(Topic ID: 134318)

Pinball Arcade vs. REAL pinball.

By OrdealByFire

8 years ago


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  • 161 posts
  • 72 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 7 years ago by Bendit
  • Topic is favorited by 5 Pinsiders

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    There are 161 posts in this topic. You are on page 3 of 4.
    #101 7 years ago

    Zaccaria Pinball is awesome (on Steam) and Timeshock is OK. Zaccaria's lighting is phenomenal, and ball times are very short (like real life EM's). Timeshock has variable nudging (nice touch) but it gets boring...TPA ball times are way too long and shots are too repeatable..(no desire to keep playing TPA).

    #102 7 years ago

    *People in this thread calling it a "table"*

    Rage.jpgRage.jpg

    #103 7 years ago

    I have an actual cocktail pinball that works better as a table than a pin. I think that deserves a pass from the Pinball Police.

    #104 7 years ago

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    #105 7 years ago

    I had tripled my personal best on Attack from Mars this morning while still on ball one.... and my battery ran out! Doh! Yeah, I know its not a real score, but still!

    #106 7 years ago

    Pinball Arcade is great for determining if you like a table or not -- it's also great to learn the rules of a table that is on location so that you'll have more fun when you do play the real thing. It's a lot easier, and the only skills that will transfer over to real tables is knowing the rules (which is a huge help actually) and maybe learning to trust dead flipping.

    Obviously, if you have 20 pinball machines or are obsessed with real pinball you'll probably be bothered by the difference in physics enough to not like the game, but for most people it captures the fun of pinball really well and it's a lot cheaper. Anyway, I would guess that if you like a pinball machine on PA you'll like it in real life. It worked for me with the Addam's Family. Of course now that I have the real Addam's Family table I can't stand the Pinball Arcade version, but I still enjoy the other tables.

    #107 7 years ago

    a video game is a video game. period. real pinball is better

    #108 7 years ago
    Quoted from PinsideTroll:

    a video game is a video game. period. real pinball is better

    well, okay, so the one is the legit experience and the other is an approximation but given the cost and space of real tables, an approximation can be great esp for newbs like me no? I've put in more time on PA discovering what tables I like in a week or two than I could do in real life in a year.

    #109 7 years ago
    Quoted from iloveplywood:

    Pinball Arcade is great for determining if you like a table or not -- it's also great to learn the rules of a table that is on location so that you'll have more fun when you do play the real thing. It's a lot easier, and the only skills that will transfer over to real tables is knowing the rules (which is a huge help actually) and maybe learning to trust dead flipping.
    Obviously, if you have 20 pinball machines or are obsessed with real pinball you'll probably be bothered by the difference in physics enough to not like the game, but for most people it captures the fun of pinball really well and it's a lot cheaper. Anyway, I would guess that if you like a pinball machine on PA you'll like it in real life. It worked for me with the Addam's Family. Of course now that I have the real Addam's Family table I can't stand the Pinball Arcade version, but I still enjoy the other tables.

    that makes lots of sense and jealous of your addams

    #110 7 years ago
    Quoted from PinsideTroll:

    a video game is a video game. period. real pinball is better

    sure, it's better, but that doesn't mean games like TPA are worthless. until i can bring my tables in to the bathroom with me, it's still better than nothing. and as others have said, it's great for learning the rules of different tables, or judging whether you'd like a table or not.













    (yes i'm doing it on purpose now, hehe)

    #111 7 years ago

    For me, I have VP installed on my laptop. My train-ride commute to the office is 1:15 one way. So, it's really nice being able to pop open my laptop, plug headphones in, and play a few games of something.

    It's not a 'replacement', but an 'addition' to the hobby.

    #112 7 years ago

    *The pinball arcade calling it a "table" which makes others think this is correct*

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    #113 7 years ago

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    #114 7 years ago
    Quoted from Bugsy:

    *The pinball arcade calling it a "table" which makes others think this is correct*

    Well, the origins of pinball suggest table (tabletop) is just as correct as "machine". Perhaps even more so.

    #115 7 years ago

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    #116 7 years ago

    things can be called by more than one name. i primarily call them pinball machines or pins, but mixing up the way i refer to a thing is better, less monotonous writing. sometimes i'll refer to it as a pinball machine, and then later in the same paragraph i'll refer to it as "the game" or "the table".

    #117 7 years ago

    It was only meant as a joke initially, but then I had to actually back it up with the hard evidence when people got offended.

    #118 7 years ago

    Like others I like it as an addition to the hobby not a replacement. I will never find most of these machine in real life so Pinball Arcade is my only choice. I also find I get higher scores on PA than in real life but by a relatively consistent range somewhere between 1.5-3.0 times higher. What I don't get is the top scores in the standings people have scores 100-1000x higher, I don't get it. Usually the weekly or monthly standing the top score is more believable but the all time high is nuts. It would take 2 hours or more to get that many points. I play on an iPad in case that makes a difference. Anyone know what is going on there?

    #119 7 years ago
    Quoted from Bugsy:

    It was only meant as a joke initially, but then I had to actually back it up with the hard evidence when people got offended.

    pretty sure you're the only one who seems offended here.

    #120 7 years ago

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    #121 7 years ago
    Quoted from BJM-Maxx:

    Like others I like it as an addition to the hobby not a replacement. I will never find most of these machine in real life so Pinball Arcade is my only choice. I also find I get higher scores on PA than in real life but by a relatively consistent range somewhere between 1.5-3.0 times higher. What I don't get is the top scores in the standings people have scores 100-1000x higher, I don't get it. Usually the weekly or monthly standing the top score is more believable but the all time high is nuts. It would take 2 hours or more to get that many points. I play on an iPad in case that makes a difference. Anyone know what is going on there?

    The physics for TPA make some shots easy to repeat. Makes shot - cradle ball - make shot and on and on and on. 2+ hour games are not hard at all depending on the table. If the rules include a repeatable extra ball - it can lead to games that last pretty much as long as you want to play.

    Medieval Madness for example. Do nothing but start multiballs. Hit your five ramps, collect the super jackpot and then collect the EB. Max out your extra balls and then start in on Castles. Lose a ball - just go back to multiballs until you get it back. For whatever reason,

    Other tables are even worse. Repeatable extra balls, and a single shot that dominates scoring. I'm looking at you, Centaur.

    http://i.imgur.com/nm2OUO5.gif
    Centaur in a nutshell. Hit the captive ball until you collect the extra. Then keep hitting it for 100K a shot. Hold the flipper, cradle, post pass, and hit the captive ball.

    This is me finally quitting a game of Scared Stiff. 2.4 billion on ball one with four EBs waiting - somewhere around 2.5 to 3 hours into it. I just couldn't take it any more.

    #122 7 years ago

    Yeah not really offended, just kinda wanted to respond to see what |33+ meme you'd post in response

    But I meant it about my cocktail pin though. It's a literal table.

    #123 7 years ago
    Quoted from Beatnik-Filmstar:

    The physics for TPA make some shots easy to repeat. Makes shot - cradle ball - make shot and on and on and on. 2+ hour games are not hard at all depending on the table. If the rules include a repeatable extra ball - it can lead to games that last pretty much as long as you want to play.
    Medieval Madness for example. Do nothing but start multiballs. Hit your five ramps, collect the super jackpot and then collect the EB. Max out your extra balls and then start in on Castles. Lose a ball - just go back to multiballs until you get it back. For whatever reason,
    Other tables are even worse. Repeatable extra balls, and a single shot that dominates scoring. I'm looking at you, Centaur.
    http://i.imgur.com/nm2OUO5.gif
    Centaur in a nutshell. Hit the captive ball until you collect the extra. Then keep hitting it for 100K a shot. Hold the flipper, cradle, post pass, and hit the captive ball.
    This is me finally quitting a game of Scared Stiff. 2.4 billion on ball one with four EBs waiting - somewhere around 2.5 to 3 hours into it. I just couldn't take it any more.
    » YouTube video

    yeah I noticed the ease of repetition as well. I can't play well enough to play for 2 hours, that's for sure, but I hear you. Good point

    #124 7 years ago
    Quoted from Bronty:

    yeah I noticed the ease of repetition as well. I can't play well enough to play for 2 hours, that's for sure, but I hear you. Good point

    I don't play TPA that much anymore - still haven't bought seasons 5 or 6. But when I do, I tend to play tables that don't allow for the marathon games via unlimited EBs.

    I think one of the best tables on the platform is Dracula. No unlimited EBs that I know of, no single shot that dominates the scoring to the point of making other shots worthless, and just brutally mean outlanes.

    Edit - couple things. You mentioned playing on a pad. I play on my PC with an Xbox controller. Feels good, triggers for flippers is intuitive, and the analog stick for nudging is right there at an instant.

    Also, not sure if these were ever fixed, but other than a few obviously hacked scores (Used to be someone with over a million on Central Park) there was definitely a bug that affected the leaderboards on RBION a few years ago. And I suspect something was up with TOTAN as well. I know there's the whole "take Harem multiball into the wizard mode" exploit that can lead to stupid high scores, but I refuse to believe that THAT many people had pulled that exploit off.

    #125 7 years ago
    Quoted from Bugsy:

    *People in this thread calling it a "table"*

    I call them SuperHappyFunJoyJoySlamBoxGoTeamWin machines.

    #126 7 years ago
    Quoted from Beatnik-Filmstar:

    Edit - couple things. You mentioned playing on a pad. I play on my PC with an Xbox controller. Feels good, triggers for flippers is intuitive, and the analog stick for nudging is right there at an instant.

    i play on iPad. nudging is pretty much useless -- it's wayyy better on a console or PC. but i don't play to get better at pinball, i pretty much only play to familiarize myself with the rules of games in case i encounter them in real life. and occasionally to waste some time. isn't that what ipads are for?

    #127 7 years ago

    Make sure the TV used for arcade or any gaming is running in "game mode". The TV will have too much lag/latency if not in game mode causing timing problems, maybe giving the "heavy ball" feel, almost unplayable.

    #128 7 years ago
    Quoted from iloveplywood:

    Pinball Arcade is great for determining if you like a table or not -- it's also great to learn the rules of a table that is on location so that you'll have more fun when you do play the real thing. It's a lot easier, and the only skills that will transfer over to real tables is knowing the rules (which is a huge help actually) and maybe learning to trust dead flipping.
    Obviously, if you have 20 pinball machines or are obsessed with real pinball you'll probably be bothered by the difference in physics enough to not like the game, but for most people it captures the fun of pinball really well and it's a lot cheaper. Anyway, I would guess that if you like a pinball machine on PA you'll like it in real life. It worked for me with the Addam's Family. Of course now that I have the real Addam's Family table I can't stand the Pinball Arcade version, but I still enjoy the other tables.

    +1

    #129 7 years ago

    I had the opportunity to see how my Pinball Arcade practicing translated into real life last weekend at INDISC.

    Creature From the Black Lagoon was the first one. On PA, I can consistently hit the snack bar scoop from the right flipper. If I try to hit it on the left flipper, chances are it will hit the post next to the scoop and go STDM.

    IRL it was completely the opposite. Trying to hit the scoop with the right flipper would result in STDM, but going off the left flipper was much more successful.

    And then there's the left ramp. You know how you can hit the left ramp almost too much on PA? I couldn't make the damn shot ONCE. On the other hand, I was rocking the right ramp IRL whereas I have trouble making it on a regular basis on PA.

    Then I tried my luck with Twilight Zone. Hooooo boy. I can safely catch the ball coming out of the slot machine scoop every single time on PA. Tried that sh!t on the real deal and the ball rolled off my flipper, up the inlane and over to the outlane. And then I was like, eff Twilight Zone, there's no way I'm coming close to Robert Gagno's 5 bazillion point high.

    #130 7 years ago
    Quoted from Cornelius:

    I had the opportunity to see how my Pinball Arcade practicing translated into real life last weekend at INDISC.
    Creature From the Black Lagoon was the first one. On PA, I can consistently hit the snack bar scoop from the right flipper. If I try to hit it on the left flipper, chances are it will hit the post next to the scoop and go STDM.
    IRL it was completely the opposite. Trying to hit the scoop with the right flipper would result in STDM, but going off the left flipper was much more successful.
    And then there's the left ramp. You know how you can hit the left ramp almost too much on PA? I couldn't make the damn shot ONCE. On the other hand, I was rocking the right ramp IRL whereas I have trouble making it on a regular basis on PA.
    Then I tried my luck with Twilight Zone. Hooooo boy. I can safely catch the ball coming out of the slot machine scoop every single time on PA. Tried that sh!t on the real deal and the ball rolled off my flipper, up the inlane and over to the outlane. And then I was like, eff Twilight Zone, there's no way I'm coming close to Robert Gagno's 5 bazillion point high.

    To me, you've totally nailed what to this noob is the biggest difference. The kickouts, like you described with TZ. PA kickouts are the same every time, once you figure out a strategy for a given game you can safely cradle the ball at so many points in the game. Seems much harder to do IRL.

    #131 7 years ago
    Quoted from Bronty:

    To me, you've totally nailed what to this noob is the biggest difference. The kickouts, like you described with TZ. PA kickouts are the same every time, once you figure out a strategy for a given game you can safely cradle the ball at so many points in the game. Seems much harder to do IRL.

    Exactly, and it was a painful lesson to learn in the middle of a huge tournament! But in fairness to PA, I never knew all the intricacies of those tables before spending so much time on them virtually. That was a huge benefit to me in the long run!

    #132 7 years ago

    What does IRL stand for?

    #133 7 years ago

    in real life

    #134 7 years ago

    Pinball arcade 3d graphics are really nice but the physics don't feel right to me. I'm partial to
    http://www.vpforums.org/
    http://vpinball.com/
    http://vpuniverse.com/
    http://www.monsterbashpincab.com/

    I like them because you can download a table and if you don't agree with how they play, you can change it. Randomness included, but for that you need to know a little visual basic. I have a medieval madness table so I downloaded the table. the kickout was always going down the same path to the same place every time. I added a few lines and added a little randomness. seems like with the latest release of vp10 the tables need very little tweaking if any.

    The main reason I bought a visual pin is to try other tables that I'm curious about, learn the rules etc.. definetly exciting. Nothing digital could ever replace pinball, no matter how good or real the physics get.

    I broke down my machine to add some DOF feedback- a tilt switch, real solenoid's, leaf switches, shaker moter, lights etc... I bought the necessary electrical components to be able to use 50v solenoids, while waiting for the parts I got distracted rebuilding CP and NGG. hope to get back to it soon though.

    attempted to make one of those tables just to see what went into it. Holy crap... lets just say the people making those tables must really love what they are doing.

    #135 7 years ago

    I'm hoping that The Pinball Arcade comes to the Oculus Rift soon as VR pinball is insanely awesome. I can't believe just how good VR pinball is, at least with Pinball FX2 VR. I recently built a VR pinball cabinet controller and combined with the Oculus Rift it takes virtual pinball to the next level.

    #136 7 years ago

    Pinball Arcade is fun and it's helpful in learning the rules of a machine. But, it is easier than playing the real thing. My scores on Pinball Arcade are almost always higher than what I would normally get on the real deal.

    I have it for the 360 and sadly it looks like they're done doing updates for that console.

    #137 7 years ago

    I'm not sure why everyone wants to compare TPA to real pinball. This is not real pinball and its not ever going to be like real Pinball. What it is, is a fantastic recreation of pinball machines and hopefully it will attract new people to the hobby and help keep pinball alive. It is so good that it is a big reason why pinball is making a comback.

    I have my own machines like the rest of you do but I still enjoy playing TPA. They are a big part of the pinball community so I support them for that reason alone.

    #138 7 years ago
    Quoted from VectorGamer:

    I have it for the 360 and sadly it looks like they're done doing updates for that console.

    That sucks, but lemme tell ya - at least the 360 owners got more tables than us WiiU owners.

    #139 7 years ago
    Quoted from Who-Dey:

    I'm not sure why everyone wants to compare TPA to real pinball. This is not real pinball and its not ever going to be like real Pinball. What it is, is a fantastic recreation of pinball machines and hopefully it will attract new people to the hobby and help keep pinball alive. It is so good that it is a big reason why pinball is making a comback.
    I have my own machines like the rest of you do but I still enjoy playing TPA. They are a big part of the pinball community so I support them for that reason alone.

    I think you're right... I have no doubt that without access to online resources (this place, and TPA to test out machines) I wouldn't be here, personally. Speaking for myself, it fed my interest, and playing TPA is really the first time it dawned on me that the more you play a machine, the deeper you go and the more of the machine you unlock, and the more fun it becomes. Playing as a kid, when it cost 50c a play and I only had a few bucks in my pocket, there was no way I was going to sink enough quarters to ever do much besides drain a few balls and walk away with a lighter wallet.

    #140 7 years ago
    Quoted from Bronty:

    I think you're right... I have no doubt that without access to online resources (this place, and TPA to test out machines) I wouldn't be here, personally. Speaking for myself, it fed my interest, and playing TPA is really the first time it dawned on me that the more you play a machine, the deeper you go and the more of the machine you unlock, and the more fun it becomes. Playing as a kid, when it cost 50c a play and I only had a few bucks in my pocket, there was no way I was going to sink enough quarters to ever do much besides drain a few balls and walk away with a lighter wallet.

    Pinball Arcade is the reason I now have 6 machines and the reason I eat, sleep, and drink pinball now. I probably should be mad at them for getting me addicted to pinball again and making me spend all my money!

    1 week later
    #141 7 years ago
    Quoted from PanzerFreak:

    I'm hoping that The Pinball Arcade comes to the Oculus Rift soon as VR pinball is insanely awesome. I can't believe just how good VR pinball is, at least with Pinball FX2 VR. I recently built a VR pinball cabinet controller and combined with the Oculus Rift it takes virtual pinball to the next level.

    Has Farsight confirmed that Pinball Arcade is coming to Oculus Rift? I know they said it is coming for Stern Pinball Arcade. I would love to play some of the classic tables in VR!

    #142 7 years ago

    I just purchased Season 1 Pro Pack on Steam for Pinball Arcade. I support them. It's not like real pinball for sure, but it's still super-cool and fun. Can you imagine what it takes to digitally remodel all those pins?

    #143 7 years ago

    i use to support them and tell newbies to get it to learn about the tables. as of the past year they have turned a good product to crap. at times their updates would make all tables unplayable, poor quality control, no testing on devices before release, horrible design and layout, adding tons and tons of ads which is pointless if you pay for a table. the list goes on and on. i gave them a second chance with the stern version but again total fail. you cant even read the rules on the screen. nor use the button on the lock down bar. so until they get their act together i am done with them. hate to see someone control a license and then screw it all up.

    #144 7 years ago

    busa, on which platform? I'm on the PC with Steam. There's no advertisements.

    I'm talking about this:

    http://store.steampowered.com/app/238260/

    Granted, the user interface while not in play is crude, but not a show stopper.

    You must be talking about some other platform.

    -1
    #145 7 years ago

    I agree that the overall quality has been going downhill. the UI just keeps getting worse and they've just about exhausted all the doable A, B, and C list titles. I also think they are spreading themselves too thin, trying to support so many platforms. It makes the overall presentation sloppy and buggy.

    #146 7 years ago

    Maybe so. I'm talking about Season 1 pinball machines pack. I haven't tried the other ones, so I cannot vouch for them.

    Season 1 tables with DirectX11 lighting are quite nice looking in 1080p.

    #147 7 years ago

    I use to really enjoy TPA during the first 4 seasons but ever since then the physics have just gone downhill. SPA has a lot of issues too. Instead of releasing a new table every month they should concentrate on fixing known problems. I haven't bought a new table pack in a while and they are losing my interest with future releases as well. Get it together Farsight and Stern!

    #148 7 years ago

    I am playing on my note5 tpa u can read the rules. on spa there is no hope. they need to drop at least half of the platforms they support. need to fix the crap they have. test things before the release. Uninstaller the app and re install is not the answer.

    yes I am still very pissed with them. tpa I use to play multiple times a day. they turned something I like into a pile of digital poop.

    #149 7 years ago

    I play TPA on my PS4 and it feels really good using the controller, but I tried it on my iPad and I just can't get used to it at all. Anyone else feel the same way?

    #150 7 years ago

    I have a Surface Pro. I have not tried it on a tablet. How does it work on a tablet? You touch the flippers instead of using a keyboard or controller?

    There are 161 posts in this topic. You are on page 3 of 4.

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