-----README For Excalibur Version 4.1-----
-----------------5/13/02------------------

Original Excalibur table concept and design by James Schmalz / Epic Megagames (C) 1993
Visual Pinball conversion by Warrior (warrior@despammed.com)

Revision history:

5/13/02 - Release 4.1 (Somehow, it stops being beta by sitting around for a year...)
-Minor visual enhancements, including the addition of a custom logo I created for the table, as well as use of the now omnipresent "shiny ball".  Back when this table was last updated, I believe Tech Beta 3 was still the current release!
-High score saving has been added.
-The table now uses an MP3 for the music, rather than a WMA file.  As soon as I figure out how to use it, I will most likely change this to use the DMC2 plugin with an S3M file to reduce the size of this table.  Please note that in order for the music to work, the Exc_music5.mp3 file must be in your Visual Pinball/Music folder.
-Scoring and current ball display have now been moved to the bottom of the playfield
-Minor tweaks to elasticity of walls in the top rollover lanes to try and make the ball a little more lively in that area to match the original table behavior better.  Expect more tweaks later on.

6/8/01 - Beta 4 (Version 1.00, to heck with the numbers!)
-A lot of visual enhancements in this version, including better looking targets.  No explanation should be needed, fire it up and take a look.
-Consequently, a few playfield tweaks were made to accomodate these changes.  Hopefully this should fix the problem of balls getting stuck behind the gates at the top of the playfield.
-A prelimiary version of a new tilt mechanism I created has been added to the table, located under the arch in the lower left corner of the playfield.  I'll probably set up a quick VPT with an explanation on how to use this later on.  For now, I would appreciate some feedback on how well it's working and what can be done to improve it.
-Flipper Express(TM) brand crummy autoplay added!  Press "F" to activate.
-Minor changes made to more accurately reflect the original ruleset.  Now completing the SWORD rollovers will score 5,000 points.
(Note:  Due to upcoming changes in the next Visual Pinball beta, the .WMA music is not included in this version.  If you have it already, it will still work.  If you don't, the table should be fine without it.)

5/29/01 - Beta 3 (Version 0.98, running out of numbers here :-)
-Music has been added.  Be sure the WMA file is placed in the Visual Pinball/Music directory.  There is a slight skip that affects the ball on the table when the music loops, so be careful at this point to avoid an unexpected drain.
-Preliminary attract mode effects have been added.  Still need some work though.
-Slingshots now look more like real slingshots.  Other items will receive similar aesthetic enhancements in coming versions.
-Commas have been added to the score (The function to do this was borrowed from JohnnyHK's Eight Ball Deluxe script.)
-Lightning effects at top of the screen modified somewhat to compensate for what appears to be some VP display bugs with lights too close to the top of the screen.

5/10/01 - Beta 2 (Version 0.95):
-Lightning effects added!
-Original Epic Pinball sounds added!  A couple are still missing (mostly due to my inability  to get the ball  to outlane drain with the kicker enabled on the original EP table.)
-Minor tweaking to the bumpers, mostly to make the "spear lanes a little harder to hit.  Even now, they're still much easier to hit than they were on the original.
-Bonus multiplier and EXCALIBUR lights flash briefly when lit, making them a little easier to notice.
-Added a trough kicker, rather than having balls just appear at the plunger.
-Changed the upper part of the playfield to more accurately reflect the original table (the pictures I've been working with are earlier than what actually was released in Epic Pinball.
-More bug fixes.  Everything should (in theory) be properly initialized now when a second game is started.

5/4/01 - Beta 1a (version 0.76):
-Minor bug fix release.  some lights were not being reinitialized properly when a new game is started  This has been fixed.

4/28/01 - Beta 1 (version 0.75):
-Initial public release of Excalibur.

Table info:

-Excalibur originally was designed by James Schmalz with Epic Pinball back in 1993, and was released as part of Pinball Pack 1.  Ostensibly, it was meant to represent pinball as it was in the 1970s.  The ruleset for the table seems to suggest that the overall design leans more toward an early solid state machine of the late seventies and early eighties.  Seven years after it's release, Epic Pinball remains one of the most famous PC pinball programs of all time, with Excalibur being a favorite table of many people.

Table Rules (in a nutshell):

-Default is 5 balls per game (same as the default in the original.  This can be changed in the script right near the beginning.
-Spelling SWORD on the top rollovers advances the bonus multiplier
-Hitting the 5K target on the captive ball lights 20,000 points on the right (blue) target for 15 seconds.
-Hitting both the left (red) and right targets will light a letter in EXCALIBUR  Hitting both these targets and the sinkhole will light the 5K shot on the left target.  All three of these shots advance the bonus, which resets on every ball.
-Spelling EXCALIBUR lights an extra ball on the right target, and the 10,000 shot on the left target.


What's included:

-The complete ruleset of the Excalibur table as determined through observations of the original Epic Pinball table should be included in this version.  I may be slightly wrong in places, and in future revisions I will most likely be making slight changes to make up for the limitations of the original Epic Pinball.  There are already some modifications, although these are largely cosmetic.   In some places, the placement of objects on the table may be slightly different from the original table, to help make the gameplay of the Visual Pinball version as close to the original as possible.


If you have any questions, comments, bugs to report, or anything similar, please either e-mail me at warrior@despammed.com, or post to the Visual Pinball Forum at http://www.vpforums.com (which I usually check daily.)  Feedback is encouraged.

As for the scripting:  This was my first attempt at building a VP table, and as such I doubt that the code is the cleanest code out there, but feel free to do what you want with it, up to and including borrowing bits of it for your own projects.  I have commented it as I go, so it should be somewhat easier to understand.  Most of what I know about VP scripting came from looking at other people's code (especially that of JohnnyHK's excellent Eight Ball Deluxe table, by far my favrorite VP table created so far, with well over 150 plays.)  


What's NOT included:

Currently, no 4-player support exists in this table.  I will try to add it in a future version.  Also, the music is currently being handled with an MP3 file.  Alternative methods with much smaller file sizes exist, and I will attempt to implement DMC2 in a future release.

What's Next:

Considering that half the stuff I listed here last time has either been done by me or someone else, I'm not sure what to put here.  I'll eventually take a shot at Crash and Burn though.  I'm also working on an old toy bagatelle or two, before Druadic does 'em all.


Finally, a few mad props:

-Randy Davis for making Visual Pinball in the first place.  By far, this is the most useful pinball construction set ever!
-JohnnyHK for his excellent Eight Ball Deluxe table, from which I learned a lot about scripting;
-Duglis for his EM conversions, and running IRPinball;
-Everyone else who has created VP tables I have referred to the scripts from, and who has given scripting advice on the VP forum;
-James Schmalz, for making some of the best PC pinball ever;
-And finally, everyone else out there working on making VP and Visual PinMAME tables!  Keep 'em coming!

The obligatory fine print:

This Visual Pinball table is a recreation of a copyrighted work, and as such, it is being distributed as freeware.  IT IS NOT TO BE SOLD FOR ANY REASON WHATSOEVER.  It can be distributed freely in unmodified form.  Because I have learned a great deal of what I know about Visual Pinball from looking at other people's tables and script, I choose to release this table in unlocked form.  You may modify this table freely for personal use, provided that your modifications are not rereleased without my permission.  If you do happen to wish to release a modified version of this table, please e-mail me (warrior@despammed.com) first.

Other than that, have fun.

-=>W<=-
