(Topic ID: 106813)

P3 Expo news?

By frolic

9 years ago


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  • Latest reply 9 years ago by Zitt
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#1 9 years ago

Can't believe hardly anything has made it online. Pics, videos, anything?

#2 9 years ago

I was wondering where all the info is, one member said Lexy ( and Full Throttle ) were the stars of the show so where are all the vids and info?

#3 9 years ago

This was one of the best games I played at Expo.

I don't understand why these guys seem to be flying under the radar.

#4 9 years ago
Quoted from Kevlar:

I was wondering where all the info is, one member said Lexy ( and Full Throttle ) were the stars of the show so where are all the vids and info?

I was wandering the same thing

#5 9 years ago

Same here... I'm really excited about the other games as well, but don't understand there's so little posts about the P3-game, especially when I read that most people who've played it, think it's great and innovative!

#6 9 years ago

Maybe because you're all sitting around wondering why nobody is talking about it -- rather than talking about it?

#7 9 years ago

Surely someone took a video?

#8 9 years ago

A summary of gerry's seminar is available on www.pinballnews.com. Audio of the entire seminar will follow soon. Played the game and like the layout. Had to get used to the positioning of the pinball buttons. Video looks great and the game hints very well where to shoot for what.

#9 9 years ago
Quoted from epthegeek:

Maybe because you're all sitting around wondering why nobody is talking about it -- rather than talking about it?

Great call, Eric. Let's fix that.

I managed to get a couple of games in and I was pretty blown away, on a couple of levels.

1) SO much innovation, from the interactive screen to the "walls and scoops" mech, from the floating flippers and slings to that bad-anus 8-ball lock in the back left corner of Lexi Lightspeed; it's all pretty phenomenal. Not to mention, those subway-feeds are doing something crazy because the SECOND a ball descends below the playfield, another one rockets back up. So cool on so many counts!

2) Also blown away by the lack of discussion surrounding this new platform. I dunno if the AMOUNT of change is frightening to people, but it's the biggest game-changer the hobby has seen since the advent of the flipper.

Other areas of improvement since last year, the on-screen graphics have been greatly enhanced. Plus...

Quoted from unigroove:

the game hints very well where to shoot

I'd agree with unigroove. The versatility of that huge, dynamic, image-area really allowed for shots to be called out in a very clear manner. It's something I've always struggled with a bit ("Where do I shoot now? ...and why?"), especially on the more modern games with deeper rulesets. However, even on my first game my objectives were extraordinarily clear.

Kudos to Gerry and the Multimorphic crew on their stunning advancements over the past year. Let's get this thread active with some thoughts and discussion!

Go P3!
Ryan Claytor
Elephant Eater Comics
www.ElephantEater.com

#10 9 years ago

I'd really like to see some video of this, hopefully Gerry will post some soon for those who couldn't make it to Expo.

#11 9 years ago

As a newbie to pinball I'm very excited by these guys (and Heighway too). The promise of easier to maintain components and swapable playfields alone appeals, but the playfield screen seals the deal. I really hope this takes off.

Also very glad to hear the graphics had improved as to be honest, the simplicity of the previous demos was a little offputting. Then again, as long as the processor is strong enough, that's just software.

#12 9 years ago
Quoted from solarvalue:

I'd really like to see some video of this

Quoted from frolic:

Pics, videos, anything?

Quoted from Shapeshifter:

Surely someone took a video?

For those interested in gameplay, here's some pretty great footage (love that "walls and scoops" mech, and the 8-ball lock is...SO sweet):

Man, that video gives me chills. The above trailer is also available on the Multimorphic website with a bit more information about LLGG here: http://www.multimorphic.com/index.php/p3-pinball-platform/ll-gg

One thing not shown in the video is something I mentioned above:

Quoted from RyanClaytor:

The versatility of that huge, dynamic, image-area really allowed for shots to be called out in a very clear manner.

I'll attempt to describe it (maybe it's a new update to the software since this video was shot), but essentially at the top of the LCD screen, glowing/pulsing letters explaining the shot overlay on top of the artwork (not in an intrusive way) with arrows that point directly to the ramps you're supposed to hit. Very clear an easy to understand.

Best,
Ryan Claytor
Elephant Eater Comics
http://www.ElephantEater.com

#13 9 years ago

I put an order down on WOOLY at the show, but for me, Lexy was the real star. I'm already a long-standing pre-order on P3, but I was pretty candid (tough) with Gerry at expo last year. I was constructively disappointed. This year, I was blown away!

This game was not only fun, but really showed off the innovation. The modes were varied and different from anything else. The walls and scoops are really cool and fun. The dynamic targets on the playfield LCD add infinite variety. The 8-ball physical lock is awesome. The game can provide direction and "shoot here" like no other game could even imagine.

Really, really fun game. And to know that once they release, you can swap games/playfields in seconds is amazing!

Gerry is a really awesome guy, with the most innovate pinball machine ever, literally. His game finally has polish and is super fun to play. TBL was the belle of the expo, but to me, that game was a distant 3rd behind Lexy and then WOOLY.

I feel for Gerry. He's trying to revolutionize the hobby and it has been such a challenge to pull people along with him. So many keep thinking this is video pinball, which couldn't be further from the truth. This is real pinball done better. It has been a long ride for me so far, and one I was not happy about at expo last year. But I am more excited to get this game in my house than anything else (and I'm an idiot with 5 games on pre-order).

For everyone's sake, I hope more people take notice. This platform truly has the potential to change everything we know about pinball.

#14 9 years ago

TBL has a great art package, theme integration, music, and color dots... but at the end of the day it's a "normal" pinball machine like we've had for 20 years. Must be frustrating to guys like Gerry to see everyone fall over themselves for it.

10
#15 9 years ago
Quoted from Lame33:

This was one of the best games I played at Expo.
I don't understand why these guys seem to be flying under the radar.

It's the art and animation & presentation. By modern standards of character design, animation, & rendering, it's very dated. By general multimedia & gaming art standards, it's substandard. It doesn't leverage its mascot character Lexi as someone cool or fun that you want to play a game with. A game like this needs clearer visual storytelling. You hit start, you're looking at grass and grey warehouses. The modes are warehouses, rednecks, and bigfoot farting. Where's Lexi? What does this have to do with the Galaxy? Due to this lack of storytelling, it still feels like a very early concept pitch, not a complete game experience.

To pinball people, it's innovative...but when the average joe looks at it - it actually looks "old"...like something from the Playstation 1 era. Ironically enough, The Walking Dead looks more contemporary. P3 is awesome, but Lexi is not the game that will move units. I wrote some more lengthy stuff about it, but Gerry's going to post soon & use some of my criticisms...so - check out that post when it arrives.

#16 9 years ago

Clearly P^3 had a huge step forward, especially after last year, which I felt was actually a step back from the previous year, where there was at least a playable demo. I know a big reason for that was them upgrading their whole framework, but, I think they took a pretty good hit last year as a result.

I'm not sure how complete the game is, but I do agree with Rarehero that the graphics are not 'state of the art', but at the same time, this is not a video game. I do believe that will be a huge challenge for mulitmorphic in general with each game. You aren't just building a mechanical pinball machine, you are also creating a video game, and while it may not have to live up to the latest and greatest Xbox games, it does need to meet a certain level of expectation, and that is not going to be easy or cheap. In some ways the playfield art/style reminded me of the 80s arcade game Xevious, which I found a clip of . . . (

). Obviously Lexi has sharper, nicer animation, but if you saw Lexi, then you probably get why it reminds me of Xevious.

Just doing full color animations for my game, takes a ton of time and that is not the focus of the game by any means like it is for P^3. I am sure they are not done and they can certainly continue to be developed as they work towards production of the physical units.

It did not really strike me until I read Rarehero's post about Lexi. I totally forgot that was the theme of the game, since I did not see her or anything that tied into that. Having said that, I only played a couple of games on it. But even an intro screen about the story line would go along way in setting the stage for what you are trying to accomplish. Again, that is the nice to have stuff, and I'm sure the focus on the graphics/animations as been on the core game play. Not sure what Gerry sees as the current timeline. I think adoption and interest in P^3 will grow when the first game is 100% done and the second game starts to be seen as being well underway. Right now it is probably more of a curiosity for most. But again, clearly its best showing. Since I was located just a few feet away, I can tell you there was always a group huddled around watching it be played.

$10K is a lot for a machine, but I certainly have not crossed if off my list of 'maybe someday'.

#17 9 years ago
Quoted from rosh:

I'm not sure how complete the game is, but I do agree with Rarehero that the graphics are not 'state of the art', but at the same time, this is not a video game. I do believe that will be a huge challenge for mulitmorphic in general with each game. You aren't just building a mechanical pinball machine, you are also creating a video game, and while it may not have to live up to the latest and greatest Xbox games, it does need to meet a certain level of expectation, and that is not going to be easy or cheap. In some ways the playfield art/style reminded me of the 80s arcade game Xevious

It looks like Xevious because the 'camera' is always looking down. Your'e always seeing the tops of buildings, the tops of characters, the floors of warehouses or swamps. It's a very literal take on things...as if it was mandated that the ball must be rolling on a "ground" of some sort.

Quoted from rosh:

It did not really strike me until I read Rarehero's post about Lexi. I totally forgot that was the theme of the game, since I did not see her or anything that tied into that. Having said that, I only played a couple of games on it. But even an intro screen about the story line would go along way in setting the stage for what you are trying to accomplish.

Pinball storytelling has always been difficult...P3 makes it more of a challenge because your core concept is an "animated playfield"...but think of a game like AFM. You walk up, you INSTANTLY know what you're doing. I'm fighting martians. You don't need a huge backstory and you don't need a "main character". Or NGG. I'm playing golf and gophers are annoying me. Simple, instantly recognizable and relatable. TOM - there's not even really a story, but it's clear that this is a world of magic tricks and I'm interacting with it. So - you walk up to Lexi Lightspeed: Galaxy Girl...instead of a clear "player vs. adversary" "story"...it looks like a "mascot" game. Mario, Sonic, Tomb Raider...that sort of thing. My brain tells me "I'm about to have an adventure with this character"....so, that character needs to be part of the game. She's never on the playfield at all doing anything. There's nothing on the playfield that has to do with space. From the translite, my guess is her ship crashed on Earth...maybe that should be the first thing that happens when you hit start. In any case, if I were developing this theme, I would have made her a more fun character that was on the screen a lot doing fun, funny and cool stuff. She looks like a serious person on the translite and she's not in the game, so I have no idea what her deal is. She's not making me want to come back. She's not making me want her in my gameroom. Personality and fun characters will draw people to a game like this, not the tech.

#18 9 years ago

Just wanted to add that I've been talking to Gerry about these thoughts, and he totally agrees on many of these points and plans on addressing them.

#19 9 years ago
Quoted from Rarehero:

By modern standards of character design, animation, & rendering, it's very dated. By general multimedia & gaming art standards, it's substandard.

Eh...while you are correct that it is definitely nowhere near the standards or quality of current console video games, that's not where it needs to be. I didn't feel like the graphics were"dated" so much, even though they were similar, as you point out, to PS1 quality. The ball needs to be the focus, along with any virtual targets, so I think PS4 level graphics are possibly too busy and detailed to be constructive to tracking and playing physical pinball.

Quoted from Rarehero:

It doesn't leverage its mascot character Lexi as someone cool or fun that you want to play a game with. A game like this needs clearer visual storytelling.

This I agree with completely. I would even go further that I don't love or connect with Lexy on the cabinet or backglass. If you complained about that artwork, I would agree with you. Regardless of that, as you point out, she does not appear in the game at all. Furthermore, they are leveraging a Sci Fi space theme, wrapped in a marsh setting. I get that the story is her crashing and trying to re-build her ship to return to space, but without the intro story there is certainly a disconnect.

#20 9 years ago
Quoted from Rarehero:

She's never on the playfield at all doing anything. There's nothing on the playfield that has to do with space. From the translite, my guess is her ship crashed on Earth...maybe that should be the first thing that happens when you hit start. In any case, if I were developing this theme, I would have made her a more fun character that was on the screen a lot doing fun, funny and cool stuff. She looks like a serious person on the translite and she's not in the game, so I have no idea what her deal is. She's not making me want to come back. She's not making me want her in my gameroom.

I agree with all this completely. I think her approachability on the cabinet, etc should be updated. The upfront story is needed to explain the setting, but I'm sure Gerry is prioritizing modes and game code rather than story animations.

That said, I like the "interacting with the environment" perspective. I'm sure the thinking was that it be on plane with the playfield, kind of like the zen pinball stuff. I like this better than a mascot Lexy popping up to chat with you all the time.

The gray area the playfield LCD sits in is how to balance its use as a playfield replacement versus a purely display mechanism.

#21 9 years ago
Quoted from Rarehero:

Just wanted to add that I've been talking to Gerry about these thoughts, and he totally agrees on many of these points and plans on addressing them.

Gerry has been very open minded to criticism in the past, I really respect that about him, so if he gages that he needs to take things a different way I'm sure he will.

I wasn't at expo, didn't get to see the latest version, that is why I was asking.

#22 9 years ago

The problem is that Gerry is an engineer, not an artist.

He's having kind of the reverse problem of Popaduik in that he cares about one aspect of the machine to the detriment of the whole.

What makes a great pinball machine is the *integration* of art and engineering. That's why it takes a team of people to make one, as each person brings their specialty to the mix.

Popaduik lacks the business and engineering skills to actually finish a game, but Gerry lacks the artistic skills to make it an integrated package. Even when he's not doing the art himself, who he's collaborating with is clearly not an experienced graphic artist, based on the poor line weight balancing in that artwork.

I dunno, maybe the artists involved are donating their time, so you get what you pay for. This shit is expensive.

Anyway, the DP guys clearly understand integration at a level well above all the other boutique makers.

#23 9 years ago

Guys - I'm pretty sure that Lexy is the way she is because of past feedback from the vocal minority.
I distinctly remember the first concept art being show 2-3years ago at TPF... and there were specific comments that "more skin" in a "home setting" with wifes/kids isn't kosure.

Given the concepts of easy swaps, multi-games per cabinet methodology is really targeting us home collectors; I don't see "improvements" to Lexy happening.

I *personally* would rather Gerry focus on finishing the game for production next year - rather than re-working art packages.

17
#24 9 years ago

Wow - what an Expo. Lots of interesting points to discuss, and that's one of the great things (and curses) about the P3. We've opened a door into so many new possibilities, and everybody has different ideas about what we should implement and how we should implement them... oh... and the order in which we should do that.

I was going to quote a long, constructive response that Rarehero made in another post, but most of the points have been repeated here. Before directly addressing them, I think it's worth discussing our development goals and priorities.

Goal #1: Develop a new pinball platform with capabilities well beyond any other game in the industry with the intention of solving the prevailing issues the industry faces (antiquated gameplay features, high cost per game, large space needs, difficult servicibility, etc.)

Goal #2: Deliver FUN gameplay.

Goal #3: Explore new ways of providing compelling content to further immerse players into the pinball gaming experience.

We're well on our way to achieving goal #1. The platform is everything we hoped it would be. We can't check this goal off until we reach production with a reliable platform, but we're almost there.

Expo confirmed we're absolutely achieving goal #2. Now that LL-GG is playable and 75-80% complete, people can experience and enjoy the game. The feedback has been absolutely fantastic. There are so many ways we could have gone with this first game (and those paths are all available for future games), but we started with the plan to provide fairly basic but fun gameplay techniques. I keep using Wii sports and Tetris as examples. Both are fantastically fun to play, and neither have mindblowing graphics. It's incredibly important to confirm that we're not building a video game with some physical interactions. We're building a pinball game with virtual enhancements. The platform is capable of much more dynamic graphics and photo-realistic, video game or movie style presentations. Maybe we (or others) will explore applications like that in the future, but LL-GG is a straight-up, physical pinball game with virtual interactions that enhance gameplay rather than distract from it.

Summarizing the response from Expo, people seem to love the gameplay in LL-GG, but they don't understand the story and how it integrates into gameplay, and they aren't satisfied with the graphics, at least how they relate to the story and characters. If we were calling the game finished, the criticism would be completely warranted. Instead, what's being discussed is an incomplete product. The criticism is absolutely encouraged. Keep it coming. Tell us what you like and don't like. It absolutely does affect how we move forward. Just don't think that what you see today is the final product. It's not, though it continues to get better, largely due to your feedback.

-- 2 years ago we showed a simple concept machine at Expo running ROCs and Barnyard. People reacted well to our ideas and said the machine was an ugly box with cheap mechanics and needed more exciting gameplay. They were understandably reacting to what they saw at the show rather than what the P3 would be when finished.

-- 1 year ago we showed a more fleshed out platform with an unplayable Lexy playfield and Cosmic Cart Racing artwork. It was a hodge-podge of partially developed pieces, and the reaction was understandably one of major disappointment... a step backwards. People were reacting to what they saw at the show rather than what the P3 would be when finished.

-- This year we showed a much more fleshed out platform with playable and nearly complete LL-GG playfield, full cabinet artwork, and 75-80% complete software. The reaction was understandably one of love for the p/f toys, gameplay, onscreen instructions, etc with disappointment in the story integration and missing characters in the gameplay. People were reacting to what they saw at the show rather than what the P3 (and LL-GG) would be when finished.

As Rarehero and I have discussed in PM's, we've been developing the P3 platform in the public eye, and it's been judged every step of the way. Constructive feedback is immediately fed back to the dev team and affects our decisions moving forward. We love receiving it. The game will continue to mature, and one of our primary focuses moving forward will be better integration of the theme/story into gameplay.

Dennis Nordman's LL-GG concept is fantastic, and the gameplay fits perfectly into the theme. Yes, Lexy is a Galaxy Girl and gameplay is on Earth in the Florida swamplands, accompanied by two native redneck boys and her bigfoot-like traveling companion. It makes sense; we just haven't integrated the story yet. It's coming. We will. Stay tuned. One of the things we've been planning for a long time is a nice introduction sequence explaining the story. We need it. It will be done.

Developing in the public eye is VERY tough, especially developing a new platform with numerous innovations, but hopefully you're seeing us address most complaints as we continue through development.

PLEASE keep the feedback coming. All we ask is you do it constructively. When we combine our hard work and passion for pinball with your insights/ideas and passion for pinball, we'll all win.

Let's talk about the many positive responses we received from the game!

People loved the 8-ball physical ball lock. People have the opportunity of starting a 2, 3, 4, ... , 8 ball multiball. I think the most I saw at the show was 3-ball. Good - 8 ball multiball should not be an easy achievement. Therefore it's *highly* rewarding.

People loved the onscreen instructions. Knowing what to shoot is a problem with traditional games. We've solved that. Onscreen arrows and instructions tell you exactly what you should (or can) shoot. They guide you every step of the way. We'll be adding even more. We'll also be adding settings to disable them or to use them more sparingly (as people get more comfortable with the game).

The walls/scoops are a HUGE hit. You wouldn't believe me if I told you how many industry veterans dumped on that feature in early discussions with me. It's by far the most applauded feature on the game. Many wish we were using them more in LL-GG. We have some plans to do so.

Nobody commented (to me at least) that we didn't have any voice callouts. There's so much going on in the game already that they aren't entirely missed. Regardless, they're coming. We have one of the best sound guys in the business handling audio for this game, and we'll integrate professionally recorded voice calls when the time is right.

What did you like the most?

- Gerry
http://www.multimorphic.com

PS - We've started discussions with a few 3rd parties to develop games for the P3 platform. The system is open. We want others building games for it, and we'll soon have an installed customer base that will be anxious to buy more games.

If you're interested in putting your money where your mouth is and realizing the dream of creating pinball games, we've made it much easier for you to do so.

If you think another pinball company can execute more impressive games on our platform, convince them to do so. That's what we want - we don't even disagree with you. That's the future of pinball.

Please contact me to discuss this further.

#25 9 years ago

Very nice reply Gerry. I have a question though. I know it's the intention to sell new games to fit in an existing cabinet but will there also be new games that are just software and decals therefore using an existing playfield layout but with a totally new game/rules? Obviously you couldn't over do this but I think a lot could be done along that route alone, seems attractive to me at least.

#26 9 years ago
Quoted from jwilson:

Anyway, the DP guys clearly understand integration at a level well above all the other boutique makers.

Totally agree they have a better understanding, but at this point, I'm not sure I would call DP a boutique firm, at least not for much longer. When they were doing just BOP2.0, yes, but now they have a pretty large team of guys, they are building out a wide range of engineering and manufacturing capabilities with dedicated people for sound, art, marketing, coding, engineering, QA, etc. In other words they are not 'Some Kids In The - Basement' (no offense to Skit-B, who I have great admiration for). They have clearly positioned themselves as what I call a 'mid tier' player who I think aspire to be a big player. In reality, they are probably in a similar place to where JJP was a year or so into their existence (as a maker of pins). The biggest difference seems to be that DP does not have a bunch of 'industry veterans' -- which is probably helping them take a different approach to things, but will likely result in some bumps along the way.

#27 9 years ago
Quoted from rosh:

Totally agree they have a better understanding, but at this point, I'm not sure I would call DP a boutique firm, at least not for much longer.

If they can pump out four-digit production of games, then we can talk about them being big. Right now they're boutique.

#28 9 years ago
Quoted from Kevlar:

I know it's the intention to sell new games to fit in an existing cabinet but will there also be new games that are just software and decals therefore using an existing playfield layout but with a totally new game/rules?

Sure - I'd love to see this happen. We've always been planning on supplementing the main applications with smaller mini-game options, and we'd love to see people develop alternative rulesets for the playfield layouts, including potential re-themes.

Whether or not it makes financial sense for a company to develop alternative rulesets remains to be seen. Whether or not that happens, I'm sure passionate hobbyists will eventually develop their ideas into alternate rulesets and/or rethemes, and we'll support them in those efforts. As we mentioned in our seminar, we'll be making our full development kit (including a software development kit) available to the public. We want to make it as easy as possible for others to create games for the P3. It's much easier to build games for the P3 than to develop new machines from scratch; we've already done a lot of the work for you.

Here's a video of the seminar:

- Gerry
http://www.multimorphic.com

#29 9 years ago
Quoted from gstellenberg:

Wow - what an Expo.

Knowing that the game was a prototype and since it was my first interaction with the platform, I saw this as more of a proof of concept. I had no clue what the game was about and the graphics could have been 8-bit, I didn't care, I felt like I was flipping the future. RFM gave me similar goosebumps, but I knew that was a fun, but kludgy dead end. This is real pinball that is not weighed down by the limited vision of the paint and wood of yesteryear.

I love that Multimorphic has stepped up and shown their hand year after year instead of the closed Stern model or being trickled on by JJP. Imagine if the other companies wrote such open, articulate, and community embracing letters. Then again, if that happened, Pinside might be a ghost town.

#30 9 years ago

Even though I called his artist bad, he still had a measured and decent reply. He's a pro. Can't say the same for Popaduik's reaction!

#31 9 years ago
Quoted from gstellenberg:

One of the things we've been planning for a long time is a nice introduction sequence explaining the story. We need it. It will be done.

Epic +1. As I read through the first few posts, this was my exact thought. I wish I could get down to Austin to give the current iteration a spin, or even HAAG, but that's just not going to happen so looking foward to TPF. Voice callouts will be a big addition too.

#32 9 years ago

If the game needs an introduction to explain it, it's too complicated.

See above, re: AFM.

#33 9 years ago
Quoted from jwilson:

If the game needs an introduction to explain it, it's too complicated.

See above, re: AFM.

From AFM when you hit the start button: "Reports are coming in from all over the world, earth is under attack, an ATTACK FROM MARS!" That's an intro, albeit a simple one.

This game could have a similar video intro of a few seconds showing Lexy's ship crashing in the swamp. The first mode instructions could flash on the screen telling you to explore such-and-such to find the parts to re-build your ship. Quick and basic. Could be done in a few second intro to set the stage of why she's on earth. Nobody said it needs to be long and drawn out.

#34 9 years ago

I think this game looks awesome and this platform has unbelievable potential and I feel is the future of pinball. I wish I can pre-order the game to show my love for this platform but I just can't bring myself to do it as I have been burned in the past and have waited far too long for my game to show up after a preorder. I will definitely put my money where my mouth is once this is available to purchase. Keep up the good work

#35 9 years ago

Might help to ponder what a remake of AFM/RFM would look like on this platform.. flying saucers coming down from the top.. but it seems like there still should be a constant / fairly static playfield graphic with things traveling over it.. vs entire screen changes. people might be able to relate better?

#36 9 years ago

hmmm...

so if I set up a kickstarter to design & build a kickass game on this great platform... would folks fund me to do it?

ps. 25 years in game industry. located here in Austin near Gerry.

#37 9 years ago
Quoted from gstellenberg:

Wow - what an Expo.

As always, an impressive an professional response Gerry.

Sounds like you hit one out of the park this year, and I can't wait to see what the future holds for P3.

#38 9 years ago

Question for Gerry, if it's not top secret how does the screen track ball position? And how many balls can it track at once? How acurate is it and how quickly can it react to a ball moving across it? For example can a ball or multiple balls have a trail of fire right behind them as they speed across the screen?

The best touch screens that consumers normally come across ( as far as I know ) are the capacitive screens on modern tablets but it's hard to imagine one that can track the position of 8 balls moving across it at speed and have the processing power to display instantaneous results like the ball trail I mentioned above. That would be VERY impressive to see in a demo if it's possible.

#39 9 years ago

the screen doesn't track the balls.
there's sensors along the left & right of playfield tracking ball movement.

#40 9 years ago

RE: Visual direction cues...

Quoted from gstellenberg:

They guide you every step of the way. We'll be adding even more. We'll also be adding settings to disable them or to use them more sparingly (as people get more comfortable with the game).

Cool!!! I can see experienced users either needing them less, or taking them away as a way to level the competition with a less experienced player (assuming the users are able to change the options for the visual directions on a player-by-player basis in a multi-player game...lots of potential!!!).

Quoted from gstellenberg:

The walls/scoops are a HUGE hit. You wouldn't believe me if I told you how many industry veterans dumped on that feature in early discussions with me. It's by far the most applauded feature on the game. Many wish we were using them more in LL-GG. We have some plans to do so.

I must admit, on first glance (a couple years ago at Expo), they looked a little clunky and alpha-stage-y. Their current iteration is such a leap from what has been shown before. The integrated color-changing LED's turn them into a visual feast in attract modes and create very clear objectives in gameplay modes (GREEN - Shoot here! Red - DON'T Shoot here!).

One of the Multimorphic folks (not Gerry, but sorry, I can't remember his name) was even talking to me about the possibilities of hooking up a console-type controller to the P3 and making the walls/scoops controllable by a second player, making a truly 2-player experience. I mean, you could try blocking the traditional player's shots with the walls, you could try capturing the traditional player's balls with the scoops, THE POTENTIAL!!!

Quoted from jwilson:

If the game needs an introduction to explain it, it's too complicated.

I'd like to respectfully disagree with this statement. I actually feel as though it could help the player have a more immersive experience. In Gerry's defense, this is one of those issues where he's walking a tight-rope: some people demanding more narrative, while others want absolutely none. My guess is that absolutes (as is often the case in life) are not the answer. I can see a happy medium, something short and sweet (at least for this inaugural game) going a long way, like:

Quoted from Cheeks:

From AFM when you hit the start button: "Reports are coming in from all over the world, earth is under attack, an Attack from Mars!" That's an intro, albeit a simple one.

I don't think that's too intrusive, but also adds a bit of story and connection to the theme and characters. I wouldn't even mind a longer introduction, assuming you had the ability to exit the narrative via a flipper press (or something) so that experienced players could get playing straight away.

Finally,

Quoted from gstellenberg:

Lots of interesting points to discuss...

...thanks for taking the time to craft such a receptive and open-minded reply on this thread, Gerry. I hope the community rewards your years of hard work, sacrifice, and innovation when you're ready to launch. I had a blast playing the latest version of LLGG last weekend, it sounds like there's even more fun to come, and I look forward to seeing what else is in store. P3 is truly blazing new trails.

Sincerely,
Ryan Claytor
Elephant Eater Comics
http://www.ElephantEater.com

#41 9 years ago
Quoted from labnip:

the screen doesn't track the balls.
there's sensors along the left & right of playfield tracking ball movement.

Ahh...thanks for that. I didn't hear that mentioned in the seminar video.

#42 9 years ago
Quoted from Cheeks:

From AFM when you hit the start button: "Reports are coming in from all over the world, earth is under attack, an Attack from Mars!" That's an intro, albeit a simple one.
This game could have a similar video intro of a few seconds showing Lexy's ship crashing in the swamp. The first mode instructions could flash on the screen telling you to explore such-and-such to find the parts to re-build your ship. Quick and basic. Could be done in a few second intro to set the stage of why she's on earth. Nobody said it needs to be long and drawn out.

They could have a story animation playing during attract mode! That might be enough....and I still think Lexi needs to be included in the action. Why not have her trudging around in the swamp with Bigfoot...reacting to the gas and whatnot. I'm not sure if the player is supposed to be Lexi or not...but I think it would be best for her and her personality to be part of the art & animation. Perhaps the player can be her "flying metal droid bot" or something, helping her along on her mission.

#43 9 years ago
Quoted from Rarehero:

They could have a story animation playing during attract mode! That might be enough....and I still think Lexi needs to be included in the action. Why not have her trudging around in the swamp with Bigfoot...reacting to the gas and whatnot. I'm not sure if the player is supposed to be Lexi or not...but I think it would be best for her and her personality to be part of the art & animation. Perhaps the player can be her "flying metal droid bot" or something, helping her along on her mission.

We do have something planned for attract mode, but a game intro running just in attract mode wouldn't address your concerns during a pinball show. With the popularity of the machine continuing to grow and traffic being constant at shows, people hit the start button immediately after the previous game is finished. So running a game intro (that can be cancelled with the flipper buttons) when the start button is pressed should effectively introduce the characters and story.

We are absolutely going to integrate Lexy (and other characters) more into gameplay, both with voice callouts and with in-mode animations. She already shows up at the end of the "Weapon's Lab" mode to collect the weapon.

The reality of the situation is that creating nicely integrated animations take time. We have one animator on the team and are looking for more. If anybody has animation experience and wants to join our team of hardworking and passionate developers, please contact me at: [email protected]

Thanks.
- Gerry

#44 9 years ago

I believe the concept is spot on and innovative... I fully regret not standing in line at Expo to play this machine. Hopefully the next time I see it, it will be even more developed and polished!

#45 9 years ago
Quoted from Buffpac5:

I fully regret not standing in line at Expo to play this machine.

If this isn't the biggest mistake you made at expo, you must have really F'd something else up royally. I probably don't even want to know what that might be.

#46 9 years ago
Quoted from Cheeks:

If this isn't the biggest mistake you made at expo, you must have really F'd something else up royally. I probably don't even want to know what that might be.

A gentleman never asks, and a lady never tells.....

#47 9 years ago

For those of you who missed the Pre-Expo thread with the new video, or just wanted a clearer version of it after seeing it in Gerry's presentation, here it is.

#48 9 years ago

i can't believe I missed this?? I saw the game but it was next to the one offs that were not for sale so I never touched it : (
These vids look amazing. Whats a realistic time frame on owning one of these?

#49 9 years ago

I just watched the Expo seminar and was impressed that the cabinet art is just a swappable magnet sheet. It looks cool and easy to switch for home use. However, wouldn't this be a concern for routed or arcade machines if the art could just walk away?

#50 9 years ago
Quoted from Lame33:

I just watched the Expo seminar and was impressed that the cabinet art is just a swappable magnet sheet. It looks cool and easy to switch for home use.

As an artist, this is a pretty promising advancement. It'd be fun to swap-out cab art for custom illustrations without the worry of devaluing a machine or the hassle of vinyl application.

Ryan Claytor
Elephant Eater Comics
www.ElephantEater.com

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