106 replies to this topic

[yogiholzer]

Why not talk about? It's just only a first reaction about a surprising new release.

I'm sure Juan is nice enough to answer adequate. And I'm sure Groni is nice enough to reply adequate.

No reason to really worry at all.

[The Loafer]

Looking forward to trying this.

Groni: nothing wrong with being franc with your comments, though I do find them a little strong. As was identified to you earlier, this is a VP9 table, not VP8. If JPSalas had released an update to your VP8 table, THEN I would undertand your comments, but that's not the case, this is essentially a "new platform", a totally new release.

BTW, I know a few germans and they are able to express themselves franc while still being tactful. I also know north americans who are jackasses. We are more alike, we're all humans.

Edited by The Loafer, 11 June 2009 - 12:35 AM.

[rossicomputers]

Easy Groni,

Why don't you make your own version LOTR?... Let's see the final version Beats JP's version...

I DOUBT IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[jpsalas]

One good thing with VP is that you can change anything you don't like in a table, so it suits your preferences.

In this table I wanted to show that in VP9 we can use now ramps instead of decals for almost any decoration. Changing the angle of the ramp will also change the brightness of the image. If you have the Bottom height of the ramp the same as the Top height then the image looks like a decal, very bright, just like the original image you prepared, and the good thing is that you can move it where you want without needing a wall under to mask the ball. In this table I have used the ramps (for the figures) just like they were walls, very vertical. This keeps the same dark look on all the figures. A pity the ramps are not dropable, if they were then you could have very bright animations. Well, maybe next version

Another thing I wanted to show in this table is that you can have the shadows turned on in VP (I like VP shadows ), and at the same time have nice bright GI lights under the plastics, since the VP lights don't get shadowed. Take a look at the green lights on the editor. In this table they are always on.

About the nudging: I changed a little Noah's subs to make it easier to change the parameters. If you take a look at the key subs you'll see this:

If keycode = LeftTiltKey Then LeftNudge 80, 1.2, 20: PlaySound "nudge_left"
If keycode = RightTiltKey Then RightNudge 280, 1.2, 20: PlaySound "nudge_right"
If keycode = CenterTiltKey Then CenterNudge 0, 1.6, 25: PlaySound "nudge_forward"
If keycode = 45 Then LeftNudge 80, 2, 30: PlaySound "nudge_left"
If keycode = 52 Then RightNudge 280, 2, 30: PlaySound "nudge_right"

The parameters are close to the normal nudge command, but instead of two parameters, there are now three.

For example the LeftNudge has the parameters 80, 1.2 and 20. These are the angle, the strength and the delay the table spend in returning to the stable position. It is posible to have a strength under 1, and it will have an effect on the ball, but the table won't move.

About the rulessheet: In this table I have used the same .hta file, but this time instead of text I have added just a picture. HTA files are just HTML files, so you can use a HTML editor to edit them. The only problem I see is that the file and the graphics must reside in the same folder as the table, and if the windows taskbar poping up disturbs you then just set the taskbar not always on top

And to Groni I want to say again that I like to make the tables the way I like. I like dark backdrops or no backdrops at all. I like black aprons. I don't feel the need to make the tables 100% looking like the original, and I like adding my own graphics. I'm just happy that the tables play nice on the computer, and I never try to make them play like an original table, since not two real tables will play the same. I even tried to play a table on a boat, that was funny! It was even worst than my VP9 version of Tales from the Crypt In my tables I'm just happy that I can hit all the targets with the flippers, and since this is VP if someone feel that the center shots are too easy then it is a matter of changing the angle or the strength of the flippers and they will behave differently. I think you are doing a nice job, Groni, making your first table on your own. I told you before that you didn't need me. Scripting wasn't so difficult, right? Anyway all the tables are already scripted so if someone is stuck on a particular part of the script then it is always posible take a look at older tables And I know your The Shadow table will be great!

JP

PS: As you all may know, I'm not an expert in pinball, and I'm always open to change a table, as I have always done before. I someone tell me "hey, that shot is not posible on the real table" then it cost me nothing to change it on the next revision. Usually there is never a final 1.0 revision, it is always followed by a few revisions to fix the bugs.

Edited by jpsalas, 11 June 2009 - 03:43 AM.

[The Loafer]

JPSalas = A class act. Thanks for this great new release!

Edited by The Loafer, 11 June 2009 - 04:04 AM.

[jpsalas]

@ Noah (or to everybody )

To change the tilt sensitivity on a vpm table:

Take a look at the table_init and you'll find these lines:

' Nudging
vpmNudge.TiltSwitch = 56
vpmNudge.Sensitivity = 5
vpmNudge.TiltObj = Array(lbumper, bbumper, rbumper, LeftSlingshot, RightSlingshot)

Try changing the line vpmNudge.Sensitivity = 5, chang it to vpmNudge.Sensitivity = 1 for example. I think lower numbers means less sensitivity.

JP

PS: About the nudging angles: I used 80 as the angle instead of 90 because I feel that the ball just slows down a little, and it feels better to me. The same on the other side, I used 280 instead of 270.

Edited by jpsalas, 11 June 2009 - 04:18 AM.

[Gravy]

what a great response by JP to what could have turned ugly. Well done. Looking forward to having a play of this new version when I get a chance.

[Pinball Ken]

Yeah, I'd like to pin a medal on JP!

Great table and a great entry on nudging. Of course you could change the relevant .vbs files and make the nudging changes universal for all tables.

PK

[BiffMan]

Finally had a chance to try the table and like it very much! Gameplay is spot on compared to the 3 machines I've played on and it's definitely got the fun factor nailed.

I am having a consistent issue with the plunger shot not always connecting with the ball. Not that it's not getting enough strength, just blanking and going "thunk" and not moving the ball at all and sometimes takes 2-3 shots before it'll connect. I'm fairly new to VP9, so could be a physics quirk of VP9, I'd just not run into that on another table previously.

Great job JP and thanks a bunch!

[VIR2L]

Hi everyone,

I am currently using vp 9.02 but i cannot get the sound to work in LOTR, the new version of Visual Pinball states that the sound will work on LOTR? I am using the latest lotr file but i am a bit unsure about the romfile. The one that JPSalas had on his home page doesn't give any sound.

thanks in advance!

[Noah Fentz]

Start the table, hit F1 and make sure Use Sound and/or Use Samples is checked.

Also, try hitting "9" to bring up the volume settings of the ROM. 8/9 will -/+ to the level.

[panootz]

JP your game is awsome i like it a little bit easier, I always thought the real pinball machine was too hard too play and i would give up playing it after too plays. Now i can last longer and i also gave myself 10 balls to use i'm trying to get to the end of the game if i can. I'm looking forward to all the games you make.


Now to Groni, i like the graphics that you and JP did on lotr on vp8, i think you do a wonderful job. I can't wait to see your Shadow game, so do not give up keep making those pinball games for as long as you like making them, i know they will be fun. I still wish in the future that maybe you and JP would get together and make a couple of tables. I think you two should work on Twilight Zone, Theatre of magic and No Good Ghophers, Please here me JP PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! do those games together, they are crying for you and Groni to make them, the others if you want can do alone just those three.


I also am wondering why i have no problem playing JP's VP9 Games and the ones that Destruk and tab and a couple of others did don't seem to work on my computer. This is to Destuk, Noah, JP, or anybody else who understands. Thanks for any replies. Dave P.

Edited by panootz, 11 June 2009 - 08:36 PM.

[Noah Fentz]

I also am wondering why i have no problem playing JP's VP9 Games and the ones that Destruk and tab and a couple of others did don't seem to work on my computer. This is to Destuk, Noah, JP, or anybody else who understands. Thanks for any replies. Dave P.

Without knowing specifically what wasn't working, answering that is nearly impossible. I recently updated WWF, if you had trouble with it before, try it now. I reduced the images used, so they should render properly now.

[wtiger]

Way to go, JP. Very Nice. Thanks!!!

[jpsalas]

I think the main reason why my tables plays fine with or without hardware rendering is because all the images have a max size of 1024x1024.
Larger images will render fine on Nvidia cards with HR on, but they don't work at all with an Ati card.
This is why I use that max size so the tables can be rendered without HR, so they work with Ati cards.
I have two computers to test the tables one with an Nvidia 6800GT which works with HR on, and another with an Ati x1950 which only works without HR.
I think this is the only reason. Many authors use big pictures, since they will work fine with HR, but they don't work without it, giving that semi transparent or wash out look, and also they may be too big for the graphics card to handle with HR giving the "cannot create off screen surface" error. My old Nvidia card (Ti 4600) don't work at all with HR on, even with small pictures, and that must be because the card is not a directx card, but older.

JP

[Wolverine]

Hi,

first of all, thanks for your hard work on all of your nice tables!

i have a problem with this table, becaus i get the error message "Machine terminated before initialized, check the rom path or the rom file"

This is the only table i get this error. the rom path is ok, the rom file also. with the pinmame test (setup) all lotr roms work fine. i deleted registry key, the nvram the cfg..nothing helped. the VP8 Version works i don't know what else i can do.

thanks in advance.

Greetings

Wolverine

[jpsalas]

Hey Wolverine, I really like your comics and I'm thinking to make an original table about Wolverine But that would take another year, and teh Spiderman table will take long enough

About the ROM error: load the table in the editor, take a look at the script, and uncomment the line 54:

' SaveValue cRegistryName, "Options", 0: Exit Sub ' This will clear your Registry settings If uncommented

To uncomment the line remove the ' in front of the line.
This will clear the VP registry.
Then quit the table, comment the line again (or just quite VP without saving the table) and run it again.
I think this will do the trick

JP

Edited by jpsalas, 13 June 2009 - 12:52 PM.

[Wolverine]

Thanks for your fast reply.

Would be great to see a table from you about Logan I also love Batman

Sadly the Trick did not work. I tried it before and i also deleted all Pinmame-registry-keys with lotr...i wanted to do everything i could first to not bother you with such stuff. As i said before i tried also testing the roms direct in pinmame with the setup-programm (version 1.42) and all roms are checked with clrmamepro. the only thing i noticed was that the dmd was in big size. your old VP8 table works in VP 9.0.2 and i think it uses the same roms. thats strange. for me to understand..from which program does the error message come? from Visual Pinbal (because in the head-line ther stood "VBScricpt" or from PinMame?

i hope i don't bother you to much, so that you don't want to make a table about Logan

Greetings

Wolverine (sadly not the original )

[whsemngr]

Thanks JP for releasing your VP9 version of LOTR. I think it looks and plays well and always liked the fact that you built tables to your liking as they're ultimately meant to be, as I like to call them, "JPsalas Edition" tables and not exact replicas of the original table. Groni, please do not stop making tables because others, as well as myself, love your versions of real world pinball tables as this is your style and that's what we've all come to expect from you. Each author has his/her own style of making tables and I grade them only by what I expect from the final product of the person making the table and not by comparing them to other author's tables. Both of you keep up the great work and please never let comments/opinions from others discourage either one of you from doing what you love. MIKE

[magostin]

i'm having issues with this table.....

i see no flippers, the flippers only show when i hit the flipper keys and then they disapear.


anyone else have this issue??

my resolution is 768x1024
and i have a gtx-285 nvidia card.


thx,
magostin