Harry Potter-themed table for VP9

[Neo]

Way back when, my first table was themed on Mr. Potter's exploits, and though I learned a great deal from that project, in the end I think I tried to put too much stuff into it, didn't really know jack about building playfields, so that was a clunky mess, and so on and so forth.

Well, earlier this week I started getting some ideas on a second re-imagining of this theme and I started cobbling together this little WIP. I may tinker with this whenever I get tired of converting my release tables.

I don't have a title for this yet, but this particular table will center around Years 1-4, and it will be a far simpler table than the last one. What I had in mind was a couple of multiballs (a 2-ball and a 3-ball), and 1-2 modes which are timed, but that may be about it.

I'm going the 80s-style solid-state route this time, with Bendigo's Gottlieb-style LED lights for the displays. I played around with his LED code test table and I really liked the Gottlieb-style digits, and I think they'll look pretty good on this when everything's in place. He had a slick way of controlling the light segments that I (with my clunky way of doing things sometimes) could never have thought of. Might have to try to implement what he did n my sports-scoreboard tables as his code is far more efficient than what I came up with.

The playfield is far from done, but I figure I've got enough give folks a peek.

Take Care

[sleepy]

Ramps = Flying Lessons?

[Neo]

Hmmm...flying lessons...It's a possibility. It'll be a while before I have a ruleset hammered out. I've kinda started setting up a scoring structure and a partial ruleset.

The initial idea with the two wraparound ramps is to shoot four ramp shots in any order to light the locks for the 3-ball (same as what was in my original HP table), except these are much easier to hit. I really hadn't thought much else to do with them beyond that as of yet (just getting them in place was a pain). It usually takes me quite a bit of tinkering to get ramps right in VP. But I should be able to come up with something in time.

[faralos]

you could always do a ramp to ramp jump. check out my castle falmeir pic at vpf for an idea or download the table to see how it's done. ramps have become my specialty! My Zen pin uses 5 ramps with 3 drops in between (jumps in between and if the ball is traveling too slow then they can't make it to the next one so fall short onto the main table.) to just get the ball up to the second level.

[Neo]

I'll think about doing some kind of jumping but I'm not sure if I want to get too crazy with ramps.

Did some more playfield work last night and this morning. Added a third tower to the back of the playfield, cut out a path to access it, added a couple of flippers to use as diverters for future use (one is hidden in the screenshot), and added some drop targets. I also decided to try out the images in lights functionality in VP9 for the score displays and I thought they came out pretty good. Got some scoring in place to test the displays but the scoring structure will be different in the final product.

I've got a ways to go and I'm still not yet finished with the playfield but it's slowly taking shape.

[Neo]

How's this? I made the wire ramps invisible. The rings at the end I'm keeping visible, but I may make them invisible as well. I've got the ruleset pretty much hammered out so I need to get back to working on the script.

Take Care

[faralos]

check over at vpf for my reply to the ramp ends

[Neo]

Here's the latest screenshot. Been working on mostly scripting today but for a change of place later on I started laying down some decals on the playfield.

[Neo]

Yet another screenshot...animated the bumpers (thanks to Itchigo and JP) They were found on Itchigo's template table.

The script is about 30% complete. I've added a couple of modes (a "potion-making" mode where you have to make random shots in sequence within the time limit, and a "flying lesson" mode where you get extra points for ramp shots and 3-way combos), added ramp-to-ramp combo shots. Bonus-count-system is pretty much done. Still need to script the two multiball modes, a match mechanism, the tilt mechanism, an attract mode, the operator system (for setting options), still need to do graphics/plastics, add sound effects and game music, and a LOT of testing...Much still to do yet.

[faralos]

Wait a sec.... I also have Itch's table but the bumpers on mine show the rings through the back of the pop bumper itself, so I don't use them. Do you have a revision, perhaps? Can you send me the fixed parts for it?
oh please turn off that electric green. People my age (me) tend to have light sensitive eyes and that is killer! I would change that anyways if you left it, but read my post on the lighting tutorial that may help you a bit. if you can wait that long. I already have it started

[tiltjlp]

I have a dislike for tables with ramps, but for some reason I've also enjoyed your tables. So maybe a future table with at least fewer ramps? And I agree with faralos, please lose the neon green.

[Neo]

Rest assured that those neon green ball-return walls will be gone, probably the next time I get around to doing some more graphic work. Probably a grayish stone-wall texture will work for those (I also have something else special planned for the left ball-return, nothing too loud color-wise, but that won't be until this is near completion). I actually never meant to keep that color. I pulled it off another table I was working on and never did change the color.

I actually pulled the bumper walls off Itchigo's template without making any changes as I just wanted to get them working. Now that I do have them working I did notice the rings (at least on the Slytherin bumper) are sticking over the top of the bumper cap, which means they're likely just a smidge too high, so I'll look at revising them and seeing if I can fix them. Other than that they look pretty good.

I didn't think I went all that nuts with the ramps (just a pair that wrap around the lower towers which happen to be partially invisible, and a pair of short ones leading into the lower towers). I'm not always that crazy about installing ramps because it often does take me quite a bit of tinkering to get them right.

At any rate, any feedback is good, and this is still at an early stage, and it's been a pretty fun build so far.

Take Care

[bob]

I don't have Itchigo's template, but the rings are showing above the bumpers because the bumpers height is not high enough, you need to add a wall off the side of the table and call it bumperwall or 25h or something and give it a height of 15 to 25, I currently use mostly 25, if I remember right. VP bumper objects were never tall enough to begin with, so this is just a small workaround.

[faralos]

I tired that with one of my pins but they still show up. even at rest they are visible, but I'll try again. thanks Bob!

[bob]

Originally Posted by faralos

I tired that with one of my pins but they still show up. even at rest they are visible, but I'll try again. thanks Bob!

The rings are drop walls, You have to drop them. I think they drop up, rather than down and hide under the bumpercap. They are in most of my tables, I would assume the code in this demo is mine.

[Neo]

I also tried the bumperwall (set the height to 15) and that did indeed fix it. I only noticed the ring sticking out of one of the four bumpers on the table, so it wasn't all that huge an issue.

Itchigo's demo credits JP for the bumper rings, so whether that is in fact true I have no way of knowing. All I know is they're far superior to anything I would ever be able to come up with and I'll likely add these to all my VP9 tables.

Got one of the multiball modes nearly working, and I'm also tweaking the bonus count system to count at a faster speed depending on how much it needs to count.

Take Care

[bob]

Yes, they are JP's bumpers, but he makes VPM tables and I can't decipher his code, so I coded them to work for dummies (me). Itchigo asked me to use the bumpers from my table demo, but I told him they are really JP's and I didn't want to be credited with creating something I didn't create. That's why I said the code is probably mine.

[Neo]

Ah, I see now. Thanks for clarifying bob. I like your BOP tribute table.

Here's the newest screenie. For a change pf pace I got most of the graphics work done, still need to finish a few plastics, as well as finish the script (which there's still much to do yet). Hard to say yet when this will be done but it's getting closer.

[faralos]

Allrighty! No more electric green rail! Looking real good...

[Neo]

Nope, no more neon-green except maybe the slingshot rubbers (and I may still change those)

Here's a new screenshot. Pretty much all the plastics and graphics are done (still need to add some posts on the table but I'll do that a bit later). Most of the gameplay functions and modes are also done (I'll be tweaking them though). Still have a bunch of work to do (sounds, music, option system, other odds and ends), most of it scripting.

Take Care

[faralos]

just a quick heads up, if you are going to make the plastics for the slings with that border, you should also do that for the upper plastics as well. I can show you how to make them with ramps if you want. it's easy, just takes a little bit of time.

[Itchigo]

I could've sworn I put the fix in on the bumpers. I went back and forth on them and JP himself helped me on them. Oh wait Faralos you probably have an old copy.

[Neo]

I think I used the version that was loaded here on PN, and that didn't have the aforementioned fix. No worries, though, the bumpers on this table are sorted out.

I'll probably put the border for the rest of the plastics eventually (when I find I have the patience for it). That'll be part of the 10 percent or so of the work remaining that is not script-related.The ones around the slings are just straight walls (got those from itchigo's parts table), though I've seen other builders use ramps for the same effect.

Got some more script work done today; I did add a swipe-in/swipe out function for the displays (which I took off my Yu-Gi-Oh! table and adapted it to the display system I'm using here, which turned out to be easier than I originally thought), tweaked the bonus-count system as well as a couple of game modes, added a text display (which is pretty standard on all my tables, normally it runs the table credits during attract mode). There will be an option where it can tell one where to shoot, but by default it'll be turned off.

[Neo]

Here's a new screenie. Got some animated triggers put in the table, scripted a little boot-up sequence, and added music and sounds. If I had to hazard a guess, this is about 60% done. Still got a little ways to go yet.

[faralos]

"The ones around the slings are just straight walls (got those from itchigo's parts table), though I've seen other builders use ramps for the same effect."
I have been making mine out of ramps too. ramps are far easier to bend around posts and such, if you need a hand with that I can show ya' how they are done. tomorrow, I'll make a quick demo on how to make plastics borders using ramps as they are far easier and faster to do than making a plastics border from a wall.

[Neo]

Here's probably the last screenie of this table until release time (I hope to be able to release in a couple of weeks if all goes well). The script is nearly done, just have some adjustments to the scoring to make, still need to finish up the plastics, maybe add a simple rulecard/scorecard (these will be message boxes, nothing fancy), and a lot of testing still to do.

[clyde]

VERY nice looking table Neo! Looking forward to trying it out.

[faralos]

Now that looks sweet! good use of the graphics, nice artwork! Did you do all that yourself? I can't wait till its release...

[Neo]

Thank you, I hope folks like this when I get it out there.

Most of the images I either already had from my first table or found online and adapted them for this table. My own artistic skills are extremely limited. I made the edits in Paint Shop Pro, and slapped them on as decals (I use a LOT of decals in my playfields).

The little plaque on the left ball-return lane I did make myself (I actually made it a lot bigger than that). Any text on the playfield (except on the lockbar, those are text boxes) are actually images I did make (I have a couple of Harry Potter fonts on my PC that have come in handy).