Quoted from jonny_eh

Can someone explain to me this concept of 'flow'? Is it basically every game not designed by Pat Lawlor?

I've owned a WH20, which people say is the king of flow, but I found it to be very stop and go (No Way Out, Bigfoot Bluff)

WH2O felt claustrophobic to me.  

I thought flow meant longer ball times and more immediate, direct ball returns to the flippers when you made good/clean shots.

Quoted from dos.reboot

WH2O felt claustrophobic to me.  

I thought flow meant longer ball times and more immediate, direct ball returns to the flippers when you made good/clean shots.

In that case, LOTR all the way!! You don't get longer ball times than that, and every proper shot comes back to the flippers.

Quoted from TGlover

I'd recommend HighSpeed II - The Getaway.  For my money it's the best designed flow game I've ever played.  There are no dead spots.  the ball is always in motion.  And this high quality game is usually much cheaper then the others suggested.

Good hunting!

Never really got into 'High Speed', but haven't played the sequel.  I'll have to find one to try out.

Thanks.

Demo Man, other than cryo-claw the ball never stops.

No Fear, continual ball movement and JM.

All can be found for around $1500.

Two words: Star Gazer.

Quoted from dos.reboot

WH2O felt claustrophobic to me.  

I thought flow meant longer ball times and more immediate, direct ball returns to the flippers when you made good/clean shots.

I wouldn't say flow necessarily means longer ball times. Both Shadow and ST:TNG are flow games, but ball times for us mere mortals can be very short. Makes it that much more rewarding when you do have a great game.

For my money, I would say Shadow is the best value out there in terms of flow. Fantastic game with enough depth to keep you coming back for more. An amazing and original pinball concept --- being able to control where the ball goes. It's simply awesome to hit all four ramps in a row and start Vengeance then do it again to start Super Vengeance. It's got a mini playfield, several MB modes, and a super challenging wizard mode. I know some don't care for the translite, doesn't effect me at all. I'm not looking up when I play and I actually think it looks pretty decent. Nice mix of Art Nouveau images and the main character doesn't even look like Alec Baldwin.

ST:TNG is another great game for the money. Fantastic flow, unforgiving game play, awesome start to MB....yada yada.

I also love NF. I have one and it's another fantastic buy for the money. It seems to be a love it or hate it game for folks. I'm on the love it side and the only way mine is leaving is if a better one replaces it. Ball times can be on the longer side with this one depending on how fast it plays.

Duane

AFM is definitely the best flow game i owned, STTNG flows very well too.

Flow games.

Demoman is the king of flow games, only game I know where you can keep the ball going forever espically if you have the Cyro-Claw disabled.  A feature that I'm really starting the like personally.  

Getaway is another good one.

No Fear

Shadow, I guess so, the ramps to flow quite nicely, but the lock shot, saucer holes and mini playfield dampen the flow a bit.  

Whitewater, yes and no, it's pretty good flow, but it deos have some stop and go, but the variety of shots is unmatched.

I don't know why people think LOTR is a flow game?  I really wouldn't consider it flowing at all, the only shots that flow well are the left and right ramps.  The inner loop and right loop technically end up back at the flippers but not for any kind of meaningful second shot, and most times I find on the inner loop the ball will end up in the pop bumpers.  Every other shot on LOTR is a stop shot.  Gimil stops the ball, the shire stops the ball, the ring stops the ball, POTD stops the ball, left loop stops the ball.  Not much flow compared to other games with really good flow.

Don't get me wrong LOTR is an amazing game, but I wouldn't say it has flow.  

I really think Demoman is the best example of a flow game, if you disable the cyro-claw you litteraly can keep the ball going from the left to right flipper (assuming you don't miss) forever with a nice variety of shots and very little pause from a ball getting to the next flipper.  

Quoted from Vengeance

Don't get me wrong LOTR is an amazing game, but I wouldn't say it has flow.

What you smoking??? LOTR is total flow. Flow doesn't mean there isn't the occasional stop in the action. With LOTR, when it does stop the ball, it feeds it back to the flippers. Most shots go back to the flippers:

Left VUK - to left flipper
Center VUK - to right flipper
Ramps
Centre shot to right flipper
Mini playifield - to left flipper

In terms of king of flow, I would say AFM or SM. Both games flow so smoothly. You can keep the ball going from ramp to ramp to ramp.

Duane

I guess it's a matter of opinion on what flow is, flow to me is the ball in continuous movment without stoping, not just that everything gets fed back to the flipper.  

Quoted from Vengeance

I guess it's a matter of opinion on what flow is, flow to me is the ball in continuous movment without stoping, not just that everything gets fed back to the flipper.  

That would be my idea of flow, too - continuous movement where the ball is "flowing".   To me No Fear is awesome & low priced - but I guess has several issues to look out for (no pops either to ruin the flow).   Anyone have a No Fear (its on the wife's list - so might be entertained, er, um, what am I smoking, forget that no job security means no pins for the time being.....

Quoted from Tuborg

   Anyone have a No Fear

I have a No Fear and love it!