http://www.vpforums.org/index.php?showtopic=16171&pid=143364&st=20&#entry143364
Actually it looks like destruk is finally seeing the light, or actually noticing that there is none.
But this thread is very interesting, with one member talking about doing the ICB bar with three walls? Is it true that the height of walls can now be set and altered in VP using version 9. It looks like destruk is going along with that. If this is true, especially if the bottom starting points can be set and altered as well, and that mapping is still permitted, then VP9 now has in effect, sprites. Interaction with the ball would not work unless it is coded in, but the possibilities still extend VP 1000%. In the VP9 version I tested I created situations that had the ball going through walls and flippers, and if that is fixed we need to get a copy of the new VP9 here if VPF would allow that.
The limited keystone effect of the layback, is that correct? was a great addition, so there is someone working on the program that has some talent, so I'm not saying I doubt this manipulation of walls. It just seems too good to believe out of hand though.
At any rate that many walls (the 800,000 not the 3) are just too many to do, though it could be done, if memory allows which it probably wouldn't and it would actually render and run, which again it probably wouldn't. People use to have to wait up to 5 minutes for my Mr. & Mrs. PAC-MAN table to render for them and it had no where near 800,000 walls, which by the way is dependent on screen resolution. Square the height of the screen resolution and you will get the exact number of walls needed to go from any point on side to any point on the other side. Not all points would be in play, but most would. At 768 resolution high (low res. these days), it would take a mere 589,824 walls, 1080p would take 1,166,400 walls, but to look the least bit good would take that many images to map to them as well. Or you could drop the over a million images and still have the vertical stops by creating only 3,499,200 walls which would be needed anyway if you were going to include the vertical stops. But what do I know?
I know my ball physics are not up to VP's but to get a bar in VP working and looking as good as this one would take a nearly (you could drop some) 6,998,400 walls and pics.
My suggestion would be for the VP devs., if they really want to make this game work would be to put a bar object into VP. it would not be easy, but could be dome billions of times sooner than creating a half decent or functioning at all bar. They have worked on ball size, so maybe they could start there, use the ball object, bar shape, with rotation. A moving bar, after all, if happened to be a part of every pinball table would already be a part of VP, and is doable. But for 1 game with what? 4 variations? it might not be worth it. It might serve to instill some confidence though after being overwhelmed at the thought of an isolated nudge routine that would function at the touch of a key.
