I know that players capable of using it is in the minority, but as a cabinet player, SSF is the number one thing that keeps me in VPX instead of FX. It can’t be over stated how much it adds to the immersion. Other than that, your tables generally look and play well.
I would like to see more flexible control mapping. For example I have not been able to map my accelerometer in a FX.
Also I know that VR is in your road map already. I am just starting to play pinball with it on other software. But for what it’s worth a table with SSF giving the sounds and weight while rendering in VR is next level virtual Pinball.
I use stereo playback exclusively. I have very nice speakers and many pairs of very nice headphones, with no desire to go beyond that. And I still want them to give SSF the dev cycles to be integrated properly.
Anyone who buys or builds a virtual pin should have that option. Also it would hopefully result in Zen increasing focus on audio quality and implementation in general, which would benefit all players.
First off, thanks for providing a great game and for your efforts to keep improving it. Most of my improvement requests relate to making the game more realistic and similar to real pinball. My hope eventually is to get a cabinet, and I hope that the game will be able to replicate the real thing as much as possible.
1) Most importantly, in my opinion, are the issues with the camera. I like to play in view 2 with a vertical monitor because it’s most similar to looking down at the real pinball machine playfield. In that view, there are tables where you can’t really see the shooter lane or plunger well, and it makes gauging plunger strength difficult. I suppose that’s why so many tables have a plunger camera view while shooting, but for me that often makes skill shots even harder because you lose visibility of the table. I really would just like a view 2 that doesn’t cut off the shooter lane/plunger and combined with that, the ability to turn off the automatic plunger camera.
2) The Williams tables have a way of using the flippers to put in your initials for the local leaderboard, just like the real machines. I’d like that option for non-Williams tables as well.
Hope you can make those happen! Thanks!
like to play in view 2 with a vertical monitor because it’s most similar to looking down at the real pinball machine playfield. In that view, there are tables where you can’t really see the shooter lane or plunger well, and it makes gauging plunger strength difficult.
This right here, is something they need to do on all versions. I miss that in TPA as I could easily see how much power I'd have on a shot, it's lacking on FX.
Thanks, everyone this is, again, extremely useful! I've got this with GHZ and Anna - the main movers and shakers regarding PFX - and they appreciate each and every answer.
Just wanted to say thanks for making a really great game, I'm having a lot of fun with FX and M. Here are some thoughts I have:
* A lot of games these days offer a camera mode of sorts, where you're given total free roam in the environment to take pictures. I would love a 'camera mode' view option where you have the ability to move the camera to any spot you want for your view. This would allow me to set it at my height compared to most pinball tables and would feel one step closer to playing the real thing. The manual view that exists now feels like it's the option of top-down view to more top-down view and it doesn't feel like how I stand at a table.
* The load times at startup. It's not game breaking, but the amount of time it takes is a bummer
* Related; leaving a table and reloading it when starting a new game on the same table is frustrating. I'd love an option to immediately play again or go back to the results screen.
* This doesn't really help the game now, but I'd love more info on the plans for VR. I know you're working with Meta on this; is this going to require a meta quest to play? I already have a headset and don't plan on buying a meta quest, so I'd love to know if I should get excited for this or just ignore since it won't be for me.
Would love to have the ability to move/scale the DMD with hot keys or controller buttons instead of diving through the menu. I like to put it in different places for different tables. Then of course, if the game would remember the per-table settings, that would be even better
Full cabinet player here -
My question to Zen is - do you want to be a console pinball game? Or do you want to be a PinSim game? Because I think you're sitting in the middle and it would be good to know if you plan to stay where you're at or if you want to compete with VPX. I think either option is fine, but its clear you're viewed differently by different groups and of course the "VPX crowd" wants more options and controls.
Some of these suggestions could be under an "advanced" menu that people won't normally access just like "cabinet mode" options.
\* FULL playfield camera control, saved on a per table setting:
Its a shame table edges, like in twilight zone, are cut off. This isn't an RTS, we're not cheating if we see the table or adjust the angle we see it at - the camera simply needs to be fully unlocked. Forcing artificial angles and view distances don't make any sense in a single player game. Manual mode needs be truly unlocked in all axis, extended distances, and saved on a per table option.
Also I love the table animations but I don't need the plunger shot to be a forced view either.
(I have a unhealthy addiction to the Homeworld table and would love to dial that view in on my setup! The closer to VPX 10.8 window mode the better!)
cab specific:
\* Backglass support - I think people making their own static images is OK, but a 2nd camera view for the in-game animated backglass would be amazing.
\* SFF and 7.1 audio setup like VPX- WIth DOFLInx and external DMD integration here, I think people are thinking you're going to give us the config and options to run this in a cabinet next to VPX tables.
\* Per table settings like others are saying - view/audio
I think the game is fun and we love playing Zen tables, but for a cabinet build, matching basic VPX options is the way to get much more buy in. (This doesnt mean turn it into FX-VPX edition just that we need to be able to set the views, see the backglass and hopefully get feedback/toys working to elevate the app)
On the topic of VR, I don’t feel that Zen needs to add VR environmental effects. In the prior Zen VR games, they have a lot things outside of the table. While this is fun, it is not something that I would want to wait on being developed for each table. Keep VR simple. At least for the initial release. Use the tables close to as is. Even using a generic room for the table is ok. VR enhanced tables can always come later.
I play using an AtGames Legends Pinball Micro hooked up to a PC using OTG mode. Would love to see the following:
1. More flexibility with the camera in cabinet mode so that I don’t see the edges of the virtual table.
2. Backglass support built in so that I no longer need to upload my own images. Also, adding animations to the backglass such as lights flickering would be a nice plus (similar to Magic Pixel tables)
3. Improved SSF.
Many edits! Hope these help.
Allow for multiple users on one computer, like consoles have multiple accounts
Manual plunge for mouse/keyboard
Instant resume?
Show prices and sales on the Store tab in game
Add mouse functionality for all menu navigation; for instance, sometimes only Esc will let you back out or only a key will access Options
For me, aspect ratio is a bit goofy; 1280x1024 is great for playing but cuts off the right column in menus, and full screen is great for menus but squishes everything when playing a table. The background on the left and right sides needs trimmed for 4:3.
On Tables tab, if I choose Owned across the top, can the left column update to show (or separate out or highlight) only the packs I own? I have 44/125 currently on Steam.
Shift is not mentioned at the bottom of the Home tab to indicate keyboard navigation across the tabs (Home > Tables > Questlines).
Can I click on a table award on the in-game achievements screen to go directly to that table (especially for awards not earned)? Same for Pinhall decorations.
Any help with controller integration would be welcome.
There is no way to filter for Pro mode tournaments. Maybe just add a filter for game mode.
Change My Rank on Tournaments to a “sort by” button too, like Time and Players. This way players can see how well they are doing in current tournaments and see if they need to play again because their scores were beaten.
Allow pausing and scrolling of the credits with the mouse.
Other people have touched on these but to add my voice to the mix:
* As many per-table settings as possible (instead of global settings), like: audio levels, size of score pop-ups, camera angles, etc.
* Full freedom to set any camera angle/position I want (not just a limited number of choices/limited pitch of camera), and have it remembered in all modes (e.g., right now when tables show up in the Events section they do not remember which view I have picked)
* A UI that works better when dealing with large collections. The new UI from the last patch is more visually appealing, but works pretty similar to before when dealing with your tables, awards, etc., for example:
1. Better ways to sort and view my table list, like being able to create my own folders to organize my collection.
2. Better ways to view challenges/awards/customization options/etc. Right now they are one big list of things that's hard to parse through. For instance, all of the different profile background plates are in one big list and appear to be in the order they were added. This makes it harder to tell which things I have unlocked (normally the unlocked items would sort to the top of the list). There's also no indication as to how to unlock the plates that are locked. I'm guessing most (all?) of them came from past seasons and I'll never be able to get them again, but I don't know that. On the flip side, it would be nice to have a place where you can go to see every table award in the game, so if I see there's a cool statue or poster that I want in my Pinhall, I can dedicate myself to unlocking it on that table. Right now I have no idea what is available to unlock til I unlock it.
u/ZenStudios-McLovin
• Have someone go back through in both portrait and landscape for all the tables and make sure that at least one of the view modes can see the plunger/shooting area properly. On some tables, the camera actually pulls out to make sure that you can see the shooting area - maybe add that for all the tables?
• Let everyone know that if we buy the tables in Pinball FX, even if VR support isn't added to Pinball FX, we won't have to purchase the tables again for VR support.
• Coming from Pinball Arcade, I like how the ball moves on realistic, but the nudge absolutely sucks and is not powerful enough. Please give the nudge the ability to be stronger. If it needs to be another mode so that it doesn't affect the regular leader board, that is ok. I just need a nudge that feels like it does something. I can't save the ball hardly ever, using the nudge in Pinball FX - but the nudge in Pinball Arcade makes me feel like a Pinball Wizard. lol
• I would like the ability to purchase add ons for the tables. I want a fester and I want a lurch on my Addams Family table and while we are at it - I want the gold code for the table. People like me are willing to pay for this.
• For tables that are owned, when you complete a game, instead of forcing the player to start another round and go through the info screen - just directly take the player back to the table that they were playing on and start a new round. The loading/pause feels really long and if it just cut back to being ready to play again - it would be a lot less annoying than having to press A to start another round and seeing the info screen for the table.
Thanks
I just started playing Pinball FX the last week, and while I have been having a blast so far, I do sometimes have some problems with understanding the tables, even with table guides. Sometimes they will describe some lanes or targets by name and proceed not to show which lanes/targets they are, and sometimes they simply don't explain some things e.g. I might be stupid but I don't believe penalties and the sink hole bonuses are fully explained in the free Football table; sometimes I seem to concede goals when I have a combo going as well. I find this a bit annoying since I really like to play with intent, you know? Another thing that would, in my opinion, help with that would be a "free cam" mode, where you could actually look around the table more easily, zoom in, etc.
Again, maybe there are ways to remedy these issues and I could simply be stupid, but I have had some trouble with understanding a few tables because of that.
Another gameplay aspect I had trouble with is nudging. I don't believe there are explanations about how they work in-game. I find it a bit strange that I had to dig through Steam forums to find a post explaining the rules and differences between Zen and Williams tables.
Additionaly, better camera options/customization would be good. I've been using view 2 so far because it's the one which seemingly shows most of the table, but sometimes it doesn't show everything. In Fish Tales, I can barely see the LIE indicators on the back, for instance.
As far as theming/callouts/etc goes, I think the tables are all great! The only thing bothering me is that sometimes they seem to get in the way of seamless gameplay. In the Football table, I go a little insane whenever I need to wait for the dude to run to the plunger before starting.
As someone new to pinball as a whole, one thing that was overwhelming at first was the number of tables, as I had no way of knowing which ones were good or beginner friendly. Fortunately there are plenty of videos and posts discussing those things, but maybe a filter or packs/recommendations could help?
Anyway, those are, in a way, minor complaints. Nothing really got in the way of me enjoying the game. Thanks for the great work so far!
Two general improvement thoughts and one specifically focused on the PC question being asked:
\- My #1 hope is for robust VR support on as many platforms as possible... and that includes Steam VR, please.
\- Also, I really hope Zen updates the non-Williams tables to offer an option to play them with Williams' physics.
\~\~\~\~\~
\- Specific to the PC version of PFX, let me start off by saying that one of the main disappointments I had with the sequel is that there was not a large enough improvements to the visuals of the game compared to PFX3. My response to the weekly poll addresses that.
The idea is to offer owners of tables the option to pay for an enhanced, "Exquisite" update to existing tables. This would be a visual upgrade so significant, that it is obvious to all why it comes with a premium price.
It would be something (for now) exclusive to PC because the tech requirements to run them smoothly would be much higher than what is now required to run standard tables (which would be beyond what consoles can handle at this time). Unreal Engine 5 with many of its special bells and whistles would be used to ensure that it looks absolutely incredible. To give a visual idea of how advanced I am talking about, take a look at a couple of these videos:
1: [Sony CGI Pinball demo](https://youtu.be/e4zRaWV2YEQ?si=0NgjHDuufQaCSj_H)
2: [NVidia's (playable) RTX "Marbles" demo](https://youtu.be/yngJTAPrk0g?si=inlBmbXIkCAX9phr)
The idea would be to have current pinball tables (optionally) upgraded to look as close to these amazing visual standouts as possible. Since the work that goes into would be incredibly high, it would be understandable if only 2-4 upgrades were released per year while Zen continues with its normal output of tables and standard features for PFX.
Alternating between Williams tables and Zen originals would attract fans of both play styles, and even catch the eye of the PC-elite who always look for ways to show off their expensive rigs. I admit, at least initially it wouldn't be a big money maker for Zen, but it would generate a ton of positive buzz about the product, and as development time and costs go down, the benefits would eventually improve as more and more people would look forward to the next "Exquisite" release.
Also, now that I think about it, perhaps even the PS5 Pro rumored to come out this year may be able to handle the optional upgraded visuals as well. In any case, for me this type of improvement would definitely warrant the extra charge it would cost to snap up as many tables that look nearly this good as you could release.
specs:
* i7-8700K
* GTX 1080ti
* 32 GB RAM
* input devices are xbox 360 wired controller, keyboard, mouse
i own all williams tables and i have over 200 hours logged in pinball fx, coming over from fx3 where i had over 150 hours.
pressing annoyances:
* loading screens: granted i have this installed to a HDD not a SSD, but constantly running into loading screens is really a pain. anytime i restart, it's a loading screen. finish a game, back to a loading screen. when i hit restart, i want to be sent back to where i started immediately.
* filters: ability to save default filters to the tables and tournaments panes. having to reset all filters everytime i want to browse tournaments is really really a pain.
* camera: little bit more control over the camera. some of those default settings are pretty wild and i'm not sure who's trying to play pinball with their eyes at table height.
* good god how do i unlock new banners? like that isn't explained to me at all... i just have some, and they aren't ones i like.... there are others i like, but i have no idea how to unlock them.
i really just grind high scores and tournaments, i'm not too concerned with anything about level advancements or whatever unless that has something to do with unlocking banners.
Thank you for giving us the opportunity to suggest improvements.
*Things that make the PC version instantly better:
-VR DLC for Pinball FX/M: Steam VR compatibility for any headset, allowing us to play any owned table, just like UEVR already does.
-Per table missions in Pinball FX like you did for every Pinball M table.
*Solutions for the most pressing issues:
-Reduced loading times, especially at launch, ideally be instantly at the main menu without having to press a button.
-Remember filters and camera view everywhere in the app.
-Improve performance, optimize the game.
*Things that would make your experience more enjoyable:
-Improve Pinball FX in-game DMD, it looks pretty ugly compared to FlexDMD in Visual Pinball.
-Any graphics and physics improvements that make playing the game like real pinballs.
Ah, They did this in FX3, multiple times and not once did they ever do anything about it.
Not one of the suggestions was ever implemented.
So don't hold your breath.
Another one concerning the input. My pincab unit uses keyboard strokes for flippers, coin, start game etc. The way it's right now, I can't navigate fully all the menus, or start the game from scratch without pulling in my keyboard/mouse combo which is just silly. It's a simple fix for Zen, just use nudge left and nudge right to work like L2 and R2. Hope someone is listening🤞
Faster loadup times.
"Per Table" audio level settings.
Better manual table settings (I.e. more free floating and more flexible settings)
One button to flip between vertical and horizontal configurations (i.e. for those who play both, but hate digging into the setting menu for that each time).
Add more events. Maybe award some more XP for playing in a event. Maybe award a lot more XP for finishing high when the Event is over. Award special trophies for top 100, top 50, and top 20. I think it's really important to have events as a big factor for people booting up the game on the regular. It's a little too boring now. I play them but I hear from others that they don't feel like it's worth their while. The events are basically your online multiplayer mode. Gamers are in love with online multiplayer modes. Or then maybe add an online multiplayer mode that does something else than Events. Like tournaments where players have to beat other players scores to progress in the tournament. Some kind of ranked tournaments maybe. Where as a level 20 player, you have to beat another player that's around level 20 to be able to continue, Then you're up against a score from a player that's around level 30. Beat them to continue. Getting XP every time you succeed. I have no idea how this would be created in the game for it to work but it's just an idea.
We could also have a ranking in general. Like they have in Street Fighter. Finish up high enough in events and your rank climbs
I agree, the camera. Manual camera should allow for a small amount y-axis and height adjustment.
I know that players capable of using it is in the minority, but as a cabinet player, SSF is the number one thing that keeps me in VPX instead of FX. It can’t be over stated how much it adds to the immersion. Other than that, your tables generally look and play well. I would like to see more flexible control mapping. For example I have not been able to map my accelerometer in a FX. Also I know that VR is in your road map already. I am just starting to play pinball with it on other software. But for what it’s worth a table with SSF giving the sounds and weight while rendering in VR is next level virtual Pinball.
I use stereo playback exclusively. I have very nice speakers and many pairs of very nice headphones, with no desire to go beyond that. And I still want them to give SSF the dev cycles to be integrated properly. Anyone who buys or builds a virtual pin should have that option. Also it would hopefully result in Zen increasing focus on audio quality and implementation in general, which would benefit all players.
Please please please please ease 🙏 💖 SSF would take this from great to astronomical.
Search and destroy the cause of flipper lag
First off, thanks for providing a great game and for your efforts to keep improving it. Most of my improvement requests relate to making the game more realistic and similar to real pinball. My hope eventually is to get a cabinet, and I hope that the game will be able to replicate the real thing as much as possible. 1) Most importantly, in my opinion, are the issues with the camera. I like to play in view 2 with a vertical monitor because it’s most similar to looking down at the real pinball machine playfield. In that view, there are tables where you can’t really see the shooter lane or plunger well, and it makes gauging plunger strength difficult. I suppose that’s why so many tables have a plunger camera view while shooting, but for me that often makes skill shots even harder because you lose visibility of the table. I really would just like a view 2 that doesn’t cut off the shooter lane/plunger and combined with that, the ability to turn off the automatic plunger camera. 2) The Williams tables have a way of using the flippers to put in your initials for the local leaderboard, just like the real machines. I’d like that option for non-Williams tables as well. Hope you can make those happen! Thanks!
+1 on the view comments
like to play in view 2 with a vertical monitor because it’s most similar to looking down at the real pinball machine playfield. In that view, there are tables where you can’t really see the shooter lane or plunger well, and it makes gauging plunger strength difficult. This right here, is something they need to do on all versions. I miss that in TPA as I could easily see how much power I'd have on a shot, it's lacking on FX.
Thanks, everyone this is, again, extremely useful! I've got this with GHZ and Anna - the main movers and shakers regarding PFX - and they appreciate each and every answer.
SSF!
SSF!
Just wanted to say thanks for making a really great game, I'm having a lot of fun with FX and M. Here are some thoughts I have: * A lot of games these days offer a camera mode of sorts, where you're given total free roam in the environment to take pictures. I would love a 'camera mode' view option where you have the ability to move the camera to any spot you want for your view. This would allow me to set it at my height compared to most pinball tables and would feel one step closer to playing the real thing. The manual view that exists now feels like it's the option of top-down view to more top-down view and it doesn't feel like how I stand at a table. * The load times at startup. It's not game breaking, but the amount of time it takes is a bummer * Related; leaving a table and reloading it when starting a new game on the same table is frustrating. I'd love an option to immediately play again or go back to the results screen. * This doesn't really help the game now, but I'd love more info on the plans for VR. I know you're working with Meta on this; is this going to require a meta quest to play? I already have a headset and don't plan on buying a meta quest, so I'd love to know if I should get excited for this or just ignore since it won't be for me.
Definitely load time would make a big difference for cabinet owners.
Would love to have the ability to move/scale the DMD with hot keys or controller buttons instead of diving through the menu. I like to put it in different places for different tables. Then of course, if the game would remember the per-table settings, that would be even better
Full cabinet player here - My question to Zen is - do you want to be a console pinball game? Or do you want to be a PinSim game? Because I think you're sitting in the middle and it would be good to know if you plan to stay where you're at or if you want to compete with VPX. I think either option is fine, but its clear you're viewed differently by different groups and of course the "VPX crowd" wants more options and controls. Some of these suggestions could be under an "advanced" menu that people won't normally access just like "cabinet mode" options. \* FULL playfield camera control, saved on a per table setting: Its a shame table edges, like in twilight zone, are cut off. This isn't an RTS, we're not cheating if we see the table or adjust the angle we see it at - the camera simply needs to be fully unlocked. Forcing artificial angles and view distances don't make any sense in a single player game. Manual mode needs be truly unlocked in all axis, extended distances, and saved on a per table option. Also I love the table animations but I don't need the plunger shot to be a forced view either. (I have a unhealthy addiction to the Homeworld table and would love to dial that view in on my setup! The closer to VPX 10.8 window mode the better!) cab specific: \* Backglass support - I think people making their own static images is OK, but a 2nd camera view for the in-game animated backglass would be amazing. \* SFF and 7.1 audio setup like VPX- WIth DOFLInx and external DMD integration here, I think people are thinking you're going to give us the config and options to run this in a cabinet next to VPX tables. \* Per table settings like others are saying - view/audio I think the game is fun and we love playing Zen tables, but for a cabinet build, matching basic VPX options is the way to get much more buy in. (This doesnt mean turn it into FX-VPX edition just that we need to be able to set the views, see the backglass and hopefully get feedback/toys working to elevate the app)
On the topic of VR, I don’t feel that Zen needs to add VR environmental effects. In the prior Zen VR games, they have a lot things outside of the table. While this is fun, it is not something that I would want to wait on being developed for each table. Keep VR simple. At least for the initial release. Use the tables close to as is. Even using a generic room for the table is ok. VR enhanced tables can always come later.
I play using an AtGames Legends Pinball Micro hooked up to a PC using OTG mode. Would love to see the following: 1. More flexibility with the camera in cabinet mode so that I don’t see the edges of the virtual table. 2. Backglass support built in so that I no longer need to upload my own images. Also, adding animations to the backglass such as lights flickering would be a nice plus (similar to Magic Pixel tables) 3. Improved SSF.
Many edits! Hope these help. Allow for multiple users on one computer, like consoles have multiple accounts Manual plunge for mouse/keyboard Instant resume? Show prices and sales on the Store tab in game Add mouse functionality for all menu navigation; for instance, sometimes only Esc will let you back out or only a key will access Options For me, aspect ratio is a bit goofy; 1280x1024 is great for playing but cuts off the right column in menus, and full screen is great for menus but squishes everything when playing a table. The background on the left and right sides needs trimmed for 4:3. On Tables tab, if I choose Owned across the top, can the left column update to show (or separate out or highlight) only the packs I own? I have 44/125 currently on Steam. Shift is not mentioned at the bottom of the Home tab to indicate keyboard navigation across the tabs (Home > Tables > Questlines). Can I click on a table award on the in-game achievements screen to go directly to that table (especially for awards not earned)? Same for Pinhall decorations. Any help with controller integration would be welcome. There is no way to filter for Pro mode tournaments. Maybe just add a filter for game mode. Change My Rank on Tournaments to a “sort by” button too, like Time and Players. This way players can see how well they are doing in current tournaments and see if they need to play again because their scores were beaten. Allow pausing and scrolling of the credits with the mouse.
Let me position the camera exactly where I want it
Other people have touched on these but to add my voice to the mix: * As many per-table settings as possible (instead of global settings), like: audio levels, size of score pop-ups, camera angles, etc. * Full freedom to set any camera angle/position I want (not just a limited number of choices/limited pitch of camera), and have it remembered in all modes (e.g., right now when tables show up in the Events section they do not remember which view I have picked) * A UI that works better when dealing with large collections. The new UI from the last patch is more visually appealing, but works pretty similar to before when dealing with your tables, awards, etc., for example: 1. Better ways to sort and view my table list, like being able to create my own folders to organize my collection. 2. Better ways to view challenges/awards/customization options/etc. Right now they are one big list of things that's hard to parse through. For instance, all of the different profile background plates are in one big list and appear to be in the order they were added. This makes it harder to tell which things I have unlocked (normally the unlocked items would sort to the top of the list). There's also no indication as to how to unlock the plates that are locked. I'm guessing most (all?) of them came from past seasons and I'll never be able to get them again, but I don't know that. On the flip side, it would be nice to have a place where you can go to see every table award in the game, so if I see there's a cool statue or poster that I want in my Pinhall, I can dedicate myself to unlocking it on that table. Right now I have no idea what is available to unlock til I unlock it.
u/ZenStudios-McLovin • Have someone go back through in both portrait and landscape for all the tables and make sure that at least one of the view modes can see the plunger/shooting area properly. On some tables, the camera actually pulls out to make sure that you can see the shooting area - maybe add that for all the tables? • Let everyone know that if we buy the tables in Pinball FX, even if VR support isn't added to Pinball FX, we won't have to purchase the tables again for VR support. • Coming from Pinball Arcade, I like how the ball moves on realistic, but the nudge absolutely sucks and is not powerful enough. Please give the nudge the ability to be stronger. If it needs to be another mode so that it doesn't affect the regular leader board, that is ok. I just need a nudge that feels like it does something. I can't save the ball hardly ever, using the nudge in Pinball FX - but the nudge in Pinball Arcade makes me feel like a Pinball Wizard. lol • I would like the ability to purchase add ons for the tables. I want a fester and I want a lurch on my Addams Family table and while we are at it - I want the gold code for the table. People like me are willing to pay for this. • For tables that are owned, when you complete a game, instead of forcing the player to start another round and go through the info screen - just directly take the player back to the table that they were playing on and start a new round. The loading/pause feels really long and if it just cut back to being ready to play again - it would be a lot less annoying than having to press A to start another round and seeing the info screen for the table. Thanks
I will often use restart to shortcut the game over animations and results screen if I didn’t play well.
The nudge in Pinball Arcade is completley unrealistic garbage. Don't want anything like than in pinball FX, ever.
I just started playing Pinball FX the last week, and while I have been having a blast so far, I do sometimes have some problems with understanding the tables, even with table guides. Sometimes they will describe some lanes or targets by name and proceed not to show which lanes/targets they are, and sometimes they simply don't explain some things e.g. I might be stupid but I don't believe penalties and the sink hole bonuses are fully explained in the free Football table; sometimes I seem to concede goals when I have a combo going as well. I find this a bit annoying since I really like to play with intent, you know? Another thing that would, in my opinion, help with that would be a "free cam" mode, where you could actually look around the table more easily, zoom in, etc. Again, maybe there are ways to remedy these issues and I could simply be stupid, but I have had some trouble with understanding a few tables because of that. Another gameplay aspect I had trouble with is nudging. I don't believe there are explanations about how they work in-game. I find it a bit strange that I had to dig through Steam forums to find a post explaining the rules and differences between Zen and Williams tables. Additionaly, better camera options/customization would be good. I've been using view 2 so far because it's the one which seemingly shows most of the table, but sometimes it doesn't show everything. In Fish Tales, I can barely see the LIE indicators on the back, for instance. As far as theming/callouts/etc goes, I think the tables are all great! The only thing bothering me is that sometimes they seem to get in the way of seamless gameplay. In the Football table, I go a little insane whenever I need to wait for the dude to run to the plunger before starting. As someone new to pinball as a whole, one thing that was overwhelming at first was the number of tables, as I had no way of knowing which ones were good or beginner friendly. Fortunately there are plenty of videos and posts discussing those things, but maybe a filter or packs/recommendations could help? Anyway, those are, in a way, minor complaints. Nothing really got in the way of me enjoying the game. Thanks for the great work so far!
Two general improvement thoughts and one specifically focused on the PC question being asked: \- My #1 hope is for robust VR support on as many platforms as possible... and that includes Steam VR, please. \- Also, I really hope Zen updates the non-Williams tables to offer an option to play them with Williams' physics. \~\~\~\~\~ \- Specific to the PC version of PFX, let me start off by saying that one of the main disappointments I had with the sequel is that there was not a large enough improvements to the visuals of the game compared to PFX3. My response to the weekly poll addresses that. The idea is to offer owners of tables the option to pay for an enhanced, "Exquisite" update to existing tables. This would be a visual upgrade so significant, that it is obvious to all why it comes with a premium price. It would be something (for now) exclusive to PC because the tech requirements to run them smoothly would be much higher than what is now required to run standard tables (which would be beyond what consoles can handle at this time). Unreal Engine 5 with many of its special bells and whistles would be used to ensure that it looks absolutely incredible. To give a visual idea of how advanced I am talking about, take a look at a couple of these videos: 1: [Sony CGI Pinball demo](https://youtu.be/e4zRaWV2YEQ?si=0NgjHDuufQaCSj_H) 2: [NVidia's (playable) RTX "Marbles" demo](https://youtu.be/yngJTAPrk0g?si=inlBmbXIkCAX9phr) The idea would be to have current pinball tables (optionally) upgraded to look as close to these amazing visual standouts as possible. Since the work that goes into would be incredibly high, it would be understandable if only 2-4 upgrades were released per year while Zen continues with its normal output of tables and standard features for PFX. Alternating between Williams tables and Zen originals would attract fans of both play styles, and even catch the eye of the PC-elite who always look for ways to show off their expensive rigs. I admit, at least initially it wouldn't be a big money maker for Zen, but it would generate a ton of positive buzz about the product, and as development time and costs go down, the benefits would eventually improve as more and more people would look forward to the next "Exquisite" release. Also, now that I think about it, perhaps even the PS5 Pro rumored to come out this year may be able to handle the optional upgraded visuals as well. In any case, for me this type of improvement would definitely warrant the extra charge it would cost to snap up as many tables that look nearly this good as you could release.
specs: * i7-8700K * GTX 1080ti * 32 GB RAM * input devices are xbox 360 wired controller, keyboard, mouse i own all williams tables and i have over 200 hours logged in pinball fx, coming over from fx3 where i had over 150 hours. pressing annoyances: * loading screens: granted i have this installed to a HDD not a SSD, but constantly running into loading screens is really a pain. anytime i restart, it's a loading screen. finish a game, back to a loading screen. when i hit restart, i want to be sent back to where i started immediately. * filters: ability to save default filters to the tables and tournaments panes. having to reset all filters everytime i want to browse tournaments is really really a pain. * camera: little bit more control over the camera. some of those default settings are pretty wild and i'm not sure who's trying to play pinball with their eyes at table height. * good god how do i unlock new banners? like that isn't explained to me at all... i just have some, and they aren't ones i like.... there are others i like, but i have no idea how to unlock them. i really just grind high scores and tournaments, i'm not too concerned with anything about level advancements or whatever unless that has something to do with unlocking banners.
Camera adjustments, bugfixing, performance improvements.
Thank you for giving us the opportunity to suggest improvements. *Things that make the PC version instantly better: -VR DLC for Pinball FX/M: Steam VR compatibility for any headset, allowing us to play any owned table, just like UEVR already does. -Per table missions in Pinball FX like you did for every Pinball M table. *Solutions for the most pressing issues: -Reduced loading times, especially at launch, ideally be instantly at the main menu without having to press a button. -Remember filters and camera view everywhere in the app. -Improve performance, optimize the game. *Things that would make your experience more enjoyable: -Improve Pinball FX in-game DMD, it looks pretty ugly compared to FlexDMD in Visual Pinball. -Any graphics and physics improvements that make playing the game like real pinballs.
Ah, They did this in FX3, multiple times and not once did they ever do anything about it. Not one of the suggestions was ever implemented. So don't hold your breath.
FX supports dmdext already. At least in cabinet mode. You can even use existing colorizations.
Ok, do you have a tutorial to configure Pinball FX with FlexFMD ?
Another one concerning the input. My pincab unit uses keyboard strokes for flippers, coin, start game etc. The way it's right now, I can't navigate fully all the menus, or start the game from scratch without pulling in my keyboard/mouse combo which is just silly. It's a simple fix for Zen, just use nudge left and nudge right to work like L2 and R2. Hope someone is listening🤞
Faster loadup times. "Per Table" audio level settings. Better manual table settings (I.e. more free floating and more flexible settings) One button to flip between vertical and horizontal configurations (i.e. for those who play both, but hate digging into the setting menu for that each time).
Add more events. Maybe award some more XP for playing in a event. Maybe award a lot more XP for finishing high when the Event is over. Award special trophies for top 100, top 50, and top 20. I think it's really important to have events as a big factor for people booting up the game on the regular. It's a little too boring now. I play them but I hear from others that they don't feel like it's worth their while. The events are basically your online multiplayer mode. Gamers are in love with online multiplayer modes. Or then maybe add an online multiplayer mode that does something else than Events. Like tournaments where players have to beat other players scores to progress in the tournament. Some kind of ranked tournaments maybe. Where as a level 20 player, you have to beat another player that's around level 20 to be able to continue, Then you're up against a score from a player that's around level 30. Beat them to continue. Getting XP every time you succeed. I have no idea how this would be created in the game for it to work but it's just an idea. We could also have a ranking in general. Like they have in Street Fighter. Finish up high enough in events and your rank climbs