So why is there no memory save in TPA?

[Kaoru]

No idea if this has already been answered (at least I couldn't find anything with the forum search), but why exactly isn't there a "save state" for the tables? In the PHOF series they had one, uncollected jackpots carried over and so on, but in TPA everything resets once you leave the game - which is a bit inconvenient and annoying.

 

[brakel]

No idea if this has already been answered (at least I couldn't find anything with the forum search), but why exactly isn't there a "save state" for the tables? In the PHOF series they had one, uncollected jackpots carried over and so on, but in TPA everything resets once you leave the game - which is a bit inconvenient and annoying.

Its been answered many times but I don't mind answering again. The state that the virtual ROM starts off in on each table is a known stable state. One in which the table performs correctly and predictably. Everything that happens after you launch the ball takes you further from this known stable state and into the unknown and possibly unstable state. Real ROMs on real tables do get into states where weird things start happening. I played a pinball machine in a bar that would reward a jackpot for a ramp shot during multiball. Pretty normal thing. But every once in a while the machine would wig out and start rewarding jackpots for every ramp shot during single ball play. The bartender would hear the machine go wild and tell the person that he'll give them a couple of quarters for a free game if they'll unplug the machine and plug it back in. That resets the ROM. In TPA in order to keep the games real and avoid getting the ROM into weird states they decided to have the ROM reset to its known stable state when you exit out of the table.

While you might not like the table resetting each time it does add some added fun on some tables to play them for extended periods of time. Medieval Madness comes to mind. If you play this one for hours on end you will hear some audio that is otherwise seldom heard.

 

[superballs]

while it might annoy a lot of people, I really wouldn't mind if the rom had to boat up like in VpinMame

 

[Shaneus]

I think a better option would be for them to have it reset every 10 or 50 or X amount of games, so for titles like Dr. Dude, BK2K and Black Rose that have carry-over jackpots/progression, there's a better chance to get them/work towards them than not. Otherwise you have to waste time "setting up" things like jackpots and rewards (like RANSOM) because getting them in a single game is next to impossible.

 

[Fungi]

I think a better option would be for them to have it reset every 10 or 50 or X amount of games, so for titles like Dr. Dude, BK2K and Black Rose that have carry-over jackpots/progression, there's a better chance to get them/work towards them than not. Otherwise you have to waste time "setting up" things like jackpots and rewards (like RANSOM) because getting them in a single game is next to impossible.

But then, it would reset when I wouldn't want it to. Imagine it resetting just as I had gotten R A N S O. Also, since I'm not about to count when it's going to reset, there'll be an added pressure to ramp up the jackpots and RANSOM as quickly as possible due to the unseen clock.

 

[Sean DonCarlos]

This has also been pointed out many times, but for tables that have Pro Modes, if you play them with the operator's menu on it will save state between games, reloads of tables, even closes of TPA itself. Of course, no goals/achievements/leaderboards that way, but if you don't care about such things or already have the goals/achievements for a particular table, it's available to you.

Also has the bonus of making the secondary score lists (MM's Joust/Damsel/Catapult/Peasant/Troll/Madness Champions, TZ's Lost in the Zone Champion, etc.) actually save as well.

 

[Shaneus]

But then, it would reset when I wouldn't want it to. Imagine it resetting just as I had gotten R A N S O. Also, since I'm not about to count when it's going to reset, there'll be an added pressure to ramp up the jackpots and RANSOM as quickly as possible due to the unseen clock.

Well, obviously it wan open-ended idea. Perhaps it resets when the system's device hits midnight? Or it gives you a countdown? Not saying it has to be an absolute, specific, invisible value... just something that can be used as a reliable thing. At least it would get rid of the extra ball every time in Fish Tales.
That way those of us who do care about that sort of thing can build towards it, while those who aren't aware (I'd wager 90% of players don't know about the Dr. Dude carryover) are none the wiser.

 

[Fungi]

I like the midnight thing.

 

[brakel]

I would be very against a reset at midnight. Most of my marathon sessions end around 2am.

 

[Shaneus]

I would be very against a reset at midnight. Most of my marathon sessions end around 2am.

Pretend it's a real arcade and it closes at midnight Or just wind the clock back/forward on your device until you finish.

Or maybe just have it reset once you exit the app past midnight. If such a thing were to be implemented, I doubt it'd reset it in the middle of a session.

 

[Fungi]

Or maybe just have it reset once you exit the app past midnight.

I really like this idea as well.

 

[danivempire]

Just leave your pc or ios or android or whatever ON and TPA running all the time ^^

 

[netizen]

This has also been pointed out many times, but for tables that have Pro Modes, if you play them with the operator's menu on it will save state between games, reloads of tables, even closes of TPA itself. Of course, no goals/achievements/leaderboards that way, but if you don't care about such things or already have the goals/achievements for a particular table, it's available to you.

Also has the bonus of making the secondary score lists (MM's Joust/Damsel/Catapult/Peasant/Troll/Madness Champions, TZ's Lost in the Zone Champion, etc.) actually save as well.

[/thread]

 

[Zaphod77]

I still like my idea.

if you restart a running game, have it slam-tilt the rom. then start a new game.

but seriously... how hard is it to figure out where the other champions are stored in the rom and store those as well?

As for jackpot carryover, implement it by randomizing them. say for BK2K we have about 30 initial states, with varying jackpot and ransom letter values.

 

[brakel]

I still like my idea.

if you restart a running game, have it slam-tilt the rom. then start a new game.

but seriously... how hard is it to figure out where the other champions are stored in the rom and store those as well?

As for jackpot carryover, implement it by randomizing them. say for BK2K we have about 30 initial states, with varying jackpot and ransom letter values.

I don't want them saving values from the ROM and then artificially inserting them. Who knows what that might do. I don't think it's a problem as is. Just invest some time on the table if you want to get deeper into the table.

 

[Sean DonCarlos]

but seriously... how hard is it to figure out where the other champions are stored in the rom and store those as well?

Quite difficult, apparently. The ROMs have integrity checks; it's not as easy as just finding a memory location and inserting the desired value. When they tried, it caused the ROM to reset itself.

 

[Shaneus]

As for jackpot carryover, implement it by randomizing them. say for BK2K we have about 30 initial states, with varying jackpot and ransom letter values.

That could be an interesting idea... for something like BK2K, have 6 (or however many you'd need) different ROM states for different levels of RANSOM progression. Whichever one you finish on is the one it loads next time. Same for Dr. Dude. Probably harder to implement for jackpots, unless you have different ROMs at different fixed increments, like 50,000 or 500,000 or 1m, depending on the machine and it picks whatever's closest.

 

[brakel]

That could be an interesting idea... for something like BK2K, have 6 (or however many you'd need) different ROM states for different levels of RANSOM progression. Whichever one you finish on is the one it loads next time. Same for Dr. Dude. Probably harder to implement for jackpots, unless you have different ROMs at different fixed increments, like 50,000 or 500,000 or 1m, depending on the machine and it picks whatever's closest.

But as has been pointed out, the ROM just can't be mucked about with predictably. Even though its a video game the game exists within the confines of the ROM.

 

[Sean]

This has also been pointed out many times, but for tables that have Pro Modes, if you play them with the operator's menu on it will save state between games, reloads of tables, even closes of TPA itself. Of course, no goals/achievements/leaderboards that way, but if you don't care about such things or already have the goals/achievements for a particular table, it's available to you.

Also has the bonus of making the secondary score lists (MM's Joust/Damsel/Catapult/Peasant/Troll/Madness Champions, TZ's Lost in the Zone Champion, etc.) actually save as well.

I'm thinking I'll go Pro on Wii U - whenever that actually gets released!

 

[Espy]

I'm thinking I'll go Pro on Wii U - whenever that actually gets released!

Given the Wii U's current success, I think Farsight are maybe holding back to see how things pan out before launching on a new platform. As TPA is ongoing it's a commitment rather than putting the game there and waiting for sales. Plus if they pull the plug on the Wii U version because things go sour with the console, there will be a lot of angry Facebook comments!

I have one myself and like it, but there is a lot of doom and gloom surrounding it.