Trapshoot wall game WIP

Trapshoot manual

.pdf

This answers all my questions and kills some of my assumptions. It lays out a path for accurate simulation in every detail.

Back to work.
 

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The manual is great, where did you find it?

I'm Looking forward to playing the next release.
 
I don't recall the address. I just ran across it. I almost uploaded the version with my notes.

I have already fixed everything that was wrong, except for the shot points. Shot accuracy is indeed based on timing, which means a hit could have probably 7 hit spots (2 for the outside edges, 2 just inside of that, 2 for off center, and 1 center), but I'm not sure of that, it could be 8 with a sweet center, or it could be something silly, like 4, leading edge to back edge.
 
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oh so this is based on a real game?
I thought it was just your imagination
are you looking for a possible commercial license
or is this another unpaid hobby (obsession) like vp pinball is to us
 
No it's just another re-creation, and just a hobby.

Gremlin Trapshoot wall game 1975

I started making re-creations of arcade games when VP development ended and UCVP was adopted putting an end to that obsession.
 
Operator menu with just a couple of settings.
 

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Operating menu sounds great.
 
Trapshoot update with .ini file

The menu now works

F5 for the operator menu

ready for download (file in first post of this thread)
 
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WIP (not uploaded yet)

Since I put in the trophies, I might as well finish it up.

I added a coin key and the game counter lights. This game will let you win 3 free games. Free meaning you do not have to press the 5 key.

Also I have noticed that there was not a one player mode to the original for a reason. It just doesn't work well. I will fix that by making the one player mode have a fixed number of shots. The reason I say that is a game can be made to last forever my missing intentionally. On a two player game the other player gets a point when you miss so it could not last forever.

Another thing. I will give it a shot, but I don't believe it would be easy to determine the accuracy of a shot with this dev kit, so the score is still based on the flight speed.

To make an object go fast in a game (the bullet) you move it a few pixels at a time instead of one and create a collision mask, over-sized if it has to be to leave no gaps.

The thing I am going to try is to put to the screen the position of the clay each time it is hit and see if there is a common grouping that can be used to draw accuracy readings.
 

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I can probably do it, but it will take a lot of calculations. I believe I am getting adequate position values to work with.

The first pic shows an example with symmetrical geometry, and would take checking a range of numbers up to 7 times. This could be done in a single tick I believe, but it would be very problematic if it fails.

The second pic shows an alternative with up to 4 calculations. Keep in mind that this would be for a clay moving left only. This would not require check within a range, but only position, for example starting with If left_clay.x < 380 then 1 points|exit to If left_clay.x < 420 then 3 points. This would be one of three (center bullet). Actually the last would not be checked, but defaulted, as there was a hit and it did not fall within the other position. This one would also probably be changed to 2/4/3/1 now that I think more about it. The left two lines will probably be shifted more to the right.
 

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Trapshoot major update

Ready for download in first post in this thread

- Coin sound.
- Coin key (5) must be pressed if no free games are set.
- Hit Score changed from speed based to where the bullet hits the clay.
- Doubles only every 4th shot.
- One player plays to a set number of misses. This number is set in the operator menu and shares the routine with the two player play to routine, but this number is divided by 2 for one player misses allowed.


I went with the symmetrical position calculation but with only 3 calculations. It works like this,
When a hit, before the bird and the bullet are destroyed, 1 point is given, then the hotspots which is in the center of the bird, and the leading tip of the bullet have there position checked if the birds hot spot falls in the first check, another point is given, then again for another, and finally for the last. Each time the range of this offset is closed in to the bullet hot spot. The bird is 20 pixels, so it goes like, 1 point, if bird hotspot is greater than bullet spot -8 but less than bullet spot +8 then another point, then check 6, then 4.
 
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Something I never responded to: There are no "modes". It's just Game1=1 credit. Game2= 2 credits. When you open the door and add coins/hit the switch, it just adds 1, 2, 3, 4. A trophy is a 4 point shot, 7 trophies is a free game.

Scoring is based on timing. My friend Phil (PBecker1946) and I looked at the schematic/manual together. He said it was based on timing, and he could tell the timing breaks, but he couldn't tell what unit of time as a benchmark it was using. Ex: there were so many number of "clicks" between things, but don't know what period of time the "click" was.

The controller you took back to your table was big. Like a brick, or slightly bigger. It took a 9volt battery, as was susceptible to truckers with strong cb radios going by.

I tried everything I could to get more resources for the other games. I even contacted the original artwork designer for the game(s) via Linked In. He said he didn't have anything leftover from those games.
 

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What do you mean modes? You mean the one player game? I did a few things different. do you think I should replicate the strobe of the lights?, the 'click'? The thought has always been in my mind. I chose to replace the click and timing with smooth movement and position of bullet strike on the clay, though, because I had the resources to do so. It's still just as much about timing. There is still clicks involved and a three point hit from the left shooter is always going to be on that same click.

It's hard to imagine the difficulty being different using clicks that are a count, or a range, but it hard to imagine the real game being quite as hard as mine.

As far as the time interval of the clicks, who knows. It most certainly could be divided by something whole to equal a quartz pulse. A number that worked for them, not the other way around.

It would be interesting to see the motion done only by the lights though, wouldn't it? As an option. This would be default and have no mode or graphic options. Then on the embellished version only would be no visible off lights (at least that would be out of place like the clay and bullet trails), and particle effects, etc.

Did you inquire about resources for me, or for you to re-create the game? Is the Play Ball you show a game, or just an animation?
 
I heard you mention "modes" and there are none. Just a normal game each time. Just that Game# = credits, that's all.

I don't know if "clicks" is the correct term but basically Phil said that it's using a certain amount of time for each period, just don't know what that period is. We looked at the manual together, and he said a single was this many units, a double this many units, etc. Based on the timing, a hit could be:
Strike
Foul
Single
Double
Triple
Home Run

Playball.gif is just a gif I found, but it's right on with gameplay. Depending on the pitch selected, it determines the speed of the pitch. After that it determines the hit based on time.

After a hit: You hit the button to reset things. The pitches start flashing again, and a second press pitches the ball, a third press swings the bat.

I think the game goes to a certain score, and that's it, like 30 or something, settable.

I was going to try to make this in vp, I think it would be easy, just scripting mainly. Just script lights on/off images from the template. I was going to try to make a backglass only version for cabs, but now I see making it in desktop is easier, then just adding the controller calls for the backglass version. The cab version would just be a b2s made from the image using the desktop's script.

As in Trapshoot, 7 is a free game, but it won't show home runs- it just keeps track.

Major/Minor League: Major, faster overall speed, allows free games. This means that all pitches are exactly faster by the same amount.

Minor, slower, no free games. The overall "clock" is slower.

Sounds:

Crack of ball on bat (pop). Used in all hits, and foul.
Strike 1, 2, 3 (in an Umpire's voice).
Home Run Crowd sound (about 1-1.5 seconds long), can't find it anywhere, if I could take it out of my head I would.
Quarter sound (as in Trapshoot, only goes to 4 credits).

Playball and Trapshoot are the only 2 I have owned (several), I didn't even know the others existed until I searched for resources. The designer (artwork only) was Lonnie Pogue of Pogue and Associates. He said he didn't have anything leftover from "those days".

Edit: Umpire lighs up when the ball is pitched (goes off when pitch is completed/hit), and Major/Minor Leagues was a switch on the coinbox.
 
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Updated to 1.5 in first post.

The link is to a folder with other games too.
 
i lost track of which one is which. is it possible to include a thumbnail or something next to the file?
 
There are pics in the first post. It's a remake of a wall game made by Gremlin in 1975.

<iframe width="1280" height="720" src="
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oh, i meant for the folder of all games.

i think you made more since you were here last, and i don't know what all of them are. but i guess i can just google to figure the mystery ones out.
 
It would be nice if Dropbox would at least show the icons for the files.

Buckle up is a remake of Head-On
Slotcar Circuit and Lunar Gravitar are originals, and the rest are named after the games that they are remakes of.
 
TRAPSHOOT 2.0

Major update.

Info and link in first post
 
WOW, just wanted to say thank you so much for trapshoot. My local pizza parlor has this game and I still play it occasionally when I go there for lunch. Your recreation is amazing. Im not sure what the draw is for me but I can say that even with a complete mame 166 set, Ive probably spent more time on Trapshoot than any game in mame...but then again, im probably just weird.

I am curious though, in one of your first posts in this thread you mention that you dont create much for VP since it became UCVP. What does UCVP stand for?
 
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Since VP9.0

I really like this Trapshoot wall game a lot too.

I made a doubles mode that is always two clays, two bullets. To play doubles press 2. Press 1 to play the regular plus mode. In options select game type 1 to play the original style.

Trapshoot 3.0 https://www.dropbox.com/s/rfzaucz7qzbqhiz/Trapshoot Plus.exe?dl=0
 

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