Bug Android Version 1.5.0 Bugs and Feedback

[Pop Sergeant]

TAXI.

I can confirm, as reported by trachea, that the TOM (initials) high score in TAXI always appear at the top in the in-game high score table despite having all other high scores in excess of that one.

Can anyone replicate or confirm that the right in-lane occasionally seems to significantly accelerate the ball to the right flipper?

It seems to happen to me most times (if not all times) when the ball enters the in-lane travelling from left-to-right at a relative angle between 50-40 degrees (guesstimate) -the point being it seems to be limited to approaches from that approximate window but no others -- the ball contacts the wire and arcs around, accelerating like it's getting a gravity assist. The first dozen times this happened to me I assumed I was lagging on the timing of my flip ... but I'm starting to think its an actual and not a figment of my imagination.

Anyone?

PS: I'm not crazy. My mother had me tested.

;-)

Thanks.

 

[jaredmorgs]

Forgive me Ryan, I'm a bit of a process geek.

Naw I think its ok, the rom is indeed global, and so are the collision meshes.

Ahh, I see. The ROM code and collision meshes (what controls how the digital ball interacts with digital table objects) are single-sourced across all platforms.

So how a ball repels off a collision point of a slingshot rubber in Black Hole is common across all platforms?

However the assets that go into android & ios are separate, though they are derived from the console versions.

So in this case the PS3/xBox versions are the master branch, and iOS and Android fork the branch and develop separately.

I would imagine Retina display resolutions would play a huge part in having iOS and Android assets separated.

The art is always done from the top down, with the higher textures and more dense meshes (3d models) being done first then we down-res them.

So the art department create the highest-res models for the most graphically-rich platforms, and then iOS and Android branch these.

The Android and iOS teams then re-assemble them (I'm thinking digital pieces, like a Lego kit).

When you refer to "getting some cycles from Jason in Graphics", this makes more sense now. From my interpretation, Jason (or Jason's team if that is the case) is spread across all platforms, so you get his (team's) expertise in allocated chunks.

So we do have to make sure that they propagate changes down to us, which they do.

When a customer or developer observes a bug with on of the master table assets, the master files would need to be updated, then all other platforms need to pull down a version into their branch to begin work on. Then it needs to be added to the table and surrounding code implemented to mesh it back into the table.

I'm thinking specifically about the Creature ramp in CFTBL. This ramp is missing an entire wall, so this would need to be fixed in the console source master, then you guys would need to pull down your branch and integrate the fixed art into the game.

However the assets described are all located in the table files so they require a re-download so we try to fix as much as possible with a table before releasing a new version since we don't want them downloading for just one small art fix for example.

It's a shame you can't use some sort of delta system (think svn diff merges) to reduce the table size download. Only download a cumulative patch for the table, and apply this patch to the table assets. This is probably more trouble than it's worth though, in case the delta gets corrupted or some other vagary of download.

Thanks for sharing how the basic flow works. Probably not that interesting to other people, but to Quality and Continuous Improvement guys like me, it's geek-tastic.

 

[Ryan Routon]

So how a ball repels off a collision point of a slingshot rubber in Black Hole is common across all platforms?

Yup, but of course depending on when a platform updates their collision meshes and tuning files (also global) might be earler or later, impossible to keep them in synch since we are constantly making improvements.

I would imagine Retina display resolutions would play a huge part in having iOS and Android assets separated.

Actually for the most part they are the same, the ui assets differ however. The model textures are mipmap'd and that, the texture filters like the anisotropic, and the gpu determine which one to pick.

When you refer to "getting some cycles from Jason in Graphics", this makes more sense now. From my interpretation, Jason (or Jason's team if that is the case) is spread across all platforms, so you get his (team's) expertise in allocated chunks.

Yup, and they are constantly churning out new content so its a time issue.


And yes you got the rest of it right =) and the delta was considered but in practice impractical to implement, just too many variables

 

[Nik Barbour]

Your not the only one that's interested Jared!
I'm a mechanical engineer by trade, and a little bit obsessed with figuring out how things work.
My wife is so pi$$ed at how many things I tinker/improve/destroy!

(current project - design a better garlic press. Last one was design a phone mount for a ps3 controller.)

 

[rjspring]

First of all. LOVING pinball arcade on my tablet - great job FarSight.

I running it on my ASUS TF700, are there any plans to allow the game to run in the higher resolution supported by the transformer infinity? It currently stretches the game to fit on the screen - no complaining, it looks great but still just wondering.

As far as bugs go, I get lag on Arabian Nights table - just not as smooth as Pinbot or Medieval Madness which are the other two tables I frequently play. It will also crash a lot after completion of a game or when trying to exit the table to play other tables. The table is still playable, but just not the same experience as the other tables mentioned.

 

[Ryan Routon]

the 3d camera projection transform should fit the 3d bits to the screen. The 2d assets however are different. Odd about TOTAN, not sure why it would lag more, perhaps more transparency.

 

[rjspring]

Played through just about all the other tables, the only other one that had some lag was theater of magic. Both TOM and AR are playable, but there is a definite lack of smoothness compared to the others.

 

[Nik Barbour]

Just had a game of RBION in landscape, camera 1, view un-fixed.
Noticed as the camera pans up the table, I can see that god-awful carpet through the gap between the scoop and the playfield.
Also camera pans too slowly down the table, with ball quite often getting to flippers before they are fully visible on screen.
Only just gotten into this table, but been playing on the xbox. Not played much on Android.

In contrast, the Taxi, camera 1,unfixed in landscape, is a bit savage in the speed it pans. It's a bit disorientating, and could do with a bit of a slow down.

 

[Carl Spiby]

Will the ball physics from Taxi be ported to the other tables? Taxi feels spot on.

 

[Ryan Routon]

its a tuning file thing actually, each table has to be hand tuned to work properly.

Will the ball physics from Taxi be ported to the other tables? Taxi feels spot on.

 

[Bass Mummy]

I've noticed that there is an overall improvement on how many tables look (Gorgar and Black Hole, WOW) with the exception of RBION.

There seem to be numerous problems that have cropped up with this table. I'll post a .gif to show what I'm talking about.

The first part of the .gif is pre-Taxi / Harley Davidson update. The second screen is after the update (note the removal of the duplicate word "for" on the apron.)

• The right slig-shot mechanism seems to be embedded down in the playfield. (or something?)
  
• The wires are more polygonal looking and less circular and smooth. (Notice the circular wire that deposits the ball above the left inlane.)
  
• The box (temple, I think?) on the right side of the playfield has changed as well, and the area directly below it has drastically changed.
  
• Not shown in the .gif here, but a spring protrudes from the front of the table directly below the plunger on the ball launch screen.
  
• Finally, I'm not sure if this is intentional or not, but the flippers are slimmer now, too.

These screens were taken on a Nexus 7 tablet.

 

[Bass Mummy]

Just noticed another (minor) aesthetic issue, this time with BoP. Many of the flashing lights have now moved slightly off-center. This is more noticeable on lights that are closer to the edge of the table, so it's most noticeable on the 5X lights next to the spot targets and the "Extra ball" lights in the outlanes.

To get a good look at what I'm talking about go into the table instructions and skip to number 52. Here you can see the outlane light clearly off-center. Also, when you first start a game you can get a good look at the 5X lights as well.

Granted, this is purely aesthetic. I'm not trying to be nit-picky, just trying to help out.

I can also post a screencap to illustrate this if you'd like.

 

[jaredmorgs]

Just noticed that Android users will have to wait until iOS gets their 4-pack table updated into the App store, before Android gets NGG and EATPM.

Unless of course, you follow this thread

Thanks again Ryan for involving us in Beta Testing. We appreciate the trust you put in us to provide timely and thorough feedback.

 

[esp2000]

Just noticed that Android users will have to wait until iOS gets their 4-pack table updated into the App store, before Android gets NGG and EATPM.

Unless of course, you follow this thread

Thanks again Ryan for involving us in Beta Testing. We appreciate the trust you put in us to provide timely and thorough feedback.

Agreed all the way. Thank you very much for allowing us the oppertunity to be involved in the beta testing. Can't wait for the next pack.

 

[Michael DiFilippo]

Just noticed that Android users will have to wait until iOS gets their 4-pack table updated into the App store, before Android gets NGG and EATPM.

Unless of course, you follow this thread

Thanks again Ryan for involving us in Beta Testing. We appreciate the trust you put in us to provide timely and thorough feedback.

Once apple "approves" the four pack, android will release pack #6? So the android beta should be ready soon...

 

[Ryan Routon]

No problem, and thank you guys for helping me out with the huge fragmentation issue that exists for this platform. You guys give me peace of mind (I am sure my wife thanks you too .

We are ironing out a few more issues, but yes you will have the beta well before the release =)

 

[PiN WiZ]

Many, if not most, of the tables on Android seem to be missing light bulbs throughout the playfield. Is there plans to add the light bulbs (and possibly present with the light on state) in the near future?

 

[Ryan Routon]

im not sure (id have to ask jason) but I am pretty sure its a lod thing (level of detail) for turning off unnecessary polygons for the mobile versions so that we can get performance back. In the future when the hardware can handle it yes we do plan to do just that.

 

[PiN WiZ]

im not sure (id have to ask jason) but I am pretty sure its a lod thing (level of detail) for turning off unnecessary polygons for the mobile versions so that we can get performance back. In the future when the hardware can handle it yes we do plan to do just that.

Thanks Ryan...

 

[Terranigma]

I find this constantly crashes on MY galaxy s3 when I use tvout via hml adapter. Works fine when just playing on the phone itself.