Test Your Fate: Pinball Machine Layout

There are multiple key elements to a successful pinball machine.

Playfield: Figures 1-2
The playfield has a planar surface incline upwards from three to seven degrees, which includes multiple targets and scoring objectives. The higher the incline, the faster the ball, the harder the game, however its important that the field is level left to right otherwise the ball will roll to one side. The ball is put into play through the use of the plunger, spring loaded rod that strikes the ball signalling the game to start. The ball then moves based on the obstacles downwards towards the player where flippers are used to keep the ball in play.

Plunger:
The player can often control the amount of force used for the launching by pulling the plunger a certain distance. Once the ball is in motion the plunger isn't used again until another ball is needed. In most modern machines an electronically controlled launcher is sometimes substituted for a plunger.

Flippers: Figure 3
Flippers are one or more small levers roughly three to seven cm in length used to redirect the ball up the playing field.  They are the main control the player has over the ball, as they allow the player to direct the ball in a range of directions with various levels of speed.

Bumpers:
Bumpers are round knobs that when hit actively push the ball away, however in early pinball machines these bumper where not active and acted more as an obstacle rather than an element that interacted with the ball. Most modern machines include a set of three or more bumpers with bumpers pre-dating flippers in machine construction.

Kickers and Slingshots: Figure 4
Kickers and slingshots are rubber pads which propel the ball away on impact similarly to bumpers. They are often placed on the upper left and right of the lowest set of flippers and interact with solenoid system to push the ball away.

Targets:
There are many different types of targets used within pinball machines:

• Stationary Targets: Figure 5
• Static targets that record when the ball strikes them and are generally the simplest element on the playfield. 
• Bullseye Targets:
• Static targets with two concentric elements, hitting the outer ring usually scores lower than hitting the centre bull's eye. Most commonly found in older electro-mechanical games. 
• Drop Targets:
• These targets drop below the playing field when hit, once an entire bank of drop targets has been hit they may reset or pop back up. They can also be placed in front of other targets meaning they have to be hit for the player to gain more points from other elements within the playing field. 
• Kicking Targets:
• Rarely used, these are stationary looking targets but when hit the ball kicks away in the opposite direction like a slingshot or bumper. 
• Vari-Target:
• These reward a different number of points depending on how hard the target is hit. It's a metal arm that pivots under the playing field so when the ball hits is and it goes all the way back a large some of points are awarded. The amount of points is dependent on how far back the pivot goes. 

Holes:

Modern games include both vertical and horizontal holes, with some including mechanisims that mve the ball form one hole to the other. On older games a 'gobble hole' is used which awards a large number of points but doesn't give the ball back. 

Saucers:

Shallow holes with a kicker inside meaning the ball remains visible on the playing field and is kicked out with straight up or sideways back onto the field.

Originally holes and saucers worked by using tubes behind the playing field with a pin at the top to hold the ball for later drops. However this wasn't necessary after the electrification of the game. 

Spinners and Rollovers:

Spinners:

A ball can push through a flat surface that is hinged in the middle causing it to spin, adding points with each rotation. 

Rollovers:

Targets activated when the ball rolls over them, often placed side by side with dividers allowing lanes to be created. 

Whirlwind Spinners:

This spinner rapidly rotates a disk on the playing field then momentarily grabs the ball and throws it in random directions. 

Switches, Gates and Stoppers:

Switch:

An area that is blocked off after the ball passes through it one.

Gate:

A block that allows the ball to come through one way but not the other.

Stopper:

Also known as a magic post, stoppers are small poles founded centred between the lowest set of flippers and outlanes. When activated the pole ascendes from inside of the machine, blocking the area between the flippers for a limited time. 

Ramps:

Incline planes with gentle inclines allowing the ball to roll down, many end at the flippers so players can attempt multiple ramp shots, which earns more points.

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5