Any reviews?

[Bill_Abner]

Re: Any reviews?

Not sure what Bill Abner is going on about, but there is not one shirt or other apparel that you have to buy in this game.

I don't know what that Bill Abner is going on about either because I didn't write any such thing.

Damn Skyboxer I thought we were pals...so much for that Christmas card.

[Seymour Scagnetti]

Re: Any reviews?

I don't find it inaccurate, but the PS3 version, the analog stick is darned sensitive and since I just moved to the PS3 version in December, I am still not used to the wider range of motion of the DS3 controller. Building putting attributes definitely help with the sensitivity.

The PS3 is definately the preferred console game because of the DS3 controller which is a good thing. That and Doral is a better course to get on preorder than Riviera.

[brezz2001]

Re: Any reviews?

I don't know what that Bill Abner is going on about either because I didn't write any such thing.

Damn Skyboxer I thought we were pals...so much for that Christmas card.

It's my fault . . . I brought in my own issue when discussing your review

Brian

[brezz2001]

Re: Any reviews?

I have not spent a dime on microtransactions as they are NOT needed to power up and play this game. Play the Skills challenges in Beginner or Amateur mode, then when you finish them, play the highest XP skill challenge over and over (5000 XP) as it doubles once you have completed all of the challenges. 5000 XP does not take long to build your character quickly and buy items in the Pro shop with the XP, not cash.

I don't mean to argue or beat a dead horse, but this is my problem with career mode. While training is important, it should only be emphasized to a certain extent. Why not also include a real career mode along the lines of Road to the Show or Captain Your Country? That would be much more realistic and fun. I would love to take my golfer through lesser tours and Q School, while having training worked into that process. You could still have XP, but it would seem more natural, in my opinion.

Brian

[Bill_Abner]

Re: Any reviews?

It's my fault . . . I brought in my own issue when discussing your review

Brian

Damn it Brian! Ha.

Although I do find it silly that a pair of pants helps my touch or whatever. But you really don't need to buy that stuff. I think a bought a power boosting tie dyed ball and a hat.

[kpkpkp]

Re: Any reviews?

I don't mean to argue or beat a dead horse, but this is my problem with career mode. While training is important, it should only be emphasized to a certain extent. Why not also include a real career mode along the lines of Road to the Show or Captain Your Country? That would be much more realistic and fun. I would love to take my golfer through lesser tours and Q School, while having training worked into that process. You could still have XP, but it would seem more natural, in my opinion.

Brian

Im going to guess its for 2 reasons.

1-Disc space

2-Most casual golf fans would have no idea what Qschool or the lesser circuit even is.

[Bill_Abner]

Re: Any reviews?

I have not spent a dime on microtransactions as they are NOT needed to power up and play this game. Play the Skills challenges in Beginner or Amateur mode, then when you finish them, play the highest XP skill challenge over and over (5000 XP) as it doubles once you have completed all of the challenges. 5000 XP does not take long to build your character quickly and buy items in the Pro shop with the XP, not cash.

I think this is the basic issue, Divot -- and we have talked about this before. (Years ago, actually)

You sound perfectly ok with this form of game design. I think it's tedious nonsense.

There's no 'right' answer but anytime you tell a gamer to "do this over and over" until you can do what you want in the game in the first place, I think is the wrong approach.

I just want to play with my character on tour in golf tournaments. And not hit 230 yard drives and be unable to reach par 4s in 2. Brian's right -- with all of the other sports games that do the 'personal career mode' thing Tiger seems behind the times.

For those like like the skill challenges and don't mind grinding to get your player to a competitive level then go nuts. There is a payoff to it because the gamje is a lot of fun. It just took me a long time to get there.

[Bill_Abner]

Re: Any reviews?

Im going to guess its for 2 reasons.

1-Disc space

2-Most casual golf fans would have no idea what Qschool or the lesser circuit even is.

The Wii version has Q School. Doesn't get more casual than that.

[kerosene31]

Re: Any reviews?

You sound perfectly ok with this form of game design. I think it's tedious nonsense.

I agree 100%. I don't want to play these silly challenges. I want to play 18 holes of golf on tour pro difficulty (now with true view on).

However, I cannot do this now. Why? Because my golfer doesn't have enough XP so I have to change to amateur difficulty and grind through the challenges.

[Skyboxer]

Re: Any reviews?

I don't know what that Bill Abner is going on about either because I didn't write any such thing.

Damn Skyboxer I thought we were pals...so much for that Christmas card.

Nothing personal as I am anti "most reviewers" anymore.
Most reviewers have become debbie downer/overly critical/"Truth Seekers" the past few years... Or so it seems.......

You have done some very well written reviews and I followed a lot of your earlier stuff.

However, I've passed the point of critiquing games to the point the hobby becomes no fun.
Nothing personal as I get annoyed by most reviewers these day as well as 80% of the posters at OS or any site for that matter. Especially when they have clear agenda's (ie.. Pasta)

I just want to play the games and have fun.......
Sooo tired of the "Should have been done already" or "They took it out just to add it back".. "I'm not buying it if I have no shoe string color variety!!"...

And then I see a post saying the game was a POS because the challenges were to hard..?? really?

So again it's really nothing personal just irritated at the "look at me" "Instant gratification" generation and I've tied them into the review group.
Probably unfairly...


later

[kpkpkp]

Re: Any reviews?

The Wii version has Q School. Doesn't get more casual than that.

yeah it also has all the courses (which PS3 and 360 users have to pay extra to get.)

Both of those things really grind my gears.

[Seymour Scagnetti]

Re: Any reviews?

The real problem is thay have all these licensed pros and you can't use any of them in season mode. That's ridiculous. It's such an easy fix and was always offered in the TW PC games (as was a CAG that could be used with high skills right off the bat).

It's like having Madden and unable to use the Colts or Steelers right away and have to use a high school team and do silly challenges for hours on end to get thier ratings up to play in the NFL.

[Bill_Abner]

Re: Any reviews?

Nothing personal as I am anti "most reviewers" anymore.

So you're a cranky old man?

Hell man I can relate and respect that.

It's funny as I think I have really mellowed as I near 40. Others disagree but I remember being in the trenches over here years ago and it used to really, really bother me when I couldn't get people to see, not even to technically agree with, my point of view. Some of those old threads were flat out vicious, especially the NCAA Football stuff. Today, I really don't care so much as I have a lot of other things personally and professionally to worry about so believe me, I don't take personal criticisms to heart. I've been doing this long enough now (15 years, which is both really cool and really sad) to be fairly comfy in my own shoes.

There's nothing at all wrong, IMO, with being anti-reviewer. (I am too.) I have never, ever, agreed with the idea of taking one reviewer's word as law and that includes my own. I am a big believer in having people make up their own mind whenever practical.

(But I still think Tiger Woods 11 has a poor career mode design.)

[Skyboxer]

Re: Any reviews?

So you're a cranky old man?

Yeah probably so.... with some things I guess...

[ComfortablyLomb]

Re: Any reviews?

(But I still think Tiger Woods 11 has a poor career mode design.)

It's not good but half of the problem is the gameplay itself. If you compare the recent Tiger games to some of the old golf games from a decade ago it's obvious that not much has really changed. Before the Tiger series came out I played MS Golf, then Links, and finally Jack Nicklaus and all were fun in their own ways but very simple and not exactly accurate. A "perfect" shot was always straight and that's just not something professionals are ever really trying to hit because doing it with any consistency is tremendously difficult.

Watch a tournament on TV and you'll hear Johnny Miller talk constantly on approach shots about how players are trying to cut a ball into the pin, or hit a high draw, or knock the ball down and keep some of the spin off it, or nuke a wedge because they'll need the height and spin to stop the ball. They're doing these things for specific reasons and some guys are much better at it than others. It's not like every tour pro has every shot in the bag either. I'm sure they can all hit a cut when they need to or draw the ball when they want or add some loft but the skill differences and comfort zone differences are huge. Tiger can do just about everything with a club but a guy like Rocco Mediate will hit a hard draw all day long because it's his comfort zone and he's better trying to force that shot than playing a more appropriate cut.

This game doesn't reflect that at all though I don't want to make it seem like any other game has done even an acceptable job of trying to reflect that either. The way golfers are it's like if you were playing a baseball game and every pitcher threw a fastball that they could pinpoint, a curve, and a screwball all at competent levels. Really not too different than something RBI Baseball or Baseball Stars but with another facade. We would laugh at a baseball game like that today because we're used to pitchers having pitcher-specific arsenals but golfers in this game have everything at their disposal to some degree just like the old days. There's no customization of actual skill.

My ultimate (rambling) point being that without making the different types of shots things are unique and something that need to be improved or added per golfer EA is stuck with the typical system of boosting power, overall accuracy, workability, putting, etc. Instead it should really be about having to choose some specialty shots that the player can specialize in and be noticeably superior at than an average player in game and also having to choose some weaknesses (stuff like draws, fades, wedges vs. long irons, clutch, bump and run ability, greenside spin, chipping, etc.). If a player chooses to hit a low draw as a primary shot then they probably shouldn't be as comfortable hitting a high fade no matter how much they practice it. That kind of stuff. While the game mechanics remain the same I don't see any sort of improvement on the horizon (and it's not something I really expect EA to change anytime soon because it seems like they would basically have to redo the engine).