103 replies to this topic

[sleepy]

Will online play be available? There I might want to instead play through a private chat client.
Just a personal multiplayer game between family and friends locally or from across the world.

And I have a couple of suggestions.

On a PC version or??? I would love to see an Arcade Environments sound setting (in 5.1 surround), one that allows selection of various location environments, say a noisy arcade or carnival with the sounds of people and children and other pinball machines/video games, The Midway by the sea on the pier, a "bowling alley soundtrack", a pub/tavern/bar, windstorms/storms, rain, night street sounds outside the storefront door with cars and pedestrians, etc.

And a Jukebox selection for mixing in playback of music files including a PAUSE for the game.

And the ability to play the in-game music and FX sounds from a menu like an old school Castlevania, or win the in-game unlock to do so.

Edited by sleepy, 16 August 2012 - 06:23 PM.

[Mr. Pacman]

Out of curiosity. Do you guys make the games completely in a 3d environment now
Or do you have an editor of sorts like vp and fp

That's a good question!

[rob046]

I just want to state again that I play all the pro pinball tables with no problem at all. Just played them last night since they were on my mind! Still blown away, as usual. Even gained more appreciation for FJ last night, or got reminded just how good that one is & I wonder how it gets a little underrated compared to TS or even BRUSA.
& I'm running Windows 7 x64! I don't even use compatibility modes or any other strange hacks or patches.
I'm wondering if there are just some bunk versions going around or bad patches.

But if somebody wants to get these games going, I feel pretty certain I can help with that. Give info like what the source of your game is. CD? Online download? If CD, which CD is it? From a collection? Gamefest?

Edited by rob046, 16 August 2012 - 10:17 PM.

[Arcade4]

After reading all this I just had to dig my CD's out and give them a try.
I have only tried Timeshock so far, but no problems.
Loaded into windows 7 just fine and played perfect.
I had forgotten just how sexy the ladies voice for this game is.
Love it when she says "Nice" for a great shot. "Get up there" when you are climbing MT Rushmore, and "Two way" for a combo.
I assume there is a "Three way" as well but I have not made one yet.
These game were awesome when they came out and are still great today.

[adebarritt]

I'm not so sure about Lennon...

Will there be support for stereo 3D graphics and/or force feedback?

Will there be a pinball controller tie-in, or an optional exclusive input device designed for the games?
I remember that Royal Flash for DOS came with a pinball controller which included a Plunger and side flipper buttons on a 10 inch box.

And Adrian, what took so long for Pro Pinball to link up with the Williams/Bally people?
I've been dying for a Pro Pinball Williams/Bally partnership since many moons.

Pro Pinball is The Best. Damn Good Work

Our priority will be getting all five games out on as many platforms as possible to begin with. But we want Pro Pinball to be the ultimate pinball simulation, so the things like stereo 3D will certainly happen at some point.

We don't have any plans to produce any hardware, but we are open to supporting 3rd party devices. Not the same thing I know, but we did a special build of Frogger Pinball for E3 that supported iCade, enabling the game to be controlled by physical buttons.

Until very recently we haven't owned the rights to Pro Pinball ourselves. Owning the rights makes it much easier to collaborate as there are no 3rd parties involved.

Thanks for the kind words about Pro Pinball. We're looking forward to making it even better!

Out of curiosity. Do you guys make the games completely in a 3d environment now
Or do you have an editor of sorts like vp and fp

The original games were created in 3D using Silicon Graphics workstations. Our recent works has been done in 3ds Max with special plug-ins we have created.

[adebarritt]

Will online play be available? There I might want to instead play through a private chat client.
Just a personal multiplayer game between family and friends locally or from across the world.

And I have a couple of suggestions.

On a PC version or??? I would love to see an Arcade Environments sound setting (in 5.1 surround), one that allows selection of various location environments, say a noisy arcade or carnival with the sounds of people and children and other pinball machines/video games, The Midway by the sea on the pier, a "bowling alley soundtrack", a pub/tavern/bar, windstorms/storms, rain, night street sounds outside the storefront door with cars and pedestrians, etc.

And a Jukebox selection for mixing in playback of music files including a PAUSE for the game.

And the ability to play the in-game music and FX sounds from a menu like an old school Castlevania, or win the in-game unlock to do so.

We already plan to launch Big Race USA with Head 2 Head online play enabled. But can you describe how you see personal multiplayer games working?

To be honest, I don't think an Arcade Environments option would be high on our to do list, but I wouldn't rule it out.

You will be able to access all the sound and music from the operators menu in all the games.

[Joe]

can they have full operators menus with no need to unlock the setting by playing the games and hitting achievements?

[sleepy]

Personal multiplayer games would be routed through a private chat client connecting the players by their (Login) usernames, in a way like the older MS Netmeeting conferencing capabilties or a remote computer client connecting to the system addresses of the other computers, or like a Yahoo! Chat, but with modern full duplex capabilities so that your "opponents" can watch your game in-progress in real time when connected by a reasonably high speed internet connection; one that can transmit the necessary event data rates and calls at due speed.

The ball positions/velocities and game events data calls/callbacks would be transmitted through the chat client to the other player's systems while the graphics rendering of these game events would then be updated to screen by the remote computers receiving the events data through their own personal installation of the game program, ideally isolated in a Sandbox to prevent hacking other people's computers.

A four player game might also be viewable by other non-players who are logged in through an installation of the game program on their system and the personal chat client but who are only visiting. A chat client server would also have audio (Mic)/webcam video mini picture-in-picture to make faces*)/text chat capabilities so that the players and spectators can tell each other how badly they blew the shot, or to visit while in-game, or to heckle the player in-progress.

Heckling would be optional.

*Or...the webcam mini video screen insert might also function as a Playfield Target.

Edited by sleepy, 17 August 2012 - 07:30 PM.

[unclewilly]

What do you think the possibility would be to see a vp/fp type editor for creating our own tables somewhere down the road?

I had to ask and i know its pribably not going to happen.
But i dream of being able to create tables using a physics engine as awesome as in the pro pinball series.

Edited by unclewilly, 19 August 2012 - 11:58 AM.

[Mr. Pacman]

What do you think the possibility would be to see a vp/fp type editor for creating our own tables somewhere down the road?

I had to ask and i know its pribably not going to happen.
But i dream of being able to create tables using a physics engine as awesome as in the pro pinball series.

I bet that this question won't get any obvious or positive answer... but, really, would you wait for the next 2-3 years for something like that? (with their currently announced products they will be busy for at least 1 year...that's a long time) Also, nowadays, it must be very hard to sell a pinball editor. Normal tables need kickstarter projects to be made and they can be used by everyone. How many would buy a pinball editor? Unless they do it for free after some years...

[unclewilly]

Actually i think you are wrong on this point.
This community has been dieing for a new editor. Why ekse would the unity project have gotten its full donations in less than 2 months.

I for one would gladly pay for an editor that would allow me to create full 3d pinball with outstanding physics and i think youd be surprised how many people in the community would pay for an editor that allowed them to play and build tables.

Look at the slammit editor that was in the works. The whole board was behind that priject to the piont that a subforum was created for it.

Honestly it doesnt matter to me either way i would support the company reguardless due to their superior pinball product.

Id just like to express my interest in an editor even if it is 2 or 3 years down the road.

Unless a company knows there is an interest in it the idea would probably never cross their minds

[Mr. Pacman]

Actually i think you are wrong on this point.
This community has been dieing for a new editor. Why ekse would the unity project have gotten its full donations in less than 2 months.

I for one would gladly pay for an editor that would allow me to create full 3d pinball with outstanding physics and i think youd be surprised how many people in the community would pay for an editor that allowed them to play and build tables.

Look at the slammit editor that was in the works. The whole board was behind that priject to the piont that a subforum was created for it.

Honestly it doesnt matter to me either way i would support the company reguardless due to their superior pinball product.

Id just like to express my interest in an editor even if it is 2 or 3 years down the road.

Unless a company knows there is an interest in it the idea would probably never cross their minds

I can understand that many people in here and other 2-3 communities would "die" for a proper new pinball editor, but I still believe that those people are not so many in comparison with the usual pinball players. I would happily pay for the editor if there was a donation program about it - even if I'm not a designer - because I understand its value, but I don't know what other pinball players would think about it. I guess that only Adrian can give a good estimation, because he is the only one who can think about the actual cost of a project like that.

Maybe they could build a system with an online shop where designers could sell their tables with a small profit for them and the company...something like the smartphone app markets. With this way they could make a lot more money to support that editor...

[unclewilly]

That is how the slammit people were going to do it.
I know due to how they create the tables this is most likly an impossibility,
But it never hurts to ask.

Cant wait for this kickstarter to begin as my cabinet is dieing for the pro pinball series

[freezy]

The way I see it is that the benefit of a table editor is not that people like unclewilly and other skilled table authors are able to play around with it. The benefit is that it will create a huge community around a game engine. It will keep it alive for years with people like unclewilly producing new tables now and then, and the best thing is that these community-driven tables are of no cost whatsoever to the game engine producer (you could even launch some kind of table appstore and financially benefit from it - authors inclusively).

Really, when I look at FP, I'm amazed about the amount of tables still being created after years of non-activity from the FP author. Imagine what will happen if we have another product that has better physics, looks as good (or better), is actually maintained and comes with a table editor? Boy, I would buy such a product in a heartbeat because I'm sure that in no time there will be hundreds of tables I could play!

[sleepy]

adebarrit mentioned that "The original games were created in 3D using Silicon Graphics workstations. Our recent works has been done in 3ds Max with special plug-ins we have created."

So that could be a stumbling block, unless we can afford a 3ds Max. Last I checked, 3ds Max sells for ~$500 and up.

[unclewilly]

I have a copy on my desktop. Still trying to learn it

[Sheltemke]

I am really tired Rob, and my brain won't be doing any clicking tonight! What's your theory? Here is mine......

I am thinking maybe they might initially release the original tables TS, FJ and BRUSA with just an update to HD resolution (they were close already), and portrait mode for cab players - prob single screen. I reckon there is no new Engine and this kind of release will test the water to see if there is an appetite for new tables.

We have now announced our plans on www.pro-pinball.com, and I'm pleased to confirm all FIVE tables will support 1080*1920 portrait mode, with pixel perfect pre-rendered graphics.

Maybe stupid question but will it support 1680*1050(edit: 1050*1680) resolution too ?

If yes, than instant buy for me. Doesn't matter the price, doesnt matter when and where. I will buy one.

Edited by Sheltemke, 22 August 2012 - 09:28 AM.

[adebarritt]

What do you think the possibility would be to see a vp/fp type editor for creating our own tables somewhere down the road?

I had to ask and i know its pribably not going to happen.
But i dream of being able to create tables using a physics engine as awesome as in the pro pinball series.

I certainly wouldn't rule it out, but it would have to be some way down the road. To do it we'd also need to create a real time rendering engine, which isn't a big deal, but isn't part of our immediate plans.

It's also hard to know just how many people would want something like this. Maybe another Kickstarter in a year or so could be a good way to find out?

Maybe stupid question but will it support 1680*1050(edit: 1050*1680) resolution too ?

If yes, than instant buy for me. Doesn't matter the price, doesnt matter when and where. I will buy one.

Absolutely, the resolutions we mention are the highest we are currently planning to support with pixel perfect loveliness. Supporting lower resolutions isn't a problem.

[Sheltemke]

Thank you for very fast answer!

Cannot wait to buy it...

[adebarritt]

can they have full operators menus with no need to unlock the setting by playing the games and hitting achievements?

Yes!