LittleBigPlanet [PS3]

[Matt]

Ok. PinBall is online! Please look under my maps (ChainsawFilms) and let me know what you think. It's likely to need a bit of tinkering, and I'd like a more elegant way to enter the map (currently can't add a passage in as it destroys all my sensors on the side, and I can't be arsed doing them all again).

I'll be honest, I'm amazed this doesn't break the level. There's an awful lot of sensors and logic paths going on. And, well, a lot of lights - when you trigger MultiBall, you'll know what I mean LOL

Feedback is appreciated, and if you break it, let me know how!

[Matt]

V2 online already, I found an issue where you could be on the middle "2.5D" level, and you need to be on the outer to complete the semi circle part. Kind of fixed, though it's not too pretty....

[Darwock]

Mate that is awesome, really great work - kept me going back for more!

It's a shame about the winches on the flippers though, they spoil your overall aesthetic - how come you're not using wobble bolts? Also I still didn't seem to be able to enter the semi-circle part, not sure which layer I was on

[Matt]

The semi circle is on the outer layer. You can get in to it, but if you're on the middle, it doesn't auto-switch you to it on time. That's why I made v2, so you spawn on the outer layer only. You can change layers easily enough. Not ideal, originally the semi circle was two layers rather than one, but my back piece of glass was too complex and I couldn't add lights to it, do it all got rebuilt this way.

I'll look in to wobble bolts now. Part of the problem I'm having is I don't know what everything does

[Matt]

V3 now up with Wobble Bolts. Didn't realise what they were for. Much nicer now I'm not sure I've got the power correct, more play testing needed for that (right flipper may not be quite powerful enough, or left one is too powerful, depending on your point of view). Should probably look at the flipper sounds again later actually. Also made the flippers thicker, hoping that will solve the game issue where sometimes if falling at speed you can fall through them.

Thanks for the advice on the bolts Darwock

Oh and if you get 5 mins, please go to Edit mode and let me know what you think of my logic circuits LOL. I think it's the second one that your self-destroying blocks were needed, the one with both a vertical and horizontal piston system. Not the most elegant way I'm sure, and could do it much smaller, but I'm pleased with it

[Matt]

Can anyone grab some decent pics or a video of my PinBall level? I'm proud of the MultiBall sequence and would like to get that on YouTube to try and get some people playing it

[Darwock]

I wasn't able to activate the multiball yesterday, but I'll have a crack later - my girlfriend has brought my camera back too so I can have a go at filming some of it.

Regarding the power of the wobble bolts, did you know you can also set them to 'Flipper' motion (the same as pistons)? That's the best way to make anything that should be launching, the power is determined by the distance it travels's in it's 'reset' motion. However in a pinball machine you also need enough of an angle to stop the ball falling out the bottom too easily so it may not be ideal in this case. A steep angle would be too violent.

[Matt]

V5 up. I've altered the center semi circle so it's no longer 2 layers deep. Caused all kinds of problems with the lights in that area, which are now floating on Dark Matter on their own magic layer - so you can go either in front or behind them now lol

Also tweaked a few of the point distribution systems to reflect better their difficulty, and removed an area people could farm points.

[Myth]

Was playing on it quite a bit yesterday Chain thought it was fantastic fun, not tried any other pinball levels on LBP yet so can't really compair (If there are others).

[Matt]

Thanks. Before I started it, I had a quick Search for Pinball. Found one map you controlled a basic table, running to the sides and pulling on flippers to keep a ball going. Probably should have carried on looking in case I've repeated someone elses work, but then the Creation side of LBP is it's own reward

[Darwock]

You can't let yourself worry about that, I mean, how many total levels are there now???

There was actually a pinball level up during the beta, but it was different as you had to climb inside the 'ball'.. it was also nowhere near as polished as yours.

[Darwock]

Just had another shot (sorry couldn't film it this time) - got into the yellow semi-circle twice but I still couldn't activate the special - am I wrong or does doing this mean lighting the two blue 'x2' parts at the same time? It's pretty hard if so! Something else that struck me as I was racking up the points, is that there is no way of recording your score as there isn't an 'exit' that I could find. That's a pretty tricky problem though, I can't think of a way you could move the entry gate on the last life and not on any of the others.

(actually - there is a way, as you only enter the launch tube when you spawn in, you can set a counter that is triggered by a proximity sensor. Big job though)

I was going to have a look in the edit mode as you asked but you haven't set it to copyable so I can't - and for what it's worth, I wouldn't. Guaranteed you'll get a million cheap knock-offs that would lower the value of your efforts.

[Matt]

Right now, I think you start with 6 or 8 lives. Once you die enough, you should end up at the scoreboard

The x2 are mainly for 2 players to try and hit at the same time, but there's 2.2 seconds before one turns off so a single player can hit both. It's just not easy

The multiball is activated by triggering all 4 red lights. I've tried to colour code everything - x2 is Blue, the middle 5 lights are orange, the semi circle yellow, and the multiball Red. There are 3 around the top, and one above the 3 bumpers. Trigger them, I think it's a cool effect

[Darwock]

.. then it may not be working, when I die a lot of times it just asks me to replay or exit to the pod. I'll have another crack.

[Matt]

I'll take a look at it. That would explain why there are no scores on the board....

I'm correct in saying you just plonk the board down it takes care of itself, right?

Hold on, you won't automatically spawn on it when you've lost all your lives will you? That's the problem. So once all the lives are gone, how can I jump to the scoreboard and not end the map?