The Rules of Sin, Part I

So what I was not considering when I said I'd post Sin's ruleset here is that the ruleset is nearly 35,000 characters long, and that blog posts are limited to 10,000 characters. So far as I know attachments aren't allowed or even possible either - at least, I can't find the button that attaches things. But I promised you all a ruleset, and a ruleset you shall have, just in 4 pieces.

EDIT 11/07/2013: Updated rules can be found here.

SIN
RULESET VERSION 0.1


INTRODUCTION
Sin is designed to provide the complexity of Twilight Zone with the speed and flow of Attack from Mars, along with progressive difficulty and scoring features to help make the game accessible to novices yet challenging for experts.


LOWER PLAYFIELD
Starting from the lower end and working up the table left-to-right.

Left Outlane

• Scores 10K.
• Contains the “H” (white) in H-E-L-L.
• Can be lit for Extra Ball (gold) by Infernal Secret: Light Outlanes or Shadow Salvation.
• The post above the outlane is on a motorized track; the outlane entrance grows vertically wider as the table difficulty increases.

Left Inlane

• Scores 1000.
• Contains the “E” (white) in H-E-L-L.
• Used in the Gluttony (purple) sin mode.

Left Slingshot

• Scores 70. This is not multiplied by Playfield X.
• Rotates the next sin to be started.

Left and Right Lower Flippers

• These are on a motorized track; the gap between them grows wider as the table difficulty increases.

Right Slingshot

• Scores 70. This is not multiplied by Playfield X.
• Rotates the next sin to be started.

Right Inlane

• Scores 1000.
• Contains the first “L” (white) in H-E-L-L.
• Used in the Gluttony (purple) sin mode.

Right Outlane

• Scores 10K.
• Contains the second “L” (white) in H-E-L-L.
• Can be lit for Special (red) by Infernal Secret: Light Outlanes or Shadow Salvation.
• The post above the outlane is on a motorized track; the outlane entrance grows vertically wider as the table difficulty increases.

Greed Target # 1 (below left upper flipper)

• Scores 2530 when not lit for Greed.
• Used in the Greed (red) sin mode.
• Adds to jackpot value (gold) in Cerberus Multiball.

Circle and Sin Indicators

• Inner ring indicates current Circle of Hell, from 1 to 9.
• Outer “spokes” indicates progression in each of the seven sins: Greed (red, NW), Sloth (orange, NE), Lust (yellow, W), Envy (green, E), Pride (blue, SW), Gluttony (purple, SE), and Wrath (dark blue, S). Each spoke has four inserts, labeled I, II, III and IV from the innermost outward.

Greed Target #7 (below right upper flipper)

• Scores 2530 when not lit for Greed.
• Used in the Greed (red) sin mode.
• Adds to jackpot value (gold) in Cerberus Multiball.

MIDDLE PLAYFIELD
Starting from the lower end and working up the table left-to-right.

Left Upper Flipper

• A standard flipper, positioned to be able to shoot the Sin Bin. It’s higher up on the table than the right upper flipper.

Left Orbit

• Scores 3000.
• Used in the Envy (green) and Gluttony (purple) sin modes.
• Lights for jackpot (red) during Cerberus Multiball and Armageddon.

Left Gates of Hell (Spinner)

• Scores 1000 per spin when not lit for Pride or Infernal Spinners. Scores 50K per spin when lit for Infernal Spinners (orange).
• Used in the Pride (blue) sin mode.

Right Gates of Hell (Spinner)

• Scores 1000 per spin when not lit for Pride or Infernal Spinners. Scores 50K per spin when lit for Infernal Spinners (orange).
• Used in the Pride (blue) sin mode.

Right Orbit

• Scores 3000.
• Used in the Envy (green) and Gluttony (purple) sin modes.
• Lights for jackpot (red) during Cerberus Multiball and Armageddon.

Right Upper Flipper

• A standard flipper, positioned to be able to shoot the Sin Bin and the Soul Burn hole. It’s lower down on the table than the left upper flipper.

UPPER PLAYFIELD
Starting from the lower end and working up the table left-to-right.

Soul Burn Hole

• Scores 10K.
• After being hit, feeds ball to lower left flipper.
• Used during the Sloth (orange) sin mode.
• Awards a Soul Burn (light purple) when not lit for other modes.
• Awards an Infernal Secret (white) when lit.
• Can be lit for Extra Ball (gold) by various means.
• Can be lit for Super Jackpot (red) during Cerberus Multiball and Shadow Salvation.

Jet Bumpers

• Score 2530 when not lit for Infernal Jets (gold), and 50K when they are.
• Three, arranged in a triangular fashion so that the right upper flipper can shoot through them Lawlor-style to the Soul Burn hole.
• Rotates the next sin to be started.

Greed Target # 2 (left of Left Ramp)

• Scores 2530 when not lit for Greed.
• Used in the Greed (red) sin mode.
• Adds to jackpot value (gold) in Cerberus Multiball.

Left Ramp

• Scores 1000 for sensor at start of ramp, and another 4010 for a full shot.
• Used in the Lust (yellow) and Envy (green) sin modes.
• Lights for jackpot (red) during Armageddon.

Greed Target # 3 (between Left Ramp and Sin Bin)

• Scores 2530 when not lit for Greed.
• Used in the Greed (red) sin mode.
• Adds to jackpot value (gold) in Cerberus Multiball.

Sin Bin

• Scores 5000.
• If no sin is running, feeds ball to the S-I-N lanes. If a sin is running, ejects downward toward the lower flippers.
• Used to start all sins (white).
• Used in the Gluttony (purple) and Wrath (dark blue) sin modes, as well as the Wages of Sin mode (gold).
• Lights for jackpot (red) during Cerberus Multiball and Armageddon.

Greed Target # 4 (between Right Ramp and Sin Bin)

• Scores 2530 when not lit for Greed.
• Used in the Greed (red) sin mode.
• Adds to jackpot value (gold) in Cerberus Multiball.

Right Ramp

• Scores 1000 for sensor at start of ramp, and another 4010 for a full shot.
• Used in the Lust (yellow) and Envy (green) sin modes.
• Lights for jackpot (red) during Armageddon.

Greed Target # 5 (right of Right Ramp)

• Scores 2530 when not lit for Greed.
• Used in the Greed (red) sin mode.
• Adds to jackpot value (gold) in Cerberus Multiball.

6-6-6 Target Bank

• Scores 3000 if flashing (white), 1500 if lit, or 570 if not lit.
• Lights the Sin Bin for Start Sin when completed.
• Activates Light Lock at Cerberus Lock for third and subsequent Cerberus Multiballs when completed.
• Starts Pandemonium when completed 66.6 times.

S-I-N Lanes (above jet bumpers)

• Scores 4000 if not lit, and 2000 if lit (white).
• Adds +1 Bonus X and lights the Sin Bin for Start Sin when completed.

Cerberus Lock (above and to left of 6-6-6 bank)

• Scores 10K.
• After being hit, feeds ball to upper right flipper.
• Used in the Sloth sin mode (orange).
• Used to both light locks (yellow) and lock balls (green) for Cerberus Multiball.
• Used to relight jackpots (white) in Cerberus Multiball.
• Lights for Restart (white) if Cerberus Multiball ends without any super jackpots being collected.
• Lights for Eschaton (dark blue) during Armageddon and Shadow Salvation.

Greed Target # 6 (right of Cerberus Lock)

• Scores 2530 when not lit for Greed.
• Used in the Greed (red) sin mode.
• Adds to jackpot value (gold) in Cerberus Multiball.

STARTING SIN MODES
One of the main objectives of Sin is to start and complete as many sins as possible. To start a sin, shoot the Sin Bin (between the ramps) when it’s lit for Start Sin. The Sin Bin is lit for Start Sin:

• At the start of each ball, including extra balls.
• By completing the S-I-N lanes.
• By completing the 6-6-6 target bank.
• Lit Sin Bins do not stack.

The particular sin started is rotated by the bumpers and slingshots. Each sin has 4 lights (marked I, II, III and IV) that represent increasing sin difficulty levels. Solid lights represent completed sin levels and the flashing light represents the sin level that will be started next. Multiple sins can be started and run concurrently.

Once all 4 levels of a sin have been successfully completed, that sin is skipped in the rotation until all 4 levels of all 7 sins are completed. Once that happens, all sins are played at a secret Level V difficulty for all 4 lights.

If a sin mode is failed, either because the ball drained or because time ran out, but the player made partial progress, the sin resumes where it left off the next time the player starts that sin. However, failing a sin mode disqualifies the player for Ninth Circle and a chance at the Shadow Salvation wizard mode. The player will play Eighth Circle and the Armageddon mini wizard mode instead.

Once each sin is a completed for a given level, an award is given as follows:

• Level I Completed: 3 Soul Burns
• Level II Completed: +1 Playfield X
• Level III Completed: Light Extra Ball
• Level IV Completed: Either Eighth or Ninth Circle.

 

[Guest]

Quote "
Left and Right Lower Flippers

• These are on a motorized track; the gap between them grows wider as the table difficulty increases."

Are you trying to create a table which could be built in real life or a pure fantasy table? Do any tables currently have track moveable flippers?

Track moveable flippers would be pretty hard to pull off IRL I would have thought, with a high risk of mechanical unreliability ( and we know how picky pinballer's are about flipper gaps being right - Medieval Madness).
From an Engineers point of view - if I was after designing variable dificulty in a table - I'd go with an adaptive playfield angle - eg angle increases (table steepens) to increase difficulty and speed - probably fluid filled ram controled. Much cheaper - more reliable - and still playable if broken.

 

[Sean DonCarlos]

Are you trying to create a table which could be built in real life or a pure fantasy table? Do any tables currently have track moveable flippers?

Track moveable flippers would be pretty hard to pull off IRL I would have thought, with a high risk of mechanical unreliability ( and we know how picky pinballer's are about flipper gaps being right - Medieval Madness).
From an Engineers point of view - if I was after designing variable dificulty in a table - I'd go with an adaptive playfield angle - eg angle increases (table steepens) to increase difficulty and speed - probably fluid filled ram controled. Much cheaper - more reliable - and still playable if broken.

Twenty-five real pinball machines had track-moveable flippers (usually called "zipper flippers"): 21 from Bally and 4 from Williams. Probably the two most well-known are Fireball and Medusa.

Unlike the original zipper flippers, I envision Sin as having the flippers anchored to the inlane return walls as on any other table. However, the inlane return walls consist of an outer, fixed part and an inner, retractable part that can be moved a fraction of an inch at a time by a stepper motor. In this way, the flippers themselves can be anchored strongly, while the mechanism that does the moving is inside the inlane return wall and protected from violent strikes from the ball.

 

[Guest]

Interesting about zipper flippers - just had a quick Google, but they haven't been used since '71. Did they move gradually, or was it an open closed state?

On sin, how would ball cradling be affected during flipper position movement? (could do with a sketch of your idea for visualisation).
Also, how would the widest flipper location affect flipper passing? Would you get a bad bounce of the slings?

 

[Sean DonCarlos]

Medusa was released in 1981. I believe most of the old zipper flippers had an "open" and a "closed" state, and the transition between the two was pretty quick.

I'd love to include sketches here, but the forum software doesn't allow images in blog posts. I may have to hijack a thread in the off-topic section for image purposes and include links here.

The flippers would move diagonally upward at the same angle as the inlane return wall, so the angle for cradling should remain consistent regardless of the flipper's position.

As for tap passing and post transfers: In the narrowest position, the flippers would be close together and farthest from the slingshots, so tap passing would be easier while post transfers would be comparatively difficult. As the flippers retract, tap passing will become harder while post transfers become easier to execute (but the gap the ball must cross becomes wider).

Also keep in mind that we're talking about much smaller distances traveled than with the zipper flippers. The flipper gap grows in increments of 1/8", so from easiest setting to hardest the gap grows 1/2". Each flipper travels half that distance, so 1/4" (plus a little extra because of the vertical component of the movement).

The philosophy is that the progressive flippers and outlane posts should make the game more challenging as it goes on, without introducing abrupt severe changes in difficulty or forcing players to make drastic changes in their play style mid-game.

 

[Guest]

Sounds good - the flipper travelling at the inlane angle makes sense - I think I can picture it without the sketch now.