142 replies to this topic

[Andrew]

Wanted to give you all a quick update on what we have been working on...

We have recently released The Grove a real course in the UK that hosts the British Masters.  We have another real course in Texas coming soon (the first new public golf course in Texas in several years)  and hopefully a couple of other PGA Tour courses.

We have also been working with Nicklaus Design and hope to announce soon a three course Asia pack of Nicklaus Designs and a 5 course Nicklaus Signature Course pack

On the game front we have been hard at work on a significant rewrite of the bounce physics, which we have done in conjunction with some PGA Pros as some Trackman folks.  This removes one of the more significant weaknesses in our current game and advances it to the next level of reality in simulation golf.

We have also rewritten the Computer Golfers from the ground up and are happy to say that the computer golfer experience is now significantly enhanced.  Faster and with a greater degree of flexibility than before.

We have also separated out the Green Firmness from the Fairway firmness allowing you to play combinations that were not possible before as well as introducing a green quality setting which reflects how bunpy the greens are.  the more bunpy they are the more chance on longer putts that your putt will stray offline due to the unevenness of the green or for those of you who miss a lot of putts the more chance it has to be deflected into the hole.

Finally we have been hard at work on our 3D grass solution.  Attached are some very very early work in progress pictures

 

Attached Files

•  bandicam 2016-10-19 12-22-56-506.png   579.78KB   39 downloads
•  bandicam 2016-10-19 13-34-21-764.png   496.86KB   28 downloads

[frank70]

Very good gameplay enhancements!!

 

And the grass looks. Will help the immersion!

 

One question: Are flares & rays functioning right now? I don't see them anymore and overall the lightning doesn't seem as good as it was a few updates ago.

[DivotMaker]

Sounding better and better with each update Andrew...thank you for the heads up!

[SirGrassCutter]

Sweet update news Andrew.  Splitting the firmness settings for the greens and fairways is a big plus.  Bumpy greens oh joy!  

[Sliceapottomus]

This is excelent news.. Thankyou for the update.......

[zmax - sim]

Booyah!!!  

[Dazmaniac]

Bravo. Excellent update news.

 

More courses is always good.

 

Stoked about the separation of green and fairway settings (something would have loved in Links 2003). Also interested to see the 'bumpy greens' in action as not every course in the world has PGA/Euro Tour quality greens. Will make recreating winter themed public courses even more real, lol. Add in the improved bounce physics too and this game is really making big strides.

 

Glad to hear the AI have had some love again.

 

3D grass. Nuff said.

 

[MimicPS]

 

 

One question: Are flares & rays functioning right now? I don't see them anymore and overall the lightning doesn't seem as good as it was a few updates ago.

 

Still seeing both on mine when the lighting situation allows Frank. Very effective they look too.

 

So far as the lighting situation goes, there are some low sun positions which do struggle slightly I feel, and where an element of adaptive lighting would help overall to lower the skybox lighting and bring out the low-lit detail in the animation, mainly where the light source is lower on the horizon and behind the view from behind the ani.

[gravedodger]

Great news Andrew, new courses, course physics tweaks, 3D grass in the pipeline ... it's all good 

[M Rose]

Trinity Forest?

[KenR]

As always, thanks for the update!

[Crow357]

Yeah, I've had the privilege of helping test these new physics.  It's like they started with the chipping and worked their way back to the tee.  Chipping is scary realistic now.  Pitches and flops no longer stop on a dime.  Bounces off of slopes are more true.  Gone is the ballooning effect of the woods, hybrids and longer irons.  Putting is so much more real now.  Those 10 foot putts aren't automatic anymore with greens set to Realistic level. It's heartbreaking to see your right edge putt just hang a little straighter or exhilarating as your putt you slightly misread putt hits a spike mark and wobbles into the hole!  And the AI is very much improved, I've really enjoyed watching the computer players pitch out of a pot bunker as they figure out how to get out of it.  I hope you all look forward to this getting released as it really brings the game to the next level in terms of simulation.

[FixAmer1st]

Andrew/Crow

Any idea when the improved Ani Players will be released?

 

Jerry

[Crow357]

Andrew/Crow

Any idea when the improved Ani Players will be released?

 

Jerry

Well, this really needs to go through the regular beta group too, so, I'm not sure.

[FixAmer1st]

Well, this really needs to go through the regular beta group too, so, I'm not sure.

OK.  I'm in that group.  No wonder we have not had any updates for quite a while. And I thought it was all because of CF.    

[DivotMaker]

Yeah, I've had the privilege of helping test these new physics.  It's like they started with the chipping and worked their way back to the tee.  Chipping is scary realistic now.  Pitches and flops no longer stop on a dime.  Bounces off of slopes are more true.  Gone is the ballooning effect of the woods, hybrids and longer irons.  Putting is so much more real now.  Those 10 foot putts aren't automatic anymore with greens set to Realistic level. It's heartbreaking to see your right edge putt just hang a little straighter or exhilarating as your putt you slightly misread putt hits a spike mark and wobbles into the hole!  And the AI is very much improved, I've really enjoyed watching the computer players pitch out of a pot bunker as they figure out how to get out of it.  I hope you all look forward to this getting released as it really brings the game to the next level in terms of simulation.

 

Music to my ears, thanks!

[erwildcat]

The grass looks great! Thanks for all of your hard work.

[Hokodah]

Great news, Thanks for the update Andrew.

[Greensboronclion]

Yeah, I've had the privilege of helping test these new physics.  It's like they started with the chipping and worked their way back to the tee.  Chipping is scary realistic now.  Pitches and flops no longer stop on a dime.  Bounces off of slopes are more true.  Gone is the ballooning effect of the woods, hybrids and longer irons.  Putting is so much more real now.  Those 10 foot putts aren't automatic anymore with greens set to Realistic level. It's heartbreaking to see your right edge putt just hang a little straighter or exhilarating as your putt you slightly misread putt hits a spike mark and wobbles into the hole!  And the AI is very much improved, I've really enjoyed watching the computer players pitch out of a pot bunker as they figure out how to get out of it.  I hope you all look forward to this getting released as it really brings the game to the next level in terms of simulation.

 

 

Crow if I am reading it right the putting is much more realistic at a normal level which I take that means you don't have to have the stimp at 13 or 14 all the time to keep the scores in the ball park am I correct?  As for all the other stuff being harder oh my just when I thought I couldn't get any worse.  Lol.

[Crow357]

Crow if I am reading it right the putting is much more realistic at a normal level which I take that means you don't have to have the stimp at 13 or 14 all the time to keep the scores in the ball park am I correct?  As for all the other stuff being harder oh my just when I thought I couldn't get any worse.  Lol.

Yes, the Realistic and Bumpy settings make the greens react more like real life rather than say, a billiard table.  Also, because th reactions of the flops, pitches and chips are so more realistic, you really need to think about your approach to the green more.  If you short side yourself, for instance, you're going to have a much more difficult time tying to get close.