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Is Sterns TWD really that bad?

Judge Dreads

Judge Dreads

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Sterns The Walking Dead (non LE) ranks 149 on Pinside 100, below titles such as Elvis, Shrek, Avatar, Mustang and a host of C list games I have not even heard of from other manufacturers (beat SWEP though which is no mean feat), is it really that bad apart from the theme which is top notch, played the LE briefly but not enough to establish an opinion apart from it looked tasty, wow 149, that will take some beating or has it already :D
 
I wasn't so sure about it at first but then played Replicas LE a while back and thought it was a heck of a lot better.
 
It's the same as Metallica pre software revision. Good potential but the modes jut suck at this point in time. Half the modes don't work and the cross bow is pretty pointless. I really want to love the game but it's just not there at the moment
 
Stern needs to employ more programmers to finish code off of various pins. Problem is they are more expensive to employ than the people making the machines on the production line.
 
Why would they spend more money on programmers? They've already sold the machines so where's the incentive to complete the code? Lyman did the MET software on his own personal time.
 
[ACCOUNT NUKED[ACCOUNT NUKED]
 
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Not finishing code is commercial suicide in the longer term for sales to the collectors market. If TWD isn't finished in terms of code then there is no way I would ever by another NIB. The nerd in me should be getting really excited about a possible GOT pin. However, if the code isn't done for TWD then there is no way I'm putting down the cash.

I suspect the Pinside thread about the code is premature and it will still be worked on but God only knows when. It's bloody painful waiting for it though.:mad::mad: I think the bigger risk is for games such as Mustang and Wrestlewhatever that don't sell enough to justify the cost of coding.

Even titles like AC/DC aren't bloody finished. Where are the cannon madness modes etc?
 
johnwhitfield said:
Not finishing code is commercial suicide in the longer term for sales to the collectors market. If TWD isn't finished in terms of code then there is no way I would ever by another NIB. The nerd in me should be getting really excited about a possible GOT pin. However, if the code isn't done for TWD then there is no way I'm putting down the cash.

I suspect the Pinside thread about the code is premature and it will still be worked on but God only knows when. It's bloody painful waiting for it though.:mad::mad: I think the bigger risk is for games such as Mustang and Wrestlewhatever that don't sell enough to justify the cost of coding.
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With the irony being that Mustang code is actually pretty decent
 
good job I ordered the l e then, at least that's up to 63 on pinside, :rolleyes: not enough ratings for the ipd, yet , can only hope for code updates in the future, still enjoying mine now the ramp problem is fixed, agree with other comments about stern pi+++ng off collectors especially as the show is so popular in the states
 
If the code isn't up to scratch then that's going to seriously damage Stern. Most people put money down on this game sight unseen purely on the promise of Lyman Sheats' programming. If Stern aren't letting him do the job that he was widely announced to be doing then I think future preorders will be a lot less enthusiastic. They have to look after Sheats because he is the best asset Stern have right now.
 
They really should just open source some of those old titles/platforms. Infact, what is Stern's official hardware support span? I'm sure its something ridiculous, like 3 months... which makes just about everything pre 'SPIKE' past official hardware support.

I'd love to have a fiddle, and there are loads of talented people that could finish some of these games at no cost to Stern.
 
If the new SPIKE platform is run on a form of Linux, could it just be a matter of time before its 'opened up' for people to tinker with. SAM has Pinball Browser for doing fun stuff to (bar rules, shame) so don't see why the coding geniuses out there couldn't get their heads round this next
 
I've played TWD and didn't much like it either, though I couldn't quite understand why. It's got a title which could have made it the best selling pin of all time, but seems they've based it on the comic book more than the TV series. With that said, it's more than just code problems and crap artwork - compared to Star Trek it looks like a budget game. Cheap, half ****d crap everywhere.

Take a look at this video to fully understand. I had to watch this over 100 times while editing it so it's really put into perspective for me why the game is so bad.

 
Looks like I'm in the minority but I didn't think it was that bad?
Played the pro at NLP and the Premium at EAG, enjoyed playing both times, especially the Premium. Didn't get enough plays in to understand the rules, but there seems to be a lot going on.
I like the comic book look of the artwork, not exactly tasteful but you wouldn't expect that from a zombie pin.
The animations are some of the best I've seen.
Shame there are no callouts from the show, the voice actors sound pretty bad.
Even considered buying one, but if the code is never finished I'm not interested.
 
Having your programmer post a comment like that on Facebook is pretty damning and damaging to your reputation. If you were an operator about to put a pre-order in for 100 games to go out on route how would you feel if the lead programmer basically said "I never get given time to finish programming a game"?

Having said that though, if made a public comment like about my employer I wouldn't expect to be employed much longer either...

I just don't get this about software on pinballs though? Being a software engineer I feel I'm in a position to make observations, so why is it so difficult for a game design to be translated into software by the time the hardware is released? I don't understand how the physical elements of the game have been designed without the ruleset being written. And if the ruleset is written, why is it so hard to turn that into v1.0 of the code? In terms of complexity pinball machines are very simple and slow devices.
 
Nedreud said:
In terms of complexity pinball machines are very simple and slow devices.
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I've been thinking this for a long time, WTF takes so long? Is it that the software archetecture hasn't evolved so the programmers are using some ancient system to write code?
 
Well I have one here I'm babysitting and like it a lot. Defo needs fleshing out with a code update though. Lots of SDTM shots which some will find frustrating but I like that bit, keeps me on my toes. Unusual layout, skillshot that actually takes skill unlike most sterns.
 
i look forward to playing it some more, i quite enjoyed the few games i played on it so far. i'm pretty surprised to read Lyman say that it's being abandoned codewise.

edit: i just watched that 45min video, and man that MAT guy is one miserable motherflicker, he really has nothing good to say at all, does he. i finally twigged it was the same guy as was behind the camera in that other GRC video that was posted a couple of weeks ago, with the same apologetic Mr Logic bloke in front of camera talking about ElDorado i think, and then slagging off all the Pinsiders. god i hope i never meet that Mat guy, he really knows how to suck all the energy out of a room.

ball 1 of the game at the end of that video looked like terrific fun to me, i don't don't understand the source of all this guy's bile acid, he must be eating himself up inside with misery and anger at the world

gif cartoon spock and ****ing animal.gif
 
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Such a massive difference in quality between whoever designed that, and Steve Ritchie's Star Trek.
 
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