How are Virtual Pinball and VPMame related?

[AceTKK]

I'm thinking of trying out some new pinball games and I was looking into Virtual Pinball.  Does this program run on it's own, or is VPMame required?  What exactly does VPMame do?

Thx

[Dire Radiant]

You don't actually need to use Vpinmame to run Visual Pinball providing you only play original VP tables. If you want to emulate real tables then you need both. Visual Pinball reproduces the physical aspects of the table and Vpinmame emulates the electronics. That's simplified a little but essentially that's what is happening.

[AceTKK]

That makes sense, thx for the help!

[Howard_Casto]

Actually, that might not be clear enough.....

By "Electronics" he means led scoreboards.  You know how modern pins have those graphical led displays that support animation, and graphics and what-not? You can't play those tables without pinmame, period, so there is no choice involved.  With older games that use a more traditional score board you can get away with just visual pinball.  I would like to point out, however, that games made prior to the 70's are only playable without pinmame as they lack any digital electronics.

Not only that but mid era games (pins from the 70's) run either way, and often all the electronics are also "emulated" via script on the visual pinball version.  So sometimes the non pinmame version is actually better visually.  (70's digital displays look like utter crap in pinmame)  A good example is the playboy table.  Looks waaay better in it's scripted, visual pinball form. 


I hate to complicate a simple answer, but it wasn't completely accurate. 

Sorry.