Round 3 Audio Interview: Post Your Questions

[Jeff Strong]

After a summer break, I figure it's time to get this rolling again:

Bobby King from Farsight has graciously agreed to do a multi-round Audio interview, where we get to nominate and then vote on the questions for each session!

So now it's time to start posting your questions for Round 3...

This thread will be open for about a few days (or UNTIL we get too many questions, whichever comes first). Then I'll create a new thread with a poll for voting on which the questions will be asked. If your question doesn't get picked this time around, don't worry because this will be a reoccurring event, so you can always resubmit your question for the next round.

 

[Jeff Strong]

I think I'm gonna switch it up a bit this time and allow folks to post as many questions as they want. Last time we seemed to have somewhat of a shortage of good questions, so just get it all off your chest! Just remember, only a limited number of questions will make it to the poll. It will be up to my discretion to decide on that, but seeing other people quote and approve of your question in this thread will most likely sway my selection decisions in your favor. Have fun, and be nice!

 

[Fungi]

Ok ok ok, I'll go. ok ok ok.

Goin' Nuts. Do you guys actually have one to tear down to recreate it? If not, how then?

 

[netizen]

In the T2 video Jay said that FS corrected things in the ROM ... What are they actually "correcting" and if FS is changing the ROM why are they limited to versions with known bugs and errors?

 

[DeeEff]

Where is "Fix existing bugs" on your priority list? (and why isn't it #1?)

 

[Pinballwiz45b]

Few questions from me:

1)PC version: Any set release date, rather than just plain August? I'm so excited to get TPA (finally!).

2)ROM Emulation: Any progress on early SS games with ROMulation? Especially Black Knight? For Gottlieb, I assume we'll start seeing it later this summer?

3)Stern Pinball Inc.: Which games would we most likely see from the early 2000s? I would love to start playing these games again.

 

[MontanaFrank]

How'd I knew that was going to be your question is beyond me, fungi.

Mr. Jeff, my question is when is BK going to be rom emulated?

 

[Kevlar]

If the TPA version of Cirqus Voltaire was a baby, it would have been walking for a few months now, have plenty of teeth and would have its name down for pre-school nursery. So why is it still riddled with bugs? No need to list them here yet again, anyone who has played the table is well aware of them. Will they ever be fixed?

 

[skykid3k]

Question for Bobby after the run of leftover tables from The Gottlieb Collection are complete, what Gottlieb tables are under consideration in Pinball Arcade for the future?

 

[Gorgar]

Do you plan on creating pro menus for any more tables in the season 1 pack?

How about adding the free camera mode for tables that don't have pro versions?

If the production cost of releasing emulated versions of Black Hole, Gorgar, Genie and Firepower is an issue, how about making the emulated version part of a pro menu that requires users to purchase it?

 

[Kolchak357]

Any word on when the challenge mode (like the Williams challenge from PHOF) will be implemented?

 

[dtown8532]

1. Why are the PS3 versions looking so much different than the xbox 360 version? Blown out plastics on AFM, Contrast and colors way off on Genie, color and contrast cranked on Cactus Canyon. Please explain.
2. It seems you're focusing a lot on the PS4. How "real" will the lighting look when finished? For example, will we get a true Strobe Multiball in AFM where the GI shuts off and basically displays an almost black screen illuminated by the strobes.
3. Expanding on Montana Franks emulation question, will we get all the scripted solid state tables already released redone with emulation?

 

[SKILL_SHOT]

what will FS do when they run out of HOF collection tables?
I second Fungi's question if the dont physically have the table how is it made?
Would FS ever consider a table donation for the time of creation to sales without "keeping" it?

 

[spoonman]

Thanks Jeff. Here are my questions.

1. When will the leaderboards (Friend sorting) on the PlayStation 3 be fixed?

2. When will we see Stereoscopic 3D show up on the PlayStation 3.

3. Will we ever be able to play our own music from the XMB on the PlayStation 3?

 

[Mark W**a]

1) Will the PS4 and PC version get a lighting slider? If not, what about day/night/in between preset lighting options?

2) The video section was a great idea. Can you tell us what's next?

3) Would it be possible to rom emulate Revenge from Mars on PS4 and PC? If so, would you consider releasing it as a next gen exclusive machine, similar to what you did with TotAN, MM, and Gofers on the PS3 and 360 versions of Williams PHOF?

4) Can you update the mechanical sounds in the collection? Specifically the flipper sounds and the drop target, whirlwind spinners etc.

5) Rom emulation for Gorgar, Black Knight, Firepower.

6) Bug fixes for older tables. Cirqus Voiltaire (duh) but Many other old tables still have bugs as well. Perhaps suggest to Bobby that the crew takes a full month off to focus on nothing but bug fixes and updates for the existing tables, and that this move would make us happy. Perhaps do it the month the 360 tables drop, since they'd be making extra money that month and not have to rely on a table pack revenue.

7) Any information at all on 360

8) How is the PS4 version coming along? Will all PS4 tables be up to the quality of Star Trek?

9) Physics updates for older releases like Theatre of Magic and Monster Bash to name a few (not bad but you can tell its the old code, ball speed/rubbers could use a tweak.

10) Re-release tables are all but gone. You mentioned in the last interview that it costs the same to tear down a new machine as it does a re-release. Therefor, its safe to assume that the savings comes from already owning the Gottlieb and Williams HOF machines, no?

So with that being said, how do you plan on doing table packs going forward? Are you just going to eat that extra cost, or will you charge more per pack, or will you just sell the machines when you're done with them? Just curious.

 

[inspector42]

(1) How are local high scores / hall of fame points determined? Some seem very low/easy to achieve (Pinbot), others seem impossible to beat (Cactus Canyon).

(2) Why 8 tables per tournament? Seems like a bit much.

(3) Any plans for quicker / easier leaderboard navigation?

 

[ER777]

Is FS giving any consideration to adding online multi-player (timed races) for the consoles?

 

[David Pannozzo]

Jeff I have a quick question for you to ask Bobby, could you ask him how Steve Ellenoff is doing for the Emulations for the S.A.M. Games from Stern are coming along. I would like too know how hard it would be to Emulate games like Family Guy, Spider-Man, Tron Lagecy, Wheel of Fortune, and many more on the PC, PS4, or Xbox One. I do understand the games would need to be Kickstarted, I would put a big chunk in a Family Guy Kickstarter. It is one of my favorite Pat Lawlor games out their. Thank you for doing a great job with all you do on this site, along with PinWiz and Gord Lacey.

 

[shutyertrap]

My questions are all going to be PS3 specific...

There are all sorts of rumor and speculation about what is and isn't possible with fixing tables on the PS3. This has led to many people no longer wanting to purchase table packs on this platform, instead saying they'll switch to PC or PS4 when it comes out. Let's cut through what FarSight would 'like' to do, and get to what IS going to be done.

- Can we expect graphical changes to ANY of the tables that have already been released, and if so, when and on what?
- Can we expect physics changes to ANY of the tables, such as more reactive pop bumpers in Firepower or correcting the loop shot in AFM.
- Lighting has really become an issue with PS3 tables, the most recent being in Space Shuttle and the inability to tell if a bumper is lit or not. Are the versions we see on release looking the same as internally at FarSight? If so, why is this acceptable, and if not, what is possibly going on?
- What are the plans for the leaderboard? Separating from mobile? Fixing the friends list?
- Is TPA 2.0 a total fan pipe dream for the PS3? From what you've heard from Sony, will DLC updates work like the mobile platforms where changes to specific tables WILL be easier?

I know these sound negative, but honestly I think the fan site's own fear mongering is doing worse damage. Enough with the 'we'd like to' and 'it's certainly on our wish list' answers. Give it to us straight, we can take it.

 

[Rudy Yagov]

Jeff I have a quick question for you to ask Bobby, could you ask him how Steve Ellenoff is doing for the Emulations for the S.A.M. Games from Stern are coming along. I would like too know how hard it would be to Emulate games like Family Guy, Spider-Man, Tron Lagecy, Wheel of Fortune, and many more on the PC, PS4, or Xbox One. I do understand the games would need to be Kickstarted, I would put a big chunk in a Family Guy Kickstarter. It is one of my favorite Pat Lawlor games out their. Thank you for doing a great job with all you do on this site, along with PinWiz and Gord Lacey.

That's not a very "quick" question...


Anyway, here's my question:

Jay mentioned a handful of Steve Ritchie tables (High Speed, Getaway, F-14) in the T2 Kickstarter video. Were those intended to be hints of things to come, or?