Pinball machines

[Golem]

How do they manage to design pinball machines so that the ball always falls between the flippers?

[spaced]

as long as the table is level from left to right. The inclination of the table means that thanks to gravity the ball will always drop right down the middle. Simple physics mate!

[ll_billym]

I think that spaced is wrong, if the table is level left to right then it would be random as to where the ball goes.

Pinball tables are designed that if you don't hit a ramp or other feature then the ball just bobbles and floats about and sooner or later hits a hazard that is designed to send it down the middle.

Also, some pinball tables have powerful electromagnets underneath the playing surface and can control where the ball goes to a high degree, some of the arcs the ball makes are unnatural and would never happen without the magnets controlling it.

[theren_911]

Personally I think there are little invisible imps which, from time to time, grab the ball and run rowards a flipper making it appear as though you are going to hit the ball. Then at the last minute the damned imp jumps down the middle just after the light for "free replay" stops flashing.

On the other hand... I own the windows XP pinball game! I think my topscore is about 4billion :-D

[spaced]

whatever il_billy. Its simple physics and my answer is correct. read my answer properly. If the table is slanting downwards towards you but its level left to rightm it will only fall downwards, straight. Duh! Think about it, dont strain urself!

[qapmoc]

Yes spaced but it will not always fall down the middle will it, straight down means down from any starting position.

[mibn2cweus]

You need to negotiate with the ball, reason with it, make it feel that it is in its best interest to stay in play, make love to it, carress it gently when it comes to the flipper to be stroked by you, dont ignore it by peeking away to see what the tally is, this only proves your lack of concern for its existence and welfare. Treat the ball as if it were one of your own, a family member, a loved one, your only one and it will reward you in kind by provided an unlimited source of pleasure, excitement, arrousal and pure physical and intellectual satisfaction. But dont play to much or you may go blind; remember Tommy?

[Golem]

Excellent, thankyou mibn2cweus. Not quite the answer I was looking for but I appreciate the sentiments!

Now we have the emotional and psychological aspects of pinball established, I'm still wondering if they are undermined by the more crude and unsubtle practices of magnets, as II_billym suggests, a cleverly textured playing surface that 'channels' the ball and a sinister obsession with angles that all focus on that one spot in the middle of the bottom edge of the base board.

All 'simple physics' for sure, but I don't think it's as simple as spaced suggests.

[mibn2cweus]

. . . or perhaps a subtly yet ingeniously shaped ball.