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The Pinball Arcade |OT| play them all from Soho to Brighton

Shaneus

Member
And this is why they should be bought out, so they can have the money to increase their headcount and work more efficiently.
But if they're bought out, they're just another developer that can be cut to reduce costs to the publisher. We all saw what happened to Bizarre.

I'd rather they stayed independent.
 

twinturbo2

butthurt Heat fan
But if they're bought out, they're just another developer that can be cut to reduce costs to the publisher. We all saw what happened to Bizarre.

I'd rather they stayed independent.

If they're going to stay independent, then they still need to increase their headcount somehow...
 

FyreWulff

Member
There can't possibly be just one guy working full time on the PC port.

I guess we'll know once the UI for the PC version is shown.

Call of Duty 3 was ported by two guys to the Wii.

Port teams can be fairly small since all you're doing is trying to get the game running elsewhere.
 
I think there's a case to argue that the PC is their most important platform. It's where the speed of updates are under the most control and where they stand to produce the highest-quality product. I recognize they're a small company but the 'one guy' message makes me worry about how seriously they're taking the port I've wanted for over a year now. I hope I'm wrong. I hope one developer is also getting support from three qa guys, one marketer and two technical artists, because I'm ready to spend $60 to $100 on this when it arrives on Steam.
 
I'm on the fence about the PC version. I know it'll be the "best" version, but the Android version is the only mobile game I play. Its what I play on the shitter, in bed at night, at a friends house when we're just drinking beers and watching the Blackhawks game. Don't know if I can switch over, rebuy tables, lose my leaderboard scores and Goal progress.
 

Shaneus

Member
I think there's a case to argue that the PC is their most important platform. It's where the speed of updates are under the most control and where they stand to produce the highest-quality product. I recognize they're a small company but the 'one guy' message makes me worry about how seriously they're taking the port I've wanted for over a year now. I hope I'm wrong. I hope one developer is also getting support from three qa guys, one marketer and two technical artists, because I'm ready to spend $60 to $100 on this when it arrives on Steam.
I don't really have any doubts, mostly because everything is essentially built on PC in the first place, I think... just means there's no porting to different hardware platforms first.

But the one thing I'm hopeful for more than anything, is that people will be able to break the files open and have a tinker with things like physics settings and such, things that Farsight might not have ever intended people to do. Hopefully the game is loaded with .ini files that are ripe for the tweaking. Perhaps even include some checksum thing so that they allow people to tweak them, but once they've been modified they disable leaderboards or something.

I'm super, super excited for it and will 100% re-buy everything once it comes out. We shouldn't have lag like with the PS3 version either. I think this'll be the definitive one to get, aside from the 360 version.
 

Malajax

Member
This has become more or less a catch all thread for all things pinball, so here are my first impressions of the Wizard of Oz table by Jersey Jack Pinball:

It's incredibly disappointing! In previews of the table, the creators were proud that they threw all of these ideas into a massive table that they hope will attract the younger crowd again, but will also please the hardcore pinball player. Unfortunately, after playing it for about 30 min, I felt like this philosophy was a detriment. It wasn't clear which shots to aim for, or what modes there were, or how to achieve the ultimate goal. It's a very colorful and detailed table, but there's definitely too much going on. Worse, the table is brutal. It's just too exclusive.

I was really hoping that Jersey Jack would be the ones to push pinball forward, but they're still targeting the same aging demographic.
 

Shaneus

Member
I'd fellate everyone at FarSight twice over if they got The Getaway: High Speed II in there.

http://youtu.be/UT4WouknHsQ
Steve motherfuckin' Ritchie :D

This has become more or less a catch all thread for all things pinball, so here are my first impressions of the Wizard of Oz table by Jersey Jack Pinball:

It's incredibly disappointing! In previews of the table, the creators were proud that they threw all of these ideas into a massive table that they hope will attract the younger crowd again, but will also please the hardcore pinball player. Unfortunately, after playing it for about 30 min, I felt like this philosophy was a detriment. It wasn't clear which shots to aim for, or what modes there were, or how to achieve the ultimate goal. It's a very colorful and detailed table, but there's definitely too much going on. Worse, the table is brutal. It's just too exclusive.

I was really hoping that Jersey Jack would be the ones to push pinball forward, but they're still targeting the same aging demographic.
Thanks for the impressions! I can't say I'm surprised though, it definitely seemed like they were trying to put too much into it and blew their load all over the playfield.

As far as upcoming ones go, I think the one with the most promise is Heighway Pinball's Full Throttle. Has a good enough layout and actually does something interesting with the display... put's it on the table itself so you don't need to look up! It's something I've been bitching about for ages as the main reason I prefer alpha-numerics in that you don't need to shift your focus from the playfield.

Hope it does well, because all Oz seemed to do was just replace the DMD with an LCD in the same spot. Sure, that works for attracting people, but for players it's pretty much completely useless.

Thinking about it, the Full Throttle method is probably closest to what Williams attempted with P2K. Except, you know... more likely to succeed.



PS. Something I found that is actually 100% relevant to this thread: PAPA Whitewater tutorial video :)
 

Askani

Member
Didn't search the thread really because I'm on my phone, so pardon me if its been asked/answered.

Are there problems with restoring purchases? I reinstalled the game a while ago and now none of my purchased tables are showing. When I try to play a table I know I've bought, it asks me if I would like to restore purchases, I enter my Apple password, but only it only gives me the free version.

EDIT :::::

Nevermind. I'm just a moron. Cheers.
 

Malajax

Member
Steve motherfuckin' Ritchie :D


Thanks for the impressions! I can't say I'm surprised though, it definitely seemed like they were trying to put too much into it and blew their load all over the playfield.

As far as upcoming ones go, I think the one with the most promise is Heighway Pinball's Full Throttle. Has a good enough layout and actually does something interesting with the display... put's it on the table itself so you don't need to look up! It's something I've been bitching about for ages as the main reason I prefer alpha-numerics in that you don't need to shift your focus from the playfield.

Hope it does well, because all Oz seemed to do was just replace the DMD with an LCD in the same spot. Sure, that works for attracting people, but for players it's pretty much completely useless.

Thinking about it, the Full Throttle method is probably closest to what Williams attempted with P2K. Except, you know... more likely to succeed.



PS. Something I found that is actually 100% relevant to this thread: PAPA Whitewater tutorial video :)

That table looks really good! Is it an original table as well? That's insane. Hopefully our arcade gets it. The owner seems to be a pinball nut and gets all the latest machines.

On another note, I'm pretty behind on my Pinball Arcade purchases. I've missed out on the last 2 table packs. Will be correcting that soon.
 

Shaneus

Member
That table looks really good! Is it an original table as well? That's insane. Hopefully our arcade gets it. The owner seems to be a pinball nut and gets all the latest machines.
Completely original. I'll find you the video where he talks about the gadgets as well, because they actually sound really good and not just gimmicky and stupid:
here

Honestly, I'm really excited about it... only because the layout is more of a throwback to Mark Ritchie's designs, particularly Fish Tales and Taxi with the crossover, along with a lack of complexity that came with some of the earlier alpha-numeric tables.

Looks damn fast and damn fun. I think they need to work on the plastic ramps (ideally I'd prefer to see traditional rails) but it looks mostly ready to go. Hope someone local here gets one too, and with the tech involved it looks like it might not be all that expensive either (compared to Stern tables and especially Oz).

Edit: I just realised it's the motorcycle wheels that are the spinning bumpers he's referring to. I can't believe how well that actually works into the playfield art, because it's not an obvious thing until you actually activate them (similar to MM's trolls). Impressed as hell.
 

Dash Kappei

Not actually that important
Fuckin' hell I've got 6000 MS points on the ready, move the hell along FS! I'm afraid I might spend 'en before the time comes :(
 
Centuar is probably the fastest I've ever gotten all the Wizard Goals. Played about two hours of the table, and one game I had a really good ball and unlocked all five Wizard Goals. Which is good because I'm not really sure I like that table.
 

Shaneus

Member
Fuckin' hell I've got 6000 MS points on the ready, move the hell along FS! I'm afraid I might spend 'en before the time comes :(
$5 MSP deal? Yeah, I had a stack too. Hopefully once all the legal stuff is cleared MS will rush the DLC through.

Centuar is probably the fastest I've ever gotten all the Wizard Goals. Played about two hours of the table, and one game I had a really good ball and unlocked all five Wizard Goals. Which is good because I'm not really sure I like that table.
See, I really like it but I'm not a fan of how some of the things can only be achieved by hitting the drop targets in order. IMO that slows down what is generally a pretty fast table.
Love the echo effect, though. Genuinely creeps me right out.

Edit: I don't think I have all wizard goals? I know at one stage I had BoP, but I think they got lost either during an iOS upgrade or during a Farsight stuff-up and I can't bring myself to put significant time into it since.
 

Minsc

Gold Member
A little update from PAF on the Steam release and general sales news.

Re: Console vs mobiles sales (we all sorta knew this already), and PC sales potential being very much unknown:

While I agree that the PC could be one of our largest markets, the business side is unsure what the sales will be. They do know the sales of Mobile version do way better console and mac. So since it's an unknown it's a lesser priority than getting tables out every month. We also haven't shipped a PC game in quite a few years, and the last one we did, I don't remember it selling all that well. But in all fairness it wasn't a pinball game =D

However, I'm working hard on steam so it's definitely coming. Just don't know what date exactly yet.

Re: Steam SDK update / progress:

I'm wasn't blocked by management decisions, I was blocked by information Valve gave me that seemed contradictory to how we wanted to do things. It seems they misunderstood us (terminology issue of In App Purchase vs DLC), and it's been clarified so now I can move ahead. So far they've been very helpful and easy to work with.

I'm not 100% sure if we are doing just tales as a single table, free or paid, or a 4 table pack to start. And I don't want to promise anything that may change.

We do however plan to allow the user to demo every table. I got clarification on that as well.

They also say they plan on offering both season passes from the launch for the Steam version. Let's hope when it releases the actual sales aren't low enough that they continue to see PC as something to ignore! :)

Also in random pinball related news, that Pro Pinball app that shows off their lighting tech with pre-rendered tables got an update with better lighting implementation, and it really is something else. Looks great to me, can't wait for them to release actual tables with it incorporated.
 

Shaneus

Member
Also in random pinball related news, that Pro Pinball app that shows off their lighting tech with pre-rendered tables got an update with better lighting implementation, and it really is something else. Looks great to me, can't wait for them to release actual tables with it incorporated.
Great info, thanks (for all, not just what I quoted above). How hard is it to find that app... is it a mobile thing or just for PC?

Get it on GOG and I'll buy everything.
No dice. Part of their license agreement with the manufacturers is that there's some kind of copy protection covering the tables.
 

Minsc

Gold Member
Great info, thanks (for all, not just what I quoted above). How hard is it to find that app... is it a mobile thing or just for PC?

First result for pro pinball itunes google, but it was a bit trickier to find searching through the app store. Here's the link if it helps. There was a PC version too that they distributed during the last kickstarter, but I'm not sure that was updated along with the iOS version, which was updated May 31st.
 

Shaneus

Member
Ah, I just wasn't sure if by "app" you meant iOS or just a generic PC application they'd released. All good!

Don't know if this is new or not, but just noticed this on their app store blurb:
Please note this only demonstrates our new lighting engine, it is NOT a playable game. A Kickstarter campaign for the fully playable Pro Pinball: Timeshock! - The ULTRA Edition will be launching early July 2013.
Would they really need a KS for something that it already looks like they've almost completely nutted out? Not sure how I feel about that.
 
$5 MSP deal? Yeah, I had a stack too. Hopefully once all the legal stuff is cleared MS will rush the DLC through.


See, I really like it but I'm not a fan of how some of the things can only be achieved by hitting the drop targets in order. IMO that slows down what is generally a pretty fast table.
Love the echo effect, though. Genuinely creeps me right out.

Edit: I don't think I have all wizard goals? I know at one stage I had BoP, but I think they got lost either during an iOS upgrade or during a Farsight stuff-up and I can't bring myself to put significant time into it since.

I think my problem with Centaur is that I can picture a 8 year old ThreePi hanging out in a bowling alley arcade and that machine just scaring the crap out of me. The art, the voices, the dude that is part dude part motorcycle, creeps me the hell out. Hitting the drop targets in order wasn't all that difficult actually, they're nice big targets and pretty easy to hit with either flipper if you're catching the ball.

On a different note, anyone know where I can download pinball sound effects? I normally keep my phone on vibrate, but I kind of want the PinBot jingle as my ring tone.
 

Shaneus

Member
I think my problem with Centaur is that I can picture a 8 year old ThreePi hanging out in a bowling alley arcade and that machine just scaring the crap out of me. The art, the voices, the dude that is part dude part motorcycle, creeps me the hell out. Hitting the drop targets in order wasn't all that difficult actually, they're nice big targets and pretty easy to hit with either flipper if you're catching the ball.
I feel you on that. I think I've harped on about it a bit, but it is genuinely the creepiest pinball I've ever come across... taking over from BoP by a significant margin.

On a different note, anyone know where I can download pinball sound effects? I normally keep my phone on vibrate, but I kind of want the PinBot jingle as my ring tone.
I have a feeling your best bet might be to get a hold of the ROMs and an emulator to emulate the machine. I know VPinMAME will emulate said ROMs and let you download a skin to play it, but all you need to do is find something that will emulate it to the point where you can access some kind of sound test. I think it will allow that. Then get yourself an audio capture driver that outputs to WAV rather than your sound card.

Might not work... but worth a shot!
 
So for anyone who loves to play *ahem* actual pinball, the launch of Metallica pinball by Stern is going to be happening in many different locations over the next few weeks. In Boulder, Co. it will be at Press Play on Saturday afternoon (5-6pm) Check for locations near you!
 

Shaneus

Member
So for anyone who loves to play *ahem* actual pinball, the launch of Metallica pinball by Stern is going to be happening in many different locations over the next few weeks. In Boulder, Co. it will be at Press Play on Saturday afternoon (5-6pm) Check for locations near you!
I'm not 100% sold on it, but it looks a lot better than I thought it would be. Still don't think that Metallica fits as well for a theme than, say, AC/DC... much more of a niche audience. Everyone knows a few AC/DC tracks, but I think you'd struggle to find someone post-middle age that could roll off a few Metallica tracks. And they're not exactly riding a wave of popularity at the moment either (whereas AC/DC were just coming off ANOTHER tour, which I saw in Melbourne and fucking LOVED).

I'm just bitter that I haven't seen a Futurama table yet. I think it'd be an awesome goddamn theme for a machine :( I should just work out how to program/design one on PC in Future Pinball and go from there.
 
I'm not 100% sold on it, but it looks a lot better than I thought it would be. Still don't think that Metallica fits as well for a theme than, say, AC/DC... much more of a niche audience. Everyone knows a few AC/DC tracks, but I think you'd struggle to find someone post-middle age that could roll off a few Metallica tracks. And they're not exactly riding a wave of popularity at the moment either (whereas AC/DC were just coming off ANOTHER tour, which I saw in Melbourne and fucking LOVED).

I'm just bitter that I haven't seen a Futurama table yet. I think it'd be an awesome goddamn theme for a machine :( I should just work out how to program/design one on PC in Future Pinball and go from there.

All I've really heard is that it's a good playable game and I really need to know the mechanics more. I think it's clear it would not exist without ACDC being GREAT (I think it's my favorite machine, possibly all time)
 

joeblow

Member
*** Heads up to all PS3/Vita players who visit this thread. ***

This Sunday night I will check my PM box and anyone who wants to be in my random drawing will be entered for any of the two prizes they sign up for (extra codes I got from Farsight's kickstarter campaign):

- A PS3/Vita copy of the Twilight Zone table
- A PS3/Vita Twilight Zone ball skin

You can sign up for either one or both, but as soon as I pick one random winner, someone else random will get the other one. Oh, if you already have one or both, please do the right thing. ;)

Good luck!
 

twinturbo2

butthurt Heat fan
Finally got that blasted 5X multiplier in Firepower. Now all I need is a score of 550K.

God, table packs 13 and 14 can't hit PSN fast enough. I need more tables and challenges.
 
Whew, that took a long time. It was a double elimination tournament all on Metallica Pinball.

First, After finally playing it, it seems like a good game. Right now it feels a bit 'one shot' but they will work with the code. Pretty much everyone kept shooing only at the electric chair for Multiball and whomever got more out of it won. It doesn't seem like there are really 'modes' per say but there are lots of different ways to get points and I took advantage of most of them. I lost the first game, then won 7 straight to get to the final match. I had to win twice to beat the champ; I won the first then kind of died on the second game. So I got second, didn't win the cool trophy or the translight but it was lots of fun and I'll get 6-7 ranking points out of it. I should JUST barley break into the top 250 in the world now but you have to win so much to go higher I don't know how I will do. As I said there are just too many great players in Colorado for me to win consistently.

Will you see one of these pins around, give it a shot.
 

Shaneus

Member
You're a tournament player? Had no idea! Who was the guy that ended up winning... anyone famous?

Shame there aren't any modes in it... even if they're basic, as long as they aren't too one-sided then they add a bit of depth to the gameplay. Glad to hear it's not a terrible table, too.

Can you compare it to AC/DC at all? Even though they're designed by different people, it'd be interesting to hear if there's anything that one does better than the other.

PS. I wish Stern would get rid of those red DMDs. For some reason they bug the hell out of me.
 
You're a tournament player? Had no idea! Who was the guy that ended up winning... anyone famous?

Shame there aren't any modes in it... even if they're basic, as long as they aren't too one-sided then they add a bit of depth to the gameplay. Glad to hear it's not a terrible table, too.

Can you compare it to AC/DC at all? Even though they're designed by different people, it'd be interesting to hear if there's anything that one does better than the other.

PS. I wish Stern would get rid of those red DMDs. For some reason they bug the hell out of me.

His name is Dan Gutchess. He's a top 200 player. He owns all of the pinball machines at the 1up and 2up and fixes them

I did, finally beat Donovan Stepp who is a pretty famous player. I've been playing against him for a year and a half but never beat him.

We has a PAPA tour event in Lyons colorado recently. Keith Elwin and both of the Sharp bothers were there. I qualified very high but didn't make it far in the Tourney.

I did beat Trent Augustein not that long ago at one of the monthly tournaments. That was by far my biggest win.

I got 3rd place overall at the Rocky Mountain showdown. It was ahead of lots of top players but I didn't have to beat them head to head to do it.


It's hard to compare to ACDC. Right now I don't even know what picking a different song does. In ACDC those songs are the core of the game. I feels more link Medieval Madness or Attack from Mars. Not really in the idea of stacking the same shot over and over to advance but in the design. Depending on what is lit, the same shots will advance the multiballs or start a specific kind of scoring.
 

Shaneus

Member
I'm sure I made a post in here about the upcoming PAPA TV show and an email sent out from their Kickstarter, but it's not here. Does anyone else remember seeing it at all?!?
 

Remy

Member
Wait, no one pasted the Table Pack 15 news? Really?

We are thrilled to reveal that Pinball Arcade’s Table Pack 15 will be available to you, later this month, for mobile devices, worldwide!

Table Pack 15 includes Champion Pub™ and Whirlwind™.

Champion Pub™ (1998): "I'm O'Brien, and these are me knuckles!" Here is Champion Pub - an exciting, diverse table which features a punching bag rotating 180 degrees, revealing a furious boxer who’s ready to rumble and you’ll be prepared with ramps leading you to body-blowing punches and whacking the boxer directly in the face. There’s a mini-playfield where the ball is launched at a speed bag where you can use the flippers as your own plastic fists! There’s even a jump rope where players jump the rope using a button controlled switch. 1,369 units of this table were produced.

Whirlwind™ (1990): This Williams machine, a Pat Lawlor table, the designer of such classics as the Addam’s Family and Twilight Zone, delivers yet another great pinball table. You’re engulfed in a storm chaser’s fantasy. Feel the Power of the Wind! Whirlwind blows wind in your face with a special fan once the storms begins… spinning disks, cellar holes and drop targets adding additional features to challenge you. 7,300 units of this table were produced.
 

Malajax

Member
Wait, no one pasted the Table Pack 15 news? Really?

Super pumped about this one! Championship Pub is a favorite of mine when I go to the arcade. The one on display is in pristine condition as well. Didn't think that Pinball Arcade was advanced enough to do something like Championship Pub. It does a lot of off the table maneuvers that I didn't think were possible in the Pinball Arcade engine. I'm still skeptical, but I'd really like to be proven wrong! Excellent table and I hope it's done justice.
 

twinturbo2

butthurt Heat fan
I don't know if releasing Whirlwind so close after the Oklahoma tornado disaster is such a good idea. I'll take it, though, but I need to know when table packs 13 and 14 hit PSN. Hopefully soon.
 

joeblow

Member
A gentle reminder for all PS3 / Vita players that the random drawings for a free copy of the Twilight Zone table and ball (one for each) will be tonight at around 8:00 PM PST. Make sure to PM me if you are interested, and let me know if you entering for one or both drawings.
 

meppi

Member
Any idea if we'll be seeing a preview of the next gen versions in the upcoming days?

I was going to buy all the 360 ones, but we know how that turned out.
Then I was going to buy the season pack for the PS3 version but it was delayed in Europe and I have read in the meanwhile that the PS3 version suffers from quite a few bugs.

So I thought I might just wait and get the improved PS4 version when it comes out. Hopefully at the end of the year.
 

twinturbo2

butthurt Heat fan
FarSight says they have space at the Sony booth at E3, and that they're going to show off the PS4 version with the new lighting.
 

Minsc

Gold Member
They posted a couple pics of The Champion Pub a few days ago too (360 version I think), here they are!

eyOmXio.jpg


fndQk40.jpg


Nothing from Whirlwind yet.
 

Shaneus

Member
So I was chattering to my mate last night (the one who owns a metric fuck-tonne of machines) and it turns out that not only does he own a Centaur, apparently it's in near-perfect condition.

I can't believe that bastard was holding out on me*.




*I know he wasn't, I was just really blown away to hear that he actually has one. Lucky bastard. Is one of his favourites, too.
 

joeblow

Member
Thanks to everyone who participated in the PS3/Vita Twilight Zone give-a-way contest. Here are the winners:

Twilight Zone Table: sladeums
Twilight Zone Ball: plagiarize

Check your PM box for the codes. If Farsight sends any more extra codes in the future (I plan to support the Terminator 2 kickstarter), I'll have another contest.
 
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