EA Sports PGA TOUR Impressions (Console)

[RIFRIG]

Re: EA Sports PGA TOUR Impressions (Console)

Playing with a created golfer with low accuracy attributes hitting driver with exactly the same default aim on each shot, just timing the strike with the movement of the aiming arc. Left for first few drives & right for last few drives. Nothing random in these results whatsoever.

https://www.xbox.com/play/media/2L4KCCTWHT

[bigkev]

Re: EA Sports PGA TOUR Impressions (Console)

There are lots of sponsor challenges in the game acting the same as a driving range.

[Dawgfan1]

Re: EA Sports PGA TOUR Impressions (Console)

This is why I said you know why there is no driving range. What could you possibly practice if your inputs don't determine the shot results? Sorry not a fan of this idea at all.

I feel like "your inputs don't determine shot results" is hyperbole/not true, inputs are the main contributor towards shot results and there's some RNG added in. If you miss left on the swing plane it goes left, if you miss right it goes right. If you overswing it goes longer, if you underswing is goes shorter. There is some level of randomness in it (RIFRIG's video shows slightly but not wildly different results for the same/similar shot input), but I would argue it counts for like 10-20% of the results. Most of my bad shots in this game have come down to something I did wrong.

[dubcity]

Re: EA Sports PGA TOUR Impressions (Console)

You’re definitely wrong on randomness. If you use all the visual aids EA provides you can prove it.

Yeah, the blue aim arc is pretty dead on.

[jbd345]

Re: EA Sports PGA TOUR Impressions (Console)

So found something interesting this morning. The broadcast camera angles are tied to the whatever height you have the camera preset at for addressing the ball. I’ve found the 3rd to last height has the best broadcast angles. Not sure why they tied these together.

[golfnut67]

Re: EA Sports PGA TOUR Impressions (Console)

Playing with a created golfer with low accuracy attributes hitting driver with exactly the same default aim on each shot, just timing the strike with the movement of the aiming arc. Left for first few drives & right for last few drives. Nothing random in these results whatsoever.

https://www.xbox.com/play/media/2L4KCCTWHT

Ok I'm really intrigued by this. I'm starting to think you are right, which would be a great thing for the game. A couple of questions if you will humor me:

-The 3rd shot, your swing plane went a little left in the feedback graphic, before ending up dead straight at the top of it. Same result as the first 2 shots, into the left side bunker, same spot, distance, etc. So, does that mean that even if you warble a bit during the downstroke, as long as you end up dead center at the top of the stroke, it's going to travel the same straight path as the first 2 perfect looking shots?

-This one really has me wondering. Your 4th shot looked dead perfect on the meter, like the first 2. But it went way right compared to the first 3. THIS is what I am thinking, and apparently many others as well, is the "randomness". Am I missing something about that shot? The meter feedback was as dead straight as the first 2 shots. Why did it go all the way right into the bunker? I didn't really pay attention to the over/under swing or fast slow, but even if those numbers are slightly different on the 4th shot vs. the first 2, it wouldn't (shouldn't?) change the outcome nearly that much?

[golfnut67]

Re: EA Sports PGA TOUR Impressions (Console)

Many probably know this but I’ll just post on my thoughts on randomness.
I play on Simulation so hadn’t really seen much of the preshot ball trajectory indicator or predicted trace line but I have played a bit of Arcade on the daily tournaments & noticed it sweeps from left to right a significant amount with my Golfer who has a fairly low accuracy attribute. It seems to me that if you time your impact with the trace line in the same position you will get a repeatable shot result assuming you’re hitting the same back/down swing percentages. I took a Pro with high driving accuracy to test this & can repeat exactly the same shot outcomes.

https://www.xbox.com/play/media/RJUY4STSLT

Ancer is maxed out on accuracy but the trace line still has a small amount of left to right movement but on my test I wait for the arc to be as far left as it goes then strike the ball & hit exactly the same position consistently. If I wait for that arc to move to the right & then strike I’d miss the green right on my test hole.
So in short nothing random if your arc watching but if you play without it the shot outcomes will possibly feel random but they are not.

Have to admit, this is pretty solid evidence against random outcomes. Every single shot in the bunker within a couple of feet of each other. Very good news. Thanks for doing this! Great news for the game. Bad news for us players who have been blaming bad shots on EA haha

[RIFRIG]

Re: EA Sports PGA TOUR Impressions (Console)

Ok I'm really intrigued by this. I'm starting to think you are right, which would be a great thing for the game. A couple of questions if you will humor me:

-The 3rd shot, your swing plane went a little left in the feedback graphic, before ending up dead straight at the top of it. Same result as the first 2 shots, into the left side bunker, same spot, distance, etc. So, does that mean that even if you warble a bit during the downstroke, as long as you end up dead center at the top of the stroke, it's going to travel the same straight path as the first 2 perfect looking shots?

-This one really has me wondering. Your 4th shot looked dead perfect on the meter, like the first 2. But it went way right compared to the first 3. THIS is what I am thinking, and apparently many others as well, is the "randomness". Am I missing something about that shot? The meter feedback was as dead straight as the first 2 shots. Why did it go all the way right into the bunker? I didn't really pay attention to the over/under swing or fast slow, but even if those numbers are slightly different on the 4th shot vs. the first 2, it wouldn't (shouldn't?) change the outcome nearly that much?

Yeah the 3rd shot is a bit off plane but the only data points EA use are change of direction from backswing to downswing & impact. The rest doesn’t matter.

The 4th,5th & 6th shots I wait for the moving aim arc to hit its furthest position right & then strike the ball, that’s why it’s trajectory pushes to the right slightly.

[golfnut67]

Re: EA Sports PGA TOUR Impressions (Console)

Yeah the 3rd shot is a bit off plane but the only data points EA use are change of direction from backswing to downswing & impact. The rest doesn’t matter.

The 4th,5th & 6th shots I wait for the moving aim arc to hit its furthest position right & then strike the ball, that’s why it’s trajectory pushes to the right slightly.

So you are saying specifically, on the 4th shot, you let the arc fade to the right and that's the reason for the fade into the right bunker, ya? Meaning, just like you did with the first 3 shots with the arc to the left, if you wait until the arc fades to the right, you can duplicate the same outcome within a few feet into that right bunker? That's what your vid seems to prove. I'm hoping so.

[RIFRIG]

Re: EA Sports PGA TOUR Impressions (Console)

So you are saying specifically, on the 4th shot, you let the arc fade to the right and that's the reason for the fade into the right bunker, ya? Meaning, just like you did with the first 3 shots with the arc to the left, if you wait until the arc fades to the right, you can duplicate the same outcome within a few feet into that right bunker? That's what your vid seems to prove. I'm hoping so.

Yes 100% confirmed if you use arc as described you can repeat shots over & over as long as you hit similar percentages on backswing/downswing.

[golfnut67]

Re: EA Sports PGA TOUR Impressions (Console)

Yes 100% confirmed if you use arc as described you can repeat shots over & over as long as you hit similar percentages on backswing/downswing.

Thank you. Probably the most informative post on this game, for me, yet. Your conclusions are being confirmed as I play The Open near the end of my season.

Great news for the game guys. RIFRIG is *correct* on this. Apex Hound's very first gameplay video with the developer, the guy said, "no randomness in this game". I'm not sure I totally believe that, but after what RF has just shown, I think it's safe to say if it does exist, it's not nearly what many of us were thinking it was.

Scientific research *rocks*. This bit of conclusion/information makes me love this game even more. Thanks RF.

[Dawgfan1]

Re: EA Sports PGA TOUR Impressions (Console)

Yes 100% confirmed if you use arc as described you can repeat shots over & over as long as you hit similar percentages on backswing/downswing.

Interesting, I'll have to try that. I play the online tournaments often which is primarily on lower difficulties with the arc and it would make my game a lot more consistent if I'm able to time my shot with the arc position.

[scagwi]

Re: EA Sports PGA TOUR Impressions (Console)

Good and interesting posts RF

I hope to contribute more to this one day in the future if I own the game at some point.

For now, though, thx for taking the time to share that video of your shots!

[AlanBer]

Re: EA Sports PGA TOUR Impressions

I'm 3 holes in on Tour mode with some aids and power boost turned off. Way, way too easy. I holed a chip from 15 yards off the green on literally my 5th shot. And, right as I hit the ball, the lighting dimmed, and it went into slow motion, basically telling me in advance that my shot was going in. It did.

Very first shots on Tour are going dead straight, even though my approach shot I slipped off the stick and pushed it way to the right, the ball only faded slightly to the right, 15 feet from the hole.

I still haven't figured out how hard to hit it putting but I'm sure I'll figure it out in the next couple of holes. A guy in another thread is playing on Sim with everything turned off and he's saying it's incredibly easy.

Oh boy.

Once again, there's this idea that EA's game, because it is easy for some must therefore be easy for all.

Certainly there are some very good players out there. I've watched videos where the line is straight on every single shot.

Might this be different for others? For me, I'm lucky if I can stay straight half the time. I'm sure this is the case for other players as well. I do play on the hardest difficult, with zoom, no arc, and normal putting.

I do find the game very challenging, though driving needs to be harder. Sometimes I do well; other times not so good. The difficulty is almost perfect for me, and I'm guessing others feel the same.

I've heard some comment that they play on Pro or Tour and the game is too easy. Either move up and make the game as difficult as possible, or else stop complaining.

If one is still (honestly) getting unrealistic scores even with playing the game at its most difficult, then either find another game to play or else play on and quit whining about how easy it is.

[scagwi]

Re: EA Sports PGA TOUR Impressions

If one is still (honestly) getting unrealistic scores even with playing the game at its most difficult, then either find another game to play or else play on and quit whining about how easy it is.

Why is it necessary to finish your post trying to tell others what to do or say (or not) or what opinions to have and share?

So odd. I never understand this on forums … where some folks want some certain other ones to “be quiet” if they disagree or don’t like what is being shared.