TPA on the PS4 - First Impressions

[Alex Atkin UK]

Interesting thing about flipper lag. The first time I launched the game I didn't have any, I launched it again later and DID have it. Now tried again and its gone again.

Now I have seen it reported that the input lag on my TV is very random and is sometimes higher than others (it always has above average lag so even a bit in the game itself and it becomes unplayable), but as other people are having similar problems and power cycling my TV nor changing channels would actually fix it, I would try putting your PS4 into standby/off then booting it up again and see if that helps.

 

[Daniel Osborne]

I love it! However....
The leaderboards are a total joke. No friends included and mobile included? Why? Wtf?
Bought season one. Really enjoying it, fun house has lines where the textures meet, like gaps, and Harley Davidson looks well ropey in places, some bloom and over saturation in spots, and the sound is worse than ps3/xbox, but I really really like it. Nice job. Now for spit and polish lads eh?

 

[xAzatothx]

I love it! However....
The leaderboards are a total joke. No friends included and mobile included? Why? Wtf?
Bought season one. Really enjoying it, fun house has lines where the textures meet, like gaps, and Harley Davidson looks well ropey in places, some bloom and over saturation in spots, and the sound is worse than ps3/xbox, but I really really like it. Nice job. Now for spit and polish lads eh?

OMG! you got a PS4!!!!

no more avforums posts then for the xbox

 

[phreaker47]

I had lag too. I have a brand new Samsung 7100 TV, so I can't really compare to the PS3 version... but anyway, as was said, if your TV has a "Game mode", turn it on. For me, this immediately fixed the lag and I was able to line up shots and get in the groove quickly after that.

Here's my VITA REMOTE PLAY REVIEW:

Forget it. There's lag even with a direct connection. It's literally unplayable, unfortunately. Resogun plays well on RP though, and that's also a game that demands precision. So maybe it can be fixed, but right now? Unplayable.

As for the rest of the game... spent about an hour on it and tried a few tables. Here's what I have:

- No complaints about the upgraded look. I'll let others nitpick the lighting and such. It's a bit jarring at first (especially in dark mode which I LOVE) to see things like the colored light reflections on the ball. Takes some getting used to... but it's all good. Chrome finally almost really looks like chrome!
- Some of the same issues have carried over. I'm talking to you, Black Knight. Still has the strange black blotch under the far right ramp (although it doesn't obscure the green magna save area as much as before). It is also still missing the flashing lights/sounds when multiball begins, and the way the EOB bonus tallies is still not faithful to the ROM.
- Tried AFM briefly and hit the right orbit shot 3 or 4 times and didn't see the STDM bug... however, that's not nearly enough testing to prove anything.
- The disappearing "fast flashing" display bug is still present. See Funhouse when you collect a mystery mirror.

All in all it's great (and I only paid $10 out of pocket for season one), but my impression at this point is that there aren't a lot of core improvements over just the graphics.

Well uh... it DOES load a lot faster.

 

[Alex Atkin UK]

Actually I found Remote Play playable as long as you use direct connection, but its definitely not optimal. As I said before though, my TV in Game Mode is quite high latency so remote play is quite similar. (yes my TVs input lag is that bad)

 

[Azuri]

I had lag too. I have a brand new Samsung 7100 TV, so I can't really compare to the PS3 version... but anyway, as was said, if your TV has a "Game mode", turn it on. For me, this immediately fixed the lag and I was able to line up shots and get in the groove quickly after that.

First off, a big thanks. The flipper lag was brutal on my high end Sharp Aquos TV setting it to game mode fixed the flipper lag. I was really put off by this after playing TPA on my IOS lag free for months. Time to actually test the game out for real now.

 

[brakel]

I love it! However....
The leaderboards are a total joke. No friends included and mobile included? Why? Wtf?
Bought season one. Really enjoying it, fun house has lines where the textures meet, like gaps, and Harley Davidson looks well ropey in places, some bloom and over saturation in spots, and the sound is worse than ps3/xbox, but I really really like it. Nice job. Now for spit and polish lads eh?

PS3 has always had combined leader boards. No one has ever seemed to like it. I've never seen anyone post "finally a game that combines scores on a leaderboard for the PS3 and mobiles!"

 

[pseudokings]

Go into your TV and turn off Dynamic range, any kind of post processing period. Some sets just lag with gaming.

I disagree though with your post. Every table is incredibly polished. Cirqus Voltaire is vastly improved over the PS3 and 360, dare I say perfect now. I also occasionally get bugs with the IOS version of Twilight Zone and Star Trek, haven't experienced anything like that on Ps4. This version, IMO, is perfect. All it needs is the Audio fixed, which is a simple patch.

I love the lighting. Attack From Mars looks like the real machine, but I am slightly bummed they still pulsing figure out a cool solution for Strobe Multiball. The light shows of these tables add an entirely new element to the appreciation I have for them and this game. PS4 is just the way to go right now, the machines are so polished too coming from Xbox 360 and PS3 it's a huge jump, and worth every penny of 30$. I almost would feel guilty if I had the option for the discount.

And if you look at early PS4 footage or even the PS4 demo released last month you can tell just how improved it's gotten since then. They really went the extra mile with the PS4 release. Thank you to any employees who may read this post. Just fantastic work guys and I really hope it's a hit with the broader PS4 community. Best wishes, merry Christmas, and THANK YOU.

I'll try the Dynamic Range off, and Game Mode on combo and see if it works for me, but it's still a pain and a disappointment to have to, as those settings changes are not ones that I can just live with for everything that plays on my TV just for the sake of TPA.

As to the rest of your post, I do see some bug fixes and other small improvements, and I do appreciate them, though it is worth stating that it's all stuff that should have been that way from the get-go. I do really like the "Dark" room lighting option, but it also is the only one where the work they did on the lighting is going to be noticeable to a casual player, and dramatic for the real player, making it the only one worth using.

I, like several other folks on here, own a (real) pin, and have played the real versions of a majority of the tables in the game, so I know what I'm talking about, and there is nothing "perfect" about any of the tables. That's okay, BTW, because recreating anything real in a digital space is extremely difficult, and I do believe that from a play standpoint FS does better than anyone else in the digital pinball game, hands down. I love TPA. But that doesn't mean that it is all it can be by any stretch of the imagination. Where's the playfield shine? Where are the photo realistic textures that PS4 is easily capable of? The lighting is very good, the room lighting option is finally here, the tables have had some bug fixes done - that's all good - but the textures are the underwhelming same (look at the plastic under the CFTBL ramp by the left side Snack Bar targets), the 3D polygonal stuff is still very primitive, and the ball is a little too slow most of the time (amongst other things). And then there is the audio.

Hopefully they'll fix/upgrade all of this, the already good, and the still pretty bad, over time, but one glance at Knack, Killzone, ACIV, NBA2K14, says there is incredible room for (especially visual, and lag removal) improvement.

 

[Spike Forehand]

I'll try the Dynamic Range off, and Game Mode on combo and see if it works for me, but it's still a pain and a disappointment to have to, as those settings changes are not ones that I can just live with for everything that plays on my TV just for the sake of TPA.

I've had this issue since I got my new HT projector last year and wanted to be able to both game and watch TV/Blu-Rays with it. Needed the "Game" settings to reduce lag in FPS games, but much preferred the cinema settings for watching TV/Blu-Rays. Was a pain to have to change them manually.

To resolve, I got a Harmony One universal remote where you can program command sequences. Now - one button goes from watching TV to gaming and resets everying. Even got room lights on there

 

[Michaux]

Just topped six million on Twilight Zone on my first PS4 play through. I've probably played this table 100+ times on PS3 & Vita with my previous high hovering around 4 mil. I don't know if its the improved responsiveness of the DS 4, beginner's luck, or some kind of residual muscle memory, but I love the physics in this new version. Now if they could just fix the audio…and return the white Powerball to the Gumball machine (minor gripes).

 

[Dumpstar]

I
To resolve, I got a Harmony One universal remote where you can program command sequences. Now - one button goes from watching TV to gaming and resets everything. Even got room lights on there

Once you have one, you wonder how you lived without it. I love being able to press watch a movie and it turns the TV to the right input, and puts the media centre on. Once it's setup it just gets rid of all those fiddly tasks and clears your coffee table of all those remotes.

 

[brakel]

Just topped six million on Twilight Zone on my first PS4 play through. I've probably played this table 100+ times on PS3 & Vita with my previous high hovering around 4 mil. I don't know if its the improved responsiveness of the DS 4, beginner's luck, or some kind of residual muscle memory, but I love the physics in this new version. Now if they could just fix the audio…and return the white Powerball to the Gumball machine (minor gripes).

Even if you didn't notice the input lag (flipper lag) there is some on the PS3 but it seems to be gone on the PS4. Could be one reason.

 

[phreaker47]

I've had this issue since I got my new HT projector last year and wanted to be able to both game and watch TV/Blu-Rays with it. Needed the "Game" settings to reduce lag in FPS games, but much preferred the cinema settings for watching TV/Blu-Rays. Was a pain to have to change them manually.

To resolve, I got a Harmony One universal remote where you can program command sequences. Now - one button goes from watching TV to gaming and resets everying. Even got room lights on there

Yeah I have the One also... and I'm going to need to put a macro in it for that too. My new TV's Game mode setting is buried in the system menu and even on the Harmony command set there is no discrete button to toggle it on/off directly (which really sucks!). I may just need to make a macro that goes in there and toggles it.

 

[kimkom]

Lighting - looks great on some tables like ST:TNG but misses the mark a little on some like Medieval Madness. It's still better than the PS3 but there are bloom areas on MM and an even stranger dark void.

Brakel, thanks for the info.

This 'dark void' is the part that concerns me. I've noticed this in the middle of a few playfields, on what few screens/vids I've seen. Even more concerning is that the ball itself seems to 'grey out' and become very dull while in these areas.

Rolling on from that, any chance we could see some PS4 screens posted?

 

[Daniel Osborne]

OMG! you got a PS4!!!!

no more avforums posts then for the xbox

Lol, yes, I always buy what I think is best regardless of my friends list, so starting again!

 

[Daniel Osborne]

Guys, I've posted this before...... Re; lag
If you have a Samsung, select the hdmi input your ps3/4 is connected to, select 'tools', select name input, change to 'pc'. That's better than game mode, cuts processing down to the absolute minimum.

 

[Cerberus]

Are you guys playing on Dark mode? It's really what makes the PS4 version the best, hands down.

Table Menu -> Help & Options -> Room Brightness: Dark.

It's a total light show, just like playing on the real thing at an arcade. It really makes you appreciate the tables more if you never played them before, and just looks right if you already have played them IRL.

This PS4 version in Dark mode has sparked more nostalgia than any Farsight release has before, it's the most accurate pinball experience & they really should default this game to Dark room brightness.

 

[Jeff Strong]

I'll try the Dynamic Range off, and Game Mode on combo and see if it works for me, but it's still a pain and a disappointment to have to, as those settings changes are not ones that I can just live with for everything that plays on my TV just for the sake of TPA.

Most HDTV models allow you to turn on Game Mode for specific inputs, so you can just set up the HDMI input that your PS4 is hooked up to and then leave the settings for your other inputs alone. You should ALWAYS have Game Mode ON for any video game console's input, as well as turning OFF other bells and whistles (anti-blur/motion, gamma correction, etc.) since those things don't improve picture quality anyway and they actually make games look worse. They also add extra processing which can cause lag in many games, not just TPA....certain sports games for example are notorious for lag if you don't set your TV up properly.

EDIT: just saw Daniel's post above. Good advice, mate.

 

[Dumahim]

Are you guys playing on Dark mode? It's really what makes the PS4 version the best, hands down.

Table Menu -> Help & Options -> Room Brightness: Dark.

It's a total light show, just like playing on the real thing at an arcade. It really makes you appreciate the tables more if you never played them before, and just looks right if you already have played them IRL.

This PS4 version in Dark mode has sparked more nostalgia than any Farsight release has before, it's the most accurate pinball experience & they really should default this game to Dark room brightness.

Most of the tables I’ve played it has looked good, but CV just didn’t work for me with the low light.

 

[brakel]

Brakel, thanks for the info.

This 'dark void' is the part that concerns me. I've noticed this in the middle of a few playfields, on what few screens/vids I've seen. Even more concerning is that the ball itself seems to 'grey out' and become very dull while in these areas.

Rolling on from that, any chance we could see some PS4 screens posted?

I've found that the tables that have the darkest areas in the middle look best with the lighting set to neutral instead of dark. This reduces the distracting dark area and makes the ball easier to see when it passes through while preserving most of the effects of the light show.

Most HDTV models allow you to turn on Game Mode for specific inputs, so you can just set up the HDMI input that your PS4 is hooked up to and then leave the settings for your other inputs alone. You should ALWAYS have Game Mode ON for any video game console's input, as well as turning OFF other bells and whistles (anti-blur/motion, gamma correction, etc.) since those things don't improve picture quality anyway and they actually make games look worse. They also add extra processing which can cause lag in many games, not just TPA....certain sports games for example are notorious for lag if you don't set your TV up properly.

EDIT: just saw Daniel's post above. Good advice, mate.

The first thing that I do when I get a new TV is turn off all the picture processing that I can. Then I calibrate it. If you like to watch movies on bluray and you want to watch the movie the way the director and cinematographer intended, then all picture processing off is the correct place to start. Everything that the tv does to the picture after it gets the signal from the HDMI cable takes it one step away from that ideal. This also has the added benefit of reducing screen lag.

On a TV that gives you a lot of control you can turn off more individually than might be turned off with just the gaming mode. On a TV that tries to control stuff for you then the best you might be able to do is put the tv in gaming mode.