src/lib/pinball.js

@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ const H = 560;
 const PHYS = {
   gravity: 1050, // units/s²
   drag: 0.9998, // per sub-step (×substeps×fps) — keep close to 1 or the ball dies fast
-  maxSpeed: 1120, // 5 substeps keep even this from tunnelling
+  maxSpeed: 1000, // 5 substeps keep even this from tunnelling
   substeps: 5,
   ballR: 7,
   wallE: 0.34, // wall restitution
@@ -44,27 +44,22 @@ const TABLE = {
     { a: [42, 20], b: [250, 20] }, // top
     { a: [250, 20], b: [300, 56] }, // top-right corner
     { a: [300, 56], b: [306, 96] },
-    { a: [306, 96], b: [306, 548] }, // right wall / shooter-lane outer (continues down as the return chute)
-    { a: [288, 474], b: [288, 120] }, // shooter-lane divider (tall — the ball can't fall back in after launch)
+    { a: [306, 96], b: [306, 474] }, // right wall / shooter-lane outer
+    { a: [288, 474], b: [288, 236] }, // shooter-lane divider
     { a: [288, 474], b: [306, 474] }, // shooter-lane floor
-    { a: [14, 60], b: [14, 448] }, // left wall
+    { a: [14, 60], b: [14, 452] }, // left wall
+    { a: [14, 452], b: [40, 478] }, // left lower guide (rounds toward the flipper)
+    { a: [288, 474], b: [264, 492] }, // right lower guide
 
-    // left outlane is CLOSED: a solid deflector from the wall to the flipper
-    // pivot, so a ball down the left is always fed onto the left flipper.
-    { a: [14, 448], b: [50, 470] },
-    { a: [50, 470], b: [86, 504] },
+    // left slingshot — triangle above the flipper's outer half
+    { a: [88, 442], b: [104, 486], e: PHYS.slingE, k: PHYS.slingKick }, // kicking face
+    { a: [88, 442], b: [58, 486] }, // outer face
+    { a: [58, 486], b: [104, 486] }, // bottom
 
-    // right side stays open below the divider so a ball can trickle to the
-    // return; a short guide nudges it that way.
-    { a: [288, 474], b: [262, 494] },
-
-    // slingshots (triangles above each flipper's outer half)
-    { a: [96, 434], b: [110, 476], e: PHYS.slingE, k: PHYS.slingKick }, // L kicking face
-    { a: [96, 434], b: [76, 476] },
-    { a: [76, 476], b: [110, 476] },
-    { a: [230, 434], b: [214, 476], e: PHYS.slingE, k: PHYS.slingKick }, // R kicking face
-    { a: [230, 434], b: [250, 476] },
-    { a: [214, 476], b: [250, 476] },
+    // right slingshot
+    { a: [232, 442], b: [216, 486], e: PHYS.slingE, k: PHYS.slingKick },
+    { a: [232, 442], b: [262, 486] },
+    { a: [216, 486], b: [262, 486] },
   ],
   bumpers: [
     { x: 80, y: 132, r: 15 },
@@ -215,21 +210,10 @@ export function createPinball(canvas, cbs = {}) {
       b.vx *= 0.6;
       b.x += (TABLE.laneX - b.x) * 0.35;
     }
-    // If a launch fizzled (never reached the gate) and the ball is dropping
-    // back down the lane, forget the launch so the plunger can re-arm.
-    if (b.launching && b.vy > 0 && b.y > 320) b.launching = false;
-    // Re-arm the plunger for any near-stationary ball back in the lane.
-    if (!b.inLane && !b.launching && b.x > 290 && b.y > 442 && Math.hypot(b.vx, b.vy) < 140) {
-      b.inLane = true;
-      b.x = TABLE.laneX;
-      b.vx = 0;
-    }
-    // Gate kick: partway up the lane, fling the ball left into the
-    // playfield (a straight-up launch has nowhere else to go). Fired well
-    // below the divider top so even a soft launch clears it; the kick
-    // scales with the charge so a full plunge rips across the table.
-    if (b.launching && b.y < 300) {
-      b.vx = -(170 + 220 * state.launchC);
+    // Gate kick: once the launched ball clears the divider, fling it left
+    // into the playfield (a straight-up launch has nowhere else to go).
+    if (b.launching && b.y < 236) {
+      b.vx = -(150 + 90 * state.launchC);
       b.launching = false;
     }
 
@@ -488,15 +472,15 @@ export function createPinball(canvas, cbs = {}) {
     };
     ctx.fillStyle = accentA(0.22);
     tri([
-      [96, 434],
-      [110, 476],
-      [76, 476],
+      [88, 442],
+      [104, 486],
+      [58, 486],
     ]);
     ctx.fill();
     tri([
-      [230, 434],
-      [214, 476],
-      [250, 476],
+      [232, 442],
+      [216, 486],
+      [262, 486],
     ]);
     ctx.fill();
 
@@ -602,7 +586,6 @@ export function createPinball(canvas, cbs = {}) {
     const sdt = fdt / PHYS.substeps;
     for (let i = 0; i < PHYS.substeps; i++) step(sdt);
     state.charge = state.chargeStart ? Math.min(1, (now - state.chargeStart) / PULL_MS) : 0;
-    cbs.onCharge?.(state.charge);
   }
 
   function loop(now) {
@@ -648,19 +631,16 @@ export function createPinball(canvas, cbs = {}) {
       const b = state.ball;
       if (down && !state.plunge && b?.inLane) {
         state.chargeStart = performance.now();
-      } else if (!down && state.plunge && state.chargeStart && b?.inLane) {
+      } else if (!down && state.plunge && b?.inLane && state.chargeStart) {
         const held = (performance.now() - state.chargeStart) / 1000;
-        const c = Math.min(1, held / (PULL_MS / 1000)); // 0 = tap, 1 = full hold
-        // Straight up the lane; step() kicks it left once it clears the gate.
-        // Both the launch speed and that kick scale with the charge, so a
-        // full plunge rips the ball across the top and a tap just lobs it in.
-        b.vy = -(760 + 320 * c);
+        const c = Math.min(1, Math.max(0.15, held / (PULL_MS / 1000)));
+        // Straight up the lane; step() kicks it left once it clears the divider.
+        b.vy = -(920 + 120 * c);
         b.vx = 0;
         b.inLane = false; // commit — don't let a graze in the lane cancel the launch
         b.launching = true;
         state.launchC = c;
         state.chargeStart = 0;
-        state.charge = 0;
       }
       state.plunge = down;
     },
@@ -670,7 +650,6 @@ export function createPinball(canvas, cbs = {}) {
       score: state.score,
       balls: state.balls,
       over: state.over,
-      charge: state.charge,
       ball: state.ball && { ...state.ball },
       running: state.running,
     }),

src/styles/layout.css

@@ -3955,21 +3955,9 @@
   margin-top: 12px;
 }
 .pin__launch {
-  position: relative;
-  overflow: hidden;
-  min-width: 13rem;
+  min-width: 12rem;
   touch-action: none;
 }
-.pin__launch-fill {
-  position: absolute;
-  inset: 0 auto 0 0;
-  width: calc(var(--charge, 0) * 100%);
-  background: var(--accent);
-  opacity: 0.85;
-}
-.pin__launch-label {
-  position: relative;
-}
 .pin__hint {
   margin-top: 10px;
   font-size: 0.78rem;

src/views/PinballView.js

@@ -77,7 +77,6 @@ export async function PinballView() {
   }
 
   let catchTimer = null;
-  let launchBtn; // created below (it needs `game`); onCharge only fires after start()
   const soundBtn = el('button', {
     class: 'pin__sound',
     type: 'button',
@@ -95,7 +94,6 @@ export async function PinballView() {
     onBalls: renderBalls,
     onBump: (kind) => (kind === 'post' ? sfx.post() : sfx.bump()),
     onDrain: () => sfx.drain(),
-    onCharge: (c) => launchBtn.style.setProperty('--charge', c.toFixed(3)),
     pickMon: () => {
       const s = snap.species[(Math.random() * snap.species.length) | 0];
       return { id: s.id, name: pretty(s.name) };
@@ -179,7 +177,7 @@ export async function PinballView() {
   for (const ev of ['pointerup', 'pointercancel', 'pointerleave', 'lostpointercapture'])
     canvas.addEventListener(ev, drop);
 
-  launchBtn = el('button', {
+  const launchBtn = el('button', {
     class: 'button pin__launch',
     type: 'button',
     onpointerdown: (e) => {
@@ -188,10 +186,7 @@ export async function PinballView() {
       game.setPlunge(true);
     },
   });
-  launchBtn.append(
-    el('span', { class: 'pin__launch-fill' }),
-    el('span', { class: 'pin__launch-label' }, 'Hold to launch'),
-  );
+  launchBtn.textContent = 'Launch (hold)';
   const releasePlunge = () => game.setPlunge(false);
   for (const ev of ['pointerup', 'pointerleave', 'pointercancel'])
     launchBtn.addEventListener(ev, releasePlunge);