Extreme Pool

General Questions

What is Extreme Pool?

A pool game that runs in your browser at pool.ramkprasanna.com, with an iPhone version on the way. The physics is the real thing: balls slide, then roll, side spin changes how they come off a cushion, and follow and draw do what they do on a real table. The rules are not the real thing. Points instead of solids and stripes, tables that are not rectangles, and pockets that hand out abilities.

Why does it ask for a passcode?

It is an early preview that I am sharing with a few people. If you want in, ask me for the code. Once you enter it, the browser remembers it.

Is it free?

Yes. Nothing to buy.

What do I need to play?

Any modern browser on a phone, tablet or computer. On a phone the table turns to fill the screen.

Playing

How do I aim and shoot?

Drag anywhere on the table to turn the cue around the cue ball. A dotted line shows where the cue ball goes, a ghost ball shows where it meets the first ball, and a short blue line shows where that ball is headed. Pull the power slider on the right down and let go to shoot.

How do I put spin on the cue ball?

Tap or drag on the small cue ball at the bottom left. Left and right put side spin on the ball, which shows up when it hits a cushion. Up is follow, down is draw.

How is it scored?

Every ball is worth its number, so the 15 is worth 15 and the 1 is worth 1. Then multipliers:

• Call the pocket by tapping it before you shoot: ×2 if the ball drops there, half if it drops somewhere else.
• Combo: pot a ball that the cue ball did not hit directly, ×2 for a two-ball chain, ×3 for three.
• Bank: +½ for every cushion the potted ball touched.
• Kick: +½ for every cushion the cue ball touched before it hit anything.
• Two balls in one shot is +5, three or more is +10.

A scratch costs 10 points and the turn, and your opponent gets ball in hand. Missing everything costs 5. You keep shooting as long as you pot a ball. When the last ball drops, the highest score wins.

What is the gold pocket?

The power pocket. Sink any ball there on a legal shot and you draw an ability card: Double Down, Big Pockets, Super Cushions, X-Ray Aim, Ball in Hand, Heavy Cue or Shield. The ball with the gold ring is the power ball; sink that one in the gold pocket and you get two cards and 20 extra points. The gold pocket moves after it pays out.

What are the tables?

Classic (the one you know), Hive (a hexagon with a pocket in the middle), Arena (round, four pockets and a drain in the centre), Corner Office (an L-shape), Wedge (a triangle) and Island (a bumper in the middle with its own pockets).

Can I play against the computer?

Yes. Pick vs Bot and a level. The bot reads the table and simulates its shots with the same physics you play with, so Ace is hard to beat.

Can I play with friends?

Pass & Play takes two to four people on one screen. Online rooms with a code are built and will switch on once accounts are live.

Troubleshooting

The table is blank or loads slowly

The renderer downloads an 8 MB graphics engine the first time. Give it a few seconds on a slow connection; after that it is cached.

I forgot the passcode

Email me.

Contact & Support

Please contact ramkprasanna@gmail.com with feedback, bug reports, or feature requests.