Sluggish? Zen's physics seem quite a bit slower (which also makes them easier). They're both good in their own way, but like you said, Pinball Arcade's are more like the real thing.
I must say, scoring a billion points feels a bit odd. Hey, anybody else notice camera settings not being retained, especially the locked camera? This isn't a major deal, but it is annoying.
Has anybody found a way to contact them for bug reports? There are some things that should be different. For example on the Theatre of Magic table if the numbers match in the end, shouldn't I be getting an extra ball?
They seem to read and respond to a lot of the posts on their facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pinballarcade
Theater of Magic is extremely addictive. I'm looking forward to future table releases and I love how springy the ball physics are compared to Zen and Gameprom pinball games. Even though I grew up in the Chicago area and everyone I knew growing up owned a pinball machine I was never that into it so there's really no nostalgia value in the realistic physics for me.
While ZP does suffer from seemingly applying frequent backspin to the ball, causing jerking, rubber banding, and exponential reverse acceleration on ramps, not one of the top iOS pinball collections has real physics, including Pinball Arcade. They all generally come close to one degree or another, but they all also provide the occasional reminder that these are just an attempt at simulation. PA, for example, has such anomalies as balls that briefly change direction midflight (while not under the effect of a table mechanic), inconsistent collision detection, occasionally disproportionate force reaction, and flippers that can hit balls situated beyond their arc. These are rare mechanical issues that I expect will be taken care of in an upcoming update, however, and don't detract too much from the overall experience. I've also noticed that the "score match" function at the end of a game does absolutely nothing even if you win, which makes it rather pointless. Although Gameprom's tables aren't always the best in terms of design, the one area in which they've done better than any other iOS pinball developer is the inclusion of the tracking camera; while full-table cameras are fine, the closer camera feels a lot more dynamic and immersive, primarily on the iPod/iPhone where a full view can sacrifice visual detail quite significantly. I really wish this perspective would make it into more pinball games, rather than just having the same bog-standard 3-8 slightly different angles from the end of the table. That aside, in terms of the future direction of the app, the top of my wishlist would have to be the 1993 Indiana Jones table (I've certainly enjoyed possessing and playing all of these tables on PC, but mobile versions also have an important place). PA certainly isn't the second coming of Pinball H. Christ, but it'll still probably end up as my favourite overall, largely because the inclusion of real tables is an unbelievable drawcard with which the virtual-only tables will struggle to compete.
You can get the free version and then buy whatever tables you want, or you can get the 99ยข one with Arabian Nights and then unlock the other tables.
Local hiscores not saved... Yesterday, local hiscore number 3 on Black Hole, turned off the iPad. This morning, a quick play on the same table just to find out that that score hasn't been saved. Mmmh...let me see if that 60+ mil on TOTAN is still there...Arg! Vanished! To continue to play, at the moment, is rather pointless. I don't have a facebook account...is there a way to communicate with Farsight? Who knows if they read this forum.
Can someone tell me how to enjoy Black Hole? (I have not read the rules yet) The 3 other tables are exceptionally good though. The physics are great, but the tables are simply magnificent. Love the flashy lights and intricate artwork. The sound needs to be lauded too. P.S. my favourite sound effect of the entire game is the sound of two balls clashing
I love black hole! 1. There is something about the sound, between the flippers, the bouncey thingies (the blue looking things), and just the overall ambiance, i just cant get the sound out of my head. 2. Learning how to survive after going into the lower table (learning how to open gate, let ball drain, and safely go back to top board) was in itself a challenge, and now i dont hate going in the lower board so much. 3. The simplicity of gameplay, its like pinball distilled to its very essence, yet with such an intriguing board design that it doesnt get old. 4. The way the ball bounces around the table, its SO FRIGGIN FAST, the action never lets up! 5. Learning how to build score by using the lower board bonus, and getting the multiball. Both require skill, and reading the notes, and its so satisfying getting a good score because it usually requires some intelligent play. I recently hit a million points for the first time, and I'm just happy, the game was awesome, I got a couple free balls, was able to go to lower board and upper board several times, felt like a really went on a journey! I love all the tables, but for me, black hole is really the one thats got me hooked. Its just so straightforward, yet not boring due to the brilliant board design and sounds, cant stop playing it! My second fav is Arabian nights, because i love watching the ball roll all over the crazy ramps, and the magic one is in a close second for a similar reason. I'm slowly getting into ripley, but its kinda laggy, and the board design isnt as interesting to me, which is kinda a bummer cuz it was most expensive table, but meh, im sure lag will go away in an update, and I'll figure out the table design eventually. BLACK HOLE IS AWESOME!
Heh. Black Hole is overwhelmingly the main reason this game is still on my device. But to answer your question, try this: dim the lights and sit in front of a mirror. Look yourself deep in the eyes. Breathe in through the nose and out your mouth deeply. Repeat in a firm but calm voice: "less is more. Less is more. Less is more." Then try playing again. Let me know how you get on.
I had the same issues on Theatre of magic. Framerate dropped and the ball was all over the place. I would like to see Doctor Who table and terminator 2 judgment day. Spent a lot of lunch hours playing those in high school. Hours and hours worth of Funhouse too. The table physics in PA feel like a brand new table, never played on would. I dont hate it, but I wish there was an option to play on them like they were older, used tables. Or maybe have an option to slightly modify the tables. The outlanes on Tales of the Arabian are huge.
A friend mentioned that they had framerate issues with Ripleys on his iPad 1 as well. On my iPad 2 and iPhone 4 (not an S) I'm not having that problem. Maybe they can tweak the performance for the iPad 1 in an update. One hopes. I've been playing this a bunch and while I do think it's fantastic overall, they really need to make the pinballs easier to see. Especially on the newer games. That really is the one big shortcoming of PA. Everybody should write to them and suggest it. I sent them a message on twitter and another in one of their threads on Facebook.
Of the 4 tables, while I like the design of Ripley's, I too saw some nasty lag and found the ball a lot harder to track just on this table (playing on an iPad 1).
Actually, interestingly enough, the big lag in Ripley's seems to be when playing in portrait mode, if I play it landscape mode its pretty smooth.
The quirky sound effects (not the bumper/jet/flipper ones) is one reason why I'm inclined to play the table without sound. I don't mind an audio cacophony but da constant stream of electronic noise and synthesizer just piss the hell outta me... Oh and there's the horrible mono-tone voice. I'm absolutely irritated by the background music. I... see -_-' I'll try to forget the other 3 tables while playing Black Hole and see if my impression changes. Perhaps I'm too addicted by their complexity and chaotic nature?
On my iPhone 4 i have framerate issues with Ripley's as well. Would like to hear if anyone else had trouble on an iPhone 4,if not i think i'll reinstall .
Mm-hmm, as I noted originally, the 4th-gen iPod Touch also has the same framerate issue on this particular table, but testing based on your post reveals that this does seem to be alleviated somewhat by playing in landscape mode. Portrait mode got so bad, in fact, that I was able to hit the ball right through solid objects on the table, including driving the ball straight through the middle of a slingshot and all the way into the outlane.
