Not buying anymore tables until bugs get fixed

[RetroDude]

A couple of dollars is actually pretty expensive for a mobile app - people are conditioned to pay 99 cents at most on iOS for apps these days. Even a $16 app by a noted developer is often marked as "too expensive" on reviews (look up Square Enix's apps) - so apps costing more than 99 cents tend to have to work hard for it.

If you look at the iTunes reviews, you'll find TPA consistently reviewed as "expensive" (which it is for a mobile app alone). I'm surprised the Mac version is only $10 (for all 4 initial tables) - that's probably the "cheap" side for a computer game. Heck, I'm planning on getting it for the Xbox where it's the same price. While convenient, it does assume everyone is willing ot pay the same price for the various platforms, which isn't correct - mobile users demand cheap apps, while I'm sure they could charge $20 quite reasonable for PC and Mac, and 10-15 on consoles.

Of course, the biggest thing I'd like is some QA on it - making sure the existing tables at least work (ahem, MM no playfield lights).

Compare TPA to most mobile apps...
Most of the 99 cent apps are barely worth the 99 cents.

 

[night]

Compare TPA to most mobile apps...
Most of the 99 cent apps are barely worth the 99 cents.

That's not true, this 99 cents app is pretty awesome: http://pooptheworld.com

 

[Tony C]

That's not true, this 99 cents app is pretty awesome: http://pooptheworld.com

That gives a whole new meaning to the term crappy app. Some people have way too much time on their hands.

 

[Daniel Osborne]

He said MOST mobile apps, there's bound to be exceptions. I think most mobile games are basic, time wasting shallow shovelware. And that includes the totally pointless angry birds.
I use my phone for speaking to people and sending messages, and some occadional Porn. Lol
I have only ever bought two games, pba and another one I can't remember the name of. I usually try new tables on android, and have only bought totan and tom. I will be buying all the dlc on the xbox.

 

[d_a_v_e]

I wasn't trying to say I think I didn't get my money's worth or that the tables are overpriced. All I'm saying is that I've decided to stop supporting the current FS strategy of releasing as much content as possible before taking care of the content they've already released (and people have bought). When a release makes the physics change across the board, or introduces new bugs on older tables, this is frustrating. Why should I spend more money for this, plus new tables that undoubtedly will have a bunch of their own bugs/problems?

I don't 'owe' FS anything in terms of helping them become profitable, and I WILL buy more DLC packs, but only after people begin reporting that bugs are being fixed and the physics model is not changing with every release. Yes, it's 'my loss' but I'm more patient I guess than some.

 

[The Wolfman]

That's not true, this 99 cents app is pretty awesome: http://pooptheworld.com

Lmao

 

[SKILL_SHOT]

Trophy Room? Please tell me dont take photos of your turds.....god help us as a civilization and smite us all.

 

[Worf]

I dunno. Given I've already spent $30 on the iOS version of TPA, I don't think I'm getting my money's worth, especially since the number one table for me is broken completely... I thnk there are probably 30 99-cent apps that would keep my interest. Many free ones too... (Temple Run is basic, yet horrendously addictive. ANd I paid 99 cents for Jetpack Joyride (now free)). Hard to tell if I've gotten 30 times as much enjoyment out of TPA these days...

OTOH, I did have an awesome run through Funhouse up to 92-mill or so. And a 40-odd minute game at that, too.

 

[pinbot]

although i love this app, it's one of my favorites if not the favorite, i have to agree.

I would like to see all of the bugs fixed up before investing anymore. My scores, achievements are a mess now. too many logins, leaderboards, problems, etc.

I would much happier not seeing anynnew tables for a couple of months if it meant substantially more fixes and polish on the current tables

 

[Heretic]

Well i get all pov, if we want official real world tables, we got one choice, its only a six man team(and family heh) simulations arent easy...ill be very unhappy myself if bh ruleset isnt changed soon, its your choice man, but i figure we needa take the ruff with the good, if were still having this convo about any currently released table in say six month i wont be happy. The 1 month cycle seems too much, but then again the fan in me is going gimmie moar! Support is needed for development. Ill continue to auto buy for the time being.

Needa get back into it been on a royal bender

 

[J2fold]

Honestly I have never played an app that did not have bugs in it. Besides I am sure many bugs do not show up until the game is released to the general public who in return will point out everything that is wrong. I am not bashing people who complain because they point out some things that should be fixed ASAP, but would like to point out that I have had apps that nobody buys and they never get updated, fixed or anything. If they are making money on a certain table they will fix it, but if they are not making money on it then consider it DOA.

 

[Worf]

And don't forget how the "greater good" angle is working for them too... Many of use are willing to put up with a far-less-than-perfect product because that is a sacrifice we are willing to make to preserve these tables, even if that preservation is an imperfect one.

Actually, neither TPA nor PHoF were the first attempts at this. The first attempt was much cruder (it was community driven), and while I'm not sure if much development is going on, is still around. In fact, at least one FarSight employee came from that effort (probably more). And FarSIght wasn't even the first commercial venture for this - there was another one that based a lot of the work from the first attempt. That first attempt has been around since 1999, or nearly a decade and a half and was far cruder. In fact, it was that first attempt that pretty much made it impossible to get access to Gottlieb ROMs and such.

TPA and PHoF are however, far more accessible to more people and are far more polished pieces of work. Though some of the bugs remind me of the early days (I was there when it started...)

 

[Jeff Strong]

I wasn't trying to say I think I didn't get my money's worth or that the tables are overpriced. All I'm saying is that I've decided to stop supporting the current FS strategy of releasing as much content as possible before taking care of the content they've already released (and people have bought). When a release makes the physics change across the board, or introduces new bugs on older tables, this is frustrating. Why should I spend more money for this, plus new tables that undoubtedly will have a bunch of their own bugs/problems?

I don't 'owe' FS anything in terms of helping them become profitable, and I WILL buy more DLC packs, but only after people begin reporting that bugs are being fixed and the physics model is not changing with every release. Yes, it's 'my loss' but I'm more patient I guess than some.

I can confirm that the next release will have many bug fixes and art updates.

As for the physics, they haven't made global changes, and each table has it's own physics settings. They really haven't tweaked the physics on the older tables in quite some time....so I'm not sure what you're talking about there.

 

[bavelb]

Agree with what Jeff said, coretables still act the same physics wise. Whcih were pretty decent to me. MM and CV are the ones who need some tweaking the most. Plus the new release (5) seems relquite bug free.

 

[BlindSpider11]

I have a hard time seeing all the bugs people encounter. I rarely run into them on iOS.