Are Zen Making Their Tables Too Easy?

[LaserFokus]

I've got a question for the good people who populate these forums. Do you think Zen is starting to cater to the handheld (Nintendo Switch) crowd and making easy, high-scoring tables to make them feel good about themselves? My first games on the 2 new Star Wars: The Last Jedi pack tables (Xbox One X) garnered me 100's of mil each without having read the table guides or shooting for any particular strategy or missions. They feel really easy and beginner-friendly.

Is this a deliberate attempt on Zen's part to cater to the new audience? The Nintendo Switch gamers that aren't as hardcore into Zen FX games, perhaps? What does everyone think?

[emboliformis]

I don't know the reason behind this, but there seems to be a leaning towards easier trophies/achievements. Honestly, I don't really care about high scores (unless there is a trophy attached to it). But most of the harder trophies didn't make their way into Pinball FX3 from Zen Pinball 2. I'm not complaining, but getting 100% trophies on Pinball FX3 is much easier than doing it on Zen Pinball 2.

2 tables in The Last Jedi pack have trophies for reaching the wizard mode and completing all story missions, but they are certainly doable in a short time unlike some other wizard modes of Star Wars tables. I got both trophies within an hour and it felt awesome

I like a fair challenge, but I don't like it when they are insanely difficult. So I don't know the cause, but making them easier is not a bad thing for me, if that is a deliberate attempt.

[Pentanick]

There you could be right. I also feel that the tables get easier and easier. But it is a general trend in videogames. Maybe the switch console is also a reason for this trend.

[DepecheM101]

I think the achievements certainly were to easy especially on the the new tables as I got them on the first couple of games (still not unlockable yet on Xbox). As for scoring I don't think it matters what the scores are as everyone is still playing at the same scoring level. I suppose high scoring does look good for newcomers as scoring millions probably does feel better than scoring thousands but at the end of the day you still end up in the same place on the leaderboards.

[Tech101]

I dont even know where to start with this topic.

First of all Star Wars and Marvel are not even available to Switch owners and we dont know if we're ever getting them.

Second of all Zen has been making tables for Nintendo owners since the 3ds and first year of the Wii U so the Switch is nothing new to past Nintendo Zen owners.

Third I'm taking a back that Nintendo players are not hard-core. Ive been playing Zen mostly and only want to play on Nintendo systems but ive logged on over 2000 hours in the last 6 years. I love my pinball and Zen the most.

Fourth Zen has been doing pretty much the same formula for years now. When ever they release a 3 table pack for instance one is easy, the second is harder, and the third is harder yet with lower scoring. Just look at the JP table, Bethesda, Aliens, Balls of Glory, and Universal packs as they all fit in this formula. Can't speak for any recent SW pack because I haven't had the luxury of being able to own them. (Fix that Zen please).

Lastly, so what if they're easy or not, most still have to learn the tables and figure out how to get the best score no matter how you look at it. The leader boards will still look the same regardless.

[Constantinos]

That whole topic is incorrect. I would suggest everyone reading Tech101's post as everything is well exlained. Also, you are all invited in #HynaGang tournaments to let us see how easy all these tables are for you.

[Pentanick]

Hm, okay i will accept this challenge. 😀 And i still belive: the main missions have become more fun for beginners. Is it not more difficult to play on the switch than a standard console? Therefore, a lesser degree of difficulty would make sense. I may not be open-mindet, but have prejudices against nitendo-players (mainly because of their game-lineup, which has above average many just4fun-titles).

[Tech101]

Hm, okay i will accept this challenge. 😀 And i still belive: the main missions have become more fun for beginners. Is it not more difficult to play on the switch than a standard console? Therefore, a lesser degree of difficulty would make sense. I may not be open-mindet, but have prejudices against nitendo-players (mainly because of their game-lineup, which has above average many just4fun-titles).

Give me my pro controller and it's no more different then any other console. Now the handheld part currently only runs at 30fps and it doesn't make it hard to play just less fun because the frame rate can't keep up with the ball nearly as well as when docked.

Yes some Nintendo games are easy but many will kick anybody's butt lol. Try Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze or Zelda Breath of the Wild and then tell me Nintendo games are easy.

[Pentanick]

Forgot that the tables are also released for smartphones. Based on my own experience, i am sure that is more difficult.
I tried Aliens vs. Pinball on the Android. I dit not manage anything.
The Last Jedi gave me a better feeling. I spent totally 4 Franks to test this!
500'000 people bought this game (only the star wars basic-app).
I think this is reason enaugh for ZEN to make their games Adroid/Apple friendly and therefore easier.
Because everyone likes to complete missions in a game.
And i also read the feetback to the (old) Marvel-Tables on Android. There are many who think, that the tables are too difficult...

[Pentanick]

Maybe i should rethink my opinion about switch owners again. The new guilty ones are the smartphone owners. Sort colored stones and fruits. Luckily not many of them are there. Cough.

[JaySTeeY]

#slm

[gaz5021]

I've got a question for the good people who populate these forums. Do you think Zen is starting to cater to the handheld (Nintendo Switch) crowd and making easy, high-scoring tables to make them feel good about themselves? My first games on the 2 new Star Wars: The Last Jedi pack tables (Xbox One X) garnered me 100's of mil each without having read the table guides or shooting for any particular strategy or missions. They feel really easy and beginner-friendly.

What traits do you use to generalise the Nintendo Switch "crowd"? Wouldn't "easy, high-scoring tables" be just catering to everyone equally?

Is this a deliberate attempt on Zen's part to cater to the new audience? The Nintendo Switch gamers that aren't as hardcore into Zen FX games, perhaps? What does everyone think?

Please name a few tables and what you consider to be non-"hardcore" scores, for curiosity's sake. As a Switch player, I'm very interested.

[cantankerous--]

I personally think that most, "hardcore" scores are achieved by those who know the fundamental basics like getting the free balls, activating kick backs, knowing what shoots randomly drain it down the center and how to keep that from occurring. Maxing out your multipliers. Some of the hardcore scores, at least the tables I excel on are what I would consider easy tables, but maybe that is because when a table set or trio comes out I will only play one table till I post a score in the top 5 and if that score is close to number 4 I will keep trying and so on until I post a multi billion score. So for me to classify a table as being easy is maybe just because I will play it several hundred times and learn every nuance of the game and go to youtube and study videos posted by those better than me, so maybe easy is just subjective. But in reality I think, and, again, I can only speak for myself, but many tables are easily exploited and easily grinded over and over again, and ya, some purists would think that is not fun, but to me just randomly shooting the ball and not always going for the thing that yields the most points is just a waste of time.

But if the actual question is, are the tables easier now compared to past tables I can only tell you v12 is one of the original tables and sure its hard now after two physics changes to the engine and now seamlessly running ramps and getting free balls takes a v12 master, but when it first came out, dude I could get 3 free balls on every ball and didnt even have the highest score (top 5 probably) but could get billions of points. Just by running the ramps.

Anyway, just my opinion.............................now how do I vote?

[JaySTeeY]

"This poll is closed"

[cantankerous--]

"This poll is closed"

Huh? Im kinda of lost. The poll was closed and that is not why I am not able to figure it out? Or you just claim it is closed............I forgot the quote marks.