timeframe on dx11

[kimkom]

I think that there's a real problem with the comparison to major AAA titles...... Sure, I got Tomb Raider FREE with my graphics card, along with two other games, sure it was a AAA title, sure it entertained me for about 12 hrs. ...But I've put far more hours into TPA and it keeps getting new stuff. There's a new table today even. And well, the $100 I've put into three seasons so far for what should total 51 tables at the end of Season 3, that's actually a pretty good deal per table when a real arcade machine (If I can FIND ONE) would set me back $0.50-$1.00 per play and cost even more if I wanted to own it. Infact, to even find 51 pinball tables in one location, you'd have to go to either a massive arcade location or a pinball show to even have that many options available to you.

Ashley, I have no argument with any of your points. I even kind of agree with the 'pretty good deal' spin that seems to have comfortably weaved itself around these parts.

The real problem for me has never been the value for money aspect in terms of quantity, it's the value for money in terms of quality. Obviously we all know that Farsight are juggling a lot of balls. So many platforms, so many tables...

But when there are so many AAA titles offering state-of-the-art production/graphics/gameplay/audio etc, I feel that Farsight should be offering a better quality of product for the prices they are charging for their season packs. And charging even more just to look around the tables just isn't on either, in my opinion.

Couple that with some poor texture quality (by PC standards), lack of in-game portrait mode, delays in dx11 support, delays in emulation, all of the outstanding bugs that have been reported but not addressed, lack of animated backglasses for the early tables etc etc... And that's before we even get onto the more specialist areas such as cabinet support, which doesn't really interest me but I know a lot of members have been asking for.

Apologies if this sounds like a whine, it really isn't intended to be. But I'm getting more and more frustrated with the lack of progress.

Having said that, I think Mike R and Stuart W are doing a great job maintaining the PC version as best they can.

Yes, Farsight are only a small team. But if quality is suffering, features are being delayed, and issues are not being addressed, then the team needs more help!

 

[Sean DonCarlos]

I am simultaneously amazed that FarSight has been able to take TPA as far as they have with the limited resources they have, and saddened that TPA's full potential goes unimplemented because of those same resource limitations.

 

[DaPinballWizard]

No kidding. I love the new table on PC, but man it could be so much better with backglass and DMD support at minimum.

 

[kimkom]

I am simultaneously amazed that FarSight has been able to take TPA as far as they have with the limited resources they have, and saddened that TPA's full potential goes unimplemented because of those same resource limitations.

Sean, never a truer word spoken in this forum.

 

[Alex Atkin UK]

Farsight have already said the Xbox One requires a whole new graphics engine writing, the DX11 engine. That engine can be ported directly to PC. As such I do not think the XBone port is delaying the PC at all, because that graphics engine needs writing either way it just happens its likely to coincide with the XBone version release because its the bulk of the work needed to make that version of the game.

I may be mistaken but I think they said the people responsible for fixing table bugs are completely different to the engine developers, so if there are unfixed bugs they too are not necessarily delayed by the XBone port but simply the lack of resources at Farsight in general.

 

[LMA]

Lucky they got the Xbox One contract then or we would never get it on PC.

 

[lettuce]

I am simultaneously amazed that FarSight has been able to take TPA as far as they have with the limited resources they have, and saddened that TPA's full potential goes unimplemented because of those same resource limitations.

True but look how long it took Pinball FX to get full screen portrait support, backglass 2nd screen only happened last year and only last month did they add DMD support, not sure if that's 3rd screen support or not though!?. So FS aren't doing too bad at the moment considering its only been out on the PC for like 7 months, it can't be that hard to add 3 screen support and allow the backglass and DMD to be moved about freely, heck VP and Future Pinball support this feature

 

[SilverBalls]

True but look how long it took Pinball FX to get full screen portrait support, backglass 2nd screen only happened last year

Official Backglass 2nd screen support in PFX2? That is news to me.

 

[Shaneus]

I am simultaneously amazed that FarSight has been able to take TPA as far as they have with the limited resources they have, and saddened that TPA's full potential goes unimplemented because of those same resource limitations.

Very well said. Hell, with the end of S3 approaching for their immediate-release platforms (iOS, Android, PC) I'd love to see them take a break from doing a new table and work on tying up a number of loose ends. There's too much stuff that seems to be on the go for FS right now and the more stuff that gets promised/scheduled/tabled for TPA, the harder it'll be for them to keep it all under control.

Obviously the Xbox One release has taken priority over pretty much everything else (at least, everything else that was going to be implemented on PC) which is understandable, but after that they shouldn't have any further platforms to worry about as sources of revenue (unless WiiU all of a sudden becomes a priority). I'm hoping once XBO is integrated into their schedule, everything else will fall into place.

Really hoping so.

 

[pm1109]

Not enough people working at Farsight
Thats the plain truth

 

[Kratos3]

The problem I have is with vague complaints, which seem to be the in thing these days for just about every product. To me its just pointless noise.

I can recall when I first came to this forum there was someone complaining about how buggy and broken a specific table was. I was thinking I was pretty lucky since it played fine for me. They went on about the bugs and someone asked what problems they were having. When they responded the bugs were things like a texture overlapping in to the plunger lane or a decal being reversed. Cosmetic things that had zero impact on the table working or not. But you would think the table was completely broken from reading the initial posts.

Those vague complaints are unhelpful and don't paint an accurate picture of the product. So I don't have a problem responding to those types of posts and trying to insert a bit of reality.

Typically the reality is rarely as bad as people make it out to be.

Agree. "Broken tables" are my favorite complaint. I played the Vita version every day even before the patch and every single time it was more fun than not playing a pinball game.

I especially like when people hold star ratings hostage on user reviews on Amazon or the iTunes store or wherever.

 

[Kratos3]

Not enough people working at Farsight
Thats the plain truth

But Zen does all this....stuff. Why can't Farsight do it too? No excuses!!!

 

[superballs]

But Zen does all this....stuff. Why can't Farsight do it too? No excuses!!!

What? Not have enough people working at Farsight? Sure Zen does that, but Farsight does it too.

 

[AshleyAshes]

Can you imagine the rage that'll happen when Farsight eventually discontinues development on TPA and moves on to other projects? "Only (X amount) seasons!? You cheap lazy bastards! You only gave me all the tables that I paid for, that's basically like stealing my money!!!"

 

[Kratos3]

Better do Addams Family quick!

 

[Richard B]

Can you imagine the rage that'll happen when Farsight eventually discontinues development on TPA and moves on to other projects? "Only (X amount) seasons!? You cheap lazy bastards! You only gave me all the tables that I paid for, that's basically like stealing my money!!!"

I'll be pissed if that happens.

 

[pm1109]

Nothing lasts forever in this world

 

[mpad]

Gawd.

 

[pm1109]

When TPA goes under we can call go back to Zen pinball

 

[AshleyAshes]

Edit: Miss counted something, post of no real value as a result, so deleted it.