Williams Pinball Universal Monsters™ Pack on October 29!

zype2222

New member
Sep 4, 2018
8
0
Really hoping Zen goes back to releasing their own original tables. Those remain my favorites. Hopefully a tie-in with the new Star Wars movie.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the classic Williams tables too but I already own them on TPA. I do prefer Zen’s physics (ball is too floaty on TPA) and the ability to do the challenges and unlock mastery pictures.

I agree Taxi would be a good choice if they continue down this path of re-releasing TPA tables.

I hope they will release the top machines from the 1980’s. I love them DMD tables, but there’s a lot from the 80’s that are solid classics!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Scared Stiff

New member
May 18, 2019
184
0
REALLY impressed how good the lighting for both tables looks on mobile. It looks amazing.

Beyond that, the UI for the whole game seems snappier. I did get one crash while in it, but so far I cannot complain. It just seems more responsive and not sluggish. The notes also said they had fixed some tables, and I noticed it downloaded all of them again, but the issue I have on White Water where it gets stuck between the humps on the ramp and then drains between flippers unfortunately remains. Theatre of Magic seemed different though. And not just the fixed plunger either. I felt like I was hearing things in the game I had not heard before.

Still want the issue with White Water fixed, but other than that this looks like a really solid release. Nice to have a challenging version of Monster Bash. TPA was too easy.
 

Moosebox

New member
Sep 21, 2018
12
0
Monsters Bash seems really taxing on my system. I'm usually able to get around 100fps on tables, but monsters stays in the 60's.

So either the table isn't optimized well compared to others, or the additional animated characters on the table take a toll on overall performance.
 

kimkom

Member
Jan 28, 2013
914
1
Monsters Bash seems really taxing on my system. I'm usually able to get around 100fps on tables, but monsters stays in the 60's.

So either the table isn't optimized well compared to others, or the additional animated characters on the table take a toll on overall performance.

This is something I have mentioned to the devs but unfortunately there hasn't been enough time to improve performance before release. I find it especially noticable in portrait/cabinet view.

It seems to be caused by the complex geometry of the character models.

There is a big dip in fps when the flypast camera reaches the top/left corner of the table during the table intro.

A bit more optimization of the character model LODs would probably help but they do look great! :)
 
Last edited:

wilbers

Member
Aug 8, 2018
569
0
Monsters Bash seems really taxing on my system. I'm usually able to get around 100fps on tables, but monsters stays in the 60's.

So either the table isn't optimized well compared to others, or the additional animated characters on the table take a toll on overall performance.

Just had a look on my main PC and I'm getting 180fps for Monster Bash; for comparison Medieval Madness is 280fps and Wild West Rampage is 240fps. All a moot point as my main monitor is 144Hz (secondary one is 60Hz, haven't tried running Monster Bash with both on yet). Haven't tried it on my laptop, but that is limited to 60fps anyway.
 

Pete

New member
Jul 16, 2012
564
1
Although extra animated models would definitively require a little more power it's pretty hard to imagine just 5 or 6 extra animated things slowing things down that much. Especially when you think about how many animated things are going off at the same time on games like GTA or Red Dead or pretty much every modern game that has to constantly think of over 100 things all moving at once. I bet it something like lighting or reflections doing it.
 

MadScience2006

New member
Oct 5, 2012
779
0
Although extra animated models would definitively require a little more power it's pretty hard to imagine just 5 or 6 extra animated things slowing things down that much. Especially when you think about how many animated things are going off at the same time on games like GTA or Red Dead or pretty much every modern game that has to constantly think of over 100 things all moving at once. I bet it something like lighting or reflections doing it.

I thought I read somewhere that the models are being rendered even when you're playing the classic versions of the tables. I see very negligible frame rate differences (especially on iOS), whether or not the extra models animations are being displayed on-screen or not.
 

Cloda

New member
Oct 15, 2018
199
0
Beastlike rocking with the monsters! Williams Monster Bash

I'm happy that I got the Monsters of Rock Achievement on Williams Monster Bash in Classic Arcade. Rather than sharing that game, I'll share a section of a game where the strategy I'm working on (see below) came together nicely until the first Monster's of Rock (the requirement for the achievement) where I had a good multiball. Unfortunately, my game fell apart after that but I'm optimistic that I'll soon have a game where everything click.

I had an excellent first ball (the rest of the game fizzled out) where I made it all the way to Monsters of Rock. I had to finish Wolfman after the Frankenstein multiball and I had the Mummy and Dracula left. It worked out great though in that as I started the Mummy in the scoop, I shortly after also started Dracula which also started Monsters Bash which then turned into Monster's of Rock as I completed their instruments!


Here is what I've been doing so far for Classic Arcade, based on watching the PAPA tutorial, reading the in-game guide, and playing around. I never played the real table, or TPA so I'm sure there are some obvious things I'm missing.

- Get the skillshot! I rarely play with the enhanced graphics on in Classic Arcade, but on this table Zen did a nice job, it is unobtrusive, and it gives you one huge advantage because it lights up the lit rollover lanes that is essential to get the skillshot right. If you get the skillshot, you get points (which increases with each successful skillshot) but importantly you get a Monster bomb! You can use it during a Monster hurry-up to advance a shot. Each monster has its own monster bomb which makes it trickier. You also get monster bombs from mosh pit shots, and as random awards from the scoop.

- Key to remember is that during any multiball, the timers for the Monster hurry-up’s don’t run. Try to get a few Monster’s close to starting, and then start as many as you can in quick succession, before you start either the Frankenstein multi-ball hurry-up, or the Mosh pit multi-ball. I messed it up, but I already got it right once to have all but the Mummy hurry-up’s going. The Mummy one is difficult to start along with the rest as you’ll likely start the Wolfman’s hurry-up before you get enough bumper hits.

- My order that I try to line up the different Monster hurry-ups is; start by focussing on Creature from the Black Lagoon (remember backhand is possible), then the Bride of Frankenstein as I find the ramp shots difficult, and as soon as you have one side three shots down, start with the Wolfman on that side, while still focussing on the rest of the shots required on the other side. In between also get a few shots down on Frankenstein and Dracula. As soon as you start one of the hurry-ups, start the other ones that you have close to starting as quickly as possible, and lastly get the Frankenstein multiball hurry-up going.

- After that, you assess where you are at and see what you need to complete to get to Monsters of Rock.


That is my strategy so far… let’s see how it develops and please let me know what you guys think and I’ll add to it.
 

skyway73

New member
Feb 16, 2015
38
0
Good tips there, I found a good way to hit Creature is if the ball is coming from left orbit at pace, just hold left flipper up and it backhands straight in. This happens if you hit the spinner cleanly, for instance.
I found getting the Achievement (Trophy in my case) easy on Classic Arcade mode. In fact the table feels a bit too forgiving? I prefer more of a brutal challenge. I really love the flipper physics though, feel very realistic to me. Praying that the physics can be added to all the other tables...
 

DorkmasterFlek

New member
Oct 30, 2019
11
0
I have never played Monster Bash before IRL, but playing this in FX3 I can definitely see why this is considered an all-time great table. It's a very fun design, the sound is particularly excellent! :D

Question: For the achievement, can you get the mini-wizard mode with just the characters or does it have to be the full wizard mode where you collect the instruments?
 

Gorgias32

New member
Jan 14, 2016
436
0
I like your strategy too. The hardest monster mode for me to "finish" is Bride, it's six shots to those narrow (and steep on the left) ramps, so I definitely try to have that one running during a multiball. It's also nice to have Dracula running during multiball since the return from bash shots can be unpredictable.
 

zmcvay

Member
Sep 19, 2014
356
5
I have never played Monster Bash before IRL, but playing this in FX3 I can definitely see why this is considered an all-time great table. It's a very fun design, the sound is particularly excellent! :D

Question: For the achievement, can you get the mini-wizard mode with just the characters or does it have to be the full wizard mode where you collect the instruments?

It has to be Monsters of Rock, so you have to get all the instruments. All modes stack, so try to start 3 or more modes at the same time, then activate either Frankenstein Multiball or Monster Bash Multiball.
Also remember to activate the extras you pick up, if you have a hair dryer for example, press launch when the Bride mode is running to add a completed ramp hit to your total (Garlic Clove for Dracula, Ancient Scroll for the Mummy, etc...)
 

Cloda

New member
Oct 15, 2018
199
0
I've adapted my strategy after playing some more and find that this approach now result in more engaging gameplay and less restarts. I've managed to put a good game together where I got to two Monsters of Rock in one game. I'll use that as the basis for my strategy video. Here is my revised strategy that I followed in my top Classic Arcade game along with some tips.

- Get the skillshot as described above, but make use of the ballsaver to let the ball through so that it can launch back into the bumpers for some more hits towards the Mummy. The ballsaver is long enough that you can take a potshot at the targets below Frankenstein so I try to do that before letting the ball drain. Note that the ballsaver is significantly shorter at later ball launches in the game, especially if it is an extra ball.
- When the ball drops outs of the bumpers on the right hand side, hold your left flipper up, even as you plan to live catch it on the right flipper, as that right slingshot is deadly if the ball hits it.
- I now start with Frankenstein, getting him one shot away from opening up.
- Following that, I focus on his Bride.
- Depending on if I am close to start Wolfman or not, I either get him started and / or I get the Bride started before I start the Frankenstein multiball.
- My key focus for Frankenstein multiball is to get his keyboard because it is a lot of high risk work to start the mode up again. Luckily the table is cleverly designed to give you a last chance to get it if you down to just ball and manage to act quickly as shown in this video clip (either facebook or twitter).



- If it worked out well with those three modes, you should have an extra ball or at least ready to collect, and you should also be close to an extra ball for 60 million.
- Then get Creature, the Mummy, and Dracula ready and start them, which will unlock Monster bash.
- This approach works well for me with less frustration of trying to start all the modes before Frankenstein multiball.
- If you play the multiballs well it goes over into Monsters of Rock without having to do anything else.

Monster Bash is a great table and I find playing with a strategy is very rewarding but especially later on in the game, you need to take your chances as all the elements of your basic strategy won’t so easily line up anymore.
 
Last edited:

yespage

Member
Oct 31, 2015
466
2
Funny, right now I find the Monsters of Rock table harder than real life. Usually Wolfman is easier for me to get.
 

Members online

No members online now.

Members online

No members online now.
Top