Battle the Power - Submit Your Tough Questions for the BlahCade Podcast #7...no, #8!

[Sean DonCarlos]

Alright folks, I've assaulted your eardrums for the past 5 podcasts with what I've wanted to talk about for the "Lost in the Zone" segment of the TPA Barcade podcast, now it's your chance to turn the tables. Post your burning questions about TPA or about real pinball that you'd like to see discussed on the air next podcast in this thread, and we'll choose the 3 most interesting questions for live discussion and debate.

No vulgar or insulting questions, please; this is a PG-13 rated contest.

 

[Pinballwiz45b]

Chances of seeing Banzai Run at all on TPA?

On that point, I wonder how hard they'll make the upper playfield?

 

[Fungi]

If images in the TPA tables are actually scanned from the real tables, how do things like "BOUNS" and missing bats and spiders from the SS backglass happen?

 

[Zombie Aladdin]

What are some things you'd like to see on a pinball machine that nobody has ever implemented?

Or maybe:
Stern and Skit-B are the only groups making pinball machines for commercial purposes that have not switched to monitors. Do you think the "DMD era" is coming to an end, to be replaced with the "monitor era"?

 

[Rudy hates me]

If FS plans to continue with one table a month, how much chance is there of seeing lesser requested non-DMD tables, such as Bad Cats, Mousin Around and Fire!?

 

[brakel]

Please discuss everything to do with the pinball machine Comet and how its the best pinball machine that is not in TPA yet. Also please discuss the difference in usage between machine and table within the confines of pinball.

 

[Captain B. Zarre]

How could Data East machines be emulated and are they as difficult to emulate as the Whitestar ROMs (ie Ripley's)?

 

[Jazza]

What will TPA look like 5 years from now? What innovation is on the drawing board?

 

[Nightwing]

Chances of seeing Banzai Run at all on TPA?

On that point, I wonder how hard they'll make the upper playfield?

What wiz said!

 

[Rudy hates me]

I'd have thought Banzai Run was a no brainer. It's been said plenty of times that DMD games sell much better, but even casuals and DMD purists have got to be drawn in by the fact it's got a second playfield in the back glass! I think it has greater sales potential than any other non-DMD to those who aren't usually interested.

 

[big_kick]

Is there any chance of 70s Sega tables like Sapporo or Big Kick?

 

[brakel]

I'd have thought Banzai Run was a no brainer. It's been said plenty of times that DMD games sell much better, but even casuals and DMD purists have got to be drawn in by the fact it's got a second playfield in the back glass! I think it has greater sales potential than any other non-DMD to those who aren't usually interested.

I bet they're waiting until season 4 or 5 when more mobiles will be able to handle the increased processing needed to run an expanded play area.

 

[jaredmorgs]

If images in the TPA tables are actually scanned from the real tables, how do things like "BOUNS" and missing bats and spiders from the SS backglass happen?

I know the spinning spider on the back box on Scared Stiff is actually one huge alpha pane. Was this missing? Are you talking about other art?

Care to elaborate on the textual issues you're citing? Coz I've got no idea about what you're talking about.

 

[Rudy hates me]

Is there any chance of 70s Sega tables like Sapporo or Big Kick?

I'll answer this one now: No. Sadly, while FS are only doing one table a month, we're not going to see anything that old. I'm sure they wouldn't have touched High Speed if not for the constant requests, but I can't see them doing anything older. I'd be surprised if 8 Ball Deluxe got in, despite the constant requests. I heard High Speed being described as a dinosaur, so what would these people think of an even older, less sophisticated table? It's all about potential sales at the end of the day, which is why we're gonna miss out on a lot of great pre-DMD pins.

As per my question in this thread, I really want Bad Cats and Mousin Around, but realistically I'm not holding out much hope, and they're not even that old.

 

[Fungi]

I know the spinning spider on the back box on Scared Stiff is actually one huge alpha pane. Was this missing? Are you talking about other art?

Care to elaborate on the textual issues you're citing? Coz I've got no idea about what you're talking about.

"BOUNS". Genie. Been there for years. Before the PC version was released. Now it's on the PC version. And FS knew about it. And still let it on the PC version anyway. Good time to fix it would be before letting it happen. Didn't matter apparently. Doesn't matter to me really, but back to my original question. If the boards are scanned, how can there be a misspelling?

 

[netizen]

"BOUNS". Genie. Been there for years. Before the PC version was released. Now it's on the PC version. And FS knew about it. And still let it on the PC version anyway. Good time to fix it would be before letting it happen. Didn't matter apparently. Doesn't matter to me really, but back to my original question. If the boards are scanned, how can there be a misspelling?

In the case of Genie it is from the HOF collection where nothing was scanned. They were created from pictures, and that art was carried over to make for fast conversion in addition to the scanning of new machines to create the TPA tables. Do we really want to re-hash all this stuff again?

Now that the HOF tables are done blah blah 1 a month, drama

 

[Fungi]

In the case of Genie it is from the HOF collection where nothing was scanned. They were created from pictures, and that art was carried over to make for fast conversion in addition to the scanning of new machines to create the TPA tables. Do we really want to re-hash all this stuff again?

Now that the HOF tables are done blah blah 1 a month, drama

Ohhhhhh. Considering what FS originally stated about redoing the tables, it didn't even occur to me to check the PHOF Genie. OK, question answered.

 

[jaredmorgs]

"BOUNS". Genie. Been there for years. Before the PC version was released. Now it's on the PC version. And FS knew about it. And still let it on the PC version anyway. Good time to fix it would be before letting it happen. Didn't matter apparently. Doesn't matter to me really, but back to my original question. If the boards are scanned, how can there be a misspelling?

Maybe if the playfield art is damaged, the manual touch up process introduces tyop issues?

 

[Fungi]

Maybe if the playfield art is damaged, the manual touch up process introduces tyop issues?

I see what you did there. BTW, I saw your posts about Free Gold Watch and the Pinball Museum. So how was your trip altogether?

 

[Mike Reitmeyer]

Maybe if the playfield art is damaged, the manual touch up process introduces tyop issues?

This is most likely what happened. I think they sometimes type over bad source art to clean it up. More common on older tables since the art is usually faded or damaged.

The scared stiff backglass is multiple layers with alpha. I think an artist accidentally erased the bats/spiders from the one layer.