Farsight, we're breaking up - It's not me, it's you...

[Baron Rubik]

Thanks Baron, yeah i'll have to try the bluetooth and see. I'd read up on the Zacc tables from others here. I've resisted the urge to download so far. Suppose i better set my profile up better later, i was planning on being "one and done" hahaha.. I do enjoy all the tables that i play. I'll never break any records but its fun to play

One of the good things with Zacc on Android is you can try all the tables without score limit for free.
The payment removes adds and unlocks all multitude of options, like custom cams, lighting settings etc... Definitely worth trying out.

Controller play is pretty good for Pinball. The norm is, have flippers on the upper shoulder buttons, analogue nudge on the left stick, and plunge on the right stick, just so you can imagine it. I'm 50/50 using controller on my tab at home, but touch only out and about and work breaks.

Good luck mate.

 

[MonkeyGrass]

Just curious. Is it ok to stop supporting older hardware for people who have paid for an app? So someone purchased something, gets an update and can no longer play?

I've been prepping a DX11 release on Steam, and in doing so I accidentally broke the build on Windows XP. According to Steam, as of January 2014, Windows XP only makes up 6% of users. But I had over a dozen people say the game stopped working for them. Would it be fair to tell them, we no longer support XP so your game you purchased will no longer run?

Is it better than, to run off the majority of folks who actually upgrade their hardware every couple years, in favor of the <10% who are running on a 3+ yr old phone, and 10+ yr old OS? That doesn't make ANY sense. Even MS - the manufacturer of WinXP - has ended any and all support for that ancient OS. Yet - FS continues to hold back on development and lighting features so that those who haven't upgraded their (now unsecured and falling apart) OS? Wow. A dozen whole people on WinXP. Better not mess that up!!

Yeah this mentality explains quite a few things. Less than 8% of Android users are on pre-4.x.x. But, that's supposed to be the reason that the other 90% doesn't get any upgrades that our new devices are more than capable of running? Again. Wow.

FYI, I didn't know that if you stop supporting a version on android the user can still keep what they have, they just can't upgrade. On Steam if someone would upgrade the app would no longer run.

Also, MS stopped supporting XP last year in April.

Yeah this quite frankly, kind of worries me. The guys developing the mobile app do not understand how Google Play works in regards to upgrading older software that is no longer supported by the OS version. #facepalm Again, this explains *so* much...

So how about FS gets with the ball and also, ends support for a non-updateable, unsecure WinOS that nobody should be using anyways. It's 2015. We're all buying new phones and PC's and tablets to keep current. That's the market. Keeping your software "dumb" for the sake of legacy customers who are too cheap to keep their platform/hardware current is going to kill what little bit of cache and momentum FS still has left at this point. I have an original iPad 1. You know what happens when I try to download a newer app that's not compatible? "we're sorry but your current OS version does not support this app" Yep. Same thing on my wife's iPhone 4. That's the way it *works* in this game. Stay current with your platform, or die a slow painful death on the side of the road. And that's where FS is headed.

You guys need to listen. For real. Dozens of us have been telling you guys (pretty darn nicely) for a while what is wrong with this app, and now you have real competition that is going to BURY you guys if you don't up your game. We all want to see it happen, and we've tried (mostly in vain) to help you guys get pointed back in the right direction. That's why we're registered here at "Pinball Arcade Fans". What we've been trying to tell you for months is - YOU ARE LOSING US. Your core base, your hardcore fans and street-teams that recommend this game, play and share it with friends, and drive your business. STOP IGNORING US IN FAVOR OF THE 10%. You are seriously trying to make a point - that pissing off and alienating 90% of your customer base, is less important that supporting old-ass hardware that grandma is still running. They aren't your core market guys. WE ARE.

I hope you guys don't take this the wrong way, as it does come from a place of love (really, it does). But you have to realize that one DLC table per month IS NOT CUTTING IT in terms of keeping this app current and enjoyable in 2015.

 

[shutyertrap]

To be fair, Mike is not the Android guy. He mainly deals with PC.

Your last 2 paragraphs though, pretty spot on.

 

[IGoFirstIndy]

Your last 2 paragraphs though, pretty spot on.

+1

Farsight releasing Scared Stiff as a stand alone app and not taking the time to fix any of the bugs that have been posted on the forum pretty much says it all to me. They'd rather keep their flagship on cruise control and develop orbals and brunswick bowling than make sure their flagship title is the standard bearer of what their company represents, and is capable of, not only as far as digital pinball, but mobile gaming in general.

instead of thinking about the license as the draw, Farsight should be thinking about the TPA experience as the draw. with all the platforms they're trying to cover, plus doing cabinets, this strikes me as a company spread way too thin. either you're a mobile gaming company that ports to consoles or you're a console game that ports to mobile. is it really worth continuing to develop x-box 360 and ps3 when you're slipping behind on platforms supported by the majority of your fanbase? MonkeyGrass's point about upgrading mobile hardware is spot on. granted Farsight should be allowing PS3 users who buy a PS4 to get the ps3 version of TPA off the PSN. There's a reason people go digital, they shouldn't be circumventing that.

the real shame is it's so far into the life of TPA that it will be a huge task to update all these tables to modern standards. and the competition isn't going to stop innovating, so Farsight is going to continue to play catch up for the foreseeable future if they even bother getting out of cruise control. what should have been a standard task to develop with every new table is now going to be a herculean effort to right the ship across the board. not sure farsight has the desire or infrastructure.

I rant because i care...

 

[SilverBalls]

I second all that is being said. I pretty much gave up on TPA after not seeing life-like lighting, not seeing the cab support promised so long ago, and poor camera angles. VP surged forward leaving TPA behind, and then Zacc on Android came out and well... enough said.

But.. With the camera mod my interest has been fired up again. Also knowing that people here are now beta testing the DX11 my balls are again on fire.

The game is 75% there and it has been stuck there for years. Finally it should get 85% there with the lighting, but don't stop there please Farsight! Add the difficulty adjustments on all tables, address some key bugs, and Cab support and make TPA the flagship Pinball App it deserves to be.

 

[EldarOfSuburbia]

My suggestion to Farsight is simple: move. I'm willing to bet Big Bear is a very beautiful location with the mountains and the lake and the clear air and all that, but it's an hour's drive from San Bernadino - up a twisty mountain road - and I'm willing to bet getting folks to come live there is the biggest hurdle. Because you're not going to go work for FS and not live in Big Bear; it can't work.

Move to Austin. If you really need to be in the mountains, move to Denver. Watch how much easier it becomes to attract, and keep, talented people to come work for you.

 

[Naildriver74]

Surely your not saying that the people working at Farsight are 2nd rate

 

[shutyertrap]

Surely your not saying that the people working at Farsight are 2nd rate

I don't think he's saying that...but it is a known issue for them when recruiting new people. You have to live up the mountain, and that's a lifestyle choice right there that isn't for everyone. Some former employees have mentioned that leaving the company was tough, but leaving the mountain wasn't.

 

[EldarOfSuburbia]

Surely your not saying that the people working at Farsight are 2nd rate

Not quite what I'm trying to say, no. We have a similar problem where I work though - it's difficult to attract more people to work in a location that is perceived to have some kind of insurmountable difficulties. With Big Bear, it's the fact it's somewhat isolated, even though it's in SoCal. Farsight needs more people, having spread themselves to thin across so many platforms. You're not going to get more people come work for you if you're up a mountain.

 

[Naildriver74]

Understood. I've never had to work in the real world. I'm self employed I've had the same two people working for me for 30 years. I don't have to deal with such situations.

 

[Snorzel]

I agree with the overall points you guys have made the last page or so.
I "cant" afford a new device right now, but if my favorite game will only work on a newer device, I would find a way to get one! Zaccaria seems to be getting close to being beyond what a 4S phone can handle and to me thats a good thing. Keep progressing Farsight and I will keep investing in your product. At this point long standing bugs need to be squished first and foremost imo. Black Knight screws up on me all the time, I always go back to see if its fixed with each update.

It seems kind of desperate to launch a standalone app without fixing any outstanding issues. Just going off what others say about Scared Stiff, they must be hurting financially.

 

[Baron Rubik]

Black Knight screws up on me all the time, I always go back to see if its fixed with each update.

Glad I'm not the only one. Each new release I hit update all tables wishing I'd see Black Knight get meshing fixes or rom emulation, but no.
It's the first table I check. Given up now.

 

[Jeff Strong]

My suggestion to Farsight is simple: move. I'm willing to bet Big Bear is a very beautiful location with the mountains and the lake and the clear air and all that, but it's an hour's drive from San Bernadino - up a twisty mountain road - and I'm willing to bet getting folks to come live there is the biggest hurdle. Because you're not going to go work for FS and not live in Big Bear; it can't work.

Move to Austin. If you really need to be in the mountains, move to Denver. Watch how much easier it becomes to attract, and keep, talented people to come work for you.

Not likely to happen with Jay being the mayor of Big Bear.

 

[Baron Rubik]

Not likely to happen with Jay being the mayor of Big Bear.

He needs to get some more ambition and move out of the sticks.
I'm sure he could be mayor someplace with a population over 50.

Brit Sarcasm - just joking.

 

[Jeff Strong]

He needs to get some more ambition and move out of the sticks.
I'm sure he could be mayor someplace with a population over 50.

Brit Sarcasm - just joking.

 

[Extork]

Yeah I know it's me. I'm not very good lol and some tables are fine. It's all about finding the right ones that suit my ability or lack of it

Didn't mean to come off as that u suck lol. It takes a TON of practice to put up those high scores. All I was saying was that Diner, more than any other table can have a ball juuust about to roll DTM, but can be recovered by flipping rapidly without having to nudge. But then other times it seems like you could drive a Mack truck inbetween the flippers. Maybe it's my imagination. But the physics around the flippers feel more real/sensitive on Diner. How'd we get talking about that anyways? Lol back to the original topic

I agree with what MonkeyGrass said way up there ^

Well now that I'm on a different page, it would be way back there <

 

[freddy.bassett]

I'll have to try what you said Extork. No worries, never thought you were having a poke lol. I'm just really honest about my ball playing skills

 

[Baron Rubik]

I'm just really honest about my ball playing skills

Me too - It's less embarrassing when you get spotted on the leaderboard.

 

[Kratos3]

Monkey Grass said it all, pretty much. Nice post.

I posted something last year saying Farsight needs to take a month or 2 off from developing new tables to focus on taking care of some business. Whether it be ROM emulation, fixing super old bugs, working on the UI, DX11, cab support, Wii-U, X360, fine tuning the current platforms, or whatever is in the works over there. I think that would go a long way towards improving the overall experience. In fact, I think there would be a veritable tidal wave of support from the TPA community for this. We have over 50 tables, so one should be able to find something to play in the meantime.

I also posted in another thread that I think they should start to consider only developing new tables for next-gen consoles, PC, and mobile. Move forward.

 

[Mike Reitmeyer]

Not likely to happen with Jay being the mayor of Big Bear.

FYI, He's not mayor anymore. State Assembly now.