As I promised, here is my review post MGC. I should not have to say it, but this is all my opinion. Anyone that knows me or has met me typically determines that I am over analytical and a no bullshit sort of guy (for better or worse). I call it like I see it and I will freely admit I often do a poor job of conveying my 'feelings' (I am also a non-emotive prick I am told) or thoughts in text. Take it for what it is worth. None of this is meant to be argumentative and I am just laying some thoughts out there in an overly exhausted (12 hrs of sleep since Thursday because MGC is too much fun to sleep!) mind dump sort of way.
Full disclosure, I signed up for Predator around expo 2012 and as of this past Friday I was giving the game its final shot to convince me one way or the other. I went in with an open mind and decided I would approach it like it was any new game that I stumbled across. Anyone that knows me also knows that me "being in" on predator does not impact my thoughts in ANY way on the game or bias my opinions. I maintain a critical edge and eye for detail no matter what. Worth mention is that many that are not in on the game have plenty of biases so the coin flips both ways Half-Life.
Over the course of the weekend I put over 30 games on Predator (and watched another 90 likely). I spent a great amount of time looking at both the details and the big picture. When I first started playing (the first 5 games) I actually was very disappointed and my initial reaction is that I was “out”. The game was not fine tuned, the pops are not on hair triggers, the right return lane can lead to SDTM drains when not prepared, the slings did not have enough action for my liking. Side note: these are actually very similar issues to what AMH and many other games actually at the show had >> not a bag on anyone but few people look at a game the way I tend to and think about fine tuning small things (each and every switch has an optimal adjustment to make a game play like it really should) that actually impact the overall performance and feel of a game. Luckily, all these things are easy adjustments.
Once you calm yourself down after the initial frustration on any game not tuned in to your liking and realize that these are all things that are in your control when you have your own version of any game at home, then I tend to look at any game with attention to the aspects of the game that I cannot easily change and evaluate those items.
Some more specific thoughts:
The cabinet is great
The sound package is really nice and well thought out. It makes the game very immerse and brings you in. Quality of sound is top notch.
The trim package is spot on.
The pf art is really nice and still unique in feel.
The siders are cool but I do not have the space for them.
The ramps are nice quality and while I prefer them to be clearer, the slight clouding makes the UV light really pop in the ramps. They also appear to be indestructible.
The ramps and other shots on the game are very tight. Mike mentioned that the shots do not feel polished and I initially felt the same way but after about game 10 I was getting a feel for them and learned how to shoot the layout much better. These shots are all completely makeable but very challenging. IMHO this is a great thing if you are a player as the game will hold up well over time. I get bored quickly on games where I can make a shot too easily. The ramps feel good to shoot and are back handable with a good shot. Actually the orbits are even backhandable.
The DMD dots are really good, but worth note that I think the DMD text needs more contrast and my wife agreed. The text tends to get washed out with the animations at some times. The text needs to pop through a little better.
The plastics are bland in comparison to the rest of the art package and feel the most out of place from an aesthetic POV. The shapes of the plastics are odd to me (large triangle in areas where contours or simply following lines of ramps with more layering would look better). I would like to see more thought put into the plastic set and also would like to see inlane guide plastics. The plastics being modified could go a long way to making the game be more complete and polished, but that said >> I don’t play the plastics. I would like to divorce the plastics but if Kevin is married to them then I can deal with it on the back end. This is something that can be altered on the back end even though I would like to see it changed up front as I think it can have a large impact on the overall immersion aspect of the game. If it does not change, I can only imagine that the community will make something better on the back end. The art package lacks a completely cohesive feel and to me is evident that the spate components were put together my different people.
The UV effect works in a DARK room, but is simply not at the level of intensity it needs to be. You can see the predator face but not at the level of intensity that it needs for the unique feature to be considered a success. I played the game a TON at the after party and I was able to get the lights completely turned off on that side of the room. The only other lighting was that of other games giving off an arcade glow. Sure, I could make my room darker at home, but that is not how I ever want to play nor do I intend to play. I have actually been thinking about this feature on the side and there are really 3 parts to the equation that can be adjusted to possibly find a better solution, the nanometer fluorescence range of the ink used, the lighting used to make it react, and the application method. I am not sure what the answer to this equation is, but I do know (think) that is can be done to really make it pop. To me the UV bulbs currently in the game are not optimal and I would steer back to a different lighting set up. If the UV ink can only come in the 360nm range the lighting needs to be adjusted to pin point that range. Ideally they would find an ink that is closer to the 395nm range as it will fluoresce better and be more visible to more people if they go back to UV LEDs (the closer to 395 the better shot of more people being able to pick it up when activated yet unable to see it under normal lighting) and is more easily activated by typical UV light sources. They can also look into some blue or violet laser options as they are potentially viable options. The other thing to examine is the UV ink application process. I think a process change of printing the normal ink screens, then printing the UV layer, then a super think clear coat is likely blocking some of the UV (that is what clear coat does). Maybe switching to normal> UV> nice clear coat > additional UV > final top layer of clear would be a solution. What is currently in the game is not optimal and for me does not work, but again… I don’t play the UV ink. If the SkitB guys are struggling then I hope they reach out to some of the really smart minds and see if there is a solution/improvement that can be made before things are truly cemented in the production games.
It is worth mention that the UV layer is VERY important to game play as the blood trails need to be more visible to help you line up your shots. The switch from normal lighting to only UV when doing hunts takes your eyes a second or 2 to adjust but each hunt is only for a few second. If the UV blood trails were popping through then these shots would be better and less “blind” in feel. You can still make these hunt shots but a UV blood trail that works better would really help to polish it.
The 2 standups in the center are well placed and do what they are intended to do. They make you think about your play and a wicked hard when to inadvertently hit them. One bad shot turns into a flailfest to get the ball back under control. As a player I LIKE this. I did talk with Kevin about the width of the slot that the targets come through and that it is too big. This is apparently being adjusted before “completion”. I actually like the 2 circle stand ups better than the rectangle ones from before.
The GI is way too bright for my tastes and needs to be fine tuned. Warm white premiums would go a long way to help. Again, this is within my control so I can live with it.
The coding and gameplay is flat out F U N! This game had me coming back for more and more every time I played it. I played more games on Predator than any other game. I also took the shot to try and explain the rules I had figured out to anyone that wanted to listen or play with me. Those people that understood what was going on actually “got it”. This is more evidence to me that if you don’t know how to play this game it is not going to do much for you other than look pretty, but once you figure out the feel of the tight shots and how to actually play the game is all begins to click. I saw this evolution in myself as I played more games and spent more time actually appreciating what the game has to offer.
If you want to be passive entertained by pinball then I would say that Predator is not for you. If you want a game that is perfect out of the box then you should either take a wait and see approach or be prepared to make your own changes on the back end. I feel that the majority of things I am not able to easily modify either have been or will be addressed before the REAL completed games are ready to go. UV effect and plastics are things that IMHO need to still be addressed. I would like some other fine tunes (text contrast and GI) but those are not worth mentioning on the level as the previous.
A bit if advice is that the SkitB team should critically examine their PR and the perceptions of the public for the short and long haul. Sorry guys but you need to work on your online communication and it causes some level of concern about what support will be in place after my game is delivered. I do ask myself, “what support will I get when I have a 1 off problem if the current UV problem is being somewhat evasively answered?” A simple statement of “the UV layer is not as intense as we would like and we are still looking into viable options to see if we can make improvements” goes much further in earning respect and trust then “it works in a completely dark room” Maybe you guys do not see the reality yet, but I hope you do. Also, the game was working flawlessly for the majority of the show but on Saturday nobody showed up till after noon to turn it on and again on Sunday it sat unplayed for a good chunk of the day because none of the team was there to flip the switch so people could play it. In contrast, the Spooky guys were available and had the booth manned for the majority of the show and were readily available and accessible. This perception in the public eye is impacted greatly as I heard many people comment how “Predator is broken again and sitting idle with nobody around”
The take home message is that this game is 100% F U N and is built by players for players. I will repeat it for gravity >> THIS GAME IS MADE BY PLAYERS AND FOR PLAYERS. If playing is what you value most in pinball then you own it to both yourself and the game to actually put some time in on this game and get a true feel for how it shoots and how to ACTUALLY play it. I originally put down my deposit on the game because the code/ game play drew me in at the whitewood stage and I am committed to see this project through to completion as I was reminded that the code and game play is really great. I am still IN on this game for the same reasons. With 250 being made by some guys that re just like many of us (but more talented and committed) I have a different scale that I measure on and am willing to see out the door. That said, I will still happily pay 4750 for my Predator game well ahead of anything else currently close to that range. If AMH was closer in price then it would be a tough decision, but to me the additional $1500 is significant. If money was not object I would buy AMH and Predator.
