Download the game?

[vox0001]

Hi,
I need some help. Where do I download the game?
 

[Tikimaster]

Visual Pinball is not plug and play. You will have to invest some time in reading and watching.. 
Welcome to the Club!
Do you explore Visual Pinball on Desktop or do you want to install on a cab?

 

Edited September 23 by Tikimaster

[vox0001]

Desktop, Windows 11

[Tikimaster]

Ok. If you want to start from scratch you have two ways:
A: Get the Baller Installer and install all components of VPX and a good Frontend in one rush. - Baller installs every component you need and helps to configure them. But as a greenhorn this might be difficult because EVERYTHING is new and all at once. 
B: Take Time and install every component after another by hand and learn step by step.
 

• Install VPX by hand
• Install Vpinmame - learn to configure a table using a rom file. learn to configure your input (Gamepad) - Take time, play your first tables
• Install Backglass-Server. Learn to configure your screenres.txt and the b2s-server.  Learn to set a background by yourself. 

This are the basics, now comes the fun:

• Install DMDext/Flexdmd to get color DMDs. Learn to configure this. 
  If the backglasses are running and you have colored DMDs its time for the next step:
• Install PinupPlayer to run the PupPacks - or PinupPopper which brings a nice Frontent. - If you don´t like Popper, install Pupplayer only and use another frontend like PinballY or PinballX or whatever you like.

This is, what I did at the beginning. The whole process took 4 or 5 weeks for me. You will learn a lot and will be able to update every single component by hand without having to wait for updates with the baller installer update. 
Once you've installed everything step by step and understand how it all fits together, it's much easier to use the All-In-One-Baller Installer the next time you install a vpx system, because you already understand how things work and it's much easier since you know what you're doing. 

This is the point where many users give up and look for pinball software they can install with a single click and start playing right away. That’s not the case with Visual Pinball—not even with the Baller Installer. While the software and all its components are free, users do, in a sense, pay with the time they have to invest to get everything up and running. To do that, I had to read a lot and watch several instructional videos. 

 

[vox0001]

Thanks a lot for all the information. Since English isn't my native language and I don't have much IT knowledge, this is likely too much effort and work for me. I don't have the patience for it. I play FX Pinball, FX Classic, and Zaccharia Pinball. I guess that will have to do.

[Tikimaster]

4 hours ago, vox0001 said:

I don't have much IT knowledge, this is likely too much effort and work for me.

a few hours of invested time and you got the best Pinball Game you can get.

If you are completely new to Visual Pinball, the installation can look a bit overwhelming at first. There are quite a few different components involved, so it is not just a matter of installing one program and starting to play.

Basically, you have two options. You can use something like the Baller Installer, which does a lot of the work for you and can save quite a bit of time. The downside is that if something doesn't work afterwards, it can be difficult for a beginner to figure out what went wrong. With several things being installed automatically, it is not always obvious which component is causing the problem.

The other option is to install everything step by step. Yes, this takes longer. If you have never done this before, I would expect to spend a few hours for all components step by step on the initial setup. But in my opinion, that's actually a good thing. You get to see what the different components are for and how they fit together. And if something goes wrong later, you have a much better idea where to look.

I actually needed two attempts myself. The first time, I didn't understand anything at all. A few years later, during the pandemic, I gave it another try. I figured out how to download and play tables that don't require a ROM, played for a few days, then figured out how to install ROM-based tables and configure the built-in DMD. Played for a few more days, then learned how to use the backglass server, played some more, downloaded more tables... and so on.

It was actually a pretty relaxed process. Each time, I just needed to spend a little time reading a guide and figuring out the next step. I didn't try to understand everything at once. I just learned one thing, played for a while, then learned the next thing. Looking back, it was definitely worth it.

So don't think of those few hours as wasted time. That's basically the price you pay for getting into Visual Pinball: not necessarily money, but some time and patience during the initial setup. Once you have gone through it, things become much easier and you will understand the system a lot better.

My advice for a complete beginner would therefore be: don't rush it. Take the step-by-step route, follow the guides, test things as you go and don't worry if it takes an evening or two. The first setup is probably the hardest part. Once your first table is running, you'll be glad you took the time to understand what you installed. And then the fun really starts. 🙂

Whats your language? 

Edited September 24 by Tikimaster