Will you spend $$ to be able to run Future Pinball?

[tiltjlp]

*sigh*
A bad pic is still a bad pic.
The only way a bad pic gets to be a good pic is for you to make it better in a paint program.
FP won't do it for you.
Me thinks you expect too much.

Now that doesn't make much sense to me, Leon. If FP will make a good picture even better it should at least make a sub-par picture passable. I'm not expecting miracles, just improvements.

John

 

[destruk]

That's not surprising, a lot of next generation games are being dumbed down to appeal to a wider audience that doesn't like reading documentation or thinking too much.

 

[Shockman]

After reading what's in and what's not, I am surprised that flashers are in, flashers seem kind of modern for this.
I hope that what I read about numeric displays not being able to be put on the playfield is untrue. That would mean the only plan I had for it is down the drain, and a conversion for MMPAC, a 1982 game, would not be possible. Might be I could put flashers in it instead of the digit displays. Might be that I could shape lights into digits. Might be that though they need to be put on the lite, they will still show on the table as VP does, it don't say.

 

[destruk]

Air Aces uses a bank of 9 drop targets.
Gottlieb El Dorado uses a bank of 10 drop targets.

I just mention it because FP is currently limited to a bank of 7 targets or smaller. Another reason I don't like arbitrary limitations on options.

 

[tiltjlp]

Air Aces uses a bank of 9 drop targets.
Gottlieb El Dorado uses a bank of 10 drop targets.

I just mention it because FP is currently limited to a bank of 7 targets or smaller. Another reason I don't like arbitrary limitations on options.

I agree that as much flexibility as possible is needed. Without dropping walls, a lot of my counter top projects will remain VP only. Also, I hope that the standard code snipets that will be used will be able to be adapted as needed, since not every table does or should respond the same in similar situations.

John

 

[Guest]

Air Aces uses a bank of 9 drop targets.
Gottlieb El Dorado uses a bank of 10 drop targets.

I just mention it because FP is currently limited to a bank of 7 targets or smaller. Another reason I don't like arbitrary limitations on options.

The reality is you can put as many droppies in as you want.
However the ornamental playfield hole that the droppies go in is limited to 7 only because we didn't want Lio spending all his time modeling holes instead of other needed parts for the first release.
Given time and patients there will eventually be (we hope) a plethora of different parts of all types available and for those that aren't will be made by authors once the model import and handling functions are in and working so, once you have downloaded said authors table you can use any custom made parts straight from the library file said author supplies with the table file.

You come across Destruk as someone who wants it all and wants it yesterday.
Patients grasshopper.

 

[tiltjlp]

Got a question for you Leon. Can I make a target any size I need it, and then script it to drop and undrop in the script as I need? This would act as a work around for the droping and raising walls many authors might need for non-standard tables.

John

 

[Guest]

No and yes.
You can't resize 3d models. You will eventually be able to import your own model to suit the purpose you require.
You can raise and drop the standard drop target as required.

There you go John. Black is going to include a "BallyHoo" style flipperless cabinet that has no translite backbox option for FP version 1.1 (which will the one after the initial release)

 

[ArcAngel]

My main concern about FP is: will it be used to reproduce real world tables? If not, I really can't see a compelling reason to download it.
DS

Unless FP finds a different solution to emulating SS tables I don't feel that FP will be very popular.

Sure - the "eye candy" looks great, but there's more to tables than just that.

 

[scapino]

My first FP table will be Close Encounters...thats a "real world" table.
(a simple one, yes....but still....)

Kurt

 

[StevOz]

Lio is indeed but one, a pity when so many more maybe willing and able.....

 

[tiltjlp]

Well, Future Pinball is finally out, Oh Happy Day, and so now we'll have to wait and see it V isual Pinball becomes a forgotten program or not, as some folks probably expect. I would figure that it won't take too long before authors who plan on making both VP and FP versions of their work choose one or the other.

Since FP runs Sci-Fi like molasses, I'll continue making my weird little VP creations. Besides, having grown up playing flipperless and counter top games, I don't particularly find all the glitz and shimmer that appealing. I'm not for a minute putting a knock on FP, since I never cared much for flashier table in VP/VPM either. That's purely a personal preference on my part.

I do plan on playing around with the FP editor, to see if I can make one of my odd little toys, just to see what it will look like. Maybe a table that is simpler will run a bit better than Sci-Fi, which is a nice looking table, BTW. But I've invested four years in VP, and I won't abandon my hard-earned skills, as lame as they might be, for FP. Now a better computer that would run FP as its intented to be ran could change my mind. But since I don't learn things as well as I once did, VP keeps looking better and better all the time.

John

 

[destruk]

SInce Future Pinball can render a frame in a few seconds, probably take the models, use a screenshot, and import into visual pinball so it looks better. :) As for will I spend money to get FP to work acceptably, it depends on how much cost is involved in new parts for the computer, and factor in the meager price of the developer version before deciding. As it stands now, I naturally don't have the money that I think might be required.

 

[PacDude]

That's a pretty novel use for FP, Destruk. It's probably easier to do than learn Truespace or something like that. As evidenced by Kurt's tables, VP can look pretty good with decals. If VP had a background preview, it'd be pretty simple (and not so tedious) to make them that way. Hopefully, Ultracade will add that feature (Randy clearly isn't going to update it anymore). But I'm not holding my breath with Ultracade either. They are apparently playing with my tables on their system without a signed contract so I don't really trust them at this point despite all their happy talks when they first showed up.

 

[Gottlieb]

To really enjoy FP at all you will need to spend at least $200 on a Radeon x800 or comparable card. The problem is they are hard to find in AGP. Pretty much all the good cards now are PCI-X. So if you have an older system (ie last years) you will have to hunt around for a compatable card. I wanted to pick up an x800 or x850 and they had exactly none in the cabinet. They had several configurations of PCI-X cards which run as high as $500. That's more than the cost of a new system! Insane. And even if you can find a new card your power supply may not be able to handle it so throw in another couple hundred for a new system. I'm at least trying to get FP to run better. Technology and basic economics are working against me.

 

[tiltjlp]

I'm really lucky, I had posted about my video card problems at FPF, and that I was getting 12-13fps, and one of the fellows offered me a spare card he had and didn't need, simply because he likes the tables I make. I now get 80-85fps, and don't have any trouble playing the tables that have been released. Now all I have to do is decipher the FP Help file soI can complete my two wips. Thanks again UncleWilly, because without your generousity, it would take forever for me to save up for a new card.

John