PacDude
Pinball Wizard
- Joined
- Sep 19, 2003
- Messages
- 889
- Solutions
- 1
- Reaction score
- 15
- Points
- 25
Earthshaker v1.0 has been released. Get it at ShivaSite:
http://www.shivasite.com/tables/vpinmame/Earthshaker_1-0.zip
Note: Press F6 for Options Menu during the game
Table Notes:
==========
-This table is a brand new version of Earthshaker, unrelated to previous versions of Earthshaker for VP. V1.0 is the first public release of this table. Note that like with all VPM tables, you must have legal copies of the rom sets to actually play the table. These do not come with the table and should NEVER be distributed with it. Use this product at your own risk.
- There are two backdrops available in the game. The default is "back_backglass" and is based on the backglass for the actual pin. The other is "back_room" and shows the table in a room (mod of a room image originally by "Bob").
- There are alternate cabinet rails and lockbars included as well. Select the side rails in the table editor in turn (e.g. select the left rail's image and change it from "Left Rail Dark" to "Left Rail Medium" for instance) and change the images for them and then the lockbar decal image to match (there are currently dark and medium rails available with matching dark and chrome lockbars). It helps to have basic editor skills to make these changes. The medium rails are the default.
- The only place this table (or any future mods thereof) are NOT authorized to be carried is at AJ's "VPF" file server. His message board site (VPF) is run by a staff that still censor free speech and have banned me, apparently out of personal dislike since I broke no board rules there. Go to VPFF (Visual Pinball FREE Forums) for freedom of speech. Leave your tables unlocked and share with others and they will share with you!
-I recommend that if you feel this table is worthwhile to play and that you'd probably pay money to play it if it were commercial that you consider making a donation to a reputable charity (I recommend the Salvation Army) . Remember that not everyone is as well off as you are to have a computer to play games on. Some people don't even have basic needs in this world like food and shelter. Obviously, this is just a voluntary request by the table author who'd like to see some good come out of his time that he donated for free to recreate this table for the pinball community. Even if you don't like the game, consider donating anyway. You'll feel better about yourself.
-Mods are allowed (as usual with my releases), but please label your tables as such, both in this table info section and the table and zip file names and leave my credits intact. I'd prefer you keep your own RevHistory file with a different name, but including the previous entries prior to your mod.
Note: This table uses VP "Reel" objects for animation and some lighting effects. They are known to sometimes not display correctly on some graphics cards and/or certain drivers. I've got such a card and have taken steps to work around this VP bug, but I can't be certain it will work for all PCs. Disabling DirectDraw acceleration in the Direct X prefs panel in Windows often solves the problem for most people, so you might want to try that if you see major glitches. Just remember to turn it back on when you are done or other programs may perform poorly. Using 16-bit color sometimes helps as well and usually results in smoother play anyway. Try 16-bit color if you experience choppy ball motion, especially during multiball.
-It should be noted that due to a Reel related glitch in ATI video drivers at the time of this writing, I could not include the extra 2 frames needed to show the fault open in all 4 moving building positions. Thus, it will only show it open in the "up" and "down" positions and not in-between (it will appear to close in those positions visually; internally it's still open). If the ATI glitch is fixed in the future (either by ATI or a VP related fix) this will be changed.
-The table looks best at 1600x1200 resolution, but may perform unsatisfactorily on slower PCs at that resolution. although disabling wall lighting effects can help regardless of resolution.
Earthshaker Options Menu Settings:
-------------------------------------------------------
Country Dips: Dip Switch Setting by Country
Disable Menu:
----------------------
GI Lighting - Turns off Drop Wall based GI (General Illumination) Effects. This affects the plastics and playfield lighting (they will always be lit and not go dark). It can potentially help with slower computers. GI Lighting is enabled by default.
Moving Building - If disabled, this will give you a standard "production" version of the Earthquake Institute building (it won't move). It is enabled by default (it will move)
Note: The only real Earthshaker pins that were shipped with the moving building were prototypes and the first couple hundred beta units using prototype roms. They were removed for cost reasons on the regular production run. However, it is possible to add the building to existing pins if the unit can be obtained or reproduced. Despite removing the building test option in the production roms, they fully support the moving building effect internally still, so the building will work with all Earthshaker roms sets in VP/VPM.
Shaker Motor Effect - If disabled, the table will no longer visibly "shake" or affect ball movement. It will still make the motor quaking sound, however. The real machine had little to no affect on ball movement, but you could feel the vibrations. Since it's not possible to feel them, I've used a visible affect here that looks cool (especially when the building falls due to a quake), but due t to how VP operates, it affects the ball movement, which can make multiball more difficult. It can also cause choppy ball movement on slower machines. Turning it off will help in those cases. It is turned on by default.
Yield Time - Turns off the Yield Time check in the script whereby Vpinmame 1.20 or greater gets yield time applied to it, which helps smooth the gameplay on most computers. Other (usually faster) computers will perform worse with it on and so it should be disabled if you get choppy gameplay. This requires an exit and restart for it to take effect. If you get choppy gameplay with it on and off you probably either have a slow computer or something else is wrong in your setup.
Start Menu - This will disable the options menu at startup time. You can still bring it up during the game.
Enable Menu
---------------------
Proto (White) Right Sign - Checking this option will display a white sign over the Captive Ball area instead of a clear one. The white sign was usually found on prototype and possibly beta Earthshaker games.
Rom Menu
-----------------
This selects which rom software the table will use. Note that changing the rom option will require exiting and restarting to take effect during the game, but will take effect immediately if selected at start time (assumign it's not disabled).
LA-3 - American Production Release Romset Version 3. This was the last official release of the regular unaltered game.
PR-4 - Family (censored) version of Earthshaker. This removes a certain spoken word during the game for those that might find it objectionable.
LA-1 - American Production Release Romset Version 1. This was the first regular production rom release of Earthshaker.
LG-1 - German Production Release Romset Version 1. This is the first production version of the German language romset.
PA-1 - Prototype Release 1. This was the romset shipped with the early prototypes and beta units that had the moving building installed in them at the factory. It has a building test mode the other rom sets don't have. Lighting effects are also different (more primitive) among other things.
Rev History:
==========
V 1.0 - First Public Release
http://www.shivasite.com/tables/vpinmame/Earthshaker_1-0.zip
Note: Press F6 for Options Menu during the game
Table Notes:
==========
-This table is a brand new version of Earthshaker, unrelated to previous versions of Earthshaker for VP. V1.0 is the first public release of this table. Note that like with all VPM tables, you must have legal copies of the rom sets to actually play the table. These do not come with the table and should NEVER be distributed with it. Use this product at your own risk.
- There are two backdrops available in the game. The default is "back_backglass" and is based on the backglass for the actual pin. The other is "back_room" and shows the table in a room (mod of a room image originally by "Bob").
- There are alternate cabinet rails and lockbars included as well. Select the side rails in the table editor in turn (e.g. select the left rail's image and change it from "Left Rail Dark" to "Left Rail Medium" for instance) and change the images for them and then the lockbar decal image to match (there are currently dark and medium rails available with matching dark and chrome lockbars). It helps to have basic editor skills to make these changes. The medium rails are the default.
- The only place this table (or any future mods thereof) are NOT authorized to be carried is at AJ's "VPF" file server. His message board site (VPF) is run by a staff that still censor free speech and have banned me, apparently out of personal dislike since I broke no board rules there. Go to VPFF (Visual Pinball FREE Forums) for freedom of speech. Leave your tables unlocked and share with others and they will share with you!
-I recommend that if you feel this table is worthwhile to play and that you'd probably pay money to play it if it were commercial that you consider making a donation to a reputable charity (I recommend the Salvation Army) . Remember that not everyone is as well off as you are to have a computer to play games on. Some people don't even have basic needs in this world like food and shelter. Obviously, this is just a voluntary request by the table author who'd like to see some good come out of his time that he donated for free to recreate this table for the pinball community. Even if you don't like the game, consider donating anyway. You'll feel better about yourself.
-Mods are allowed (as usual with my releases), but please label your tables as such, both in this table info section and the table and zip file names and leave my credits intact. I'd prefer you keep your own RevHistory file with a different name, but including the previous entries prior to your mod.
Note: This table uses VP "Reel" objects for animation and some lighting effects. They are known to sometimes not display correctly on some graphics cards and/or certain drivers. I've got such a card and have taken steps to work around this VP bug, but I can't be certain it will work for all PCs. Disabling DirectDraw acceleration in the Direct X prefs panel in Windows often solves the problem for most people, so you might want to try that if you see major glitches. Just remember to turn it back on when you are done or other programs may perform poorly. Using 16-bit color sometimes helps as well and usually results in smoother play anyway. Try 16-bit color if you experience choppy ball motion, especially during multiball.
-It should be noted that due to a Reel related glitch in ATI video drivers at the time of this writing, I could not include the extra 2 frames needed to show the fault open in all 4 moving building positions. Thus, it will only show it open in the "up" and "down" positions and not in-between (it will appear to close in those positions visually; internally it's still open). If the ATI glitch is fixed in the future (either by ATI or a VP related fix) this will be changed.
-The table looks best at 1600x1200 resolution, but may perform unsatisfactorily on slower PCs at that resolution. although disabling wall lighting effects can help regardless of resolution.
Earthshaker Options Menu Settings:
-------------------------------------------------------
Country Dips: Dip Switch Setting by Country
Disable Menu:
----------------------
GI Lighting - Turns off Drop Wall based GI (General Illumination) Effects. This affects the plastics and playfield lighting (they will always be lit and not go dark). It can potentially help with slower computers. GI Lighting is enabled by default.
Moving Building - If disabled, this will give you a standard "production" version of the Earthquake Institute building (it won't move). It is enabled by default (it will move)
Note: The only real Earthshaker pins that were shipped with the moving building were prototypes and the first couple hundred beta units using prototype roms. They were removed for cost reasons on the regular production run. However, it is possible to add the building to existing pins if the unit can be obtained or reproduced. Despite removing the building test option in the production roms, they fully support the moving building effect internally still, so the building will work with all Earthshaker roms sets in VP/VPM.
Shaker Motor Effect - If disabled, the table will no longer visibly "shake" or affect ball movement. It will still make the motor quaking sound, however. The real machine had little to no affect on ball movement, but you could feel the vibrations. Since it's not possible to feel them, I've used a visible affect here that looks cool (especially when the building falls due to a quake), but due t to how VP operates, it affects the ball movement, which can make multiball more difficult. It can also cause choppy ball movement on slower machines. Turning it off will help in those cases. It is turned on by default.
Yield Time - Turns off the Yield Time check in the script whereby Vpinmame 1.20 or greater gets yield time applied to it, which helps smooth the gameplay on most computers. Other (usually faster) computers will perform worse with it on and so it should be disabled if you get choppy gameplay. This requires an exit and restart for it to take effect. If you get choppy gameplay with it on and off you probably either have a slow computer or something else is wrong in your setup.
Start Menu - This will disable the options menu at startup time. You can still bring it up during the game.
Enable Menu
---------------------
Proto (White) Right Sign - Checking this option will display a white sign over the Captive Ball area instead of a clear one. The white sign was usually found on prototype and possibly beta Earthshaker games.
Rom Menu
-----------------
This selects which rom software the table will use. Note that changing the rom option will require exiting and restarting to take effect during the game, but will take effect immediately if selected at start time (assumign it's not disabled).
LA-3 - American Production Release Romset Version 3. This was the last official release of the regular unaltered game.
PR-4 - Family (censored) version of Earthshaker. This removes a certain spoken word during the game for those that might find it objectionable.
LA-1 - American Production Release Romset Version 1. This was the first regular production rom release of Earthshaker.
LG-1 - German Production Release Romset Version 1. This is the first production version of the German language romset.
PA-1 - Prototype Release 1. This was the romset shipped with the early prototypes and beta units that had the moving building installed in them at the factory. It has a building test mode the other rom sets don't have. Lighting effects are also different (more primitive) among other things.
Rev History:
==========
V 1.0 - First Public Release
