How to Drain All Balls on the Playfield and Serve One Back

Related Config File Sections:

You might want to a have a mode that does not end the current ball when a timer expires, a jackpot is collected, or some other event happens.

When this happens you might want the flippers and possibly other coils to disable (slings, pops, etc) in order to collect the ball/balls.

The first thing you need to do it make sure your flippers, sling, pops, etc have an enable and disable event in their devices config file.

This is an example for left sling:

#! switches:
#!   s_left_slingshot:
#!     number:
#! coils:
#!   c_left_slingshot:
#!     number:
autofire_coils:
  left_slingshot:
    switch: s_left_slingshot
    coil: c_left_slingshot
    disable_events: ball_ending, service_mode_entered, disable_sling
    enable_events: ball_started, enable_sling

In the mode that you want to end but not end the ball add a "fake ball save".

In this example this mode had a multiball and the fake ball save is enabled when a multiball ends. In your mode it can be enabled whenever you want it to, mode start or when a shot is hit, etc.

##! mode: your_mode
ball_saves:
  fake_MODE_NAME_ball_save:
    enable_events:
      - multiball_(multiball_name)_ended
    auto_launch: false
    balls_to_save: 1
    debug: true

When the mode ends either when timer expires or another event happens you should have 2 other modes, another ball save mode and an end_mode mode.

In the ball save mode you will have another ball_save and maybe a show_player that flashes the shoot again light.

We will call this mode ball_save_end_mode.

##! mode: your_mode
mode:
  start_events:
    - mode_end_MODE_NAME_started
  stop_events:
    - mode_end_MODE_NAME_stopped
  priority: 9100

ball_saves:
  end_mode_ball_save:
    enable_events: mode_ball_save_end_mode_started
    auto_launch: false
    balls_to_save: 1
    debug: true

show_player:
  ball_save_end_mode_ball_save_enabled:
    fast_flash_show:
      key: end_modes_ball_save_flash
      speed: 3
      show_tokens:
        leds: l_shoot_again
        color: red
      action: play
      priority: 9999
  mode_ball_save_end_mode_stopping:
    end_modes_ball_save_flash:
      action: stop

This ball save mode is started when end_mode is started. The end_mode is started by whatever you want the mode you don't want ball to drain end. For example a timer expired or some other event happened.

This is the end_mode. It will disable the flippers and drain the balls. You can display a message on screen or play a video, etc. explaining what just happened. The queue_relay_player will hold the ball until the show is over. When this mode is ending you should enable the coils you disabled.

##! mode: your_mode
mode:
  start_events:
    - start_end_MODE_NAME_mode
  stop_events:
    - player_continue_show_ended
  priority: 8150

event_player:
  mode_end_MODE_NAME_started:
    - flipper_off
    - disable_Upper_Left_pop_bumper
    - disable_Upper_Right_pop_bumper
    - disable_Lower_Left_pop_bumper
    - disable_Lower_Right_pop_bumper
    - disable_sling
  player_continue_show_ended:
    - flipper_on
    - enable_Upper_Left_pop_bumper
    - enable_Upper_Right_pop_bumper
    - enable_Lower_Left_pop_bumper
    - enable_Lower_Right_pop_bumper
    - enable_sling
    - start_ANOTHER_MODE

queue_event_player:
  mode_end_MODE_NAME_started:
    queue_event: my_queue_end_MODE_NAME
    events_when_finished: end_end_MODE_NAME

queue_relay_player:
  my_queue_end_MODE_NAME:
    post: start_end_MODE_NAME_intro
    wait_for: end_show_ended
  balldevice_bd_trough_ball_eject_attempt:
    post: wait_for_instruction
    wait_for: player_continue_show_ended

shows:
  end_MODE_NAME_ball_over:
    - duration: 11
      slides:
        end_MODE_NAME_ball_over_slide:
          widgets:
            - type: text
              text: "BALL LOST"
              color: white
              font_size: 80
              y: center + 300
            - type: video
              video: end_mode_video
            - type: text
              text: "DON'T MOVE"
              font_size: 80
              color: red
              x: center
              y: center - 300
              animations:
                show_slide:
                  - property: opacity
                    value: 1
                    duration: .5s
                  - property: opacity
                    value: 0
                    duration: .5s
                    repeat: true
  player_continue_show:
    - duration: 3
      slides:
        end_mode_player_continue_slide:
          widgets:
            - type: text
              text: PLAYER (number)
              color: blue
              font_size: 120
              y: center + 90
            - type: text
              text: Keep Shooting
              color: red
              y: center - 10
              font_size: 90


show_player:
  start_end_MODE_NAME_intro:
    end_MODE_NAME_ball_over:
      loops: 0
      events_when_stopped: end_show_ended
  end_show_ended:
    player_continue_show:
      loops: 0
      events_when_stopped: player_continue_show_ended

This is just an example of how I did it in my game. Every game is different.

If you have any questions about how to do this in your game please post to the forum](../community/index.md).

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