After the play test session, the problems with our machine became very clear. The most obvious of which was the areas where the ball would get stuck. Despite us trying to iron out all of these spots in the building process, balls still got stuck under the ramps and on the side windows between the two playfields. These are easy fixes and we plan to touch them up.
Another big issue is with this battlebox was our drop mechanism. This was done to have the game start with an 8-ball multi-ball for each player. This was so the game would start incredibly hectic and fast-paced and over the course of each round the game would slowly become more deliberate and concentrated; however, in many of our playtests, the drop mechanism dropped a lot of the balls right down the middle at the start of each round, draining at least 2-3 balls on each side immediately. This was frustrating and confusing for a lot of playtesters. We think the fix for this is to wall in the sides and put the balls there, so that balls don’t drain immediately. Another problem is that balls had a tendency to go flying out of the machine. We believe this was caused by the ramps connecting the machines not being an even surface. This could be fixed with a simple taping over the ramp surface.
One suggestion made by a playtester (Shouts out to Jimmy) on how to improve the game was to introduce different balls, some of which would be worth more points. This would add an extra level of depth to the game, because players would have to be more considerate of that ball worth more points. We liked this idea quite a bit as it keeps the frantic energy of the machine while adding a new and interesting layer of complexity to the game play.
Our machine had many flaws, but I believe most of these are easy fixes. The overall concept and design of our machine seems to have been successful. During playtests, players were very excited and engaged during the game.
-Christian Axisa & Chris Commisso