VP harder than the real thing?

[Richard B]

Since finding the locations of some real machines, I've noticed that VP is actually harder in most cases than the real machine is. Games of Simpsons Pinball Party usually last less than a minute on VP, and rarely score more than a few million, but my games are much longer, and scores much higher, on the real machine. This is generally the case across the board. Anyone else find this to be true?

 

[Bonzo]

I've played a lot of AFM on VP and though I'm still far from great my scores are quite decent. Two weeks ago I had the chance to play a real AFM and it took me a few credits to get a feel for it but I was still not half as successful as I am at home. So no, I wouldn't say VP is harder than the real thing.

 

[MTH]

It can be in places. With MM, the Trolls! round is very difficult on VP as hitting a troll has a fairly high chance to make your ball bounce off at some angle or speed that is nearly impossible to save, which just doesn't happen on the real machine. Since you cannot tap the buttons to lower the flippers just a bit passing is harder. Still I find VP a lot easier, controlling the ball with nudging is much easier and the whole table behaves much more predictable than the real thing. If nothing else the fact that you can play VP as much as you want and a real table costs money per game (assuming you don't have one in your basement) balances it out.

 

[Richard B]

Yes, like TPA, the kickers always send the ball to the same place at the same speed. It can be easier, or harder, if it puts the ball in a bad position. RCT fullscreen is especially terrible, as a successful skillshot sends the ball to the kicker, which always bounces off the flipper down the drain.

 

[Logan812]

Some tables are easier on VP and others are harder, so there's no one sure answer for me at least. Another thing to consider is that no two real-life pinball machines are exactly the same. Even on factory settings, some ramps may get rejected more often than other machines of the same kind for example. Also, the machine operators may adjust the settings themselves.

 

[Groni]

Well if you played my VP Tables, than they are almost as hard as the real one. I compare every table I do with real play. I only do tables that I can play in real. For Example JPSalas didn´t played any (or not much) of his recreations in real life. He told me once, that his goal is not to recreate 100% and just creating a table with his own feel of physics. Thats an example that his tables play often much to easy or much too hard and the physics are not near a real machine.