Patch 1.29 NA and 1.30 EU

xZOMBIEx said:

Before I jumped to making a new thread that Elvira's voice still has not been fixed I wanted to double check with the original post... It mentions it at the end, but I'm a little confused if it ws ment that this patch it was going to be or supposed to be fixed or if that was ment for the next patch?

If it's the next patch then fine, although I hate to wonder how long that's going to be, but if it was supposed to be in this patch then it definitely is not fixed....

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"As for an update on the audio issues, I've been slaving away at a very difficult fix that should hopefully handle a majority of the audio bugs. I've already tested it against the looping bug where there's a little delay and that works. And I've also tested it against Elvira's high pitched voice, which is no longer a problem. Hopefully I only need a couple more weeks at most to get this out to you all."

You miss the end of Tom's post?

xZOMBIEx said:

Before I jumped to making a new thread that Elvira's voice still has not been fixed I wanted to double check with the original post... It mentions it at the end, but I'm a little confused if it ws ment that this patch it was going to be or supposed to be fixed or if that was ment for the next patch?

If it's the next patch then fine, although I hate to wonder how long that's going to be, but if it was supposed to be in this patch then it definitely is not fixed....

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Next patch and he said it should be done in a couple weeks.

Tom said:

Hopefully I only need a couple more weeks at most to get this out to you all.

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EDIT: Captain Caveman beat me to it by a couple of seconds.

Captain Caveman said:

"As for an update on the audio issues, I've been slaving away at a very difficult fix that should hopefully handle a majority of the audio bugs. I've already tested it against the looping bug where there's a little delay and that works. And I've also tested it against Elvira's high pitched voice, which is no longer a problem. Hopefully I only need a couple more weeks at most to get this out to you all."

You miss the end of Tom's post?

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No I got it, but I wasn't sure if was talking about this patch or not, that's why I wanted to double check...


As for the overall patch, I've always stated that if I ws wrong or if there was credit owed then I'd be the first to admit or give it... While I was wrong about the audio issue with her voice that's why I didn't make a separate post or try to find if there was one specific to it just yet, so I guess I almost jumped the gun on that...

For the other things, Thanks... The fixes or adjustments to the new Stern tables that had been added was really good and A LOT BETTER than the other tables as far as the lighting... I haven't been able to check the other older tables just yet, but if they are still a little dark, blurry, or whatever, then whatever you did to the new Stern tables (minus BBH and WN as I still haven't and won't get those) would be great if you could do the same to the other legacy tables, but like I mentioned only if they still need an adjustment... I'l check through the week on the older tables...

The physics still fell same, kind of slow and floaty. AC-DC is still much easier and slower on PBA than on Stern PBA and the same for Ghostbusters... It could be also because I'm so used to Zen's physics now, but those are what needs to be copied and or maybe improved upon if able to.... Those need to be the benchmark to be honest...

So yeah it's got me interested to come back and test other tables... But that's why it's kind of frustrating, instead of coming back to play the tables, we are mainly coming back to test the tables, it's like we are doing Farsight's work for them...

As for the audio issues, I'm 50/50 with it, it could also be I haven't noticed too much, but there are some that I have noticed and it's not too big of a deal for me, at least not yet anyways, but it could be because I didn't really test every table or all of my favorite ones just yet...

Sometimes I play with the music and voices off and I'll have music on and just have the sound fx on, so that's why I'm 50/50 with it as well...

So yes, thanks for the work and improving the Stern tables, I really hope the lighting is similar or the same across the other tables, that would definitely bring me back and being able to enjoy and actually play the tables again...

Oh and the default ball is looking better on the Stern tables, even with the room lightning turned down. That's another thing I hope is fixed across all the other tables as well... That's another thing that if it's just on the Stern tables that came from Stern PBA then copy that over to the other tables... When I played the Elvira table I didn't notice as that I already had a glow ball, so i'll definitely check that on the others... But it's looking good on the Stern tables so far....

Tom Devaney said:

Hey RJB, you're right that you can buy both the tables individually, but there will be a pack coming out in a week or so that allows you to buy both tables for a discounted price. So for US, each table is $9.99, but if you buy Stern Pack 3, you get both tables for $14.99, thus saving $5.00. Sadly, the EU Stern Pack 3 got delayed, so it will be coming out in a week or so.

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Appreciate the heads-up Tom, thank you!

I have a question about SPA if anyone can answer it, I've seen lots of comments saying the SPA app does many things better than the TPA app in terms of things like lightning and physics etc. so my question is simple how come these latest two "Stern" table releases are not being put on the so called better app?

Is the SPA app no longer being updated/supported?

Thanks! in advance for any feedback on this.

Bug report: the local high scores on Whoa Nellie make no sense and are ridiculously high

To those of you that have bought and played these two latest tables, any good? overall pro's & con's? worth the money? Cheers!

Gorgar said:

Bug report: the local high scores on Whoa Nellie make no sense and are ridiculously high

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Try resetting the high scores. That worked on Android.

EldarOfSuburbia said:

Try resetting the high scores. That worked on Android.

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I don’t think you can on PS4. We still have the old UI and that feature seems to have been implemented with the new one.

Gorgar said:

Bug report: the local high scores on Whoa Nellie make no sense and are ridiculously high

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I notice that too. The lowest score is 100,000 and increases from there. I think they added two extra zeros to the scores by mistake.

In regards to the audio samples dropping out, is that a new thing? Or has that always been there? If it's always been there, that's what I'm trying to fix. If it's a new thing, then the stuff I'm working on might've interfered with the current system even though I tried to not make it so.

For the local highscores being super high, that sucks. I have no clue how that's possible given I tested out high scores on that table a lot actually. If that's the case too, I might have to add a reset button because there's no way to update high scores once they've been set without a reset button. Thanks for the heads up about that.

As for BH and WN, I agree with you Shogun that WN is actually pretty good. I'm not a fan of EM style tables, but I actually enjoy this one a lot. The rule set is simple with a small amount of hidden depth they don't tell you about (if you manage to figure this out your scores will double easily). I enjoy all of the different shots, and the switches are used in a direct way that is easy to figure out and adapt to. I enjoy BH though too. I enjoy all the different multiball modes, and the mashable buck is pretty fun.

Tom Devaney said:

In regards to the audio samples dropping out, is that a new thing? Or has that always been there? If it's always been there, that's what I'm trying to fix. If it's a new thing, then the stuff I'm working on might've interfered with the current system even though I tried to not make it so.

For the local highscores being super high, that sucks. I have no clue how that's possible given I tested out high scores on that table a lot actually. If that's the case too, I might have to add a reset button because there's no way to update high scores once they've been set without a reset button. Thanks for the heads up about that.

As for BH and WN, I agree with you Shogun that WN is actually pretty good. I'm not a fan of EM style tables, but I actually enjoy this one a lot. The rule set is simple with a small amount of hidden depth they don't tell you about (if you manage to figure this out your scores will double easily). I enjoy all of the different shots, and the switches are used in a direct way that is easy to figure out and adapt to. I enjoy BH though too. I enjoy all the different multiball modes, and the mashable buck is pretty fun.

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The audio sample dropout bug is new. I've recently tested The Addams Family and Ghostbusters. The voice samples drop out usually before the end of a sentence. However, I don't think it affects every table, because when playing Cirqus Voltaire & Tales of the Arabian Nights I hear the completed sentences in the audio samples. Also this bug seems to mess with the timing of the music tracks on tables.

The audio drop-outs are happening in Diner ... end of every music sequence and spoken sentence is cut off prematurely.

Tom Devaney said:

If it's a new thing, then the stuff I'm working on might've interfered with the current system even though I tried to not make it so.

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I kind of figured that was the case.

The sound drops are definitely a new bug and while it doesn't affect every table, it does affect quite a lot of them. Diner sounded like it was stomping all over itself. The two newest tables sounded fine though.

Tom Devaney said:

In regards to the audio samples dropping out, is that a new thing? Or has that always been there?

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Brand new thing.

As Springteen sang: "Same old Story - same old act - one step up and two steps back".

By the way: Charging 9,99 Euro for Stern-tables once again in TPA (each 9,99 €: AC-DC, Enterprise, Ghostbusters, Mustang) already bought for SPA on the same platform? By the way, Zen charges the same prize for the complete 1st Williams season.
What was promised by FS? For free? Is this the way to compete with ZEN? Really?
Call me a troll, a "mimimi". Sorry, but my patience is getting exhausted. I don´t want to offend Tom, ´cause he´s doing his best. Maybe one Person seems not enough to fix the PS4-version, develop new tables and manage significant progress.
So, even if you have other opinions, please, show a little bit empathise for the frustration.

xZOMBIEx said:

It's a little artwork "censored" or changed, it doesn't affect the gameplay or the tables looking a million times better than any table on PBA, not to mention plays a hundred times better and a lot closer to an actual pinball table... Granted no digital Pinball will get it 100% perfect, but Zen Studios is a lot closer than Farsight and the "changes" aren't even noticeable. Oh no the cigar is missing, a tiny piece of artwork that no one even noticed or was the reason people played the game.

Cause I know EVERYONE only played fish tales because the guy had a cigar and everyone played Medieval Madness because of the tiny bit of blood and whatever other nonsense that doesn't affect the gameplay in anyway... Because that was the real reason people played those games...

Although, it probably was only noticeable because of how clear and amazing the tables look... It was kind of hard to see those teeny tiny details missing on the farsight tables because of how blurry and dark the tables are...

So I guess I can understand the salt... But it's ok, go back to the slow floaty balls that you can barely see unless you have glowballs on, which you have to pay for and have to wait months to years to hopefully get something fixed and or a new table....

We'll be enjoying the better product where we are to busy watching the ball to worry about small artwork that can't even be seen when playing.. Oh and a ball that actually looks like a steel Pinball that you don't have to change to a custom ball just to be able to see it...

But seriously, it's things that don't affect the game what so ever. If you are that concerned with it then go get it for PC as that will have a toggle.

Although I wonder if you are that harsh on Farsight for having the Elvira tables censored to the family friendly version and unable to have your high score added to the leaderboard if you turn off the family mode for that and all the other tables that was "censored" as well...

I would like to see your posts on those tables being "censored" and not being able to have our high scores count when we turn off that feature...

Plus the audio is a much bigger issue than some tiny artwork on the backglass or on the playfield that isn't noticeable while playing the game, because you hear the sounds while playing...

So you might as well boycott both companies since they both have "censored" tables from their original versions....

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I think it's more that was censored than just that. Wasn't the mermaid's swimsuit painted over? And some DMD animations removed as well?
You need to keep in mind, these tables are extremely PG rated as it is. If tables such as Scared Stiff, Elvira and the Party Monsters, Bride of Pin•Bot, or hundreds of other pins aimed at mature audiences ever do show up on Zen's platform they would be completely butchered.

Zen has done a nice job on the tables, aside from the censorship. They look nice. Though I still prefer the Farsight physics. I can't seem to nudge the ball on the Zen tables without tilting as the nudges barely do anything. And I also miss playing the tables with GlowBalls™ in a dark room.
If Zen adds some VR options then I'd probably play them much more than I do now.

I'm just glad I bought the Farsight tables when I did.

spoonman said:

I think it's more that was censored than just that. Wasn't the mermaid's swimsuit painted over? And some DMD animations removed as well?
You need to keep in mind, these tables are extremely PG rated as it is. If tables such as Scared Stiff, Elvira and the Party Monsters, Bride of Pin•Bot, or hundreds of other pins aimed at mature audiences ever do show up on Zen's platform they would be completely butchered.

Zen has done a nice job on the tables, aside from the censorship. They look nice. Though I still prefer the Farsight physics. I can't seem to nudge the ball on the Zen tables without tilting as the nudges barely do anything. And I also miss playing the tables with GlowBalls™ in a dark room.
If Zen adds some VR options then I'd probably play them much more than I do now.

I'm just glad I bought the Farsight tables when I did.

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Major kudos to Farsight for not censoring anything in Bride of Pinbot. The "orgasms" and singing from the Bride is really something else. lol

spoonman said:

I think it's more that was censored than just that. Wasn't the mermaid's swimsuit painted over? And some DMD animations removed as well?
You need to keep in mind, these tables are extremely PG rated as it is. If tables such as Scared Stiff, Elvira and the Party Monsters, Bride of Pin•Bot, or hundreds of other pins aimed at mature audiences ever do show up on Zen's platform they would be completely butchered.

Zen has done a nice job on the tables, aside from the censorship. They look nice. Though I still prefer the Farsight physics. I can't seem to nudge the ball on the Zen tables without tilting as the nudges barely do anything. And I also miss playing the tables with GlowBalls™ in a dark room.
If Zen adds some VR options then I'd probably play them much more than I do now.

I'm just glad I bought the Farsight tables when I did.

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Well said spoonman, I agree 100% with almost everything you've said here.

Just to be clear I want Zen to do well with the Bally/Williams license as much as anyone, but "IMO" after playing their first Williams pack for a good amount of time I personally don't feel they are special/different enough from the same tables in Farsight's TPA to be able to get away with censoring them and in many cases I also still prefer TPA anyway.

Another thing when playing these tables in PFX3 I really miss is the standard/wizard goals that you get when playing these tables in TPA, for me they add a lot, I'm still playing tables now in TPA because I'm still trying to get all those wizard goals, basically it keeps me playing, where as with the PFX3 versions you have a single trophy to aim for then apart from playing just to keep bettering your score there's no such incentive as you get when playing TPA.

I also much prefer the various table view options you get in TPA as well, I'm not a fan of the table views you get in PFX3 none of them feel as good to me as the table view I use in TPA.

The way I'm currently looking at things is I'll probably only buy tables in PFX3 if they are tables that were never released for TPA, it just seem daft to me to rebuy tables that have been altered when I own fully uncut versions in TPA that mostly play great already.