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Re: Recent issues in the PC Desktop version

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Wed, Jul 29 2020 12:58 AM (4 replies)
  • YankeeDPB
    14 Posts
    Fri, Jul 24 2020 12:06 AM

    This is my first time posting and I guess it is just an opportunity to vent, but I was wanting to understand if anyone else is noticing some frustrating issues creeping in with the PC Desktop version.   I have read some other posts about concerns and wanted to understand if I was seeing the same or similar issues.



    I've been playing for 2 1/2 years and don't use any on screen tools/calculators, just by looking the screen details, so I am prepared to accept that my gameplay is as a result of vagaries with that style (also happy to admit that my "ding" proficiency could be better but I generally get pretty close).   However, the past 2-4 weeks I have noticed some changes to the way the game responds that makes it more difficult to play.


    - Not sure if this is true but the wind now seems to be gusting.   I see shots sweep from one side of the green to the other in relatively light winds, I see shots fall short when the wind has been taken into consideration and an extra club has been taken and vice versa.   I know that in the real world, wind is never constant but unlike the virtual world, in the real world you can also "feel" what is happening around you.  I'm not sure how we are supposed to know when the wind is gusting in the virtual world, if that is what is happening here

    - The break on the greens (certainly at Legend level) seems to have changed.  I read in another post someone was experiencing more lipouts.  I concur, for the past 2-4 weeks, I have had more lipouts or balls just "slide" past the whole than in the past 2 years.  Also, there appears to be unobserved variations in the break - I look at the break from both sides of the hole, line up the putt, and then a couple of inches out, the ball takes a serious right/left hand turn that I couldn't see.  Maybe there is a better technique but with a computer program, you can only play what you see on the screen, anything else is unrealistic.

    - I have noticed that at least one time per round the auto-caddy doesn't recognise my change in club.   My most recent example from todays round at Merion was on a 135m Par 3, into a 5-6mph headwind.  I selected a 135m 9 iron which should have brought the ball up short of the hole - it landed 9m behind the hole in deep brush.  This would have equated to a 150m 8-iron.   As I said, this happens at least once per round, sometimes it is no issue but sometimes it affects the outcome.

    - Overall, shot distances now seem more variable (I guess this could be a function of wind gusts).   It just seems hard to rely on the distances, particularly when using percentages on the shot meter.   I get that you have to take into consideration wind, slope, surface, etc but when you do all that and the end result could be anywhere within a 10-15m range, it makes it hard to be confident with your shot making.  In the real world, this is the player effect but in the virtual world, the power and distances should be more consistent (and they were up until 2-4 weeks ago).   


    I hope it is not shoddy coding and poor UAT prior to releasing updates but whatever it is, it is making the game increasingly frustrating.   I enjoy the weekly/monthly tournaments but have started to shy away from certain courses where I found the break unreadable (Erin Hills & Chambers Bay to name a couple) and am starting to avoid any tournaments in High wind as they are almost impossible to play with my style.


    I'm not really looking for any solutions (although any suggestions to help my gameplay would be gratefully accepted), just confirmation that it is not me seeing these and other problems.   If it is just me, then I guess I just have to suck it up and keep persevering.


    Thanks for everyone's responses in the forums - I've learnt a lot from those who post and respond regularly.



  • AZWillieB
    15 Posts
    Fri, Jul 24 2020 6:51 AM

    I have only been playing the Early Access Desktop  Version and have experience the same problems during practice rounds.  I hadn't thought of the problems w/ very short shots that seem to go much wider than the point of contact on the shot-meter and/or much shorter than the club I thought I was using.  And I am very careful to set up each shot carefully: wind; elevation; club selection; spin; etc.

    I also seem to have many putts that lip out or slide by just outside the cup.  I frequently use the 'Putt Preview' function to test my putt ... I find this a great aid in practicing putting ... However, even when I have the putt lined up perfectly and strike it with just the right amount of power so that the 'Putt Preview' goes in the hole, being off just a hair's breadth from the perfect 'ding' shot, the putt misses the cup.

    Up to now I've just attributed the putting problem it to my own putting and my equipment ... am using a cheap putter ... but that doesn't account for the 'sudden wind gusts' if, indeed, that's causing the unusually errant shots.

     

  • SamSpayed
    4,874 Posts
    Fri, Jul 24 2020 11:05 AM

    YankeeDPB:
    I'm not really looking for any solutions (although any suggestions to help my gameplay would be gratefully accepted), just confirmation that it is not me seeing these and other problems.

    It's not just you.  I've seen similar issues myself on the PC web (Flash) version.

    YankeeDPB:
    - Not sure if this is true but the wind now seems to be gusting.   I see shots sweep from one side of the green to the other in relatively light winds, I see shots fall short when the wind has been taken into consideration and an extra club has been taken and vice versa. 

    I'm sure a lot of this has to do with (a) the spin rating of your ball and clubs, (b) how much spin you're putting on the ball, and (c) how much you miss the ding by.  You're using a Level 92 TM ball that has a spin rating of 5.0.  That ball is going to be much more sensitive to the wind than a lower spin ball, especially with full backspin or close to it.  And if you miss the ding even by a little bit, the effect can be severe.

    YankeeDPB:
    for the past 2-4 weeks, I have had more lipouts or balls just "slide" past the whole than in the past 2 years

    This could be a combination of your putting style (e.g. hitting the ball a little too firm) and the green speed.  Green speeds 12 and 13 are very sensitive.  Even a small misread or mishit can mean a lip-out or narrow miss.

    YankeeDPB:
    there appears to be unobserved variations in the break - I look at the break from both sides of the hole, line up the putt, and then a couple of inches out, the ball takes a serious right/left hand turn that I couldn't see

    I have noticed this, too.  You really have to be careful reading some putts.  Look at the entire line for little "gotchas" - tiny breaks that can change the direction of your putt ever-so-slightly.

    YankeeDPB:
    - I have noticed that at least one time per round the auto-caddy doesn't recognise my change in club.

    I have noticed this, too.  I believe it is a game glitch.  What I do sometimes to (hopefully) counteract the glitch is change my club, wait a couple seconds, then change it back to the club I want, to make sure that WGT has the club loaded that I want to hit.

    Hope some of this helps.

  • Rifle57
    71 Posts
    Fri, Jul 24 2020 2:38 PM

    I've noticed that certain clubs with certain abilities get changed when playing a normal stroke play game aganst other players in my club. eg. Driver was 296 yds. on front nine then got changed to 294 on back nine. Same for 3 wood, 257 on front, then 254 yds. on back. I know that in tournaments no abilities are available, but why to they sometimes change for certain stroke games. Never though when I play on my own. Any thoughts.

    Thanks,

    Rifle57

  • YankeeDPB
    14 Posts
    Wed, Jul 29 2020 12:58 AM

    Thanks Sam

     

    Pleased to hear that others have noticed some "glitches" as well.   I'll keep persevering and try some of your suggestions.

    I will say that I have been using the TM (L92) ball for quite some time and have never really had an issue with it until recently (a couple of club changes could also be contributing to that).   It does make the high wind tournaments almost worthless playing if there is going to be that much movement.

    I played Chambers Bay (high wind) again in the Week 31 tournament today and the movement was diabolical in some cases (and almost non-existent in others with supposedly the same wind).   I'm still seeing "glitches" where the wind indicator shows strong cross-wind, so with an appropriate club selection for the distance and direction to account for the wind, the shot is blown past the rear of the green by 30 yards - clearly not a cross wind, more like a tail wind.

    I just can't help but think there is something funky going on here recently with the game logic - the game is supposed to be realistic but when you can't rely on the information presented by the game, it isn't very realistic.

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