Virtual Pool

[VirtualPool]

The iPhone is more powerful than the PSP. Have you heard what John Carmack, the guy who created Doom, has said about the iPhone? He said it's more powerful than a Dreamcast, among other glowing things. I'm sure the iPhone can handle the math. There are already some rather impressive 3d games for the iPhone. You just might have to optimize some of your code. Just don't discount it because it's a cell phone.

Unfortunately John was referring to the graphics processor, not the underpowered ARM processor (the CPU) which lacks floating point instructions. So, no, the iPhone can't handle the math. My post was talking about the physics engine which runs on the ARM processor, hence why the mobile version cannot handle some things that VP3 does easily on a CPU with floating point.
I can assure you that VP is very, very optimized. Most of the physics engine is written in ARM assembly and has been profiled and tweaked to death. We do have a 2.5D version that we will be using in online play that allows basic ball movement in 3 planes, however, the AI for the computer just cannot handle the concept. Thus the 2.5D engine will only be used for Human-Human matches. This is the basic reason that we allow you to shoot through balls and rails, which is cheating. The AI for the computer can't handle jacking the cue stick and thus we have to let it shoot through balls/rails. If the AI gets to cheat, we figure the human could as well. Again, in the online version, this will not be allowed.
Hope that explains things.

 

[VirtualPool]

I played a bit last night and noticed an annoying bug. When shooting at the 8-ball in career mode, sometimes there is a "Shoot" button on the right of the Adjust spin button. There is no meter to adjust the shot speed, like in practice mode with the Aim enabled:

Pressing that button results in a foul. This happened in a few of my games, and cost me an accidental loss to The Hammer - who's butt I immediately whooped after taking that bad loss.

If you hadn't posted the screenshot, I would never have believed you. I can't image how in the world that happens. Is it only in Career Play?

To all, it looks like 1.93 will be delayed as I am rejecting the update request. Sorry, but it will be another two days at best.

 

[wastedyuthe]

Hi VP. Thanks for looking at all those points, it is MUCH appreciated
I only noticed when you responded to it that I listed number 3 twice-

"3) After pressing Call Shot, you are returned to the cue aim view, but it should then automatically aim at the 8 ball.
3) Now in Over Head view the buttons look messy as some are still partially visible when they shouldn't be (see my earlier screen shot I posted)."

I apologise for that. You said you fixed number 3- does that mean both of these points?

I understand about the balls sinking into the pockets and the limitations. If it will be possible at all to 'fake' it, like I said, it will make it more satisfying to actually see a ball being potted. I leave that with you. Thank you for taking it into consideration.

Regarding the Shoot button at the bottom- is that new? I noticed that too, and pressed it, which shot the ball at a seemingly pre-selected power. What's all that about? I noticed it when I was playing Quick Play with 2 human players (both me!) and it appears when attempting a shot at the 8 ball.

 

[VirtualPool]

Yes, both were fixed.

As far as the Shoot button, it looks like YA8BB (Yet another 8-Ball bug).
It doesn't do it on my version so there is a real possiblity that 1.93 will fix it. I am letting 1.93 go through the approval process and we will just hope that it does fix it. I did change several things with the 'touch buttons' so there is a real possibility that I fixed the bug without even knowing it was there. ie; I rewrote the whole touch button class.

Hi VP. Thanks for looking at all those points, it is MUCH appreciated
I only noticed when you responded to it that I listed number 3 twice-

"3) After pressing Call Shot, you are returned to the cue aim view, but it should then automatically aim at the 8 ball.
3) Now in Over Head view the buttons look messy as some are still partially visible when they shouldn't be (see my earlier screen shot I posted)."

I apologise for that. You said you fixed number 3- does that mean both of these points?

I understand about the balls sinking into the pockets and the limitations. If it will be possible at all to 'fake' it, like I said, it will make it more satisfying to actually see a ball being potted. I leave that with you. Thank you for taking it into consideration.

Regarding the Shoot button at the bottom- is that new? I noticed that too, and pressed it, which shot the ball at a seemingly pre-selected power. What's all that about? I noticed it when I was playing Quick Play with 2 human players (both me!) and it appears when attempting a shot at the 8 ball.

 

[wastedyuthe]

Yes hopefully it will be fixed then. I will report back when the update is released to let you know.
Once again, thank you for sorting those problems out- appreciated.

 

[wastedyuthe]

Midnight Pool has now been released in the app store. I have bought it, played it, and out my review in the UK store. Here is what I said-

"After a good play of this, I'll be honest, I prefer Virtual Pool. But this is great too.
The problem I have with this one is it's speed. The roll of the balls just doesn't look realistic enough- they roll along fast enough, and then suddenly grind to a halt with very little slow down in between. To be honest, there not much else to pick on with it, but that to me is rather off-putting, as I like my Pool realistic. Graphically they both have advantages. This obviously includes people you can actually SEE taking the shots, and it has nice backgrounds and a better GUI. VP on the other hand has a terribly out-dated GUI, with no visible players. However, the graphics on the table, particularly the balls, look a lot better. They have very detailed textures and reflections.
Graphics and sound aside, it's the gameplay that counts the most. And for me, I prefer VP's way of adjusting aim (you can get low down to the cue ball if you want for example, to check the angle better) and more realistic ball movement.
However, both are good in their own ways."

 

[nickels]

I think the issue I posted is because the AIM LINE button is still present in career mode. You can press it to make the shoot button come up and disappear. If you remove the AIM LINE button in that mode the issue should go away.

Is it my imagination or does the table get bigger as I go farther in my career? Probably a dumb question, but my latest table seems huge.

 

[VirtualPool]

I think the issue I posted is because the AIM LINE button is still present in career mode. You can press it to make the shoot button come up and disappear. If you remove the AIM LINE button in that mode the issue should go away.

Is it my imagination or does the table get bigger as I go farther in my career? Probably a dumb question, but my latest table seems huge.

In the latest version the Aim Line button does not turn on the Shoot button, so hopefully that problem is fixed.

Yes, the tables do get bigger. Hard Times and Deep Pockets are pro size tables while the Beach House has a Championship sized table. Garage, Hawg Pen and Pit Stop are all Bar sized tables.

 

[nickels]

First off, any timeline on the update?

I play in career mode 8-ball (easy) and I have noticed an issue that occurs post shooting. There is a huge stutter in the animation. The animation appears to jump ahead in time, then it returns to normal, then it jumps again, then it goes back to normal. It happens at various times, so far I've seen it happen in two separate games (both on the Deep Pockets table). The result seems to be whatever was going to happen from the shot, the stutter doesn't affect the outcome, but the game definitely goes bonkers for a moment.

I'd have to record myself playing it a ton to capture this bug, so that is unlikely, but I can assure you I've seen it more then once.

 

[dalvin200]

I think the issue I posted is because the AIM LINE button is still present in career mode. You can press it to make the shoot button come up and disappear. If you remove the AIM LINE button in that mode the issue should go away.

Is it my imagination or does the table get bigger as I go farther in my career? Probably a dumb question, but my latest table seems huge.

sometimes my AIM line just doesn't show.. i have to actually QUIT the game in progress.. which is no good.. cos i'm playing in career mode..

how far have you got anyway?

i'm in career mode 6-ball.. got to level 5 now.. playing all the Rank A dudes... i'm a rank C now, but should shoot through

i'm getting quite addicted now i am getting used to how to play/controls etc..

only nag is the aim line just disappearing when it feels like.. and yes.. i do have the latest version from the app store

 

[VirtualPool]

Apple still has not released the update for sale. I have no idea why as they don't provide any feedback (other than it isn't done). It is very frustrating.
I haven't seen any problems with the aim line, so hopefully the next release (1.93) will have that problem fixed. BTW, it does add a ghost ball.

The crazy forward/backward animation is the system clock rolling over. It doesn't effect the shot outcome or have any other effect other than to freak you out for a second. It is an 'Easter Egg' and has been in there for nearly 10 years.

First off, any timeline on the update?

I play in career mode 8-ball (easy) and I have noticed an issue that occurs post shooting. There is a huge stutter in the animation. The animation appears to jump ahead in time, then it returns to normal, then it jumps again, then it goes back to normal. It happens at various times, so far I've seen it happen in two separate games (both on the Deep Pockets table). The result seems to be whatever was going to happen from the shot, the stutter doesn't affect the outcome, but the game definitely goes bonkers for a moment.

I'd have to record myself playing it a ton to capture this bug, so that is unlikely, but I can assure you I've seen it more then once.

 

[VirtualPool]

Hopefully the aim line will always work in 1.93... however, keep in mind that using the aim line is cheating. You really need to try and kick the habit... think of the bug as a not so subtle reminder.

sometimes my AIM line just doesn't show.. i have to actually QUIT the game in progress.. which is no good.. cos i'm playing in career mode..

how far have you got anyway?

i'm in career mode 6-ball.. got to level 5 now.. playing all the Rank A dudes... i'm a rank C now, but should shoot through

i'm getting quite addicted now i am getting used to how to play/controls etc..

only nag is the aim line just disappearing when it feels like.. and yes.. i do have the latest version from the app store

 

[wastedyuthe]

Apple still has not released the update for sale. I have no idea why as they don't provide any feedback (other than it isn't done). It is very frustrating.

It's very frustrating for me too, especially knowing that it HAS been submitted to Apple. I am very much looking forward to this, as I am sure everyone else is. I bought Midnight Pool, and found it's presentation better, but it plays no-where near as well. I am just looking forward to playing VP without the bugs. I keep checking for it throughout the day every day

 

[wastedyuthe]

YES!! It's here! The new update is now available in the app store. I am installing it as I write and will report back.

 

[dalvin200]

Hopefully the aim line will always work in 1.93... however, keep in mind that using the aim line is cheating. You really need to try and kick the habit... think of the bug as a not so subtle reminder.

yeah.. i'm slowly starting not to use it..

also, the sound sometimes just decides to turn off.. ive had that happen a few times now..

but i see the update is out.. so i'll check that out

 

[wastedyuthe]

WoW! What a difference a version number makes! To the developer, all I can say is well done, and thank you.

My previous points were-
1) When nominating a pocket, Call Shot has to be selected twice when it should only need to be tapped once.

- FIXED. This makes the 8-ball game SO much better to play now, and looks a lot more professional.

2) After pressing Call Shot, you are returned to the cue aim view, but it should then automatically aim at the 8 ball.

- FIXED. Again, like point 1, this makes the 8-ball game a lot better to play now.

3) Now in Over Head view the buttons look messy as some are still partially visible when they shouldn't be.

- FIXED. The over head view looks a lot more like a finished version rather than a beta.

4) Remove the Aim Line button from the game UI if the function is disabled in the settings.

- FIXED. It looks a lot better now the button is no longer there if disabled.

5) For some reason, enabling Aim Line doesn't take effect until you quit the current game and start a new one.

- FIXED. This will save a lot of confusion as before, I was wondering if the aim line actually worked at all when I enabled it.

6) When you click Aim Line while in Over Head view, it returns you to the cue aim view rather than just showing the aim line in the over head view.

- FIXED. This makes a lot more sense now you can turn the aid on or off while staying in the view.

7) Adversary view in the settings seems broken. The other settings yellow arrows can be tapped to toggle, where-as Adversary view can only be toggled by dragging.

-FIXED. A lot easier to select now.

8) I agree with others about taking your finger off the screen. It shouldn't be counted as a foul, but rather a cancellation of the shot.

-FIXED. Pheww! That was getting annoying. The game is a lot less frustrating now, as I did this a lot.

So, this is SO much better than the previous version- thank you. However, here are some points I would like to go over, as I don't think it is quite perfect yet.

1) Please do something about the horrible yellow square which nominates a pocket. It is very ugly. Why not an arrow pointing to the pocket or something?
2) Have you looked into faking the ball going into the pocket yet? If at all possible, it would make the game look better as well as being more satisfying to play. This is not essential of course- rather a request.
3) I personally think the Aim line button should be re-named to Aim Aid. In the menu settings, you name it as the aim aid, and can have either a line or a ghost ball as options (obviously the ghost ball still uses the line). But if you select Ghost ball in the settings and return to the game, it doesn't make sense having a button for Aim line (which is what you call the other setting). Having a button for Aim Aid will work for BOTH settings- see what I mean?
4) Now this is more of a bug report than a request, and I hadn't spotted it until I play tested this latest version. When in Over Head view, if you select the Menu button at the top, then resume, it does some strange things as you can see...

... The first shot kind of speaks for itself. In both shots, notice the Over Head button is STILL activated, and only when you click on it does the game return to normal.

Overall though, much better. Great!

[EDIT] I have just re-submitted my iTunes review- 5 out of 5 again, and mentioned that it is a lot better than Midnight Pool while I was at it.

 

[BergerFan]

Awesome! I look forward to getting this when I get home.
The foul shot thing was my only real concern, as I've not played a career match since the last update, only quick & 2 player matches. Great job Celeris!

 

[nickels]

I just got the update and can't wait to test it out! Thanks for listening (I can't stress this enough)

 

[Luvinia Krista]

I have been desperately looking for Virtual Pool 3 game for pc, to no avail. I love playing pool games in the pc. I already have World Championship pool 2005. But, what I really want to have is the vp3 game. you can email me if you have one.......

 

[VirtualPool]

I have been desperately looking for Virtual Pool 3 game for pc, to no avail. I love playing pool games in the pc. I already have World Championship pool 2005. But, what I really want to have is the vp3 game. you can email me if you have one.......

You can buy VP3 from our website, www.celeris.com

 

[Almy]

Long time pool player and first time computer pool user, much less mobile. I am having a blast, thanks for the great game.

I might be missing something, but just in case..:when I play 8 ball in career mode and im shooting the 8 I don't get an option to pit english on the cue.

Edit: well now Im seeing the 'adjust spin' button while shooting the 8. No clue what's up. If I can find a way to reproduce it I'll let you know.

 

[BergerFan]

Not quite sure what you're saying there, but we do need a UK Pool option and red/yellow balls for it too.
As far as I know, UK rules were basically 2 shots for an error with no moving of the ball, and no nomination for the Black ball pocket.

Somebody please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[nickels]

Well, the game is getting better, but the AIM line still exists in Career mode even when disabled in the menu. Not only that, but the aim line even appears now, where before the button did nothing. I am using V 1.93:

and

 

[nickels]

when I play 8 ball in career mode and im shooting the 8 I don't get an option to pit english on the cue.

Edit: well now Im seeing the 'adjust spin' button while shooting the 8. No clue what's up. If I can find a way to reproduce it I'll let you know.

I've reproduced this, many times now. It occurs when the opponent scratches while you are shooting at the eight-ball. It also happens if you change your mind and hit the call shot button more then once. It goes to overhead and you can see move ball, aim line (bug), and call shot.

After you pick your pocket and hit call shot, the scene goes back to the normal perspective and most of the buttons are now gone. As you can see it continues into the next game:

 

[Almy]

Ah, thanks! Thought I might have been going crazy.