Williams' Collection Volume 5 guesses

[Citizen]

Monster Bash and Scared Stiff won't happen as a pack anyway so it's not even an issue. Neither will MB and Dracula. Or SS and Dracula. Or Creature and SS. Or Creature and Dracula.

Because licensing. MB and Creature are the only compatible licenses out of the horror DMDs.

 

[francis247uk]

So Citizen floated the idea of a MB/CFTBL pack a couple of pages back, perhaps they know someone who has the Beta ;-) I think those 2 are a pretty safe bet for the next pack in any case, can't wait! Judging off previous releases, I expect a trailer to drop a couple of weeks before - my guess around Thursday 17th. Shame the physics upgrades haven't been applied to the previous Williams tables (as announced on Blahcade Podcast) - makes me think that it's unlikely we'll ever see too many fixes after release for Pinball FX3 tables, if they can't be implemented in that extended timeframe between packs. Still, on Xbox One anyway they always seem to play really good on launch day

 

[shutyertrap]

Shame the physics upgrades haven't been applied to the previous Williams tables (as announced on Blahcade Podcast) - makes me think that it's unlikely we'll ever see too many fixes after release for Pinball FX3 tables, if they can't be implemented in that extended timeframe between packs.

It's on their "to do" list, and I trust Zen a lot more about that sort of thing than I ever did FarSight. Still, we need to keep the pressure on regarding getting the new Williams flipper physics applied to Vol 1-3 as well as any future Zen Originals release. It also wouldn't hurt to always mention to Zen how much we'd like to see some of those physics make it to previously released Originals too. Bring it up often on their Discord page, in tweets, on Facebook. Otherwise Zen is working in a bubble and won't know how important these things are.

 

[Firefox2000]

Really? Monster Bash would be a coup. Also Scared Stiff and Zen don't seem compatible. I'd love to have it, but there are PG issues.

Yeah, i think Zen would explode your PC into flames with the devil rising from the middle, if it ever ran the SS or BOP tables. lol

 

[lettuce]

So Table pack 5 beta has been available to some since the start of august?. Im going to guess in realistic terms of licensing crap.....

Monster Bash
CFTBL
Fun House

but would they allow a none media licence table to be included with 2 licences tables? (or maybe this pack will be just a 2 table release). My ideal Halloween pack would be

MB
BSD
TAF or Scared Stiff

 

[Cloda]

It's on their "to do" list, and I trust Zen a lot more about that sort of thing than I ever did FarSight. Still, we need to keep the pressure on regarding getting the new Williams flipper physics applied to Vol 1-3 as well as any future Zen Originals release. It also wouldn't hurt to always mention to Zen how much we'd like to see some of those physics make it to previously released Originals too. Bring it up often on their Discord page, in tweets, on Facebook. Otherwise Zen is working in a bubble and won't know how important these things are.

Good point. Even on Discord there are only a vocal minority (including myself ;-) ) that brings up these kind a thoughts and issues so more people agree / disagreeing with things said will inform Zen better. At least Deep on Facebook once responded to a question about the vol 4 physics in vol 1-3 and he said that they already played really nicely with it. I don't know what the holdup is and hope it is not something about concern that the leaderboards might need to be reset because the game is harder / easier with the vol 4 physics (just speculating).

 

[Rayder]

They probably won't update the app until the pack is released. Two birds with one stone sort of thing.

 

[Cloda]

They probably won't update the app until the pack is released. Two birds with one stone sort of thing.

Oh... sorry, forgot to add that on the previous Blahcade podcast, Shutyertrap said that the vol 4 flipper physics will not be ready yet for Vol 1-3 with the next release.

 

[PinJimmy]

If they dont update the new physics to the first releases this update you probably wont see it happen the next update aswell. They might be afraid people complaining about the leaderboard issues when scores are made with the newer physics. The old physics are easier so people might complain not being able to reach those scores with the new physics.

 

[twopossums]

From my understanding last time Mel was on it is a lot of work to update those tables. A lot of work that honestly doesn’t get them much. We’ve already bought the tables. Sure it would be great and we’d appreciate it. They could taut that all the tables have the updated physics to new buyers. But that doesn’t then the garner them the sales figures of a new release.

What I was reading between the lines was basically updating them is way on the back burner. If it happens whenever great but I’m not holding my breath. I’m more concerned about new tables.

Of course I’m pulling all of this out of my ass. I have no idea how this company decides to run itself.

 

[Byte]

From my understanding last time Mel was on it is a lot of work to update those tables.

That's interesting, maybe we can get someone from Zen to shed a bit more light on their physics engines and how that works. Ideally they should only have to update the engine and have that working Fx-3 wide rather than per table pack so a physics improvement rolls out to all tables automatically.

 

[jaredmorgs]

That's interesting, maybe we can get someone from Zen to shed a bit more light on their physics engines and how that works. Ideally they should only have to update the engine and have that working Fx-3 wide rather than per table pack so a physics improvement rolls out to all tables automatically.

It's challenging because each table is bespoke tuned.

Because in real life each table behaves differently.

Sent from my VOG-L29 using Tapatalk

 

[PinJimmy]

On a podcast right before the release of the last pack we got, Mel stated that the other tables would get the new physics at the release of it. He later took back that statement. Kinda weird cause he said it like it was all ready to be released. So you think well maybe it will be patch in later with the next pack but its not happening and thats pretty strange considering how many people are asking for it.

Could be there is an other physics update coming and they dont want to re adjust the same tables a second or third time

 

[shogun00]

On a podcast right before the release of the last pack we got, Mel stated that the other tables would get the new physics at the release of it. He later took back that statement. Kinda weird cause he said it like it was all ready to be released. So you think well maybe it will be patch in later with the next pack but its not happening and thats pretty strange considering how many people are asking for it.

Keep in mind, that Mel is just a PR rep. Information is subject to change at any given notice.

Mel just relayed the information that Deep (lead developer) said. Deep has stated over on the Zen Forums, that if everything goes well the physics would be applied when the next set of tables release.

Looks like a snag occurred.

 

[twopossums]

Keep in mind, that Mel is just a PR rep. Information is subject to change at any given notice.

Mel just relayed the information that Deep (lead developer) said. Deep has stated over on the Zen Forums, that if everything goes well the physics would be applied when the next set of tables release.

Looks like a snag occurred.

Yes exactly! I was literally about to make that point. I’m sure he’s a great guy and I appreciate him coming on the podcast but honestly he only knows what he’s told. He’s not making the decisions. Things change in businesses and the PR guys are sent in to clean up the mess.

 

[shutyertrap]

I was just thinking about this today...

Remember when FarSight announced they were going to do that Alvin G Soccer? They even bought the thing and had it in the studio. The only factor was they first had to work out online head to head, which did go into what they called a beta, but it seriously was a barely working alpha. Now this was all good fodder for discussion in the forum, but then it became a factor of "well where and when are we seeing it?", and as time rolled on it showed the inability of the studio to get the thing off the ground. On top of that, as people tired of waiting, the demand for the head to head feature diminished to the point that it seemingly didn't seem like something FarSight should sink anymore money into.

Point being, Zen playing it close to the vest is probably much better for their interests than making promises that they then have to keep breaking. Yes it sucks having to wait to hear anything, but better to make announcements about things happening imminently than things they have hopes and dreams about. Also, game development happens, where all sorts of forks in the road send you down paths you didn't expect. There are more than a few things I have been told in confidence with the express understanding not to leak it because things might change, and sure enough things changed. There's even the bit Mel announced in our podcast way back when about a new Zen originals pack that was supposed to come out last winter, and I'm sure he wishes he never said anything about it now as it's just become this thing that perpetually gets brought up.

So patience is the word. There's numerous business reasons for why Zen does what they do, and all of it is in effort to keep pumping out the content we love, with the polish we want, while building bridges with other companies in the hopes of getting content we all dream about.

 

[Cloda]

I was just thinking about this today...

Remember when FarSight announced they were going to do that Alvin G Soccer? They even bought the thing and had it in the studio. The only factor was they first had to work out online head to head, which did go into what they called a beta, but it seriously was a barely working alpha. Now this was all good fodder for discussion in the forum, but then it became a factor of "well where and when are we seeing it?", and as time rolled on it showed the inability of the studio to get the thing off the ground. On top of that, as people tired of waiting, the demand for the head to head feature diminished to the point that it seemingly didn't seem like something FarSight should sink anymore money into.

Point being, Zen playing it close to the vest is probably much better for their interests than making promises that they then have to keep breaking. Yes it sucks having to wait to hear anything, but better to make announcements about things happening imminently than things they have hopes and dreams about. Also, game development happens, where all sorts of forks in the road send you down paths you didn't expect. There are more than a few things I have been told in confidence with the express understanding not to leak it because things might change, and sure enough things changed. There's even the bit Mel announced in our podcast way back when about a new Zen originals pack that was supposed to come out last winter, and I'm sure he wishes he never said anything about it now as it's just become this thing that perpetually gets brought up.

So patience is the word. There's numerous business reasons for why Zen does what they do, and all of it is in effort to keep pumping out the content we love, with the polish we want, while building bridges with other companies in the hopes of getting content we all dream about.

Patience... easy for you to say with full knowledge of what is coming next and when

I'm patient but also don't mind a bit of wild speculation based on a possible connection a friend made On 25 October it will be 20 years since Williams closed its doors. What if the tables that will presumably be announced on the 16th is not related to Halloween but in recognition of the closing of Williams? Do you think Zen is ready and can do justice yet to Revenge from Mars and Star Wars: Episode 1? Obviously we'll know soon enough but it is something to ponder in the meantime

 

[jaredmorgs]

Keep in mind, that Mel is just a PR rep. Information is subject to change at any given notice.

Mel is the Vice President of Publishing.

That's a bit more than "just a PR rep".



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[twopossums]

I mean no disrespect to Mel. Personally I’m very happy that he comes on the podcast. My point being that we shouldn’t read too much into something he said was going to happen not happening (or to be more hopeful not happening yet)

 

[HighFive]

5 months. I understand being patient, but after this wait, im really hoping to see something bigger announce than the packs were expected to see. Sometime im worried a bit that something happen internally . Were just getting response like Farsight are doing that they work on something new and we just dont see anything. Yeah, there is a beta out for testers since late july, but its not here yet, and if by next week there is nothing announced, it just make me feel something not good is going on.