(Topic ID: 139036)

RPG pinball - is there any potential here?

By redundor

8 years ago


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  • 32 posts
  • 22 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 8 years ago by Razorbak86
  • Topic is favorited by 3 Pinsiders

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    #1 8 years ago

    I was reading the Game of Thrones thread and the talk about how the pop-bumpers are going to work for helping with advancement in the game made me wonder, has there ever been an RPG style pin made? If you have ever played the Epic Quest table by Zen you might have an idea about what I am thinking of. I think that there could be some really fun possibilities.

    - XP for completing missions
    - Leveling up based on XP
    - Upgradable weapons that can be used to allow missions to be completed easier
    - Character progress that can be saved from one game to another

    I honestly am not a big fan of RPG's, but I think that if it's done in the right way it could be really fun and help to suck more people into the hobby. I think that for a lot of gamers, pinball seems a little pointless, since as good as you do, you never get anything other than a high score. However, if you had a character that you could upgrade and save, even though you might not get high score, at least you got that new weapon/armor/etc.

    What do you guys/gals think?

    #2 8 years ago

    I would personally enjoy it, but it seems like it would probably be a love it or hate it thing for most people on pinside (then again, what isn't...). Saved games would certainly be a must.

    I'd almost certainly jump at a Final Fantasy or Dragon Warrior/Quest game, but the idea could be implemented with many different pop culture themes as well. Can you imagine Lotr with even deeper rules and a save game feature?

    #3 8 years ago

    I think it would only appeal to hardcore gamers. It's never been done because most people walk up to a pinball machine and have no idea how to play much less what the rules are. I'm a sucker for mods so if it was an optional upgrade I would buy it...i.e. BOP 2.0. Spike should be able to handle upgrade options.

    #4 8 years ago

    I love RPG's and the idea of an RPG pin, but I can't see such a pin ever being made simply because it wouldn't work well in arcades where multiple people are playing the same pin and games are tuned for maximum income (i.e. typically shorter games). Of course, maybe they could get away with it if they made a table with a swappable ROM for home play which emphasized RPG elements vs an arcade ROM, which streamlines play and cuts out a lot of the saving of experience, etc. Hmm....

    #5 8 years ago

    Pass. I get the nerd appeal, but it's just not why I play pinball. I'm not looking to further a story or adventure, I'm looking to challenge myself.

    I think there are interesting ideas still to be explored for home gaming, that are focused on collectors. WOOLY is trying some of them. But anything that saves games and levels up etc just isn't appealing to me.

    #6 8 years ago

    You'd need to have two modes - a "regular" mode for a standard 3-ball pinball game and an "advanced" mode for an RPG-style game. Essentially two games.

    Otherwise you'd be severely limiting the audience by eliminating the casual walk-up player.

    I have a design for an RPG-style game that could really work but it also minimizes the turn-based drawbacks of the genre. Even as an "RPG-lite" it would only be appealing to crazy pinball nerds.

    #7 8 years ago

    I just want achievements like Pinball Arcade has. And not just unlock and be done. But a tally of how many times you accomplished that goal.

    #8 8 years ago

    I think this idea is one made for the multimorphic P3 platform. I love the idea and it would be more for the home player. I think with the P3 you could even have different modules based on level, character class, etc. Has awesome potential but implementation will be the hard part.

    #9 8 years ago

    Wait, this already exists - right?

    http://www.ipdb.org/machine.cgi?id=743

    I keed, I keed.

    It could be awesome. It'd need some kind of live stats a'la Pinball Arcade or a competitive multiplayer that allowed you to import/export profiles to make it work in this day and age, though. People just aren't that into 100+ hour JRPGs anymore. Even Final Fantasy has moved to an MMORPG.

    My vote is for Wild Arms, though.

    #10 8 years ago
    Quoted from Law:

    Even Final Fantasy has moved to an MMORPG.
    .

    I wouldn't say that. FF series never stopped being made. Sure, it's horrible now, but they are making them.

    I think achivements might be an ok idea for getting new blood in, dumb to me but I'm getting older and more crabby

    #11 8 years ago

    I want an machine that saves my overall RPG progress over time on my phone over numerous games (in addition to whatever happens over the course of a single game). Sure it would be fun to get XP and level up over the course of 5-10 minutes, but I want to play a game and just grind 1500 pop bumpers because I need pop bumper XP or some achievement, then focus on trolls because my next quest is to kill a certain number of trolls. I'll never shoot a dumb standup that's 10 inches away from the flippers pointed straight at the drain... but what if you told me I can shoot it 50 times and I'll be LEVEL 12?

    Use the same plodding system that has people grinding away in MMORPGs doing the same thing over and over for hours just to hit the next level in that thing. Big flashy LCD leaderboards showcasing not the best players, but basically those who have spent the most time and money on the game. I'll keep putting quarters in.

    #12 8 years ago
    Quoted from redundor:

    the pop-bumpers are going to work for helping with advancement in the game

    Is this touted as a new feature?

    #14 8 years ago
    Quoted from DefaultGen:

    because I need pop bumper XP or some achievement,

    Damn Martians!

    #15 8 years ago

    Howbout a FPS pin coinciding with the new release?:

    duke-nukem-2015-08-19-01.jpgduke-nukem-2015-08-19-01.jpg

    #16 8 years ago
    Quoted from vid1900:

    Howbout a FPS pin coinciding with the new release?:

    Do we really need to go through this again? Duke at an all time low, nobody want's anything to do with it.

    #17 8 years ago
    Quoted from KitKat:

    I think this idea is one made for the multimorphic P3 platform. I love the idea and it would be more for the home player. I think with the P3 you could even have different modules based on level, character class, etc. Has awesome potential but implementation will be the hard part.

    Yeah, I will quote myself from https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/new-multimorphic-video ...

    Quoted from Roo:

    I'm definitely excited by the possibilities this platform has. You can make traditional 3-balls-per-player games. You can make simple mini-games (possibly using only the screen portion of the playfield). You can make something that blends these together. You could even design a game purely for home users, if you wanted, since not every module or game for a given module needs to be feasible for coin-op.
    Imagine something similar to an old-school turn-based RPG, but in pinball form. You don't need to stick with the 3 balls-per-game format. It could have an actual story that takes like 40+ hours to complete. It could have towns and shops and dungeons. It could have complicated item/spell commands using the 2nd/3rd flipper buttons that would usually be too complicated to teach someone for a 5 minute game.
    That's just one broad idea. I look forward to seeing what people do with this.

    Imagine battles where the number of hits the monster takes depends on your stats and theirs, hitting them with a combo is a critical hit, draining doesn't make you lose your ball but takes some of your health away, etc. There's a lot of different things that could be done.

    Quoted from jwilson:

    it would only be appealing to crazy pinball nerds

    ...maybe. But isn't that most of us here? I think there's room for more than just the traditional 3-ball game, especially in a home setting.

    #18 8 years ago
    Quoted from vid1900:

    Howbout a FPS pin coinciding with the new release?:
    duke-nukem-2015-08-19-01.jpg

    I'd prefer a LARP theme.
    Role ModelsRole Models

    #19 8 years ago

    If this was to happen, it would def have to be a FF pin as that's the most popular.

    Either that or someone make an awesome original idea for one.

    It's hard, but doable from the things I've seen. Someone try it out cause I'll be on board.

    #20 8 years ago
    Quoted from TheLaw:

    Duke at an all time low, nobody want's anything to do with it.

    That's why a new development team is making a new game.

    #21 8 years ago
    Quoted from vid1900:

    That's why a new development team is making a new game.

    Jon St John is already on board to do the voice of Duke again.

    #22 8 years ago

    I'm not sure whether a pinball like this would lead to more or less longevity in a collection.

    Because the game necessarily has to have an end. When you eventually 'beat' the game, would you feel like creating a new character/save and going through the motions all over again? If so, what is the incentive to start again? A game that lasts a long time isn't one that would work to compete with yourself on score. If the game doesn't have an 'end' what makes it continue to be fun when you reach the level cap?

    I disagree that it wouldn't work well in the operators market. Just look at all the arcade games out there that work on an ID card system where you do exactly that: have a profile that levels up and unlocks/collects stuff. It is a good way for operators to hook people on games and make the competition and community around it global rather than just a local high score table.

    #23 8 years ago

    World Of Warcraft. most popular online RPG ever and still continues to be.a pin based off that with blue tooth connectivity where as a player could input their account info via phone app and in RPG play mode. a machine that would award unobtainium upgrades ( weapons, spells maps and expansion packs ect) once it caught on with the online community ( players seeing items you cannot buy as an upgrade) it would catch on fast and you could charge $2.00 + a play.

    #24 8 years ago
    Quoted from Roo:

    draining doesn't make you lose your ball but takes some of your health away, etc.

    It's called multiball.

    #25 8 years ago
    Quoted from Roo:

    Imagine battles where the number of hits the monster takes depends on your stats and theirs, hitting them with a combo is a critical hit, draining doesn't make you lose your ball but takes some of your health away, etc. There's a lot of different things that could be done.

    You can experience some of this in Champion Pub which has health meters and knockout combos. The combos are really effective idea and are tougher to pull off during the intensity of a fight than in regular gameplay.

    #26 8 years ago
    Quoted from accidental:

    I'm not sure whether a pinball like this would lead to more or less longevity in a collection.
    Because the game necessarily has to have an end. When you eventually 'beat' the game, would you feel like creating a new character/save and going through the motions all over again? If so, what is the incentive to start again?

    Good point, which is why it might be a tougher sell as a standalone machine (aside from the other location-play issues). That's why it makes sense for a platform like the P3 where it could be one game of many, at a reduced relative cost.

    That said, a lot of video games have "New Game +" modes where you can play through again with the abilities and items you already acquired against harder enemies. Theoretically a popular game of this nature could have expansions as well (software update with new content).

    I don't see this kind of thing taking over pinball generally, but I think there might be a niche for it. The question would be is it big enough to devote the resources to making something cool. I just think it would be cool if there wasn't one type of pinball game (standard 3 balls + extra balls with a single "score"), the same way there isn't one type of "shooter" or "fighting game" or "racing game".

    #27 8 years ago

    Sounds like you're ready to tackle making it yourself.

    http://pinballmakers.com/

    #28 8 years ago

    Yeah, rpg pinball is pretty much a sure thing for longevity. To the rpg fans, most of the titles are timeless to them. I see a pin with this implementation being a success, but who knows until someone gives it a go and makes one to find out.

    #29 8 years ago

    This already happened on the NES in 1990.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinball_Quest

    #30 8 years ago

    Zen's Epic Quest is really great. I don't think you have to be an RPG fan to appreciate the rules. There's new swords/Axes that get unlocked, different bosses as you progress, etc. But this would definitely require an LCD to keep track of and appreciate your progress. I really recommend checking out just this one Zen table, very different and fun.

    #31 8 years ago

    I'll be interested to see where this Borderland homebrew pin goes: https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/borderlands-the-pinball

    I think there is some potential there and I really liked the games

    Quoted from KitKat:

    I think this idea is one made for the multimorphic P3 platform. I love the idea and it would be more for the home player. I think with the P3 you could even have different modules based on level, character class, etc. Has awesome potential but implementation will be the hard part.

    I agree that P3 would fit really well. And with that platform you could download new games with new modes that work on the existing layout. Or there could be user created content and modes that also extend the life of the game.

    Quoted from ls1chris:

    World Of Warcraft. most popular online RPG ever and still continues to be.a pin based off that with blue tooth connectivity where as a player could input their account info via phone app and in RPG play mode. a machine that would award unobtainium upgrades ( weapons, spells maps and expansion packs ect) once it caught on with the online community ( players seeing items you cannot buy as an upgrade) it would catch on fast and you could charge $2.00 + a play.

    Awesome ideas. The ability to take your character with you and play the same one wherever you are would be key to this working well.

    Quoted from jwilson:

    Sounds like you're ready to tackle making it yourself.
    http://pinballmakers.com/

    Who knows, might be something that I get into some day. I won't deny that following the threads at https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/forum/homebrew-pinball is very inspiring.

    #32 8 years ago
    Quoted from catboxer:

    Zen's Epic Quest is really great. I don't think you have to be an RPG fan to appreciate the rules. There's new swords/Axes that get unlocked, different bosses as you progress, etc. But this would definitely require an LCD to keep track of and appreciate your progress. I really recommend checking out just this one Zen table, very different and fun.

    Hear, hear! Epic Quest is a great RPG-based digital pin! One of Zen Studios very best designs, IMO.

    http://blog.zenstudios.com/press/press_archive/Epic_Quest_Announcement_FINAL.pdf
    http://www.pinballfx.com/press/table_guides/Epic%20Quest%20Table%20Guide%20By%20ShoryukenToTheChin.pdf

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