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Wondering if anyone knows of any machines where the rules may change on the fly, either randomly or through an action by another player?
I was thinking of the Card Game Fluxx, and how the victory conditions may change, and how static the rules in Pinball tend to be, even for non-linear pinball rules, it is still 'do this and this to light this'. Any games where that might be random or maybe another player could somehow affect it?
Would that be any fun to actually play? or just a bad idea.. lol.
Quoted from Rdoyle1978:POTC has different rules depending on the player you select. Not exactly what you’re asking though - you are also thinking about “shot requirements” I think. Rules change on the fly all the time as far as scoring,
Multipliers, etc
Yeah, specifcally thinking of ways that the rules might be random at start up or_ such that a different player could affect the rules of the first.
i.e, as you say, multipliers, but perhaps as a player, you need to figue out on the fly, where your multiplier shots are and adapt with each game.
Quoted from mbaumle:Not sure if it counts, but a lot of Gottlieb games have an “auto skill” feature. According to Jon Norris, the game can actually sense the apparent level of skill each player possesses based on certain metrics like shot accuracy, “double flipping,” and whether the player is trapping the ball frequently.
It then extends or shortens timers in certain modes and adjusts other rules to equalize things between players as a game is played. That’s how it’s supposed to work, at least.
I’ve experimented with the feature a bit in my Super Mario Bros and Lights Camera Action, but I haven’t really noticed much of a difference.
That's really interesting.. like a handicap. Crazy, but could be super frustrating.. it's amazing sometimes how much random flipping can accumulate in points sometimes 
Quoted from SantaEatsCheese:I think the easiest way to get real variety in an existing game would be to use different density balls. Have you ever gotten the "Powerball" in Twilight Zone? If you mixed balls of a few different density's you would get a game where every ball shot differently... Could be fun... or maddening.
I have for sure.. it is interesting (and I tend to hate it lol), but I was mostly curious about the code options where part of the game might be that the player needs to explore the PF shots, and learn what everything does. You know that there is a bonus X and Extra ball and mode start, but maybe need to try different things, such as shooting a different bank down, or completing a set of targets / rollovers.. could be frustrating, but different strategy. If you tied it together with each player, it would add a lot of incentive for everyone to be watching .
Quoted from TheLaw:The problem with variable rules is it in't the easiest thing to come up with really good solid rule set, so if you have it I don;t know how much you want to muck it up.
Game like GOT & SW give diff'rent abilities to a player depending on which house/character they choose (and can be random draw in GOT), but they are always the same.
Some thing like Pool Sharks you can play either 8 or 9 ball which affects how you progress in the game, but it's really only how the drop targets work to collect pool balls
Yeah, the JJPs are crazy for that. So many possibilities to explore, and a great way to add lengevity to the game.
Agree about difficulty with solid rule sets. I know people who buy games specifically based on who is coding it, knowing that they will complete the rules and it will be deep.
Would def need to be tied into the PF design.. was just a thought.
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