Game Rules & Mechanics Reference¶

This guide covers game rules, scoring systems, ROM behavior, and gameplay mechanics across VPW table projects. For table-specific build logs, see individual table pages.

Rules Architecture Fundamentals¶

Designing a Ruleset¶

Building a compelling ruleset for an original virtual pinball table requires balancing depth against accessibility. A well-structured ruleset typically includes these layers:

Missions or modes -- timed objectives with clear start/end conditions and dedicated scoring
Multiballs -- distinct lock/qualification mechanics for each multiball type
A progression system -- something the player works toward across multiple balls (wizard mode qualification, letter collection, villain defeats)
Economy controls -- ball saves, extra balls, and mystery awards tuned to prevent trivialization
A wizard mode -- the ultimate reward for completing major objectives

Missions should feel roughly equal in reward so players don't gravitate to one exploit. Multiballs should always allow progress toward other objectives (even during other multiballs) to enable stacking. The wizard mode should be achievable but not on a first play. (apophis79, oqqsan, Blood Machines)

Scoring Constants at Top of Script

Keep all point values in Const declarations at the top of your VBScript. This makes balancing trivial -- you can adjust the entire scoring economy without hunting through thousands of lines of game logic.

Roguelike Pinball Design¶

Die Hard Trilogy pioneered a "roguelike" approach to pinball rules -- a beatable game with no repeating content:

The table has a definitive ending (wizard mode completion)
No mission or multiball can be replayed once completed
Every villain fight offers a permanent buff reward that changes subsequent gameplay
Failed objectives have real consequences (lost balls, locked-out super multiball)
Strategic choices matter -- "Die Hard" (safe) vs "Die Harder" (risky) on each villain encounter

The risk/reward calculus is the core appeal: when you're down to your last ball, do you risk a "Die Harder" villain fight for the bonus, or play safe to reach the wizard mode? (astronasty, Die Hard Trilogy)

Stop-and-Go vs Continuous Flow¶

Some tables deliberately use a "stop-and-go" gameplay style where the action pauses between scoring sequences. Street Fighter 2 is the canonical example -- gameplay centers on precise individual shots rather than flowing combos, and opinions are polarizing. The design is intentional, not a deficiency, and appeals to specific player types who enjoy precision over flow. (gedankekojote97, onevox, Street Fighter 2)

Mission and Mode Design¶

Mission Structure Patterns¶

Blood Machines established a mission architecture that serves as a reference for VPW original tables:

7 story-based missions, each with a timer (90-180 seconds), completable objectives, and dedicated scoring
Mission select uses bumpers and left magna button to cycle selection; both mission start lights must be hit to begin
Mission failure occurs on ball drain (the mission auto-completes as failed)
Extra ball awarded after completing 4-5 missions
Mission scoring balanced so each mission yields roughly 55-60M points

The missions demonstrate varied shot requirements: The Hunt uses cannon shots, Resurrection requires 25 loops, Chase targets drop targets, Cemetery focuses on ramps, and Betrayal demands combo shots. This variety prevents any single skill from dominating. (apophis79, oqqsan, Blood Machines)

Timer Exploits

Mission 1 in Blood Machines originally had no timer, allowing infinite restarts -- draining and immediately restarting gave unlimited multiball via exploit. The fix was a 100-second timer so the mission continues after drain until the timer expires. Always consider exploit potential when designing untimed missions.

Mode Qualification Systems¶

SpongeBob's Bikini Bottom Pinball uses a straightforward system: each ramp, bank, or lane corresponds to a specific mode, and three shots qualifies that mode. The first qualified remaining mode starts next, creating a natural progression through shot selection. (pinstratsdan, oqqsan, SpongeBob)

Game of Thrones uses a house-based qualification system where different houses unlock through different shot combinations, each leading to unique battle modes. (skillman604, Game of Thrones)

Simon Says Random Tasks¶

Die Hard Trilogy's Simon Gruber Mode draws 3 random tasks from a pool of 10 shot types (upper loop, left ramp, right ramp, pops, targets, vault, villain start, captive ball, orbits, upper scoop). Each task has a timer starting at 60 seconds. Tasks might be "hit 3 orbits in 30 seconds" or "20 pop bumper hits." If Hans Gruber was defeated first, his permanent reward extends all Simon mode timers -- an elegant example of how villain rewards create cascading strategic implications. (astronasty, fluffhead35, Die Hard Trilogy)

Multiball Design¶

Multiball Lock Mechanics¶

Die Hard Trilogy demonstrates three distinct lock approaches in a single table:

Physical lock (Building MB) -- Hit targets on each side of the tower ramp to qualify, shoot the building to lock. Building "explodes" after 3 locks.
Virtual lock (Die Harder MB) -- Shoot the upper loop twice with the upper flipper to qualify, then shoot the scoop under the plane.
Progressive lock (Vengeance MB) -- Light all 3 upper playfield lanes to advance a taxi along a rail. Taxi moves 3 times to start multiball; taxi spin-back indicates ball saver duration.

(astronasty, Die Hard Trilogy)

Blood Machines uses three character-based multiballs (Mima MB, Corey MB, Tracy MB). Completing all three unlocks the 15-ball wizard mode. Lock requirements were iteratively tuned -- Mima lock was reduced from 4 target hits to 3, then to 2. First-ball bonuses (free mystery light on ball 1, one solid Corey light at startup) ease players into the system. (apophis79, oqqsan, Blood Machines)

Stacking Philosophy¶

A critical design decision is whether multiballs allow progress toward other objectives. Blood Machines established the principle that multiballs should always permit progress to enable stacking. Die Hard Trilogy takes the opposite approach -- each multiball can only be completed once per game, and failing a multiball locks out the Vault (super wizard multiball). Three vault lights turn green when their respective multiballs complete, but all turn red if any is failed. (astronasty, apophis79, oqqsan)

Super Multiball¶

The Vault in Die Hard Trilogy demonstrates a super multiball gate: during normal play, shooting the vault adds to the bonus pool. When all 3 regular multiballs are completed, the vault closes and requires 3 hits for Super Multiball. Referenced against Sopranos' similar vault-closing mechanic. (astronasty, Die Hard Trilogy)

15-Ball Multiball Performance¶

Blood Machines' wizard mode starts with 15 balls, but the ball saver returns a maximum of 10. The first 5 drain almost instantly. The recommendation is to cap physics calculations beyond 5 active balls and limit ball shadows for 4K performance. (iaakki, Blood Machines)

Wizard Mode Design¶

Multi-Phase Wizard Modes¶

Die Hard Trilogy's wizard mode has phases corresponding to each film in the trilogy. The Die Hard 2 phase requires alternating between captive ball hits and scoop shots with virtual locks in a subway sequence. Requires all 5 villains defeated. (fluffhead35, Die Hard Trilogy)

Blood Machines has two separate wizard modes: one for completing all multiballs (15-ball multiball) and one for completing all missions. The mission wizard mode activates by holding right magna for 3 seconds. GI color changes as you progress through missions in sequence, and mission apron lights go solid as you advance. Per-player variables (up to 4) are needed for tracking. (apophis79, Blood Machines)

Wizard Mode Qualification¶

The Final Chapter in Blood Machines requires ALL multiballs AND all missions completed. When all inserts are lit, the ship loop flickers and goes dark with a "Final Chapter Ready" callout. Design considerations:

Ball save on the first phase: 8-10 seconds (accounting for casual players)
Don't allow wizard mode to start during multiball -- play it out first, light wizard after 1 ball remains
The build-up sequence (flickering lights, darkness, callout) creates dramatic tension

(apophis79, iaakki, Blood Machines)

Scoring Systems¶

Scoring Balance¶

Blood Machines targeted billions for a good game, consistent with sci-fi tables like Johnny Mnemonic and Demolition Man. All 7 missions balanced to ~55-60M each. Mission loop scoring reduced from 5M to 1M per loop plus a 25M completion bonus. Wizard mode keeps the same scoring structure (no escalation). Key principle: mission rewards should be roughly equal, with skill-based bonus shots providing extra. (lumigado, oqqsan, Blood Machines)

Combo Multiplier Systems¶

Game of Thrones uses a combo system where each shot boosts multipliers for certain OTHER shots, never itself (except dragon which boosts all):

Left orbit boosts dragon and center ramp
Dragon boosts all shots (only self-boosting shot)
Right ramp boosts the left 3 shots
Right orbit boosts the center 3 shots

Hitting a lit combo before the timer expires scores the multiplied value AND increases the combo multiplier for affected shots. (skillman604, Game of Thrones)

Playfield Multipliers¶

Iron Maiden's 2x/3x playfield multiplier has specific restrictions: cannot start or light during Cyborg multiball (must start before), cannot light during 2 Minutes to Midnight, hitting X targets during 2x/3x adds 5 seconds. Timer pauses when ball is locked/held but NOT in pop bumpers. Strategic timing is crucial -- keeping the multiplier active when ending a mode and collecting the soul shard creates multiplicative scoring. (seirif, Iron Maiden)

Ammo/Resource Systems¶

Die Hard Trilogy's magazine system is based on McClane's Beretta 92 with a 15-round magazine. A magazine image on the DMD fills with bullets as the player shoots lanes/ramps (combos fill faster). A full magazine is required to start a villain fight. All bullets are lost on drain, but persist during multiball. The PUP implementation uses swapped bullet images with bullet hole effects and gunshot sounds. (astronasty, scampa123, Die Hard Trilogy)

Iron Maiden: Legacy of the Beast¶

Iron Maiden has one of the deepest rulesets of any Stern table, documented exhaustively by the VPW team with real machine verification.

REVIVE Mechanic¶

Shoot the left spinner to spell REVIVE. Each letter awards 750,000 (playfield multipliers apply). Spelling REVIVE lights outlanes for ball save. On factory settings, each outlane's Revive is used individually (two effective Revives). Key behaviors:

Cannot stack Revives; lit Revives carry over between balls
New letters cannot be spotted while both outlane Revives are lit, but can if only one is lit
When both outlanes are lit (REVIVE MAXED), spinner scoring boosts to 100,000 per spin (max 1M for 10 rotations)
Each new game starts with REV already achieved and a 10-spin countdown
After first completion, next REVIVE requires 15 spinner hits per letter

(soundscape2k, Iron Maiden)

Fear of the Dark Scoring¶

FOTD's first shot sets the base value: left/right ramp = 250K, main loop = 350K, small loop = 500K. Right ramp before the spinner gives 2x on spinner value. Main spinner = 1x, revive spinner = 3x. If the main spinner is hit and the revive spinner ripped while main is still spinning = 6x value. With a playfield multiplier, a single spinner rip can score 120 million. (seirif, Iron Maiden)

Loop Jackpot Mechanics¶

Loop JPs are enabled after 5 shots (+2 subsequent) to any loops. Each JP is worth the total value built up prior to lighting, collected for 12 seconds with +1x multiplier per shot. After 4x, the ball is diverted to the upper left flipper. The 3rd+ loop JPs can only be multiplied by NOT raising the upper left flipper. Small loop adds to the JP timer and scores a JP. Value resets after each collection; disabled on drain; timer pauses for nothing. (seirif, daphishbowl, Iron Maiden)

EDDIE Letter Progression¶

Three difficulty phases: Phase 1 (modes 1-2) all shots lit; Phase 2 (modes 3-4) all except center; Phase 3 (mode 5 and 2M2M) only 3 shots -- 2 random non-repeating plus mini loop always lit. After completing 2M2M, EDDIE resets to Phase 3 permanently. Big loop is never lit for EDDIE. (seirif, Iron Maiden)

Combo and Deathblow System¶

Combos go up to 6-way max. Tomb Treasure #4 gives Super Combos (5x on all combos/deathblows) for the remainder of the ball -- not the game. Deathblow targets include orb, bullseye, and others. Drop target sweep awards two drop target awards simultaneously. Secret skill shot #4: 1 loop then orb shot with upper right flipper, awards 3M to power jackpot base plus 10-second ball save. (seirif, daphishbowl, soundscape2k, Iron Maiden)

Number of the Beast¶

NOT a multiball -- it's a single-ball mode. Cannot stack with Trooper or Mummy multiballs. Red shots are random each time (3 shots). Yellow shots use a no-repeat system: hitting a lit shot unlights it and lights all others. (seirif, Iron Maiden)

Mystery Award Behavior¶

Mystery award is lost if you drain before collecting. The mystery level does NOT reset on drain (carries over) but IS reset once collected. You can strategically stack charges during Cyborg multiball (completing drops lights Mystery but you cannot collect during Cyborg), so you can have a level 3 mystery lit when Cyborg ends. (daphishbowl, soundscape2k, seirif, Iron Maiden)

Extra Ball Paths¶

Three ways to light an extra ball (collected at the "X" target): 1) Complete 3 Power Features (most common), 2) 5th Tomb Treasure (very hard), 3) 30 loops excluding Loop JP shots (very hard). Iron Maiden is stingy with extra balls, offset by the double Revive outlane saves. (pinstratsdan, seirif, Iron Maiden)

Game of Thrones¶

Battle Modes¶

Martell: The final center ramp shot is optional and just scores extra points. The mode is complete either way. Orbits lit during Martell should turn off once center ramp "collect" lights up. (skillman604, Game of Thrones)

Targaryen Drogon: A 4-wave battle, 4 shots per wave. Each shot removes one segment from Drogon's 15-segment health bar. HurryUp timeout adds 1 health bar back and lights 3 new shots. On the last wave, all 4 shots must complete even if health is zero. (skillman604, Game of Thrones)

Scoring and Firmware¶

GoT scoring changed across firmware versions. Wall Multiball scored very high in early firmware, dropped in mid versions, then bumped back up in the final code. Many awards include randomness ranges and hidden factors like time between shots. (skillman604, Game of Thrones)

WiC and BWMB Stacking¶

Tested on real machine: you cannot combine Winter is Coming (WiC) hurry-up with Blackwater Multiball (BWMB). When a center ramp would start both simultaneously, the game disables WiC and starts standard BWMB. After BWMB ends, WiC can be triggered normally. The WiC shot count logic also differs from the original VPX code assumptions. (skillman604, pinrik, Game of Thrones)

Midnight Madness and Debug¶

Midnight Madness is a 4-ball multiball triggered when the system clock hits midnight. Every shot worth 100,000 points. In debug mode (bDebug=True), left magnasave triggers Midnight Madness. Debug mode also provides walls between flippers/outlanes and per-house shortcuts for testing specific modes. (skillman604, Game of Thrones)

Total Nuclear Annihilation¶

Orbit Gate Mechanics¶

Gate behavior depends on reactor state. When NOT qualified, orbit shots go all the way around (gates open): swRloop opens GateL, swLloop opens GateR. When a ball passes through an inlane, the corresponding gate closes for a set duration, dropping the orbit into top lanes/reactor core. When the reactor IS online, orbits are controlled by which orbit triangle insert is active. Gates animate with roty at ~0.33 multiplier (only ~30 degrees open). (borgdog, gtxjoe, TNA)

Mystery Awards¶

From Scott Danesi's original code -- Real awards: 50K Points, 150K Points, Extra Tilt Warning, Complete Keypad, Enable Ballsave, Advance SAVE, Super Spinner, +1 Bonus X, Light Locks, Max Reactor Value. Fake/joke awards (displayed but never given): LIONMAN!!!, Warp To Reactor 9, Instant Game Over, Tournament DQ, Tilt Next Player, 42 Extra Balls, Disable Tilt, Save The Princess, Add More Beep, Disable Flippers, and others. (astronasty, TNA)

Skill Shots and Ball Save¶

Two skill shot types: Regular (use flippers to select lane, awards lane save only) and Hands-Free (don't touch flippers, ball hits correct lit lane, awards lane save AND Reactor Ready). The Super Secret Skillshot requires a full plunge around the orbit loop (CCW) then hitting the ball lock drop target.

Ball save uses the S-A-V-E letter system: unlit inlane/outlane lights red on ball pass, both flippers cycle lanes. All four letters qualifies a save, and triggering the flashing lane activates a 10-second timer. Saves stack with color progression: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple. Unused saves award 10K bonus each at end of ball. (borgdog, gtxjoe, pinstratsdan, primetime5k, TNA)

Music Track Order¶

Music is sequential, not random. Starts with "Alpha Particles" (Track 1). New song starts when reactor is started. Track progression follows reactor number. Multiball music overrides all tracks. Song swaps happen on kickout from scoop. (borgdog, heartbeatmd, iaakki, TNA)

Other Table Rules¶

Tommy: ROM selection matters -- tomy_400 (official) is stable with limited Blinder use; tomy_500 (custom by Soren) has scoring improvements and more Blinder but bugs (modes not ending). Default to 500 for casual, 400 for competition. (Tommy)

Maverick: Lauren Belle mode has a confirmed ROM bug where locked balls release unexpectedly -- verified on real machines, left as-is. Poker Championship is a 4-ball multiball where players must manually plunge each ball; the game won't auto-serve. (apophis79, pinstratsdan, Maverick)

Defender: Shoot upper lanes for multiplier and left outlane reverse kicker. Two targets above left upper flipper, then right magnasave opens right outlane diverter (costs one bomb). Right flipper can lock ball off bumper for huge scores (confirmed on real machines). Gate exploit after bomb can cause permanent open state -- ROM quirk, not table bug. (rajojoey, pinstratsdan, Defender)

Godzilla (Sega): The "real" wizard mode strategy is stacking all 5 multiballs BEFORE hitting the start lane. Completing "Save NY" this way 5 consecutive times earns "King of the Monsters." (ebislit, apophis79, Godzilla)

Last Action Hero: Original ROM had massively overpowered LAH mode (6-ball multiball) -- 4B+ points possible in a single round via spinner-to-pops loop. A real ROM imbalance, not a VPX issue. (pinstratsdan, Last Action Hero)

Physical Mechanism Simulation¶

Magnet Tuning¶

VPX magnets need to be much larger than expected. In Starship Troopers, the magnet was nearly twice normal size at power 100. For Blood Machines' vortex, a helper magnet ~25 units below playfield at strength 4 was needed. For catch-and-release, use two switches (powerful grab magnet + release trigger). Setting grab=false still occasionally grabs. X-Men uses a solmod-controlled magnet with turntable on top. (iaakki, Blood Machines)

Spinner Dampening¶

VPX spinners are "too juicy" by default -- a ball barely touching gives 10+ spins, distorting game balance. Fix: change spinner dampening from 0.9879 to 0.98 for approximately 10-15% fewer spins. Observed across multiple tables (BM66, GOTG, Iron Maiden). (daphishbowl, seirif, Iron Maiden)

Crane and Toy Mechanisms¶

Judge Dredd's crane uses magnet solenoid #1 and position switch 71 (opto under playfield). Tracy's animated toy in Blood Machines rotates 360 degrees on orbit shots, shakes on bumper hits, and has a "Poltergeist" spinning effect. Multiple animation subs need a priority system with timer-based deceleration to prevent jerky transitions. (sixtoe, iaakki, wylte, lumigado)

WCS94 Mechanisms¶

Soccer ball motor uses three solenoids: Sol 22 (flasher), Sol 23 (clockwise), Sol 24 (counter-clockwise). Sol 23/24 should never be ON simultaneously. Magna save and extra ball buy-in buttons both need explicit keydown/keyup subs. The magna save magnet should not allow the flipper to hit the ball while magnetized. Slope of 6.2 degrees matches tournament machines. (apophis79, sixtoe, astronasty, mcarter78, WCS94)

Multiplayer State Management¶

Player State Saving¶

Multiplayer requires saving/restoring all game variables on each ball drain. Blood Machines uses a PlayerLights(4,20) array (one entry per light per player):

Sub SavePlayerState(player)
    For i = 0 to UBound(AllLights)
        PlayerLights(player, i) = AllLights(i).State
    Next
    PlayerMission(player) = CurrentMission
End Sub

Sub RestorePlayerState(player)
    For i = 0 to UBound(AllLights)
        AllLights(i).State = PlayerLights(player, i)
    Next
    CurrentMission = PlayerMission(player)
End Sub

Save free locks, character lights, mystery availability, mission progress, and mode-specific variables. Limit rewards per game. (oqqsan, Blood Machines)

Scorbit Integration¶

Scorbit cannot natively separate high scores by game mode. Track state with variables: doordiemode = 4 for Do-or-Die, doordiemode = 3 for normal 3-ball, currentmode for active mode (11=MB, 20=wiz1, 21=wiz2). Set scorbit game mode in script when modes start/stop. (flux5009, apophis79, pinstratsdan, SpongeBob)

Under-Playfield Mechanics¶

Portal Room Design¶

Blood Machines' portal room (under-playfield, accessed via pentagon hatch) has a multiball interaction problem: extra balls fall into "Narnia" (through the playfield mesh) when the hatch opens. Fix: check ball count in the kickerdrain sub and destroy extras:

Sub KickerDrain_Hit()
    If BallsOnPlayfield > 0 Then
        DestroyBall
        ContinuePortalMode
    Else
        StartPortalSequence
    End If
End Sub

"Narnia" is a known VPX issue where balls fall through the mesh. VPW uses Z-position checks and ball respawning for recovery. (apophis79, lumigado, wylte, pinstratsdan, Blood Machines)

Playfield Physics Tuning¶

Difficulty Balancing¶

Slingshot strength affects difficulty significantly, but outlane width contributes more to difficulty than sling power. (iaakki, apophis79, Blood Machines)

Flipper Coil Hierarchy¶

Road Show documents real-world coils (weakest to strongest): FL-11753 (yellow) < FL-11722 (green) < FL-11630 (red) < FL-15411 (orange) < FL-11629 (blue). Road Show assigns yellow to upper left, green to small middle, orange to main flippers. Each flipper needs different VPX strength/return values.

Game speed flows downhill from flipper strength -- adjust strength first, then tune everything else. ClarKKent's reference values: strength 2800, elasticity 0.92, friction 0.99, return 0.55, playfield friction 0.2, gravity 1, slope 6.5 degrees. Ball rolls too fast in return lanes on all VPX tables vs real machines. (clarkkent9917, manners7344, Road Show)

Pop Bumper Sizing¶

The collidable ring should match the real switch/ring diameter (~3 3/8"), not the larger visible cap. Balls frequently drop through without hitting -- this also happens on real machines. Over-sizing bumpers (as in 99% of other VPX tables) makes gameplay unrealistically easy. (sixtoe, apophis79, mcarter78, manners7344, Space Station)

VPX Unit Scale¶

1 VP unit = 0.02125 inches = 0.53975 mm. A standard pinball = 50 VP units diameter. Tables built treating VP units as millimeters end up ~1.852x too small (tiny in VR, incompatible with nFozzy). Rescaling is impractical -- VPW chose scratch rebuilds. (wylte, apophis79, clarkkent9917, WCS94)

Lighting and GI Management¶

GI Color for Mode Transitions¶

GI turns off when a mission starts (during ball hold in VUK), then on with mission-specific color when ball kicks out. Combined with lightsequencer:

LS_AllLightsAndFlashers.Play SeqBlinking,,5,2
LS_AllLightsAndFlashers.Play SeqUpOn, 10, 1

GI color change to white is the only one requiring an explicit off/on cycle; other colors transition directly. (iaakki, oqqsan, Blood Machines)

Insert Light Behavior¶

Iron Man uses white LEDs for all inserts. Color comes from the plastic material -- at high intensity, inserts appear white because light overwhelms the color filter. In VLM Blender: under-insert light should be white, colored upper light for glow. Black lettering on inserts becomes hard to read when lit -- an open VPX challenge. (sixtoe, Iron Man; clarkkent9917, Road Show)

Attract Mode¶

Keep attract mode mostly quiet. Full music forces shutdown during breaks. Pattern: silent base, brief sound on button press. Sequence: intro, high scores, last score, freeplay, loop. (iaakki, oqqsan, Blood Machines)

Sound Design for Rules¶

The Cardinal Rule¶

"Every switch or action should have a sound." Many VP originals only have mechanical sounds for switches, making the game feel empty. Player feedback hierarchy:

Callouts -- "by far the most important thing to help out the player"
Insert lighting -- visual confirmation of state changes
DMD info -- "the player isn't always looking at it"

DOF shaker motor feedback is underestimated: "most people underestimate how helpful a good timed shake from a shaker motor can be." (lumigado, iaakki, terryred, Blood Machines)

DMD Layout¶

Keep layouts minimalist and consistent: mission name on top, objectives below, score smaller or hidden ("you'll see it if you drain"). Mission flow: intro GIF, scoreboard with objectives, completion/failure screen. Referenced Star Wars (DE), Tales from the Crypt, Tron Legacy. (iaakki, oqqsan, lumigado, Blood Machines)

ROM Behavior and Quirks¶

ROM Bugs as Features¶

Some ROM bugs are left intact when they match real machine behavior:

Maverick's Lauren Belle mode releases locked balls unexpectedly -- confirmed on real machines
Defender's gate exploit after bomb use can leave the gate permanently open -- ROM quirk, not table bug
Last Action Hero's LAH mode allows 4B+ scoring runs -- real ROM imbalance

The VPW philosophy is to faithfully reproduce confirmed ROM behavior, even when it creates exploits. (apophis79, pinstratsdan)

GI Channel Behavior¶

Judge Dredd has 5 GI channels but they don't fade independently. Testing with prominent lamp placement never showed one channel activate without others. (sixtoe, iaakki, Judge Dredd)

Modern Stern Notes¶

Modern Stern machines (including Iron Man) don't have physical knockers -- the effect is purely a ROM sound. When adding DOF knocker support, note that only the ROM sound exists, not a physical solenoid. (apophis79, bord1947, Iron Man)

Ball Save and Economy¶

Ball save timing varies by context: 3 seconds post-launch, 10-15 seconds for mission start, 8-10 seconds for wizard mode (Blood Machines). Extra balls must be limited -- Blood Machines caps mystery-sourced extra balls at one per game. Bonus multiplier (2x-10x via top lane rollovers) keeps bonus points small since lanes make multiplier easy. LAGO lanes give both kickback AND +2X, avoiding the AFM problem where players skip lanes if kickback is already lit. (oqqsan, apophis79, lumigado, Blood Machines)

Table-Specific Hardware Notes¶

GNR (Data East, 1994): Widebody (23"x46"), two plungers (rose manual left, gun auto right), snake pit funnel with multiplier switch, 3 center magnets (multiball only, inspired by Addams Family), extremely steep left/G ramp. Black wire ramps are original; clear ramps are aftermarket. (sixtoe, iaakki, lumigado)

Stargate: Authentically one of the darkest machines -- a design characteristic, not a deficiency. (wylte, jlouloulou)

X-Men LE vs Pro: LE spotlight lower (for ramp clearance), Pro higher. Non-LE uses Newton cradle instead of Wolverine figure. (sixtoe, niwak)

Spectrum: Of 994 manufactured, less than 500 sold. Based on Mastermind board game. Precise-shot focused gameplay. (wylte, lumigado)

Space Station: If plunger switch (sw43) isn't working, ROM triggers premature ball search, kicking balls from docks. (iaakki, pinstratsdan, apophis79)