STERN AND FARSIGHT FORM PARTNERSHIP

[Rock-ola]

09-27-2015 09:00 AM
Stern Pinball and FarSight Studios form a partnership to create digital versions of the pinball company's physical games with the launch of the Stern Pinball Arcade.

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[LeeVanCleef]

Well, that's kind of horseshit! Now there's gonna be the Pinball Arcade and the Stern Pinball Arcade? That's not confusing at all! Fortunately, I've never been a big fan of non-Monopoly Stern tables, so... best of luck!

 

[sleepy]

Do you like the Monopoly machine?

And WOW! What a load of Newsfeeds today. At first I thought this forum was hit by a spambot. But they're all valid.

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

if there's a commercial simulator with shittier physics than farsight, i'd like to hear about it.


i mean silverball studios (pro pinball) is still around... for pete's sake they just remade "timeshock!: ultra edition" last year and could use the business... but...

...but no!!

 

[sleepy]

The Timeshock physics were Damn Good on a Playstation One with a puny 3 MHz. CPU. It made me wonder what the hell was going on that VPinMAME couldn't do the job on a 1 GHz. system.

I was Screaming at the folks to use the Pro Pinball for commercial sims. The folks are connected to the arcade industry, knew Sinatra behind my back, saw him in an unrecognizable disguise like Jacko. Never caught it. But did they do that? Pass the word or take advantage like they do for half a zillion movie plots?

I woke up this morning with a Cracker of a pinball concept. Part animatronics and miles beyond both Rudy and The Thing.. But Stern would think it's too expensive.

But I don't think that it would cost that much compared to what it would generate in revenue.

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

at least VP had some 'rubbery sensation' right from the beginning... even if the flippers were somewhat primitive. farsight...? they've done a HELL of a job on physics if their objective was to re-create tables in which every object is made out of wood. (i can only assume they're big flipperless fans)

i bet most of the people kickstarting them and paying for the exorbitant licensing don't realise that VP offers the same tables with significantly better physics. but maybe it's collector mentality... like all those people who gobble up the modern mint reissues even though they're losing oodles on every one.


personally i really like this one!

 

[LeeVanCleef]

if there's a commercial simulator with shittier physics than farsight, i'd like to hear about it.

"Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Pinball FX commercial simulator has shittier physics than Farsight!"

I, too, have been rather critical of Farsight's work... but, man, playing it on the computer is like night and day compared to the other platforms! They just recently updated the physics so that, if you hit the flipper at just the right time on the ball's descent, you can trap it. Not exactly reinventing the wheel I grant you, and it is a little difficult to do it "on purpose" but it was part of a very nice physics upgrade. I wandered over to the Pinball FX tables and found they were left choking on Farsight's dust.

 

[StevOz]

Well in all honesty unless you are up to date with VP physics and know how to tweak them I really don't think you're any any position say rubbery/primitive or otherwise. That said most authors do not and have not gone those extra yards within VP to get the best of what is possible from the infinite adjustments possible.

 

[sleepy]

Infinite adjustments will baffle many users. I can remember quite a few posts asking "What is This VP Thing?" and "What Do I Do With it?" back when it was only a handful of parameters.

 

[StevOz]

Infinite adjustments will baffle many users. I can remember quite a few posts asking "What is This VP Thing?" and "What Do I Do With it?" back when it was only a handful of parameters.

Correct, though most users do not, cannot modify a VP table with any ability or spend the extra time tweaking the physics, let alone create anything original, physics adjustments include more then just flipper settings...That said it really is something that those that do release tables should put more effort into it, rather then going with the eye candy first because they can do graphics, perhaps getting someone on the team that can do VP physics might be an idea and I'm not talking about any bastardised Jimmy Fingers on the fly scripted physics either, VP.exe has all the options required.

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

"Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Pinball FX commercial simulator has shittier physics than Farsight!"

not on android. on android it's the reverse. zen's physics are as good as anyone's there.

my problem with zen is that they'll make a gorgeous, intricate masterpiece like "empire," but make the shots so hard to hit that the game is super-frustrating to play. or they'll make other tables that look good from a distance but whose themes don't hang together, like "rome" and the deep-sea one. just like the usual hollywood movie-- too much flash, not enough substance.

I, too, have been rather critical of Farsight's work... but, man, playing it on the computer is like night and day compared to the other platforms! They just recently updated the physics so that, if you hit the flipper at just the right time on the ball's descent, you can trap it. Not exactly reinventing the wheel I grant you, and it is a little difficult to do it "on purpose" but it was part of a very nice physics upgrade. I wandered over to the Pinball FX tables and found they were left choking on Farsight's dust.

you mean a hot catch? (that's where the ball hits the flipper right between the solenoid transfer) that's pretty cool if true.


but yeah, even early VP had much better rubber than modern farsight on android. hopefully they can make with the good stuff soon. meanwhile, have fun being an elitist while i wallow in self pity, bill.

 

[LeeVanCleef]

LOL! Man, I always play vidja pinball with my pinkies out! I'm a pretty easy audience to please when it comes to physics as a whole. My narrow field of focus is on tilting. How well does it nudge and how much am I allowed to nudge. It pretty much goes without saying that VP continues to fail at this spectacularly with each new iteration. And that's also where Zen fails. Nudging on Zen is much like that time you poked your little brother and he went crying to your mom and said you punched him. Farsight's nudging physics are some of the best of the more modern pinball iterations and it actually allows some leeway to, you know, actually nudge. Another drawback for Zen is the goddamned spelling bee I have to enter every time I play a game (which I may have mentioned before :) ). I usually try to make some time for Monster Bash around Halloween every year. This year, as I was hitting Frankenstein to light up the multiball, I couldn't help but think that, if I were playing it on Zen, I would probably have to spell out F-R-A-N-K-E-N-S-T-E-I-N-'-S-M-O-N-S-T-E-R to do the same thing.

EDIT: Oh, and let's not forget the one you mentioned before, nic... that Zen prefers its nudging to work opposite of the way you actually nudge it, and doesn't offer a way to change it. All of a sudden, I'm not feeling too "zen" about their pinball. But, hey... I enjoyed the Return of the Jedi table more than I did the movie, so they get points for that... despite the fact I had to spell out D-E-A-T-H-S-T-A-R just to prepare the multiball! Then I had to hit the Death Star spinner numerous times with four different balls just to load it. Man, I've aged just writing about it... but probably not as much as you have reading about it.

EDITEDIT: Yes, hot catch!

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

YOU'RE not a real pinball player, bill... you're calling nudge "tilt!"
contrary-wise*, does that mean you call tilt "nudge??"

seriously, i forget how to even nudge on zen. i think you flick upwards or something? on farsight i have to agree they did a beautiful job, there. they let you set whatever kind of screen-area you want for each button / action.

actually zaccaria on mobile is easily the best package i've seen in pretty-much every category. just that their selection of tables is wonky. shee... it's always something, huh?

anyway yeah i remember your previous rant about zen's spelling bee. but you added a little more material this time, so the judges approve.


* trivia Q: what famous work by a mathematician is that from?

 

[LeeVanCleef]

YOU'RE not a real pinball player, bill... you're calling nudge "tilt!"
contrary-wise*, does that mean you call tilt "nudge??"

LOL! Fuck you! While you were writing that, I was going through that post and changing all the "tilts" to "nudge"... all while cursing under my breath. I'm afraid that's a leftover bad habit from childhood.
A: That's easy... Lewis Carroll! Alice in Wonderland! Yeah, I had no idea... I googled it.

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

 

[LeeVanCleef]

Screw Worf! Win at any cost! That's the true Klingon way! Those creepy Klingon sisters would agree with me.

 

[StevOz]

:D