Question Free Credits versus Free Spins

[Andy Walker]

I have seen some online videos of Konami slots that gave amazing amounts of free spins from the feature drop in of the required icons, an example being “ Konami - Quest for Riches”. With possible retriggers these can amount to hundreds of free spins that can take a huge amount of time to play through, upwards of 45 minutes.

Being a Bricks and Mortar player for the most part and having played some machines that have generated 100+ spins that take > 10 minutes to play out which I may hasten to add may have taken > 4,000 spins to hit and then you are lucky as this can be like rocking horse droppings to get (Rainbow Riches Free Spins an FOBT is one that springs to mind for members located in the UK).

My question is and I know I have read here on the threads that feature rounds are predetermined so you are essentially playing out the RNG’s story which maybe “Dr Jekyll “ or for the most part “Mr Hide”.

Okay a scenario I come across this type of machine and am lucky and the machine offers a Credit Award or you can choose the Free Spins, the credit award has a minimum and maximum offer, a bit like a slice of pie gamble I may get it all, half or just the crumbs. Do I play out the free spins for ages or do I just be done with it and choose the credit prize?

In closing is the feature a new random event of a gamble or do I tick off the Casino and sit there for an eternity drinking coffee whilst I go through the motions?

One last comment I don’t understand why a Casino would want a machine tied up that long plus I don’t think my Camera Phone would last the session videoing.

 

[dionysus]

the machine might be 'tied up' but it's to a player sitting in the seat, not one walking by ; if the return is smallish, the player will likely give it back anyway.
Gamers want to be entertained, so if it keeps them seated, it's working

 

[Andy Walker]

the machine might be 'tied up' but it's to a player sitting in the seat, not one walking by ; if the return is smallish, the player will likely give it back anyway.
Gamers want to be entertained, so if it keeps them seated, it's working

And there was me being cynical, I would have thought to get that lengthy time of play would have attracted the passers-by to view whilst the other machines were bereft of play, in my location high pays and jackpots and features tend to be short animations mostly, the machine mentioned in my earlier post is a little bit of an exception.

 

[Nate]

IMPO - It's all about the entertainment factor to be quite honest. People enjoy getting play time for their money. If you were to put money in and lose it in 2 minutes you probably will not return (Unless you're Nate). Players getting ample play time are more likely to return.

Nate

 

[Andy Walker]

IMPO - It's all about the entertainment factor to be quite honest. People enjoy getting play time for their money. If you were to put money in and lose it in 2 minutes you probably will not return (Unless you're Nate). Players getting ample play time are more likely to return.

Nate

I agree with the entertainment value and there would be nothing like a 500 free spin bonus to put a smug look on our faces but I just wondered if the feature was already done and dusted and therefore predetermined. Myself I would set up camp in my tent at the foot of the machine and ask the Casino Staff to wake me up when it had finished, coffee waiting for me would be great but I'm not a high roller.

 

[Nate]

I just wondered if the feature was already done and dusted and therefore predetermined...

You pretty much hit the nail on the head - Features are predetermined

Nate

 

[Nifty29]

You pretty much hit the nail on the head - Features are predetermined

Nate

(The following relates to FREE SPIN features, and not pick x of y features etc, which almost always are predetermined)


On AWPs....absolutely.

On other slots....usually not.

The number and multiplier, when variable, is almost always predetermined (some notable exceptions are RTG Texas Tycoon where it matters which oil derrick you pick).

However, as a rule, the actual free spins themselves are random I.e. each spin is generated by the RNG. The reels may well be different, and there may be extra or removed symbols, but the free spins otherwise function in the same way as normal spins.

Yes, the entire free spins may be sent from the server in one "batch", but the results are randomly generated for each spin.

I can see where you could extrapolate that the free spins result is "predetermined" in the sense that the software may know the total of what you have won before they play out, but it is a fallacy (based on my experience and knowledge garnered from lots of reps and tech guys over the past 15+ years) that the software "makes up" an amount and then "creates" the visuals to fit the total win.

So, what happens in the free spins DOES matter. Each spin IS eye candy according to each individual RNG call, but the entire free spin round is NOT eye candy representing a predetermined total win. If you want to see how the predetermined free spins thing works, play some AWPs like Ski Bunny etc and you'll see what I mean.

Enzo wrote a good article about this very thing some time back so might be worth a search for further reading.

 

[Balthazar]

Another thing: slots that have the potential to give a ton of free spins usually have a crappy RTP in the base game to compensate (like Arctic Adventure @ 3Dice or the B&M slot "China Shores"). You won't find a slot like Immortal Romance (or Wicked Winnings) giving away 500 free spins.

600 free spins trigger on China Shores:

 

[mrmark21]

Another thing: slots that have the potential to give a ton of free spins usually have a crappy RTP in the base game to compensate (like Arctic Adventure @ 3Dice or the B&M slot "China Shores"). You won't find a slot like Immortal Romance (or Wicked Winnings) giving away 500 free spins.

600 free spins trigger on China Shores:

China Shores is awesome and one of my favorite games. Get a drink and just sit back and watch the free spins play out. Shame there's nothing like that by MG etc.