(Topic ID: 232483)

New Theatre Of Magic software mod - version 2

By soren

5 years ago


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  • 98 posts
  • 44 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 1 year ago by rvermeire
  • Topic is favorited by 50 Pinsiders

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There are 98 posts in this topic. You are on page 2 of 2.
#51 4 years ago

Also note this requires the 1.3-based U22 security chip. 1.4H security will read wrong chip.

#52 4 years ago
Quoted from Drac:

Is there any chance a wizard mode for Grand Finale can ever be added to this game?

I have decided to leave the wizard mode as-is. I know it is lame. But I also like a single ball wizard mode. It is ballsy. It is unique.

I have a less-is-more approach to these mods. Always keep the spirit of the original release. Just change and add what is needed for bugfix, competition usabillity and replay value.

It is not reimplementations.

#53 4 years ago

if anyone needs the final builds just send me a direct email.
[email protected]

#54 4 years ago

I can run anypic.exe on the file and then it won't care about the pic. you'll just need one, any one, for it to work.

#55 4 years ago

soren the mod works great! I've been putting off the tiger saw mod for months, and your code update pushed me over the edge to get it done today. Installed a motor, hooked it up and installed your rom. Looks great with the 1.4 behavior, thanks for doing it! Love the other changes, including the trunk fix. I'll be hosting a tournament next month with TOM in tournament mode. Basement will be much better now.

Did I miss your PayPal donation link? I'd like to send a few bucks your way in gratitude for your work! Let me know where.

Craig

PS great balance on the changes

#56 4 years ago

Thanks a lot. I am happy you like it and see the potential for competion play at a higher level of quality.

I generally like the give-me-what-I-need concept for "random" awards. However, just twisting a game for this can be with the side effect of it being a too easy shortcut to progress.

It is all in the balance. And I think the balance is there for Theatre of Magic basement, as qualifying it is via the centre targets.

And as soon as the achievements are made towards the wizard mode, the basement goes to points only. This is theoretical of course. I doubt there has been any game of TOM ever, where Illusions was not the last one remaining.

#57 4 years ago

Soren, I know you advised with the 1.3x that you would not recommend it for home use (I have the Leon fix for the trunk). Does that still hold true with this latest fix?

#58 4 years ago
Quoted from meSz:

Soren, I know you advised with the 1.3x that you would not recommend it for home use (I have the Leon fix for the trunk). Does that still hold true with this latest fix?

I'm using it for home use, and tested it. Unless soren disagrees, you can always turn off the tournament features and at that point it's identical to 1.4H... Unless I'm missing something.

#59 4 years ago

I will also add, I suspect @soren's changes to 1.3 solve another problem. From the author of the 1.4H change notes:

3) The multiball crash is rare, but it happens. I didn't learn about it
until months later and I was already deep into development on another
project plus the Magic I tested on was not in my posession anymore.
I never had a chance to verify if the crash was always there or if the
code modifications brought the crash into the open. Things like this
happen when you're flying blind in someone else's code. Chalk it up to
the price you pay for having a prototype game.

#60 4 years ago
Quoted from soren:

Due public demand, the code controlling the prototype Tiger saw motor has been ported from the rev. 1.4H ROM to the rev.

Awesome, thank you.

#61 4 years ago
Quoted from meSz:

Soren, I know you advised with the 1.3x that you would not recommend it for home use (I have the Leon fix for the trunk). Does that still hold true with this latest fix?

With factory reset the ROM mods presented in this thread only changes...

1) Bonus-x advance is +1 instead of +2.

2) Combo max at 20M instead of unlimited (with wrap-around to 0).

3) No trunk error state without a real reason to.

4) Hocus pocus outlane saver has 2nd saver feature if the magnet bombs out.

And with the latest 34ee mod...

5) The prototype Tiger saw motor is re-implemented.

With tournament play enabled there is a few more changes (see the Readme).

And with an additional option to make Spell theatre harder.

1 week later
#62 4 years ago
Quoted from jsa:

Also note this requires the 1.3-based U22 security chip. 1.4H security will read wrong chip.

ok, cool so it is the 1.3. I was thinking the 1.3X had it's own or something. Using the 1.4h and need to find my old one now.

1 month later
#63 4 years ago

Thank you, Soren.
The world is a brighter place with people like yourself out there.

1 week later
#64 4 years ago

Thanks for your effort, Soren. Keep up the great work !
I like the changes and improvements a lot. You really should add a donation link.
There´s one bug from the original 1.3 Rom remaining,
A.2 Adjustment 12 " Trunk ball save" isn´t working. When it´s on it should give the ball back to the player when he hits the trunk and the ball goes SDTM.
In version 1.2 it´s working, but in this version the slingshots are active in attract mode.
Would it be possible to fix this one, as well ?

Best regards
Gernot

#65 4 years ago

Thanks.

That is cute. I did not know of that. Is it like Indiana Jones centre targets - at all times - ball saver. And not only at start of ball.

#66 4 years ago
Quoted from soren:

Is it like Indiana Jones centre targets - at all times - ball saver. And not only at start of ball.

On WMS Indy it´s a little different I guess.
If I remember correctly you get your ball back when you hit one or more center drop target(s) and the ball flies to the left outlane.
When the ball triggers the left outlane switch you get the ball back.

On ToM you should get your ball back when you hit the trunk and the ball goes immediately SDTM.
In 1.3 it doesn't matter what you set in "A.2 Adjustment 12", you won´t get your ball back.
This was working fine in version 1.2, but as I mentioned in 1.2 the slings are active in attract mode.

There is one more small "issue", but it´s really not a big thing and probably not worth investing your time.
It would be nice if the game would only show the buy-in scores in attract mode when buy-in is activated.
At the moment it always shows the buy-in scores, no matter if buy-in´s are activate or not.
When you want to write down your scores in a tournament you have to wait for the buy-in scores to scroll by.
And to top it all off, you could implement scrolling through the attract mode pages with the flipper buttons like in all newer pinball machines.

#67 4 years ago
Quoted from RichterMC:

On WMS Indy it´s a little different I guess.
If I remember correctly you get your ball back when you hit one or more center drop target(s) and the ball flies to the left outlane.
When the ball triggers the left outlane switch you get the ball back.
On ToM you should get your ball back when you hit the trunk and the ball goes immediately SDTM.
In 1.3 it doesn't matter what you set in "A.2 Adjustment 12", you won´t get your ball back.
This was working fine in version 1.2, but as I mentioned in 1.2 the slings are active in attract mode.
There is one more small "issue", but it´s really not a big thing and probably not worth investing your time.
It would be nice if the game would only show the buy-in scores in attract mode when buy-in is activated.
At the moment it always shows the buy-in scores, no matter if buy-in´s are activate or not.
When you want to write down your scores in a tournament you have to wait for the buy-in scores to scroll by.
And to top it all off, you could implement scrolling through the attract mode pages with the flipper buttons like in all newer pinball machines.

Or better yet, don't allow buy-in scores the option to record their initials since it was achieved in a BS way.

#68 4 years ago
Quoted from RC_like_the_cola:

Or better yet, don't allow buy-in scores the option to record their initials since it was achieved in a BS way.

BS or not. Buy-in helped earnings a lot, I am sure. As with a couple of other dubious design decisions in pinball. The coin is king.

#69 4 years ago
Quoted from soren:

BS or not. Buy-in helped earnings a lot, I am sure. As with a couple of other dubious design decisions in pinball. The coin is king.

Very true.

#70 4 years ago
Quoted from RichterMC:

A.2 Adjustment 12 " Trunk ball save" isn´t working. When it´s on it should give the ball back to the player when he hits the trunk and the ball goes SDTM.

Been looking into this.

It IS working in v1.3. But there is a number of conditions masking it off. Modes running, trunk on open side etc. But - most importantly - it is only for the very first shot to the trunk per ball-in-play. I guess the designers decided to tighten it from v1.2 to v1.3.

#71 4 years ago
Quoted from soren:

Been looking into this.

It IS working in v1.3. But there is a number of conditions masking it off. Modes running, trunk on open side etc. But - most importantly - it is only for the very first shot to the trunk per ball-in-play. I guess the designers decided to tighten it from v1.2 to v1.3.

Thanks for taking the time to look into this.
So it´s probably intended to work like this in version 1.3.
Anyway I think it dosen´t make much sense this way. Trunk ballsaves just don´t happen with all the conditions to meet.
Try to explain this to the player´s.
You will get your ball back if :
1.) You hit the trunk for the frist time
2.) The trunk is in a certain position
3.) There´s no mode running
4.) It´s Wednesday and your wife is pregnant

Would it be possible to have three options to choose from ?
No trunk ball saves, always trunk ball saves (like in 1.2) and ball saves with conditions (like in 1.3.)

#72 4 years ago

It makes sense in the spirit of the skill shot (with ball saver off).

These things are designed to give players just enough of a positive experience to keep dumping money. And operators hate everything of this sort.

#73 4 years ago
Quoted from soren:

It makes sense in the spirit of the skill shot (with ball saver off).
These things are designed to give players just enough of a positive experience to keep dumping money. And operators hate everything of this sort.

Guess you are right for the most part.
But there are exceptions.
I shopped a ToM for an operator recently and installed your software patch.
The only reason we went back to 1.2 was the "missing" trunk ball save.
In 1.2 I really miss your second outlane save feature, but a failing outlane magnet is less common than a SDTM from the trunk.
Therefore I choose 1.2 for location use.
So not all operators are "bad" and just want to make short term money.

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#74 4 years ago

I agree on the various points made her. But personally i would love to have the 1.2 trunk save functionality merged in to a patched 1.3 - That would really give me the best of both worlds.

I really want to have the added "failed magnet" functionality as this happens quite often on my machine (left side especially), AND the trunk save option, as im just not that good a player and often have SDTM's on my personal ToM after hitting the trunk.

3 weeks later
#75 4 years ago

Indeed. This would be a nice addition- as posted with three options for the ball save

#76 4 years ago

The TOM mod has been updated with two minor tweaks.

A very generous Trunk-hit-to-drain ball saver in v1.2, that was removed from v1.3, has been re-implemented. It is disabled by default.

The attract mode DMD sequence and the Status report omit buy-in high scores, when the buy-in feature is disabled.

See top post link.

#77 4 years ago
Quoted from soren:

The TOM mod has been updated with two minor tweaks.
A very generous Trunk-hit-to-drain ball saver in v1.2, that was removed from v1.3, has been re-implemented. It is disabled by default.
The attract mode DMD sequence and the Status report omit buy-in high scores, when the buy-in feature is disabled.
See top post link.

I don't know how you do it soren but we are grateful.

Can you tell us a bit about your process? I can't imagine how you start with assembled machine code and change features like this.

#78 4 years ago

I can confirm that the latest version works like a charm! I can now enable the 1.2 trunk ball save in v1.3, and still have the magnet / outlane fix.

SUPER grateful!

Thank you Soren

#79 4 years ago

if anyone has an assembled version of the ROM please email the file to me [email protected] and i will host it in the usual location. thank you

#80 4 years ago

Thanks! now in the usual spot for anyone...

1 week later
#81 4 years ago

soren You'll be happy to know we installed you ROM in a TOM at Expo for the weekend on free play. It had a ton of testing and worked perfectly. We also used it during a tournament there and no bugs to report.

#82 4 years ago

Very happy to hear this. A couple of questions...

Did you install the Tiger saw motor too?

Did you choose the Spell theatre at hard settings for competition usage?

#83 4 years ago
Quoted from soren:

Very happy to hear this. A couple of questions...
Did you install the Tiger saw motor too?
Did you choose the Spell theatre at hard settings for competition usage?

1) Didn't have the Tiger mod, it wasn't our game so that would be a bit over the top. I have tried the mod at home though with no issues (and spin was fine)

2) I tried the hard usage, but we turned it off at the request of the competition coordinator prior to the start. So therefore, we didn't get all the testing of the new features as much as general stability of the bug fix.

3 months later
#85 4 years ago
Quoted from soren:

Due public demand, the code controlling the prototype Tiger saw motor has been ported from the rev. 1.4H ROM to the rev. 1.3X mod. With improvements - see the Readme.
This software is fine regardless if the motor mech is installed on the game or not. And the updated mod replaces the previously released one.
Based on the rev. 1.3X, the mod still requires the 1.3X security chip.
Special thanks to JSA.
Theatre Of Magic
Rev 1.3x patch 34ee
Download link: https://tinyurl.com/y66hyqej
Please read the Readme and follow the patch guide carefully.
Release note
Changes
The Trunk error handling procedure has been refined to not give a false positive during normal playing conditions with a healthy Trunk mech.
With secondary function to reset the error state in case of genuine in-game Trunk error (stock ball).
When tournament play selected: Opening/closing the coin door will reset the Trunk error state.
New feature adjustment A.2 21 "Spell theatre". Options: "Easy" and "Hard".
Easy: As rev. 1.3X. Spell theatre is lit except in the modes: Theatre, Lock multiball and Grand finale.
Hard: On THEATRE advance, the Spell theatre light will go off. Making a major shot in the game will re-light it.
Major shots considered: Trunk loop both ways, Trunk, both ramps and the right orbit. Not the left orbit.
Adjustment "Spell theatre" defaults.
Ex. easy, easy and medium pre-sets: Easy.
Hard and ex. hard pre-sets: Hard.
New feature adjustment A.2 22 "Combo max value". Options: 8M - 80M in 4M steps. Default: "20M".
On combo value build-up, when it reaches this value, it will stop incrementing.
Combo scoring will proceed at this value.
New feature adjustment A.2 23 "Bonus-x adv". Options: "1" and "2". Default: "1".
Bonus-x increment for each top lane completion. 1 or 2. With 2 being 1x->2x on first completion.
New feature adjustment A.2 24 "Hocus 2nd saver". Options: "No" and "Yes". Default: "Yes".
In single ball play only!
If the Hocus pocus outlane saver magnet fails, a compensation one shot ball saver will serve the ball to the plunger lane.
The feature only saves balls going to an outlane, that should have been saved to an inlane.
When tournament play selected: Basement awards.
A catch-up choice that will award progress on Illusions or Clock. Which ever is lacking behind the other.
Generally:
If the clock is 10 or 11 am, Madness is awarded.
If the clock progress is less than the Illusions progress, Adv. clock is awarded.
Else Illusion is awarded.
Special cases:
Illusion is not awarded if achieved for this Grand finale, if already lit, if one is currently running or when other states where an Illusion cannot be started at the Trunk.
Adv. clock/Madness is not awarded if achieved for this Grand finale.
If Illusion is not available, Adv. Clock is awarded if not achieved for this Grand finale.
If neither is available, 20 Million is awarded.
When tournament play selected: Limited ball search. No compensation locked balls release or free multiball.
The Tiger saw motor control has been ported from the rev. 1.4H software. And slightly improved.
It runs for a solid two seconds on a captive ball hit. Instead of the very short pulse in the 1.4H implementation.
In a Tiger saw mode and multiball combo, it stops when both modes are finished. And not when just the first of them finishes.
The max bonus-x 5M is awarding 5M points.
Midnight is corrected to be at 12 AM. Not 12 PM.
Adjustment A.1 28 "Min. vol override" defaults to "Yes".
Adjustment A.1 21 "Language" is limited to to "English".
Why it rocks
Not having the major mechanical feature go passive mid-game with compensation rules as a consequence.
Balancing the THEATRE objective difficulty.
Balancing combo shots payout.
Balancing bonus-x work/reward.
Having Illusions, Midnight madness and, ultimately, Grand finale more into play via Basement awards in competition play.
The outlane saver feature is 100%.
The prototype Tiger saw motor control is re-implemented.
Note
The false positive Trunk error trap was to start choiced Illusions by hitting the Trunk while rotating. Just before it reaches the open side.
The fix does not change the way the Trunk operates. Registering shots, the movement, timing etc.
Coin door error reset is designed for competition play, where a stock ball has caused the Trunk error.
Provided that the bottom coin door interlock switch is not fixed in the closed position.
Upon closing the coin door, allow a ball search to reset the Trunk to its correct position.
Spell theatre is always lit at start-of-ball.
Spell theatre is always lit when Theatre mode, Lock multiball and Grand finale finishes.
The Hocus pocus saver compensation works when the saver mechanism is broken (proximity switch or magnet).
But, requires inlane, outlane, trough and shooter lane switches to be in shape.
The Advance clock Basement award is +3.
The Tiger saw motor runs continuously in the Tiger saw mode and multiball.
And it is pulsed on a captive ball hit.
The motor is controlled by solenoid driver no. 19 (at J123-3 or J126-3).
Do not connect a motor directly. It must be connected via the proper EMI filter.
Max bonus-x is 8.

Link is dead

Edit: NVM post #46 is an older one and is dead. Post #1 has been updated with the latest rev.

1 month later
#86 4 years ago

Anyone got a copy of the latest rev before it was removed?

#87 4 years ago

I'd be interested in a copy of this too!

1 week later
#88 3 years ago

I am running an older version of the Soren software which works fine.

Now I wanna buy & install a tiger saw mod and have obtained the eprom software. How do I know however if I have Securitychip 1.3X?

Have enclosed a picture of the Chip and which version I am running now. Is the fact that I already have running an older version of this software proof that I have security chip 1.3X ?

Thanks for any help.

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#89 3 years ago
Quoted from Orbian:

I'd be interested in a copy of this too!

It may be in the pinmame set.

#90 3 years ago
Quoted from Joe_Blasi:

It may be in the pinmame set.

how is the pinmame different than the original one?

#91 3 years ago
Quoted from monkfe:

how is the pinmame different than the original one?

full rom file not just the patch

#92 3 years ago
Quoted from Rensh:

I am running an older version of the Soren software which works fine.

Now I wanna buy & install a tiger saw mod and have obtained the eprom software. How do I know however if I have Securitychip 1.3X?

You should be good to go. If you are already running a 1.3 game rom, you will have the correct matching security chip. Just make sure you have the latest version of Sorens mod, and the tiger saw mod hooked up correctly, and everything should work.

2 weeks later
#93 3 years ago

Geez, I recently heard about this new ROM and was looking forward to it for the bug fixes and the additional tigersaw functionality. What happened that the file was removed?

3 weeks later
#94 3 years ago
Quoted from Coyohtay:

Geez, I recently heard about this new ROM and was looking forward to it for the bug fixes and the additional tigersaw functionality. What happened that the file was removed?

I don’t know this for fact but I am going to assume Rick sent a C&D on this. Rick had mentioned years ago that software updates were in the works for certain Bally games.

Also, ToM is one of the games that are to be remade so I can understand why Rick wouldn’t want someone improving the software for existing games as one of the selling points to the remake would be updated software.

Again, just me speculating and by no means looking to show negativity towards Rick.

#95 3 years ago
Quoted from meSz:

I don’t know this for fact but I am going to assume Rick sent a C&D on this. Rick had mentioned years ago that software updates were in the works for certain Bally games.
Also, ToM is one of the games that are to be remade so I can understand why Rick wouldn’t want someone improving the software for existing games as one of the selling points to the remake would be updated software.
Again, just me speculating and by no means looking to show negativity towards Rick.

and what stopping that rom in the updated software from coming out?

once it hits pinmame / mame they can't stop it.

#96 3 years ago

Hi guys, I read about this software mod for theatre of Magic, it seems really nice.
This is my situation: I have a TOM with ROM 1.0 (!!) and Sound Rev L1.

My questions:
1. still possible to have the software mod? Possibly the entire chip, I'm not able to flash at the moment, and by the way I prefer to keep the actual ROM, the pinball works very well

2. Is it ok to just replace the chip, in my configuration? Have to upgrade Sound Rom also?

3. What about Security check or similar?? Is it a problem only with the tiger saw mod?

Thank you for your time

2 years later
#97 1 year ago

What model is the EPROM used for v2.0? I want to keep my original 1.3 chip as a backup that has the sticker and need to program a new chip for v2.0

Thanks

6 months later
#98 1 year ago

Just got my TOM in...to complete my IPDB TOP 3

It has version 0.8 installed.

What should I change to upgrade to Sorens 1.4H version ?
Sound is on 1.0, upgrade to v2.0 i guess (what's more in 2.0) ?
and have a U22 IC installed, is it only 1 version or also in need of upgrade ?

thx
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