For a two player, you can fight each other both during the game and afterwards!

The time remaining is indicated with lamps on the backglass, and number of players to play as well by illuminating the score reels.

The game does not award credits of any kind, for use in all territories!

Received the relays (and more wire) this weekend - unfortunately super busy - so I only had time to replace the relays themselves today and not the ability to wire in the extra circuitry for the reset. Will attempt to do so after work this week.

Was feeling under the weather today, but spent a lot of time thinking about the game. I couldn't stand it anymore this evening, so I wired up the rest of my planned reset circuitry - works like a charm!

I still get a nice buzzing noise during reset when the reels have to move a long way, but I couldn't think of another way to reliably reset the trip banks - since I don't have bank reset switches wired in..., which I may add if I start blowing fuses. For now, I'll let it go.

Another thing I am considering is removing the player unit entirely. The limitation on 1p/2p is artificial and feels as though it is not needed. In thinking about it - if you're playing a 1p game, you're not going to be moving the 2nd player's controls, and it doesn't really matter.

I was initially thinking about this from an operator's standpoint - grab a second coin for a second player. But the game will be fairly pricey at 25c per player (or game, after I make this change). This will free up a couple of jones plug positions, and vastly simplify the wiring in the game. Before I make this change, what do you all think? Should I keep the player unit? I don't know of many other EM arcades that would ask for a second coin for a second player... or at least I can't think of any tonight (see note below, thanks Ryan).

Regardless, I spent a bit tonight re-engineering the player unit, changing the construction of the spider and various wires in preparation for fixing a problem with the 2nd player score relays, but I realized that it may be overkill for the application, and I haven't been able to think of anything else since!

Keep the player unit? Yea or nay? My current vote is nay.

Also, built cardboard mock-ups of 8" wheels to test placement. I had my wife come hold one up while I did the same, and while it was close, we were not hitting each other while we turned the wheels.

Seems like 8" wheels are a winner!

Some more thinking today, and I think I realize what I need to do on the player unit. Right now, I am having too few relays pull too many separate duties.

Reset is resetting the player unit, but the coin relay is incrementing the player unit.

Instead, I am going to treat the player unit as a player/coin unit. The reset of the player unit will happen when the game tilts or when the game ends naturally.

Players will be added via a coin relay, and then the start button will be used to start the game (like a 70s Williams game).

The big conceptual problem for me was that I was trying to use the start button as my free play button. However, with the setup I have inside, I think I would have been better off to use a relay to handle the second player rather than a unit. So free play will have to happen in a different way... which I haven't determined yet.

More thinking. Anyone with any thoughts, please chime in. I still have half a mind to rip out the player unit entirely.

I think I'm going to just go with a player 2 relay. Solves all my problems neatly. However, I still have the issue of firing this only on the second coin, so I'll need to add back in my single switch relay (that I removed last night) to handle the second coin.

Thanks EM-PINMAN

I'm not using a credit unit, in keeping with other EM arcade games. It makes for a bit if a challenge, since there's no switch to keep closed like that... But that is how I'd do it if I added a credit unit.

Oh, good point! I wasn't thinking about gun games - more in line with games like Penny Pitch/Ringer/Darts.

As much as I love replays, I didn't want to add them to this game.

Threw out my player unit and added a couple of relays. I have some logic gremlins to work out, because a stepper is a lot nicer than a relay for handling changes that need to be staged, but it works.

Managed to blow the lamp fuse in my haste, however, and now I'm back to no GI for some reason. Tentacle lamps still work.

I am headed to @zimjoe's place soon to drill the player movement steppers, then I should be ready for wiring those in! Can't wait as the game will play with that installed (I'll start with P1 and verify it's working first...)

zimjoe didn't throw me out when I went to use his tools yesterday. The player movement units are now full of more holes!

I'm not sure if I'll be able to repurpose the collars already peened into the wrong positions in the new ones. I also don't know if Steve Young sells new collars and wipers, but I'm going to call soon and find out (unless someone here knows). These are the pieces that the snowshoe wiper mounts inside that runs through the bakelite wiper disc. I'm hopeful that with careful prying, I can repurpose these, but not sure if it will be possible. They're not supposed to move once installed, after all.

Lining up the holes was actually a very interesting challenge, since the disc was slightly warped, and there is a lot of odd topology on that disc, but I think it will be perfect! Well, either that or it will blow some serious fuses.

Just received confirmation from PBR on various small parts for assembling the player movement steppers - I needed bushings for each hole (unavailable), blades, and springs.

I went through the Williams parts catalogs and picked out three different possibilities and ordered 8 of each (four per unit). I should receive those soon and will hopefully have a chance to try carefully taking apart the bushings from an unused part of the units. If not, and I break my part, I'll grab another unit from ebay and start over.

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Coat o' primer went on yesterday. Next to fill, sand, tack, and then second coat.

Things are happening...

Pardon the radio silence on this thread - Ryan and I have been hard at work on various things...

Ryan has been doing some fabulous neon work which looks amazing. We are working on Coin-Op Carnival #2, and I spent a few months programming 36 games into Multi-Races, which was publicly shown for the first time at York in October.

Since then, I've been doing work work non-stop, and Ryan and I are communicating about RF quite frequently. Some fun stuff to come, and I hope to be showing the game before too much longer. One of the most frequent questions I get at shows is, 'where is RF?' Hopefully more to come soon.

Durant's mechanisms are really very nice and reliable. Very neat that you used his patent as an example.

This project, despite appearances, is not dead. I am working with Ryan on the artwork, which is necessary before I can proceed. It might mean moving or adding lamps, which will require a different light board to be cut. I need to make sure that everything is set with the art before I can finalize the last bits of the layout/design. Everything is wired and ready!

I wasn't able to lay down a second coat of primer before the cold really set in. Hope to do so in the next few months and have everything totally ready. I need to cut the holes for the coin door and the control rods for the wheels. That won't take long, but I want to make sure the art package doesn't count on those items being in a particular place.

Basically, art is key, and Ryan and I are working on lots of other projects at the moment. We're making some progress on the overall art, though!

I've received a few emails asking what is happening with the game.

In short, I am awaiting the artwork before I can continue. Ryan and I are working on this as fast as we can, between Coin-Op Carnival #2, working, families, etc.

There has been some progress, but I am waiting to show until the artwork is done. Unfortunately, I can't show gameplay until then as part of the artwork is required for the game to function.

While I've been waiting, I've not been idle. I have started and finished a project to reverse engineer the one ball horserace games, and for those with backglass images available, I have (37 games). Multi-Races allows you to play payout and replay versions of those games in a single cabinet. I commissioned backglass art as well, which is in process.

I also started and finished a few other games: Quest for Glory, a port of the point and click adventure PC game to the Multimorphic P3, which allows you to play one of three different character classes, with a physical ball, hitting targets to solve puzzles.

And just a little over a week ago, I released my first game commercially, Ranger In The Ruins, also for the Multimorphic P3 system. You play a single ball, with points drawn on the playfield and dynamically updating as you earn items which are awarded from past players of the game through the Internet.

Looking forward to getting this one done! Ready to play with others and have others play it. Game resets, can manually score and track robo parts. Will need some router time on light board (we are currently working on backglass so that I can finalize lamp positions). I'm ready too!