34 replies to this topic

[mfuegemann]

File Name: The Web (Pro Pinball) The_Web VPX

File Submitter: mfuegemann

File Submitted: 26 Sep 2017

File Category: VPX Recreations

Author(s): mfuegemann
Zany (3D models)
Manufacturer: Other - Pinball
Year: 1996
Permission to MOD?: No

This is "The Web" by the Pro Pinball Team, made originally in 1996 as a computer game - now in VPX.
 
This PC pinball game was my first real simulation at that time. It got me hooked instantly and I remember placing a paper sheet with the main insert texts in front of my monitor, as the screen resolution did not allow readable insert texts on the playfield.
Two years ago I wrote an e-mail to the Pro Pinball team to ask for their opinion about a Visual Pinball remake of that table. Adrian Barrit replied soon and gave me permission to proceed with the VPin version. Unfortunately he was not able to contribute any material. So I searched the web for "The Web". I found a decent playfield image to start a redraw with and detailed table rules and strategies by Erik Mooney and Jonas Martinsson.
I still have the game CD, so I recorded the table callouts, the main music and used UltraPeepi's UltraDMD for the DMD display and animations.
 
Zany created the 3D models and textures of the space ships and some playfield details as Flippers, Bumper caps, Flashers.
PinballWiz45b did a great job testing the table and pointing out several bugs and issues.
Arngrim added the DOF code and changed the B2S activation to the new controller file, so no more "B2S = True" parameter has to be set. 
 
The table needs Ultrpeepi's DMD module to run. Please install it first and place the folder "The Web.UltraDMD" in the same directory as the table file.
http://www.vpforums....602&hl=ultradmd

The music tracks must be unzipped and copied to Your "Visual Pinball\Music" folder.
 
With version 1.2 I added an Up-Post at the top loop during the Ammo Dump Mission. Now this mission is a bit more balanced and worth going for as the ball is feeded towards the bumper on any loop shot. The post can be deactivated in the configuration section at the top of the script.
Thanks again to Adrian Barritt for his permission to proceed.
 
Have fun and please use the support topic to post any findings and suggestions
Michael

Click here to download this file

[ganjafarmer]

Great, i remember one table with Taxi, it was Pro Pinball i guess. Would be great to see more from you man.

 

Take care.

[STAT]

[Mark70]

Thanks Michael, a great VPX update and gameplay improvement. The table plays very well.

 

I am curious if there is any difference in the music folder which is included to the vpx table?
It says "TheWebMusic_1_1" but the files seem to be older than the ones from your VP9 release.
 

[mfuegemann]

Hi Mark70,

 

the archive file is the same as the one from the VP9 version.

 

Michael

[Andypc]

Thanks for the great table. Would be great to see a good directB2s to do this table justice :-)

[BobAlbright]

Nice work man! I played all the Pro Pinball tables back then EXCEPT this one. Plays well. Thank you

[FreeLunch]

Excellent, I've always wanted to play The Web with better physics. Thanks!

[sifusun]

BIG BIG thx!!!!!!!!!!!!    One of my first PC pinball games... played it very often in those days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

THX

[Sir Cheddar]

I love this table. Thank you very much!

 

The current DOF configuration doesn't use the launch button. For those of you who want it to blink at the right time it needs a small script change. Just paste this at the end of the script:

'Launch Button DOF
Sub AutoPlungerTrigger_Hit
	if AutoPlungerActive = False and AutoPlungerTimer.enabled = False Then
	DOF 170,1
	end if
End Sub

Sub AutoPlungerTrigger_UnHit
	if AutoPlungerActive = False and AutoPlungerTimer.enabled = False  Then
	DOF 170,0
	end if
End Sub

Then set both Launch Button and Authentic Launch Button in DOF Config Tool to the following:

E170  Blink fu500 fd550

[Patrick2610]

I've got script error on line 4193

[sovereign]

This was a game I was able to play on a Mac way back when.  

 

It hasn't run well or played nice with newer systems (aka anything after WinXP) so I was forced to run it in a VM.  But this...it just WORKS (on a Win10 Ryzen machine with a 1080 Ti and 32GB RAM).  A few installs (it needs UDMD and music files), but it runs beautifully and it's what I remember from when I was a kid!

[mfuegemann]

Hi,

 

after quite a while I am preparing a small update for The Web. The main reason was the Ammo Dump mode, that was not really balanced. Most of the time players just waited the mode out or tried to hit the bumpers unsuccessful. Therefore I added a solenoid controlled post at the top of the upper loop, that comes up during Ammo Dump. The ball is then diverted towards the bumpers if You shoot the left or right loop. The post can be deactivated in the Configuration section.

Thanks to Sir Cheddar, I added the Autoplunger DOF calls as he suggested.

The Highscore entry now accepts StartGameKey and PlungerKey to confirm the entry.

 

I will have to check some mode features before the update is ready, though.

[Thalamus]

Thanks for the update Michael !

[STAT]

Thanks Man, i really like the Table

[spanner]

Is there a VP9 version of this table, VPX don't work on my PC, there is no playingfield (the VP Player is transparent so all you see is the desktop,the editor is working ok) but the table is working,DMD and music is ok so all you see is the DMD working but can't play it weird...??

 

I have all of them on PSX and on PC too,original copies,I think The Web is the best one, the playingfield is not so crowded as the rest.

I have 2 of them, Timeshock and Fantastic Journey ether side of my PS Classic..   The Web came free with Fantastic Journey,

First time I played it was from The Official PlayStation Magazine demo disc in 1994, I still have the demo disc.. and it still works.

I got a PlayStation 1 just to play it, I loved the game so much when I played the demo on my sons PSX(1994) I ended up buying a PSX just to play The Web,(you know what kids are like.. and didn't want to stop what he wanted to play on his, well we are all big kids really..   ) brilliant pinball sim...

 

How I rank them... 1 The Web, 2.Big Race USA, 3 Timeshock, 4, Fantastic Journey.

Fantastic Journey is too hard and is not very enjoyable, the ball wants to more end up hitting something in the middle of the playingfield cause its to overcrowded and go down the middle of the flippers, its a shame, could of been a good table, In 1994 they didn't release updates for games like they do now.

 

Well VP won't exist if it was not for Pro Pinball, VP looks like PP, it has the same views. Most Pinball sims are based on PP that were made after 1995 so PP changed how Pinball games looked and played.

Edited by spanner, 31 May 2020 - 08:28 PM.

[batch]

There's a VP9 version on VPForums from the same author, MFuegemann

 

https://www.vpforums...&showfile=11564

 

There's also a Desktop version, because, with VP9, the two versions couldn't be in the same file

 

https://www.vpforums...&showfile=11563

Edited by batch, 31 May 2020 - 09:04 PM.

[spanner]

Sorted it now, shame the DMD is not transparent.. got it working on VPX7beta, there is a option you have to untick if you can't see the DMD, go to Preferences and under Video/Graphics Option.. and untick "Force exclusive Fullscreen Mode" if you have that ticked and you load tables in desktop view, UltraDMD will be behind the playingfield and you will not be able to see the DMD on the same screen.

It doesn't matter if you have that ticked if you use 2 screens, one for backglass and one for playingfield.

 

If you press the buttons "Set for LowEnd PC" or "Set for HighEnd PC" it turns on that option so make sure you untick it before you press the OK button.

Edited by spanner, 02 June 2020 - 03:25 PM.

[Thalamus]

I know that there is a utility somewhere where you can assign some keys to force the dmd to the front. The easier solution though is not to force full screen and play with a window that isn't covering all the display. Easy to get hold of the dmd and you can even put in a backbox on the side if you want.

[rge75]

Brings back memories. Really great work. Thank you very much.

 

One side note thoug: The readme says "Tracks 14, 20, 21, 22, 23 are not used." which is not true. During the video mode (not always though), it gave me the error that bgout_The Web 20.mp3 was not found, so it's needed. Looks like it doesn't take the same soundtrack for the video mode all the time because I didn't have the error earlier. Anyway, I simply added the file now.

 

BTW, don't credits/buy-in work? I assigned a button but I never get a question about a buy-in.

Edited by rge75, 28 February 2021 - 07:33 PM.