I came for the Williams, I stayed for the others

[1adam12]

I have had an interesting evolution in my views of Zen. I have on FarSight as well, but that's secondary.
I only started playing FX3 when I came back to Windows. Fish Tales played nicely, but I don't care for the table. I've bought one Williams pack, and another on my Switch.
After the free tables released on Steam, I actually found myself truly wanting more. As someone who owns a ton of TPA tables, it takes certain titles or table packs to get me to bite. For other franchises, or for Zen originals, I'm definitely more interested thanks to their physics and quality control. I want more classics brought to digital, but I have a new appreciation for Zen.

On the flip side, I also recently got a Switch. Far Sight still offers the Stern app, and when you open it it offers tables you can't even buy anymore.

I love what TPA brought us. I hate how they ran their business. If they were better at what they did, we'd probably still be getting released of some kind. I even had a bug on a Switch table!

Here's hoping for more great pinball. I'd love to get my hands on a real machine again, but Zen is doing a great job of showing me what it could be. If anyone ever played some of the last Williams tables with the 3d video playfield concept, that's sort of what Zen has really extended. Good stuff.



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[jaredmorgs]

Well said.

2020 has some more surprises up it's sleeve from Zen. You've come in at just the right time.

 

[wilbers]

Well said.

2020 has some more surprises up it's sleeve from Zen. You've come in at just the right time.

Do I detect a beta release from Zen, so its next 2020 surprise is up your sleeve as well?

 

[shutyertrap]

Once Zen adds Williams physics as an option for all the Zen originals, I think people are going to come to love a lot of there past efforts. Wait for Steam sales, they'll often deep discount table packs 66-75% off. They used to do Humble Bundle sales too, which gives you a Steam code, so keep your eyes peeled there too (although I can't tell you the last time I saw anything pop up there).

There's a handfull of Marvel tables I often play, same with Star Wars. It really did depend on the designer for which tables I gravitated to. There's a pack that contains Castle Storm and Wild West, both of which are a lot of fun. Everything that's been made after FX3 released like Legends & Carnivals, Jurassic Park, and Universal are quite good. Portal is a really well put together design but heavily a digital fantasy. Of the packs you have, figure out which tables you prefer and then discover who the designer responsible was. That will help guide you towards which older packs you might prefer to focus future purchases on.

 

[shutyertrap]

Hey lookie there, this weekend Legends and Carnivals is on sale at 60% off!

 

[1adam12]

Good set of tables, too! I picked em up!

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[Han_Solso]

I have all the TPA tables on PS4, a handful of TPA AND SPA on switch , but All the fx3 Williams on switch and PS4, I prefer fx3 Williams on switch, but buy everything anyway to vote with my dollar. I sure hope to see more of the library on fx3 soon! I really think they finally nailed the physics, and I love the option to do without the extra effects (though I do appreciate them)my all time favorite is Monster Bash, hope they do Bride of PinBot someday.. it’d be great if we could get uncensored too. My only complaint, though I understand the reasoning, there should be an option- it might be holding them back from greater tables like BIG BANG BAR!!!!


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[jaredmorgs]

Do I detect a beta release from Zen, so its next 2020 surprise is up your sleeve as well?

Hey, I'm just echoing the _prepared_ statement Mel gave us in his recent interview with [MENTION=134]shutyertrap[/MENTION] and me.

There are plenty of lines to read between.

 

[PinJimmy]

Hey, I'm just echoing the _prepared_ statement Mel gave us in his recent interview with [MENTION=134]shutyertrap[/MENTION] and me.

There are plenty of lines to read between.

Listening to your podcast i got the feeling Zen studios dont give much about their customers privacy do they?

For instance that story about the hardcore player not liking the tabletop tables to come back later to try it again.
are they listening in on how players react to their products?

Then there is the ai program monitoring what customers play and when and how long and can detect when their kids take over.

Iv been playing Fx since 2008 and maybe im a little old fashion but its feels like they backstabbing their customers.
When a prduct is free to play then you know your the product but i hope on consoles where I payed money for this the spying and data collecting isnt their number one focus.

 

[shutyertrap]

Read the user agreement of any game you play, purchased outright or not. I’d bet there’s something in their granting them the ability to mine your usage patterns for their own internal purposes. Wanna go online for multiplayer that uses a game server? Same thing. Don’t fool yourself into thinking it’s only Zen.

 

[1adam12]

Read the user agreement of any game you play, purchased outright or not. I’d bet there’s something in their granting them the ability to mine your usage patterns for their own internal purposes. Wanna go online for multiplayer that uses a game server? Same thing. Don’t fool yourself into thinking it’s only Zen.

I used to hope TPA had that built in so they could choose future tables based on play time on past tables.

I don't see it being as helpful with Zen, because they seem to be sticking to a certain type/era of tables.

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[PinJimmy]

I am not fooling myself into thinking its only Zen.
And by reading the user agreement rules your still not knowing what they collect about you.


I wonder if the people who are walking up to the zen cabs on location know that they are being spied on or do they have to read the user agreement first before playing?

 

[shutyertrap]

Pinball machines track data also to help operators optimize settings for making the most profit. You’re trying to make this into a conspiracy or something, that Zen has nefarious plans. Your phone tracks more data about you than any game, as do web browsers and social media accounts, and those often sell it to 3rd parties.

 

[PinJimmy]

I am not trying to make this into a conspiracy. I know its all about profit and control these days but im just wondering, is it really necessary to have facial recognition with ai collecting data on a pinball machine.

Just because you can do certain things, doesnt mean you should.

 

[Pete]

gorgar keeps asking for my social security number lol

 

[Gorgar]

gorgar keeps asking for my social security number lol

Sh*t! I hope I wasn’t hacked!

 

[Crazy Newt]

Once Zen adds Williams physics as an option for all the Zen originals, I think people are going to come to love a lot of there past efforts.

Is this something Zen is officially working towards or simply rumors and hope? I would expect this to be a Herculean effort to balance and implement; though, I don't know if the time and resources spent would be viable to their business. It would be fantastic to have the most up to date physics tweaks applied to every Williams table, at the very least. If there are concerns about the scoreboards, perhaps adding a time stamp on the all-time leaderboards with a filtering option to include the date could be a compromise? Monthly and weekly scoreboards would obviously take care that issue.

Great news to me if they are planning on adding the Williams physics to Zen originals. Zen has some fantastic designs and I would love to see how these tables play with more realistic action.

 

[shutyertrap]

Is this something Zen is officially working towards or simply rumors and hope?

Great news to me if they are planning on adding the Williams physics to Zen originals. Zen has some fantastic designs and I would love to see how these tables play with more realistic action.

Mel announced this in our last interview with him.

 

[Crazy Newt]

Thanks, I subscribed to the YT channel and I am watching the interview now.