ST:TNG Kickstarter is (now complete)!

[Metalzoic]

...Anyway, be that as it may, I hope the kickstarter is a success, and here's to a couple of amazing, BUG FREE tables to enjoy.

While I agree that it is especially important that TZ and ST:TNG be as error-free as possible, I wouldn't hold my breath. TZ in particular is a very complex table, and even with the 15 extra beta testers from its kickstarter, I think the first round will have its share of bugs.

Damn! I didn't even consider this. I only chipped in around $50 for Twilight Zone and I know how incredibly angry I would be if, in return for my support, Farsight gave me a table as bug-ridden as the rest.

Now imagine if you were one of the $1000 plus supporters and were treated that poorly...

 

[Sean DonCarlos]

Out of curiosity, just how does the table identify the powerball on a real table?

There are two proximity sensors installed in the table, one in the trough and one in the slot machine kickout. The proximity sensors are essentially a combination of a standard switch and a magnetic sensor. When the switch indicates a ball present, but the magnetic sensor remains undisturbed, the table assumes that's the Powerball.

The Spiral Helper magnets can also detect the Powerball. If a ball goes through the Spiral while the magnets are on, and comes out the other side instead of being held by the magnets, then the table knows the Powerball just went through (which is called a Powerball Loop, worth 10 million and a "Powerball!" quote).

During multiball, jackpots are doubled if the Powerball scores them. To detect this, the table examines the state of the slot machine kickout sensor (which is where the ball ends up after a jackpot). This can be exploited if the Powerball is not on the field by shooting the slot machine immediately after a jackpot. The proximity sensor is actually behind the scoop a little bit and is not activated from a direct slot machine shot. So if you can get a ball in there fast enough, the ROM sees a ball in the slot machine kickout, sees that the magnetic sensor has not activated, and assumes the Powerball just got to the slot machine really quickly. The fact that the magnetic part of the sensor goes off a quarter-second later (from the other ball coming down from the piano) does not change the ROM's mind. This is extremely hard to do and is not worth the risk of shooting the slot machine directly.

The software also knows when the Powerball is loaded into the gumball machine (for Powerball Mania) and keeps track of its position within the machine. For some reason it doesn't use that knowledge to prevent the above exploit.

If the proximity sensors momentarily stop working, you can get weirdness such as the Powerball making it onto the Powerfield (which is supposed to be disabled when the Powerball is the only ball on the table)...and promptly rolling right back off of it, because Magna-Flip doesn't work too well with the Powerball. More often, the Powerball is released and the game thinks it is a standard ball. This is particularly distressing if you manage to reload the gumball machine with it, because the game won't start Powerball Mania if the Powerball has not been positively identified first. Sometimes shooting the camera or piano (which feed the slot machine proximity sensor) will get the machine to properly recognize the Powerball. As mentioned above, the slot machine shot itself won't help, because it doesn't activate the proximity sensor.

If the sensors permanently stop working; there's a menu adjustment to simulate the Powerball every two loads of the Gumball Machine using one of the steel balls. It keeps the table playable, but it's just not the same.

And now you know all you ever wanted to know (and probably more) about Powerball detection in the Twilight Zone.

 

[laughing_lunatic]

I know how incredibly angry I would be if, in return for my support, Farsight gave me a table as bug-ridden as the rest.

No, everything will be fine. It says so on the Kickstarter blurb, reproduced here in part for your convenience:

We’ve created ROM-emulation technology that allows the same program which controlled the original table to run on our target devices. This means that every rule, sound effect, and light sequence is exactly correct in our digital version.

Finally the table goes through a review process where it’s critiqued by pinball experts and approved by the table manufacturer. The end result of this painstaking process is an exact digital recreation of the pinball table

what could possibly go wrong ?

 

[Sean DonCarlos]

Damn! I didn't even consider this. I only chipped in around $50 for Twilight Zone and I know how incredibly angry I would be if, in return for my support, Farsight gave me a table as bug-ridden as the rest.

Now imagine if you were one of the $1000 plus supporters and were treated that poorly...

This statement makes no sense. Anyone in it for $500+ has the opportunity to beta test the table. So those backers are going to see more bugs (indeed, have volunteered to see more bugs!) than anyone else except the FarSight team itself. You should actually be praying that those backers find as many bugs as possible, so that they can be squashed before the actual release.

 

[laughing_lunatic]

Anyone in it for $500+ has the opportunity to beta test the table.

Of course, this is in the hope that those people actually beta test it. There's a huge difference in beta testing and just having a bit of a play on the table...

 

[Carl Spiby]

... the inner workings of TZ ...

Wow, comprehensive!

 

[Metalzoic]

This statement makes no sense. Anyone in it for $500+ has the opportunity to beta test the table. So those backers are going to see more bugs (indeed, have volunteered to see more bugs!) than anyone else except the FarSight team itself. You should actually be praying that those backers find as many bugs as possible, so that they can be squashed before the actual release.

Ha! True. Well hopefully they catch em' all and we get a very polished table right out of the gate.

 

[Bowflex]

I have been very critical in the past about another kick starter so soon. However I think the timing is as good as can be hoped for given the licensing offer being a time sensitive deal. They did manage to get x360 dlc out and euro ps3 support. My only concerns are the lack of promotion on this campaign by them and no updates yet. Seems like they have not learned from the last campaign on how to effectively run one of these. I am confident there will be no challenge crossing the goal and then some but it could be so much easier with better execution.

 

[bavelb]

My only concerns are the lack of promotion on this campaign by them and no updates yet. Seems like they have not learned from the last campaign on how to effectively run one of these. I am confident there will be no challenge crossing the goal and then some but it could be so much easier with better execution.

It's been only 2 business days?

 

[Carl Spiby]

I wonder what fee's might be associated with T2? Can't be much more than the last two can it?

 

[Mungoholly]

I wonder what fee's might be associated with T2? Can't be much more than the last two can it?

Yeah T2 i'd be interested in, having never played ST:TNG i've no input into wether i want it or not. on a preservation issue and a completist issue i can see why it needs to be in TPA,but i have no experience of the real thing..

 

[Nightwing]

I agree with what others have said about another Kickstarter being too soon,but I thought I'd seen a post somewhere about the timing of the issue with the licensing,with CBS handling both the TZ & the ST:TNG rights.

That being said,I put some money towards this,as I believe in TPA. But I think that Farsight should release BOTH TZ & TNG on all the TPA platforms before doing another Kickstarter. There are plenty of tables that don't need one...

 

[karl]

A very good start for tng indeed. Put down a 100. could not afford any more and have to spread a little love toward Pro pinball also, but if it get's close and having problems it will be another credit card heavy month in September. Looks like it's doing fine so far though. Hope it will get to 45 000 quick so that we will find out what that stretch goal is. My bet would be an earlier star trek game. There is no way Far Sight will do another Kickstarter in the next 6 months. They got their hands full now

 

[Richard B]

I wonder what fee's might be associated with T2? Can't be much more than the last two can it?

T2 was a great machine in it's time, but is pretty dated now. However, if they could get T3 as well, then that would be worth pursuing.

 

[Bowflex]

It's been only 2 business days?

Maybe so but the kickstarter concept ignores business days. It's a 7 days a week sort of thing, just like social media. I think reaching the halfway mark is a big milestone. Every time an update was posted during tz, a spike occurred in donations. I would love to see the goal demolished so we get more tables.

 

[bavelb]

Past the 30k mark and 66% funded!

 

[jrolson]

$15,000 to go!

 

[gooche77]

Here's for hoping Indiana Jones gets a Kickstarter soon after. If TZ can generate that much cash, Indy should kill.

 

[Sean DonCarlos]

What I find puzzling is that Twilight Zone could attract four-figure backers, but ST:TNG doesn't have any. Unless all the crazy Trekkies donated to the TZ one thinking it would reach its stretch goal?

Here's for hoping Indiana Jones gets a Kickstarter soon after. If TZ can generate that much cash, Indy should kill.

They need to hold off on the kickstarters after this one. ST:TNG's project is already going slower than TZ's. I have no doubt it'll make it, but the signs are there that the well is running low. Get TZ and ST:TNG out, put out a bunch of nonlicensed/minor-licensed tables for a while (there's no shortage of good candidate tables) and let the backers replenish themselves before trying to draw more water.

 

[bavelb]

What I find puzzling is that Twilight Zone could attract four-figure backers, but ST:TNG doesn't have any. Unless all the crazy Trekkies donated to the TZ one thinking it would reach its stretch goal?


They need to hold off on the kickstarters after this one. ST:TNG's project is already going slower than TZ's. I have no doubt it'll make it, but the signs are there that the well is running low. Get TZ and ST:TNG out, put out a bunch of nonlicensed/minor-licensed tables for a while (there's no shortage of good candidate tables) and let the backers replenish themselves before trying to draw more water.

While I agree with your assessment that they need to wait a bit for the next one, the causes for the slightly slower KS could be found elsewhere as well: its the end of the month after a vacation period for instance. Nonetheless, I'm not paying for another table this year.