Future Pinball Wish Lists

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tiltjlp

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Favorite Pinball Machine
Flying Trapeze 1934
I just played the first original table made by someone not a part of the FP team, Orion by Luigi. I can't judge it fairly because at 13fps it's more like snail pinball. Lucily UncleWilly read about my problem at the FP forums, and because he likes my tables, is sending me a spare video card he don't need, so I should be able to run FP at a decent clip before long. Thanks a bunch UncleWilly.

But I don't need to have FP run full tilt to know what I see as the pros and cons of the program. Overblown expectations, as I had predicted, is by far the major cause of disappointment for most folks. Any time you pre-judge anything, you will not be a happy camper. No ramps, no roms, and no VPM, shudders. FP is, and was designed, as a program for recreating EM and early SS tables, and for potentially some nifty originals. The crowd that thinks pinball means only rom-based tables will never have a clue, and this isn't going to make them very happy.

Just like with VP, work-arounds are already being found for some of FP's shortcomings, mostly thanks to MadMax. But the biggest need isn't ramps, or rom support, or more realistic this or that. FP is in it's infancy and can only get better as it takes its first faltering steps. I am anxiously awaiting Black's promised flipperless template, and a counter top template too, I hope. Till then there's not much I can do other than acquaint myself with the ediotr and such.

No, even as the wish list at FPF . . . Future Pinball Forums . . . starts to grow, the greatest need is for flexibility. It's wonderful that FP has pre-made models, and I can even live with what I see as needless glitz and flash. Having grown up in the late 40s through mid-70s as my prime pin playing days, I'm more into flipperless and EMs than SS and beyond, so all the pomp and show is lost on me.

FP as it stands, will be wonderful for newbies and those who think Stern invented pinball. But for experienced authors, there is a need for the freedom that flexibility of design will give us. As it stands now, my flipperless, bagatelle, and counter-top games will take too much effort in FP for me to give it a try. Without being able to use dropping walls or invisible walls, I simply can't make many of my 350 projects in FP. But even if I could it would take a lot more time and effort. The effort isn't a problem, but the time is. If I can make 3 VP tables in the time it'll take me to do 1 FP table, I'll stick with VP. And that isn't even taking into account the learning curve to understand the scripting jargon for FP.

But none of this tops my FP wish list. Tops on my wish list is for authors who take their time to create well designed, innovative layouts and challenging target and bumper placements, and who realize a good solid table is a lot more than 7 ramps, 9 flippers, and a boat load of their favorite crap rap disco metal whatever kind of noise passes for music sounds. I'll promis not to make you ill with tracks of the blues, jazz, classical, and classic rock I enjoy if you promise not to freak me out with your ear-splitting junk either.

So, to sum up my main point, since I took many detours, give Black a chance to improve and tweak FP before you start fussing for your favorite nifty but needless toy to be modeled. And urge Black to let authors have the flexibility and freedom they need to make the best tables they can.

John
 
I tend to agree, for me the clincher is whether recreations begin to be made on FP which can't be played on VP, then I'll have to pay more attention to FP.

It is wise to remember that this is the version 1 release - there are always problems with a first release, it just isn't possible to iron out all the bugs in the first go. I think they've done well but the system specs are pretty hefty. With a brand new computer with a decent graphics card I'm still turning off anti-aliasing to get 60fps.

Things look really good in FP but then they look great in VP too so for me it's not a compeling release. I think it will need to support VPM in the future to really be viable as any game from the late 70s on has a ROM and can potentially be improved by linking it to VPM.

I certainly don't plan to release my next table in FP but I will have a look when I see some of the tables which are currently being created. I have no intention of reading the manual - I'm a bloke after all! I will probably only use the manual as reference like I do with the Visual Guide to VP. When tables I understand are released (Hot Shot would be good for me to see as I played that one heaps and that was only about 30 years ago) I will look at the code and try and work it out. If it makes sense I'll look at doing tables for both. After all there are still heaps of tables yet to be recreated - I would love to do Jive Time and Seven Up (1969) by Williams but haven't found good enough pics. I also like the look of Williams Nine Sisters but the pics I have are marginal - I might have a go anyway after the next couple of projects.

We'll see, but it must be a good thing that we have a new pinball emulator to play with - the more the merrier although what I'd really like to see is an update to VP. I also think FP is going to have to build in some flexibility although I'm sure some bright people will find ways around it's limitations, this ends up happening with just about every programme out there, just look at the way people get layout done in Word which really isn't built for it.

DS
 
W98se installable, just because Leo could not get it to work on Windows Me, means little, Me was always rubbish and had far more issues then W98se ever did.
 
I don't think windows 98, 98se, and ME have anywhere near the cryptography files available to 2000/XP. If it uses crypt hashes in any way, that would be a big consideration between the platforms.
As for the wish list, can we add the option of user-imported in-line images in the script editor? ie support for animated emotes and animated lens flares to be able to scroll through to find an important script section without using the searching tools? That would be unique and useful. After staring at script for extended periods, the code all seems to meld together, and that would make scripting more enjoyable for me. :)
 
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