JJP WOZ GI Comparison – 1.14 vs 1.18
New software promises brighter general illumination.
Posted by Daniel Tonks on August 10, 2013 at 6:45 AM
On Friday, Jersey Jack Pinball released a new software update for The Wizard of Oz – which replaced another update from only the day before. Among the just-released version 1.18’s extensive list of new features, bug fixes and other improvements since prior major version 1.14, it also includes a note for “GI lamp brightness corrected”. As discussed in my post earlier this week on how to improve the GI lamp assembly’s alignment on your WOZ, the overall brightness of the game’s general illumination has been the subject of some controversy – so just how much does this software actually change things?

To help answer that question, I’ve taken video of WOZ running both software v1.14 and v1.18. To ensure a completely fair comparison, the game was filmed in a dark room where the only source of illumination was the game itself, the video camera was mounted on a tripod, and I used identical manual exposure values for both versions.

I’ve prepared the resulting footage in a handy comparison video that you’ll find below.

So, has the GI’s brightness been improved with this software release? Yes. Is the change noticeable? Yes. Is it a major improvement? Well... probably not as much as some people were hoping for. It absolutely does looks more balanced than before, but this is a widebody game so it’s a real challenge to get any kind of light from the edges all the way to the middle. As things stand, I think users who like to play in total darkness will find they still need some sort of ambient lighting to see the ball comfortably, but this is definitely a step in the right direction.

Below, I’ve included the WOZ changelog for versions 1.15 through 1.18 for your perusal.

==============================================================================
==                                  Legend                                  ==
==============================================================================

               + Addition         * Change/bugfix         - Note

==============================================================================
==                               Version 1.18                               ==
==============================================================================

=== Game Code

* Fixed Throne Room shot during Toto Escapes - would not kick ball until ball
  search.
* Fixed Throne Room shot during Emerald City MB - would crash on 4th shot when
  collecting items
+ Added audits for skill shots

==============================================================================
==                               Version 1.17                               ==
==============================================================================

=== Game Code

* Removed "#N of M" in LE logo display
* Adjusted some default coil strength settings

=== Core Code

* GI lamp brightness corrected 
* Setting clock now correctly sets hardware clock


==============================================================================
==                               Version 1.16                               ==
==============================================================================

=== Core Code

* Custom message improved/clarified.
* Can now step backwards on first character in custom message.
* Restarting a game during bonus now properly kills endball processing.
* Status report now killed by tilt, endball, etc.
* Start button now ignored in-game if new game isn't startable.
* Fixed color of active "unused" switches in switch test.
* Game should now set the real time clock properly.

==============================================================================
==                               Version 1.15                               ==
==============================================================================

=== Game Code

+ Tilt warning and Tilt animations.
+ Magnet ball sensor test.
* Attract mode high score movies.
* Don't show credits if there are none.
+ Novice videos (coin-in, start button, ball launch).
* Skill shot text improved.
+ Cowardly Lion launch wait idle speech.
+ LE specific logo.
* Custom Message display with leading blanks fixed.
* Updated "all rules" movie.
* Match effect cleaned up and improved.
+ Game progress display in status report.
+ Several mystery awards (light special, light eb, spot character, more
  points, multiball).
* Increased some skill shot points.
* Score award ranges widened.
+ Tilt warning sounds.
* Haunted Collect lamp now no longer stays on.
+ Many shot- and switch-based audits.
+ Crystal Ball targets now under difficulty settings (default is spot
  neighbors and difficulty increase after mode cycle is complete).
+ Next mode light for Munchkinland Modes (changed by rainbow targets; color
  follows colors on right upper playfield).
* Crystal Ball modes no longer totally random; you will get all of them before
  seeing any repeats.
* Fixed Munchkinland Modes not advancing properly.
* When multiballs start, if there aren't enough balls in the trough, then
  other devices will be properly raided now.
* More Wizard Collect speech.
* Toto difficulty setting removed.
* Display effect when you run out of Toto attempts.
* Changed some ECMB animations.
* Default top slingshot power is now 2.
+ Rescue targets now have difficulty settings.
+ Added virtual locks for Rescue Multiball.
* Rescue Multiball rules vastly improved.

=== Core Code

* Grand champion now no longer also takes over high score 1.
+ Replay boost logic.
+ Score award boost logic.
+ Multiple levels on one score event now all get awarded at once.
* Replay display effect will now queue up.
* Improved start button debounce.
+ "Light Special" can now be a replay award.
+ Minimum replay is now 1/2 default value.
* Entering diag during tilt now no longer keeps lamps off forever.
* Ball search rewritten.
+ Game start ball search.
* Game now starts with fewer than required balls.
* Multiball devices now search if empty, and get rid of locked balls on 4th
  ball search.
+ Added chase ball (launch ball after ball search 4 and no recovery).
* If, on the same ball, you hit ball search "5" a second time (because the
  first time it either released locked balls or launched a chase ball), you
  will be charged a drain.  (Note as long as balls are released from lockups
  on ball search 4, you will not be drained.)
* Fixed up arrow plot spot in diags.
* Fixed a replay bug that resulted in very low scores.
* GI lamps brightness increased/

=== OS

* Sound engine updated.
+ Unnecessary packages removed. OS size drastically reduced.
==============================================================================

And finally... here’s a side-by-side lighting comparison of Stern’s Black Spider-man and JJP's The Wizard of Oz.

Pinplay Photo #51
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2 reader comments
Randy,

Most of it is shown during idle, yes. Some of it only happens at game end.
How is that awesome light show triggered? Does it just play when the machine is idle?