54 replies to this topic

[Wizards_Hat]

@Sabbat & Wizards_Hat: I have taken a look at the lights and they are linked together in the script, since I don't find the ROM light numbers for the 3 backwall lights. So just now it will stay like this. The only 2 lights I don't use from the manual are the numbers 42 and 43, which in the manual they are called "Top Lane Red" and I haven't a clue about what they mean So, for now the table is finished

I'm glad the speed is better now

JP

aha - I remember more clearly now you say that - it's not the middle light that flashes but the GI lights under the lane dividers either side of the middle lane - I assume they're lights 42 & 43.

Regards,
Dan.

[rob046]

Thanks for the 101 update JP, table does run better.
Here running quad core (8 core if you count hyperthreading) i7930 at 3.5ghz or more with turboboost. HD 5870 gpu, raid0, & 6gb ddr3. Playing at 1600x1200. Yet with that slider all the way right the game can be a tad jittery. Might be well playable for some but I"m extra picky with that kind of stuff.

I've done some testing on game show with the alpha ramp stuff & found some interesting things that others might want to consider.
The slider isn't very accurate. On some notches you can lose a ton of fps without gaining hardly any notable quality. Also noticed the difference between slider all the way left & in the middle is very little, both in fps difference & visual quality. So I suggest that nobody bother keeping the slider all the way left, either go middle for the best visuals/performance balance, or go all right for maximum visuals if your pc can handle it. Considering my own setup, what the hell kind of hardware do I need to get smoother performance with slider maxed to the right! geez!

Anyhow, to sum things up I recommend most people just go halfway on the slider when performance is down.
Hopefully a front end out there can individualize this setting, per table. That would be awesome. Cuz JP's Roadshow & Flintstones run smooth as silk with alpha slider all the way right, but of course Game Show does not.

Also, JP, I noticed that when the slider is not all the way to the right, some small glitches (gaps) start to appear in spots on the ramps. Like little cracks that let the light through. Not a major eyesore, but maybe something to look into on future updates or tables. Maybe it would be best while building a table to do all your testing with the alpha slider all the way left or middle? Cuz if you build with slider all the way right, you won't see these little glitches/cracks that can appear when slider is not all the way right.

These cracks I'm talking about when slider going to the left, it makes sense. The ramps lose curvature with this setting, & lose some surface. & with that, it makes sense that when you lose some of that smooth curvature that a crack or two will appear.
I'd post a screenshot of what I'm seeing, but my internet is crawling right now. I bet most people, if you take a screenshot of slider all the way right and one of all the way left, layer them in photoshop & turn layer on/off, then these glitches should become apparent & obvious.
Again, nothing major, but still noteworthy for picky people like myself!
Obviously this alpha ramp stuff is so new to everybody. I'm sure over time that authors will figure out better ways to build & optimize with them, & the VP devs will probably improve & optimize the feature in future versions. I'm just so happy that we even have this feature at all. How awesome!
& it makes me damn glad I always invest $$ into good rigs. Usually it only benefits me with commercial PC games & is overkill for VP, but now my higher end specs will help me get the most out of VP & alpha ramps.

Edited by rob046, 27 February 2011 - 08:48 PM.

[jpsalas]

@Wizards_Hat: now I see where those lights 42 and 43 are. But it won't be very visible in the table because of all the ramps on top. You can barely see the normal 3 lights. I'll try to add them and if it's possible to see them then I'll make an update.

@rob046: I cheated a little at Road Show Actually there is only one alpha ramp there, the rest are solid ramps, even if they have a PNG on them This way the speed is very fast. Thanks for the tip to test the tables with the slider all to the left to find gaps

[Wizards_Hat]

@Wizards_Hat: now I see where those lights 42 and 43 are. But it won't be very visible in the table because of all the ramps on top. You can barely see the normal 3 lights. I'll try to add them and if it's possible to see them then I'll make an update.

That's ok - they're not that visible on the real machine either -but you do get the general impression that they're there

Thanks for your continued efforts with these tables

Regards,
Dan.

[BigBoss]

Thank you. Performance problem is solved. Runs as well as Flintstones for me now

[bha19]

I still have speed issues. The only way it is barely playable is if the slider is all the way to the left. The big center ramp causes the most trouble. This is really a great looking table. By the way Flinstones plays fine for me and Roadshow only stutters a bit when I hit blast zone but that is no big deal

[FDSystems]

@Wizards_Hat: now I see where those lights 42 and 43 are. But it won't be very visible in the table because of all the ramps on top. You can barely see the normal 3 lights. I'll try to add them and if it's possible to see them then I'll make an update.

@rob046: I cheated a little at Road Show Actually there is only one alpha ramp there, the rest are solid ramps, even if they have a PNG on them This way the speed is very fast. Thanks for the tip to test the tables with the slider all to the left to find gaps

JP, you are the Usain Bolt of VP !

[pinuck]

a $50,000 trip
a $100,000 Truck !
a $200,000 Car !!
a $25,000 TV ?!?

to pay such insane prices (and in 1990 dollars) - who's doing the prize procurement for this game show?
The Government?


awesome table! thx JP

[rob046]

As for the game itself (not the recreation which is great), my opinions/review. Certainly not Bally's best effort. However, this was & always has been one of those games that may not have been well recieved in real life, but can find a nice 2nd life through VP. There certainly are some games that kinda suck in real life (or just get underrated, unappreciated, overshadowed) that for whatever reason turn out better in the emulated world.

I think the game is pretty solid for what it is, which is a pretty bread & butter type game, there are no expensive toys or new features with this pin. Considering Funhouse came out around the same time as this, I believe just before it, I can see why people weren't too impressed by it.
Not just Funhouse, but a game I own now, BK2K, was also hugely popular around this time. Again, you just can't compare Game Show to those unique classics.

That said, what is so wrong with dumbing down a game a bit? Every now & then its refreshing to see a game that goes back to the basics & simplifies things. I think Game Show was kinda that kind of palette cleanser, for the pinhead looking to save a few bucks & just have some pure, fast gameplay without gimmicks.

In real life I think the best use of this game would be to have it as part of a larger collection, amongst 8+ other games. On its own or as part of a small pin collection of 2 or 3, it just doesn't have the replayability & gimmicks needed to keep a player interested day after day, month after month. & the ruleset just isn't deep at all. However, that can be a great thing. In a lineup of pins, it can be refreshing to have a game like this that you or anybody can easily pick up & play, & understand. The objectives are so simple. Light up the prizes, collect the prizes. Then of course you can shoot the middle ramp all day & its an easy shot. Not much strategy there. If you give the in depth rulesheet a good look over, you can find a little depth in it & maybe a few tricks or things about the game that otherwise might take you some time to figure out. But for the most part its a simple game, SHOOT AT THE FLASHING STUFF!

This doesn't mean its not a good game. But it is a reason why pinball OP's & owners over the years haven't been too thrilled with it. Though for us in VP, it is a much better fit as a game, since we have hundreds of others to play as well, we aren't stuck with this one. So this is a great game to take for a spin or two every now & again. Now there is more reason now that there is such a beautiful version of it. But yeah, a couple solid games of it & I've about had my fill, though this game still has a role in my VP collection & should fill it well.

[rob046]

@Sabbat & Wizards_Hat: I have taken a look at the lights and they are linked together in the script, since I don't find the ROM light numbers for the 3 backwall lights. So just now it will stay like this. The only 2 lights I don't use from the manual are the numbers 42 and 43, which in the manual they are called "Top Lane Red" and I haven't a clue about what they mean So, for now the table is finished

I'm glad the speed is better now

JP

I tested numbers 42 & 43, which both seem linked together, & they are somehow the correct lamps for the skillshot, it seems. But after the skillshot is over they remain lit & don't function like lamp 56 does & don't work with the lane change either (56 being the current middle cash lane lamp). So that is confusing! Maybe somebody out there can explain or make sense of this.
Would be cool to have a working skillshot for this game, since the skillshot is a pretty big part of all modern pinball games & is a feature on every single ball. So it is a pretty important thing to have working, IMHO.

[pinuck]

Would be cool to have a working skillshot for this game, since the skillshot is a pretty big part of all modern pinball games & is a feature on every single ball. So it is a pretty important thing to have working, IMHO.

Well technically, you could say the skillshot does work, just the lights that indicate it's the middle lane don't.
As it stands right now, if you hit the middle lane, you get the bonus multiplier, if you miss it, you don't.

[jpsalas]

Update 1.02

-Added the skillshot lights

[Sabbat]

thanks JP

[bolt]

Thanks for the update.

[Sabbat]

I really enjoy this table a lot. Its simplicity in rules is just great. The layout is awesome and so is the theme. I think i would like to own this table someday. Maybe even get one for my mom since she is a pinball and a gameshow freak

You really did a nice job on this jp, thanks for all you do!

congrats it has been...