Virtual Pool
- Video Game
- 1995
YOUR RATING
In this pool simulator, players take turns pocketing balls while paying attention to the physics, with the ability to make massé shots along the way.In this pool simulator, players take turns pocketing balls while paying attention to the physics, with the ability to make massé shots along the way.In this pool simulator, players take turns pocketing balls while paying attention to the physics, with the ability to make massé shots along the way.
- Star
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Featured review
85% - A pool game that fits inside a computer
There are many real-life experiences to which many of us have little or no access. The solution is normally to simulate them, and how the simulation is done affects how accurate the experience. Some simulators take for granted details that are important yet so small as to be ignored, sometimes inadvertently. Others that are more conscious about those details rely on the work of physicists and other experts in relevant fields. Celeris' and Interplay's Virtual Pool falls under the latter category, and it is as close to being the ideal pool simulator for DOS as it is one for the real experience.
Virtual Pool introduces us to a still photograph of the pool table on which the player will play, along with buttons on the left and right sides. The left buttons take us to watch any of the full-motion videos, ranging in subjects from a short animated history of pool; to the rules of the four variations of pool found in Virtual Pool; 8-Ball, 9-Ball, Straight Pool, and Rotation; and to learning the techniques of shooting and taking tips from pool champion "Machine Gun" Lou Butera. The right buttons are for playing the game, configuring the pool room and table cloth color (although the latest full version I tested, version 1.66, comes with a single room and four colors, and I was unable to verify whether players could create their own rooms), and of course exiting. Note how the tutorial buttons are on the left side instead of the other way around. It is a good presentation for intermediates and new players, as well as everyone who played real pool recreationally, but did not actually know some of the basic rules and terminology. I can relate to that.
As you start the game, you will realize that the graphics are not as detailed as the menu photograph, but that is okay. This is a DOS game, and Virtual Pool knows how to strike a balance between quality and speed. It did not take an expensive computer to run the game then, but Virtual Pool features truly 3D graphics that can be displayed up to resolutions as high as 1024×768, while still using 8-bit color. Even the balls are convincingly 3D, where their colors revolve realistically around the center when moving. After selecting one of the four games, the experience begins where the cue ball is automatically placed halfway between the head spot and the head rail, though if the player has the ball in hand, it may be moved anywhere in the kitchen or, in some games and under circumstances, on the table. The camera is positioned over a cue that is lined up ready to strike the center of the ball, as if one were taking a stance for shooting. One can zoom in and out, look from above or horizontally, and even get a top-down view of the current table. The table can be viewed from anywhere and from any angle, and one can also move the center of the screen in order to see the rest of the table without adjusting one's aim. Some shots are particularly sensitive to even the slightest changes in aim, so Celeris kindly gives us the ability to fine-tune our aim. Other details can be adjusted to achieve massé shots, such as the height of the cue butt and the position of the ball's contact point with the cue tip to apply spin to the ball by the term's definition. When that is done, a key is held down to begin shooting, and one then hits the cue ball as hard as they thrust their mouse. The goal is to win a preset number of games before the opponent does.
I have studied the ball physics for days up to this point, and I am still intrigued by it. It works as a ball simulator that is just one virtual equivalent to an office toy, albeit of educational nature. Just like real pool, Virtual Pool has a steep learning curve that can take days or weeks before one can achieve better precision. Learning it is improved by both the ability in practice sessions to undo one's shots and the fact that there is a replay mode that plays back last shots from speeds x1 to x1/8. The latter is useful for shots that are so well executed that one will review them as something to be proud of, and for shots that are so poorly done that one needs to review them to accept that mistakes were made. Another factor is the ability also in practice mode to view the trajectory lines of one's shots and adjust them according to how much force is required to make the shots. The significant thing about the physics is the ability to perform massé shots, as stated before. A trained player could use those shots to escape fouls. The game even takes into account the "throw" aspect, where the spin or angle of the cue ball "throws" the object ball off of the impact line between the two. If a game takes a long time to complete, it can be saved and loaded later. One can also use this to save pool tables set up for specific trick shots in practice, where the player can move, spot, and pocket any ball on the table.
Granted, it should be noted that people who play Virtual Pool do not immediately become good at real pool and vice versa, and unfortunately neither it nor any pool simulator that I am aware of can help that because these two games require different motor skills to do the same thing: one using the mouse and the other a real cue. Playing one game does not improve our coordination used for the other. This does not necessarily render Virtual Pool entirely useless. In fact, the game has things that are not found in real pool. As noted, the player can see the trajectory lines of their shots in Virtual Pool, but can only imagine them in real life. Secondly, in addition to local multiplayer, there is also a mode where two players compete on separate machines over a network. Players can send chat messages, and the host can even load save files so that they can resume where left off upon reconvening. Finally, the computer makes for a formidable rival to anyone who has no one else willing to join them. At the start of a match, one selects a difficulty that based on my observation ranges from a novice who seems only good at simple shots to a professional who rarely makes any mistakes. Of virtual and real pool, what is lacking in one version is made up for in the other.
Using the rule books of the World Pool-Billiard Association and the Billiard Congress of America, I did thorough research on the general rules of pocket billiards and the four games of Virtual Pool, and for the most part, I am quite impressed. Never mind the fouls of pool that are recognized here. The game goes down to details that a hobbyist might never assume have existed. These include the head string not being part of the kitchen and object balls being spotted in numerical order. It also includes other details such as even the one where the breaker has the highest chances of pocketing the nine-ball in the namesake game when shooting from a kitchen area that lies outside of the break box. It is jargon, but the point is that the game enforces these seemingly petty rules in a way that only the most observant would notice (unless one reads the video game's manual), and makes the gameplay consistent with the official rules of real pool. A few things make me grudge, though. For one, the WPBA and the BCA set forth a rule where the player who has the cue ball in hand must first either shoot an object ball outside of the kitchen or cause the cue ball to cross the head string before returning and hitting the in-kitchen ball. This is not the case in Virtual Pool, where the rule is absent. The system of miscalling shots in eight-ball and straight pool could have been better implemented, too. It seems to only exist for players who understand the concept of calling and prefer honesty over winning. For everyone else not knowing better about the rules, it simply benefits the opponent. At least the computer knows how to use it.
The physics, however fascinating, are not entirely flawless, either. Remember what I said about being able to perform massé shots and spin the ball to change its trajectories? You might have noticed that I made no mention of performing jump shots. Sadly, it is not possible to cause any ball to jump. All of the balls are tethered to the playing area until they are driven onto the pockets, where they immediately disappear. There is one physical aspect of the game that has my attention: that the cue stick cannot be obstructed by anything, meaning that it can slide through object balls without apparently even grazing them or the rails of the table. Think about how much that makes sense. Having only four games and a practice mode can become old. On the bright side, Celeris did create a spin-off called Virtual Snooker.
VERDICT: Besides these shortcomings, a few simulators could claim the title as a potential source of study. Of course, limitations to what simulators can teach us are always expected, and Virtual Pool is no different. Obviously it cannot teach us fine motor skills such as how to hold a cue stick, much less how to shoot properly. One is arguably better off playing on a real pool table. However, because the game strives to serve as a digital conversion of pool, it can teach us about the many known factors influencing the trajectory of the pool balls. It also serves as a reliable referee that reminds us about and enforces the rules, and there is that useful full-motion video library. We can then apply that knowledge to the mechanics of real pool, and that is why I agree with the package's assertion that it will improve one's skills in real pool. Virtual Pool is also good as an inexpensive alternative and for when one does not have enough room in their house, though you may want to check out its sequels.
Virtual Pool introduces us to a still photograph of the pool table on which the player will play, along with buttons on the left and right sides. The left buttons take us to watch any of the full-motion videos, ranging in subjects from a short animated history of pool; to the rules of the four variations of pool found in Virtual Pool; 8-Ball, 9-Ball, Straight Pool, and Rotation; and to learning the techniques of shooting and taking tips from pool champion "Machine Gun" Lou Butera. The right buttons are for playing the game, configuring the pool room and table cloth color (although the latest full version I tested, version 1.66, comes with a single room and four colors, and I was unable to verify whether players could create their own rooms), and of course exiting. Note how the tutorial buttons are on the left side instead of the other way around. It is a good presentation for intermediates and new players, as well as everyone who played real pool recreationally, but did not actually know some of the basic rules and terminology. I can relate to that.
As you start the game, you will realize that the graphics are not as detailed as the menu photograph, but that is okay. This is a DOS game, and Virtual Pool knows how to strike a balance between quality and speed. It did not take an expensive computer to run the game then, but Virtual Pool features truly 3D graphics that can be displayed up to resolutions as high as 1024×768, while still using 8-bit color. Even the balls are convincingly 3D, where their colors revolve realistically around the center when moving. After selecting one of the four games, the experience begins where the cue ball is automatically placed halfway between the head spot and the head rail, though if the player has the ball in hand, it may be moved anywhere in the kitchen or, in some games and under circumstances, on the table. The camera is positioned over a cue that is lined up ready to strike the center of the ball, as if one were taking a stance for shooting. One can zoom in and out, look from above or horizontally, and even get a top-down view of the current table. The table can be viewed from anywhere and from any angle, and one can also move the center of the screen in order to see the rest of the table without adjusting one's aim. Some shots are particularly sensitive to even the slightest changes in aim, so Celeris kindly gives us the ability to fine-tune our aim. Other details can be adjusted to achieve massé shots, such as the height of the cue butt and the position of the ball's contact point with the cue tip to apply spin to the ball by the term's definition. When that is done, a key is held down to begin shooting, and one then hits the cue ball as hard as they thrust their mouse. The goal is to win a preset number of games before the opponent does.
I have studied the ball physics for days up to this point, and I am still intrigued by it. It works as a ball simulator that is just one virtual equivalent to an office toy, albeit of educational nature. Just like real pool, Virtual Pool has a steep learning curve that can take days or weeks before one can achieve better precision. Learning it is improved by both the ability in practice sessions to undo one's shots and the fact that there is a replay mode that plays back last shots from speeds x1 to x1/8. The latter is useful for shots that are so well executed that one will review them as something to be proud of, and for shots that are so poorly done that one needs to review them to accept that mistakes were made. Another factor is the ability also in practice mode to view the trajectory lines of one's shots and adjust them according to how much force is required to make the shots. The significant thing about the physics is the ability to perform massé shots, as stated before. A trained player could use those shots to escape fouls. The game even takes into account the "throw" aspect, where the spin or angle of the cue ball "throws" the object ball off of the impact line between the two. If a game takes a long time to complete, it can be saved and loaded later. One can also use this to save pool tables set up for specific trick shots in practice, where the player can move, spot, and pocket any ball on the table.
Granted, it should be noted that people who play Virtual Pool do not immediately become good at real pool and vice versa, and unfortunately neither it nor any pool simulator that I am aware of can help that because these two games require different motor skills to do the same thing: one using the mouse and the other a real cue. Playing one game does not improve our coordination used for the other. This does not necessarily render Virtual Pool entirely useless. In fact, the game has things that are not found in real pool. As noted, the player can see the trajectory lines of their shots in Virtual Pool, but can only imagine them in real life. Secondly, in addition to local multiplayer, there is also a mode where two players compete on separate machines over a network. Players can send chat messages, and the host can even load save files so that they can resume where left off upon reconvening. Finally, the computer makes for a formidable rival to anyone who has no one else willing to join them. At the start of a match, one selects a difficulty that based on my observation ranges from a novice who seems only good at simple shots to a professional who rarely makes any mistakes. Of virtual and real pool, what is lacking in one version is made up for in the other.
Using the rule books of the World Pool-Billiard Association and the Billiard Congress of America, I did thorough research on the general rules of pocket billiards and the four games of Virtual Pool, and for the most part, I am quite impressed. Never mind the fouls of pool that are recognized here. The game goes down to details that a hobbyist might never assume have existed. These include the head string not being part of the kitchen and object balls being spotted in numerical order. It also includes other details such as even the one where the breaker has the highest chances of pocketing the nine-ball in the namesake game when shooting from a kitchen area that lies outside of the break box. It is jargon, but the point is that the game enforces these seemingly petty rules in a way that only the most observant would notice (unless one reads the video game's manual), and makes the gameplay consistent with the official rules of real pool. A few things make me grudge, though. For one, the WPBA and the BCA set forth a rule where the player who has the cue ball in hand must first either shoot an object ball outside of the kitchen or cause the cue ball to cross the head string before returning and hitting the in-kitchen ball. This is not the case in Virtual Pool, where the rule is absent. The system of miscalling shots in eight-ball and straight pool could have been better implemented, too. It seems to only exist for players who understand the concept of calling and prefer honesty over winning. For everyone else not knowing better about the rules, it simply benefits the opponent. At least the computer knows how to use it.
The physics, however fascinating, are not entirely flawless, either. Remember what I said about being able to perform massé shots and spin the ball to change its trajectories? You might have noticed that I made no mention of performing jump shots. Sadly, it is not possible to cause any ball to jump. All of the balls are tethered to the playing area until they are driven onto the pockets, where they immediately disappear. There is one physical aspect of the game that has my attention: that the cue stick cannot be obstructed by anything, meaning that it can slide through object balls without apparently even grazing them or the rails of the table. Think about how much that makes sense. Having only four games and a practice mode can become old. On the bright side, Celeris did create a spin-off called Virtual Snooker.
VERDICT: Besides these shortcomings, a few simulators could claim the title as a potential source of study. Of course, limitations to what simulators can teach us are always expected, and Virtual Pool is no different. Obviously it cannot teach us fine motor skills such as how to hold a cue stick, much less how to shoot properly. One is arguably better off playing on a real pool table. However, because the game strives to serve as a digital conversion of pool, it can teach us about the many known factors influencing the trajectory of the pool balls. It also serves as a reliable referee that reminds us about and enforces the rules, and there is that useful full-motion video library. We can then apply that knowledge to the mechanics of real pool, and that is why I agree with the package's assertion that it will improve one's skills in real pool. Virtual Pool is also good as an inexpensive alternative and for when one does not have enough room in their house, though you may want to check out its sequels.
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- FreeMediaKids
- Nov 11, 2021
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