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A few intriguing observations on VPX (ball physics, POV settings etc...)


Mopple

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Hi everybody!

Having just upgraded to a IMHO very affordable 220$ GTX 1660 SUPER GPU, which (compared to my old 1050) makes everything run super smooth on the highest VPX  10.6.1 options (Brute Force etc.), I 've gone through a number of my ca. 60 tables I have installed and I want to make a few comments about some things.

1. Changing the table view (Layback, FOV, Z scale) can easily make the table unplayable because it physically alters it! On so many tables I tried to adjust the view to a realistic one for me and messed up the table, like TOTAN or STTNG… and had to start adjusting from scratch.

Let me digress here a bit. My cab was custom built for me as a private deal from a carpenter who bought my old real STTNG in exchange for a professional grade Williams Widebody cabinet in the original dimensions (pinball was his hobby too). The catch I wasn't aware of at the time (three years ago): The huge TV screen (47'') wasn't set lower into the cabinet as I see with most other cabs, tilted a little toward the back, but it's directly below and parallel to the glass. Yeah, I know, but that's the way it is. Also of course I can't zoom out all tables filling the 47'' screen but I can live with that. I try to get the real table dimensions (which makes SAFE CRACKER use only like half or so of my screen!). Also I can't just take out the screen so everything had to be put in from the front and back openings. (I managed to do it nevertheless!)

So, adjusting the POV setting so that it looks realistic on my cab (and I really didn't distort anything or pushing the value limits in any way!) I more than once made the bitter experience that, although looking quite nice on the screen, when playing it the ball couldn't go up ramps anymore! It just bounced back from it or wasn't ejected of holes anymore – I can't understand nobody has adressed this so far. Am I the only one here?

 

2. The ball physics!

Kudos and a thousand heartfelt thank-yous to all the guys who spend their time to give us VP for basically free, of course - but why are truly realistic ball physics so difficult to get right, apparently?

Here are my observations of several recent tables:

Why for instance has THE WALKING DEAD a (white) ball that bounces and flies around like more or less a featherweight ping pong or rubber ball? This makes the table almost ridiculous to play.

T2 is another table which looks very nice but the ball is a cartoonish mess, and also ramp and other aimed shots are almost impossible to do. (It's a mean machine, I played it for years back in the day so I know it's not easy!)

On the other hand, BRIDE OF PINBOT has remarkably realistic physics! The ball feels heavy and doesn't bounce around so much. Also INDIANA JONES (1993) plays relatively nicely (and fills my Widebody screen completely as one of only two besides STTNG).

On some tables like MEDIEVAL MADNESS, when the ball comes down and hits the flipper rubber, it bounces back up like a rubber ball a little over the sling shots. Hm…do I just not remember the real tables correctly…?

 

So my question: Why can't every table play like BRIDE OF PINBOT? ?  Well, I have to say when seeing it play on a regular 19 or 21'' PC monitor without any tweaking at all it looks exquisite and everything is perfect (colors etc.) so I also can't understand why it can't just translate onto a huge TV screen. Maybe all this is different in 4K rather than regular HD 1080?

Would enjoy comments and thoughts of other players and fans!

(Forgive me the crappy photo, I don't have any other right now)

DSCI9219.JPG

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  • 3 weeks later...

That is not a good idea. It will only change a few parameters and several of the objects in the table won't change. So, normally they become even more out of wack than they where before. Of course, you can get lucky, but, as a solution it is not valid. You guys need to learn to adjust these things themselves I'm afraid. There is many ways to tune physics. BOP from wrd1972 pr. example uses very different technique than most tables. You need to learn about physics collections and - without looking, most probably also script. There is a quide over at vpinball made by Rothbauerw that explains most of it, but, it is not a copy and paste solution. Just gets you closer imo.

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Muchas gracias! Well, yes, sometimes you can't believe even in 2020 all this is still so much "pioneer" work and terra incognita in some regards - It's definitely easier to build a realistic MAME cabinet (which will be my next project).

Thank you again, I will try both and get into it a little more.

---> YES! I've imported JP's AFM physics set into TWD and also increased Playfield Friction a little, and suddenly it plays much much better!

I've just tried the same with T2, also a big improvement here. A great community here for a great hobby! ?

 

(On a completely different note, too bad there won't be a true REVENGE FROM MARS  VP table anytime soon from what I read. That would be something, one of the most fun tables ever!)

 

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