What the other (free) golf games are doing: WGT

Enough of the Links talk! Use this forum for real golf and other topics but no religion or politics.
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MrT
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What the other (free) golf games are doing: WGT

Post by MrT »

I have always been keeping an eye on golf games over the years. Some good games have been made, but they are not free. Some are technically speaking free, but you would need to buy credits or better clubs, or different apparel items may give extra power, extra precision, extra-whatever. I truly dislike those that play on phones and I abhor those that allow unrealistic things. Until recently, it was easy to say that Links was head and shoulder above the competition. despite it is no spring chicken anymore.

About a week ago, I came across World Golf Tour (I installed it on my Windows laptop). The game has many options and I play 18 hole games as a single player, but one can enter tournaments, skins, head to head matches, you name it, the game pretty much allows it. The game can be played free.

This time I am not able to make it go away and discard it like previous games (with a piece of crap, to complete the "selection process"). WGT is truly a good game.

1) The details of the graphics is overall definitely way better than Links, they are not even in the same category, except perhaps for some of the best Mike Jones' works and a few other APCD artists' best works. Playing in WGT really feels like being on the course.

2) Setting up the shot is less pretty than in Links and it is really suitable for those who play in Classic Swing mode.

3) The Physics of the flying ball is, in my opinion, inferior to Links, and by not just a small margin. However, when it lands, the bounces are way more realistic than in Links. Even the distances traveled.

4) On greens, I dislike the shot setup which I believe is superior in Links, but the Physics of putts and the speed of balls, the way they bend and travel is nothing short of amazing. If only they had better view angles or more view angles (maybe they do and I just did not find them).

5) Greens look like the real things. For instance today at St. Andrews hole 18 I reached the green in one (strong tailwind) with some bounces that look like the real things from TV on that hole. For those who play Links, it is easy to know what to do as we know the holes from Links. Greens are not flat at all, but they are not "crazy" like some on Links. Some are really fast, some less so. Overall greens are not easy. There is nothing like "non challenging settings" in Links. Here one starts more or less at the challenging settings in Links. Not sure what level it is exactly though. I would say around 10 as a stimpmeter, but just my guess at this point.

6) Courses. They do not have anything near the number of courses available in Links, but they have quite a few. Pebble Beach being one of my favorites, I had to play... Gee.. as I know this place in real life, it were not that I could not smell the ocean, it was like being there.

7) I play it without spending any money and one can do pretty well like this. It took me some time to understand how to control the distance, evaluate the need of more or less power with wind, etc.

8) I have not learned how to select the tees (they have 4 kinds). Clubs are a bit on the short side (I guess they want people to buy the really good ones), but I checked the best clubs and they seem to achieve lower distances vs. the PGA these days, like Links, very comparable distances indeed.

Definitely a game that is hard to resist. I could not care less for the head to head games, but the single player full rounds on what seems like playing on TV is pretty tough to dismiss. Still, I love the Real Time Swing thing in Links the most, but being forced to play "Classic Swing" is not the end of the world for those beautiful courses. My first score at Pebble Beach after some training was an 82. I have not understood how to get out of some rough yet. Sand I seem to have the jest, rough not yet. Putting as I wrote earlier, while beautiful to see in action, is a bit crappy to set up (it could be me who has not found out all the nuances yet, though).
Last edited by MrT on January 15th, 2023, 4:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Adelade
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Re: What the other (free) golf games are doing

Post by Adelade »

I tried it a few years ago and then again a bit more thoroughly a little over a year ago - mostly to gain info on Chambers Bay while I made my update on that course for Links, but I tried a few other courses as well. I think it was really good for experiencing courses once, but at that time they only had like 25 courses that you could play a full round on, some of which took a while to unlock (I never managed to unlock one of those I was interested in trying before I left the game behind). It didnt seem like a game I would be able to enjoy more than a short while or a single round per course, I forgot a bit about why, but yeah some shots from non-short grass areas seemed to behave really weird, in some cases the lack of viewing angles bugged me, and I really disliked that you couldnt seem to get any upgraded clubs whatsoever without spending real money - except certain 1 day rental ones that only became available at unpredictable times which made it really sad when they expired. Im very opposed to games with microtransactions that arent strictly cosmetic. The swing method was kind of interesting to try get the hang of to begin with, but had its flaws.
Finished Courses - Main: Amedal (fictional), Nine Bridges (real)
Other: Austin, Sheshan, Kauri Cliffs, Le Golf Nat. Updates: Whirlpool, Royal Lytham, Royal St George's, Chicago, Chambers Bay, Munchen Nord E
Working on: 2 fictional courses + a couple things...
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MrT
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Re: What the other (free) golf games are doing

Post by MrT »

Adelade wrote: January 15th, 2023, 7:03 am I tried it a few years ago and then again a bit more thoroughly a little over a year ago - .....
Hi Adelade.

I tried it a year ago and discarded it immediately after one try as "crap" pretty much.. However, back then, I cannot recall being able to install it on my PC. Tried 4-5 days ago (on my PC) and it is better than I remembered. I immediately had access to 20 some courses (I can choose how to play them, full round, front 9, back 9, ....)

I only made it to amateur level and there are many more so I am not sure what one gains from progressing in terms of clubs and forgiveness, etc.

I played a few holes at Chamber Bay, since you mentioned it, and it was nice, But I think that the latest Links' Chamber Bay is pretty good too. Pebble Beach is definitely a lot more appealing on WGT than it is in Links, but that maybe because the Links' version is so old.
Also played St. Andrews (full round)... WGT is better than Links, no buts, no ifs.. WGT's has a more natural feeling to it. Maybe the new version that Linksters (I think) is working on, will remedy the issue (I played his current version and in my opinion it is promising)
I am trying to play Oakmont on WGT. Colors are more like the real ones, but that is secondary. The issue in WGT is that putting here is hard and I am not really enjoying the putting setup in WGT and also, I am a RTS player and not used to clicking around.

I could not care less for head to head holes or set of holes... But I would consider a full 18 hole game. Only thing is that it will take forever and I hate that. Also one really needs a fast internet connection or he will not enjoy it much.
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MrT
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Re: What the other (free) golf games are doing: WGT

Post by MrT »

More details from the field......

As I am getting the jest and was able to move reasonably fast to Pro level (the third level) and I am able to increase the difficulty level conditions, I can say that the game has become more and more realistic.

Courses available: PGA National, Congressional, Pebble Beach, Wolf Creek, Oakmont, Chambers Bay, Bethpage Black, Kiawah, St. Andrews, Torrey Pines South, Pinehurst No. 2, Erin Hills, Merion,

More courses are available but just for challenges (basically one takes a shot on 9 holes and they sum up the distances from the pin and add penalty points for fringe, fairway, light rough, rough, bunker, and water (more penalty from 5 to 30, I think)

Game is free. However apparel can increase certain skills (nice apparel can only be earned by earning points, though). Clubs.. here is like going in a Pro-shop.. The choice is enormous and, unfortunately not free. Basic clubs as they level up are not too bad, except for the wedge which is frankly miserable.

Best moments (a 70 at St. Andrews but not on most difficult settings) a 74 at Pebble Beach, but there are also moments of frustration with putting as it is not as agreeable as in Links.

Still prefers Links, but going back to Links after playing at the level of graphic details as in WGT feels like going back 20+ year in time to another computing era (say like going from HD beck to VGA or Super VGA) That is the only thing that is hard. The way the ball moves on fairways is way better in WGT as well. Much more realistic with much longer bounces and rolls.

Be as it may, I am happy I gave this game another chance after one year ago I dismissed it as crap. But for me, playing it on a computer and not the phone was essential. On the phone I do not like the game one bit.

My biggest complaint is that there is no such thing as Real Time Swing and one must rely on clicking. Not a fan of clicking, unfortunately. And no commentaries either :-(

BEST OF BEST would be Links with the level of graphic details and the ball bouncing and rolling of WGT. Then the game would probably be nearly perfect.
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