Zen Pinball FX3 Williams Pinball Volume One

shutyertrap

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Mar 14, 2012
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Just tested some stuff with this new build...

I like the post passing, that feels good. Everything else about the flippers is a step backward.
-- The rubber of the flipper is too dead now, which makes controlling the ball even easier than it already was from the private beta build to the public beta.
-- I was able to live catch here and there previously, but now it's a bit too easy.
--Hate to say it but weight of the ball on the flipper now feels like regular Zen table physics, leaden.

There's gotta be a happy compromise to what is happening. No, we don't want the ball bouncing halfway back up the table off a held flipper, but we do need to maintain the wild nature of trying to keep a ball under control. Maybe that comes with increasing the traction the spin of the ball has when coming in contact with rubber? So fast ball with lots of spin, hard to handle, spin of the ball is what makes it bounce higher off the rubber, not the rubber itself? I don't know. I just don't like that the table feels easier now.
 

Jeff Strong

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Staff member
Feb 19, 2012
8,144
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Just tested some stuff with this new build...

I like the post passing, that feels good. Everything else about the flippers is a step backward.
-- The rubber of the flipper is too dead now, which makes controlling the ball even easier than it already was from the private beta build to the public beta.
-- I was able to live catch here and there previously, but now it's a bit too easy.
--Hate to say it but weight of the ball on the flipper now feels like regular Zen table physics, leaden.

There's gotta be a happy compromise to what is happening. No, we don't want the ball bouncing halfway back up the table off a held flipper, but we do need to maintain the wild nature of trying to keep a ball under control. Maybe that comes with increasing the traction the spin of the ball has when coming in contact with rubber? So fast ball with lots of spin, hard to handle, spin of the ball is what makes it bounce higher off the rubber, not the rubber itself? I don't know. I just don't like that the table feels easier now.

I have to agree. Wanted to hear it from someone else before I posted something along those lines...but I think we're going to see high scores go even further through the roof now. It's simply too easy to trap the ball compared to what it was in the first private beta. Also I don't know if I'm just getting better or what (hadn't played digital pinball in long time before this beta/demo), but hitting the mid combos feels much more automatic. I can see how a better player could probably go infinite on that now whereas before it didn't feel that way.
 
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Zaphod77

Active member
Feb 14, 2013
1,316
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i could do that on the first real fish tales i played!

but yes it's easier to loop the boat ramps now. seems on par with real life to me with lightning flippers.
 

Jeff Strong

Moderator
Staff member
Feb 19, 2012
8,144
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i could do that on the first real fish tales i played!

but yes it's easier to loop the boat ramps now. seems on par with real life to me with lightning flippers.

Ok, that's good to know. It's been awhile since I've played a real FT.

I do hope they'll make it harder to trap the ball though, and ramp up the ball control difficulty, at least for the tournament mode. Right now, most of the time you can essentially just hold the flipper up on an incoming ball and easily get it under control, whether that's an instant trap or if it simply bounces over to the other flipper. It was MUCH more wild in the first private beta they gave us and we absolutely loved that aspect of it.
 
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jaredmorgs

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May 8, 2012
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Haven't heard either of these happen in any of the times I've been playing, and I've been at it for 3 weeks, including having non timer locked Getaway. Have you confirmed this happening on a different computer?
I have on getaway. Use your headphones.
 

wolfson

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May 24, 2013
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sorry I`m f.....g useless , I don`t know how to post a youtube video hahaha :eek: there is a question & answer by someone from Zen , it`s called , pinball fx3-williams - your questions answered . goes for 31 min 47 sec :cool:
 

Xanija

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May 29, 2013
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From the Facebook Q&A:

  • More announcements coming, the full scope of what they're doing is not yet revealed. There are more things to reveal as time goes on.
  • Mobile: Definitely coming to mobile. They won't come to the Zen Pinball App though, they will do something different. It will happen after the initial release on PC, Mac and Consoles.
  • First licensed tables (Mel refers to them as third party based games) will probably not be published before pack 4. They will also look for licenses which are difficult to get.
  • Family Filter on Medieval Madness: Zen Pinball FX3 is ESRB rated E10 and they don't intend to change this. So there will be changes to tables to address that.
  • VR: The market is not very big. If Zen sees demand, it might happen. But it's not an easy decision. It's a big undertaking
  • Team size: Pinball Team is about 40 people right now, but they also have shared resources, who work on different projects, not only pinball (QA, Publishing team, etc.)
  • Zen original tables will still be created, focus is on Williams right now, 2 Zen original tables (own IP) are to be announced beginning next year and released shortly after
  • Tables will be sold as packs due to cost for submitting (especially consoles). Individual tables would be more expensive. Mel mentioned "instead of having one table for 5$ or even more you can get a pack of tables for one price" - I'm not sure if this is an indication for the price range (i.e. the pack would be quite less then 20$) or just an example. Zen doesn't reveal their pricing yet.
  • If you want to do a studio tour there is a form on the website to fill out. You can find it here: https://www.pinballfx.com/?page_id=7790
  • The physics engine is still under development based on the feedback of all testers - so make sure you get your voice heard
  • About licensing other pinball companies' tables: they have good relations to the industry, Mel mentioned expecially Jersey Jack, but it sounded like there are no plans yet, they are focussing on WMS right now

You can view the full video here: https://www.facebook.com/zenstudios/videos/329395994288843/

/edit: or in the YouTube video above :)
 

AcadDude

Member
Jul 8, 2018
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So I loaded this up on my cabinet and the VirtuaPin board setup as a Steam controller let me use the accelerometer tilt modes with adjustability. Plunger worker ok but not the same as TPA settings. Nudge was close to what I set for TPA. Good start so far! Nudge was way better than keyboard.
 

shutyertrap

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Mar 14, 2012
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I hate the mandatory family filter. Especially since if you submitted a table like Medieval Madness or Scared Stiff to ratings standards of today, you'd probably be fine. Are they going to have to apply the modesty sticker to Elvira too? Wish there was a way you could just submit an age verification into the game and then get whatever ROM you want, including when things got downright harsh in language like with Demolition Man.
 

Citizen

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Oct 5, 2017
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I hate the mandatory family filter. Especially since if you submitted a table like Medieval Madness or Scared Stiff to ratings standards of today, you'd probably be fine. Are they going to have to apply the modesty sticker to Elvira too? Wish there was a way you could just submit an age verification into the game and then get whatever ROM you want, including when things got downright harsh in language like with Demolition Man.

Zen just wants to make sure we see what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps.

Edit: But yes, I agree.

We live in an era where Night Trap is on a Nintendo system with a T rating. Most pinball uncensored modes would probably rate an E10+ right now, which is FX3's current rating (not E10).

And frankly, if Elvira and MM truly deserve a T in the ESRB's opinion, I think it's time for Zen to reevaluate if going from E10+ to T will really hurt their sales.
 
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shutyertrap

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Mar 14, 2012
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Wow, they're really gonna keep shooting for an E10 ESRB rating... weird.

Interestingly enough that E10 didn’t prevent your MM from being non family version. You guys just got cold feet with SS. So now we have to argue with yet another company! Way to hand that football off 😂
 

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