PS3 (NA) Version 2.08 And 2.09 Feedback And Discussion

[shutyertrap]

When MM had its dragon ramp fixed, I didn't need to redownload the table. It was part of a general update.

It's not the individual table you would redownload. The reason we have these versions (like 2.09 we are on now) is they need to update the game with placeholders for new tables. It has something to do with the placeholders, that essentially the new build for the table would be part of that. It is these updates that keep getting bigger in size. So say you hadn't bought MM yet, the update for the game would still increase every time they did a patch, even without you owning the table.

Look, a lot of this goes over my head, and when I was at FarSight the info about this started flying fast and furious in tech talk beyond me. Option #1 that Sony does not want FS to do is have everybody delete the game files off their PS3 so that a new game download with the patches already built in, essentially going back to a version 1.0, could be installed. It's just not something that can be asked of every owner, 'cause it would brick the game for those that didn't go through the steps. Option #2 is to pull a Zen and do TPA 2. Unfortunately with the game only being a year old, seems kinda early to throw up the white flag and start over until they really do have the kinks truly worked out. That leaves us with option #3, which is the way they are doing things now. Which nobody, including FS, is happy about. They want to do what they can do for the mobiles, but Sony and MS do not have their systems set up to allow that kind of updating. Sony will with the PS4, and that is why I think the handwriting is on the wall for PS3 and the 360. They'll still get tables, but the effort isn't gonna be there I don't think.

 

[Mike Reitmeyer]

3D is always reduced resolution whether its HD TV in 3D, blu-ray in 3D or games. You have to put two sets of information on the screen at the same time. On my cable they do a side by side picture and then the TV does its 3D magic. I don't have any 3D games yet so I don't know how the PS3 displays it but however it does it, 3D is always lower resolution. That's why 3D proponents are some of the people adamantly pushing for 4K. They want their 3D in true HD. Today's 3D is always a compromise and that's why I won't be getting all of the tables for my third PS3 that's on the 3D TV. I'll probably get 2 or 3 packs to go with the core tables.

On PS3 it's rendered in essentially two 1280x720 buffers (actual buffer is 1280 x 1440+ a small gap in between). Then on your TV it shows each eye in alternating frames. So the resolution is 1280x720.

 

[smbhax]

I guess the new UI doesn't start you off at the last table you were playing when you start the game and go into the "My Tables" list, which was a handy feature of the old UI. Mine is always starting on "Attack from Mars" now, which is probably not coincidentally the first one in alphabetical order.

 

[Fungi]

I guess the new UI doesn't start you off at the last table you were playing when you start the game and go into the "My Tables" list, which was a handy feature of the old UI. Mine is always starting on "Attack from Mars" now, which is probably not coincidentally the first one in alphabetical order.

Fortunately, it's also table I play the most.

 

[Kaoru]

Until then it always used to start on "Big Shot" for me. So I think it goes for the alphabetical thing.

 

[SKILL_SHOT]

Can we start a GENIE RANT THREAD!? Its so awful I just played it on an iphone and PS3 leaves a lot to be desired....to a mobile thats just sad

 

[Tabe]

Having played a bit more over the weekend on STTNG and AFM, it really sank in for me just how amateurish the new menu UI is. The whole thing looks like clip art just slapped on top of a background and strongly reminds me of a late 90s Geocities web site or something. Yeah, it's functional. Yeah, you only see it for a little while, but... man, it's just.......not professional. They really, really, REALLY should have kept the previous UI.

 

[phreaker47]

Having played a bit more over the weekend on STTNG and AFM, it really sank in for me just how amateurish the new menu UI is. The whole thing looks like clip art just slapped on top of a background and strongly reminds me of a late 90s Geocities web site or something. Yeah, it's functional. Yeah, you only see it for a little while, but... man, it's just.......not professional. They really, really, REALLY should have kept the previous UI.

It was starting to take far too long to cycle through the tables on the old menu though

 

[Lord Boron]

I think this menu is light years better than the old menu.

 

[ScotchYeti]

A slider to adjust the brightness/contrast for each table would be more than welcome now.

I played a couple of the older tables last weekend. After "Monster Bash" it's almost impossible to stand the brightness of "Attack from Mars" and it takes a while to adjust to the high level. Once you get used to it it's great though and it plays fantastic.

"Genie" is a different story. I thought that the reports here were exaggerated and that the darkness of older tables might make the new one "okay" for me but I was wrong. The lighting is good in the Android version so it's beyond me what has happened on the PS3. Do the individual LCDs make such a big difference that Farsight is unable to get the tuning right? Anyway, with a slider to adjust the overall level this problem could be fixed easily.

A quick note about the menu. It's surely not sophisticated but it does the job. To show not-functional table goal stars is stupid, just leave them away until they work. They are a visible proof of how much care the PS3 gets.

 

[Jan Duin]

The menu is a slight improvement but it's still crap. The yellow Start-button doesn't even have a function..

 

[crazyflipperfingers]

I guess the new UI doesn't start you off at the last table you were playing when you start the game and go into the "My Tables" list, which was a handy feature of the old UI. Mine is always starting on "Attack from Mars" now, which is probably not coincidentally the first one in alphabetical order.

I noticed this too right away. I usually stick with a game until I finish all the wizard goals, so it's a big annoyance for me to have to reselect the table each time I start the game back up again.

 

[crazyflipperfingers]

Can we start a GENIE RANT THREAD!? Its so awful I just played it on an iphone and PS3 leaves a lot to be desired....to a mobile thats just sad

I was really looking forward to this table, and although I think it plays great, it seriously hurts my eyes to look at it. It's way too bright and under-contrasted. I have a very difficult time seeing the gap for shooting the ball up to the upper playfield for instance. The lighting and colors don't just look bad, they hamper my playing ability. The preview screens for the game look so much better than what we got on the PS3 that it's ridiculous.

 

[Tabe]

I was really looking forward to this table, and although I think it plays great, it seriously hurts my eyes to look at it. It's way too bright and under-contrasted. I have a very difficult time seeing the gap for shooting the ball up to the upper playfield for instance. The lighting and colors don't just look bad, they hamper my playing ability. The preview screens for the game look so much better than what we got on the PS3 that it's ridiculous.

For me it's the various lanes. The dividers just totally blend in with the table - it's like the table is completely flat with no depth at all in places - and it really hampers my ability to play the table.

I didn't have a problem with the look of Attack from Mars but Genie is waaaaaay blown out.

 

[Tron]

Genie resembles a friday evening overtime port from an ios device. Terrible.

 

[SKILL_SHOT]

Genie plays better on ios because the pop bumpers WORK! The picture that was released and what we got are 2 different things...isnt that false advertisement? No it's Farsight advertisement. SUCKUHS!

 

[Kolchak357]

The iOS version actually looks and plays very nice. Not sure what happened to that ps3 version.

 

[ParallaxScroll]

I just got my first stuck multiball camera on PS3 Attack From Mars. It happened during regular multiball, when a ball drained near the start of multiball and was sent back to the plunger by the Ball Saver. When the ball was saved, the camera went into plunger mode and stayed that way for the rest of the multiball. When multiball ended the camera returned to normal.

I was using the settings:
Camera 3 fixed
Multiball camera off

Unlike when this happens in Star Trek TNG, I could still mostly see the table to play the multiball mode, but it was at an awkward angle.

 

[smbhax]

I suppose that when/if FarSight get PC and maybe even 360 versions going and updating, those platforms may end up using the more detailed lighting scheme the PS3 uses (although I imagine the PC version would/will switch to the dynamic lighting system they've hinted at for the PS4 at some point), in which case they'll probably take a bit more care with how the lighting turns out.

On a related note, the lighting in the Space Shuttle screenshots they posted yesterday on Facebook looks pretty sweet. I think that must be PS3 or the PS3-style lighting, anyway? Not so sure about the Whitewater screenshots, the playfield surface there just looks ambient-lit--like, the ramps and barriers look to have some light-sourcing on them, but the playfield is just that sort of moody plum color. Hum. Eh...hopefully that one is 360. : P

 

[shutyertrap]

Screenshots tend to be the 360 version, as quite often the PS3 version that comes out looks different (say hello Genie!).