VP8 Data East SS Recreation The Who's Tommy (Data East 1994) v3.0 released

[kristian]

The Who's Tommy (Data East 1994) v3.0
============================
- Complete graphics rebuild
- Partial layout rebuild

Thanks to Destruk for fixing the blinders for the new vbs files.
Thanks to MrHide for the playfield image.
Thanks to El Condor for support & co-operation.

Thanks to Pinball Ken & Mr White for their work in the previous
versions.

I spent a long time playing this real machine which is located near
my house and the gameplay should be pretty authentic now. I tried to
make the right ramp shot challenging but difficult - just like in the real
machine. Plunger Skill Shot is difficult but shouldn't be too hard when
you practise it a little bit.

Tweaking the gameplay took so much time, I didn't have energy
to install PD's light system to it yet - but I'll add it eventually.

Have fun.

 

[kristian]

screenshot

 

[Joe]

Look cool but the mirror does not

 

[lionheart88]

How do you adjust the ingame volume on these Data East tables ?

 

[Joe]

You can't try truning the system sound volume and wave volume

 

[PacDude]

The graphics look great. Gameplay seems good so far from what I've played. But a couple of quick observations. The plunger skill shot would be more controllable if you install my high resolution plunger system (takes about 5-10 minutes to install and adjust). The ball entering the VUK seems to disappear (like it fell in a hole) instead of sitting there visible until it kicks it up into the ramp. It'd be best to use a "saucer" style entry and then remove it from the saucer, destroy the ball and create it again as it kicks up the VUK (see Cactus Jack's for an example). It looks like the table is using a real set of kickers, etc. to simulate subway travel. That could be replaced with a simple vbs pulseswitch timer (see any number of my tables including Cactus Jacks and No Fear for an example of how to do that) and then that stuff could be removed from the table. I haven't played the table enough to comment on other aspects. I'm not even sure what the "blinders" are or do. I've only seen the real table once and it was non-playable at the time.

Also, the ball drop sound seems to play before the ball ever drops off the ramp, which seems a bit odd. I'm sure that's because the trigger is on the end of the ramp. I typically use a kicker drop system that plays it only after it's been dropped, but you could keep the same trigger and just put a small addtimer style delay in there before the sound is played to give the ball time to actually drop off the ramp so the sounds sync together.

As for DE games in general, it seems like the last VPM release resulted in really loud Williams sounds (except for voice) and DE games seem quieter than ever. It'd be nice if there was some internal average sound level adjustments made in VPM. Deleting the VPM config file might help with some of that, though. But I didn't see any easy way to adjust DE volume directly. (VPM typically lets you turn down sound, but not up unless it somehow got defaulted below 0db).

 

[kristian]

Thanks PD, excellent suggestions and I'll add all these to forthcoming updates. I just wanted to put this out now because I want to start with NGG as soon as possible.

 

[kristian]

PS: I don't think the skill shot is too hard at all, after some practising. I can manage that in approximately 1/3 times, just like in the real machine.

The blinders aren't exactly like they are in real machine (the motion isn't simulated in VP version) but playability wise they're ok as they are now.

Here you can see the real table (and blinders) in action:
http://pinballrebel.com/game/pins/video/tomblind.ram

 

[flipper]

Amazing table kristian it looks a treat and is playing very well.

One thing that keeps happening though is the ball keeps going under the right slingshot cover and got stuck once.




Cheers