(Topic ID: 304036)
Chicago, IL
Ottawa, ON
Reichenau Im Mühlkreis
Quoted from stefanmader:the look great!
is the top yellow ramp made out of metal?
It is! Unfortunately I think it's going to make sense to redo the ramp, which is a shame because this one turned out so nice after it was powder coated. I'm going to detail reasons with the list of changes I'm going to make, but I think I may end up 3D printing the next ramp.
Quoted from Mbecker:Glad to see these threads being started Tanner! I tend to mostly stay off other socials but love following homebrews here. Trash land was intriguing and fun to shoot - will be cool to see it’s revision and competition.
It's good to be here! The Expo was part of the reason I wanted to finally get a thread going here, so that there was a way to follow the project beside my sporadic insta posts. I've also been having fun browsing the projects here, both the ones I know about and the ones I haven't seen!
One of the other reasons was to have an organized place for myself in order to write out things as I'm thinking about them, rather than only have them in the thoughtspace. Here is some discussion of the revisions I want to make.
Screen Shot 2021-11-15 at 7.49.48 PM (resized).png
Screen Shot 2021-11-15 at 8.09.28 PM (resized).png
The top image is the various shots from each flipper for reference (not including things like hitting the pop bumpers). The main shots on this game include the two orbitals to the sides, the middle ramp/drop targets, the sequence of drop target/ball eater/wireform to the right, and the targets to the bottom right.
The second image is to refer to for the various changes.
Unnumbered, and an important change, is having many more inserts. I've included rough approximations of inserts I want to add in yellow. Right now there just aren't enough to support many possible game modes. I'm going to (roughly) plan out my modes soon here so that I can have a more specific idea of what's needed. (They're also going to be clear next time so that I can do different colors from the RGB LEDs.)
Now, going clockwise:
1. I would like to be able to use the bottom outlane save VUK as a part of some modes, but right now it's a little too up to chance for that to be fair. You do tend to hit it a lot in a game, but I think if there were some sort of specific shot to get there that would be a good thing? I'm not sure exactly, but an activatable subway opening near that top marker is a consideration.
2. This orbital works great as an orbital but is too hard to hit, especially to the right side. I want to slightly rework the geometry of this area, including the two pop bumpers, so that action around there is easier. The right orbital works really nicely at the current moment, and I want the left to be similar.
3. These spots need thin stand ups. They get hit a lot, and having targets there will add a little bit more to do and play nicely with triggering sound/light effects.
4. Like I said, this ramp is one that I like a lot, but it needs to be reworked. I think it should be thinner to allow some of the geometry reworks I want to do, perhaps being the width of the right two drop targets? I think it's going to be 3D printed this time, which will make things a little easier as far as design on the digital side. The current ramp was designed digitally, but in the physical realm it's off from the digital version.
5. Originally these were supposed to be drop targets, but due to spacial concerns I plopped stand ups there. I think with some work that the drop target chassis I have (from a Gottlieb Raven) will fit there, and drop targets are always more fun. Maybe a kick out will go behind them?
6. This outlane feels bad a lot of the time. It may just need a post to make it a little thinner, but it needs something.
7. So, I don't have a gate in front of my plunger lane, and it gets hit a fair amount during games. This is actually pretty fun, but I think doing something more intentional with that would be beneficial. I might have the auto-plunger go up a small ramp, with a target or kickout underneath that where the opening is now.
8. I think it might be fun to have a 7 segment timer somewhere for modes, maybe in the middle?
9. I didn't put a marker for this, but I the upper playfield could benefit being like 10% bigger. No changes to the geometry, just allowing slightly more breathing room (this is part of the reason for a new ramp, too.)
All written out that seems like a lot! And it probably is! I'm very happy with how this game shoots in the current iteration, and none of these possible changes affect the general geometry and shots. It's all things that would take advantage of existing observed shots/paths in a way that makes them more fun. There's a lot already shoved in on this game, but it would seem to me that just a few more things would hit a critical mass of fun things to do on this game!
6 months later
Your drop target wall into ramp, what game is this from? tpetch
1 week later
Also, it sure has been a while since I've update this, hasn't it? I've been hard at work on this and a new game, but haven't had easy access to a cnc router until recently.
Essentially Trashland is going to be a brand new game that I'm still calling Trashland. It's still roughly the same short and wide dimensions (28" wide by 34" long, vs the previous 28" by 30"), but it's a brand new playfield design in a brand new cabinet design. I just got my inserts and clear coating supplies, and the new playfield should be cut in the next few days with the cabinet coming shortly after.
I'll share a picture of the blank playfield after it's cut and some more info, but some highlights of what's new with this design:
- Two new mini-playfields for a total of three, one regular, one vertical, and one backwards.
- Three new flippers, for a total of seven.
- A total of eight new mechs.
- More new ramps and wireforms than I'm looking forward to fabricating (with my poor welding skills).
A lot of people who played Trashland 1.0 liked it a lot, even with no rules programmed in. I kept all the best stuff from that design and fixed and incorporated things in that will (hopefully) make it a more well-rounded game!
The first place this one is going to be publicly playable is at this year's Chicago Pinball Expo, I look forward to challenging everyone to a game or two there!
's-hertogenbosch
Quoted from tpetch:The first place this one is going to be publicly playable is at this year's Chicago Pinball Expo
Sweet! Looking forward to it.
It's here! It's still pretty hard to tell just what's going on from the whitewood, but the most substantial new features is two new mini-playfields.
There the upper left, which existed originally, but now there's also the vertical area to the right as a play area, and an unpictured one to the bottom left. While there are direct shots into each of these, you can also travel counter clockwise between them (with the trough as an intermediary between the lower left and vertical playfields). Theoretically you'll be able to move around all three without interacting with the primary playfield for as long as you can!
There are many, many new inserts, hopefully enough. These basic rules framework I have is that there is a "questline" (although I'm not fond of that term here) for each of the four main characters of the game. These consist of two large modes that you complete sequentially. In addition, there are three optional small modes for each character, that will add certain bonuses and make character modes easier if completed. Besides those, there will be a few independent modes as well.
Now comes even more work! I'm hoping to have all the inserts sanded down and the various surfaces clear coated this week. Then it'll be a marathon of wiring that'll be done when it's done.
Since it's not as crucial at this stage the new cabinet will happen when it's convenient. Hopefully towards the end of next week, but up to two weeks from now.
288358018_10222092778733222_2270781529511615799_n (resized).jpgHave a small update for today! I’m still waiting on some inserts to arrive so that I can clear coat the playfield and really get installing and wiring.
In the meantime, I’ve spent today 3D printing! I’m experimenting with using clips for my wireforms until their finalized, which I know a lot of others have been happy with.
Here I 3D printed the subway for this shot from the upper playfield, which feeds the ball to the lower mini playfield. Additionally I’ve dialed in the clips, and the shot works great every time (from hand testing)!
I’m hoping to get most of the clips I’ll need printed today to be able to proptype all the wireforms in the next day or two.
(I also need to make a youtube account to be able to post short videos of these things too.)
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Duisburg
Quoted from stefanmader:Looks fantastic! Love the inserts on the backboard.
So the backboard is actually going to be a play surface! There’s a bit more to do, but I’ve included a photo of the different elements of that test fit.
There’s a VUK behind the backboard where you can see that lower rectangular opening. That goes to a diverter that will either feed the ball to that lower hole right above the flipper, or to the top hole which will go to a wireform that feeds to the right main flipper.
The idea is that the vertical mini playfield is the first in the sequence. There’s an orbital above the flipper, a small orbital that hits that pop bumper below, then a shot in the middle that feeds to the second mini playfield. That one has a conditional shot that feeds to the lower mini playfield, and that one will have a shot that feeds to the trough which feeds to the inital VUK-diverter setup.
Normally on ball launch it will shoot to that VUK and feed it back to the main playfield, but it allows the loop to be continuous.
In other news, clearcoating has gone great, but I did not quite have enough. The back board and mini playfield are done, but I have to wait for more to arrive for the main playfield. In the meantime I’m continuing to dissemble the first version, 3D print, and install LEDs under the inserts while I wait.
92FEAF69-1053-46D4-8E46-96E33FCF8F37 (resized).jpegOh my god i love that, if i may, i want to integrate that idea of the vertical playfield in my next build, that is really cool and so different 
Quoted from stefanmader:Oh my god i love that, if i may, i want to integrate that idea of the vertical playfield in my next build, that is really cool and so different
My inspiration came from Banzai Run in the first place, I’d love to see more weird play surfaces!
The main thing to consider is that it takes more space than you’d expect. The ball moves so much quicker that you need the space to be able to react. I had to make a new cabinet for this version regardless, so I added room to have a taller than normal backboard (which worked our for some other reasons too).
You’re no stranger to non-standard shaped games though, I look forward to seeing what’s next
These are really well done and cool and innovative and all, but you really need to be careful with this stuff. This is the kind of thing that gets people hired at one of the major pinball companies as a designer. 
2 weeks later
Things have been in motion!
I thought I’d drop in to show a couple of in progress pics. It’s about 80-90% of the way to first flips! I have two major pieces to finish designing for 3D printing: the middle ramp that goes behind the middle drop targets and leads to the upper playfield; and a diverter assembly that goes behind the right portion of the back board playfield.
That diverter will allow the ball to be fed either back to the right flipper, or to the vertical mini playfield. This allows for a few things, but one is for the ball launch, which feeds to a VUK. This way the ball launch will feed directly to the right flipper (in a cool and exciting way), but also allow it to feed to that playfield, allow access to that playfield to be conditional, etc.
Otherwise, wiring is mostly done, and I’m waiting on some misc. parts. I have an appointment next Saturday to CNC the cabinet, which should hopefully align with the playfield being ready to go in the cabinet. Until then, some progress photos (also, I finally built a rotisserie lol):
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Love that! That looks awesome!
That will be so interesting how that plays, please make a gameplay video as soon as possible
1 week later
we have a cabinet! it took slightly longer due to some makerspace shenanigans, but i’m very pleased with this cabinet.
everything is wired up underneath (minus some additional addressable leds i’m waiting on), so with luck she should yet be flipping today. i have a few things to finish up on top before that happens, but hopefully i’ll post a first flips video soon!
CD4FD26A-0EBF-4279-84EB-4C1A54FE0FBD (resized).jpegD03D3AA1-A366-4CBF-B5DD-498AC06DFBD9 (resized).jpeg 3 months later
so, once again, it has been some time since my last post!
trashland made it to expo, and performed beautifully. i wasn’t able to have it working thursday, but i fixed it by about 11 am on friday and it got over 400 plays the rest of the time! the only thing that broke was a melted coil sleeve on one of the flippers by the end of the show. thank you to everyone who stopped by to try it, the code wasn’t too far along but i had so much fun having people flip it.
i’m going to be catching up this thread the next day or two with writing about the design choices for various parts of the game, updates and changes i’m going to make, and plans for the code and rules. i’ll also be posting a video of both the shots in the game and some unedited play footage after i check over everything after the trip back.
for now, here are some photos of the machine and from expo!
2E8C246D-E8E8-4258-A483-9808DB41F7DD (resized).jpeg55D3D310-5F9C-4320-85A2-FD072EBD6F05 (resized).jpeg6AB41215-B7EF-4052-8CAF-9A40EE6B3407 (resized).jpegDE13018D-8D8F-4CFF-9048-43913185BF4E (resized).jpegEE83ABAB-5A9B-41C7-B17E-9FE57BF5901E (resized).jpeg 3 months later
Am I counting 7 flippers?!
Would love to see some video if you have a chance to post. Fascinated by this project.
1 month later
whoops it's been two months, again. the game is going to be at mgc in a few days! i hope to make it to some other shows, it's going to be at pinball at the zoo and expo for sure, other shows possible.
in the meantime, here's a clip of me testing out the vertical mini playfield and locking a ball! vertically!
Clermont-ferrand
1 week later
so, about two months ago i thought "wouldn't it be fun to go to mgc and bring a new version of trashland". this turned out to be an ambitious (and perhaps foolish) decision. despite that, we made it to mgc and had a ton of fun sharing the new iteration. it wasn't quite as far along as i had hoped, but now that it's all together and working again the (re)coding starts in earnest.
here are a few images of the new playfield:
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IMG_4223 (resized).jpg
with this rework i ended up touching basically every aspect of the game. i removed mechs, added mech, reworked entire sections. at this point it's in a spot that i ultimately am pretty happy with! there's a few things that still need to be fundamentally rethought, but this version is closer to the finished game than not.
a couple of things i have to fix and i'll post some footage of me flipping it!
This is an amazing piece of art/pinball. Truly wild and cool ideas with mostly off the shelf parts. It's been great watching you iterate on this over time.
Love your work brother, and my favorite thing is you are truly a "custom" builder. You break the molds, the "standards" of pinball, and you push the limits of the game itself. You are what makes custom fun to watch. Thanks for sharing Tanner.
1 week later
1 week later
I got to play two balls on this at PatZ and found it really interesting (third seemed to jam coming out of the trough). One of my co-workers knows tpetch and has been telling me to try it out. I saw it at MGC but never saw it turned on there so it was nice to get to flip on it. the vertical area is very demanding of fast reactions
5 months later
as always, i’m bad at updating as i work and rework on this project. since mgc (and pinball at the zoo) i’ve unfortunately not had much time to work on this one too much.
however! it will be at expo, and i’ve redone part of the playfield to address some issues and change some things i didn’t like.
once they’re put together i’ll write a longer post on what’s changed and why. the bulk of the changes are geared towards reliability and serviceability (ie, significant parts of the previous version were a massive pain to take apart).
i also promise to take some long-form video once it’s put together for expo!
876BEC3B-93C3-466E-B71C-11C425939483 (resized).jpegC099FBB7-BC20-4CE4-BEA1-71762670068C (resized).jpegWhat a cool machine. Looking forward to seeing this progress. Could you tell us a little about the Van Halen machine?
3 months later
2 weeks later
Quoted from Chosen_S:Man, this is awesome. Wanna see the final!!
Wait till you see his new one
Quoted from MrBigg:Wait till you see his new one
Oh yeah, that’s how I found this one!
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