Star Wars Rebels table

[shutyertrap]

- The graphics are so... flat. It goes from bad to just OK. A few are good though, especially the EM tables. But everything else is so bland. I launched STTNG and Oh, my eyes!
Despite their unrealistic features, Zen table looks so photorealistic in comparison.

- The controls are so laggy (depending of the table though). At least on PS3, even if it's not as bad as it was prior to the megapatch, but still.
Once again, I was so used to play only TPA, that I didn't notice anymore I shot a lot more earlier to correct the input lag.
Play right after Zen makes TPA unplayable again. (and it doesn't come from my TV which is a CRT with an HDMI input)

- The sound quality is so bad. Everything is at the same volume level (voices and mechanical sounds for example), and sounds like a muffled mono channel.
Once again, my ears got used to that, but now it blows at my face (or my ears) how creepy the TPA sound quality is (the original ROM quality is not an excuse), whereas Zen makes crumble my walls.

I hear you on the flat look, some tables are better than others though. There are some Zen tables that to me have no depth at all, like Plants vs. Zombies. Then I saw it in 3D, and I was stunned. I've never seen TPA in 3D, so I wonder what I'd think. I do gotta say, switching over to PC and playing with the advanced lighting of DX11, it add tons of depth and dimension.

You have to remember in terms of audio quality, TPA is dealing with mono sound from games recorded in very primitive by today's standards circumstances. White Water sounds just as crappy in real life as it does in TPA. Zen is going full stereo with multi track recording and mastered sound clips. It'd be like complaining about Gorgar after playing the most recent Stern.

Oh, the PS3 controller lag thing. Thankfully I never dealt with it myself. No lag on PC either.

Nice though that you found some love for Zen. I do like a lot of their tables, and I don't expect it and TPA to 'feel' the same. They are both pinball, but they operate under different parameters. Would be crazy to play Zen with TPA physics and vice versa though, no?

 

[Tann]

I hear you on the flat look, some tables are better than others though. There are some Zen tables that to me have no depth at all, like Plants vs. Zombies. Then I saw it in 3D, and I was stunned. I've never seen TPA in 3D, so I wonder what I'd think. I do gotta say, switching over to PC and playing with the advanced lighting of DX11, it add tons of depth and dimension.

Well, I would need a new PC for that. 500$ + 130$ to only play TPA... well, no (I'm not a PC player, or only old point'n'click games and city builders ).

You have to remember in terms of audio quality, TPA is dealing with mono sound from games recorded in very primitive by today's standards circumstances. White Water sounds just as crappy in real life as it does in TPA. Zen is going full stereo with multi track recording and mastered sound clips. It'd be like complaining about Gorgar after playing the most recent Stern.

I don't mean the sound itself, but the "dynamic" (I don't know how to say it in english). As far as I know, the sound quality bas been improved (or remastered?) on the PC version of TPA (more bass, cleaner sound balance). On PS3, the sound data would come from the mobile devices (compressed as hell), that it won't surprise me.

Nice though that you found some love for Zen.

Yeah, I played a lot the first Zen back in 2009, when it was the only correct pinball game on PS3. It was OK, but clearly not blew me.
When Zen 2 was released, I just imported my purchased tables, and played only a few games.

That's why I rediscover Zen 2 now. My memories seems to have been wrong about it.

I do like a lot of their tables, and I don't expect it and TPA to 'feel' the same. They are both pinball, but they operate under different parameters. Would be crazy to play Zen with TPA physics and vice versa though, no?

Yeah, totally right. But what TPA wants to offer (digital recreation of real tables), it does it poorly (at least on PS3, surely less on the more supported platforms). I didn't see that before, because I'm a big supporter of TPA, and I (wanted to) really like the game, even if it induced to have blinders. But now, it's like something is broken.

I should have not played Zen again.

 

[shutyertrap]

I don't know, after a few hours playing TPA or Zen, I get used to their 'style' and forget about the other. Much more difficult if you bounce back and forth between the two.

 

[DA5ID]

I don't know, after a few hours playing TPA or Zen, I get used to their 'style' and forget about the other. Much more difficult if you bounce back and forth between the two.

yeah like "why doesn't the ball stick to the flipper anymore during a catch" when you switch from zen to tpa

 

[IGoFirstIndy]

I don't know, after a few hours playing TPA or Zen, I get used to their 'style' and forget about the other. Much more difficult if you bounce back and forth between the two.

Totally agree. I go through phases.

Loving the new Rebels table. It's just a lot of fun. Definetly makes up for the age of ultron table disappointment.

 

[Pinballwiz45b]

 

[Tann]

I don't know, after a few hours playing TPA or Zen, I get used to their 'style' and forget about the other. Much more difficult if you bounce back and forth between the two.

Well for the PS3, it comes mainly from the famous 1-frame lag (in 1080i/p) because of the additional lighting effect used in the PS3 version, not really from the fact that the two games play differently. Switching to 720p, the lag is gone... but the game is ugly. Back to the past.

"It's all in this thread. Basically the game launched with two frames of input lag at 1080p and one frame of lag at 720p; this lag was added to handle processing of the additional lighting effect used in the PS3 version. Late last year they reduced the lag by one frame, so now we're at 1 frame of lag at 1080p, and none at 720p; if you switch your XMB Display Settings to a Custom setting with the 1080 options unchecked--assuming your display device can display 720p--then run the game, you won't have lag.

- I just have a plain jane 32 inch LCD Westinghouse and I have no additional lag at 1080p, I have no game mode or extra processing modes 1 frame of lag can definitely be adjusted by knowing it exists and making your shots, catching the ball, etc...

http://digitalpinballfans.com/showthread.php/4791-Another-Lag-Thread

I learned to be used to this 1-frame lag, but playing Zen again made me notice it again, and it becomes hard again to handle it like I did before. So yeah, play the two games simultaneously can be a pain.