15 replies to this topic

[☠InDaSkies☠]

Can someone answer a couple of questions? Will there be options to set the wind for the game? And will there be a game lobby and a chat box so we will be able play with friends and be able to make new friends. I have been playing The Golf Club but I have to say the lack of a multiplayer experience and not being able to set the wind will be the death of that game . I hope PP will implement these options. IMO these are very important in any golf game.

[Richard]

Can someone answer a couple of questions? Will there be options to set the wind for the game? And will there be a game lobby and a chat box so we will be able play with friends and be able to make new friends. I have been playing The Golf Club but I have to say the lack of a multiplayer experience and not being able to set the wind will be the death of that game . I hope PP will implement these options. IMO these are very important in any golf game.

WIND & WEATHER:

 

The test versions have the following wind condition available, calm, breezy, gusty and windy. But what I deem as a fantastic opinion is the availability of setting weather conditions based on a location, i.e. Chicago, IL or Paris, Fr.

 

Another feature that is also available is to set the time of day, by hour. So you could set an early morning time and play during sunrise or a late time and play at dusk.

 

If you review some of the most recent posts with pictures, you will see examples of what I'm describing. One set even shows foggy conditions. Here is a link to some of those pictures.

 

http://www.perfectparallel.com/topic/663-another-wow-moment-while-testing/

 

LOBBY & CHAT:

 

There is an online play capability which I have not tried. I'm not even sure that It's implemented yet in the test versions. Therefore, I don't know exactly what type of chat or lobby capabilities are envisioned. Somewhere, many moons ago, I believe I saw postings on this subject and my recollection was there are plans to implement them in some fashion. I just don't know the details.

 

There is a 'multi-player' capability of 8 players. How that interfaces with on-line tournament play, I don't know.

 

Maybe someone from the development team or one of the other testers will jump into and provide more and better information.

[yesrushdt]

 I have been playing The Golf Club but I have to say the lack of a multiplayer experience and not being able to set the wind will be the death of that game .

 

Really surprising you can't set wind on TGC.  I've never played the game, however I did read they implemented turned based multiplayer in a beta before the game was released.  Still have no interest in playing the game though due to the generic nature of the courses and and the fact that you can see trees and other objects pop up in the distance as the camera gets closer to them.  Pretty poor graphic representation for a "next gen" game.

 

For anyone that has played the Perfect Golf early alpha with someone else online, is turn based multiplayer on option?  That's a very important option to me, one that has been in just about every golf sim game made.  Hopefully it will be included.

[☠InDaSkies☠]

Thanks Rich!

[Mike Jones]

We have multiple wind strength options already and we also have turbulence and variations working on the ball in real time based on real world wind behaviour. In other words no-one not even the computer knows exactly what will happen to the wind and therefore the ball on any given shot until the ball has stopped moving. This is a challenge for us to work with cameras that can take a best guess on where the ball might end up but it also brings a level of realism to PG not seen in other golf games.

 

The options for the wind information you have access to are part of the planned difficulty levels but the actual wind itself won't change strength based on difficulty setting but based either on the real world location you are dialled into or pre round preferences.

[Mailman]

Multiplayer has always worked well for Links 2003 so a similar system (direct connection IP to IP) will surely be a vote winner for many and should be high on the list of priorities re improved gameplay.  I love playing mano-a-mano and want to see the other guy (or rather his ani) playing his shot rather than a ghost trail that we currently see in TGC.  Also a good 'lobby' where you can pick up a 'casual' game would be even better.

 

Re the wind, I'm encouraged by what Mike has just posted.  I may be in the minority but I'd rather see less information than more.  Say for example it is a breezy day (say up to 15mph winds).  I'd rather see a general indication of the wind strength ( say 5-15 mph specified before the start of a round) with the actual direction and actual speed for each shot not being as easy to work out as it currently is within Links.  When you think about it in real life golf working out the direction and windspeed is an inexact science at best involving a different mindset - is it a 1-club wind? or a 2-club wind? etc.  I don't have the actual numbers only a gut feel.  

[☠InDaSkies☠]

I don't really think that IP is the answer for a good multiplayer experience. Plus I wouldn't want to be putting my IP address out there in this day and age. The game needs a lobby so you would be able to join someone's game other then a friends. Golf to me anyway, is a social game and it would be nice to be able to make new friends by joining a strangers game. The Golf Club really missed the boat on that one there multiplayer is horrible. And there are a lot of unhappy people complaining about it. I hope PP takes this into consideration before the launch. Needs to have a chat also so you can comment on shots. 

[IanD]

I doubt it would be a displayable IP, InDaSkies... it was likely meant as something similar, but less techy.

 

I think we could do well with a simple tierred system that you simply click upon. Something like TS (TeamSpeak) for want of explaining it to those who know TS.

 

It would mean the PP guys keep some online server hosting the software for us to join. Maybe in time that will come and we'll see greater support for this product once live.

 

Something easy to see visually, that would offer you several rooms on entry...

• World Regions - expanding from Europe/Asia/Americas etc etc. This allows you to see if anyone is wanting to be found locally/nationally.
• Tournaments - this expands into various rooms created for those in active Tours
• Clubs - similar to above, but a place where you can join clubs and see whats happening, active etc.
• More - this would likely be added depending upon anything further needed.

 

However in all of the above, the options that would become allowable need to be thought upon too. It's too restricting like that, and you can miss something, so a few tweaks are needed like so ;

 

• You need to be able to join 'several' rooms at the same time - this ensures you log in and see everything you want, because you initially set up which rooms you want to become members of. Any chat visible would be clearly indicated what room it emanated from, but you can easily take part in any discussion.
• Certain rooms below the main levels only exist if specific users are online - this then auto creates the room if you are the only one online. Others logging in would then join it. If you were the only one online, it would not display the room because you can't talk to yourself!
• Any room created below the standard fixed ones could be pass-worded or access requested by a simple knock knock system for those inside the room. Opening the door to newcomers or allowing entry to newcomers would become two different things in how they can save it for access locally next time.
• Rooms can be created for private chat (groups) or simply click a privacy lock with a user, to ensure you only speak with this user direct.
• Invitations can be managed and easily sent to specific rooms that allow such Invitations. This only flashes once in that room to ensure spamming isn't something we seek. However a full system setup for the User would be required if he wanted to send these Invites. It wouldn't be allowable by anyone, but would require a higher level.
• Room control can be something easily managed by those in the room voting for specific users to have control.

 

There is likely far more you can offer and suggest in this type of setup. None of this suggests starting the actual game itself from this area, but that would become a feature requested. It would likely be sometime before something like this was created though... but a perfect world it would allow for us all.

 

If there is a subscription cost to various levels of those wanting to access ALL areas, so be it. It's almost like you can use the system for the first tier - Europe/Asia/Americas etc.. but nothing further. This allows you familiarity and a way of advertising what else is on offer to subscribers wishing to play seriously.

 

Personally I'd be happy with something like this...

[IanD]

ADDITION:

 

I've used the wording of 'rooms' because I'm old... it's likely yesteryear already, but you get my meaning. Maybe GROUPS is a better word... therefore you can see WHO are members of those Groups you joined and if you don't wish to see them or have them displaying your chat - you remove them from your Group. These are the areas that get refined a little once setup.

 

We could also see a Twitter Style effect, when I used the wording Invitationals above. If you choose to follow such things, you'll get to hear news of it. If you had such a Personal area where you can store 'invites', then you can easily catch up on them when away. Would it be too much to have them fwd'd to your email account ?? Maybe a mobile phone App could be created for Tourney Invites... how far do you wanna go here lol !!

 

Another thought on the Invitational setup I've seen used (@footballidentity) would be to allow advertising within the actual Online Interface when chatting. It would require payment naturally, but you can create a banner of x pixels, and have it displayed in x amount of areas. Therefore clubs can setup their own external membership and with you can generate a revenue stream (there has to be costs... it's inevitable, and makes for further improvements).

[Mailman]

I don't really think that IP is the answer for a good multiplayer experience. Plus I wouldn't want to be putting my IP address out there in this day and age.

 

AFAIK when you do a direct connection in Links2003 the only people who will know the IP will be you and the person(s) you are connecting to.  This would not (and is not displayed) for the world to see.  I generally hook up via Skype first then exchange details before the game is created by the host player and the others then join in via direct connection.   

[Dazmaniac]

Multiplayer games these days make use of lobbies and the facility to allow spectators, with no posting of IP's required. Lobby rooms could be password protected if the host preferred, stopping unwanted visitors spectating/joining the game. At the end of the day though, I guess all this requires server space to host the games, which obviously isn't free.

 

Take iRacing, the driving sim/game. All their races (official or hosted un-official) are done online through their servers. Races are posted, you join one and off you go. Whilst these races are underway, other folk can have the option of joining the race as a spectator (as long as they have the content being used) and watching the race from whatever camera choice the prefer, even from on board someone elses car.

 

I think it would be great if Mailman was playing his weekly casual round with his chum, and I happened to pop on to the server and be informed there were 4 games currently ongoing. Only 3 of these were on courses I had in my library, so I could have the option of joining any of the 3 as a spectator and watch the action unfold.

 

With a free roam camera option, imagine the fun of watching two other people playing from a camera location of your choosing. It would be like you were walking the fairways, watching the game.

 

[RobV]

I have semi-interest in playing with strangers, I won't rule it out.  The fun comes with playing with family and friends, just like on the real golf course.  I hardly go to the golf course and play as a single, only to get paired up with people I don't know.  

Lobbies, or IP to IP... doesn't matter, as long as I can play with family friends... or there is a decent single player (ie career), I am happy! 

[Dazmaniac]

I have semi-interest in playing with strangers, I won't rule it out.  The fun comes with playing with family and friends, just like on the real golf course.  I hardly go to the golf course and play as a single, only to get paired up with people I don't know.  

Lobbies, or IP to IP... doesn't matter, as long as I can play with family friends... or there is a decent single player (ie career), I am happy! 

 

A car keys in the old bowl kind of guy are we Rob, lol.

 

[Andrew]

Couple of points to make

 

1) Our wind physics includes not just the standard stuff, but also elevation coefficients and gust factors which mean that the higher you hit the ball the more likely it is to be hit by a gust and the stronger the wind will be

2) I did a test the other night of a master server and client that used our network code to do what is called NAT Punchthrough meaning that we will be able to have a master server built into the game and the ability to create and join games and not have to open ports on the router to do so.  Right now we have IP to IP multiplayer which does require port opening on the router

[RobV]

A car keys in the old bowl kind of guy are we Rob, lol.

 

Hahaha   good one, Daz!   I gotta use that one!  

[☠InDaSkies☠]

Thanks Mike and Andrew

Sounds like this is going to be a great game. I just wish it was out so we could join in the fun. I have been playing The Golf Club till this comes out. The golf Club has such a lame multiplayer, no lobby to join other peoples game and you can only play stroke. No wind settings. I'm sure you guy's will have people flocking to Perfect Golf if you implement a good multiplayer experience.