To VP COMPUTER PLAYERS....

[Druadic]

Last night at chat, I try to unwind and talk to folks about VP. But, last night things spiraled out of control and have left me speechless.

Last night at chat things went for the worse. Apparently NO ONE PLAYS DESKTOP TABLES or "spanned tables" any longer according to frenetic. I never heard of "spanned tables" since last night. I guess having a single screen you cannot have a playfield and backglass on one screen. Is this taboo or illegal? I didn't think VP had any of things that "are not allowed" for players. Does anyone want to play a bingo on the computer without seeing what numbers have been hit or lit? I don't think anyone does.

I've been making tables for VP since version 3. To be honest, I've NEVER been treated like I was last night in all the times in the past. I was shocked.

Apparently the bingos that I made are not "perfect enough" to even play to Osprey. Using mixers from bingos is no joke and if I had that information I would have implemented it. Are folks happy with the free games they get from authors (or from other sources) all they do is bitch, moan and complain about how they need to be perfect? This is COMPUTER PINBALL, NOT REAL PINBALL. Be happy with what you're getting and can play folks.

What are mixers in bingos? Well, they control what can and cannot be bought, used by credits or have other things light up via the machine. Now, this information is different from each bingo and it seems no one has this information on how these machines control those particular things. Currently folks in the bingo communities are trying to get this info, but it's VERY TOUGH to pinpoint any of this information due to the fact the randomization of these mixers is near impossible to get into information form. Yes, the bingos are that complicated - but to implement this into VP would make the scripting well over 10,000 lines. Can you imagine trying to run a table and waiting 10 minutes alone for a game to load? That would be fruitless.

All I can say is "if you're so good to bitch, whine, moan and complain then try making these bingos". It will be awhile before anything else is released by me and rest assured if anything soon is, they will be locked and password protected for those folks that want to play "what shouldn't be played on a computer".

You can thank the two folks above for the BS folks. I'm not perfect, VP isn't perfect and folks can't expect ANY TABLES to be perfect on VP through a computer. This is SIMULATION NOT REAL LIFE PINBALL.

I'm not pissed off, just VERY VERY DISAPPOINTED. If anyone still wants to play the bingos I will be making in the future please PM me. I'll post what I will be working on but you'll have to PM me for the zip files.

It's that simple folks. I don't have a cab, DO NOT WANT A CAB and the folks that cannot afford or have a cab should be able to play pinballs on their computers. I'll still be making them, but you'll have to ask for them from now on. I'll be more than happy to share what I make to those that appreciate what VP can do and handle for it's simplicity.

To all those desktop gamers on VP: We can enjoy what VP has to offer without everything else that is making computer players look like inferior users.

Peace out;
Will
aka druadic 

PS: It seems every time I return to VP and try my best at making what I can, one or two people have nothing better to do that complain about tables not being perfect. It doesn't take long before someone makes an author feel like crap. I'm so disappointed in you frenetic and Osprey. VERY disappointed!

[randr]

I'm kinda a nobody but I like any and all tables! I could never play these bingo ones in real life..thank you for your time to make them! Thank you!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Pintrepid]

I think that it sucks that things got outta hand. But it is an internet forum and, sad to say, it's too easy for some folks to just talk nonsense. I dunno, some of 'em might think they're being smug, others do it just to see what kind of a fire storm they can start. I've learned the hard way to take everything online with a huge grain of salt and leave it at that.

As for desktop tables, yes, ones that run on single screen PCs and/or laptops, I, for one, still love this. I like playing better with my laptop in front of me with my feet up in my recliner than sitting or standing at a dual screen PC or cabinet.

I'm personally grateful for VP authors like JP, Starman, and others who have taken the time and the trouble to create BOTH cab AND desktop versions of their tables. Those who have the time and resources to make their elaborate cabs can enjoy these very great, realistic recreations of their favorite tables ... but the rest of us who play on desktops can ALSO enjoy their exquisite creations!

I, for one, don't want to see desktop versions of the tables "go away". I don't think they will, and I might even see what I can do online to make sure of that in the near future. I have ideas I'm developing for possibly finding new audiences for VP on the PC. The notion here is developing the best open source gaming laptop which will feature free, community developed VP, FP, MAME, and whatever other open source gaming will work on it. It may not be as fancy as some extreme cabinets ... but it's targeted more for gamers who are interested in getting more free gaming out of their PC or laptop without spending the time and money needed for all that overkill.

However it works, there's still a community for VP/FP on the desktop/laptop. It may be that we might have to start a separate community for that if there's a tad too much looking down the nose from the super-cab-overkill people.

[faralos]

although I haven't touched a pin in months I still make the desktop versions
 since I  hate the cab look/play of flat screen pins that have no depth
I will be making them again once my kidney stone lithotripsy procedures are all done
 I am two down with about two/three more to go... the stones themselves plus the UTI that came with the stent
make sitting at my computer a painful experience
 so once that is all over it's back to making desktop pins!!
for me and those few who still play the desktop ones
as for the bingos I love em all!!

[Druadic]

Thanks for the posts, but it looks like it's not going to matter for long.....

The back light on my laptop is now blinking and flashing indicating it's ready for a replacement. Since I have no money, it will be a long while before I can really get something done in VP.

I have another laptop; a Dell Latitude D430 but it needs a 1.8 PATA ZIF hard disk and a power cord. With these I could keep making the bingos but until then, they're on the back burner. Hate to do this, but I cannot work with a flashing back light - it's killing my eyes.

If anyone can help with a power cord and/or 1.8 PATA ZIF hard disk for a Dell Latitude D430 please contact me. I can boot from a flash drive off of USB using PCLinuxOS off the laptop but not Windows for now. I know that works, but without Windows and the 1.8 PATA ZIF hard disk, I cannot continue VP on that laptop.

If you've never seen a 1.8 PATA ZIF hard disk, they're little tiny flash drives about the size of a small USB flash drive. They're small as heck and quite hard to find. They're NOT cheap either on Ebay.

So, I have no idea what I'll do. Until I can fix this problem everything is on hold. Sorry for this folks, but my back light on my older laptop (that I currently use for VP) is not worth the headaches.

If anyone can help, please feel free to PM or email me at billy7720@yahoo.com at anytime. I will do what I can to perhaps "barter" for the parts if you're interested.

Thanks and hope to have some more tables out soon.

Will
aka druadic

[Itchigo]

I did a search on e bay, I got 25$ roughly.

Question: Would a SCSI HD work?

[Druadic]

I did a search on e bay, I got 25$ roughly.

Question: Would a SCSI HD work?

Thank you, but no it won't. A 1.8 PATA ZIF drive is HALF THE SIZE of a normal laptop 2.5 size. No joke. If I could find a 40GB or 60GB I would be set.

Not only that, if I had the power adapter (with cord) I may be able to salvage the drive already on here. Who knows; it may just need a good cleanout and Windows XP re-installed.

I think the power adapter and cord (65 watt one with the wire sticking out the middle of the circle) is the one I need to find and maybe a better move to check and see if the current 1.8 ZIF HD could be fixed. It may be possible but until then I have no way to check.

What would be better is the DUAL 65w and 90w model but I have no idea where to get one for about 5 or 10 bucks WITH shipping. I would pay that as that's about all the money I have at this time.

I KNOW the battery is fine and works for sure.

Thanks for asking.

I'll just have to wait as right now this laptop is killing my eyes with it's damned flashing. Of course if I could get the Dell Latitude D430 1.2GHz Core Duo working it would be twice as fast as the Celeron I'm working on and it's funny; I'm sure someone out there has good amounts of these adapters as they're the most common. Wish I could find one. (sigh).

[Shadowsclassic]

Sorry to hear about your troll problems Druadic. For some reason there are always Aholes that want to mess everything up for everyone else.  I've found it's best to just walk away from them, unfortunatly I've not found it all that easy to do so! Lol. 

As for the desktop, honestly I don't use them. Even my desktop is a dual monitor and I play the cabinet tables sideways on it. I only got into VP when I found out you could build the cabinets. Like faralos says he doesn't like the flat look of the cabinet versions I on the other hand have never liked the scrunched  look of the desktop table.  Hey to each his own. But I would never lash out at an author for his choice to build either one.  I can honestly say I don't know why we can't simply have both supported.  If I ever get my building skills up to release a table if I can't figure out how to make the desktop version I will open it up to anyone to do what I lack the skills for.

In conclusion let me say that I truly love these old EM tables.  They represent a simpler time in our arcade history and I love being able to showcase them off along with the new flashy SS models.  I even converted some of the gorgeous old ball lifter tables that Itchigo made that he removed the ball lifter to make the game easier to play.  I put the ball lifter back in because I want my friends to have the whole experience of how these tables played. All my vids and other games in my game room actually require quarters that I provide in a big bowel just to make it feel like a real arcade.  I can't lie I would love to see your Bingo tables in my cab, but I understand your views and I respect them.  Maybe someday, you will change your mind and allow them to made FS, who knows maybe someday VP will be changed to work like FP and then the user can simply select FS/desktop and there will be no reason for people to gripe about which one is being made or which is even being made first.  Remember what Rodney King said "Can't we all just play Pinball?"

[Itchigo]

You know what? It IS flat. You're still watching a game on a FLATscreen. I was unimpressed after playing on Paul's cab a few years ago. The cabinet looked great, it just looked flat. Rukia said the same thing. Even so, you get a completely different perspective playing the long way on a screen than in desktop. I only built mine when I found out I had most everything I needed already, except the actual cabinet and tv. Mine doesn't have the computer in it either. My desktop is outside the cab, so my cab is nothing more than an oversize gamepad. This way I don't waste a perfectly good computer.

Desktop still has it's place. People aren't investing in new laptops just to play vp though as they are for fs. I think the reason the fs crowd is more vocal is because they have an investment in their cab. They built that whole thing just for this. Not so for desktop users who, for the most part are a quieter bunch.

As for the spanned comment, it's true, spanned isn't done anymore. It was before my time, but I'm guessing spanned was the substitute for fs before fs existed. (Vp8 didn't rotate).

Just my observation.

[Cam2000]

Sorry to hear that the trolls got to you. Note that there are plenty of silent folks who appreciate all that the authors do. Myself, I'm new to the world of VP and I'm loving that there are all of these tables that have been created.

[Itchigo]

Hi and welcome Cam2000! Anything I can help a newer vp user with, please let me know.

Thanks for not being one of the silent folks.

[Druadic]

Thanks folks, but it's not bothering me any longer. Just tired of the sillyness.

FYI: I can still be contacted through yahoo mail but I WILL NOT use yahoo for anything; I now use Thunderbird's email system. I can get my emails in under 5 seconds through this mozilla program THROUGH yahoo mail. What a damned difference!

Yahoo mail has been plagued with ads and worst of all, too many pop ups asking you to upgrade everything. I now bypass all this shit and use Thunderbird through yahoo mail. VERY NICE. There is no reason yahoo mail takes 1 minute to load it's main screen. It's ludicrous so I decided to go this route. Anything by mozilla by using Firefox is 100% better than IE. Trust me; it takes 1/3 of the time to have anything run through it.

If you use Linux, I will be going to chatrooms much more frequently. I will let others know where I plan on going soon if you wish to talk about bingo pinballs for the desktop computer players. I will be using XChat IRC to talk with anyone that wishes to do so. There are so many chatrooms using this program it's mind boggling so I will try to get a "ping" service setup for those that wish to talk or contact me.

Cheers;
Will