Mac version!

[Jan Duin]

What are you MAC guys moaning about? I'd be more than happy to play on my pc using the arrow keys right now..

So how are the leaderboards set up in this version? Do you need to log in with your FB account as well?

 

[epthegeek]

What are you MAC guys moaning about? I'd be more than happy to play on my pc using the arrow keys right now..
So how are the leaderboards set up in this version? Do you need to log in with your FB account as well?

Yeah, the thing to remember is that Mac OS doesn't even have access to VP - so for Mac users, this is huge. Even if it is a little inconvenient with the controls. I'm sure it'll improve (not that I understand how you make a computer game that DOESN'T have configurable controls and think that's a good idea, but whatever).

The shared high score thing is facebook, just like on IOS/Android.

 

[squidlr]

Playing with the arrow keys so close together is madness!

Even playing with separate hands doesn't feel right, left hand and left arrow, right arrow and right hand.

It needs changing to the shift keys already!

 

[Patrick McBride]

Some of the design choices Farsight make are truly baffling... I don't have a Mac, but I'm just imagining controlling flippers with keys that close together and it's hurting my brain. WHY would this even be considered??! Every other pinball game has used the shift keys and they work perfectly. And, of course, not allowing for customizable keys these days is a sin.

 

[Animator_pin_fan]

What are you MAC guys moaning about?

Not moaning, just a valid complaint. Try playing with one hand, or uncomfortably using two hands on arrow keys without any way to nudge quickly. It is not comfortable in the least.
I already have it for iPad, which plays great, but I was hoping that playing on Mac would give me keyboard/button satisfaction. This should be a simple fix. Please Farsight, fix this!!!

 

[Brandon Debes]

It's difficult to imagine anyone releasing a computer game with three input keys in 2012 and not letting you map them to whatever you want.

 

[Vercingetorix]

You'd have to think that the pie-in-the-sky dream of an eventual cabinet-ready Windows version has taken a hit too. I mean, if they're willing to ship a Mac version without any configurable controls or graphics options, they're not likely to someday ship a Windows version that will work with three displays, flippers, etc etc.

 

[Gaubster]

I check this page and the FB page multiple times daily. I purchased the iOS version as soon as it was released a few weeks ago. I was pleasantly surprised that this hit the Mac App Store the other night and had no qualms paying $10 to have physical buttons to play TPA! (I'm really waiting for the XBLA version!) But I have to say, that the Mac version has been a big disappointment. TPA plays better on my iPad1! If I had to do it all over again, I'd wait for the new tables on iOS and for next Wed's release on XBLA. I wish I hadn't paid the $10 for the Mac version. Waste of money because the game is almost unplayable. Numerous frame rate glitches...sometimes the flippers literally don't work...and I have to Call Attendant numerous times for various bugs where the ball disappears?! Very frustrating. This feels like a direct port of the iOS version and I thought we'd get something new; designed specifically for Mac operating systems.

 

[Jeff Strong]

They probably should've waited to release it, but it will certainly get better over time.

 

[squidlr]

If they had released a beta like they did with iOS and Android, the control issues could have been picked up straight away. Must be difficult releasing on multi platforms, hitting deadlines and keeping everyone happy I guess.

 

[PiN WiZ]

If they had released a beta like they did with iOS and Android, the control issues could have been picked up straight away. Must be difficult releasing on multi platforms, hitting deadlines and keeping everyone happy I guess.

What makes releasing any game on Android, iOS, Mac and PC a nightmare is that not everyone is using the exact same hardware to run the same game being released on said platforms and devices. When releasing a game for, let's say Xbox, everyone is using the exact same hardware to run the game which means everyone would benefit from bug fixes instead of, let's say iOS, where fixing one user's problem may cause a problem for another user since they're not running the game on the exact same hardware.

 

[squidlr]

Good news from Farsight on Facebook, looks like the control options are being looked at for the next update:

Pinball Arcade: 'Yes, we should have thought of that. We will be releasing an Mac update with alternate control support.'

Nice one!

 

[Jeff Strong]

Good to hear!

 

[Cowboy]

Good news from Farsight on Facebook, looks like the control options are being looked at for the next update:

Pinball Arcade: 'Yes, we should have thought of that. We will be releasing an Mac update with alternate control support.'

Nice one!

Thanks for posting this...now that they have "timeline"...BOOOO...it's going to be harder to follow over there !

 

[JohnnyM]

After the Williams Collection for Wii, I'm kinda disappointed with the physics on this one. For example, the Arabian Nights skill shot seems really inconsistent, and I've seen the ball do all sorts of weird things such as accelerate down inlanes, bounce irregularly, and roll back and forth kinda funny in the Arabian Nights plastic spiral. When Black Hole's captive hole released it's ball after I drained one, it casually rolled down to the tip of the right flipper and bounced almost all the way over to the right inlane! I'm not sure how computer performance would affect the physics engine (I have the 2010 13" MacBook Pro) or if it could be improved with updates? There's also the glitches; I've had the ball disappear regularly on the Black Hole lower table, the left button on the table select just reloads the same table, and I can't seem to access the table instructions - only 'Play All' is listed, which just plays the introduction. :S

 

[Jeff Strong]

Copied this from FB:

Joshua Justice Payne: I didn't feel like waiting for Farsight to release the update for alternate control support, so I found the workaround. I am now playing the mac version of Pinball Arcade using Left Shift and Right Shift instead of Left Arrow and Right Arrow. So very much better. The program you need is KeyRemap4Macbook (which is free and despite the name supports all kinds of macs, not just macbooks). To get the arrow to shift key mapping, open the KeyRemap4Macbook preference pane in system preferences, go to the misc and uninstall tab, find the custom setting section and click on "open private.xml" Open the file it reveals in text-edit, and replace the contents with this:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<root>
<item>
<name>Shift_L to Left-Arrow</name>
<identifier>private.shiftL2leftarrow</identifier>
<autogen>--KeyToKey-- KeyCode::SHIFT_L, KeyCode::CURSOR_LEFT</autogen>
</item>
<item>
<name>Shift_R to Right-Arrow</name>
<identifier>private.shiftR2rightarrow</identifier>
<autogen>--KeyToKey-- KeyCode::SHIFT_R, KeyCode::CURSOR_RIGHT</autogen>
</item>
</root>

Hope that helps someone!

I also really like the screen rotated 90 degrees thing. For anyone wondering how to do this: if system preferences is open, quit and reopen system preferences then option-command click "Displays". This will reveal the hidden rotation option.

 

[eegad]

Just adding to the outcry....the game really needs to have the ability to remap the keys. Arrow keys are absurd. Also, while it's nice to hear that it works with PS3 controllers, I'd like to request adding support for plain old usb gamepads (and xbox controllers if they aren't supported yet).

 

[Jeff Strong]

Just adding to the outcry....the game really needs to have the ability to remap the keys. Arrow keys are absurd. Also, while it's nice to hear that it works with PS3 controllers, I'd like to request adding support for plain old usb gamepads (and xbox controllers if they aren't supported yet).

Check the post above your's for a way to remap the keys. It's doesn't sound too hard...but still, hopefully they'll be an official update for this soon.

 

[Vercingetorix]

After the Williams Collection for Wii, I'm kinda disappointed with the physics on this one. For example, the Arabian Nights skill shot seems really inconsistent, and I've seen the ball do all sorts of weird things such as accelerate down inlanes, bounce irregularly, and roll back and forth kinda funny in the Arabian Nights plastic spiral. When Black Hole's captive hole released it's ball after I drained one, it casually rolled down to the tip of the right flipper and bounced almost all the way over to the right inlane! I'm not sure how computer performance would affect the physics engine (I have the 2010 13" MacBook Pro) or if it could be improved with updates? There's also the glitches; I've had the ball disappear regularly on the Black Hole lower table, the left button on the table select just reloads the same table, and I can't seem to access the table instructions - only 'Play All' is listed, which just plays the introduction. :S

I just noticed this problem too. Anyone who reads the FB page know if Farsight is planning to fix the table instructions in the next update?

I can just look at the instructions on my iPad, but it's got to be annoying for anyone who's just bought it on the Mac.

 

[Damian]

Just purchased for my laptop at work! Intel 2.3GHz i7 17" MacBook Pro (8GB ram) running a 30" Cinema Display.... what a great way to spend a lunch when stuck inside due to the **** weather!

Although already spoiled (graphics wise) with the XBOX360 version this still appears to be a good iteration of the game - runs smoothly (so far) and I understand from other threads that we'll get a graphical overhaul later on in June(?) - it certainly needs it as it looks perhaps worse than the old Pro•Pinball games that must be nudging on ten years (pun intended) !

That leads me on to perhaps one stupid question....? I can nudge left and right with the z and / keys, how do I nudge UP though?????

Also, will we see a physics update? Does the ball feel weighty enough? I must do a comparison next to the console version.... is it even quicker and more bouncy too..... am I using my rose tinted spectacles to think that (again) the Pro•Pinball series was 'closer' to emulating a 'real' table...?

Sorry, that all sounds rather negative doesn't it.... perhaps I should end by congratulating FarSight Studios for embracing the Mac community and providing us with a decent version of a great (to be improved) Pinball simulation!

Regards,

Damian