Tag Archives: mgc

Video Games

AMH Debug 4-5-14

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Ah, the umpteenth consecutive Saturday I’ve been at my shop working.

  • Looking into music play bug  (nope, it was a different mistake, myself forgetting to mask off a bit)
  • Rewrote Minion and Hellavator multiball end code to clear things up
  • Realized using same variable for # of locked balls and how many balls to autolaunch was really stupid.
  • If Hell MB starts, active minion lights get erased – need to fix
  • Added more prompts for “dry” scoop shots, adding time to Photo Hunt, and Ghost Prison Escape
  • Making sure Hellavator Multiballs stacks perfectly with the modes it can stack with (Hospital, War Fort, Haunted Bar, Minion Battle)
  • Fixed glitched with “Lock” staying lit even with Hellavator in down position
  • Think I know why that combo light is staying on! That’s what happens when code gets too old – you forget what did what.
  • Probably won’t enable Wizard Mode or Video mode for MGC – more important that the 99% of the game people will actually see works perfectly!
  • Found glitch where Minion Multiball ending would prevent Spirit Guide from being collected until another mode started – whoops!
Video Games

AMH Debug 4-4-14

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Lots of 4’s in today’s date!

The first prototype AMH has been on location for 2 weeks now. It’s had a few wear & tear issues (same game that went to Expo, Ball Crawl and Christmas Party) but overall quite solid.

I have what should be the final production board in my prototype programming game at my shop.

Current debug state:

  • Defeating the 3rd or 9th Minion gets you Minion Multiball, which can stack with Hellavator Multiball or Ghost Photo Hunt. Making sure stacking works right.
  • Extremely unlikely, but possible, that you can start a Minion MB while Hellavator MB is still loading balls. Making sure correct # of balls are added.
  • Making sure modes active when you go into Minion MB work correctly when it ends.
  • Found possible bug with Minion Mode enable after defeating Theater Ghost.
  • Setting Multiball states to bitwise operations
  • Game won’t start without 4 balls in trough. BUT, still making sure Mulitball Modes (especially ones that stack) only try to kick out what balls are actually available. Because you never know!
  • Found glitch where collecting an Extra Ball during a mode prevents Door from being re-opened.
  • Improved timing for Ghost Prisoner and Captured team member callouts in Prison Mode.
Video Games

AMH Debug 4-3-14

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How “done” can I get America’s Most Haunted by Midwest Gaming Classic? Stay tuned for daily updates!

  • Added black stroke around “Spirit Guide is Ready” text on Member Spelling Animations.
  • Added “Spirit Guide Ready After Mode Ends” alternate version on Member Spelling Animations.
  • Cleaned up code for Balcony Jump. Run-up and abort animations work much better.
  • Implementing conditions to light Video Mode (mode not programmed yet)
  • Spell WIKI, TECH and PSYCHIC to light Video Mode (collected at Ghost so ball can be trapped during mode)
  • Found “dead shot” in Hotel Mode, gave it nominal point value, added what to do prompt.
  • Fixed glitch with Spirit Guide awarding Prison Lock Lit
  • Fixed glitch where Spirit Guide Award #17 would never be selected
  • Fixed advance mode glitch where faster progress on Bar or War mode would prevent their Spirit Guide awards from working.
  • Fixed glitch where Mode Total shown after Minion Multiball would not include the “Mode Won” points (but you still got them, just weren’t shown in total)
  • Working on entry/exit issues with Ghost Minion Multiball when stacked with Photo Hunt or Hellavator Multiball.
Ben Heck Show

Benheck.com Experience at the Midwest Gaming Classic 2011

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It’s time once again to get ready for the Midwest Gaming Classic – the largest show of its kind in the Midwest. I’ll have an area at the show once again called the Benheck.com Experience.

We’re also doing a Chicago Stern pinball tour the Friday of, and you can sign up now for it and other special deals.

CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE REGISTRATION PAGE.

As an added bonus, the weekend at the show we’ll be filming content for Episode 17 of the Benheck Show: The Pinball Wars, and the current plan is to include my arch-nemesis Jeri Ellsworth. We’ll also be doing a panel on pinball that Sunday. Also, don’t miss the obligatory Friday night karaoke party.

Any questions feel free to email me, or discuss below. We’ll see you then!

Video Games

Hold Flipper for Status Update 4

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These are just the ramps that DIDN’T make it into the game! (I think I ended up making every ramp at least 3 times)

Wow it’s been a couple months since the last official Bill Paxton Pinball update! The playfield is complete, the code is less buggy and it will definitely be done in time for the 2010 Midwest Gaming Classic.

The full, final reveal of the machine on this site will likely be around March 17th. You can keep up with the progress by subscribing to my YouTube channel or Twitter feed. (Warning: Twitter feed also contains a lot of non-work-related ramblings, usually about beer, the weather or waiting in lines)

For a sneak peek at the vector drawing of the final board, hit the rest of the story after the bump. We’ll see you soon!

Continue reading Hold Flipper for Status Update 4 →

Video Games

Midwest Gaming Classic – The week after

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Myself, an Xbox 360 laptop, and a bunch of free donut holes.

It was a fun show! Stan Miller did a piece for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and our booth was mentioned, you can check it out using this link.

I’d like to thank all our forum members for coming along, manning the booth and helping visitors with their questions. We even fixed some stuff for people, which I should have advertised ahead of time.

In other news, I have a new model Xbox 360 Controller Monitor finished and will be showing that on the site soon, stay tuned!

Video Games

Midwest Gaming Classic – Day One

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Well I’ve arrived at the hotel and it does indeed have free Wi-Fi, rare these days.

Oh and the TV gets the SciFi channel, maybe I’ll be able to catch Battlestar Galactica’s series finale tonight! (instead of having to buy it off the Xbox 360)

Missed Battlestar but who cares – the hotel bar has karaoke! Stayed out a bit too late (ok, bar time) but it was a lot of fun. Parker Dillman, Atari Video Mods guy joined me along with some other people. Did my usual sure-fire Achy Breaky Heart.

SATURDAY MORNING:

Well I am only slightly hungover so I should be good to go! Will be heading to the convention floor soon…

Day 1 is over… wow I am tired. Should eat some food at some point too. Forum members showed off a lot of their mods, pretty impressive stuff.

Tomorrow should be quieter, I’ll probably work on the controller monitor more.

Apparently there is some sort of after-party, guess I’ll check it out after I rest a bit.