Personally I think TF has excellent flow... OK, the ramp returns on the LE are a bit slow, but in MBs you need a breather to compose yourself and wipe the sweat from your brow! I'd prefer to say that if TRON modes were as wide ranging and as challenging as TF then TRON could be a top 3 Stern... All I have to say is 'recogniser mode'... wtf!!

Sorry for OT diversion... back to TF... err... I mean X-Men

TF LE is awesome!

You have a good point but Stern still believes people are generally ok with play change between Pro/LE.

Frankly this particular issue can be solved via software if they choose: If the ball comes down the ice ramp while it is positioned over the right outlane, the outlane switch can be soft-activated. I somehow doubt they will do this but they have that option.

couldn't they also make a flipper press rotate the lit/unlit blackbird inserts like a lot of rollover lanes?.. in which case, seems pretty easy to get an unlit one underneath the left rollover while it's rolling down the ramp

I don't see roll over switches in the lower lanes of any game being a concern, ever. This seems trivial IMO.

Thinking of bailing on this on after all, the rules are one of the biggest problems with TF and this appears to be TF 2.0. Dang it, really had high hopes,but should have known when Xerox was coding this is what would happen. Dang it dang it dang it. Freaking Stern.

Not sure what to do, I'm not looking to speculate on the value, but if this goes the way of TF and the $4500 LE, I will be kicking myself hard.

Maybe instead of x men this should be called TRONSFORMERS.

This is very disappointing. I have Transformers and Tron. I really want something new and not a mix-up of these 2 games. This really has me doubting Stern as I assume Avengers will be more of the same, but really all Gomez games have a very similar feel sans Johnny M.

Really guys, play the game before making rash determinations. The elements, playfield layout, designer, dots and sounds are all there for an incredible game. Perhaps fridays video will give us a glimpse of the XMEN experience.

I'm still in. This game won't play anything like them. Some folks want out, makes sense, because...

It's a reversed Tron Layout (Or Stargate Layout, or reversed Funhouse Layout, or TSPP Layout), except with magnets and popups and captive balls and a moving ramp with rules that *might possibly* be somewhat similar to Transformers based on a picture of a couple of developers standing in front of a whiteboard taken before the playfield art was even defined. Also a competing companies software dev chimed in his two cents and tells everyone that 'If you don't want it to be like TF, I guess I'd be pretty worried but not surprised', which pretty much seals the deal that this game is going to suck.

I guess hype goes both ways.

No offense Keef, you rock.

-Wes

My own personal opinion is that all the speculation on how a game will end up after one semi-blurry shot of a whiteboard is a bit premature. If the code chunks on the whiteboard were named after Tron or TZ then the game would automatically be awesome? How many unique "hit x light y activate z" do you think there are across all SS pinball machines ever made? What is going to make a game unique is how it all ties together with the playfield, the sound, etc.

I find it a bit funny how positive pumped up remarks are met with "you can't say X-men will be awesome based off of a few pictures, wait for actual gameplay", but the doomcriers throw out judgements based off of even less...

Yes, which is why gaming systems like Unreal, Speedtree, etc are not in-use in almost every single 3D game of the last several years. You don't re-invent the wheel in software, if you do you are wasting money. You can use common building blocks to build unique experiences without creating new blocks.

Sounds like you guys are looking for something more like WOZ whose purpose in being is to introduce something fresh.

X-Men has never been positioned as anything but a game based upon proven past designs, as evidenced by a layout which is 85% similar to 8 other games over the past 20+ years, and many shared software modes isn't surprising in any game... they all have the "hit this ramp x times" and "hit this target y times" and "hit this z shot combo".

I do hope that this software team will in the end pull off something unique, as has been advertised. X-Men has enough going on that I can't believe it'll remind anyone of TF, and we have yet to hear the custom sound and dots which should be a big improvement over the sound and crappy video clips pulled from movies as in TF/SM/IM/etc.

Certainly, but Unreal Engine is a set of brushes and a canvas on which to paint. What that whiteboard picture illustrates is that the artist is cutting a pasting wholesale elements from one painting to the next. I think we all knew (didn't we all?) they we're cutting and pasting some code, of course they were. When I go to write a new program, I certainly don't start by coding an operating system kernel. And if it stopped at the framework fine. But what I'm worried about isn't the framework. It's the complete cribbing of a rule set that was generally judged to be poor.

I get that more goes into the game than rules. But how often do you hear, 'that game could have been so much if not for the crap rules'. All things being equal, it's the number one most important thing on a game.

Having thought about it a bit more, I find myself backing off the ledge. My hope is that they listened to the TF feedback and won't commit the same crimes again. There were some really fun rules in TF that got lost in the rest of the issues with that game. I'm hoping there's more of that and less of the other thing.

Yup. I make my living in advertising and marketing and this is a great example of how effective it can be. After all the excitement, two posts from Keith and people are jumping ship.

If you're serious, send me a PM, I know of someone looking to get one at the early price pretty bad.

No way in hell I'm backing out on this one from this crazy speculation.

Here's the dealio; TFs modes are great and fun - especially SS and devestator. The problem with TFs code is that these modes are not stackable. You cannot play IH pf or SS during a mode (unless you start them before the mode).

Great games thrive on multitasking; having multiple goals and targets to hit and not focused on doing one mode or one shot at a time. So there's no problem reusing TF mode software in xmen, it's the delivery that counts. Will I be able to do gambit hurry up while having a devestator (pops-like) mode? Will I be able to start iceman ramp but still be able to achieve blackbird awards? Will I be able to play A mode yet still progress my way through powering up xmen? Etc...

Best comment in this thread

+1

That's what has been inferred from a blurry whiteboard pic, all I am saying is that might be jumping the gun as we have no idea as to exactly what that whiteboard means.

Agreed 100%. However I don't agree that the whiteboard means that X-men will have the exact same rules as Transformers. That is where I think people are getting a bit ahead of reality. I guess we will all see once the game comes out and people actually get to play it.

They yanked that picture faster than shit. Guessing they dont want Xmen to be associated with TF at all, seeing as how it was a huge PR nightmare for them.

While i personally don't like TF i think its kinda scary to think of who is doing this game in the software department. If the new guys where truly stretching there wings surely they would not need to piggy back onto this. I hope Lonnie is not taking this chance to indeed flesh out TF 2.0.

Lot of it depends on how the dots correspond with the rules. The Dots on TF where SHIT ass bayformers movie clips which made the game feel very.... well mediocre.

Either way, Stern needs to do some damage control quickly. Gameplay Video!!!!!

I have not played tron or TF so it's all good to me.

was thinking the same thing.. one plus is hopefully they are seeing that people did see that whiteboard, that there's general disappointment of what's seen, and will feel the need to placate..

placate away I say!

Huh? What did you say? Sorry, I was too busy looking at your new avatar.

I know, right. Dude has cute booty's distracting us from reading all this geeky pin info.

My ass is going up next.

Please shave first. lol

The problem is I like Transformers LE because of the shot call outs and modes. The game is unique in this aspect. If X-men is remotely similar in rules then I'd have no reason to own both games.

X-men will and basically make Transformers a crap game if this holds true. I am really just not thrilled about owning another marathon to the end rule set game. It just plain devalues both machines if they copy code.

This is like Pac-Man to Mrs. Pac Man for the video game people. Not many people want to own both machines.

I'm really PO'd early on this as I thought X-men would be a Tron - Iron Man hybrid with a new rule set. I'm just not digging the linear modes at all.

Now if the modes are not linear like in Transformers I will change my stance. If I can simply complete any mode at any time in the game similar to Tron then I'm happy. If I have to go through in order one by one then this game will suck!! I quite prefer the ability to hit a certain shot x amount of times to complete or start a mode.

RE: THE WHITEBOARD!!!!

It has NOTHING to do with the rules.

It was a chart concerning the electrical harness....it was using TF names as placeholders until they locked down all the X-Men characters that the wiring would relate to.

Thus concludes speculation of this being a Transformers re-do...which would make no sense anyway due to the layout and features being so different.

Well crap... What can we blindly speculate about now?

That would make me happy, what's your source? An ex-Stern employee seems to think it has something to do with the rules.

Gambit Blocks Pinballs

468917_10150987611024244_301657225_o.jpg

Yayer. Custom dots to break the tension.

I believe Stern only uses the red LED DMD these days starting with AC/DC.

(Although not for long because LCD's are around the corner)

LOL!

ROFL

You hitting F5 on your Facebook page all day? If so, thanks for saving me from having to do it.

Is it just me, or does that look like a two-color DMD?

(I guess it's just red?)

Lots more dots on facebook

Omega red is tougher

554105_10150987616294244_1426203367_n..jpg

Keep in mind that ex-employee is now working for the competition. I take comments made by competitors regarding each other with a grain of salt. That said, it would be nice if someone from Stern provided an explanation rather than just yank the picture and pretend it never happened.

Yea it kind of does to me as well. Could be just the shading but either way I like the effect.

DMD

xbrotherhood.jpg xiceman.jpg xlogan.jpg

Fantastic DMD artwork. I hope it's animated well to boot.

looks to me that storm cutout has a shadow behind her? hop there's some cool white LED flashers or something behind her for lightning

I love it. So glad they are getting away from split dmd.

Dots looking good!

Looks like she is a plastic. Cool indeed.

4 GI colors will make for some great added eye candy like AC/DC.

Examples:
White-Ice Man mode
Red- Magneto-Brotherhood
Blue- Nightcrawler
Would be cool with Yellow ? X-Men