vpx-standalone-alp4k

What the repository provides

This repository holds settings and configs for VPX Standalone on the AtGames ALP 4K pinball machine. It is built to work with the Legends Unchained Loader, and the README states plainly that the loader itself is not for sale and may not be distributed or charged for. Contributors who want to support development are pointed to a donation link for St. Jude rather than any payment path. The collection is substantial: the README lists 274 wizard tables, each a known pinball title with metadata such as whether it ships a backglass, a DMD, requires a ROM, has a puppack, and its recorded frame rate. Titles range across decades and manufacturers, from Gottlieb and Williams machines of the 1950s through Stern, Capcom, and Data East, plus a large set of original tables. Because the repo is public, anyone may fork it and adapt the configs for their own cabinet, but the README warns that the project changes quickly. The practical value is that a user does not start from an empty config for each table; instead they get a curated set of wizard configs that the Legends Unchained Table Manager already knows how to consume. The size of the table list means most owners of an ALP 4K can find a starting point close to the machine they own. Rather than tune each title from nothing, a user begins from a config that already matches the loader and then adjusts only what their specific cabinet needs.

File layout and naming rules

Each table in the repository follows a strict file naming scheme so the Legends Unchained Table Manager can find and use it. Two files are required: launcher.png, a 500 by 750 pixel image used by the AtGames Launcher UI, and table.yml, the wizard config itself. Around those, a set of optional files refine the experience. backglass.png supplies the backglass shown during loading, buttons.ini sets custom launcher button labels, and dmd.png provides the DMD image used during loading or as a stand in for tables without one. nvram.nv holds the non volatile RAM a table needs to initialize, and the README asks that it not contain high scores from play. playfield.png is the loading playfield image, table.ini carries VPX overrides, table.vbs can replace the built in script, and VPReg.ini emulates the registry. When high scores do appear in VPReg.ini, the README specifies exact initials to use: JSM, CTH, NIX, and VPX. These rules are not cosmetic; the Table Manager depends on the names, so a misnamed file breaks integration rather than merely looking wrong. The required launcher.png size of 500 by 750 pixels matches what the AtGames UI expects, so a missing or wrong sized image breaks the menu rather than just looking off. Treating these names as a contract keeps the Table Manager able to find every piece without per table special cases in its code.

Contributing and validation

The repository accepts pull requests for new table configs and updates to existing ones, and it enforces quality with a pre commit hook plus GitHub Actions. The hook runs the same table metadata validation and YAML linting that CI uses, but only when a table.yml file is staged, so unrelated commits stay fast. Running the validator locally needs Python 3.11 or newer, and the README gives install steps for Windows, macOS, and Linux, including a one time pre commit install inside a virtual environment. VS Code users can instead run a task to set up the hook or to validate staged files without committing. One detail matters: the metadata validator uses VPSDB and therefore needs an internet connection when it runs. The README tells contributors not to bypass the hook after a failure but to fix the reported table.yml error and commit again. Beyond process, the repo lists recommended hardware that has been verified with the Legends Unchained Loader, including specific flash drives and keyboards, with the note that those product links are affiliate links. The combination of naming rules, automated validation, and a curated hardware list keeps the large table collection consistent. The internet requirement for the validator is a small friction, but it keeps the metadata honest against the upstream database. A contributor who fixes a table therefore gets immediate feedback from the hook before the change reaches the shared repository and affects other users of the loader.

Editorial conclusion

The repository is published under the Apache-2.0 license and holds configs written for the Legends Unchained Loader on the AtGames ALP 4K.