PS3 (NA) Version 2.08 And 2.09 Feedback And Discussion

[smooverr]

It's kinda sad now. When I see these tables come out looking like this I just think "Well this is what we're stuck with".

They never go back and patch art. We all know it. I agree with PinWiz, this is the First pack I've regretted immediately.

 

[lettuce]

Here's a photo of the PS3 Attack from Mars:

Thats just not realistic lighting though. The whole of the center of the playfield is lite up yet there is no table illumination around the center of the table to produce this amount of light. The only way that would be possible is if there was a 200 watt strip light above the table. As im sure like 90% of people who play pinball they're used to playing in a dark/dingy arcade or pub and so the only illumination is the table itself. The part of that table that has realistic lighting is towards the back of the table. Thats why to me the 360 lighting will always be better as that captures the real environment of a pinball machine.

Just look at the latest Pinburgh video of AFM, http://youtu.be/p7OhxTo8eg8?t=33m18s, thats how it should look. The PS3 version looks like its being played outside in the middle of the day!

 

[Jan Duin]

Let's hope FS actually goes to work with the feedback they get on this forum.

 

[lettuce]

It's kinda sad now. When I see these tables come out looking like this I just think "Well this is what we're stuck with".

They never go back and patch art. We all know it. I agree with PinWiz, this is the First pack I've regretted immediately.

Lets just all prey they nail the PC version, and not just 'upload' the tables they put out on the PS3!

 

[PiN WiZ]

The posts that deflect the ball coming out of the orbit on Attack from Mars really takes the skill out of playing this table since you never know when the post is going to deflect the ball.

These posts that deflect the ball coming out of the orbit are also a problem on Medieval Madness and Cactus Canyon, but just not to the degree of Attack from Mars.

Bobby, please adjust the collision mesh of the posts on the end of the orbits on the above three tables as they seem to be affected the most by this.

 

[dtown8532]

I know that FarSight has said that updating the PS3 requires large size patches but, I think most of us have a fair amount of room on our hard drive that we'd be willing to keep free to get this version looking right. Heck, I have a 160gb slim model and I'll never even have half of that storage used.

I really think they should just stick to getting the tables looking like a good neutrally lit photo of the playfield. And then, the artistic liberties should be restricted to some subdued lighting to imitate a darkened room (like an arcade) and, maybe, a slight warming of the GI to recreate the effect of incandescents. Whatever's been going on with the PS3 is just...blah. It's like a photoshop novice looking at a properly exposed photo and saying "boring, where's that contrast slider?"

 

[Jan Duin]

The posts that deflect the ball coming out of the orbit on Attack from Mars really takes the skill out of playing this table since you never know when the post is going to deflect the ball.

As was the case with the Android version..

 

[xAzatothx]

As was the case with the Android version..

yup - delaying the release by a day and fixing this problem would have been easier. Instead the same bug has been rolled out across all platforms and is a WHOLE load more work. Frustrating as I flagged this during the android beta.

http://digitalpinballfans.com/showthread.php/3187-Beta-(1-10-0-)?p=50065&viewfull=1#post50065

 

[Fungi]

The posts that deflect the ball coming out of the orbit on Attack from Mars really takes the skill out of playing this table since you never know when the post is going to deflect the ball.

These posts that deflect the ball coming out of the orbit are also a problem on Medieval Madness and Cactus Canyon, but just not to the degree of Attack from Mars.

Bobby, please adjust the collision mesh of the posts on the end of the orbits on the above three tables as they seem to be affected the most by this.

You know, there are also times when the left orbit on Theare of Magic does that unusual kick. Particularly when the ball ejects for Tiger Multiball. It's just that since that was one of the original 4, I wasn't certain if it was wrong. Now, I think it's wrong. The right orbit in Monster Mash as well. Occasionally, boom, SDTM.

 

[SKILL_SHOT]

Hey guys maybe we should start a NEW thread for this? Glad its not all in my head. Genies a widebody yet no small flipper view like STTNG.

 

[brakel]

I still think they don't have a PS3. I'm serious. How can they let these go out like this?

For example, my girlfriend, who can't tell the quality difference between an HD Big Bang Theory episode and a black and white I love Lucy episode, prefers the PHOF verison of NGG over the TPA version. She says the TPA NGG "looks weird".

I just played TPA in 3D on their dev PS3 so I know that they have one. Now I'm wishing that I had played Genie on it so I'd know if it looked just as bad on the dev machine as on the published table.

I think this might be a good use of my TVs multiple display setting saves. ;D

 

[brakel]

Let's hope FS actually goes to work with the feedback they get on this forum.

Until they work out how they can patch DLC on the PS3, does it matter?

 

[Tabe]

Is it just me or did the flippers change color from the preview screenshot of Genie to the actual PS3 release?

FWIW, this is the first table pack I have not purchased on release day for the PS3. That's in part because the tables didn't excite me - never seen or played AFM and don't like Genie - but that never really stopped me before. No, it's mostly because of disappointment in the overall direction of the product and uncertainty regarding the PS3/PS4 future.

Tabe

 

[Jan Duin]

Until they work out how they can patch DLC on the PS3, does it matter?

It does for other platforms and future releases.

 

[Dont Troll Me]

Balls at warp speed Again

Ok the ball physics feel nice on attack from mars But the balls top speed is way too fast its going warp speed again, sling shots seem to make it worse, "Again" real pinball machine do not have balls that go this fast it needs to be fixed bad its even worse when it has to deal with FPS. you guys at farsight fixed this with older tables why are you going back to this why!

i wish i could say that STNG drains are too unforgivable But the unforgivable drains are true with the real STNG pinball machine unfortunately lol fun table tho wish i could say the same for AFM, genie was good tho another good old table ball felt perfect too

 

[DarkAkatosh]

Wait, people really think the ball speed on AFM is too fast? Did you all not play CFTBL? the ball moves like lightning on that table.

Also, I do think Genie is way too bright and this is coming from someone who loves the tables bright. I couldn't even see the upper playfield flippers on Genie at first...

 

[ParallaxScroll]

I don't know why I'm still surprised when Farsight screws up these updates again and again. It's like no one even looked at Genie before they published it.

 

[Dont Troll Me]

Wait, people really think the ball speed on AFM is too fast? Did you all not play CFTBL? the ball moves like lightning on that table.

Also, I do think Genie is way too bright and this is coming from someone who loves the tables bright. I couldn't even see the upper playfield flippers on Genie at first...

hmm i have not played CFTBL for some time i noticed that AFM seems to be a steep table as well but something does seem weird about it in speed.

it could not be so much the ball itself but certain things that the ball bounces off of and not resulting in a little slow down like targets and posts or sling shots pushing the ball to hard.

 

[smbhax]

I like Attack from Mars' speed quite a bit! For those having trouble, you might have more success if you play at 720 rather than 1080--that one-frame reaction time gain can make a big difference when the balls really start flying. I haven't tried it at 1080, mind you.

I'm beginning to think that they have different teams working on different tables!, this would count for the difference in quality across the tables. Either this or they need to sack their Quality Assurance manager

I'm just not really sure why FS are having soo much hassle with the difference in quality between the 360 and PS3 version. You look at 99.9% of other 3rd party games on the market that are multiplatform and there is hardly any difference between the 360 and PS3, fair enough the 360 version usually just pips it, but here on TPA there is a massive difference in quality!. It's like going back to the 16bit era and the difference in ports between the Megadrive and SNES!

Yeah it seems to me like they have a few people handling their PS3 lighting; one of them's got a knack for it and it doesn't really come naturally for the others. It was like this back at a game company I worked for--this type of precalculated lighting is really kind of an art form in itself. Speculation on their staff aside though, if I recall correctly, originally the 360 was supposed to get "updated" to the same lighting scheme the PS3 is using--but then they lost their publisher and weren't allowed to update the 360 version.

Thats just not realistic lighting though. The whole of the center of the playfield is lite up yet there is no table illumination around the center of the table to produce this amount of light. The only way that would be possible is if there was a 200 watt strip light above the table. As im sure like 90% of people who play pinball they're used to playing in a dark/dingy arcade or pub and so the only illumination is the table itself. The part of that table that has realistic lighting is towards the back of the table. Thats why to me the 360 lighting will always be better as that captures the real environment of a pinball machine.

Just look at the latest Pinburgh video of AFM, http://youtu.be/p7OhxTo8eg8?t=33m18s, thats how it should look. The PS3 version looks like its being played outside in the middle of the day!

I definitely agree that they've struggled to get a realistic lighting scheme, and they've definitely been more experimental with the PS3 lighting, and in general more successful with the 360's system. Personally I don't mind playing pinball in brighter lighting as long as it isn't all glarey, and I think they've struck a good balance on AFM given their lighting scheme, but yes it isn't exactly realism and the 360 version probably comes closer by sticking to a more limited lighting environment.

I know that FarSight has said that updating the PS3 requires large size patches but, I think most of us have a fair amount of room on our hard drive that we'd be willing to keep free to get this version looking right. Heck, I have a 160gb slim model and I'll never even have half of that storage used.

I really think they should just stick to getting the tables looking like a good neutrally lit photo of the playfield. And then, the artistic liberties should be restricted to some subdued lighting to imitate a darkened room (like an arcade) and, maybe, a slight warming of the GI to recreate the effect of incandescents. Whatever's been going on with the PS3 is just...blah. It's like a photoshop novice looking at a properly exposed photo and saying "boring, where's that contrast slider?"

See I think they kind of tried that subdued lighting with slight warming thing and somehow that became the weird pink and orange look we started getting on some of the tables! Hm... Actually, looking through the sequence of table pack releases, a fantasy story of their PS3 lighting saga occurs to me--please keep in mind this is purely entertainment fiction:

Table Pack 1 - Medieval Madness Bride of Pin•Bot
Simple lighting as their new(?) lighting wizard is feeling out the system. Doesn't get much lighting variation on either table, result is usable but not really attractive.

Table Pack 2 - Cirqus Voltaire and Funhouse
Dark approach tried on CV with mixed results. Warm approach tried on Funhouse with very pink/orange results.

Table Pack 3 - Gorgar and Monster Bash
Dark approach with high contrast lighting tried on Gorgar with fairly if slightly exaggerated results. More moderated scheme used on Monster Bash with a good degree of success.

Table Pack 4 - Black Knight and Creature from the Black Lagoon
Darker approach to moderated scheme used on Creature with good results. High contrast approach that worked decently on Gorgar, the last older table, tried on Black Knight with unexpectedly blotchy results that go uncorrected.

Table Pack 5 - Harley-Davidson and Taxi
Fallout over Black Knight snafu results in new artist being put in charge of lighting, or entirely new approach, starting over with a neutral scheme that takes few risks. Slight warming applied to Harley-Davidson with thoroughly bland, if somewhat bizarre, results. Warm coloration corrected for Taxi, but conservative approach still yields a washed-out look.

Table Pack 6 - Elvira and the Party Monsters and No Good Gofers!
Conservative approach continues and washes out Gofers, with significant problem handling very large, transparent structure. Contrast notched up a bit for Party Monsters, result is a bit harsh but still an improvement.

Table Pack 7 - Big Shot and Scared Stiff
Hitting their stride now with pretty good results on both tables.

Table Pack 8 - The Twilight Zone
Bit of a fall back to the older warm neutral look, but handled better than before.

Table Pack 9 - Star Trek : The Next Generation
Similar to the Twilight Zone approach, with no big risks taken but decent results.

Table Pack 10 - Attack from Mars and Genie
Riskier, higher contrast approach tried on Attack from Mars gives the chance to render cast shadows around the edges of the playfield, and fair results achieved with wide gradient across middle playfield; resulting bright central lighting isn't every player's preference. Genie: again going for high contrast approach, artist forgets to check "generate shadows" checkbox on renderer.

~~~~~

Apologies to everyone for indulging myself in this bit of fun. ; )

 

[brakel]

Do you really think that they have one person who does all of the PS3 lighting and nothing but the PS3 lighting?