ROM emulation, why is it so important?

[Fuseball]

That is excellent news, Mike. So pleased to hear that it's on your radar. There are so many tremendous games that utilise the Williams System 3 to 11 hardware.

 

[PiN WiZ]

Steve Ellenoff has been working on Williams System 11 emulation, once that is working he should be able to get System 3 to 11 working as far as I know. Then we can modify Gorgar to use full System 6 emulation.

That's great to hear...what about Black Hole?

 

[Jeff Strong]

Thanks for the info, Mike.

 

[Mike Reitmeyer]

Welcome.

I don't know the status of Gottlieb emulation

 

[Brian Clark]

Steve Ellenoff has been working on Williams System 11 emulation, once that is working he should be able to get System 3 to 11 working as far as I know. Then we can modify Gorgar to use full System 6 emulation.

Awesome! What is the status on Bally MPU AS-2518-35 and Stern M-200 MPU?

 

[Gord Lacey]

It is disappointing that a freeware hobbyist program can create better emulation than a professional company.

Keep in mind VP and FP run on the PC only, while Pinball Arcade runs on a whole bunch of platforms. You may see issues with the way VP and FP implement their emulation if they were on more platforms.

 

[Heretic]

Keep in mind VP and FP run on the PC only, while Pinball Arcade runs on a whole bunch of platforms. You may see issues with the way VP and FP implement their emulation if they were on more platforms.

For example the very hit and miss amd gfx support, one setup will run another wont. Cant fault the vp guys but pound for pound tpa has the best overall experience.

 

[Fuseball]

Keep in mind VP and FP run on the PC only, while Pinball Arcade runs on a whole bunch of platforms. You may see issues with the way VP and FP implement their emulation if they were on more platforms.

I agree completely. Implementation of the emulator for multiple platforms would never be trivial. The logic would be the same but would need to be translated to all the platforms and the languages they require you use. Hopefully the experience of translating one emulation system to all platforms will make the next a little easier. I hope we see the Bally MPU games someday. It will take as long as it takes, and I'm perfectly happy with that.

 

[Richard B]

I agree completely. Implementation of the emulator for multiple platforms would never be trivial. The logic would be the same but would need to be translated to all the platforms and the languages they require you use. Hopefully the experience of translating one emulation system to all platforms will make the next a little easier. I hope we see the Bally MPU games someday. It will take as long as it takes, and I'm perfectly happy with that.

Wouldn't it be better to just work on the tables that run on systems that are already emulated, and work on others only once the emulation is complete? This would be especially wise since most of the best tables run on the currently emulated software.
As for Bally MPU, only a handful of tables use it, and none are all that good.

 

[Brian Clark]

As for Bally MPU, only a handful of tables use it, and none are all that good.

That's your opinion, but many (including me) disagree. Bally MPU AS-2518-35 is the MPU Eight Ball Deluxe, Xenon, and Centaur use, hardly games that aren't all that good. Bally also has more than one MPU and I mentioned that one becuase it has some popular games on it.

List of games using Bally AS-2518-35

 

[PiN WiZ]

That's your opinion, but many (including me) disagree. Bally MPU AS-2518-35 is the MPU Eight Ball Deluxe, Xenon, and Centaur use, hardly games that aren't all that good. Bally also has more than one MPU and I mentioned that one becuase it has some popular games on it.

List of games using Bally AS-2518-25

I would love to see those three make there way to The Pinball Arcade.

 

[mmmagnetic]

As for performance, we have some ideas on improving it, and hopfully getting it running fine on the 3DS.

You know, I play the iPad version all the time, and yet... I really want the 3DS version. I don't care that the resolution is laughable, and that it doesn't have the nice portrait modes - I love the 3D on PHOF, and it's actually the only time I really enjoyed 3D.

Great to hear you're still on it If TPA comes to 3DS I will buy it all over again, and most likely get the new 3DS XL for it. I just love staring into these tables...

 

[Richard B]

That's your opinion, but many (including me) disagree.

List of games using Bally AS-2518-35

Not just my opinion - the highest ranking on a Bally MPU table is 42 at ipdb (Centaur), and 50 at Pinside (Xenon).

 

[Jeff Strong]

Wouldn't it be better to just work on the tables that run on systems that are already emulated, and work on others only once the emulation is complete? This would be especially wise since most of the best tables run on the currently emulated software.
As for Bally MPU, only a handful of tables use it, and none are all that good.

Not just my opinion - the highest ranking on a Bally MPU table is 42 at ipdb (Centaur), and 50 at Pinside (Xenon).

Which means they're pretty great tables....which is contrary to what you originally said. They have to be pretty good to be in the Top 50 of all time.

 

[Richard B]

Which means they're pretty great tables....which is contrary to what you originally said. They have to be pretty good to be in the Top 50 of all time.

Top 50 isn't as good as top 10 - 40, which are filled with tables based on the systems FS has already emulated. I will admit, EBD, Centaur, and Xenon are pretty good.

 

[Brian Clark]

Not just my opinion - the highest ranking on a Bally MPU table is 42 at ipdb (Centaur), and 50 at Pinside (Xenon).

It doesn't prove they aren't all that good (which is opinion, not fact). The fact that they are early SS on a list combined with newer machines at all says something about those games. A lot of very nice tables, including Cyclone and Whodunnit are rated lower. The ranking at pinside is also based on opinion.

 

[Fuseball]

Not to mention that the difference in actual scores is negligible between any of the top 50 or even 100 tables.

Anyway, it's all opinion. I enjoy both early SS (which I grew up with) and DMD games equally. Different challenges to both.

 

[Dutch Pinball ball]

Pinball is like food. Some people like that, some this. And some people like all. Its a discussion about taste, and thats never ending.

And off course everybody has his own ''first play'', memories and age when played. I think that influences what you fancy too. And the state of the machine you played. I think when you play a broken LOTR, you might think its nothing for you, instead, if you played your first LOTR game on a brand new machine you are blown away.

Or.... you are not, cause its still a mather of taste at the end.

When we look at Pinball Arcade i think its wise, looking at bugs, to first focus on the machines your good at, which are emulated more easy, and then later to the other pinball systems.

 

[Supermans]

Steve Ellenoff has been working on Williams System 11 emulation, once that is working he should be able to get System 3 to 11 working as far as I know. Then we can modify Gorgar to use full System 6 emulation.

If Steve can get full emulation to work on the Williams System 3 to 11, that would be quite an accomplishment. Gorgar currently does not play as the original did, but it is nice to have nonetheless.