PGA 2K25 Can't Squander Hot Start With VC Greed

[Will I Am]

Re: PGA 2K25 Can't Squander Hot Start With VC Greed

They got that way wrong, for sure...but how did they not know this well before Early Access even started? I could tell VC earnings were way too generous within my first couple hours of playing it.

They had 2+ years to come up with a progression strategy that didn't need to be nuked within one week of Early Access, yet here we are.

That's the head scratcher here for sure.

[scagwi]

Re: PGA 2K25 Can't Squander Hot Start With VC Greed

That's the head scratcher here for sure.

Is it really a head scratcher though?

I know we hate to be too cynical, but given what 2K does with the NBA series (and has for years), it all feels pretty planned out to be honest

I hate being this way, but they seem to have shown us how they do business already and we in the golf niche are just now getting exposed to it and having a hard time accepting a company could, yep, really be "like this"

[Will I Am]

Re: PGA 2K25 Can't Squander Hot Start With VC Greed

Is it really a head scratcher though?

I know we hate to be too cynical, but given what 2K does with the NBA series (and has for years), it all feels pretty planned out to be honest

I hate being this way, but they seem to have shown us how they do business already and we in the golf niche are just now getting exposed to it and having a hard time accepting a company could, yep, really be "like this"

If early access players were at 75-80 ovr instead of 90-99 the standard edition buyers wouldn't have even been upset. They would have just been complaining about what a slow grind it is to level up.
There were a Lot of players who made it to 70 ovr in the demo that paid out 9 vc for 9 holes, the full game right now pays out triple that amount so it's not like you can't get your golfer leveled up.

[scagwi]

Re: PGA 2K25 Can't Squander Hot Start With VC Greed

If early access players were at 75-80 ovr instead of 90-99 the standard edition buyers wouldn't have even been upset. They would have just been complaining about what a slow grind it is to level up.
There were a Lot of players who made it to 70 ovr in the demo that paid out 9 vc for 9 holes, the full game right now pays out triple that amount so it's not like you can't get your golfer leveled up.

To your point, the slow grind to encourage using real money is the main complaint.
It seems like a really fair one and not something that will change. This is how 2K operates.

Anyhow, I won't labor on

It sounds like many are enjoying the game anyhow -

[TheBrew101]

Re: PGA 2K25 Can't Squander Hot Start With VC Greed

Personally I think this whole VC thing is overblown. I think most are upset that many early access players were able to level up in the 90s and now it is hard to do that. I totally understand this sentiment and feel thay way as well as I wasn't an early access player.


That being said, for offline it really doesn't matter. You can tailor your difficulty however you want to give you the gameplay you desire.

For online, it obviously does matter. But I think the real issue here is lack of handicapped of tournaments. This is the real issue in my mind. Why? Because it doesn't matter if most of us have 99 overall guys fully maxed out--most of us still aren't shooting the -20 under par scores it takes to win these tournaments anyway. Maybe there are a few reading this that could but most of us aren't devoting all our time practicing, figuring out every little exploit, and treating this like professional golf devoting hours upon hours to win an online daily tournament (and even then we may not be skilled enough to do it).

So the issue isn't so much being 99 overall but rather having tournaments that allow everyone to compete and have fun. For example maybe I can still only average about 5 under with a 99 overall golfer while someone else can average 5 under with a 65 overall golfer. We should be competing in our "same flight" in a tournament. We shouldn't have to compete with the same people shooting 20 under par.

I think tournament flighting or handicap system is the most important thing they need to add. This helps alleviate needing to have 99 overall right away (though you can still work towards this). More importantly it allows everyone to have fun competing because regardless of what overall some of us are, we still are capped by our own skill at the game....but that shouldn't preclude us from having fun in competitions.

Just like your local golf club would hold tournaments. Usually it goes something like:

1) Open to all.
2) 0-5 handicap.
3) 5-10 handicap.
4) 10-15 handicap.
5) 15+

Have 5 flights like that for the Dailey and Weekly tournaments and problems are solved. Everyone can have fun regardless of their own skill level and regardless of their character's overall.

(The above flighting is just an example based on real life scoring. For this game it would obviously have to be lower but the point is we need something handicapped related. Similar to how TGC Tours has their different skill levels.

[MrArlingtonBeach]

Re: PGA 2K25 Can't Squander Hot Start With VC Greed

I think tournament flighting or handicap system is the most important thing they need to add. This helps alleviate needing to have 99 overall right away (though you can still work towards this). More importantly it allows everyone to have fun competing because regardless of what overall some of us are, we still are capped by our own skill at the game....but that shouldn't preclude us from having fun in competitions.

What's interesting is they actually added something slightly similar to this in this week's Weekly Ranked Tour events. It's not based on handicap, but on your level within Ranked Tours.

Anyone who's at Eagle level or above can play in the Arnold Palmer Invitational event at Bay Hill (which does come with a 100VC entry fee, but that's another story...), while anyone below that level can play in an alternate event.

I think there's a ton of potential to do things like this, or with handicaps, in Ranked Tours, and hopefully they take full advantage of that potential.

[bigkev]

Re: PGA 2K25 Can't Squander Hot Start With VC Greed

Handicap would be perfect for most customers, but since it's all about the money...

[bigkev]

Re: PGA 2K25 Can't Squander Hot Start With VC Greed

Someone also did a look at VC, Evo Tools, and Level Up tokens and their availability in the Clubhouse Pass. It's a bit jarring (but not unexpected) that so many more of all those things are available in the paid tier.

And since those things are all more valuable and rare now with the VC changes, this will likely push more people to feel the need to pay extra $$$ for the Premium Pass:


150 VC
Premium (level where you earn it in the pass): 2, 10, 17, 25, 31, 37, 43, 49, 58, 64, 71, 79, 85, 90, 97
Standard (level): 13, 46, 67, 88

LVL^ TOKENS
Premium: 9, 15, 22, 30, 36, 42, 47, 56, 62, 70, 77, 83, 89, 94
Standard: 7, 37, 66, 82

EVO TOOL
Premium: 5, 23, 51, 69
Standard: 34, 97

Are those buying the Legend edition also have automatic Premium pass too?

[MrArlingtonBeach]

Re: PGA 2K25 Can't Squander Hot Start With VC Greed

Are those buying the Legend edition also have automatic Premium pass too?

Yes, with the Legend Edition, you got CHP Seasons 1-5 included.

[TheBrew101]

Re: PGA 2K25 Can't Squander Hot Start With VC Greed

What's interesting is they actually added something slightly similar to this in this week's Weekly Ranked Tour events. It's not based on handicap, but on your level within Ranked Tours.

Anyone who's at Eagle level or above can play in the Arnold Palmer Invitational event at Bay Hill (which does come with a 100VC entry fee, but that's another story...), while anyone below that level can play in an alternate event.

I think there's a ton of potential to do things like this, or with handicaps, in Ranked Tours, and hopefully they take full advantage of that potential.

You did bring up what is probably my biggest VC complaint. Why are we being charged VC to enter a tournament? I don't understand having to "pay" to enter a game mode.

As an aside, I mentioned something similar to my post above during one of Respawn's live feeds and he mentioned it is something they were looking into. Maybe their solution will be using the rankings (which may be okay if it works out).

[MrArlingtonBeach]

Re: PGA 2K25 Can't Squander Hot Start With VC Greed

You did bring up what is probably my biggest VC complaint. Why are we being charged VC to enter a tournament? I don't understand having to "pay" to enter a game mode.

As an aside, I mentioned something similar to my post above during one of Respawn's live feeds and he mentioned it is something they were looking into. Maybe their solution will be using the rankings (which may be okay if it works out).

I don't get the entry fee for Ranked Tour either, when VC is not a reward for playing it (at least to my knowledge).

And speaking of Respawn, he's not sounding too confident on any changes coming to VC: https://x.com/MoreRespawn/status/1897019482553667590

I'm gonna stop posting so much negative about PGA 2K here. They either change it or I find other things to play. Me posting about it isn't doing anything. I've given my feedback. The community has given their feedback. Balls in their court.

[bigkev]

Re: PGA 2K25 Can't Squander Hot Start With VC Greed

You did bring up what is probably my biggest VC complaint. Why are we being charged VC to enter a tournament? I don't understand having to "pay" to enter a game mode.

That's how it works on EA golf too. Using VC to enter daily tournaments so you could earn tickets to enter weekly and seasonal tournaments. And if you run out of them as some were entering those tournaments numerous times to post a top score, they had to use real money to buy tickets.

[bigkev]

Re: PGA 2K25 Can't Squander Hot Start With VC Greed

Yes, with the Legend Edition, you got CHP Seasons 1-5 included.

They're so going there again for the next game. Not the same chaos as right now, but giving a big competitive advantage for those buying the Legend edition.

[RIFRIG]

Re: PGA 2K25 Can't Squander Hot Start With VC Greed

Probably the best way to get past this VC change is to accept any early adopters have paid good money to be at 90+ OVR. $120 or even $90 is a high price for an evolution of 2K23 to say the least & preorder bonus was weak other than the early access.

[ChaseB]

Re: PGA 2K25 Can't Squander Hot Start With VC Greed

Is it really a head scratcher though?

I know we hate to be too cynical, but given what 2K does with the NBA series (and has for years), it all feels pretty planned out to be honest

I hate being this way, but they seem to have shown us how they do business already and we in the golf niche are just now getting exposed to it and having a hard time accepting a company could, yep, really be "like this"

Yeah but NBA 2K doesn't do this. They just screw you from the start haha.