Dirty Pool Podcast - Ep31 - Raymond Davidson - Player to Programmer

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It's podcast time with RAYDAY! Raymond Davidson of Stern Pinball known for titles like Rush, Metallica Remaster and of course Fall of the Empire. We’re lining up topics around rules design from a player mindset, how code evolves after location testing, and how modern games balance competitive depth with accessibility. Also getting into team workflow, post-launch updates, and how tournament play shapes coding decisions.

What’s one rule in a modern game that actually changed how you approach it?

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00:00:00 - Intro and Raymond Davidson joins the podcast

00:01:00 - Seattle pinball roots and early tournament access

00:03:00 - Traveling for tournaments and the $2 bill payout

00:04:07 - PAPA, getting humbled, and improving through competition

00:05:23 - Getting hired at Stern and starting on Avengers

00:06:01 - First Stern lab stories and working with John Borg

00:07:32 - Led Zeppelin and getting real rules design ownership

00:08:04 - Using code to bring out the best parts of a layout

00:09:38 - Led Zeppelin wizard mode and pressure after multiball

00:10:46 - What carries over from older code frameworks

00:11:29 - Whitewood testing and finding out what is actually fun

00:12:38 - Watching streams to see how players really behave

00:14:02 - Death Star cashouts and risk versus reward

00:14:48 - Rush combos, Foo Fighters moments, and rewarding mastery

00:16:23 - Making deep games accessible within a few shots

00:18:18 - Scoring balance and why big points matter

00:19:56 - Unexpected bugs and the secret Metallica add-a-ball

00:21:08 - Favorite final code and what still nags at him

00:22:00 - Revisiting Led Zeppelin and skipped multiball objectives

00:23:17 - Filtering community feedback without chasing every opinion

00:24:42 - Remastering older games and constant rules ideas

00:25:44 - Favorite butthole shots and Lord of the Rings design

00:27:32 - Why Simpsons Pinball Party still works so well

00:28:11 - Theme integration versus scoring balance

00:30:22 - Roving shots, Death Star 2, and avoiding gimmies

00:31:18 - Speeder bikes and thematic mechanical action

00:33:10 - Bonus missions without blocking Jedi progression

00:34:16 - Star Wars as the first Spike 3 release

00:36:18 - Stream friendly UI, bigger scores, and real constraints

00:39:32 - Making the best of design limits

00:40:05 - John Wick, rejects, and code improving a harsh game

00:40:32 - Zach working across Star Wars, John Wick, and X-Men

00:42:13 - Video modes and what actually holds up

00:42:46 - Licensing limits and what can appear on screen

00:45:18 - Named Stern updates and the Rebel Rebellion problem

00:47:01 - Stern office tournaments and absurd employee scores

00:48:34 - Tournament travel, PTO, and Stern supporting play

00:49:23 - Jedi Mania, streaming games, and learning from co-op

00:51:29 - Development speed bumps beyond licensing

00:53:23 - Spike 3 video formats and H.265 workflow

00:54:42 - Spike 3 hardware questions and upgrade limits

00:56:10 - Simple layouts, deep rules, and matching code to playfield

00:57:20 - Why teams matter more than manufacturer labels

00:59:00 - AI, internal tools, and what should never reach final assets

01:01:02 - Stern Insider, multiplayer possibilities, and score visibility

01:03:33 - Wrap up and final Raven choice

01:04:33 - Great Pyramid outro and cult signoff

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