Console: Tiger Woods Impressions Thread

[Easton]

Re: Console: Tiger Woods Impressions Thread

Thanks for all the impressions! They have been really helpful to me. I do have one basic question I would like to get a few different opinions on:

I liked TW 04 and 05, they weren't realistic by any means, but they were fun to me. The Gameface was great, the Legends(I guess "Rivals" this year) was deep and fun and playing with friends was pretty great. My question is, has anyone here who actually enjoyed the past 2 TW's gotten 06 yet, and if so, how are you liking it?

A lot of the people posting the detailed impressions haven't played a TW in a while and are comparing it to Links. I was just wondering how it stacks up in the eyes of a TW player.

Hey CM,

I've gotten the last several TW games, and I'm enjoying this on so far. It really depends on what you buy the game for. If you want a golf simulation, then the Tiger Woods series has really never been for you. If you enjoyed 04 and 05, you'll probably enjoy 06.

To me, TW is a great game to grab some friends, grab some beers, and sit on the couch and talk trash and play. Yeah, its unrealistic, but it can also sometimes be fun to try to see just how low you can go.

I've still got a copy of Front Page Sports golf that I play on PC when I want a challenging golf game. It was one of the first (if not the first) games to use a mouse swing instead of the 3-click swing. I still think its pretty hard to play, especially on the Prince Course from the tips.

Anyway, I for one have always enjoyed the TW series, and this year is no exception.

[CM1847]

Re: Console: Tiger Woods Impressions Thread

Hey CM,

I've gotten the last several TW games, and I'm enjoying this on so far. It really depends on what you buy the game for. If you want a golf simulation, then the Tiger Woods series has really never been for you. If you enjoyed 04 and 05, you'll probably enjoy 06.

To me, TW is a great game to grab some friends, grab some beers, and sit on the couch and talk trash and play. Yeah, its unrealistic, but it can also sometimes be fun to try to see just how low you can go.

I've still got a copy of Front Page Sports golf that I play on PC when I want a challenging golf game. It was one of the first (if not the first) games to use a mouse swing instead of the 3-click swing. I still think its pretty hard to play, especially on the Prince Course from the tips.

Anyway, I for one have always enjoyed the TW series, and this year is no exception.

Thanks. That's my same view on past Tiger Woods games, just a good game to sit around, talk trash and hang out with friends. The Legand/Rival/whatever they want to call it has always been just addicting enough to keep me interested in the single player when I don't have other people to play with.

Thanks for the opinion Easton, I will probably go ahead and pick it up in the next few days!

[dave360]

Re: Console: Tiger Woods Impressions Thread

I'm of the same opinion. I play mostly online with TW, and have enjoyed the online games. I just wish that it were harder. I'm purposely playing tourney mode offline with a different character with default attributes with tour difficulty on, and it's much better that way IMO. You just about have to use a built up character in the rivals mode, otherwise you'll get your tail kicked.

[Ryman]

Re: Console: Tiger Woods Impressions Thread

I'm wondering about the PGA Tour Season Mode. Are the tourneys all stroke play, or are there a different variety of tournaments? I'm still getting the game, just wondering

If anybody plays online with Tour mode, feel free to send me a friend request.
Ryman4th.

[Yosemite Dan]

Re: Console: Tiger Woods Impressions Thread

Oh well I'm trading this game back in as the more I play it the more it just feels like the previous ones. Last night I had 2 holes in one and an eagle from 100+ yards but the clincher was I had a 50 foot putt and the thumping music started so I purposely aimed it a little bit away from the hole and held back on the distance and I thought at best it would be a little wide and at least 10 feet short. No chance as soon as I hit it they showed a close up of the hole and the thumping remained and it went right in. There's too many shots where the AI is determined that you make it and therefore I get no satisfaction out of making any good shots and this is with all aids turned off and minimal attributes. I'm shooting low 60's without paying attention.

For me a good golf game is where it has to always be a struggle so the Super Mario physics totally ruins it for me. The shot stick is also just way too forgiving. For anyone who likes realism just rent the game because a couple of days is all you want to play it. Time to get back to playing Links. BTW EA sports sucks, there's not one game they can get right.

[OnlookerDelay]

Re: Console: Tiger Woods Impressions Thread

Oh well I'm trading this game back in as the more I play it the more it just feels like the previous ones. Last night I had 2 holes in one and an eagle from 100+ yards but the clincher was I had a 50 foot putt and the thumping music started so I purposely aimed it a little bit away from the hole and held back on the distance and I thought at best it would be a little wide and at least 10 feet short. No chance as soon as I hit it they showed a close up of the hole and the thumping remained and it went right in. There's too many shots where the AI is determined that you make it and therefore I get no satisfaction out of making any good shots and this is with all aids turned off and minimal attributes. I'm shooting low 60's without paying attention.

I'm about there with you Dan.... (sigh). I've been tempted to do the test your just described, but I was afraid to for fear of what I'd find. What kills me is that I *know* that they could code more simulation value into this game if they really wanted to. At times the chipping and pitching physics are spot on! It's like you say, the game picks moments and simply mails it in

If it wasn't for the elegance of the presentation dynamics (not the average, at best, quality of the graphics) I would not be compelled to play this game. TW 2006, as with the past two or three in this series, does a great job of getting the 3D space of the environment right. It does a better job of this than the PC version. Additionally, it has a more varied, and natural looking variety of trees than the PC version. I honestly can't explain why I'm still playing this game with all the problems I have with the cheesy gameplay.

I'm not going to give up completely until I get a chance to truly sample multiplayer online with a properly functioning server. I've had a few hints that things aren't quite as cheesy there, but my sample is still too limited to say for sure.

[caseyd]

Re: Console: Tiger Woods Impressions Thread

Do you have the PC version? If so, can you give me some impressions of the gameplay? I have the 2004 version, which I like a lot. Just wondering if 2006 is a step up. Thanks

[OnlookerDelay]

Re: Console: Tiger Woods Impressions Thread

Do you have the PC version? If so, can you give me some impressions of the gameplay? I have the 2004 version, which I like a lot. Just wondering if 2006 is a step up. Thanks

I just got the PC version of 06 yesterday. It is easily the best of the series, in most respects. The grass textures on most courses are a vast improvement of years past. Most of the trees and shrubs are just as ugly as ever though. The XBox version trees are far more varied and attractive than what's in the PC version.

What I most like about this year's version is the fact that "Ready Play" has been reintroduced to the game. It was in PGA 2000 and Tiger Woods 2002, but missed the cut in 03-05. It makes online multiplayer play so much faster and enjoyable for me.

When you tee off with Ready play, the other golfer(s) in your group are also teeing off, although you don't see them live. Once you've hit your shot, you'll then see what amounts to a "virtual tape replay" of their shot, while they're watching yours. It saves you from having to sit there and wait while each other sets up a shot. You can still send chat text messages. I do it while I'm watching the replay. You can also fast forward through the replay by hitting the appropriate button. It's cut 30-40% of the time required to play a match, which is great news to me.

The game is more difficult this year. I hadn't played TW 2005 with TrueSwing in a while and I've lost my touch with it. I'm all over the place now trying to control the ball in my normal ability level (Advanced). For some reason, the golfer animation seems to move faster this year, and I'm having a hard time regulating speed. If your tempo isn't right, you will be more severaly punished. I haven't found the happy medium just yet with this, and it's currently put a damper on my enjoyment of the game. I'll be able to find some mouse sensitivity setting, or another device alternative that should work better for me.

I tried the gamepad controls, which are new this year, and I didn't like it. The sensitivity is off the chart with my Logitech Dual Analog controller and I can't putt with any feel at all. Putting is a lot more difficult with TrueSwing this year. It punishes you more for tracking errors with the mouse. I think it's a step up, but until I can figure out how to tune my mouse (Logitech MX-510), it's more than I can handle.

[OnlookerDelay]

Re: Console: Tiger Woods Impressions Thread

Hallelujah! I just successfully recorded a round in today's daily on XBox Live! There were 4 scores posted when I started and 10 when I finished! It was a wonderful experience. Playing as Chris DiMarco, I shot a two under par 68, and have never been more satisfied with a round of golf on any console version of Tiger Woods Golf to date.

For some reason, the daily tournament rounds seem to be a lot less prone to the predetermined phoniness of some of the offline stuff. I didn't make a shot or putt that I feel I didn't deserve. I saw a lot more putts lip-out, stop inches short, or skirt by the hole. It was wonderful to not see evidence of the cup's mysterious vacuum physics that I've grown accustomed to offline. I'm tickled to death with this turn of events!

Oh, and of the 10 scores posted when I logged out of XBox Live, 61 was leading the tournament, and I was in 5th with my 68. This could be the saving grace for Tiger Woods 06 online, as far as I'm concerned.

On a less positive note, the multiplayer play is still just a laggy as ever this morning. Played a 3 hole round just to test... they guy I played with had also seen nothing but lag in his three days of ownership and play online.

But hey.... this is a step in the right direction at least :!: :!:

[CM1847]

Re: Console: Tiger Woods Impressions Thread

Got the game last night. Really it's what I expected based on last year's game and the impressions here.

It's fun, multiplayer is still great, just what I expected and bought the game for.

But it has a terribly inconsistent in the single player(as noted over and over here). I went and did a few Rivals challanges and then hopped into the PGA season. The first round of the first event was nice. I shot a 1 or 2 over at Troon, was in 100 something place, just very nice to see overall. Then I go into the second round with the same attributes and everything and I shoot an 8 under to jump from 100+ to the top 10 of the leaderboard. So yeah, I definitely agree with people here about the single player.

I do have a few questions, I would appriciate if anyone can answer these...

-Is there a way to set it to TOUR difficultly for EVERYTHING? Do you have to set it prior to each round? I am just wondering what difficulty I am playing my PGA Season Events on because there is no option there. Do the events change pin/tee settings automatically or is there a way to do that yourself? It just seems too easy right now, I would like to bump up the difficulties if possible

-Is there a way to turn off the ability to zoom in on your shot target before each shot? I read something on one of these impression pages, but I couldn't find it in the manuel anywhere.

-For putting, what's the best way to bump the difficultly while keeping it possible? I'm thinking of either turing off the grid and only using the shot-cam or keeping the grid and just making a house rule to NOT use the shot cam, ever. I love how hard SOME of the putts are, the ones on hills are supurb, I have missed by 20 feet and I love it, but most of the putts are still way too easy.

-What are you doing about the Gamebreakers? They are awesomely cheesy for multiplayer, but just ridiculous for single player. I was thinking of limiting them to only drives or only putts, because they are just too cheesy from an iron shot away, it's an automatic hole out every time.

-Are you finding that capping your player's attributes is helping make single player intersting? I can't imagine it would be since all of mine are at level 2 right now(with a few 3s and no equipment boosts) and I can still shoot 8 under.

That's about it(for now!), thanks to anyone who takes the time to help me out.

[OnlookerDelay]

Re: Console: Tiger Woods Impressions Thread

On the heels of the great news about the Daily Events on XBox Live (and PS2 for that matter), we get this outrageous piece of news from today's chat with an EA developer concerning the console versions of TW. I snipped this from a post on IGN's Tiger Woods forums. It has been confirmed by multiple sources at the Tigerwoodsonline.com website, who were participating in the official chat:

The Tiger Woods EA development team hosted an open chat for UK users at about 2pm EST to answer questions about TW06. I belong to a strong community of TW players and a few of them were in the chat room to get some answers. They got a few questions in and the THE MOST disturbing answer spoke volumes about how shoddy EA is and how much they care about you spending 50 bucks on their product.

THE ONLINE LAG WILL CONTINUE until the release of 07. They are aware of the awful lag during online play and there's nothing they can do about....or so they say. Just as my friends have stated before they will do nothing as long as they sell their games, it is all about the mighty dollar. I implore you to let everyone (and EA) know how much this game stinks online, how bad EA stinks overall and how little they care about their customer base.

THEY WILL CONTINUE TO TURN A DEAF EAR until they are hit in the pocket. I have been playing this title for years and have made many very good friends online doing so at tigerwoodsonline.com but for them to admit they knew of this issue and to simply state that they can't fix it is insanely unacceptable. I apologize to those of you that play this game for it's offline enjoyment only but it is advertised as having online capability and to me that's just irresponsible and maddening. SPREAD THE WORD!

This is one of the most outrageous developments I've ever heard tell of! To release a product under the pretense that it featured multiplayer online capability, all the while knowing that it was going to be mired in some of the most horrible lag ever seen in broadband gaming history - for its life - is tantamount to FRAUD! I'm literally speachless.......

[Yosemite Dan]

Re: Console: Tiger Woods Impressions Thread

On the heels of the great news about the Daily Events on XBox Live (and PS2 for that matter), we get this outrageous piece of news from today's chat with an EA developer concerning the console versions of TW. I snipped this from a post on IGN's Tiger Woods forums. It has been confirmed by multiple sources at the Tigerwoodsonline.com website, who were participating in the official chat:

The Tiger Woods EA development team hosted an open chat for UK users at about 2pm EST to answer questions about TW06. I belong to a strong community of TW players and a few of them were in the chat room to get some answers. They got a few questions in and the THE MOST disturbing answer spoke volumes about how shoddy EA is and how much they care about you spending 50 bucks on their product.

THE ONLINE LAG WILL CONTINUE until the release of 07. They are aware of the awful lag during online play and there's nothing they can do about....or so they say. Just as my friends have stated before they will do nothing as long as they sell their games, it is all about the mighty dollar. I implore you to let everyone (and EA) know how much this game stinks online, how bad EA stinks overall and how little they care about their customer base.

THEY WILL CONTINUE TO TURN A DEAF EAR until they are hit in the pocket. I have been playing this title for years and have made many very good friends online doing so at tigerwoodsonline.com but for them to admit they knew of this issue and to simply state that they can't fix it is insanely unacceptable. I apologize to those of you that play this game for it's offline enjoyment only but it is advertised as having online capability and to me that's just irresponsible and maddening. SPREAD THE WORD!

This is one of the most outrageous developments I've ever heard tell of! To release a product under the pretense that it featured multiplayer online capability, all the while knowing that it was going to be mired in some of the most horrible lag ever seen in broadband gaming history - for its life - is tantamount to FRAUD! I'm literally speachless.......

You can only do one thing, refuse to buy thier products. TW06 was the last chance I was giving EA sports and now I will no longer buy anything they make since thier games are cheezy and they couldn't give a rat's *** about thier product or thier consumers. NBA live sux but you have 2K6, same with hockey. TW will always be Atari golf but you have Links coming for the 360. The only real loss is football since EA took the license but Madden is arcadish so I have no desire to play it. So if you're a sports simulation and online junkie you still have options rather than wasting you're cash on EA's inferior products and online play.

[mjb2124]

Re: Console: Tiger Woods Impressions Thread

The quote that "THEY WILL CONTINUE TO TURN A DEAF EAR" until they are hit in the pocket sounds suspicious to me. It sounds like an EA "*****" would state something like that to misinform and get a rise out of others.

IF someone at EA stated this, they are going to be out of a job immediately. That's terrible PR and one thing that EA does do well, is PR and Marketing. No company is ever going to admit that they'll continue to turn a deaf ear on consumers as long as they are getting the consumers money. A company might THINK that, but thinking and saying are 2 very different things.

[OnlookerDelay]

Re: Console: Tiger Woods Impressions Thread

The quote that "THEY WILL CONTINUE TO TURN A DEAF EAR" until they are hit in the pocket sounds suspicious to me. It sounds like an EA "*****" would state something like that to misinform and get a rise out of others.

This is coming from someone who was in the chat today, not an EA representative, or a developer.

IF someone at EA stated this, they are going to be out of a job immediately. That's terrible PR and one thing that EA does do well, is PR and Marketing. No company is ever going to admit that they'll continue to turn a deaf ear on consumers as long as they are getting the consumers money. A company might THINK that, but thinking and saying are 2 very different things.

Surely if this was someone from the company, they'd be out the door right now. I'm trying to get the chat text transcript so we can see exactly who said what. To paraphrase what the EA Sports UK representative said during the chat today (and this is coming from one of the people who were posing the questions during the chat), they have problems with the server software, and that it cannot be corrected. What that tells me is that it can't be fixed without changing the program code for the game proper.

I'm going to stay with this and try to get to the bottom of it, but there were enough people from Tigerwoodsonline.com taking part in the chat that confirmed this to be the case that I can't dismiss it as being hysterical rantings.

[OnlookerDelay]

Re: Console: Tiger Woods Impressions Thread

-Is there a way to set it to TOUR difficultly for EVERYTHING? Do you have to set it prior to each round? I am just wondering what difficulty I am playing my PGA Season Events on because there is no option there. Do the events change pin/tee settings automatically or is there a way to do that yourself? It just seems too easy right now, I would like to bump up the difficulties if possible

Once you set Tour difficulty in the options menu for that player, that's what he'll play at, unless you take that player online. If you join a default match, or take part in a "Daily" which happens to be in default mode, that player will play in Tour mode.

-Is there a way to turn off the ability to zoom in on your shot target before each shot? I read something on one of these impression pages, but I couldn't find it in the manuel anywhere.

Unfortunately no.

-For putting, what's the best way to bump the difficultly while keeping it possible? I'm thinking of either turing off the grid and only using the shot-cam or keeping the grid and just making a house rule to NOT use the shot cam, ever. I love how hard SOME of the putts are, the ones on hills are supurb, I have missed by 20 feet and I love it, but most of the putts are still way too easy.

House rules will only get you what you want here. I don't use the "ideal line" camera, but I do use the grid, which *can* be turned off. It's complete guess work without the grid though, unless you use the ideal line camera.

-What are you doing about the Gamebreakers? They are awesomely cheesy for multiplayer, but just ridiculous for single player. I was thinking of limiting them to only drives or only putts, because they are just too cheesy from an iron shot away, it's an automatic hole out every time.

I've turned them off completely... I think they're a total crock! The problem is that they are available to players in the Dailies, on XBox Live, even if the daily happens to be in Tour mode.... go figure!?

-Are you finding that capping your player's attributes is helping make single player intersting? I can't imagine it would be since all of mine are at level 2 right now(with a few 3s and no equipment boosts) and I can still shoot 8 under.

I don't think capping your player is going to help that much. I'm competing reasonably well with my 4-3-2-3-1-2-4-3-3 player. What happens is the program just ratchets up the off-camera player of your competitors in the season mode, or cooks the books to make the tournaments *feel* semi-competitive.