Episode
Dirty Pool Podcast - Ep31 - Raymond Davidson - Player to Programmer
- Published
- May 5, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 3912
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Summary
▶ Full Dirty Pool Podcast Playlisthttps://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLS9lWVjGsygallsiz2_TJ_oxIlhl29fLC&si=iLC8oBnZfl_U7pJjIt'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?🔺 Praise the Great Pyramid:📡 Twitch http://www.twitch.tv/dirtypoolpinball📺 YouTube http://www.youtube.com/@dirtypoolpinball📷 Instagram http://www.instagram.com/dirtypoolpinball📘 Facebook http://www.facebook.com/dirtypoolpinball🔊 Discord – http://discord.gg/ySs5Wjb3Je🛒 Apparel http://www.dirtypoolpinball.com00:00:00 - Intro and Raymond Davidson joins the podcast00:01:00 - Seattle pinball roots and early tournament access00:03:00 - Traveling for tournaments and the $2 bill payout00:04:07 - PAPA, getting humbled, and improving through competition00:05:23 - Getting hired at Stern and starting on Avengers00:06:01 - First Stern lab stories and working with John Borg00:07:32 - Led Zeppelin and getting real rules design ownership00:08:04 - Using code to bring out the best parts of a layout00:09:38 - Led Zeppelin wizard mode and pressure after multiball00:10:46 - What carries over from older code frameworks00:11:29 - Whitewood testing and finding out what is actually fun00:12:38 - Watching streams to see how players really behave00:14:02 - Death Star cashouts and risk versus reward00:14:48 - Rush combos, Foo Fighters moments, and rewarding mastery00:16:23 - Making de…