Site Rules

[Dazz]

This document is a work in progress. All rules below are suggestions and are up for discussion. If you feel that something needs to be changed, or added please let us know.  

 

VP Versions Supported:
VPU will only support Visual Pinball 9+.  No tables or files for VP8 will be accepted. 

 

 

FP Versions Supported:

 

 

 

Table Naming: 
Having a standard table naming system will make things in the long run much easier.  Taking our queue from Circo and his newly released video set the table naming for ALL tables uploaded to VPU shall be named using the following naming convention:

Table Name, The (manuf) (Year) (Author, Author) (version)

 

Since we will be accepting, Full Screen, Desktop and Widescreen tables we will need to add another designation to file names:  Suggestions would be a 2 letter designation (FS), (DT) and (WS), other designations such as (B2S) to indicate a B2S table might need to be considered as well. HyperPin Media Packs should have a designation of (MP).

 

 

Uploads:

All tables uploaded will go through an approval period.  This approval period is mainly so we can add the necessary support files to the primary download section. Support files will include the ROM used for that specific table, HyperPin Media Pack, and video.

 

Tables uploaded to VPU should adhere to new quality standards. These are standards that not been in place thus far, but we feel that is needed to further this hobby. Some of these new standards are primarily for Full Screen tables, but might be asked to implement on DT and WS as needed.

 

We will need to explain more about standards later, but a couple examples would be to ask that authors to code their tables with newer enhancements. Enhancements such as code for the Pinball Wizard controller using the better method explained by Koadic, from VPF. FS tables should take advantage of the Layback options for better viewing, perhaps we need to determine a standard Layback so all tables will have a uniform view to them.  

 

Again, these are just suggestions and nothing is set in stone and all is up for discussion.

 

 

Table Modding:

VPU staff may need to modify uploaded tables. Tables submitted will only be modified to add user functionality, such as the Pinball Wizard code. Users will be requested to gain the permission by the original table author if at all possible.  We feel that a statute needs to be implemented on table modding. For instance if the modder is not able to contact the original author, or in the case of original table authors death.  Again, these are just suggestions and nothing is set in stone and all is up for discussion.

 

Downloads:

 

 

[rosve]

I don't like the idea of using divider characters (, comma) in a file name. This will not work for B2S tables where the backglass is launced from the table script. The Execute function in the Windows Shell will ignore everyting after a comma.

[Dazz]

Yeah, I was questioning the use of commas as well in file names.

[blur]

Hi everybody, i'm here and i'm quee... just joking

 

For B2S tables to launch properly from fplaunch you can have many "," in the table name and name has to end with B2S, without (), something like this:

Sky Kings (Bally) (1973) (Druadic,  Rosve) (1.0.0) B2S.vpt

 

If you start B2S from table script, question is how will you close it - B2S has close on Esc key incorporated but that works only if you have Exit key on cab mapped to Esc key, if you don't you can't use it

Also even if you have Esc on exit key - you can't really use exit menu cause every time you launch menu you will lose backglass.

 

For table names i suggest blank after each "," but it could also be removed for shorter names.

 

Another thing that is important is description - cause if i remember correctly description goes to all art files and uvp files and so on.

Normal hypesrpin standard for description is this:

2001 (Gottlieb 1971).png

which means you can have only one table image, backglass image and wheel image for all versions of 2001 table - which means you can't have for example UW's and URNF's version of gorgar or night version at the same time. Or in short you can have only one best version of each table, but good thing is when you upgrade table to new version you don't have to change art files.

[rosve]

If you start B2S from table script, question is how will you close it - B2S has close on Esc key incorporated but that works only if you have Exit key on cab mapped to Esc key, if you don't you can't use it

Also even if you have Esc on exit key - you can't really use exit menu cause every time you launch menu you will lose backglass.

 

Not all FS players use HyperPin. Many people start the game from VP or frontends like VPman.

[Itchigo]

I'd have no problem with someone modding my tables for a controller. The holding a table to put the necessary files together for d/l makes sense too. As for real modding, my suggestion was implemented at vpf. Noting if mod's are ok in the release thread. Also, another suggestion. A "Statute of Limitations" on modding, should the member no longer be around, say after a period of time, then if this is used, note that it was modded because the sol ran out.

[faralos]

so you are saying that I may have to recode MY tables to play in your systems

 um...no sorry if it needs modding that is one thing

but I am not going to tryh to relearn vp just to please you or anyone else here

 I guess none of my tables will ever make it here then since I build in 4:3 and ONLY in 4:3

[Dazz]

so you are saying that I may have to recode MY tables to play in your systems

 um...no sorry if it needs modding that is one thing

but I am not going to tryh to relearn vp just to please you or anyone else here

 I guess none of my tables will ever make it here then since I build in 4:3 and ONLY in 4:3

 

Hey Faralos,  No one said anything about re-coding anything.  This site isn't for cab only and 4:3 tables will be welcome.  There shouldn't be anything that needs to be re-coded for with 4:3 tables as many people don't use analog plungers on 4:3.  The coding request, is only a request, that is mainly a standard for full screen/cabinet tables where quality > quantity. 

[Itchigo]

What he's saying Faralos is he wants to add plunger support, etc to uploads. Not change them. That way people with plungers can enjoy everthing too.

 

I probably know the answer to this, but here goes... Are you guys modding 4/3's to FS, or does that have to be done by the author? I build in 4/3 and I know how to stretch to fs, but that's about it. Until the B2S editor comes in....

[Dazz]

Ok, I've moved all the irrelevant 4:3 to FS posts to a new thread where they are supposed to belong.

 

Faralos...

I know you aren't use to it, but lets please try to keep threads on topic.

 

This thread is now going back on topic regarding "Site Rules".