Bug Hunt: We Need Your Skill

[Sean DonCarlos]

In an effort to get the buggiest table in The Pinball Arcade rehabilitated, I'm calling a general bug hunt. Basically, there are a lot of issues in the Cirqus Voltaire Master Issues List whose status is unknown, and even some of the confirmed issues have been out there so long that no one is sure if they've been fixed or if they're still a problem. So the list is not very useful anymore in determining what needs fixing.

This is where you come in. If you'd like to participate, grab your device of choice, read over the issues list, select a bug to reproduce, and then try to break the table. Regardless if you succeed or not, report your findings by posting here, using the following as a guide:

Bug report template
You must be able to reproduce a bug more than once before reporting.

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Bug Number: Use the number from the master issues list, like "07-001". If you find a new bug, report it in its own thread in the Cirqus Voltaire forum.
Device: iPad 3, Nexus 7, PS3, PC, etc.
OS: iOS v6.1.3, Jelly Bean, Windows 7 SP1 64-bit, etc. Leave blank for consoles.
TPA Version: As of 07 Sep 2013, this is one of "iOS v2.7.0", "Android v1.17.0", "PS3 v2.15", "PC beta v0.015".
Frequency of Occurrence: “60% of the time”, “Every ball that enters the crate”

Expected Result: “During 'Crate Multiball' ball enters the crate and is launched back into play from the right”
Actual Result: ”Entering the crate at maximum velocity causes the ball to fly through the crate into the deadheads”

Comment: Please be descriptive. Explain the steps taken to produce the bug and explain exactly what happened as a result.

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This hunt will go on until 28 Sep 2013 or until we've reached a conclusion on all issues. Once it ends, I will collect the results and forward to FarSight's testing department.

If this experiment is successful, we'll move on to some of the other tables (probably Black Knight, since I'm not sure what happened to the promised emulation). Good luck hunting!

 

[jbejarano]

From the other thread (so you can have all Bug Hunt bugs in one place):

Not sure if it's still worthwhile to post bugs to Cirqus Voltaire as there are so many already, and there have been calls to overhaul the whole thing, but I have been plagued by these and I didn't see them on Sean's master list yet:

(All bugs found on iPad 4 / 6.1.3)

- Camera does not return to plunger while exactly one ball is locked for Highwire Multiball.
Description: If one ball is locked for Highwire Multiball, and a ball needs to be plunged, the game does not change to the plunger camera. The ball can only be plunged by engaging the right flipper which plunges the ball at full strength (no opportunity for a skill shot). This does not occur when zero or two balls are locked for Highwire Multiball.
Frequency: I think 100%.

- Second ball locked for Highwire Multiball does not "settle" properly.
Description: When locking the second ball for Highwire Multiball (either traditionally or sneakily), often times the ball does not come to rest properly on the first ball that is already locked there. Often times, you'll hear the "two balls colliding" click repeatedly and the game gets stuck. A nudge to the table usually fixes this, but it's a nuisance and if you don't know to nudge the table, it's a game breaker.
Frequency: 50-80% of the time. Sometimes the ball collision click doesn't happen, sometimes it does. Sometimes the "Ball 2 Locked" animation plays on the DMD before settling the ball properly, sometimes it doesn't. This one is a bit inconsistent in its behavior, but it seems to happen more often than not.

- Camera does not move to backglass for Cannonball Run
Description: If you begin engaging the flippers too early during Cannonball Run, the camera may remain focused on the table with the action going on above your field of view. This seems like the complimentary doppleganger of Bug 07-015.
Frequency: 20% or less. I haven't seen this all the time, but it does seem to be more likely if I hit the flippers very early for Cannonball Run.

Also, I can absolutely confirm Bug 07-016 (Starting new game leaves table in attract mode). That same bug also afflicts Funhouse.

Thanks, Sean. For your Bug Hunt, today I was able to re-create all of the above more than once except for the Cannonball Run issue. (I can't freakin' get it to give me Cannonball Run as a sideshow reward ).

However, I do have one further note about the "Camera does not return to plunger while exactly one ball is locked for Highwire Multiball" bug. It looks like if you have one ball locked, but you also have TWO stacked lit locks (i.e. enough to lock all the remaining balls needed for Highwire Multiball), then I've gotten this bug to not occur. It seems you have to have one ball locked and you still need to be able to light one more lock for this bug to happen. Strange set of circumstances, but there you are.

 

[Sean DonCarlos]

There unfortunately doesn't seem to be much interest in this effort, so I'm going to close the bug hunt. Thanks jbejarano for your participation!