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Welcome Back to Digital Pinball Fans - please read this first
Describe the difference between "emulated" and "scripted."
- Thread starter Watchman
- Start date
Emulation in this context is a way of reproducing part of the original hardware in software. this enables farsightt to "read" the original rom, as far as the rom is concerned it's running on the real deal machine.
Scripting is a "rule sheet" where they hand write the rules as accurately as they can so it conforms to the original without using an original rom. This is required when a system is electromechical and pre digital, or if farsighted emulation doesn't support a certain main board or cpu, which is the case for some of the earlier machines such as black knight and firepower.
You'd notice better accuracy f such tables were updated.(black knight is pretty borked)
I tried to make this as simple as possible heh, there's much more detail of course and I've never seen the source code but I hope this confirms your thinking lol
Welcome to the funny farm
Scripting is a "rule sheet" where they hand write the rules as accurately as they can so it conforms to the original without using an original rom. This is required when a system is electromechical and pre digital, or if farsighted emulation doesn't support a certain main board or cpu, which is the case for some of the earlier machines such as black knight and firepower.
You'd notice better accuracy f such tables were updated.(black knight is pretty borked)
I tried to make this as simple as possible heh, there's much more detail of course and I've never seen the source code but I hope this confirms your thinking lol
Welcome to the funny farm
Emulated tables run the real pinball ROM files, scripted tables run a recreation of the rules. Scripts get updated when tables do, so as tables get bug fixed, you'll notice when things that didn't work start working because there's a rule for it now. You can really only script the earlier tables because the rule set is pretty simple (EMs are especially simple even though the electrics are complex, and early SS pins were just using the processors to simplify the electrics). Scripting later tables get complex fast when you have a lot of state to manage.
Emulated ones will exhibit all the original behaviors of the tables, including all the original bugs and machine crashes because they run the original code. Farsight cannot fix this so it remains part of the "charm" of the machine.
Hidden easter eggs will not be in a scripted table unless someone actually tells them to script it in. But they will be on emulated tables because it's the same code real pins run.
There's also a third mode, not in TPA, and that's compiled mode - which is used for the Stern Pinball Arcade. Here they don't emulate or script. Instead, they compile the actual source code running on the pin for the device. So it's running the same code as the real pinball table, but it's running it natively on the CPU rather than through an emulated version of the original hardware processor.
Emulated ones will exhibit all the original behaviors of the tables, including all the original bugs and machine crashes because they run the original code. Farsight cannot fix this so it remains part of the "charm" of the machine.
Hidden easter eggs will not be in a scripted table unless someone actually tells them to script it in. But they will be on emulated tables because it's the same code real pins run.
There's also a third mode, not in TPA, and that's compiled mode - which is used for the Stern Pinball Arcade. Here they don't emulate or script. Instead, they compile the actual source code running on the pin for the device. So it's running the same code as the real pinball table, but it's running it natively on the CPU rather than through an emulated version of the original hardware processor.
- Mar 14, 2012
- 7,334
- 0
Everything that's already been said, plus this...
With emulation, it's not just the rules of the game playing exactly as they should, but also sound and lighting. There are light patterns that scripting just doesn't cover unless the person writing the script is VERY familiar with ever possible combination the lights run in. Sound is a little easier to script for, but there are still instances where certain sounds cancel or override other sounds, and unless again you know every variation, it's not gonna be accurate.
As mentioned, with the EMs this isn't much of an issue. Follow the relay chain, you can reproduce what happens when. With solid state machines, it's a whole other ball of wax. Black Hole was a mess before emulation, with certain rules being wholesale wrong. Black Knight is a pale shadow of itself. Gorgar and Firepower are alright, but they miss some nuances that should be there.
With emulation, it's not just the rules of the game playing exactly as they should, but also sound and lighting. There are light patterns that scripting just doesn't cover unless the person writing the script is VERY familiar with ever possible combination the lights run in. Sound is a little easier to script for, but there are still instances where certain sounds cancel or override other sounds, and unless again you know every variation, it's not gonna be accurate.
As mentioned, with the EMs this isn't much of an issue. Follow the relay chain, you can reproduce what happens when. With solid state machines, it's a whole other ball of wax. Black Hole was a mess before emulation, with certain rules being wholesale wrong. Black Knight is a pale shadow of itself. Gorgar and Firepower are alright, but they miss some nuances that should be there.
vikingerik
Active member
- Nov 6, 2013
- 1,205
- 0
An electromechanical table can be emulated. You could have software keep track of every relay and stepper motor and everything, and trigger them according to playfield switch inputs. It's just a lot more work and little real benefit over rewriting the rules in a programming language.
*rolls eyes* yes with enough power anything can be emulatated , it's the matrix lads! Try to keep it in context
Edit - don't mean to sound harsh but singularity or simulation/matrix folks are a pet peeve of mine lol. With the op original question being non technical KISS! No need to be overly pedantic about it
Edit - don't mean to sound harsh but singularity or simulation/matrix folks are a pet peeve of mine lol. With the op original question being non technical KISS! No need to be overly pedantic about it
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just take the blue pill and you'll be fine.
9u1d0
New member
- Jan 7, 2013
- 310
- 0
On the PSP version (The Gottlieb Collection) I remember Black Hole was pretty much unplayable. If I remember right all drop targets on the lower field had to be completed several times before the re-entry gate opened. In current TPA version only one bank of drop targets needs to be completed to open the re-entry gate.
dtown8532
New member
- Apr 10, 2012
- 1,685
- 0
Make sure there's carpet because...when you crash, you WILL crash. Kaboom!
- Feb 19, 2012
- 8,144
- 2
Wait, Black Hole is emulated now? I guess I've been away so long from TPA that I missed it or just forgot? I remember them getting it to behave more realistically than the initial messy state, but I don't remember them actually slapping emulation in. However, I do remember bugging Bobby and he gang about it though!
francis247uk
Member
- Jul 7, 2012
- 480
- 1
Black Knight is now emulated! Fingers crossed for the other tables at some point too.
EDIT: To confirm, just Gorgar, Black Hole and Firepower (1) outstanding? Flippyfloppy mentioned on the iOS page that Gorgar emulation is on the way
EDIT: To confirm, just Gorgar, Black Hole and Firepower (1) outstanding? Flippyfloppy mentioned on the iOS page that Gorgar emulation is on the way
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