Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 14 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions (PS3, 360)

[Seymour Scagnetti]

Re: Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 14 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions (PS3, 360)

This is my thing,

I'm no scratch golfer in real life but consider myself formidable.

I will buy a yardage book at any course that sells it despite the fact that I also have a sky caddy.

I like knowing yardages to certain points from where I am on the course.


I can figure out the math as far as yardage which is why I will more than likely get it as is and work with it.

It just doesnt make sense to me, as was previously mentioned, yardages one of the things that are not a guessing game for the pros.

I agree, I think they should have at least provided some yardage markers on those hole flybys but I guess we have to wait to get that next year hopefully because it should have been a given with no zoom. Luckily its not a game breaker for me anyways.

[kehlis]

Re: Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 14 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions (PS3, 360)

I agree, I think they should have at least provided some yardage markers on those hole flybys but I guess we have to wait to get that next year hopefully because it should have been a given with no zoom. Luckily its not a game breaker for me anyways.

Agreed, I'm not someone who uses the term game breaker with anything and this certainly doesn't fall under that category.

I think it was a terrible decision and I can leave it at that.

This simulation mode is what I've been looking for for years in a golf game and the constant lack of it was why I finally didn't buy this game last year (I'm a day one title buyer of the games I get on a regular basis. Last year, for the first time since I can remember, I didn't buy either NCAA or TW).

After taking a year off, I will still likely buy this but I still think it was a TERRIBLE design decision that makes no sense.

This is not meant at any disrespect to HANDS because he has done an excellent job interacting with us here but it just doesn't make sense to me.

[Lieutenant Dan]

Re: Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 14 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions (PS3, 360)

I have been following the thread and appreciate everyone's comments, as well as the contributions from our insider Divot and EA dev, HANDS. HANDS...it's great to have you here. We have gotten somewhat frustrated in years past that no one from EA seems to be here to listen to/address our concerns (Divot can attest to this!). Thank you for your time to be here, we really appreciate your presence.

I haven't offered up anything on the demo because I gave up on TW demos two years ago lol. I have noticed such a difference between the final and the demo that I've had night-and-day experiences, and wind up much happier with the final code.

So....while I admit and worry a little I'm not getting simulation practice in, I'm waiting patiently for my preorder and I'll sit at the bottom of CC OS Bushwood for a few weeks LOL.

Carry on, gents!

[HANDSWARD_EA]

Re: Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 14 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions (PS3, 360)

This leads me to my question for hands and divot. As I stated I use the kinect, I'm not sure how much you know about kinect mechanics, but I have been playing and I've figured out how to hit straight and I can hook, pull, and draw my shot, but there is no way in the world that I can figure out how to bend the ball right (fade/slice). My question is, is it possible to hit a fade or slice because it feels like its not. If I simulate a fade or slice I get a pull hook. Any mi**** I have goes left no matter how I swing. So is it possible and if so, do you know the mechanics of how to accomplish this feet?

OK, I didn't get a solid answer cause the 3 people that know the most about this are all out of office. But I may have something that will help.

Try changing your initial hand position. You are possibly setting your hands too close to your body and then swinging back to this same point. If you move them away from your body a bit, and try to swing back to that same point, you should start to see straighter flight and maybe even some fades.

[HANDSWARD_EA]

Re: Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 14 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions (PS3, 360)

Can I change those features? I've never putted with grids and really like the disappearing icon for the strike meter. I even really like aiming from a primarily static position.

You can create any custom difficulty that you want by individually changing the gameplay settings. This really enables you to fine tune your experience so that the game plays the way you want it to.

[HANDSWARD_EA]

Re: Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 14 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions (PS3, 360)

And since I won't be playing again until tomorrow, hands if you know, can you confirm this is on the sim difficulty and if so does it show any of like the 100, 150, 200 yard markers at all?

No, the flyby doesn't show any of the yardage icons.

[HANDSWARD_EA]

Re: Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 14 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions (PS3, 360)

Are there actually functioning ball drops in the game this year? Or are we left again with the game deciding where we get to drop.

Manual user ball drops has been on the feature list the last two years (and from what I am told they always had it on the list prior to me being here) but it has fallen off near the end of feature building. It didn't completely fall off this past year, as we at least reworked the game's logic for dropping the ball. It works a lot better now and should put you in much better spots than it used to. But the interface for the user deciding where to drop it did not get done. We can only hope for the future on this one, as it has always been near the top of my list of things to improve.

[Lieutenant Dan]

Re: Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 14 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions (PS3, 360)

I really appreciate your honesty in your replies, HANDS. Some won't like what you come back with at times, but fluffed-up contrivances are WAY worse than the facts from your end. Thanks!

[Danimal]

Re: Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 14 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions (PS3, 360)

Manual user ball drops has been on the feature list the last two years (and from what I am told they always had it on the list prior to me being here) but it has fallen off near the end of feature building. It didn't completely fall off this past year, as we at least reworked the game's logic for dropping the ball. It works a lot better now and should put you in much better spots than it used to. But the interface for the user deciding where to drop it did not get done. We can only hope for the future on this one, as it has always been near the top of my list of things to improve.

Thanks for the answer at least the logic is reworked.

I want profess to know what the list is and I understand that my priorities are not the same as others. Ball drops are a part of the game, a fundamental part if you ask me so it is disappointing that other priorities (which are likely more marketable) are ahead of them.

This and a true 3d green for reading breaks would be my top 2 items.

[chi_hawks]

Re: Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 14 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions (PS3, 360)

It makes me wonder if they think of "Simulation" mode being like the weekend warrior, with a 28 handicap, who doesn't look at things like yardage to front/back/middle, bunker around green locations, hole layout, etc... I suppose "simulation" would make sense then. They typically want to know distance to the hole and thats all they need (they don't know much about the green until they walk up there to putt later).

I can't imagine they sat down with a decent golfer and built this simulation mode off of how they would play.

[Love13]

It makes me wonder if they think of "Simulation" mode being like the weekend warrior, with a 28 handicap, who doesn't look at things like yardage to front/back/middle, bunker around green locations, hole layout, etc... I suppose "simulation" would make sense then. They typically want to know distance to the hole and thats all they need (they don't know much about the green until they walk up there to putt later).

I can't imagine they sat down with a decent golfer and built this simulation mode off of how they would play.

From what some have said, although I've never seen it confirmed from a team member, some of the devs that design this game are scratch golfers. I don't think it's just a bunch of computer guys that have never played the game. As hands said there were many ideas that went into different types of options for yardages, but they all missed the cut. Best thing we can do is bring this up in official forums and get some strength from the community behind this to make it a priority next year.

But I totally see what your saying about it feels a little like weekend warrior golf. Get the distance, aim at the flag and fire away and hope it sticks haha.

[Love13]

OK, I didn't get a solid answer cause the 3 people that know the most about this are all out of office. But I may have something that will help.

Try changing your initial hand position. You are possibly setting your hands too close to your body and then swinging back to this same point. If you move them away from your body a bit, and try to swing back to that same point, you should start to see straighter flight and maybe even some fades.

Thanks hands. I've started swinging similar to what you described. I'll keep working on it and see what I can do. Can't wait for the game so I can jump onto augustas driving range and really start working it out

[HANDSWARD_EA]

Re: Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 14 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions (PS3, 360)

From what some have said, although I've never seen it confirmed from a team member, some of the devs that design this game are scratch golfers.

I currently have a 1.6 index. And it is more from a lack of time to play. But my new year's resolution is to get my game back to where it used to be and take a run at the U.S. Mid-Amateur and U.S. Amateur.

[Matt10]

Re: Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 14 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions (PS3, 360)

It makes me wonder if they think of "Simulation" mode being like the weekend warrior, with a 28 handicap, who doesn't look at things like yardage to front/back/middle, bunker around green locations, hole layout, etc... I suppose "simulation" would make sense then. They typically want to know distance to the hole and thats all they need (they don't know much about the green until they walk up there to putt later).

I can't imagine they sat down with a decent golfer and built this simulation mode off of how they would play.

Yup - that's what it sounds like.

I've come to terms with it though. If I really want to do it like a pro, I'll go and practice rounds and find what yardages work on the course, etc. It will work - but will be work to do.

I appreciate the communication, and the genuine approach that the devs have. I work in a business that lives by the words "No one cares what you know until they know that you care." - I think we are getting closer to there, but the omittance of yardages is going to always be one of those "WTF" decisions for me.

[DivotMaker]

Re: Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 14 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions (PS3, 360)

I think we are getting closer to there, but the omittance of yardages is going to always be one of those "WTF" decisions for me.

I can tell you for a fact that there were many here and at the Tiger forums who complained about hitting every fairway in TW13. Part of this was due to the ease of hitting straight with the new TSC in '13. Another major factor was the fact that you could zoom out to the exact landing point your ball would hit giving the user way too much information to make the swing with. I am sorry that some of you feel the yardages need to be in the Simulation mode, but how many times have you seen a PGA TOUR Pro miss the fairway even when they thought they aimed their shot to the right area and executed the shot the way they intended? It happens more than most of you think.

Leaving the yardages out forces users to:

a) learn their club distances

b) learn the course layouts and hazard locations

c) brings the rough BACK into play

d) learn to use the HUD as it tells you every thing you need to know to make an approach shot

e) learn to manage the risk/reward factor when driving the ball

This is certainly more realistic than being able to zoom out and see yardage markers or a camera that shows where your ball will land when aimed. Should there be yardage markers that you can see while zoomed above the golfers shoulder as in Simulation mode? I can see making a case for that as long as the yardage markers give some sort of indication where the aiming marker is at, I get that. Lets see how this works out in the final game release. Human nature is to resist change. I was not a fan of not having yardage markers at first, but I have since come to want to play without these yardages as it is an extreme test of how well you can manage the course from the Golfer's perspective. Again, I respect those who feel differently now, but lets circle back and discuss this again a month or two after the game is released and we will see how realistic the impact to scoring is. You guys may be right and I may be wrong, but at least EA is giving you the option to play the game the way YOU want to play and there are options for those wanting even more challenge.