Thoughts on the new TPA MM

Axxx27 · Aug 2, 2012

Thoughts on TPA MM (as compared to PHOF)

First the cons from PHOF MM:

1. Floaty/glitchy ramps
2. Non-random Merlin awards (esp. early game)

Cons from TPA MM:

1. Hits on objects not registering (Troll/Bomb spots, Drawbridge/gate)
2. Flipper gap

Pros:
I love that Merlin seems 100% random now, and Damsel ramp is true as well!
Castle multi backdoor seems easier to hit now for some reason..

All-in-all this version is FASTER, and *much* crueler than the HOF ver.
The ball zips around with such force now, you really have to work to trap.

Dead stop trap shots are more difficult now from the right flipper:
-shot to merlin is unmakable now (has anyone?) edit: just did it lol
-the drawbg/gate shot has a very, very narrow window
-catapult is just as tough as the rudy trap door shot in FH now

Left flipper trap from left loop requires your FULL attention now as it gets *hairy* everytime!

I like this version, its different and harder, and the non-hits are annoying, the flipper gap is a little bigger, but I welcome the challenge.

-adam

Crush3d_Turtle · Aug 2, 2012

Axxx27 said:
I love that Merlin seems 100% random now, and Damsel ramp is true as well!

Somebody please correct me if I am wrong, but I have always been under the impression that the Merlin's Magic bonus is not actually random and is based on the current circumstances of the game and will give you what you need.

Axxx27 · Aug 2, 2012

Crush3d_Turtle said:
Somebody please correct me if I am wrong, but I have always been under the impression that the Merlin's Magic bonus is not actually random and is based on the current circumstances of the game and will give you what you need.

Hmm upon further evaluation, im getting Award Lock a bunch now (early game)

You may be right about it not bein random

Sean DonCarlos · Aug 2, 2012

Crush3d_Turtle said:
Somebody please correct me if I am wrong, but I have always been under the impression that the Merlin's Magic bonus is not actually random and is based on the current circumstances of the game and will give you what you need.

It's semi-random, and it does tend to pick things useful to the player's current situation (but not always). For example, if you shoot the scoop with four Madnesses lit, Merlin will usually add the fifth one for you, or start Trolls! if that's the fifth one. If it has nothing to guide its decision, it seems to resort to an actual random selection.

If you're having a terrible game, Light Extra Ball and instant Castle Multiball are added to the mix for ball 3.

Fuseball · Aug 2, 2012

It's now not so much the flipper gap that's annoying me, it's more that I can see exactly the point on the playfield art that the left flipper should be pivoting from.

I think the dark table works well up the back but not so well near the flippers. There are deliberately bulbs placed under the inlanes and slingshots to illuminate this area even if the game is in a dark location. The are designed to let light spill out over the playfield so the player can see what's going on near the flippers. Unfortunately the TPA one doesn't appear to illuminate any of this area. It's as if someone has removed all the bulbs from under the slingshots and inlanes! By contrast, FH and BoP are illuminated properly and look great. CV, like MM, is barely illuminated... although at least someone went to the effort of adding lit bulbs (even if they don't spread light further than about a millimeter).

Anyway, I hope somebody improves the illumination near the flippers when they adjust the gap/placing.

Richard B · Aug 2, 2012

Fuseball said:
It's now not so much the flipper gap that's annoying me, it's more that I can see exactly the point on the playfield art that the left flipper should be pivoting from.

I think the dark table works well up the back but not so well near the flippers. There are deliberately bulbs placed under the inlanes and slingshots to illuminate this area even if the game is in a dark location. The are designed to let light spill out over the playfield so the player can see what's going on near the flippers. Unfortunately the TPA one doesn't appear to illuminate any of this area. It's as if someone has removed all the bulbs from under the slingshots and inlanes! By contrast, FH and BoP are illuminated properly and look great. CV, like MM, is barely illuminated... although at least someone went to the effort of adding lit bulbs (even if they don't spread light further than about a millimeter).

Anyway, I hope somebody improves the illumination near the flippers when they adjust the gap/placing.

Those missing bulbs are what is called general illumination (G.I.). Mike said they are experimenting with implementing it.

Matt McIrvin · Aug 2, 2012

Crush3d_Turtle said:
Somebody please correct me if I am wrong, but I have always been under the impression that the Merlin's Magic bonus is not actually random and is based on the current circumstances of the game and will give you what you need.

He sure seems to think I need those !*#%& trolls.

Axxx27 · Aug 2, 2012

I'm soo fed up with the left flipper now, I'm bounce passing to the right every time out of the left loop

There is no reliable way to nudge and trap on the left flipper, my scores are waaaay down from the hof version *grrrrrr*

Fuseball · Aug 2, 2012

Richard B said:
Those missing bulbs are what is called general illumination (G.I.). Mike said they are experimenting with implementing it.

Well, that's what I'm hoping.

There seems to be quite a bit of confusion on these boards as to the meaning of general illumination. You and I are referring to the lightbulbs under the playfield plastics etc. that are controlled by the game's CPU and make up part of the game's lightshow (such as all the lamps on the table getting dimmer and then going out as you enter the trapdoor in ToM). I think some of the time general illumination gets confused with ambient lighting, which is how bright or dark the entire playfield is. The slider that FS have proposed to adjust the brightness of the table would be for ambient lighting I imagine.

Axxx27 · Aug 6, 2012

What is everyone scoring on this table? I feel like its a struggle to minimize bad shots, and the outlanes are becoming the bane of my existence ala pinbot!

When going for peasant/joust/catapult I feel like there is a better than average chance the ball is gettin smacked right back at me, and the damsel ramp, the ball return has 2 speeds : fast, and too fast!

Here's my strat for critique,
1. Super skill shot
2. Two castles destroyed/eb/merlin reward (hopefully eb, 3 bombs)
3. Work on everything but damsel
4. Hit merlin when trolls are lit for multi, hopefully finishing trolls
5. ?????
6. Profit

MSN1983 · Aug 8, 2012

I personally think its a little to easy. I hit 780 M on it last night and I feel i should of got to a Billion. The one thing that I don't know if it works in real life but anytime the ball is coming down the left side just let it bounce to the right and its a auto hit for the castle. It looks like its going to down the left flipper to the hole but the ball bounces perfect to the right flipper. I can get the castle 4 outta 5 times and usually if i miss its hits lock a ball.

Huffster · Aug 8, 2012

This table seems easy to me too. If you're not scoring well, you need more practice nudging the ball. I'm worried that closing the flipper gap will make the game even easier. Are we sure there is a flipper gap, as compared to the original machine, or it it possible the flipper orientation is fine, but the background artwork is simply not in alignment? I mean if the flippers were not in the right place, wouldn't there be a jolt like bump when the ball rolled down from the outlane onto the flipper?

Richard B · Aug 8, 2012

Huffster said:
This table seems easy to me too. If you're not scoring well, you need more practice nudging the ball. I'm worried that closing the flipper gap will make the game even easier. Are we sure there is a flipper gap, as compared to the original machine, or it it possible the flipper orientation is fine, but the background artwork is simply not in alignment? I mean if the flippers were not in the right place, wouldn't there be a jolt like bump when the ball rolled down from the outlane onto the flipper?

There is a gap, no question. Balls that fail to make the Peasant Ramp go SDTM more than half the time, while this never happens on a real table. If hit head on from any direction, the Troll Targets have gone from a hazard to an SDTM guarantee.

Fungi · Aug 8, 2012

Huffster said:
This table seems easy to me too. If you're not scoring well, you need more practice nudging the ball. I'm worried that closing the flipper gap will make the game even easier. Are we sure there is a flipper gap, as compared to the original machine, or it it possible the flipper orientation is fine, but the background artwork is simply not in alignment? I mean if the flippers were not in the right place, wouldn't there be a jolt like bump when the ball rolled down from the outlane onto the flipper?

Yes, there is a gap. And it's recently been fixed. On iOS that is. Unfortunately, they killed the playfield lights in the process.

Mungoholly · Aug 9, 2012

MSN1983 said:
I personally think its a little to easy. I hit 780 M on it last night and I feel i should of got to a Billion. The one thing that I don't know if it works in real life but anytime the ball is coming down the left side just let it bounce to the right and its a auto hit for the castle. It looks like its going to down the left flipper to the hole but the ball bounces perfect to the right flipper. I can get the castle 4 outta 5 times and usually if i miss its hits lock a ball.

.

Thanks for the tip! Haven't played this table before and was doing ok,but with this tip managed to get 4 castles last night.got a feeling tonight I'll be battling for the kingdom.

Shaneus · Aug 9, 2012

When was the gap fixed on iOS? I don't think I've played MM for a week or so, and I don't recall the gap being any different. If it is... hooray!

Fuseball · Aug 9, 2012

Fungi said:
Yes, there is a gap. And it's recently been fixed. On iOS that is. Unfortunately, they killed the playfield lights in the process.

Did TPA re-download the table to get that update? MM looks the same as ever here.

bavelb · Aug 9, 2012

Fuseball said:
Did TPA re-download the table to get that update? MM looks the same as ever here.

If you redownload manually you'll see it. Id play with the gap for now untill the lights are fixed though.

Pete · Aug 9, 2012

I found the TPA mideval madness much easyer than the PHOF verstion. It really didnt take me very long to get battle for the kingdom, something I was never able to get on the PHOF. It seems so much easyer to lock a ball on the right flipper for an easy shot at the castle than it ever was before. Every single time the ball shoots out from merlin or just rides up right up against that right lane wall you can just put your right flipper up and catch and hold the ball everytime without fail.

bavelb · Aug 9, 2012

Spend an evening playing MM tonight and got a decent score (see sig) eventually. Reached Battle for the Kingdom but wasnt able to make it.

Overall ompressions: the left flipper is slanted a tad more and the ball is too bouncy. It's a bit jarring because the speed of the ball is perfect around the playfield, but its the passes, dead flipper passes and lifted flipper "traps" that work unrealistically as the ball bounces over slingshots and into outlanes in a way real world physics wouldnt allow. Some improvements in that area (any of the other 3 DLC tables are much better in that area) would be appreciated.

Thoughts on the new TPA MM

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