Fix Novice mode

[Dark Redshift]

I've always wanted to beat Timeshock since owning the original Windows CD, but it is far too hard to even try; I'm lucky if I can lock two crystal fragments and earn one piece of tachyonium if I decide to attempt reaching Timeshock Frenzy, and that's only when cheating with the operator's menu.

Novice mode sounds like an excellant idea on paper as an optional practice mode to let people win easier if they're new to the arcade and/or not pinball wizards, but if anything it's not easier at all:

All it does is start you in a random zone

unlock every time zone straight away except the Final Zone and Extra Zone

give you a longer ball saver that will still happen to run out at the worst possible times

the actual insult, which is not the above, but restricting all balls to 1 even if it is changed in the menu.

So it's more like a harder, remixed version of the basic game and not any sort of worthwhile unless you want a taster of the other time zones.

I know that it is exactly the same as the original Timeshock for Windows and DOS, but that didn't make it any less infuriating and misleading.

I want this mode fixed by:

1.Keeping the time zone and ball saver of the current Novice Mode

2. Allowing the same number of balls as any other game including all custom settings

3. Extending the timers on the Modes like Explorations and Quickshots to something much less stupid

4. Restarting the ball saver at the start and end of every new mode and Frenzy for at least 2 or 3 mintutes max

5. A new Operator's function that allows for infinite balls but only applies to Novice mode and also prevents users of such from competing on leaderboards for fairness, much like the Remove Glass option. (no skin off my nose as I don't play for leaderboard competition anyway)

I am aware that Remove Glass is meant to help with beating the game but it feels more like a straight up cheat instead of the "Owner's pleasure" of Operator's menu "cheats". Remove Glass is also a nightmare to control on the ios version which should also get this update.

It could also apply to the other tables as well.

Before I get flamed for making this post I need to say that I'm not actually insulting either game: I'm making a constructive criticism of a problem that even the original had that this one doesn't need.

To help explain what it is like normally when playing Timeshock-other pinball and arcades as well but mainly Timeshock because it's my first and favourite-please view the embedded video of similar experiences with a completely different game (it's not my video by the way):


Caution: Strong language

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6t2YvyLqw3c&index=84&list=PLbQ-gSLYQEc6IWgKJNOMUONgtNXdwVcDC

Thank you.

[insx]

Novice mode is supposed to give a novice an enjoyable game, it's not easy settings. The game can be made a lot easier in the operator's menu by turning down the difficulty of various features. I've considered this myself as I've never got to the End of Time (I've completed Dawn of Time a few times) but I like to be able to submit my high scores.

[Dark Redshift]

Originally posted by insx:

Novice mode is supposed to give a novice an enjoyable game, it's not easy settings. The game can be made a lot easier in the operator's menu by turning down the difficulty of various features. I've considered this myself as I've never got to the End of Time (I've completed Dawn of Time a few times) but I like to be able to submit my high scores.

That's what the base mode is.

The operator's menu doesn't make it as easy as I'd be comfortable with however. Maybe they could have both; Novice mode as it is and my demends for a better Novice mode implemented as a "Rookie" mode for Jacob's Creme crackers handed players like myself.

It's not like the real arcades in the sense that they were desgined first and foremost for coin grabbing. The main difference here as it stands is that free games are replaced with extra ball buy-ins.

The option to save your game and maybe even remove all time limits as well for "Rookie Mode" would be welcome. Before it's put in place, I'd need to use Remove Glass to win and that feels more like cheating than a fairer Easy Mode plus new and old operator's settings does.

I do think that the AVGN Ninja Gaiden and Ross's Game Dungeon Polaris Snocross episodes are apt comparisons to this game and the others in the series.

[Penguinator]

Fantastic Journey gave you a free ball saver at the start of an adventure (equal to exploration in TS!), which definitely helped, and if I don't remember completely wrong, both BRUSA and FJ had real difficulty settings on pause menu that worked like you explained (at least the more forgiving ball saver part).

And in general, I agree; pinball might be the hardest genre ever to get into (even harder than fighting games) because most games have no in-game instructions and especially no in-game tutorials that teach you how to control the ball with all the different techniques like flipping, catching, passing, and nudging. The community is also heavily spread apart on various old forums with slow post rates so looking for help isn't easy.
The best solution would be interactive tutorial modes like in Guilty Gear Xrd; the table is put into a certain state, and you try a simple 3-10 second mission (eg. do a slingshot pass, live catch a ball that falls from above, do a cradle separation with multiple balls and shoot a target, complete an easy exploration (eg. Present - North America)) several times in a row and the game gives you a rank based on how well you did (or a failure if you didn't do well enough).

That being said, I don't think novice mode should be something that allows you to complete the whole game without effort. Just like fighting games, pinball is about competing against yourself and high score is a really good indicator of how good you are, so if you play games because you want to "complete" something, you're probably better off playing a different genre.

Also, posting anything AVGN as a serious example is invalid because those are made for pure comedic value, exaggerating all the hard parts and not showing every small detail (especially in earlier episodes).

[Dark Redshift]

Originally posted by Penguinator:

Fantastic Journey gave you a free ball saver at the start of an adventure (equal to exploration in TS!), which definitely helped, and if I don't remember completely wrong, both BRUSA and FJ had real difficulty settings on pause menu that worked like you explained (at least the more forgiving ball saver part).

And in general, I agree; pinball might be the hardest genre ever to get into (even harder than fighting games) because most games have no in-game instructions and especially no in-game tutorials that teach you how to control the ball with all the different techniques like flipping, catching, passing, and nudging. The community is also heavily spread apart on various old forums with slow post rates so looking for help isn't easy.
The best solution would be interactive tutorial modes like in Guilty Gear Xrd; the table is put into a certain state, and you try a simple 3-10 second mission (eg. do a slingshot pass, live catch a ball that falls from above, do a cradle separation with multiple balls and shoot a target, complete an easy exploration (eg. Present - North America)) several times in a row and the game gives you a rank based on how well you did (or a failure if you didn't do well enough).

I didn't know about the interactive modes that certain games have. I know that Sonic Pinball Party has a non-interactive tutorial, but that game isn't realistic enough to require techniques like dead saving and the like.

I did play a little of FJ but I don't remember the difficulty modes, thanks.

Originally posted by Penguinator:

That being said, I don't think novice mode should be something that allows you to complete the whole game without effort. Just like fighting games, pinball is about competing against yourself and high score is a really good indicator of how good you are, so if you play games because you want to "complete" something, you're probably better off playing a different genre.

I'd say that losing against yourself time and time again for 20 years is a great insult made by the game and your own skill. People get envious of others in the high score table but are unable to "git gud", to borrow a Dark Souls term, and join their ranks. So they either try to find easy modes, mods that make it fairer, or cheat, because they want to see the end for themselves without watching someone else do it and feel complete. even if it wasn't by the rules. I should know as I've wanted to see and beat the end of Timeshock since childhood, and the first time I beat Half Life 1 was with God Mode and Impulse 101, and that was on easy mode. I'm better now, but I had no choice back then.

It's like doping to cheat in the Olympics or even a school sports day (also cheating at exams); people who want to do good in such things because they want a sense of achivement or something equally good, but can't make it legit because they are physically unable do so may still try and do it anyway by any means because they'd feel terrible by not doing it. Risking disqualification would be less than giving up entirely.

Originally posted by Penguinator:

Also, posting anything AVGN as a serious example is invalid because those are made for pure comedic value

That is fecking wrong. The comedic value is only there to make it a fun video and get people to listen. What he says in half his videos echos what someone else might actually think at the time. Some of the best jokes are ones based on truth. (some of them anyway, they still need to be considered good to begin with)

[EST]

I've never understood the point of novice mode. It's not really an easy mode, but rather a weird neutered mode which guarantees a certain amount of play with its long ball saver, but pretty much nothing else.

I've managed to reach timeshock frenzy myself one single time (and failed it) in the original 1997 version by first amassing credits and then tweaking operator menu options to ease the game (longer ball savers, more balls per game, more buy-ins allowed, etc.).