What should specials do?

[invitro]

This is my first poll; hopefully I did it correctly.

Apparently Farsight has changed the behavior of specials to no longer give extra balls on season packs 14 and above. I am not clear on the details, but it doesn't matter. Do you think specials should award extra balls, or nothing? I think awarding a credit equals awarding nothing, so I've combined those options, and I don't think awarding points is something Farsight can or will do, so I haven't given that as a choice. Thank you if you vote!

 

[Sean DonCarlos]

...and I don't think awarding points is something Farsight can or will do...

It depends on the table. Some of them do award points for specials. Whirlwind is one of them; there are a few others.

 

[Kolchak357]

On TPA I'd prefer points if that is an option.

 

[invitro]

It depends on the table. Some of them do award points for specials. Whirlwind is one of them; there are a few others.

Oops, I should have included it as an option, or at least waited until I saw which tables awarded points, and if it was a reasonable amount.

I will count the posts which mention choosing points. I wish I could edit this poll's choices... I'm feeling so embarrassed.

 

[DrainoBraino]

It should be something really special.

 

[SydyneBall]

I like the idea of the extra ball in TPA for Specials. I don't have to put quarters (or dollars/euros/etc) into TPA to play. In Real Life, getting a Special is special, I get to play a whole new game. TPA Specials that just award a 'credit' does nothing. Plus I think it helps with the enjoyment of TPA having extra balls to get to some of the wizard levels, or closer to them.

 

[superballs]

It should be something really special.

Not sure how many people will get this at all.

 

[DrainoBraino]

wow I forgot about that show. Watched it on nick!

 

[Jeff Strong]

Points. The game times run too long as is. There are too many extra balls already.

 

[netizen]

It should be something really special.

Not sure how many people will get this at all.

If it's really special this team will find it in 3-2-1 ...

 

[SKILL_SHOT]

1st special EB 2nd and there after points but increasing each time collected.

 

[invitro]

1st special EB 2nd and there after points but increasing each time collected.

I like that! That's my favorite suggestion yet.

If anyone knows how many points the special scores on the machines it gives points for, I'd like to know. Maybe I'll be less lazy tomorrow and try to figure it out for myself.

 

[invitro]

I suppose it's an odd opinion, but I like long game times. A game doesn't feel special to me if it's not at least two hours long.

 

[netizen]

I suppose it's an odd opinion, but I like long game times. A game doesn't feel special to me if it's not at least two hours long.

Pinball feels very artificial when the games run that long, IMO. I never really played a lot of digital pinball before TPA came around, sure the obligatory Space Cadet and some other Micro Soft tables, but I wasn't and still am not a huge VP/FP player. Heck even Pro Pinball with as nice as it looks and plays pushes for some really, really unrealistic game times.

I like that TPA, as much as it is a digitization and has issues with randomization in some areas, strives for a more "real" game. Where there are still aspects of the coin hungry machines of the arcade. Including the sense where, at the end of the game, you have that feeling of just one more game and I know that I can achieve that goal, beat this mode, get the High Score ...

 

[Sean DonCarlos]

1st special EB 2nd and there after points but increasing each time collected.

Not possible. What specials give is determined by ROM settings; FarSight can't change what the machine's originally programmed options are.

 

[superballs]

Personally, I think that specials should give you credits and credits should be used for tournament entries (one play on each table in the tourney). This makes them mean something without giving an extra ball or a token amount of points, and eliminates the "grind" in the tourneys.

This makes tourney entries easy enough to get but you still have to kinda work for them.

 

[smbhax]

Yep, points : )

 

[Zorgwon]

The future (visual?) pinball tables often start with 5 ball play. That's a lot for a later table. The broken flippers physics compensate for that, though.

The replay extra ball is nice to have. Or a cash refund

 

[norbert26]

The future (visual?) pinball tables often start with 5 ball play. That's a lot for a later table. The broken flippers physics compensate for that, though.

The replay extra ball is nice to have. Or a cash refund

not all the FP tables are broken some are very playable and i prefer 5 balls. back in the day any decent arcade gave you 5 balls . Back to the thread topic special should give something of value in the case of TPA since we are not coining it was an EB that was fine with me. People that dont want extra balls should have a choice of tournament mode (they may already with Pro mode but issues with goals / leader boards)

 

[Espy]

Extra Ball. Because I'm not good enough to have hour-long games, so length isn't really an issue for me.