Directx 11

[TNT]

I still can't believe what Directx 11 has done for the PC version. I thought the Dx 9 looked good but the Dx 11 looks awesome.

I don't know if it is a coincidence but I play TPA more than I used to and rarely touch Visual Pinball these days whereas before it was about 50/50.

 

[pm1109]

I still can't believe what Directx 11 has done for the PC version. I thought the Dx 9 looked good but the Dx 11 looks awesome.

I don't know if it is a coincidence but I play TPA more than I used to and rarely touch Visual Pinball these days whereas before it was about 50/50.

Yep DX11 looks incredible on PC.

 

[Heretic]

eye candy is one thing but i still prefer the ipad over any other platform, it may not look pretty but lets face it in reality tablets were made for 3 things retro gaming pinball and books(you thought i was gonna say porn didnt you?)

 

[MagnumXL]

It seems to me that with the introduction of the METAL API in iOS (and in OSX in September with the release of El Capitain), that the DX11 effects can and should be implemented in both the iOS and OS X versions. I sincerely doubt they will, however due to bugs mentioned YEARS ago still being there. In other words, they seem more interested in moving on to making more new tables (quite a schedule going there really) than going back and addressing issues on older tables or updating them with features used in newer tables (e.g. working DMD on backbox in attract mode).

For example, on the Mac version of Twilight Zone, the white colored Powerball will NOT even appear when the game loads. It looks like every other ball in the gumball machine. If you go in the Extras menu and change the ball to a custom ball, then the Powerball magically turns white. The only improvement I've seen since a couple of years ago when I first reported the bug is that now if you change the ball back to the default ball, the Powerball will stay white (before it would turn back into a regular ball meaning you HAD to play with a custom ball in order to see the Powerball). But if you do anything to reset the table (e.g. enter the Pro mode coinbox), the balls in the Gumball will reload and it will go back to the default ball instead of the white colored Powerball. The Windows version does not have this issue. If you look at the "door" modes on the Mac verison, the "lit" version has dark spots that are darker than the unlit spot and this makes it look WEIRD when they light up (fixed on the Windows version). I reported that years ago too. No fix. No changes. No time, it seems. I'm well aware of these types of issues as I used to make Visual Pinball recreations including TZ, TAF, WW, RoadShow and about 30 others. I like Pinball Arcade, but these issues need fixed on the Mac/iOS version.

The lighting is another issue. As many of you know, the DX9 Windows version looks darker overall with more pronounced GI lighting, etc. than the Mac/iOS versions. Other than GI lighting support on TAF, I've seen few if any reasons to explain this discrepancy other than lack of sharing between programmers. Based on my monitor's gamma setting and playing with OS X's monitor lighting, I've been able to adjust the lighting locally to look 90% like the Windows DX9 version just by changing Gamma and the Brightness/Contrast output. In short, the Mac/iOS versions look like "daylight" compared to the DX9 versions which look like a medium lit room. The DX11 version looks like a DARK room. While it might be some real work to get the DX11 effects in the OS X version until Metal comes out in a few weeks for OS X (then it should be doable), MOST of the differences between the DX9 and iOS/OSX versions are arbitrary. They could be easily adjusted. I've simply seen no effort made towards that end. I think part of the problem is that the programmers may be isolated from the feedback/message forums. I've seen someone come in and say they'll try to convey that to the programmers. Well, that's not cutting it. The programmers themselves need to contrast/compare the versions and look at the feedback. Why bother to do all that work to make an iOS/OSX version and then cheapen it with broad daylight ambient lighting when a few gamma and contrast adjustments would solve the problem and make it look 90% like the Windows version? There are some other color issues in some of the tables, etc. as well (it's not 100% just those three settings), but it would make one hell of a visual difference, IMO.

As for Visual Pinball versus Pinball Arcade, there's obviously a lot of appeal to having true 3D tables that the camera can move around and fully working 3D toys (e.g. Junkyard's wrecking ball is SO much better than the old Bubblehead simulation), but I find SOME of the lighting effects vastly inferior (having made the fading light system myself in VP). Tables like Firepower had recessed lights on the real table with lens covers. The lights should look three dimensional, but it's obvious that they just took a 2D playfield and colored them over (standard practice for most authors in VP). I used Photoshop to layer the lights from homemade light bulb effects and then used the decals over them AND then made an animation of the incandescent light bulb bloom underneath. This made the bulbs look 3D and like real lights in a dark room (i.e. only LED lights don't bloom as they cool which are standard on newer Sterns but were never used on older Ball/Williams games, etc. Capcom (if they ever add any) had fading lights for each bulb set to different voltages. Not recreating something like that would result in a sub-standard lighting look. All these things just need a little more detail/work done on them to make some of these tables look perfect. Unfortunately, older tables have more baggage than newer tables (i.e. newer tables' flashers project a flash effect on other surfaces even on the Mac/iOS versions, but the 1st gen tables often do not and the aforementioned light lens issues are still there etc. You'll notice the DMDs do not "work" on the backboards on early tables like Theatre of Magic (which being my favorite disappoints me). They DO work on newer tables. It's obvious they simply have never gone back to update the older tables. The Windows version seems to do better because it was made after the iOS/Mac/PS3/XBox versions and so some things clearly go attention on that version since someone LOOKED at them.

Many many pinball tables have GI effects (several years back VPinmame added support for multi-level GI) and when they're missing you tend to notice it compared to the real table. I was surprised to see Addams Family made an attempt to do GI Lighting on the Windows version, but no such luck on the Mac version. TZ's slingshots and return lanes have "lit bulbs" underneath them on the Mac version, but the plastics show no sign of a lit bulb on them on top (looks odd). Stranger yet, the Mac version of TZ has the "blue bumper" inserts on the return ramps (present on the real machine) and the Windows version has plain metal versions (wrong) so not everything is "better" on the Windows versions.

I also miss support that VP/Vpinmame has for different ROM sets, etc. For example, Earthshaker in VP with the prototype ROM has support for a working building toy. While I only had so many frames I could work with for a "reel" animation, I did at least attempt to make a fully supported moving building version and it works fine (building lacks frames but it does move with the lights still moving, etc.). Earthshaker in Pinball Arcade "talks" about the early machines having moving buildings, but doesn't have any support for it, which is a shame since it would be a simple toy for them to implement from what I've seen of all the working toys they DO have in various tables.

Why aren't there CREDIT keys for a Pro Menu "Credit" mode? I never liked FREE PLAY because all the credits you win just disappear. Switching to CREDIT mode does seem to auto-add some credits for you at first, but how much bother would it be for them to assign a keyboard (or controller) key to add credits in that mode? It wouldn't take hardly any effort at all. So it's mind boggling to me that it's missing. I'm not sure how to activate a martian bomb either in Attack From Mars (key?).

I like the "move around the table" mode in the Pro Menu, but why just in a 2D top-down view? Why can't you move the camera wherever you want it to and have it move on other axis as well? Surely there are lots of keys and/or hold a mouse button to shift view that would work.

The "scroll" select table menu was OK when it first came out and there weren't very many tables, but having to scroll through DOZENS of tables to find the one you want is getting OLD. I really think they need a better selection screen, at least for the home computer versions. A LIST with a SEARCH function would do, even. I just want to get to the tables faster.

Addams Family puts the "THING" overlay to the RIGHT of the DMD. This puts it across the top of the table. Why not put it UNDER the DMD instead?

Why do you have to have a different camera view for plunging the ball, particularly on auto-plunge tables? You can often see the plunger position just fine from the playing views. Moving the camera detracts from the game, IMO, which is why I lock all the camera views. I do not move my head around the table on real machines all the time nor do I put my nose on the glass (lowest view mode is unusable).

Finally, I'd say the games could use a better "knock" sound. There are plenty available online so I don't know why it has such a mushy sounding knocker. Most real tables sound like a sharp THWACK when the knocker goes off. Addams Family sounded a bit mushier and the Pinball 2000 games were faked with some awful noise through the speakers, but the best yet would be the real table's knocker being custom for each table (i.e. authentic) when possible.

Of course, I'd like to see more table variety from them, particularly ones that were hard to recreate in VP (e.g. Capcom's Pinball Magic with its moving magic wand magnet hand in loop-to-loop skill shot) along with some Sega/Data East tables.

 

[L33]

I still can't believe what Directx 11 has done for the PC version. I thought the Dx 9 looked good but the Dx 11 looks awesome.

I don't know if it is a coincidence but I play TPA more than I used to and rarely touch Visual Pinball these days whereas before it was about 50/50.

Glad I saw this thread because Im about to upgrade to DX11 and was wondering if there was a big difference between DX9 and Dx11...quite looking forward to it now

 

[Firefox2000]

Glad I saw this thread because Im about to upgrade to DX11 and was wondering if there was a big difference between DX9 and Dx11...quite looking forward to it now

You are in for a treat bud, Dx11 lighting effects on the tables are awesome.

 

[hammr25]

Glad I saw this thread because Im about to upgrade to DX11 and was wondering if there was a big difference between DX9 and Dx11...quite looking forward to it now

There definitely is a big difference. It's a night and day difference depending on how you set the light levels for each table.

 

[mpad]

Glad I saw this thread because Im about to upgrade to DX11 and was wondering if there was a big difference between DX9 and Dx11...quite looking forward to it now

I can't believe you are still not convinced
I follow you until you finally get that update for your pc

It's like a car. If you have a new big engine with lots of hp it will run faster as an old crappy small engine with not so much hp. No doubt there.

 

[L33]

I can't believe you are still not convinced
I follow you until you finally get that update for your pc

It's like a car. If you have a new big engine with lots of hp it will run faster as an old crappy small engine with not so much hp. No doubt there.

Ha Ha...Just with having the PS4 version I've been used to those graphics, but with my pants computer and everything 'turned off' theres a big difference between those two now. So, looking forward to DX11. Whilst I can almost get away running DX9, some games/views have been causing issues. And Ive been asked to record a few games to see how they look on the table, and the quality looked terrible because of the basic setup so it's nice to have finally upgraded...just gotta wait 2 weeks for it to arrive though.

 

[mpad]

You won't regret it!
I dunno if it is a major visual improvement over ps4 (the sliders definitely are), but now that you are used to the worst you will be blown away!

 

[TheSlayerNL]

I still don't like the way dx11 looks though, especially because many tables have weird "darker" areas where there are less lights, combined with the ball not reflecting all light makes it annoying to keep track. It does look better then dx9, but I somehow expected more, maybe it will eventually look better.

 

[Robert Misner]

I love it..The DX11 and updated flippers have really pushed TPA back to the forefront, by a wide margin I think. Where as 8months ago it felt like they were really just gonna coast to the middle of the road.
I've been trying a lot of VP9 Physmod5 and its really cool but the ball spin is absurdly overdone. the ball stops on alot of flippers and spins in little tiny loops worse then PFX2 does. I know VP10 will be better but right now it feels right in the middle between PFX2 and TPA for realistic play.
For me the next big step is getting the dmd and alpha numeric scores to a secondary display..then its nirvana ...for now

 

[mpad]

For me the next big step is getting the dmd and alpha numeric scores to a secondary display..then its nirvana ...for now

+1 that would be a dream come true.

 

[TNT]

There definitely is a big difference. It's a night and day difference depending on how you set the light levels for each table.

+1

 

[SmoothBalls]

Loving it, maybe Dmd next

 

[frostyarcade]

There definitely is a big difference. It's a night and day difference depending on how you set the light levels for each table.

+1

 

[Frostyglitch]

I'm still experiencing an aspect ratio issue with 1920x1080. Has anyone found a workaround yet to get 16:9?

 

[luxeder]

Someone here on the forum did, that works partially, at least for me. Start the game in DX11, Backbuffer W: 1920 Backbuffer H: 1080, Fullscreen. When it has started, hit ALT+ENTER, to go into windowed. If you hit ALT+ENTER one more time after that, it should go into fullscreen, but now with the correct aspect ratio. Unfortunatelly, you have to do this each time you launch it.

 

[HotHamBoy]

I'm having an issue in DX11 where all the colors and blacks seemed washed out. Room at max darkness is more dim than dark. Everything seems a bit muddy. Contrast this with DX9 where everything thing is very red/pink. Both look pretty bad, the lack of clarity has me still using my iPad over my PC, despite the lack of 3.0 on older tables. These issues do not affect my other games, such as Pinball FX....

 

[Robert Misner]

if you have custom display settings for dx9 and dx11 might want to wipe them and start over..sounds like yougot some weird gamma settings kicking in