A VERY dangerous thread!

[Sean]

No, you're right Mike didn't start it, my mistake. He certainly didn't need to pop in here. I think it's pretty clear what I mean. The original post was a request of the things you'd most like changed/improved/added. Not "have a go at us," which I think some of the posts definitely qualify as.

 

[Tabe]

That's not really a fair statement. I'm not the PS3 developer.

I'm going to half-agree with you, Mike and give a half-apology. I don't mean that to sound nearly as obnoxious as it might so please hear me out:

While my comment was directed in response to a quote from you, it was not directed at you personally. Hence my use of "we" in my comment. You're the 360 guy, fair enough, I don't expect you to understand the nuances of the PS3 platform. That said, SOMEONE at Farsight is the PS3 developer. Someone in the collective at Farsight should have been aware of this aspect of the PS3 platform. The fact that no one did really does scream that you - the collective "you" (Farsight), not you in particular, Mike - don't understand the platform on which you're releasing software. I'm sure that comment probably stings but it's still true.

So, Mike, I apologize for offending you. I won't apologize for directing that comment at Farsight in general.

Tabe

 

[Tabe]

I'd also like to see less attacks and ranting in this thread. [Farsight] didn't have to start the thread so let's try to keep an elevated tone and a constructive atmosphere.

I agree with you. As the purveyor of a few of the attacks, I will do my best to try and keep things to constructive criticism in the future.

Tabe

 

[Mike Reitmeyer]

I'm going to half-agree with you, Mike and give a half-apology. I don't mean that to sound nearly as obnoxious as it might so please hear me out:

While my comment was directed in response to a quote from you, it was not directed at you personally. Hence my use of "we" in my comment. You're the 360 guy, fair enough, I don't expect you to understand the nuances of the PS3 platform. That said, SOMEONE at Farsight is the PS3 developer. Someone in the collective at Farsight should have been aware of this aspect of the PS3 platform. The fact that no one did really does scream that you - the collective "you" (Farsight), not you in particular, Mike - don't understand the platform on which you're releasing software. I'm sure that comment probably stings but it's still true.

So, Mike, I apologize for offending you. I won't apologize for directing that comment at Farsight in general.

Tabe

It's been over a year, but what I remember was I made the Xbox version the way it is (due to previously mentioned issues with profiles). The PS3 developer asked me about mulitplayer and I told him why we did it that way. Somewhere between him and managment the decision was made to make it the same way to simplify development.

That said, we may be able to change that.

 

[Andassaran]

iOS: (not in any particular order)

1. Working forward nudge and sensitivity adjustments.
2. Higher fidelity audio. Compare game sounds of the iOS version to *any* other platform and you'll see what I mean.
3. Fixed display animations on the alphanumeric machines (bride and funhouse missing the per-segment brightness controls, some of the animations are wrong, usually involving blinking text, etcetera. Look at real machines for reference)
4. Backwards art and horrendously bad scripting on Black Knight. Sounds are completely missing, light show at start of multiball missing, bonus count is ALL wrong... The list goes on.
5. Fix the camera angles on the iPhone 5. Half of the tables are unplayable on any angle.
6. Overlapping sounds on tables that shouldn't do it. The Bride and Creature come to mind.
7. Put the HUDs of Elvira and Dr. Dude in their proper orientation. They were 32x1 line, not 16x2. Makes the animations look weird especially the ones that use both displays and "meet in the middle" so to speak.
8. Make the features that are supposed to carry over from game to game such as E-l-v-I-r-a, the Dude-O-Meter on Dr. Dude, the jackpot on Bride, etc, as well as the special score lists such as ... Well anything that's not the main score list persist between sessions. Every one of the features mentioned survives on the real table even if the machine is powered off. No reason it can't be done here too.

 

[Tabe]

It's been over a year, but what I remember was I made the Xbox version the way it is (due to previously mentioned issues with profiles). The PS3 developer asked me about mulitplayer and I told him why we did it that way. Somewhere between him and managment the decision was made to make it the same way to simplify development.

That said, we may be able to change that.

I hope so, Mike. It's a pretty big oversight/flaw.

Tabe

 

[Andassaran]

Another flaw I'd like to see fixed that's common across all platforms... the flipper gap in Medieval Madness! It's only marginally too big, but still inaccurate nonetheless and it does impede gameplay. Here's photos showing what i'm talking about.

Image courtesy of IPDB.org

And now TPA's rendition:

Images may not be 100% to scale with each other.

 

[xAzatothx]

man.... given the current glut of issues, that flipper gap issue has to be way down the list of priority. Majority of my drains on MM are via outlanes.

 

[brakel]

It's been over a year, but what I remember was I made the Xbox version the way it is (due to previously mentioned issues with profiles). The PS3 developer asked me about mulitplayer and I told him why we did it that way. Somewhere between him and managment the decision was made to make it the same way to simplify development.

That said, we may be able to change that.

It seems like such a weird choice to make. I have several turn-based multiplayer games (golf, mini golf, disc golf, bowling, whatever you'd call Pain) for the PS3 and only in TPA do we have to pass the controller or change the controller ID # between turns.

 

[shutyertrap]

Seriously? The flipper gap again?

By this point, haven't we all gotten used to the gap on MM? If the gap was tightened that ever so slight bit, are scores going to exponentially increase? Fixing that gap isn't just simply moving the flippers in closer. The entire table would have to be re-tuned for all the new trajectory angles that would cause. I don't know about the rest of you, but MM plays pretty damn good as is, and that took a few times of tweaking to get it like that. The gain of closing the gap doesn't seem to be worth the potential of ruining how well it plays now.

Whether it is accurately modeled or not in the flipper, MM is perfectly playable and challenging. By no means is the gap a 'game breaker' or something that makes it less playable, as can be witnessed by the top scores in the leaderboard.

 

[kimkom]

The flipper gap isn't a problem for me. What I do find interesting though is that the left flipper runs at a slightly steeper angle than the right flipper. I seem to recall that I've noticed this on other tables too.

Odd, but I don't lose sleep over it.

 

[Bass Mummy]

I thought that the flipper gap issue had been rectified. At least, in version 1.9 on Android (I think this was the STTNG release) the flippers narrowed considerably along with the rest of the table getting a serious tune-up.

 

[Andassaran]

On iOS the gap makes the castle an instant death drain. No amount of nudging can get it to a flipper, at least in my experience.

And in reply to shutyertrap: the mission statement does say "exact digital recreations"...

 

[Matt McIrvin]

The flipper gap isn't a problem for me. What I do find interesting though is that the left flipper runs at a slightly steeper angle than the right flipper. I seem to recall that I've noticed this on other tables too.

Odd, but I don't lose sleep over it.

Are you sure? I thought that too, but I think it might be an optical illusion caused by the scroll artwork on the playfield. But I haven't measured it pixel-for-pixel.

 

[Matt McIrvin]

I thought that the flipper gap issue had been rectified. At least, in version 1.9 on Android, (I think this was the STTNG release) the flippers narrowed considerably along with the rest of the table getting a serious tune-up.

I think it actually happened in two installments: first there was a massive revision of the physics in which the flipper rubber got much less bouncy, then they narrowed the gap. It felt like a completely different, much less vicious table after that.

 

[Tabe]

On iOS the gap makes the castle an instant death drain. No amount of nudging can get it to a flipper, at least in my experience.

That's why, on the PS3 anyway, I hit the castle from the right flipper using an indirect shot off the drawbridge sides. Indirect hit works pretty much every time.

Tabe

 

[Mike Reitmeyer]

For the ps3:

1) Fix the bug when two people make the high score list in one game, the game locks up after the first player enters his initials requiring a force close of the game.

2) Add multiple controller support for multi-player games.

I believe I have a fix for #1

 

[brakel]

I believe I have a fix for #1

If you fix that I'll buy you a beer or coffee or whatever!

 

[Tabe]

I believe I have a fix for #1

Nice. Not an issue for me but I know other people have griped about this.

Tabe

 

[Metalzoic]

Seriously? The flipper gap again?

By this point, haven't we all gotten used to the gap on MM? If the gap was tightened that ever so slight bit, are scores going to exponentially increase? Fixing that gap isn't just simply moving the flippers in closer. The entire table would have to be re-tuned for all the new trajectory angles that would cause. I don't know about the rest of you, but MM plays pretty damn good as is, and that took a few times of tweaking to get it like that. The gain of closing the gap doesn't seem to be worth the potential of ruining how well it plays now.

Whether it is accurately modeled or not in the flipper, MM is perfectly playable and challenging. By no means is the gap a 'game breaker' or something that makes it less playable, as can be witnessed by the top scores in the leaderboard.

What? Why would people getting used to it matter in the slightest? Just because you can get used to something doesn't make it OK that it was done wrong in the first place.

I agree that the more gamebreaking bugs should be first priority, but the MM gap has kind of become the poster child for the overall quality of the game and definitely needs to be fixed.