VPX WIP Original Table Titans of Magellan

[Anthias]

I recently stumbled upon something amazing. The VPW example table. These guys have put together something truly special with this very detailed and feature rich template table. I noticed some people felt it was too complex to use. But to my mind, ALL template tables are complex to use if the methods and thinking of the developer is too far removed from those of the user. It then falls on the user to work with what they are given, not the other way around. Well, suffice to say, the way VPW work is radically different to everything I have ever done, given they are VPX stalwarts and I haven't really done much beyond VP9 and FP/Bam, which simply do not work the same ways that VPX does.



So I decided to give the VPW example table a shot, and see just how hard I can push it with the minimal effort that some people seem to expect. SO initially, I will do very little coding, and focus purely on designing a game around the selection present in the example table. Once I am happy with that, then yes, I will elaborate on it, add elements as required. But I am imposing a rule on myself for this project: Aside from graphics (like perhaps DMD font etc, I have a font underway which you will see some of on the playfield graphic I will attach here.) I will not remove any elements from the table that the VPW guys put in there.



So the example has five bumpers? This table has five bumpers. In my style, I have done some unusual things with the lower third, in part to accomodate two of those bumpers. Note the launch shoot is the right out lane. This allows me to open up the centre third outer walls of the playfield for potential shots.



So far I have spent a couple of hours rearranging the layout. THere will be more rearranging. I added the second spinner, got things roughly where I want, then drafted up my preliminary playfield art. Obciously I have some baking to do for the lights - the default ones will have to change to suit the new layout, so I am looking forward to figuring that aspect out as although I did something like it in Test pilots, that is the extend of my experience with this interesting method of doing lights. The closest I ever came to that would be the flash effects I used to do in VP7/8 days, and they are worlds away from this modern method.



So anyway...

ABOUT THIS TABLE THEME

This is an original theme, not licenced, as is my way. The story is that mankind finally reached the stars, only to run into a species we then dubbed "the titans of magellan. THey inhabit the area of space we know as the clouds of magellan, are enormous, and are incredibly powerul warriors. Their territorial nature keeps their popul;ation low. A sinfle titan can call entire star systems their own, killing even their own kind in a jealous rage should they try to make use of the resources found there.



Needless to say we struggle in the ensuing conflict, though it is our teeming millions against three. Draxu, Daevos, and Dyarzo.



You are captain of a battle cruiser, and you have seen most of the fleet destroyed. And now, you journey the region, trying not to suffer the same fate, with the three titans lurking out there, somewhere, intent on our extinction.



I will post updates as I complete things. Preliminary screenshot below. I felt I had to get a playfield image done up early, but the layout will likely change more as it goes on.



My enormous gratitude to the VPW guys for the example table.

 

[Anthias]

Made some progress on this. Ramp from the up kicker on the right is temporary, just stuck that there as a marker until I do it properly or decide to not bother lol. Plastics are just holding image as well. The layout is evolving little by little.

Slowly developing the rules that will be coded eventually. At the moment, looking at: Hit the upkicker to send ball to lock down that ramp. Hit again to release.

Hit the three left hand playfield targets to select one of the three titans (lights below bumpers) and enter their territory. Hit the captive ball to encounter. THen either shoot the ramp to evade or the up kicker to engage. Survive the multiball that results from engaging for a set time (say, thirty seconds) to beat the titan back. Engage or evade gives 500k, winning gives a mil and increases table multiplier. Second titan those score double, third scores tripple. Defeat the third and then hit the captive ball a final time to launch an all in brawl triuggered by shooting the outer loop to the top lanes. That will release three more balls for a four ball wizard multiball mode.

There are a few other incidentals and minor modes, but that is the main game at this point.