Search titles only
By:
Home
Forums
New posts
Search forums
Articles
New articles
New comments
Search articles
Pinball DB
Pinball Tables
Pinball Games
What's new
New posts
New articles
New profile posts
New article comments
Latest activity
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
New posts
Search forums
Menu
Log in
Register
Navigation
Install the app
Install
More options
Contact us
Close Menu
Welcome Back to Digital Pinball Fans -
please read this first
For latest updates, follow Digital Pinball Fans on
Facebook
and
Twitter
Home
Forums
Farsight Studios
The Pinball Arcade / Farsight Studios
Very torn about Farsight as a company (sort of rant but also a question, confused)
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Psy-Q" data-source="post: 253510" data-attributes="member: 6132"><p>I've held off on buying any tables for maybe three years now, playing TOTAN from time to time but mostly doing Visual Pinball. I do love the look of the TPA tables, but somehow I can't decide what to think about Farsight and so I don't know if I should actually buy a few season packs.</p><p></p><p>Somehow it feels to me like Farsight is like the violent husband in an abusive marriage. Not that they beat you up and you go running back to them anyhow two days later, but more in the sense of there are decisions, but then no decisions. Actions, but then no actions. Signals, but then no signals.</p><p></p><p>Examples: First the passive stance on cabinet support, followed now by the Arcooda deal (do we know if cab support is coming to the "normal" TPA yet? Is this an exclusive deal? What's even going on?) </p><p></p><p>Then the new interface that looks like a website in the late 90s made with Photoshop 2.0 using too many Alienskin Drop Shadow and Bevel effects. Hands up those old enough to remember when Photoshop had no drop shadow built in. It's all more or less functional if you know to avoid the bugs, and it's not much less stylish than the old one, but still. I've seen designers offer to redesign the thing for free and that must hurt. And finally the long-standing bugs that seem to get no attention at all. But once you get past the menu, things are very beautiful (to my eyes and in DX11 mode). I'd so wish that the menu were slick and functional so that people wouldn't be repulsed. Sometimes it seems like public relations, management, in-game programming and menu programming/design are four different teams that only talk to each other via carrier pigeon once a month.</p><p></p><p>So is the grass greener elsewhere? Magic Pixel seem to be improving Zaccaria quite a bit, its menus are equally ugly but functional, but this is early access so I'd cut them some slack. The DMD is pixellated and ugly, but the rest is on par with TPA I would say. Plus they thought of cab support from day one.</p><p></p><p>Zen Studios have the advantage of having much cheaper tables but also an engine that runs smooth as butter on all the hardware I've tried, plus they've started supporting cab owners and are very responsive to support requests in general.</p><p></p><p>Then we have Barnstorm Games and their completely different approach to pinball simluation, but it seems to work and is smooth and beautiful even on a ULV processor with embedded graphics. Plus there is Linux support and they've managed to cram some cab features in there as well, even if it means stretching the whole playfield out of proportion.</p><p></p><p>I would not hesitate to buy tables from any of those companies, not one second. But the image Farsight projects for me is (sorry for the bad analogy) that of a pinball caught between bumpers. They bump from place to place without control and run on half-fulfilled promises and exclusive deals and somehow it all works, but it's not graceful to watch.</p><p></p><p>How do you feel about them? Does anyone know people inside Farsight? They seem like cool people in the videos. Is it just a very tough market and are they stretching thin trying to please everybody? Then why aren't the other companies also like that? I've probably spent more time thinking about whether I want to buy a table pack than it takes me to make the money to buy a table pack, so this is all highly irrational, but I'm confused and intrigued at the same time and happy about anything that helps make a decision, for or against <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Psy-Q, post: 253510, member: 6132"] I've held off on buying any tables for maybe three years now, playing TOTAN from time to time but mostly doing Visual Pinball. I do love the look of the TPA tables, but somehow I can't decide what to think about Farsight and so I don't know if I should actually buy a few season packs. Somehow it feels to me like Farsight is like the violent husband in an abusive marriage. Not that they beat you up and you go running back to them anyhow two days later, but more in the sense of there are decisions, but then no decisions. Actions, but then no actions. Signals, but then no signals. Examples: First the passive stance on cabinet support, followed now by the Arcooda deal (do we know if cab support is coming to the "normal" TPA yet? Is this an exclusive deal? What's even going on?) Then the new interface that looks like a website in the late 90s made with Photoshop 2.0 using too many Alienskin Drop Shadow and Bevel effects. Hands up those old enough to remember when Photoshop had no drop shadow built in. It's all more or less functional if you know to avoid the bugs, and it's not much less stylish than the old one, but still. I've seen designers offer to redesign the thing for free and that must hurt. And finally the long-standing bugs that seem to get no attention at all. But once you get past the menu, things are very beautiful (to my eyes and in DX11 mode). I'd so wish that the menu were slick and functional so that people wouldn't be repulsed. Sometimes it seems like public relations, management, in-game programming and menu programming/design are four different teams that only talk to each other via carrier pigeon once a month. So is the grass greener elsewhere? Magic Pixel seem to be improving Zaccaria quite a bit, its menus are equally ugly but functional, but this is early access so I'd cut them some slack. The DMD is pixellated and ugly, but the rest is on par with TPA I would say. Plus they thought of cab support from day one. Zen Studios have the advantage of having much cheaper tables but also an engine that runs smooth as butter on all the hardware I've tried, plus they've started supporting cab owners and are very responsive to support requests in general. Then we have Barnstorm Games and their completely different approach to pinball simluation, but it seems to work and is smooth and beautiful even on a ULV processor with embedded graphics. Plus there is Linux support and they've managed to cram some cab features in there as well, even if it means stretching the whole playfield out of proportion. I would not hesitate to buy tables from any of those companies, not one second. But the image Farsight projects for me is (sorry for the bad analogy) that of a pinball caught between bumpers. They bump from place to place without control and run on half-fulfilled promises and exclusive deals and somehow it all works, but it's not graceful to watch. How do you feel about them? Does anyone know people inside Farsight? They seem like cool people in the videos. Is it just a very tough market and are they stretching thin trying to please everybody? Then why aren't the other companies also like that? I've probably spent more time thinking about whether I want to buy a table pack than it takes me to make the money to buy a table pack, so this is all highly irrational, but I'm confused and intrigued at the same time and happy about anything that helps make a decision, for or against :) [/QUOTE]
Verification
Post reply
Members online
saspin
Latest posts
Z
Strategies.
Latest: Zaphod77
Apr 18, 2024
WHO dunnit (1995)
Y
AtGames Legends pinball
Latest: yespage
Apr 15, 2024
Digital Pinball Cabinets
Master List of Issues: Pinball FX
Latest: Pinballwiz45b
Apr 13, 2024
Pinball FX (4)
We are back with a new site
Latest: Ian Longstaff
Apr 8, 2024
Other Pinball Games
Z
5X Jackpot build strategy (POTO)
Latest: Zaphod77
Apr 5, 2024
Phantom of the Opera (1990)
Home
Forums
Farsight Studios
The Pinball Arcade / Farsight Studios
Very torn about Farsight as a company (sort of rant but also a question, confused)
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
Accept
Learn more…
Top