User blog:Entertainmentz/An alternate version of the Angry Birds Stella Pinball table with a more proper magna-saver

After playing some Zen Pinball tables that use magna-saves and observing that they all have a 4 return lane layout (Solo: A Star Wars Story, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Marvel: Fear Itself, Jurassic Park and more), and then realizing that the 6 return lane layout of the Angry Birds Stella pinball table I designed may not really work with a magna-save after all, I decided that I'm going to have to write a kit for an alternate version of the Stella table that uses the 4 return lane layout so that the magna-save would work more properly. The following article will describe a new, alternate magna-save enhancement kit that I have designed for the table and how it will alter its existing, original layout:

Changes to the Table Appearance

The magna-save enhancer kit will rename the Friendship ramp to Stella's ramp, which will spell her name instead of the word FRIENDS with lamp codes CR_STELLA_1, CR_STELLA_2, CR_STELLA_3, CR_STELLA_4, CR_STELLA_5 and CR_STELLA_6.

The following 8 lanes will also have a pink bubble icon lamp:
 * The left sinkhole (lamp code L_BUBBLE_1)
 * Willow's left orbit (lamp code L_BUBBLE_2)
 * Dahlia's ramp (lamp code L_BUBBLE_3)
 * Golden Egg sinkhole (lamp code L_BUBBLE_4)
 * Friendship ramp (lamp code R_BUBBLE_1)
 * Luca's spindisk (lamp code R_BUBBLE_2)
 * Willow's right orbit (lamp code R_BUBBLE_3)
 * Poppy's ramp (lamp code R_BUBBLE_4)

Lastly, the return lane layout will be significantly changed in the following manner: Instead of 6 return lanes that spell STELLA, there will just be 4 return lanes without spelling lamps. The two inlanes will be "action inlanes" with a pink bubble icon (L_BUBBLE_LITE and R_BUBBLE_LITE). Each outlane ramp has a diagonal arrow pointing up-right (for the left inlane) or up-left (for the right inlane), with the words "Magna Save" above the two return lanes on each side. (lamp codes L_MAGNA_SAVE and R_MAGNA_SAVE) These are the magna-save notification lamps that will light simultaneously when a magna-save is available, instead of a single magna-save lamp above the "Shoot Again" lamp.

Changes to Perks

This kit changes the way a Magna-Save is earned on the table. Normally, this is done by spelling STELLA on the 6 return rollovers. However, with this new kit, magna-saves are earned by correctly executing 2 Bubble Shots, one for the left and one for the right, with both on the same ball.

To perform a Left Bubble Shot, the ball must drop into the right inlane, and the player must then shoot a lane with a flashing pink bubble icon on the left side of the table within several seconds, which is randomly one of the following four lanes: a) the left sinkhole, b) Willow's left orbit, c) a full shot up Dahlia's ramp or d) the Golden Egg sinkhole.

To perform a Right Bubble Shot, the ball must drop into the left inlane, and the player must then shoot a lane with a flashing pink bubble icon on the right side of the table within several seconds, which is randomly one of the following four lanes: a) the Friendship ramp, b) Luca's spindisk, c) the Own the Sky right orbit or d) a full shot up Poppy's ramp.

If the player can perform a Left Bubble Shot and a Right Bubble Shot correctly with the same ball, a Magna Save will be acquired. Up to 3 Magna Saves can be stacked for use. Due to the difficulty of earning a magna save, draining the ball will not result in losing any Magna Saves. Earning a Magna-Save after getting the maximum of 3 will instead activate the ball saver.

This "action inlane" mechanic was inspired by the activation method for the Close Combat side mode in the Rogue One: A Star Wars Story pinball table.

Changes to the Display Script

This kit changes what the scoring display will show when a rollover is hit and also adds a display action for target post hits, with the following display actions below:

The status report will also add indicators on progress towards the next magna saver by showing which of the two Bubble Shots were made.

Conclusion

I strongly believe that Angry Birds Stella needs a magna-save because it rightly reflects Stella's bubble levitation power and it has to be different than the two other Angry Birds pinball tables I designed, but this kit is designed to make the magna-save more effective with a 4 return lane layout. That is a trait shared by the Angry Birds Movie 2 pinball table, but unlike that table, there is no spelling on the 4 return lanes of the Stella pinball table's magna-save enhancement kit. I would like to know what you think about this magna-save set up in the comments below.