Xenon (Bally, 1980) VP8

VP8 Bally SS Recreation Xenon (PD) V1.2 Released v1.3

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Solid State Machines

PacDude

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Xenon (PD) V1.2 is available here:

http://www.pacdude.pinballnirvana.com/

V1.0 and V1.1 were released earlier today.

V1.1 changes some background lights to ones more like the real game and V1.2 adds the plunger lane trough light which comes on after the 1st ball is locked and the 2nd is plunged.

Table Notes (from Table Info):
=======================

-Press F6 for Options Menu during the game

-I recommend if you feel this table is worthwhile to play and that you'd probably pay money to play it if it were commercial or if you'd like to thank the author, that you consider making a donation to a reputable charity. Remember that not everyone is as well off as you are to have a computer to play games on. Some people don't even have basic needs in this world like food and shelter. Obviously, this is just a voluntary request by the table author who'd like to see some good come out of his time that he donated for free to recreate this table for the pinball community. Even if you don't like the game, consider donating anyway. You'll feel better about yourself.

Table Notes:
==========

-This table is a brand new version of Xenon, unrelated to any other versions of Xenon for VP. V1.0 is the first public release of this table. Note that like with all VPM tables, you should have legal copies of the rom sets to actually play the table. These do not come with the table and should NEVER be distributed with it. Use this product at your own risk. The author assumes no responsibility for this product's use or misuse thereof.

- There are three backdrops available in the game. The default is "back_backglass" and is based on the backglass for the actual pin. The others are "back_room" and "back_room2" and shows the table in a game room type environment.

- There are alternate cabinet rails and lockbars included as well. Select the side rails in the table editor in turn (e.g. select the left rail's image and change it from "Left Rail Dark" to "Left Rail Medium" for instance) and change the images for them and then the lockbar decal image to match (there are currently dark and medium rails available with matching dark and chrome lockbars). It helps to have basic editor skills to make these changes.

-Mods are allowed, but you must label your tables as such, both in this table info section and the table and zip file names and leave my credits intact. Mods are not authorized if you use the table for negative, harmful or unlawful purposes or at my own discretion. I'd prefer you keep your own RevHistory file with a different name, but including the previous entries prior to your mod.

Note: This table uses VP "Reel" objects for animation and some lighting effects. They are known to sometimes not display correctly on some graphics cards and/or certain drivers. I've got such a card and have taken steps to work around this VP bug, but I can't be certain it will work for all PCs. Disabling DirectDraw acceleration in the Direct X prefs panel in Windows often solves the problem for most people, so you might want to try that if you see major glitches. Just remember to turn it back on when you are done or other programs may perform poorly. Using 16-bit color sometimes helps as well and usually results in smoother play anyway.

-The table looks best at 1600x1200 resolution, but may perform unsatisfactorily on slower PCs at that resolution. although disabling wall lighting effects (or even sound) can help regardless of resolution.


Xenon Options Menu Settings:
-------------------------------------------------

Auto-Dip Switch Game Options - This is a listing of popular game setting options that are controlled by Xenon's dip switches, but organized here for you convenience by feature (modified layout of one by Inkochnito). You must reset the table with the F3 reset (or exit and restart the table) before any changes will take effect.

Note: This menu disappears and is replaced with the Manual Dip Switch Option Menu the next time you open th F6 option menu when the option for the full manual dip menu is selected.

Full Manual Dip Switch Options - When this menu is enabled with the appropriately marked option, it will appear instead off the Auto-Dip menu and shows a listing of all actual Bally Dip Switches (1-32) for the game that you can manually change. This allows you to access ALL possible dip switch options found in the Bally Manual for this game instead of just the more popular ones organized for you in the Auto-Dip Menu. It is like changing an actual machine's dip switches. Changes take place when you reset the game with the "F3" key or reload the table. See the Bally Manual to see all possible options and which dips to change to get them. You can find it at the IPDB (www.ipdb.org).

Table Specific Options:
-----------------------------------
Note that these options don't require a reset unless specifically indciated with a footnote in the menu.

Disable All Lights - This will disable all lights and should help with slower computers since it requires less CPU power (although it's also not much fun without them).

Disable Menu At Start - This will stop the Option and Rom selection menu from popping up before the start of the table. You can still access the option menu during the game by pressing F6.

Disable LED Panels - This will disable the LED-style scoring displays on the backglass and enable the VPM scoring window instead. Unchecking it again will restore the backglass style scoring displays.

Disable Fading Light Effect - This turns off the fading off light effect the table normally uses for most lights to simulate incandescent bulb cooling. Lights will immediately go dark instead of fading out. It will also use a bit less CPU power so the table should run a bit faster.

Disable Yield Time - Turns off the Yield Time check in the script whereby Vpinmame 1.20 or greater gets yield time applied to it, which helps smooth the gameplay on most computers. Other (usually faster) computers will perform worse with it on and so it should be disabled if you get choppy gameplay. This requires an exit and restart for it to take effect. If you get choppy gameplay with it on and off you probably either have a slow computer or something else is wrong in your setup. The default yield value is 1 and can be found at the top of the table script. A setting of 2 sometimes works better on some computers, particularly if the computer is fast enough and there are sound hiccups.

Disable Ball Roll Sound - If checked, this will get rid of the ball roll sound found when the ball moves quickly through the middle of the table or back down the shooter lane. It may save a little cpu time as well.

Disable Infinity Lights - If checked, this will eliminate the background 'infinity' light effect.

Enable In-Game Music - If checked, this option will start playing an MP3 music file once the first ball is plunged and will stop playing when the game is over. Songs will repeat if they reach the end of the song before the game is over. You must have an MP3 file called "XenonSong.mp3" in the VP "Music" directory for this to have any effect. It can be any song you like, but you must relabel it to that name.

Rom Selection
===========
-Note the rom you use must be selected either from the startup menu prior to the table starting or you must exit and restart if you make a change during the game from the F6 option menu before the rom change will take effect.

-Production Rom: This is the Bally Production Rom for Xenon.

-French Rom: This is the production rom created for France.

Rev History:
==========
V 1.0 - First Public Release (4-1-2007)
V 1.1 - Backglass Reel Changes (4-1-2007)
V 1.2 - Added Plunger Lane Light (4-1-2007)
 

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Seriously, you should check out your monitor or something.... This table looks way too dark, I don't usually mind dark, but it doesn't look real or artistic here, it appears you've even lost resolution in the table graphics by making them dark, but maybe your resources weren't as good as usual. I played a game, but couldn't get into it.
 

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Maybe it's YOU that should check out YOUR monitor is set wrong if it's too dark looking. For example, the photo you are showing me there is with a FLASH! That's practically the equivalent of DAYLIGHT (can't see any GI or anything because it's wiped out by the flash). Daylight is not what the game is supposed to be played in (pop bumper bottoms are STARK WHITE as the sun it's so bright in that photo).
 
I too thought my monitor had died when I loaded this table, I had to load another table to find out my monitor was OK.
Then I thought, well great, it's going to all light up when I start it, but it didn't. I turned the contrast up max and light to where I could see the graphics on the apron and then everything looked washed out. I think it is way too dark and it has to be your monitor settings or condition. Definitely much darker that your screenshot, though that looks quite dark.
 
I only included a lousy photo to compare the "resolution" which it seems you have lost in your table. If you used a hi-res stripped playfield like you usually do, then your resolution should be better than what you currently have. Anyway, you're the professional, so you must be right...
 
Better yet, just fuck off and don't play my tables, assholes.
 
Hehe, that's the spirit.... Sorry you can't handle constructive criticism.... Have another beer.
 
Jesus bob, why bother? Is very dark though, every stripped pf I have is a lot lighter, so I wonder where he got that one from.
 
It's straight off the IPDB my not so good friend, Shiva! Ever hear of light rendering in Photoshop? Did you seriously think it came that dark on its own? Give me a break. I work HARD to make things so dark you can't see them! :p
 
Actually, Jesus Bob, (is that your given name or does Shiva just like to take th Lord's name in vain?), I would have to conclude looking at your snapshot, it's not so high resolution. Look at the light lettering...fairly blurry. Of course, that tends to happen when flashes are used (typically lenses are shut down to their smallest f-stops (larger aperatures) before a flash is engaged (on automatics, especially) and that means depth-of-field is pretty much gone to shallow city (another reason flashes are a bad idea, but then so are automatic cameras where you can't control the aperture).

Have you tried viewing the table at higher resolutions like 1600x1200 or are you just whining because you have to reach for your monitor controls to adjust them to proper brightness and contrast levels?

I vote for option #3. You are being a troll, as usual lately.
 
That would be my second guess actually, you make the games so dark so it's easier to hide the flaws. :)

Funny little dig though, considering how I do my games, especially now.

As to the rest of it, well, what's the use. I no longer need to point out any of your shortcomings, other people are doing a far better job of that anyway from what I understand.
 
You're such a nice guy, Shiva. Everybody loves you! And your forums...not sure where they are or what version they are at now they've come and gone so often, but they are SO popular too! I know you just avoid VPF because I'm there (well maybe AJ too even though he's not 'really' there), so I'm sorry I make your life so difficult by existing! I've been so mean to you over the years so I can understand why you'd treat me with such kindness in our every encounter and even blame GlobalVR's mistakes on me personally because I didn't even happen to be reading these forums at the time.

Yes, Shiva, you are the greatest! And you MADE the VPM community! You are our founding father! How could we ever forget you or let you wallow in these empty forums without at least trying our hardest to beg you to come back and bless us all with your Shiva Wisdom and your latest Shiva Engine?! We are not worthy of you or your tables, however! We should bow down to Shiva The Great and lay roses at your feet! Truly, we all fall short of the Almighty Shiva!
 
That would be my second guess actually, you make the games so dark so it's easier to hide the flaws

Ah, here I thought it was to show off my fading lights and other lighting effects better, seeing as real pinball tables don't show lighting too well in the daylight and fading isn't very noticeable in such lighting either as there's too much contrast. That's why I thought I had been even converting older brighter tables to the darker look as I retrofit their lights, etc., but I'm sure you're right as the Almighty Shiva is never wrong! How could I even question my own intents in the face of that!?!

All bow to the Almighty One! :twisted:
 
Yes, Shiva, you are the greatest! And you MADE the VPM community! You are our founding father! How could we ever forget you or let you wallow in these empty forums without at least trying our hardest to beg you to come back and bless us all with your Shiva Wisdom and your latest Shiva Engine?! We are not worthy of you or your tables, however! We should bow down to Shiva The Great and lay roses at your feet! Truly, we all fall short of the Almighty Shiva!

See, even he now admits it. :)
 
Highrise at VPF said:
PD, you want this system to be working just as much as anyone. Your points are valid, but being so damn confrontational all the time is just slowing things down, and actually keeping you from what you would like to see.

Destruk at VPF said:
PD, you're quite difficult to interact with.

Well DUH!!!
Another two VP members wake up to reality.

How many will it take for your brain (what little of it exists) to realise what a prize jerk you are???
How many before you realise you need an attitude adjustment?
You are the biggest prick the VP world has ever seen. Bigger than Nicky Special even and NO not even the quality of you tables can shine up your tarnished reputation.
BTW Xenon is too dark and too steep IMO.
At least you made the bumper caps look decent this time.
 
Great thread.....and as usual........

Love%20is%20in%20the%20air.jpg
 
Correction, Leo. I'm the 2nd Greatest Prick. I'm not even in the same Universe as you when it comes to being a prick. I'll keep trying, though.
 
Pinball is best played in a darkened room. It keeps the feel of the old backroom arcade. Perhaps the re-creation is too dark. I haven't downloaded it yet, but the picture of the real game is too light. In light like that, the glass would give it too much glare.
 
I got a chance to play it. The look and feel is great, like a dark arcade. The table looks top notch. However it drains very easily at the outlanes, either bouncing off the lane guide or the top of the slingshots.
 
I love the darkness of this board and the light show around the edges. The darker the better. Brilliant work on this one, PacDude! A table that old shouldn't be all glossy and new looking, IMO. I'm enjoying your tables tremendously, Pacdude. Wherever you may be.
 
Wow, wangho! Way to bring a thread thats been dead for 2 years back to life. :)

Don't know if PacDude will see your reply, he's been gone from the scene for almost as long.

Sorta miss him.....

Kurt
 
hey Scapino, I love your version too, I'm just not sure I like the pinball itself. I've never played an original table, but it seems too fast
 
Xenon is a fast table. Its really wide open in the middle, and the ball gets kicked out fast from the saucer on the left side. The whole key to the game is nudging the ball into the top saucer many times to light the ramp for the ball lock on the left, to get the 2 ball multi-ball.

Kurt
 
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