Contributorjpsalas:
Noah Fentz: Could you tell us a little about yourself and what you do?
jpsalas: I'm 50 years old. Married to a Norwegian lady, and we have a son (25 years old already). I work for the civil government in Oslo as a systems manager. I have about 60 servers and 450 users to take care of
Noah Fentz: So, you work with computers all day?
jpsalas: Yes.
jpsalas: I have been doing that since 1984.
Noah Fentz: That's a lot of time in front of a computer, when you consider your VP time, as well.
jpsalas: I started working in Norsk data in 1984 (the ones who made the F16 simulators).
Noah Fentz: Wow, that's interesting!
Noah Fentz: In a typical week of designing, how many hours would you say you spend with VP?
jpsalas: About 4 hours a day, and a lot more in the weekends.
Noah Fentz: Now, I know from personal experience that sometimes a "significant other" can get unhappy with too much VP time. How does your wife handle all the time you spend on our great hobby?
jpsalas: Very nicely
. I bought her a new computer, I installed MSN, mIRC, e-mail, taught her to chat, and I have had no problem since (that 10 years ago) Noah Fentz: lol...If only I had thought of that!
----------------------------------
Noah Fentz: Now, you've mentioned to me that you never really played pinball...you mean NEVER?
jpsalas: Yes, I played when I was a kid, but I didn't play for 35 years, then I discovered VP, and I started playing from time to time, mostly in holidays.
Noah Fentz: What was the first pinball you recall playing?
jpsalas: I tried to find the ones I used to play, but I haven't found them. I remember they were mostly card themes and space themes, from the 60's. But it so long ago that I can't remember them.
Noah Fentz: How did you find Visual Pinball?
jpsalas: I guess it was through emulation, I have always been a fan of older games.
Noah Fentz: What other emulations do you enjoy?
jpsalas: Mostly the older games in MAME.
Noah Fentz: Your favorite being?
jpsalas: Galaga
Noah Fentz: Good choice!
----------------------------------
Noah Fentz: What made you want to get involved with authoring tables?
jpsalas: Mostly because I wasn't happy with how the tables looked at that time, but mostly it was a great excuse to learn Photoshop.
EDIT: Now that I think of it, I should like to add that what really pushed me to start making tables was not that I wasn't happy with the overall quality, since many tables were great (I used to play mostly Eala and Scapinos tables, I didn't like much vpm tables), but it was a discussion on the old vpforums about the table Taxi. I guess many of you remember that discussion. It went on for months and months, about who was going to make the table. I don't remember the people involved, but I remember racerxme made the script for it. It was then that I thought "why not try to make it myself?" "Can it be so hard?". I had a little experience in programming but I couldn't understand a thing about the script, I didn't know anything about photoshop and I hadn't a clue about VP. One month later I made Nemesis and a few months later I finished Taxi using racerxme script (since I still hadn't a clue about scripting a vpm table). That was 3 1/2 years ago.
JP
Noah Fentz: Was there an author at the time that inspired you?
jpsalas: Many! Eala, PD, Destruk, and many more. I guess Eala and Scapino were the ones I liked best.
Noah Fentz: How does the VP scene now compare to when you first got involved?
jpsalas: I see many new faces, and the scene seems much better now, the fights have stopped
Noah Fentz: Is there anything you miss from the past days?
jpsalas: Not really.
Noah Fentz: Can you remind us of your first table release?
jpsalas: Nemesis? It was a miracle that it worked at all
Noah Fentz: lol...is it available for download?
jpsalas: I think PO [may] still have it, I'm not sure.
Noah Fentz: I think that could be fun to check out
Noah Fentz: Will you revisit it one day?
jpsalas: No, I think it is good to keep it like it is, just to remind me how I started.
Noah Fentz: What is your favorite table you've done?
jpsalas: AFM (Attack from Mars)
Noah Fentz: Least favorite?
jpsalas: I guess Panthera, the noise was annoying
Noah Fentz: Heh...Of all your tables, which would you say was the most difficult or gave you the most trouble?
jpsalas: Elvira and the Party Monsters, with Highrise.
Noah Fentz: Why that one?
jpsalas: Too many reels, all them mixed with each other, all them fading. That wasn't easy to make.
----------------------------------
Noah Fentz: On the subject of team tables...the VP scene was spoiled with your teaming with GRONI as JPG PINs ... What inspired that partnership?
jpsalas: It was Groni who suggested to help me with some graphics.
Noah Fentz: Can you tell us a little about your experience as a partnership?
jpsalas: I'm mostly a loner, and I don't work well with others. I don't like to wait for the others to finish something and I don't like the others waiting for me to finish something.
Noah Fentz: Is that why the team has disbanded?
jpsalas: Yes, I told Groni that it was best like this. It was not his fault, he is excellent with graphics (much better than me!).
Noah Fentz: He seems to be doing well on his Shadow table, indeed! What's next for JP?
jpsalas: Just now I'm working on the Spiderman table, mostly as an exercise in programming.
Noah Fentz: So, it will be all script, no ROM...how true to the real table would you say it will be, as far as rules and scoring?
jpsalas: Yes, it will be a script only table. The rules will be similar but not the same, and I also added a new baddie: Carnage.
Noah Fentz: Awesome!
You're a Spiderman fan, I take it?jpsalas: Yes!
Noah Fentz: What was your favorite Spiderman film?
jpsalas: Good question
. I guess the last one, mostly for the effects.----------------------------------
Noah Fentz: Can you share with us what programs you prefer for designing tables?
jpsalas: I use only VP and Photoshop.
Noah Fentz: What about sound?
jpsalas: I use an old version of Sound Forge.
Noah Fentz: Do you see yourself making tables for a long time to come?
jpsalas: Yes. I have nearly given up a few times, but I guess I only need a break from time to time. it is a nice pastime.
Noah Fentz: May I ask what nearly deterred you from making more tables?
jpsalas: One was the ongoing fights in the forums between members. Another was the bugs in the VP editor. VP6 was a nightmare. VP8 was much better. VP9 looks fine for now.
Noah Fentz: Will you be abandonding VP8 altogether and updating all your works to VP9?
jpsalas: I don't think I'll update all my tables to VP9, that would take a lot of time. I chose a few tables and I updated them, the ones that are in beta now. The older tables play very well under VP8, I see no reason to update them. But my newer tables will be for VP9.
Noah Fentz: I'd like to see one more VP9 update..ST:TNG...any chance?
jpsalas: I can give it a shot, but the cannons may be a problem in VP9. I don't want to use reels, so I'll need to find a way to make them with walls.
----------------------------------
Noah Fentz: For aspiring authors, you set a great example of both workmanship and attitude. What would you like to say to these members as they learn their way around VP?
jpsalas: VP is a very flexible program and it can do nearly whatever you want, and that there are many tutorials and many tables to learn from.
Noah Fentz: We hope to see a tutorial or two from you soon, JP
jpsalas: Yes, I'll see if I come up with something useful.
Noah Fentz: Thank you so much for allowing me the time. As always, it was truly a pleasure chatting with you.
jpsalas: Nice talking to you too.
For your convenience, JP's first table, Nemesis, is attached below. For more great originals, visit http://www.pinball-originals.com.
Copyright © 2009 VPForums.org. All rights reserved.
The information contained herein may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of VPForums.org.
The information contained herein may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of VPForums.org.
Attached Files
-
nemesis_1.2.zip 1.25MB
225 downloads
Top
. But
are all trademarks of VPFORUMS.