36 replies to this topic

[Aubrel]

File Name: Big House (Gottlieb 1989) MOD

File Submitter: Aubrel

File Submitted: 15 Apr 2021

File Category: VPX/VPinMAME - MOD Tables

Author(s): mfuegemann (VP9)
Rascal (VPX conversion)
Aubrel (VPX enhanced MOD)
Manufacturer: Gottlieb
Year: 1989
Permission to MOD?: Yes, without approval

Big House Gottlieb 1989, 
Originally made for VP9 by mfugemann (2015)
VPX conversion by Rascal (2019)
VPX enhanced MOD by Aubrel (2021)
 
Big House is a very underrated pinball game. This table was already very well done and needed only to be updated and improved for vpx.
I added in this new version some nice features to really much improve the gaming and the visual experiences.
By the way, everything has been done to match at best the real pinball machine.
 
I did a very big work on the overall lighting and the sound of this table and checked every details to render at its best.
-The overall lighting power is set automatically depending of the LUT chosen.
-The overall lighting power is updated in live depending of the current GI state.
-Darkness level is updated in live and can be set in the scrip to be just "as you want".
-Most collision sounds and the sound code are updated.
 
Some Mods have been also included (apron color, blades, instructions in french)
 
Most important changes :
- Lighting redone completely
- Sound redone almost completely
- Script code updated and improved
- Right ramp and captive ball moves improved
- GI lights fixed and positioned to match the real pinball
- Luts selection by Right MagnaSave
- Mods selection by Left MagnaSave
- Ball and flippers shadows
- Playfield cleanups (and sharpness by movieguru)
- Physics and gameplay improved
- Visual, sound and configuration options added
- Multiball light show improved
- Many small details, materials changed,...
- New backwall for desktop users
- Digital display added for desktop users
...
 
I love this pinball and really hope you will enjoy it
 

Click here to download this file

[marcio clauss]

Great table thanks for the work @Aubrel and all authors

[kds70]

Thanks for this mod ... didn´t know this table before

[naeromagus]

Thanks for the update. Really enjoyed rascal release
Thanks for the update. Really enjoyed rascal release

[Thalamus]

Happy to see you taking on another of those tables that could need a bit more love. Curious to see where you end up with this one. Barb wire came out great in the end.

[Aubrel]

Thanks

@Thalamus I don't think there will be more update for this one. It was a very different case compared to Barb Wire

Edit : there will be at least one other update finally   (movieguru just sent me a nice playfield upscan and I saw a few small things to fix many things to improve it even more)

 

Barb Wire needed to be redone completely, the dimensions were wrong, all the arts needed to be redone/redrawn, the ressources are very poor, the script was incomplete and in fact the table didn't work as it should...

It would still need more work and it deserves to get nice primitives and plastics/playfield scans. But it now look good enough to be played and enjoyed

 

At the opposite Big House was very well made: the dimensions were good, the arts are just awesome and the primitives also! In fact the vpx conversion was just not complete enough, Rascal did an awesome job for this conversion but it needed a little more work to fix some remaining missing materials and some transparencies.

The lighting was made using mostly only flashers bloom and in my humble opinion this is not the best way to get a good result with vpx.

The sound needed to be updated and it lacked ball and flipper shadows. Also the gameplay was too hard, the physic was a little strange so I mod it a little.

But according to the videos I saw there is still an issue with the GI lighting but unfortunately I didn't find the needed technical ressources to fix it... <= Now found and fixed in 1.6 update

Edited by Aubrel, 17 April 2021 - 08:34 AM.

[Sheltemke]

Hah! Another nice choice for updating! And as far as i remember Wildman did a new blackglass for it some weeks/months ago. I just trying to say i know what i will play today Thank you for the update!

[clyde]

Thanks for the update! Excellent job on this one.  

[Aubrel]

You're welcome

 

I was not happy about the backdrop of my previous version : it looked like crap!

Also in the first version I made the central flasher "blue" like it sometime seems to be in a video I saw but in fact it didn't match and a more natural yellowish flasher looks better ^^

 

But the real thing is this comment in ipdb :

The one gameplay feature that is above average on this table is multiball. After locking the third (or second) ball, the entire playfield goes dark and silent except for a searchlight and a siren. The auger toy raises the ball slowly up to the rail as the warden's voice is heard: "THIS IS THE WARDEN. DROP YOUR WEAPONS. YOU'RE SURROUNDED, YOU CAN'T ESCAPE, SURRENDER!" And in the blink of an eye, all three balls come shooting out incredibly fast and multiball begins. This is definitely the highlight of the game.

 

I checked the videos available about this pinball and noticed that the VP version didn't do that : the upper lights were nearly always on, even during the research light sequences and multiballs.

I made many tests and I finally found how it works : the upper GI lights and the bumpers should be linked to "Light1" and not "Light17" like the bottom ones.

Also the playfield "Light1" was wrongly assigned to a second "Light15" (lock 2) and was not accurate.

 

So this find at least deserved an update! Now the 1.6 version looks good for me

Edited by Aubrel, 17 April 2021 - 05:47 PM.

[kds70]

Perfect thanks ... i´m back on cab and playing this table. Some small hint i forgot in my first post: manual plunger needs to be acitvated in plunger options.

 

I must read the table manual for sure. Never got these insert lights working in play (but they work in attract mode).

 

Edited by kds70, 17 April 2021 - 06:49 PM.

[Aubrel]

Sorry I have a plunger button and didn't notice the issue Thanks for the information, I will try to fix it in the next update.

 

About the X-Tra Ball lights, they are working correctly according to the videos shown. To light them you have to hit the 4 cell targets (tested and working).

Edited by Aubrel, 17 April 2021 - 06:58 PM.

[kds70]

 

About the X-Tra Ball lights, they are working correctly according to the videos shown. To light them you have to hit the 4 cell targets (tested and working).

Ohhh ok. Will test and escape now ... thank you

[Aubrel]

it's not always easy btw

 

if you manage to activate the "special" it would be nice. I still not tested it... you have to complete all "jail breaker" target and the drop target to achieve !!  

[Wylte]

"the entire playfield goes dark and silent except for a searchlight and a siren..."

...if you manage to activate the "special" it would be nice. I still not tested it... you have to complete all "jail breaker" target and the drop target to achieve !!

Sold. Sometime this weekend, I'm gonna achieve both of these! Will report back here on the special

 

Edit:  Special seems to work, 5 knocker hits and 500,000 points.  Multiball is legitimately cool - just wish the bottom 2 lights (GIBulb3&4, I believe) turned off so it really was just the top spotlights.

 

Really excellent table, good job to all who worked on it!

Edited by Wylte, 19 April 2021 - 12:42 AM.

[Aubrel]

Thank you for the feedback

 

About the GI lights, the bottom ones don't turn off during multiball. It would be nice but It now works just like the real table

In fact I did my best to get the table at best just like the original machine (I removed all the non existing GI lights and added/reworked also a few details to match).

 

 

 

PS:

I commented out 3 lines in the code about the bumper lighting because at first it looked better without, but with the 1.6 changes it needs them back again.

So to get the best result you would have to uncomment the lines  828, 829 and 830 in the script.

 

Also, it was already there, but for information you can access to the dip switches with the F6 key and get some game options.

 

And as you know depending on your screen brightness setting you should have to adjust the day-night slider as you wish

Edited by Aubrel, 19 April 2021 - 10:31 AM.

[Bladeof]

Thank You @aubrel for the table and updates. It plays extremely nice and is a lot of fun. Your time and work is very much appreciated.

[Aubrel]

A new update (and the last I hope!) is available.

This is almost a very polished version with more options and improvements.

 

I had lot of pleasure to work on this new update and did my very best to get the best of this table.

The multiball light show is now really awesome !! (you can adjust it in the script)

Luts and mods selection with magnasaves is now included.

And also a lot of small details have been added to match at best the real machine.

 

Enjoy !! 

[marcio clauss]

Thanks for the update Aubrel

 

[Aubrel]

 

Thanks for the update Aubrel

 

 

You are welcome! But I just uploaded the 2.0a "hotfix" 

Sorry I changed a variable name lately and forgot some in the code... ^^'

[marcio clauss]

 

 

Thanks for the update Aubrel

 

 

You are welcome! But I just uploaded the 2.0a "hotfix" 

Sorry I changed a variable name lately and forgot some in the code... ^^'

 

Ok my friend thanks for the warning

Edited by marcio clauss, 21 April 2021 - 04:15 PM.