Megaways ..... AAAAAAAAAAAAAgh

writeon

nice geetar...
Joined
Apr 4, 2014
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Scotland
Jeez they must have seen us coming when the developers thought I know why dont we make changing numbers of lines of slots which payout virtually nothing and rarely more than your initial betting amount ..what will we call them..I know Megaways..that will sound as if the client is getting more for there hard earned...rubbish the most awful slots ive seen to date..dropping tiles and when they go right across you think yippee big win...only to discover its 60p....absolutely garbage..in my opinion steer well away from them because unless you are exceptionally fortunate to get a bonus you will be constantly fraustrated with these money grabbers.
 
They're not for me either, but I can see why they do well. The potential is clear and easy to understand. I find many too hard to trigger the bonus though. I prefer entertainment. Had a 1440x spin on Fish'n Frenzy once which was very nice!
 
They're not for me either, but I can see why they do well. The potential is clear and easy to understand. I find many too hard to trigger the bonus though. I prefer entertainment. Had a 1440x spin on Fish'n Frenzy once which was very nice!

Fishing Frenzy Megaways is one my favs out of the bunch. I didnt play them much but i do more so now.

I know people complain about the bonuses sometimes and me too but i find, compared to some, like Thunderkick for example, they pay better when they hit.
 
I'm genuinely not being facetious here, but aren't 'MEGAWAYS' and the 'MEGAWAYS ENGINE' just really long reel strips?

I agree with the OP, they're made to sound like some mystical development in the slots arena, but as far as I can tell, MEGAWAYS is just very, very long reel strips with different sizes on the symbols, to create the variable number of win ways.
 
I'm genuinely not being facetious here, but aren't 'MEGAWAYS' and the 'MEGAWAYS ENGINE' just really long reel strips?

I agree with the OP, they're made to sound like some mystical development in the slots arena, but as far as I can tell, MEGAWAYS is just very, very long reel strips with different sizes on the symbols, to create the variable number of win ways.

I know it has been discussed at length in various guises mate but in my time served experience I really think that there are no reel strips as such.

What we see spinning is just random graphics and when the (insert other word than reels) come to rest just a random bunch of symbols are in place to show the desired server result.

Games like Bonanza with their 117,649 ways and multi billion combinations would need reel strips which would wrap around the earths circumference several times :eek:
 
As Chopley says, you could certainly run Megaways with reel bands. They would be very long!

I haven't played enough games to comment on others but Fishing Frenzy (which I love) is clearly a spreadsheet. I don't mind that at all but it does make you think the "ultimate" prizes may not be available
 
As Chopley says, you could certainly run Megaways with reel bands. They would be very long!

They are about 177 long ish if i remember correctly

Some standard games can use strips into 150+ so nothing new the megaways refers more to just the varying ways you can win on as opposed to fixed amount of ways like 243 way.
 
As Chopley says, you could certainly run Megaways with reel bands. They would be very long!

I haven't played enough games to comment on others but Fishing Frenzy (which I love) is clearly a spreadsheet. I don't mind that at all but it does make you think the "ultimate" prizes may not be available

Why would they have to be very long?

I haven't seen the maths but I can think of a few (quite simple) ways of doing megaways games that would not require long reel bands at all...
 
Why would they have to be very long?

I haven't seen the maths but I can think of a few (quite simple) ways of doing megaways games that would not require long reel bands at all...
Yep, it's more about the number of symbols that land in view which determine the total amount of ways per spin. These numbers multiply up quite quickly over 6 reels to produce the amount of 'megaways' active per spin.

As you say, massively long reel strips aren't strictly necessary.

150 symbols per reel over 6 reels is 11,390,625,000,000 different permutations. Obviously a lot less in terms of actual outcomes when you account for duplicate symbols, but the general point still stands.
 
Yep, it's more about the number of symbols that land in view which determine the total amount of ways per spin. These numbers multiply up quite quickly over 6 reels to produce the amount of 'megaways' active per spin.

As you say, massively long reel strips aren't strictly necessary.

150 symbols per reel over 6 reels is 11,390,625,000,000 different permutations. Obviously a lot less in terms of actual outcomes when you account for duplicate symbols, but the general point still stands.

Symbols are for show.

Workings behind could be basic or complex. I think i saw before in the ask anything about slots thread that reels were not necessarily reely fixed reels.
 
Symbols are for show.

Workings behind could be basic or complex. I think i saw before in the ask anything about slots thread that reels were not necessarily reely reels.

I didnt say that about Bonanza... which I am 100% certain uses reel bands. The reel bands that you see spinning may be for show, but those that land in view are picked from true reel bands.
 
Why would they have to be very long?

I haven't seen the maths but I can think of a few (quite simple) ways of doing megaways games that would not require long reel bands at all...

Forgive my ignorance but then they wouldn't be reel bands in the classic sense of the description??

Maybe I'm thinking along the lines of AWP's too much, my bad lol :oops:

The way I see it, there would be millions of combination on the max megaways alone, quick example 7 x 'K' then 6 x 'K' and another symbol and the next symbol, then 5 x 'K' and the next symbol etc etc

All of this per symbol and then again with 6 per reel, 5 per reel, 4 per reel for EVERY symbol - Hence my earlier post that I'd stand the whole of my gaming 'career' that there are not strict reel strips as such, it is simply impossible.

More likely that there are reel strips with "no" symbols on them, spin, define symbols per strip per reel and display random symbols to show payout for that 'press'
 
Yep, it's more about the number of symbols that land in view which determine the total amount of ways per spin. These numbers multiply up quite quickly over 6 reels to produce the amount of 'megaways' active per spin.

As you say, massively long reel strips aren't strictly necessary.

150 symbols per reel over 6 reels is 11,390,625,000,000 different permutations. Obviously a lot less in terms of actual outcomes when you account for duplicate symbols, but the general point still stands.

You could have one set of reels and then just gave a second decision as to how many symbols you show..

I.e...
Decision 1 - pick between 2 and 7 symbols (not necessarily evenly weighted)
Decision 2 - pick a reel stop position (again not necessarily evenly weighted)
 
Forgive my ignorance but then they wouldn't be reel bands in the classic sense of the description??

Maybe I'm thinking along the lines of AWP's too much, my bad lol :oops:

The way I see it, there would be millions of combination on the max megaways alone, quick example 7 x 'K' then 6 x 'K' and another symbol and the next symbol, then 5 x 'K' and the next symbol etc etc

All of this per symbol and then again with 6 per reel, 5 per reel, 4 per reel for EVERY symbol - Hence my earlier post that I'd stand the whole of my gaming 'career' that there are not strict reel strips as such, it is simply impossible.

More likely that there are reel strips with "no" symbols on them, spin, define symbols per strip per reel and display random symbols to show payout for that 'press'

Reel bands can be any length you want.. no min or max. And your suggestion at the end would likely not be compliant and even if it was, would be pointless as it's much easier to do it with reel bands.

I know it sounds difficult to do, but it actually isn't that complicated.
 
Are there slots out there that dont use fixed or true reel bands?

Jammin Jars doesn't... we all know how that works, or most do that saw the thread about it.

There are certainly slots from some smaller providers in some grey markets that work in some "interesting" ways. Ways that would likely be frowned upon in some jurisdictions...
 
Cheers Dave!

From my new understanding then I was sort of originally right when I started that there are not FIXED reels bands as such, they are newly generated each spin, hence the 'pick' system you describe.

This is what I meant when I said due to the combinations possible each outcome you could not have EVERY possible outcome "physically" fixed on a wrap around reel band, no way

I am of course referring to Megaways mechanics and not standard line or 243 ways slots.
 
I saw a feature on Eye of Horas neverpays, where all the premium symbols got turned into the best one with 8 spins left, and it didnt manage a single 6 or 5 or 4oak. In the 15 or so previous spins 12 of them had stupendous 6oaks of different premium symbols and loads of 5oaks. Its not done on reel strips I think more like predetermined.
 
Yeah Megaways just can't be fixed strips...they'd have to be far too big (to the point where it would be nearly impossible to have a decent win on them).

However, they don't seem to work "scratch card" style like, say, Jammin' Jars.

I don't know how they work, but my guess would be that the game engine "invents" new reels to match the outcome from the RNG.
 
I have two theories. Although both rely on fixed reel bands.

1. Each reel has 5/6 separate reel bands, for 2 ways, 3ways, 4ways, 5ways, 6ways and in the case of reels 1 and 6, 7ways.
So it's then just a case of the RNG choosing a reel band and stop position per reel

2. There is only one reel band per reel, based on the Max megaways, ie 117,649 ways.
The RNG picks reel stop position, and the number of ways (2 to 6/7)
and either ...

A. the symbols expand, meaning the number of symbols remain the same, but the actual length (in stop positions) of the reel bands changes.
so if a reel band section had the symbols 10 - 9 - K - Scatter - A - J - Q , the stop position was K and the number of ways = 3, then the game would display K Scatter A and after a reaction, the 9 would drop in

or

B. the symbols expand from the reel stop position covering some of the symbols, meaning the number of symbols changes. But the actual length (in stop positions) of the reel bands stays the same.
so if a reel band section had the symbols 10 - 9 - K - Scatter - A - J - Q , the stop position was K and the number of ways = 3, then the game would display K A Q because the 9, Scatter and J would be covered. and after a reaction the 10 would drop in
Maybe this is why the scatters are as rare as they are. because with some 'ways' and stop positions, the scatters just aren't there.
It would also explain how you can get a scatter with a symbol above, and when that symbol is removed by a reaction another scatter can drop in. But the game can never have scatter-symbol-scatter landing on the initial spin
 
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I have two theories. Although both rely on fixed reel bands.

1. Each reel has 5/6 separate reel bands, for 2 ways, 3ways, 4ways, 5ways, 6ways and in the case of reels 1 and 6, 7ways.
So it's then just a case of the RNG choosing a reel band and stop position per reel

2. There is only one reel band per reel, based on the Max megaways, ie 117,649 ways.
The RNG picks reel stop position, and the number of ways (2 to 6/7)
and either ...

A. the symbols expand, meaning the number of symbols remain the same, but the actual length (in stop positions) of the reel bands changes.
so if a reel band section had the symbols 10 - 9 - K - Scatter - A - J - Q , the stop position was K and the number of ways = 3, then the game would display K Scatter A and after a reaction, the 9 would drop in

or

B. the symbols expand from the reel stop position covering some of the symbols, meaning the number of symbols changes. But the actual length (in stop positions) of the reel bands stays the same.
so if a reel band section had the symbols 10 - 9 - K - Scatter - A - J - Q , the stop position was K and the number of ways = 3, then the game would display K A Q because the 9, Scatter and J would be covered. and after a reaction the 10 would drop in
Maybe this is why the scatters are as rare as they are. because with some 'ways' and stop positions, the scatters just aren't there.
It would also explain how you can get a scatter with a symbol above, and when that symbol is removed by a reaction another scatter can drop in. But the game can never have scatter-symbol-scatter landing on the initial spin

Your missing another option, that after the initial reels stop cascades are re picked from any position of the reel again and not from what landed just above the first time. It could even use another random set for each cascade too, loads of ways to do it. This way also explains how you can drop another scatter on same reel on top of another as you say cant happen if its cascading from its current position :)
 
you can drop another scatter on same reel on top of another as you say cant happen if its cascading from its current position :)

This and the stacked symbols are the biggest clues that they aren't fixed reel strips. Take Bonanza for example...imagine the size of the strips with all the (fairly rare) stacked symbols that sometimes appear on each reel.

I think you guys make it too complicated. If you know how Jammin Jars works...this would be the same thing except that instead of having thousands of predetermined outcomes and picking one for each spin, the game would just make them out of the blue to match the RNG results.

If the RNG says 15x win on that spin then the game will "make" a 15x win. There are hundreds of ways to win 15x on Bonanza.
 
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This and the stacked symbols are the biggest clues that they aren't fixed reel strips. Take Bonanza for example...imagine the size of the strips with all the (fairly rare) stacked symbols that sometimes appear on each reel.

I think you guys make it too complicated. If you know how Jammin Jars works...this would be the same thing except that instead of having thousands of predetermined outcomes and picking one for each spin, the game would just make them out of the blue to match the RNG results.

If the RNG says 15x win on that spin then the game will "make" a 15x win. There are hundreds of ways to win 15x on Bonanza.
That would be way too complicated to do, from a programming point of view.
Plus, what about wins of 15.1x and 15.2x which may be possible. But maybe 15.7x or15.9x wins aren't possible and then there are all the other permutations 1.x 2.x ...... 99.x ......, and what about the zero paying spins? How would they be derived from an RNG? if that RNG produced numbers between 0.0 and 1000.9?
 
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