Comparison to real tables.

[Takise]

To refresh my memory, I went on a trip today, to play most of real Williams machines recreated in Pinball FX.

My comparison will be brief. I play only on Pro settings in Pinball FX and the comparison is very good, I will say almost perfect for a computer simulation.

The only deficiencies I noticed are the lack of a bouncing ball in the computer version and the ball accidentally jumping on the ramps when hit hard.

My #1 table of all time is Fish Tales and the digital version is phenomenal compared to the real machine.

Same with World Cup Soccer, Theater of Magic, Indiana Jones, Bride of Pinbot, Twilight Zone and a dozen others I've played for comparison.

I'm not a Zen fanboy or anything like that I have a long wish list and tweaks to their product. But objectively, if a subjective opinion can be objective, I want to share my feelings.

I think it's great from a gameplay perspective.

Last thing, I consider this game to be playable only on maximum settings and in 4K with fps above 120. I play on 4090@13900K and it's great but I tried it on lower configurations and its another story.

[[Uni] Soup]

It's been a very long time since I've played pinball IRL, but playing PFX inspired me to go get my hands on the real thing. Playing Attack From Mars was a blast! It certainly plays quite similarly to the PFX recreation. The real thing was a bit more punishing though!

I don't think anything will be able to perfectly emulate the feeling of a real, physical table...But FX comes shockingly close!

[Takise]

Originally posted by GWJ Unicycles:

It's been a very long time since I've played pinball IRL, but playing PFX inspired me to go get my hands on the real thing. Playing Attack From Mars was a blast! It certainly plays quite similarly to the PFX recreation. The real thing was a bit more punishing though!

I don't think anything will be able to perfectly emulate the feeling of a real, physical table...But FX comes shockingly close!

It was different with me, Fish Tales, which I know best, was much easier for me to play on a real machine. But maybe it's just that I play them the most.

But my 8 year old nephew whose favorite table is World Cup Soccer said the same thing.

The one thing I miss significantly in digital version is the vibrations during the hits of the balls on the flippers, with different intensity depending on the strength of the hit.
This would allow, in my opinion, to feel the game and control the ball much better than at present.

[Emig5m]

The fact that you need a 4090 to be playable in a simple pinball game is LOL. :-D

[Emig5m]

Originally posted by Takise:

Originally posted by GWJ Unicycles:

It's been a very long time since I've played pinball IRL, but playing PFX inspired me to go get my hands on the real thing. Playing Attack From Mars was a blast! It certainly plays quite similarly to the PFX recreation. The real thing was a bit more punishing though!

I don't think anything will be able to perfectly emulate the feeling of a real, physical table...But FX comes shockingly close!

It was different with me, Fish Tales, which I know best, was much easier for me to play on a real machine. But maybe it's just that I play them the most.

But my 8 year old nephew whose favorite table is World Cup Soccer said the same thing.

The one thing I miss significantly in digital version is the vibrations during the hits of the balls on the flippers, with different intensity depending on the strength of the hit.
This would allow, in my opinion, to feel the game and control the ball much better than at present.

I was playing Metallica Premium IRL today and it had a shaker motor in it providing force feedback...it was great. You like Fish Tales? There's one literally 2 miles from where I live....I should of played it while I was waiting for my banana splits to be made. ;-P
Played Theater of Magic IRL today.... Liked the IRL one much better. Actually I like all the IRL ones better. AC/DC and Metallica Premiums IRL are amazing... Jersey Jack Wizard of OZ...amazing IRL game....

[Takise]

Originally posted by Emig5m:

The fact that you need a 4090 to be playable in a simple pinball game is LOL. :-D

It's true, it's an absolutely tasteless joke.

I changed computer only because of work, before that I played FX3 on GTX1070 and everything worked flawlessly.

If it wasn't change of equipment caused by other reasons, I would never play this game.

But take a look at this:

https://steamcommunity.com/app/2328760/discussions/0/3827539750719954710/

[Takise]

I was playing Metallica Premium IRL today and it had a shaker motor in it providing force feedback...it was great. You like Fish Tales? There's one literally 2 miles from where I live....I should of played it while I was waiting for my banana splits to be made. ;-P
Played Theater of Magic IRL today.... Liked the IRL one much better. Actually I like all the IRL ones better. AC/DC and Metallica Premiums IRL are amazing... Jersey Jack Wizard of OZ...amazing IRL game....

Of course, irl will always be better than the best electronic substitute, and I don't think that's debatable.

I also played Wizard of Oz, Godzilla, Deadpool, Lord of the Rings but somehow my preferences stop at the productions from the last century.
These new tables are amazing including all the animations and fmv and all the goodies. But for me the essence of pinball comes from those older tables where there is a balance of form over substance.
But I am old and my taste comes from a bygone era and understands perfectly well that progress is necessary and the younger ones like the new ones better.

My personal top 3 at this moment
1. Fish Tales and Terminator 2 (i love both equally)
2, Vector
3. F-14

[Chelle]

Truly miss playing the real thing.
Nothing available where I live in Tasmania.

I would love an extended room where if I had the dollar I would have numerous real pinball machines.
The one I ache to see is Gorgar being emulated.

The artwork the vibe the noise and the ambience along with a feeling of control 'difficult to explain' that you feel in real life.
Honestly it's been decades since I have even seen a pinball machine.

I also do like the analogue machines all the way back to the Bagatelle days.

[Takise]

I'm developing discussion here.

https://steamcommunity.com/app/2328760/discussions/0/3827539750719954710/

[PuhiMaster]

Originally posted by Takise:

To refresh my memory, I went on a trip today, to play most of real Williams machines recreated in Pinball FX.

My comparison will be brief. I play only on Pro settings in Pinball FX and the comparison is very good, I will say almost perfect for a computer simulation.

The only deficiencies I noticed are the lack of a bouncing ball in the computer version and the ball accidentally jumping on the ramps when hit hard.

Yeah, playing real tables regularly, I do wish that the ball would occasionally hit the glass, get stuck for operator, or jump ramps. Heck maybe even for rarely break something. All these things happen in real life. I did have a Lazarus ball happen. Cool Zen!

[Ronn]

Real is not always better, depends on the condition of the real one, broken features on the table makes for a crappy experience, that's one advantage of digital it will never wear out and have to be repaired. 😁

[Emig5m]

Originally posted by Chelle:

Truly miss playing the real thing.
Nothing available where I live in Tasmania.

I would love an extended room where if I had the dollar I would have numerous real pinball machines.
The one I ache to see is Gorgar being emulated.

The artwork the vibe the noise and the ambience along with a feeling of control 'difficult to explain' that you feel in real life.
Honestly it's been decades since I have even seen a pinball machine.

I also do like the analogue machines all the way back to the Bagatelle days.

Move to New Jersey, we have some amazing arcades. Game Vault in Morristown, NJ has a Gorgar that looks like it just got unpacked out of the box brand new...playfield is is mint bright and shiny. They also have like nearly every old pin in this game, and even have Metallica and AC/DC premiums sitting side by side and if they don't have it, Silverball on the Asbury Park boardwalk has it along with every single brand new limited edition Jersey Jack game...and they also have my beloved Cirqus Voltaire. But there's even more retro arcades in the state and Randy Senna's retro arcade at Wildwood for example (he's kind of a nut but has a lot of old retro stuff) New Jersey is great for a arcade gamer.

[Emig5m]

Originally posted by Ronn:

Real is not always better, depends on the condition of the real one, broken features on the table makes for a crappy experience, that's one advantage of digital it will never wear out and have to be repaired. 😁

Not to mention arcades are so loud that you can barely make out any sounds on the games that you're playing. I spent Friday at Game Vault playing the hell out of Metallica and AC/DC and couldn't even hear the music. Same at Silverball...spent Saturday there and the place is so loud not only can you not hear what you're playing but it makes it very difficult to concentrate and play seriously...you kinda get used to it and can mentally block some of noise but damned....the music and sounds in these games make the atmosphere...it would be nice to hear it while you're playing. Also I could tell at Game Vault Metallica and AC/DC were leaning to the left since the right flipper could barely hold the ball and the left flippers on both held them firmly... So yea, you're correct, sometimes real isn't always better... Ideally you would want a perfectly maintained and setup real game at home but who can dish out $11,000 for a 1997 game....prices are crazy anymore for real pins... :-p

[MikeFulton]

Originally posted by Emig5m:

The fact that you need a 4090 to be playable in a simple pinball game is LOL. :-D

When I saw that, I pretty much stopped caring what he had to say about anything.

[PuhiMaster]

Originally posted by Ronn:

Real is not always better, depends on the condition of the real one, broken features on the table makes for a crappy experience, that's one advantage of digital it will never wear out and have to be repaired. 😁

Ah but I can flash the code on my Metallica pinball table and change the theme to Christmas music. Can't do that on Pinball FX. If you don't let the clear coat get wrecked from not changing the balls and waxing the playfield regularly it won't wear out at all. So besides replacing lights once in a blue moon and changing out the coils when they go bad it's not that big a deal. Plus the feel of a real pinball table just cannot be replicated.