Jeronimo Jones
Member
Cool, wondered where this was. I'm interested even though I've never played real golf in my life.
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The Golf Club release Aug. 19th on Xbox One and PC, PS4 later this month
- Thread starter FinFan
- Start date
OnlookerDelay
Member
Well, it's been almost three weeks since the last build was released on the PC. It didn't feel complete because it wasn't. They admitted that everything wasn't fully functional in that last build, but all of the advertised features would be in the final. The release version is *supposed* to be optimized a bit more, but whether or not it will be fully optimized; I doubt it.
They've only had to worry about one hardware configuration on each of the consoles, so I expect them to be as optimized as they can get. I know we shouldn't see the wide range of controller problems people have had with the plethora of PC controllers that are on the market.
MADGAME
Member
I'm intrigued and may be in for the PS4 version; the last "realistic" game I thoroughly enjoyed was Links 2004 on OG Xbox and I'll have you know I was a beast.
I'm assuming it will have an analog stick swing mechanims. Will there there be a swing meter in the game or is it power guessing?
I'm assuming it will have an analog stick swing mechanims. Will there there be a swing meter in the game or is it power guessing?
OnlookerDelay
Member
Five, at the start: Autumn, Rural, Alpine, Desert, and Links. They will be adding more over time. I think they're going to have one that will just be an open sky. This will work great for parkland courses. It's hard to create some of the courses that I want to create because all of the themes they have now use mountain panorama's in the distance... even the Links theme.
OnlookerDelay
Member
Yep, the console versions will be analog stick swings. The PC version has an analog mouse swing mechanism as well, but I found it a bit dodgy and unrefined. There won't be a swing meter in the game. It had one at one time, but decided the game didn't need it. They're philosophy is to keep the HUD distractions to a minimum. I'm good with a meterless analog swing interface, although this one lacks a bit of feel (at least in the PC version) when you're trying to modulate a pitch shot.
MADGAME
Member
Thanks, that does bring up another question from me though.
If it is a meter-less mechanic, do you have to consistently re-learn your clubs if your stats/skills increase? For example, if I use a 7 iron and I know max power it goes 150 yards with no wind, I can guess and learn how far a 3/4, 1/4, etc swing will go. Will I have to re-learn if my power goes up, different club sets, etc? That's the main annoying part of meter-less mechanics (in my opinion) as opposed to a meter - is the consistency of getting an idea how far the ball will travel.
OnlookerDelay
Member
There is no skill progression in The Golf Club. You start out with the skills you'll keep throughout the game. I'm doing pretty good with the meterless mechanic, but hitting 1/2 and 3/4 swings is tough to manage consistently. The scaling of the movement lacks the feel/feedback to make it feel like it should. OTOH, it works good proportionally in putting. I'm hoping that over time this aspect of the game will improve. HBS is committed to upgrading the game via upgrades.
OnlookerDelay
Member
I'm reading a few early impressions from a couple of reviewers who got final game code Thursday night. So far the only real complaint out of the box is there is some screen tearing in evidence. One reviewer found that HBS included the ability to enable v-synch in the options menu, and it apparently locks the animation frame rate to 30 fps but also gets rid of the screen tearing.. Here's his comment on it after enabling it:
"Turning on the V-Sync did make a world of difference as it relates to the screen tearing I was noticing. I played three rounds with it on and didn't notice any screen tearing at all and I couldn't tell any difference as far as framerate. It was still smooth and, really, that's all that matters to me."
Sounds to me like they should have made the game default to this setting. I wonder how many XB1 gamers are going to be up in arms over this on release day, not realizing there's an option to change to get rid of it, or see the v-sync enable option and not realize what it does? This isn't a common option on console games.
Anyway, it would seem to me that HBS left the v-sync off by default so the claim could be made that it runs between 30 and 45 fps. In reality I don't think that's going to be all that noticeable in The Golf Club, since it had a control input thread that's locked at 60 fps.
I'm wondering if if the PS4 version will display this same screen tearing tendency at 1080p? HBS claims an animation frame rate of 30 - 40 fps for it, so it's v-sync would be disabled by default also. It will be interesting to see how this goes.
"Turning on the V-Sync did make a world of difference as it relates to the screen tearing I was noticing. I played three rounds with it on and didn't notice any screen tearing at all and I couldn't tell any difference as far as framerate. It was still smooth and, really, that's all that matters to me."
Sounds to me like they should have made the game default to this setting. I wonder how many XB1 gamers are going to be up in arms over this on release day, not realizing there's an option to change to get rid of it, or see the v-sync enable option and not realize what it does? This isn't a common option on console games.
Anyway, it would seem to me that HBS left the v-sync off by default so the claim could be made that it runs between 30 and 45 fps. In reality I don't think that's going to be all that noticeable in The Golf Club, since it had a control input thread that's locked at 60 fps.
I'm wondering if if the PS4 version will display this same screen tearing tendency at 1080p? HBS claims an animation frame rate of 30 - 40 fps for it, so it's v-sync would be disabled by default also. It will be interesting to see how this goes.
cowden_harley
Member
cant see anywhere stocking this for launch on release date in the UK!
OnlookerDelay
Member
It's digital distribution only on all three platforms.
cowden_harley
Member
that will be why. thanks
OnlookerDelay
Member
No problem, just curious though... is that a deal breaker for you? I used to think it would be for me, but now I've found that I'm actually spoiled by digital only games.
backbreaker65
Banned
Will this game have "MOVE" support?
Neuromancer
Member
Not that I've heard.
OnlookerDelay
Member
It has been confirmed that Move support will not be part of this game. The developers haven't ruled it out, but say that it would be well down the road before it could happen. It depends on what they gauge the potential demand for it to be after launch.
TheOctodad
Member
This already posted? Didn't see it.
http://www.gamepur.com/feature/1401...real-world-ball-physics-resolution-no-is.html
http://www.gamepur.com/feature/1401...real-world-ball-physics-resolution-no-is.html
Neuromancer
Member
$35, wow. I'll probably buy it anyway but people are going to balk at that price for sure.
markhimself46
Member
Woah, just seeing this thread for the first time. Was wondering when this game was coming out. Definitely surprised by the digital-only and the price point; though not necessarily complaining. Excited to finally play this!
cowden_harley
Member
Nope ive got titanfall digital
Not as high as the upcoming PGA game, which will be $60, retail.
Neuromancer
Member
True. $35 is less than $60.
cowden_harley
Member
Let us know when it pops up folks.
Try this remote purchase stuff
Try this remote purchase stuff
zhao3gold_2
Banned
I think I will pass. No interest in Golf simulation.
Ian
Member
Thanks for coming into a thread about a golf simulation to let me know, I'll keep that in mind for the future.
Probably gonna wait for some impressions before I splurge for this. It looks good, but I really don't need another unplayed game on my backlog atm.
OnlookerDelay
Member
Makes sense... I think I'll go into the Diablo 3 thread and indicate that I'll pass because have no interest in Hack & Slash games, just to put everyone's mind at ease about it there... (sigh)
cr_blah_blah
Member
GiantBomb (Drew/Jeff) did an Unfinished look at the PC early access version back in May. It looked pretty fun and great then, though I doubt the awesome voice guy is still around in this version. It's definitely not a final build they played but it seems cool.
http://www.giantbomb.com/videos/unfinished-the-golf-club-05-08-2014/2300-8863/
http://www.giantbomb.com/videos/unfinished-the-golf-club-05-08-2014/2300-8863/
justsomeguy
Member
Hm interested to try this one out.
Stormwatch
Member
Yeah, I was wondering the same. It seems demos have gone the way of the dodo. I remember when every Xbox downloadable game was required to have a demo...
travisbickle
Member
http://www.gamersyde.com/news_our_xbox_one_videos_of_the_golf_club-15753_en.html
There's videos at Gamersyde, the XB1 version and it's pretty rough watching, do not watch if you have an aversion to low frame rates.
hospitaldriver
Member
Downloaded it and managed a quick 27 holes this morning.
Seems like a nice alternative to Powerstar Golf which I've spent a lot of time playing.
Graphically it is pretty disappointing. Im not one for resolution gripes usually but this looks rough. Could really do with being in 1080p. Frame rate is iffy as well.
Looking forward to getting stuck into some online play.
Seems like a nice alternative to Powerstar Golf which I've spent a lot of time playing.
Graphically it is pretty disappointing. Im not one for resolution gripes usually but this looks rough. Could really do with being in 1080p. Frame rate is iffy as well.
Looking forward to getting stuck into some online play.
The performance on my 660ti PC was pretty horrible as well when I played the EA version last month. Sounds like they haven't optimized it much for release.
The game isn't really doing that much graphically, so hopefully they'll be able to smooth out the frame rate eventually...
The game isn't really doing that much graphically, so hopefully they'll be able to smooth out the frame rate eventually...
Neuromancer
Member
Neuromancer
Member
Can you tell us about the swing mechanic? I know it uses the analog stick but that's about it. Do you just push up then down and try to time it right and not go too far left/right?
TheMissingLink
Member
I'm really interested in this. Rarely get into golf sims, but with no NHL this year (SUPPORT ANY OTHER DEV THAN EA SPORTS), I feel like giving this a go.
Will be waiting on PS4 version!
Will be waiting on PS4 version!
OnlookerDelay
Member
"I've played the PC version since the closed beta, so the mechanics of the game are not new to me today.
The first item on my checklist was to see how the 720p resolution was going to compare to the 900p and 1080p resolutions I've been using on the PC version. I was really concerned about how it was going to look on my 55" Toshiba LCD HDTV. I wasn't really sure what to expect, but I wasn't expecting something that looks as blurry and lacking in detail as what I'm seeing. I was hoping for some help with the XB1's ability to use antialiasing, but I'm seeing no evidence of it in my brief run. The green grid lines are alarmingly stepped looking. The shaft of the golf club shows a good bit of jagginess as well. OTOH, the golfer looks pretty well resolved, although there's some obvious "stair-stepping" on the arms. The trees in the distance look a bit lit quivering, amorphous blobs in high wind (I was seeing 8 to 10 mph winds at Autumn Ridge G.C.).
The nearby textures looked pretty authentic and the water almost seems to gain a level of realism in the loss of resolution, as they don't look as falsely reflective as they do in the PC version at higher resolutions, AA and AF settings, so a plus there. Overall though, what I've seen so far with this loss of resolution has just strengthened my decision to buy a PS4. I now know for a fact that "resolution-gate" just isn't a figment of my imagination. Since it doesn't appear that the XB1 version of The Golf Club is using any AA (or enough to make a real difference), the 720p resolution's shortcomings give this game a bit of a 'last-gen' appearance on my screen
If a game is not going to be using high levels of antialiasing, it would behoove it to be displayed in a higher resolution. In my experience, a non antialiased game at 1080p still looks sharper than a 720p game at 4x msaa. However, I just did an A/B comparison on the same TV between the XB1 version of TGC and the PC version set to 720p/high graphics detail (which is what the XB1 version is equvalent to), 4x msaa, and 8x AF. Both games were displaying the golfer on the first tee at my favorite course - Autumn Ridge G.C. The PC version looked significantly better with its cleaner lines, thanks to the 4x msaa.
The next item on my checklist was the feel of the swing interface. The XB1 version does feel slightly more fluid and consistent than the PC version, or at least, the way the PC version runs on my system at comparable resolutions and graphics settings. I can adjust my resolution and graphics setting down enough on the PC to make the swing look more fluid (thanks to 50 to 60 fps) and feel as fluid. When I do that, the net effect is the PC version is made to feel more responsive because the animation is doing a better job of reflecting you movement with the input stick. Still, if the PC version is running at 30 fps; it will not feel as lively as the XB1 version, with Vsync enabled. I can tell that the game is responding more proportionally with my stick movements thanks to the 60 fps control thread.
The overall gameplay feels pretty good though. HOGZTheTruth joined my in simultaneous play for my first round at Autumn Ridge G.C. and it went pretty good. I didn't have my headset on at this hour to startle family members, but it still felt pretty "live". I can't say that I wouldn't enjoy this game on the XB1 because of its muted video resolution, but I'm reasonably confident I will be more satisfied with the PS4 version in a week or so, if it delivers at least the same gameplay experience at 1080p. I now wholeheartedly believe that The Golf Club deserves a 1080p canvas!"
I probably wouldn't be as disappointed as I am, had I not played the PC version all these months. Now that I've finally got a decent graphics card in my rig, I can play the game at higher resolutions with 4x msaa and 8x AF, at a playable frame rate on most courses. The XB1 version doesn't look like a next-gen console game, IMO. It's still fun to play and if you pick the right courses, it won't bog the console down to where your gameplay is suffering due to slowdown.
Really anxious to see now how the PS4 version looks in 1080p, and whether it suffers from the same type of slowdown as the XB1 version, on the courses where I've experienced it so far (Red Diamond G&C CDC and Dunwoody Liecht). Autumn Ridge G.C. played without a hitch and is a beautiful course, so the performance with this game engine will vary significantly with the course being played.
The first item on my checklist was to see how the 720p resolution was going to compare to the 900p and 1080p resolutions I've been using on the PC version. I was really concerned about how it was going to look on my 55" Toshiba LCD HDTV. I wasn't really sure what to expect, but I wasn't expecting something that looks as blurry and lacking in detail as what I'm seeing. I was hoping for some help with the XB1's ability to use antialiasing, but I'm seeing no evidence of it in my brief run. The green grid lines are alarmingly stepped looking. The shaft of the golf club shows a good bit of jagginess as well. OTOH, the golfer looks pretty well resolved, although there's some obvious "stair-stepping" on the arms. The trees in the distance look a bit lit quivering, amorphous blobs in high wind (I was seeing 8 to 10 mph winds at Autumn Ridge G.C.).
The nearby textures looked pretty authentic and the water almost seems to gain a level of realism in the loss of resolution, as they don't look as falsely reflective as they do in the PC version at higher resolutions, AA and AF settings, so a plus there. Overall though, what I've seen so far with this loss of resolution has just strengthened my decision to buy a PS4. I now know for a fact that "resolution-gate" just isn't a figment of my imagination. Since it doesn't appear that the XB1 version of The Golf Club is using any AA (or enough to make a real difference), the 720p resolution's shortcomings give this game a bit of a 'last-gen' appearance on my screen
If a game is not going to be using high levels of antialiasing, it would behoove it to be displayed in a higher resolution. In my experience, a non antialiased game at 1080p still looks sharper than a 720p game at 4x msaa. However, I just did an A/B comparison on the same TV between the XB1 version of TGC and the PC version set to 720p/high graphics detail (which is what the XB1 version is equvalent to), 4x msaa, and 8x AF. Both games were displaying the golfer on the first tee at my favorite course - Autumn Ridge G.C. The PC version looked significantly better with its cleaner lines, thanks to the 4x msaa.
The next item on my checklist was the feel of the swing interface. The XB1 version does feel slightly more fluid and consistent than the PC version, or at least, the way the PC version runs on my system at comparable resolutions and graphics settings. I can adjust my resolution and graphics setting down enough on the PC to make the swing look more fluid (thanks to 50 to 60 fps) and feel as fluid. When I do that, the net effect is the PC version is made to feel more responsive because the animation is doing a better job of reflecting you movement with the input stick. Still, if the PC version is running at 30 fps; it will not feel as lively as the XB1 version, with Vsync enabled. I can tell that the game is responding more proportionally with my stick movements thanks to the 60 fps control thread.
The overall gameplay feels pretty good though. HOGZTheTruth joined my in simultaneous play for my first round at Autumn Ridge G.C. and it went pretty good. I didn't have my headset on at this hour to startle family members, but it still felt pretty "live". I can't say that I wouldn't enjoy this game on the XB1 because of its muted video resolution, but I'm reasonably confident I will be more satisfied with the PS4 version in a week or so, if it delivers at least the same gameplay experience at 1080p. I now wholeheartedly believe that The Golf Club deserves a 1080p canvas!"
I probably wouldn't be as disappointed as I am, had I not played the PC version all these months. Now that I've finally got a decent graphics card in my rig, I can play the game at higher resolutions with 4x msaa and 8x AF, at a playable frame rate on most courses. The XB1 version doesn't look like a next-gen console game, IMO. It's still fun to play and if you pick the right courses, it won't bog the console down to where your gameplay is suffering due to slowdown.
Really anxious to see now how the PS4 version looks in 1080p, and whether it suffers from the same type of slowdown as the XB1 version, on the courses where I've experienced it so far (Red Diamond G&C CDC and Dunwoody Liecht). Autumn Ridge G.C. played without a hitch and is a beautiful course, so the performance with this game engine will vary significantly with the course being played.
cowden_harley
Member
Game looks unfinished on xbox one.
Plays ok, menu loads slow as hell. Me and two mates struggled to get a multiplayer game together there.
Its just enjoyable at the moment.
A couple of patches and it will be hugely enjoyable im sure.
Plays ok, menu loads slow as hell. Me and two mates struggled to get a multiplayer game together there.
Its just enjoyable at the moment.
A couple of patches and it will be hugely enjoyable im sure.