Scripts vs. Emulation

[JoshuaKadmon]

It's great to get full emulation whenever possible, but should FarSight pass on great tables that can't be emulated? Two primary scenarios come to mind:

1) If many Gottlieb tables cannot be fully emulated, should that keep FS from working on non-PHoF classics like Haunted House? Or would a scripted HH be better than not having it at all?

2) If emulating SAM proves to be too complex for mobile devices to handle it, should FarSight consider scripting newer Sterns like Pirates of the Caribbean or AC/DC to make them run smoother? Or would that bastardize the tables to a point where the licensing difficulty would no longer be worth the effort?

What are the scenarios where scripting may be better than the alternative? Are you adamantly against all scripting after Black Hole? Obviously, any EMs in TPA would need to be scripted, too, so does that mean we shouldn't worry about EMs at all? Remember, we have already gotten confirmation on Big Shot, and I'm honestly not sure whether Victory is among those that can't be emulated. Thoughts?

 

[Bonzo]

Scripting a newer Stern table might be "a little" time consuming and much too complex to be done, I think. I'd like some scripted EMs in TPA, though.

 

[Kolchak357]

To me scripting is better than nothing. I want Haunted House and Devils Dare and several other tables where this may be the only option. So give me the most important, interesting, historical, and best pinball tables ever created and script them if they can't be emulated. I enjoy Black Hole and play it often. I'm sure Haunted House would be played even more by me.

 

[JoshuaKadmon]

As you can tell from my BH high score, I'm a fan, too, and Haunted House is one of my three most wanted, just after Swords of Fury and Xenon.

 

[DH_Kevin77]

Scripting a table instead of emulating it takes away some of the attraction for me. IMO, only tables without any ROM to be emulated should be scripted. But, if there is some reason I can't get the table otherwise, I'd accept that. Scripting = Last resort.

 

[Fuseball]

Thankfully a lot of early-SS games should be simple enough to script accurately, although BK in TPA proved that not to be the case. Of course I would far prefer them to be emulated but if scripting was the only way to get Centaur or Fathom into TPA then so be it. What FS do need to accept is that scripted tables may well require a longer development and testing process to get right.

 

[Pinballwiz45b]

Since no ROM exists in the EM tables, I think scripting shouldn't take away the fun out of these games. Otherwise in older SS games, either is fine to me.

 

[gooche77]

More tables no matter what. The scripted tables play great so I don't mind the method.