Some folks seem to feel that the future of VP is in original table creation. I tend to agree, up to a point, but feel that our future might not be very rosy, for several reasons. Too many developers seem to make the same basic table over every time they release a new work. What I mean by that is that not every single table must have multiple ramps and more flippers than fingers on a hand. There should be more to a pinball game than ramp combos and loud, intrusive, blaring music, much more. I have made a number of originals, and each one has been unique, in its own way. Maybe the fact I work mostly with partners is a factor in that, I'm not sure. Or maybe it's simply that the majority of new authors are of a fairly young age, it seems, so all they know are mid-90s tables and later. If your pinball experience is quite limited, maybe then your creativity will be limited also.
Being in my mid-to-late 50s, I have experienced every era of pinball first hand, except for the very latest tables, which I honestly have little interest in. I've played commercial coin-ops, Bagatelle, EMs, and solid state, as well as the earlier arcade inspired super high scoring tables that have been recreated in VPM. Other than the ramp-heavy newest games, my least favorite are by far solid state tables, with their blipping and bleeping, and their all too often garish lighting. I see a lot less skill needed to play these newer games than the EMs and earlier offerings. All that's really needed to be good at modern games, at least as far as I can see, is very good timing. How much skill is involved in making the exact same ramp shot twenty times in a row?
Now, some originals are extremely well done, by both experienced and new authors, young and more mature. And I believe that we all can help every new, less experienced author do the best work that they can, if only we will stop doing what I'll call Glad Handing. From a reading of the forums, any forums, one would be lead to believe that every single original WIP is a masterpiece, but we all know better. I realize that Glad Handers are simply trying to be supportive and encouraging, but I feel we'll help authors much more by being honest. Not blunt, just honest. The word criticism has somehow gotten a bad reputation, but all criticism is is voicing your honest, sincere opinion when asked. Or I should say that Constructive criticism is what I just explained. Destructive criticism is hurtful, mean-spirited, and spiteful, and I can say that I've seen very little of that. But Glad Handing isn't much better, if you think about it, since you're telling someone who has asked your honest opinion that their work is wonderful when it simply isn't the case.
Sure, I'm not the final work on quality, but the majority of authors, and not only more experienced authors, have said the same as I will now say, and have said many times before. Quality takes time, weeks and often months, all according to how much time an author has to work on his project, and how many projects they are juggling. As an example, I've been an author about a year, although I began working on my first project, which eventually became my Bronco Buster pair, one flippered, and one without flippers, in the earliest part of 2002. I usually work with a partner, since I'm not a coding whiz. I handle design, layout, tweaking, testing, and writing full documentation, so I might know what I'm talking about. I've also been involved in recreations, with two such releases, and several such WIP. And my Reactions Bagatelle original, which was released a month or so ago as I write this, was a solo effort, although I asked for and received some coding help from several good friends. So while you might not agree with my opinions I'll be voicing, they are valid, and they are shared at lest in part by any number of my fellow authors. And I'm not trying to insult or ridicule any forum members, simply hoping to point out the error of our ways as a community.
There are a lot of replies in WIP threads that really say nothing, the Glad Handing I'm talking about. Here are a few fictional examples of Glad Handing, and yes, I've done it myself, but only when I meant it. "Wow, that's great. How soon will it be out". Hey, I like it. Cool". Once in a while that might in fact be an honest reply, but if the vast majority of your replies are along those lines, you are a Glad Hander of the worst kind. Now if that Glad Handing is directed at me, or another experienced author, or especially one of the top developers, we'll be able to spot it as so much Glad Handing, or a nice friendly post. But if those sort of empty comments are posted to a newbies 1st WIP, he or she isn't being treated very fairly at all. Time and again, I'll see a new author post their first ever SS, and the image shown will be of a hideous looking, poorly designed mess pretending to be a table. I know your intentions are good and kind, but they also might mess with a new author's sense of not only his or her ability, but also their sense of what quality VP work should look and feel like, And it really sad if that new author, realizing they need some guidance and advice, asked for honest opinions, but still gets mostly Glad Handing.
Now, I'm not knocking anyone, I can truly say that with only one exception, I like every member I've gotten to know, some more than others of course, but the VP community is very important and meaningful to me. And I won't talk against or about any authors, since I try my best to be nonjudgmental, and because I'm surely not the final authority. No one is, although there are some among us who try to give the impression that they think that they are. And yes, there are some very good first time tables released, and some newer authors who are going excellent work and improving with each release. But let's be honest, there are a lot of tables that are a waste of time to download, only to delete them, often after only one or two balls of the first game. And if you're honest you'll agree I'm right.
Now, we can wait and hope they improve after a few tables. Or, like we do when they ask for scripting help, we can offer the help they ask for, so they might improve sooner. They wouldn't ask if they didn't want advice and suggestions. And a few of us will make a suggestion or two, but when another twenty folks all post something that sounds like cheerleading, how is the new author know who to believe. If they read, Why not consider moving those target an inch to the left and maybe add a kickout hole next to that third bumper? mixed in with a dozen Wow, that is beautiful, how soon? and I love it, real nice!, what are they going to notice? Being human, and also being new to VP, they'll notice the empty praise. If for no other reason than that being easier than moving a target bank and adding a kicker hole.
And you might be thinking to yourself, Hey tiltjlp, what give you the right to rip us like that? Well, first off, I'm not ripping anyone, just giving my opinion of how we can better help new authors. But if I do need the right, I usually always offer advice and suggestions whenever I see the chance to do so. And while it's not always used, it's quite often appreciated. I've had any number of new and experienced authors thank me both privately and publicly for my comment. And one author was so appreciative of my continuing helpfulness, he dedicated his first Flipperless table to me. And several other authors, after playing my fully commented Reactions Bagatelle have begun working on an original Bagatelle of their own. That's not because my work is the best there is, because I assure you it isn't. But it is because I always do the best work I can, ands because I actively try to help anyone and everyone I can.
Surely layout and design are at least as important as scripting, and maybe more important. A good script is only as good as the table design and layout is, because they influence playability. So I urge all of you, take a close look at yourself and your posts, and see if you could be more helpful. Let's all make an effort to make our replies a little less automatic. Rather than being a Glad Hander and pushing up your post count with meaningless cheerleading, put a little thought into your comments. Offer honest and sincere compliments when you can, but also, when it’s requested, and if possible, provide some useful and constructive, and yes, helpful criticism. We'll all be better off for having lent a helping hand.
tiltjlp
Updated Jul 24, 2004 Written by tiltjlp
Being in my mid-to-late 50s, I have experienced every era of pinball first hand, except for the very latest tables, which I honestly have little interest in. I've played commercial coin-ops, Bagatelle, EMs, and solid state, as well as the earlier arcade inspired super high scoring tables that have been recreated in VPM. Other than the ramp-heavy newest games, my least favorite are by far solid state tables, with their blipping and bleeping, and their all too often garish lighting. I see a lot less skill needed to play these newer games than the EMs and earlier offerings. All that's really needed to be good at modern games, at least as far as I can see, is very good timing. How much skill is involved in making the exact same ramp shot twenty times in a row?
Now, some originals are extremely well done, by both experienced and new authors, young and more mature. And I believe that we all can help every new, less experienced author do the best work that they can, if only we will stop doing what I'll call Glad Handing. From a reading of the forums, any forums, one would be lead to believe that every single original WIP is a masterpiece, but we all know better. I realize that Glad Handers are simply trying to be supportive and encouraging, but I feel we'll help authors much more by being honest. Not blunt, just honest. The word criticism has somehow gotten a bad reputation, but all criticism is is voicing your honest, sincere opinion when asked. Or I should say that Constructive criticism is what I just explained. Destructive criticism is hurtful, mean-spirited, and spiteful, and I can say that I've seen very little of that. But Glad Handing isn't much better, if you think about it, since you're telling someone who has asked your honest opinion that their work is wonderful when it simply isn't the case.
Sure, I'm not the final work on quality, but the majority of authors, and not only more experienced authors, have said the same as I will now say, and have said many times before. Quality takes time, weeks and often months, all according to how much time an author has to work on his project, and how many projects they are juggling. As an example, I've been an author about a year, although I began working on my first project, which eventually became my Bronco Buster pair, one flippered, and one without flippers, in the earliest part of 2002. I usually work with a partner, since I'm not a coding whiz. I handle design, layout, tweaking, testing, and writing full documentation, so I might know what I'm talking about. I've also been involved in recreations, with two such releases, and several such WIP. And my Reactions Bagatelle original, which was released a month or so ago as I write this, was a solo effort, although I asked for and received some coding help from several good friends. So while you might not agree with my opinions I'll be voicing, they are valid, and they are shared at lest in part by any number of my fellow authors. And I'm not trying to insult or ridicule any forum members, simply hoping to point out the error of our ways as a community.
There are a lot of replies in WIP threads that really say nothing, the Glad Handing I'm talking about. Here are a few fictional examples of Glad Handing, and yes, I've done it myself, but only when I meant it. "Wow, that's great. How soon will it be out". Hey, I like it. Cool". Once in a while that might in fact be an honest reply, but if the vast majority of your replies are along those lines, you are a Glad Hander of the worst kind. Now if that Glad Handing is directed at me, or another experienced author, or especially one of the top developers, we'll be able to spot it as so much Glad Handing, or a nice friendly post. But if those sort of empty comments are posted to a newbies 1st WIP, he or she isn't being treated very fairly at all. Time and again, I'll see a new author post their first ever SS, and the image shown will be of a hideous looking, poorly designed mess pretending to be a table. I know your intentions are good and kind, but they also might mess with a new author's sense of not only his or her ability, but also their sense of what quality VP work should look and feel like, And it really sad if that new author, realizing they need some guidance and advice, asked for honest opinions, but still gets mostly Glad Handing.
Now, I'm not knocking anyone, I can truly say that with only one exception, I like every member I've gotten to know, some more than others of course, but the VP community is very important and meaningful to me. And I won't talk against or about any authors, since I try my best to be nonjudgmental, and because I'm surely not the final authority. No one is, although there are some among us who try to give the impression that they think that they are. And yes, there are some very good first time tables released, and some newer authors who are going excellent work and improving with each release. But let's be honest, there are a lot of tables that are a waste of time to download, only to delete them, often after only one or two balls of the first game. And if you're honest you'll agree I'm right.
Now, we can wait and hope they improve after a few tables. Or, like we do when they ask for scripting help, we can offer the help they ask for, so they might improve sooner. They wouldn't ask if they didn't want advice and suggestions. And a few of us will make a suggestion or two, but when another twenty folks all post something that sounds like cheerleading, how is the new author know who to believe. If they read, Why not consider moving those target an inch to the left and maybe add a kickout hole next to that third bumper? mixed in with a dozen Wow, that is beautiful, how soon? and I love it, real nice!, what are they going to notice? Being human, and also being new to VP, they'll notice the empty praise. If for no other reason than that being easier than moving a target bank and adding a kicker hole.
And you might be thinking to yourself, Hey tiltjlp, what give you the right to rip us like that? Well, first off, I'm not ripping anyone, just giving my opinion of how we can better help new authors. But if I do need the right, I usually always offer advice and suggestions whenever I see the chance to do so. And while it's not always used, it's quite often appreciated. I've had any number of new and experienced authors thank me both privately and publicly for my comment. And one author was so appreciative of my continuing helpfulness, he dedicated his first Flipperless table to me. And several other authors, after playing my fully commented Reactions Bagatelle have begun working on an original Bagatelle of their own. That's not because my work is the best there is, because I assure you it isn't. But it is because I always do the best work I can, ands because I actively try to help anyone and everyone I can.
Surely layout and design are at least as important as scripting, and maybe more important. A good script is only as good as the table design and layout is, because they influence playability. So I urge all of you, take a close look at yourself and your posts, and see if you could be more helpful. Let's all make an effort to make our replies a little less automatic. Rather than being a Glad Hander and pushing up your post count with meaningless cheerleading, put a little thought into your comments. Offer honest and sincere compliments when you can, but also, when it’s requested, and if possible, provide some useful and constructive, and yes, helpful criticism. We'll all be better off for having lent a helping hand.
tiltjlp
Updated Jul 24, 2004 Written by tiltjlp
