(Topic ID: 308492)

RIP Lyman Sheats

By Pmaino

2 years ago


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There are 736 posts in this topic. You are on page 11 of 15.
#501 2 years ago

This may sound like a strange request to some, but is there anywhere/way to actually read any of Lyman's code? Like everyone else, I am a big fan of his rules work. It's been a long time, but I used to enjoy programming, and I also enjoyed reviewing others' code. It can be fun to see how someone cleverly solved a challenge or elegantly designed a system, or to read funny comments of frustration and triumph. A programmer's personality can come through in their code.

Good programming produces art. There is also art in good programming. And it would be neat to be able to see some from one its greatest practitioners in pinball. No biggie if not, but I figured I'd ask.

#502 2 years ago
Quoted from blueberryjohnson:

This may sound like a strange request to some, but is there anywhere/way to actually read any of Lyman's code? Like everyone else, I am a big fan of his rules work. It's been a long time, but I used to enjoy programming, and I also enjoyed reviewing others' code. It can be fun to see how someone cleverly solved a challenge or elegantly designed a system, or to read funny comments of frustration and triumph. A programmer's personality can come through in their code.
Good programming produces art. There is also art in good programming. And it would be neat to be able to see some from one its greatest practitioners in pinball. No biggie if not, but I figured I'd ask.

I don’t know but does Pinball Browser allow you to look at the code?

#503 2 years ago
Quoted from rai:

I don’t know but does Pinball Browser allow you to look at the code?

Beats me, but compiled code is stripped of comments made by the programmer and is difficult to discern what is going on.

#504 2 years ago
Quoted from blueberryjohnson:

Good programming produces art. There is also art in good programming.

So true, so true, so true.

13
#505 2 years ago

RIP Lyman! The pinball industry and community owes you so much. We've lost a legend and a hero.

I remember the first time I played Lyman's Lament on Monster Bash. Couldn't stop laughing, such great call outs.

42
#506 2 years ago
Quoted from unigroove:

RIP Lyman! The pinball industry and community owes you so much. We've lost a legend and a hero.
I remember the first time I played Lyman's Lament on Monster Bash. Couldn't stop laughing, such great call outs.

Please do a special edition of the Pinball Magazine featuring Lyman and his work, with interviews or stories from as many of his colleagues as possible. I'm sure it would be a fitting tribute and one that many people would like to own & read.

92
#507 2 years ago

I feel heartbroken, sad, loss, but at the same time I am lucky enough to be able to call Lyman my friend.

I met Lyman back in the mid 90's when I started coming to Pinball Expo. A group of us all started hanging out for yearly Expo dinners and kept in touch on chat systems during the rest of the year. Being a software developer I looked up to the pinball software greats, and Lyman was always nice to me and would spent time to chat about life, pinball, 6809 assembler or countless other topics. I would often hear one of Lyman's token phrases "thats nonsense" and to this day whenever I hear it its in his voice. I never missed an opportunity to spend time with Penni and Lyman.

Fast forward to 2015 and I got the opportunity to work at Stern with some of the same people I looked up to many years before. Lyman welcomed me with a big smile and I feel like he looked out for me. Whenever I was in the office he would always take the time to sit and chat, sometimes just catching up about life or politics, other times talking about some arcane rule decision or technical detail about hardware interrupts on the SAM system. On breaks we'd play pinball in the Stern Arcade and I'd get to spend time with my friend doing something we both enjoyed.

I miss my friend, co-worker, a mentor, and someone I feel truly blessed to know. My heart goes out to Penni and all Lyman's friends and family.

#508 2 years ago
Quoted from blueberryjohnson:

This may sound like a strange request to some, but is there anywhere/way to actually read any of Lyman's code? Like everyone else, I am a big fan of his rules work. It's been a long time, but I used to enjoy programming, and I also enjoyed reviewing others' code. It can be fun to see how someone cleverly solved a challenge or elegantly designed a system, or to read funny comments of frustration and triumph. A programmer's personality can come through in their code.
Good programming produces art. There is also art in good programming. And it would be neat to be able to see some from one its greatest practitioners in pinball. No biggie if not, but I figured I'd ask.

Agreed, I'd like to as well but I can't imagine what sort of copyright/licensing things would be wrapped up around that sort of stuff. Other than AfM and MM, everything else he's worked on is a licensed property.

#509 2 years ago

Wow, terrible news and too young. Does anyone know what happened?

#510 2 years ago

I never met Lyman, but I'll never forget seeing his unique playing style in Special When Lit, which got me interested in competitive pinball playing and also helped me be less self-conscious about having my own pinball stance.

#512 2 years ago

His system threw an uncorrectable technician alert

#516 2 years ago

We are all going to go of course but lately it seems as though the all-time greats have been put at the front of the line.

#517 2 years ago
Quoted from blueberryjohnson:

This may sound like a strange request to some, but is there anywhere/way to actually read any of Lyman's code? Like everyone else, I am a big fan of his rules work. It's been a long time, but I used to enjoy programming, and I also enjoyed reviewing others' code. It can be fun to see how someone cleverly solved a challenge or elegantly designed a system, or to read funny comments of frustration and triumph. A programmer's personality can come through in their code.
Good programming produces art. There is also art in good programming. And it would be neat to be able to see some from one its greatest practitioners in pinball. No biggie if not, but I figured I'd ask.

you can do disassembly on the WPC code.

#518 2 years ago
Quoted from Shaneus:

Agreed, I'd like to as well but I can't imagine what sort of copyright/licensing things would be wrapped up around that sort of stuff. Other than AfM and MM, everything else he's worked on is a licensed property.

Might be something that a guy could wrap his mind around to carry on a little bit of his legacy, unless that is…there is someone close to him that knew some of what he was capable of?

#519 2 years ago

I've been pretty bummed for a couple days...Lymans legacy will live on in our memories and in our favorite games..

This cheered me up a bit; Lymans past IFPA events played - So cool

https://www.ifpapinball.com/player.php?p=7#past

24
#523 2 years ago

This is how I will remember Lyman. As a true champion both in pinball and being a human being. It still seems surreal after a few days. I pray that Penni finds strength in friends and family at this time.
7 (resized).jpg7 (resized).jpg

17
#524 2 years ago

I’ve been really sad this weekend. Thanks for sharing your thoughts & stories, everyone. I feel like we’ve got a good support group happening here.

23
#529 2 years ago
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#532 2 years ago
Quoted from schudel5:

[quoted image]

I never saw him play but very unique style. Just played my EHOH for a while in his honor. Brilliantly coded game and I believe, sadly, his last.

#533 2 years ago

That stance seems like it would be a disadvantage to me! Like you wouldn’t be able to see some things. But what a legend!

#534 2 years ago

Did anyone else play a Lyman game in his stance just out of respect!? Doesn't really work for me but sure did for him. RIP

#535 2 years ago
Quoted from paynemic:

That stance seems like it would be a disadvantage to me! Like you wouldn’t be able to see some things. But what a legend!

Actually Lyman is taking into consideration reflective glare, and he likes to see
what the ball sees on the playfield...
Every body has their own technique.

#536 2 years ago

I worked on a High Speed in the shop this evening with "Special When Lit" playing on the TV, thinking about Lyman and how much he will be missed. We've had a few pinball people die over the last few years who were folks that I've followed their work or was just appreciative of their efforts in, and support of the hobby: Kordek, Epstein, Koz. Hard losses for the community for sure, but Lyman has really hit me on a level I didn't expect and I've shed some tears over him over the last couple days. I'm thankful for the few times I got to meet him even though I never got a chance to have any conversations of any length with him. I had hoped to run into him again at some future show and try to get to know him better and I hate that I'll never have that opportunity.

11
#537 2 years ago

Really sad news.

I only met Lyman once, in Belgium in a bar after the Open.
We had a few drinks and chatted about the intricacies of Met. The thing that struck me was that he was just such a humble and likeable person.

Apart from being one of the greatest players he also was able to turn an average playfield in to a masterpiece with his rules and coding.

As an aside, when I knew he was going to be in Belgium I considered taking my TSPP translite for him to sign - I imagine that it would be a one of a kind, but I lost my nerve. In hindsight I think he'd have appreciated the humour.

RIP Lyman

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#538 2 years ago

RIP.

Does anyone have a list of all the games he worked on over the years?

#539 2 years ago

internet pinball data base...ipdb.org

#540 2 years ago

Holly crap! I’ve been living under a rock the last couple days and am just now seeing this. I never met Lyman, I knew he was talented, but after reading all these posts I’ve learned of his friendship to so many Pinsiders. I have nine pins Lyman contributed to. What a tragic loss. Legendary!

#541 2 years ago
Quoted from dirkdiggler:

a list of all the games he worked on

This is as close as you’ll get afaik:
https://www.ipdb.org/search.pl?ppl=Lyman&sortby=name&searchtype=advanced

#543 2 years ago

Teach me to ignore pinside over the weekend... I'm just in shock. While I never met him, his impact on the hobby is immeasurable. It's hard to find people who are truly irreplaceable but Lyman absolutely was one of those people. RIP.

Jeff

#544 2 years ago

'Rest in peace'? If I were 55-year-old Lyman I wouldn't cross over, I'd stay right here and haunt the bloody lot of us.

...But in the nicest way.

#545 2 years ago
Quoted from PinballGalore:

On the today show in 1993

Outstanding post. RIP Lyman. Thanks for what you have added to the pinball community.

#546 2 years ago

This is heartbreaking. Thinking of his family.

LFS RIP

I have 4 games to play tonight to try and put up some initials.

#547 2 years ago

Wow, that's quite a list! Acdc, sttng and met are 3 of my all time favorite games. Only game I haven't played on his list of games is Avatar.

#548 2 years ago

Wow, that is an impressive list of games. I know he's playing that big pinball machine up there in the sky, scoring billions and billions, getting extra balls and replays.

#549 2 years ago

Only the good die young.

#550 2 years ago

The celebrity RIP threads I can pass on all day long, but seeing this is just terrible. Based on the number of posts I knew this wasn't some jackass joke. I'm so sorry for the Sheats family. Just damn.

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