Round 2: Post Your Questions For Bobby King

[Dan]

In round 1, Bobby King answered the following question:
1.) Will operator's menu or tournament mode settings ever be implemented into every table?
But his answer was only about the operator's menu, not a tournament mode.
I would like to see a question only about a tournament mode.

You are right!
QUESTION: If operator menu is difficult or risky to implement, how about a customized tournament mode? Extra hard!

 

[Tabe]

When is Farsight going to hire a PR/Marketing manager? You guys need someone desperately.

Good god, yes. The sloppiness with which everything is done - from the messed up Kickstarter to infrequent updates to false information about DLC and so on - really cries out for a professional PR person. Or even an intern assigned to that task.

Tabe

 

[David Smith]

How does the PA engine detect events in the game? Can you tell directly from bits in the ROM itself when (for example) a million-point Trapdoor Bonus is scored? Or do you treat the ROM as a black-box and detect events on the DMD/display? In general, wondering how much reverse-engineering of the data in the ROM emulators you do.

 

[mmmagnetic]

I don't have any questions, i just want him to know that I love his awesome sideburns He also has a really smooth voice, he should be doing pinball podcasts

Oh wait, I have a question:

Will there ever be an official TPA controller with real flipper buttons? A kind of big plastic slab that you can rest on a table, with a plunger, and bump around with motion sensing for nudging. (I can dream, right?)

 

[Brian Clark]

How far along is ROM emulation for early SS machines?

 

[George Klepacz]

How far along is ROM emulation for early SS machines?

I'm curious about this too.


Also, is the June update still going to include the revamped sounds?

Will future releases have a changelog?

 

[Rudy Yagov]

I have a question. Are there any Steve Ritchie games planned that aren't in Pinball Arcade? Is Flash possible?

Seconded, seems like every other major pinball designer has gotten some sort of representation so far...

 

[RetroBlast]

With all of your experience with recreating real pinball tables, I am sure all of you at FarSight at one point or another said ... wouldn't it be cool if this or that was in this or that pinball table ... and so, my question is, will the creative minds at FarSight ever consider elaborating and creating a completely original pinball table? I think it would make an awesome free gift for backers of kickstart programs and I am sure non backers would be happy to purchase your awesome pinball table creation!

 

[RetroBlast]

Will you ever offer a 3D option for console versions of pinball tables?

 

[bossyman15]

When is Farsight going to hire a PR/Marketing manager? You guys need someone desperately.

When is Farsight going to adopt a proper forum format?

what is up with www.farsightstudios.com ? It looks like it was made by a 12 year old.

Are reversed tables going to be implemented at some point in the future?

Has Farsight ever looked into the possibility of releasing an arcade version of TPA similar to UltraPin?

reversed tables? What is reversed tables?

 

[Brian Clark]

reversed tables? What is reversed tables?

I think he means mirrored tables like mirrored courses in games like Ridge Racer.

 

[mmmagnetic]

With all of your experience with recreating real pinball tables, I am sure all of you at FarSight at one point or another said ... wouldn't it be cool if this or that was in this or that pinball table ... and so, my question is, will the creative minds at FarSight ever consider elaborating and creating a completely original pinball table? I think it would make an awesome free gift for backers of kickstart programs and I am sure non backers would be happy to purchase your awesome pinball table creation!

Haha, I thought about this as well They have all the elements, have worked on a lot of tables, and are obviously pinball players themselves.

A pinball creation tool would be even cooler, I keep thinking about how I would design a pinball... not that I see something like this happening, but man, I would love an editor

 

[Kaoru]

Are you planning on making adjustments to the physics? If so, what?

THIS!

I'm going to vote for this question until it's answered. I get so many needless drains because of the bouncy ball that I'm afraid it'll cause me to brake my controller sooner or later. lol

 

[Brian Clark]

This probably goes with the revamped sounds question. Will Black Hole have more of a loud clicky sound like the real machine when it gets updated?

 

[Dan]

Could a game disc for consoles and PC be an option, eventually as a kickstarter project? Just so you are sure the manufacturing costs are covered.

 

[Jan Duin]

I think he means mirrored tables like mirrored courses in games like Ridge Racer.

'
WPHOF had mirrored tables didn't it? As an unlockable after completing the wizard goals?

Here's my question: Are the commercial results of The Pinball Arcade so far on par with your expectations?

 

[Kevlar]

My question, Any chance of a soundboard with each tables quotes/sound effects unlockable? could be an IAP, see my post here for further details

 

[unclewilly]

i know there was talk of an eventual editor for the pc version.

is this still in the long term plans for the pc version?
also will this editor have access to the rom system?

i for one would pay for an editor outside of the standard content

also if the editor doesnt have access to the rom system will it allow com objects so programs such as pinmame or the upcomming hyperdmd can be accessed.

you may want to check out hyperdmd, it will allow for non rom tables to have a dmd on a second or third screen with custom animations as well as putting them on a real dmd via the pindmd usb board

 

[night]

-Night modus to add more lighting drama effect/see electric lights better.
-Remove horrible blue planet carpet from background: keep background black or replace carpet for monochrome colored wooden floor as seen on the consoles.
-Remove annoying Facebook question ('or play as guest') at start-up, please! Mark Zuckerberg is a genius but I don't want to have anything to do with FB, leave me alone FB, leave me alone! I bought TPA and I am not just a guest!
-Option to remove tables I don't want to buy: just a simple selection of tables we bought. This keep things clean.
-Somehow the interface could be better, more clean: to play a table we have to press 'start' twice.
-When a table loads the screen freezes, looks like nothing happens. Perhaps a spinning pinball?
-When a table loads a big backdrop of a pinball game is shown. The resolution is so low it hurts my eyes. Could be better.
-I still think Black Hole could use a graphic update. The digits on the lower playfield look very low in resolution when the camera zooms inn. Flippers look plain boring flat compared to newer tables, image mapping is to low in resolution and chrome looks like grey plastic instead of chrome.

Just a list of suggestions. I Love TPA, so compliments to them!

 

[starck]

How are sounds from the tables (e.g., the table-specific sound effects, voices, music, etc.) digitized into your software? Do you use the original 'master' audio files, or do you record the sounds with a mic? Is there any possibility of improving the sound quality of the tables? I have never played these in real life, so I don't know what they really sound like, but I suspect the sound quality is compressed for the game- true? Or are the files lower quality to begin with?