EA PGA Tour 23 Searching for difficulty

[Lieutenant Dan]

Re: EA PGA Tour 23 Searching for difficulty

Thanks for the great thread, Mudtiger! I'm at level 43 and 'powered down' a bit after reading this, and it's making me work more now for good scores and putting the drama a bit more back into the game.

I'm coming up on The Open in a few more game-weeks, and have 8 top 10's, won the US Open by 3 strokes, and including the US Open have 5 wins. Also several missed cuts from earlier in the season including the Masters.

My personal view on difficulty is sort of like this:

--I'm supposed to be a 'new guy' on the PGA Tour, but I'm supposed to be good enough to hang with these guys.

If I want to play like it's just me and my actual skills out there, well, that would be club-tossing awful. So I want there to be SOME challenge, but it's ok to Top 10 and win every once in a while, along with missing a cut occasionally because i just can't wrangle a track.

--Having said all that, nothing wrong with wanting to play myself as a bit of a phenom either, if that's what I want to do It's a game. Maybe not the second coming of Tiger or Nicklaus, but again why not something akin to that level of greatness? You can do what you want in these games in terms of how much of a struggle you want to face and what level you want to play the game at. It's fun shaping your own journey/legacy.

After reading this great thread, what I did to power down was remove ALL of the equipment boosts/perks things.

--Went ahead and, while hopefully waiting for a patch, am 'housing' the rough and bunker play with more lofted/shorter appropriate clubs for those situations, and only using blast instead of pick around the greenside bunkers.

Also ran down some of my golfer levels (except power). Will continue to make adjustments as needed, but it's making it fun again. I was throwing too many darts there for a while. I think from a combination of over 60 hours of play/experience, plus powering everything up.

My experience still makes me good, but removing the buffs is evening things out more and introducing more proper outcomes.

[tcnumba10]

Re: EA PGA Tour 23 Searching for difficulty

Great thread! I’m using DarthRambo’s guide but I’m adding my own twist in which the max I’m going up to is bronze of each category and 0 for power and 0 for recovery.

[burter]

Re: EA PGA Tour 23 Searching for difficulty

Really curious how many people here are playing with 3-click swing on. In my experience, with that on hard, it's much, much harder to consistently be accurate, as even tiny misses outside the optimal window are pretty punished.

With 3-click on, and a golfer that's at 92 overall, I've had 4-round tournaments that ranged between -8 and -20. That's still too good, I should have tournaments where I'm even par, even at that level. But if I use the swing stick, I'll basically be hitting every fairway and every green without fail, unless the winds are cranked super high. With 3-click, that's not true.

Yep I use 3 click on hard and if you miss the window it will punish you, especially on drives or if you are trying to aim against the wind or what not. You miss that window and your ball going left or right. It really hurts when pitching out of rough/sand. It really takes your ball left or right. So you think you might be able to chip it in, then bam you just miss it left and it goes a good 4 to 8 feet or more in the air left.

[mudtiger]

Re: EA PGA Tour 23 Searching for difficulty

What I've ended up on is you can't have the finesse shot.

That shot makes approaches too easy where you can dial it in. Without it, you are going to have take shots in between clubs and you just have to deal with it. That adds an element of unknown that I think is needed beyond windage and elevation.

Here is how I ended up.

Power 2

Driving
Accuracy 1
Control 0

Approach
Acc 0
Control 2
Recovery 0

Short
Accuracy 0
Control 1
Recovery 0

Putting
3

Pga tour
Week 1
I won -22, 2nd -18
Week 2
Tied 2nd at -13 one behind leader
Week 3
2nd at -14. 1st was Spieth with -15, 3rd was -13

Here is where I lowered some stats but kept the finesse shot.
Week 4
I finished 2nd at -16, 1st -22 and 3rd -14

Here is where I decided finesse shot had to go.
Week 5
After round 1
Shot a 70 for -1, tied for 24. 1st had 65 at -6.

Depending on how week 5 goes, if too well....I might drop approach control to 1. If that doesn't do it, gonna try zeroing everything but putting at 3 and power at 2.

It's like your level improves your ability, not just your skill points assigned. As a Korn ferry tour player with similar skills points, but lower level, I struggled. Now at level 39, I need to remove skills.

[tcnumba10]

Re: EA PGA Tour 23 Searching for difficulty

What I've ended up on is you can't have the finesse shot.

That shot makes approaches too easy where you can dial it in. Without it, you are going to have take shots in between clubs and you just have to deal with it. That adds an element of unknown that I think is needed beyond windage and elevation.

Here is how I ended up.

Power 2

Driving
Accuracy 1
Control 0

Approach
Acc 0
Control 2
Recovery 0

Short
Accuracy 0
Control 1
Recovery 0

Putting
3

Pga tour
Week 1
I won -22, 2nd -18
Week 2
Tied 2nd at -13 one behind leader
Week 3
2nd at -14. 1st was Spieth with -15, 3rd was -13

Here is where I lowered some stats but kept the finesse shot.
Week 4
I finished 2nd at -16, 1st -22 and 3rd -14

Here is where I decided finesse shot had to go.
Week 5
After round 1
Shot a 70 for -1, tied for 24. 1st had 65 at -6.

Depending on how week 5 goes, if too well....I might drop approach control to 1. If that doesn't do it, gonna try zeroing everything but putting at 3 and power at 2.

It's like your level improves your ability, not just your skill points assigned. As a Korn ferry tour player with similar skills points, but lower level, I struggled. Now at level 39, I need to remove skills.

What Swing/3-Click difficulty are you playing on?

[woody2goody]

Re: EA PGA Tour 23 Searching for difficulty

I've got AI scoring at 75,

Zoom off, wind speed off, everything else on hard and I'm having a good mixture of tournaments where I'm contending and where I'm miles away.

For example before I raised the difficulty I won 3 out of my first 6 weeks on tour, since then I've won just once and had 2 top 10s in I think 12 tournaments, with 2 missed cuts.

[Aweb20]

Re: EA PGA Tour 23 Searching for difficulty

I force myself to use shot shaping on every shot (obviously not putts). It's really hard at first and I still do a practice stroke before every shot, but it's so much more rewarding when you hit a good one.

Everything is basically on sim difficulty for me, but I leave the zoom cam on. I only use it inside 80 yards or so, anytime a tour player would realistically walk up and check out their landing area. I also have all meters off and no swing tracer feedback that follows your backswing.

[woody2goody]

Re: EA PGA Tour 23 Searching for difficulty

I force myself to use shot shaping on every shot (obviously not putts). It's really hard at first and I still do a practice stroke before every shot, but it's so much more rewarding when you hit a good one.

Everything is basically on sim difficulty for me, but I leave the zoom cam on. I only use it inside 80 yards or so, anytime a tour player would realistically walk up and check out their landing area. I also have all meters off and no swing tracer feedback that follows your backswing.

I like that idea with the zoom.

[voodoo_magic]

Re: EA PGA Tour 23 Searching for difficulty

The zoom cam. I've always used it but in this game a while ago I started using it just for the drives to set my aim in the fairway.

Instead I use the little scorecard hole display and it's actually a nice touch when you think about it with the yardages from different spots.
Overall I probably give away some strokes but it balances some of the lack of challenge in other areas.

[burter]

Re: EA PGA Tour 23 Searching for difficulty

What I've ended up on is you can't have the finesse shot.

Yep after playing for a week or so that shot is like top 3 shots I do a tourney (in there somewhere between drive(because some par 3's you can fitness), approach, pitch and chip). I believe Fitness, Spinner and pick (out of sand) are the 3 that once you master really makes you pretty godlike. You still lose tourney's if you are playing sim hard mode, but you are in that top 5 a lot. I haven't leveled high enough to see what others do, and I do not plan on it. It sucks but until EA makes the AI harder at 100 rating, I just do not see a point in lvling up my guy high at all. Probably not more than a couple of points in certain things.

[mudtiger]

Re: EA PGA Tour 23 Searching for difficulty

Raised AI to 70...might go to 75. 70 I still see scores that are in the area of previous years scores for specific tournaments. Some better, some worse, all believable.

I started the career over and went straight to the PGA skipping korn ferry. Won the first tournament after a 3 hole play off. So I lowered some stuff once again and just got cut at torrey pines with a +5. I'm excited to see how the 3rd week goes.

Putting and swing are on hard, not doing 3 click. No zoom, only direction for wind and elevation. Have putt grids + beads on. I think not knowing the exact elevation change on putts has contributed to 2 putting much more so I have to get in close to have a chance on difficult greens. Getting in close doesn't happen every time because every shot can't be dialed in due to low accuracy and you don't have the extra shot types.


Power 1

Driving
Accuracy 0
Control 0

Approach
Acc 0
Control 0
Recovery 0

Short
Accuracy 0
Control 0
Recovery 0

Putting 1

I miss the texas wedge, so I might raise putting to get it. I also might add one more to power...might not...depends on stats after more weeks.

One thing I've really enjoyed is that without the spinner, I've radically improved my pitching and chipping and have holed out from just off the green a number of times. I really enjoyed getting better with those because they require some finesse and knowledge on where to aim, and the amount of power to hit with. You can hit some realistic shots pitching deliberately on to the rough/fringe to slow it down...but you are also playing with fire if you miss. With the spinner I never gave the shot much thought as I knew it would stick where ever I aimed it. Just pick spinner and take the shot.

[DarthRambo]

Re: EA PGA Tour 23 Searching for difficulty

Raised AI to 70...might go to 75. 70 I still see scores that are in the area of previous years scores for specific tournaments. Some better, some worse, all believable.



I started the career over and went straight to the PGA skipping korn ferry. Won the first tournament after a 3 hole play off. So I lowered some stuff once again and just got cut at torrey pines with a +5. I'm excited to see how the 3rd week goes.



Putting and swing are on hard, not doing 3 click. No zoom, only direction for wind and elevation. Have putt grids + beads on. I think not knowing the exact elevation change on putts has contributed to 2 putting much more so I have to get in close to have a chance on difficult greens. Getting in close doesn't happen every time because every shot can't be dialed in due to low accuracy and you don't have the extra shot types.





Power 1



Driving

Accuracy 0

Control 0



Approach

Acc 0

Control 0

Recovery 0



Short

Accuracy 0

Control 0

Recovery 0



Putting 1



I miss the texas wedge, so I might raise putting to get it. I also might add one more to power...might not...depends on stats after more weeks.



One thing I've really enjoyed is that without the spinner, I've radically improved my pitching and chipping and have holed out from just off the green a number of times. I really enjoyed getting better with those because they require some finesse and knowledge on where to aim, and the amount of power to hit with. You can hit some realistic shots pitching deliberately on to the rough/fringe to slow it down...but you are also playing with fire if you miss. With the spinner I never gave the shot much thought as I knew it would stick where ever I aimed it. Just pick spinner and take the shot.

Yeah I have gotten better with pitch and chip shots. It is way more enjoyable and rewarding to use those. Sometimes I miss and come way short or it goes way past the pin. I holed out a 40 foot pitch shot on sloping green once. So rewarding to make those shots vs a long flop or spinner that gets 3 feet or less easily most times.

Sent from my SM-G996U using Tapatalk

[mudtiger]

Re: EA PGA Tour 23 Searching for difficulty

Just played pebble beach 1st round after the patch....That green low zoom cam available within 70ish yards of the green when playing with the zoom cam off is fantastic. Exactly what was needed to add to the immersion and to give you the opportunity to actually see the breaks on the green. I might just turn the putting grids/beads off. Also, the lip outs putting are real now. Just adding an extra 7+ feet on ~10 foot putts and blasting it is going to get you in trouble.

Finished 1st round at pebble at +1. 2 birdies and a bogey on the front 9 and 2 bogies on the back 9. I hit the beach wall on 18 and had to take a drop. Without that I would have come in even or possibly -1. Leader is at -8 or -9 with the pack at -5 or -6. Fantastic result.

[mudtiger]

Re: EA PGA Tour 23 Searching for difficulty

Very happy with the results and will be sticking with skills posted above. Liking the patch changes a lot. The lip outs force you to try to find the correct putting distance rather than just hitting for max speed to kill the breaks knowing it will go in. Now it is going to lip out if you hit it hard..

I got cut at Pebble beach at +2 shooting 73 both rounds. Cut line was even. Winner scores -19, next -15, then -13. I played decent, just couldn't sink some putts to stay in it.

1st round the following week at the Phoenix open, I shoot par 35 on the first 9, then bogey the 11th. I've been playing well, but missed a putt. Then I birdie 13, 15, 16, and 17 with 15 from a chip in off the green. First time I felt the rush of the Phoenix crowd roaring for me and was fist pumping when those went down in front of the crowd. Finish at -3 tied for 4th with several others. Felt earned. Every shot measured.

Hoping I can keep the momentum going and make the cut.

[tcnumba10]

Re: EA PGA Tour 23 Searching for difficulty

Very happy with the results and will be sticking with skills posted above. Liking the patch changes a lot. The lip outs force you to try to find the correct putting distance rather than just hitting for max speed to kill the breaks knowing it will go in. Now it is going to lip out if you hit it hard..

I got cut at Pebble beach at +2 shooting 73 both rounds. Cut line was even. Winner scores -19, next -15, then -13. I played decent, just couldn't sink some putts to stay in it.

1st round the following week at the Phoenix open, I shoot par 35 on the first 9, then bogey the 11th. I've been playing well, but missed a putt. Then I birdie 13, 15, 16, and 17 with 15 from a chip in off the green. First time I felt the rush of the Phoenix crowd roaring for me and was fist pumping when those went down in front of the crowd. Finish at -3 tied for 4th with several others. Felt earned. Every shot measured.

Hoping I can keep the momentum going and make the cut.

I’m guilty of overpowering the putts to counter the breaks pre-patch and my scorecard has been poor now while I have to adjust to the patch. I find putting more challenging now but glad it’s more realistic with the lip outs. Now it’s a real challenge for me to even make the cut instead of just cruising to victory in most tournaments which is great now!