Is the Great Link2k3 Dying a slow painful death??
Is the Great Link2k3 Dying a slow painful death??
Hey, players ...general fans ..and supporters of this old Classic.. just wondering with primarily just Sage and maybe one or two other course designer making offerings by way of new courses... is it time to face the reality that ....as the title suggests... that this old classic is slowly becoming deadware,,, just wondering what others think.. I still play it. but courses seem * new ones ...few and far.. Um just trying to be honest here
Re: Is the Great Link2k3 Dying a slow painful death??
To be honest we don't need new courses, there is already a ton of them. I only see a need of updating some of them, due to a change of layout, and generally to be updated visually.
And also, to be honest, after playing EA PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR 2K21 and 2K23, Perfect Golf, and whatnot, I always go back to LS2003 due to the freedom of customization of seasons, AI and difficulty. both EA na 2K series are very easy to play and master, while I struggle in LS2003 even at Pro difficulty, Classic swing.
And also, to be honest, after playing EA PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR 2K21 and 2K23, Perfect Golf, and whatnot, I always go back to LS2003 due to the freedom of customization of seasons, AI and difficulty. both EA na 2K series are very easy to play and master, while I struggle in LS2003 even at Pro difficulty, Classic swing.
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linksveteran
- Posts: 2
- Joined: April 28th, 2024, 10:55 am
Re: Is the Great Link2k3 Dying a slow painful death??
I'm one of the very few still happily using LS 2000. There are enough courses, 88 total if you collect all the variations. Links 2001/2003 don't have the same appeal. A game is only dead when you yourself stop playing it.
Re: Is the Great Link2k3 Dying a slow painful death??
It's hard to imagine being so jaded that you you don't like seeing people enjoying their hobby. How is having someone play an old computer game (and liking it) causing you so much distress? Do you get irritated when you see people fishing? How about all those crazy people reading a book? Why are new authors still writing books? Don't we have enough of them already? And eating! And drinking beer! Disgusting! Do I sound as crazy as you guys? 
I guess... I should have realized, it is the time of year for fruitcakes!
I guess... I should have realized, it is the time of year for fruitcakes!
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Big Sexy JC
- Posts: 239
- Joined: November 15th, 2022, 8:10 am
- Location: Indiana
Re: Is the Great Link2k3 Dying a slow painful death??
Pete,
I know morvio might lead the league in "interesting posts", but I didn't sense any frustration or irritation reading between the lines of his post and he certainly didn't mention those words directly in his post. I honestly think it's a fair question. I absolutely love Links and all the joy it has brought me for over 2 decades. With that being said, every ani or club I make or even every post I make in this forum could be an entire waste of time. Sadly, I feel the same for Sage, Adelade, Ian, Glenn, etc. for all the time they put in.
We all know the writing is on the wall. To deny that is being naive. We all still poke around on this forum, because in spite of knowing that, we all get enjoyment out of the game still for various reasons. I absolutely love playing 2K21 and 2K23 for what they bring to the table. I absolutely love Links for what it brings to the table. Am I wrong for enjoying those games or am I committing some kind of digital gaming adultery?
To your point, we all should do what we love to do regardless of whether it's fishing, drinking a beer or playing any combination of video games. To morvio's point though, there is a breaking point with all our time and dedication being worth it. It saddens me greatly when I'm gone for a day or a weekend even and I come back home and there isn't a single new post on this forum.
The game is dying. Just look at the number of people posting on the forum and the fewer and fewer posts on the forum. The Links community is dying, both literally and figuratively. It's an old game that a few of us are trying to keep relevant because we still enjoy it. There is nothing wrong with admitting that it's dying while also enjoying keeping it alive. Very fair question for morvio to ask even if none of us want to admit it.
I know morvio might lead the league in "interesting posts", but I didn't sense any frustration or irritation reading between the lines of his post and he certainly didn't mention those words directly in his post. I honestly think it's a fair question. I absolutely love Links and all the joy it has brought me for over 2 decades. With that being said, every ani or club I make or even every post I make in this forum could be an entire waste of time. Sadly, I feel the same for Sage, Adelade, Ian, Glenn, etc. for all the time they put in.
We all know the writing is on the wall. To deny that is being naive. We all still poke around on this forum, because in spite of knowing that, we all get enjoyment out of the game still for various reasons. I absolutely love playing 2K21 and 2K23 for what they bring to the table. I absolutely love Links for what it brings to the table. Am I wrong for enjoying those games or am I committing some kind of digital gaming adultery?
To your point, we all should do what we love to do regardless of whether it's fishing, drinking a beer or playing any combination of video games. To morvio's point though, there is a breaking point with all our time and dedication being worth it. It saddens me greatly when I'm gone for a day or a weekend even and I come back home and there isn't a single new post on this forum.
The game is dying. Just look at the number of people posting on the forum and the fewer and fewer posts on the forum. The Links community is dying, both literally and figuratively. It's an old game that a few of us are trying to keep relevant because we still enjoy it. There is nothing wrong with admitting that it's dying while also enjoying keeping it alive. Very fair question for morvio to ask even if none of us want to admit it.
Re: Is the Great Link2k3 Dying a slow painful death??
Golf games/simulations are certainly not the flavour of the month have not been for quite some time. It is a bit of a niche market.
Links also gets zero publicity, so for a start many golfer's out there probably have no idea it exists and real golfers can form the basis of your core market.
If people do not know something exists then you have a problem and I think Links is a fairly good secret.
The wrapper has given Links a new lease of life on Windows 10 & 11 even allowing Intel GPUs to be used. A case could even be made to embedded it into the downloadable softcopy. I have Links running nicely on my two Windows 11 systems.
Personally I still look for new real course renditions, especially courses in my part of the world, I've seen a few mentioned of late I am keeping my eyes open for.
Des
Links also gets zero publicity, so for a start many golfer's out there probably have no idea it exists and real golfers can form the basis of your core market.
If people do not know something exists then you have a problem and I think Links is a fairly good secret.
The wrapper has given Links a new lease of life on Windows 10 & 11 even allowing Intel GPUs to be used. A case could even be made to embedded it into the downloadable softcopy. I have Links running nicely on my two Windows 11 systems.
Personally I still look for new real course renditions, especially courses in my part of the world, I've seen a few mentioned of late I am keeping my eyes open for.
Des
Re: Is the Great Link2k3 Dying a slow painful death??
Links has been dying a slow "painful" death since at least 2005... so what? We're still here basically 20 years later. That means it aint dead. There are always people who rush to call games dead or dying whenever there is the slightest decline in community activity, happens to every game. I do find the timing of this thread to be somewhat odd, I have seen plenty times in the past 6 years when both forum post and course release activity has been lower than the present time. It goes up and down, but sure in the long run it is only natural for the community to keep shrinking. The decline in the past 6 years has been much, much less than I first expected, there are tons of people around on multiple websites. Your impression that there are "primarily just Sage and maybe one or two other course designers" is really short-sighted. Just because Sage has superhero powers and can make a new course each month, that doesnt mean it is or has ever been the standard, for many designers it can take years to make a course. Just because a designer hasnt released anything in the past few months that doesnt mean they quit.
The only real threat I see in the foreseeable future, is if Links Corner suddenly were to cease operations, if for example anything happens to Andy and there are no backup admins around with access and energy for it. Sure, maybe one day a Windows update comes around that makes it really tough for anyone who doesnt have an old computer to run the game, but I have seen people pronouncing doom and gloom from that perspective with literally every single new Windows operating system since Win 8 (and Im sure it happened before that, only I wasnt around to see it) and yet still, here we are, playing the game. The game is not on some dramatic short-term brink of death, just slowly dying, but thats old news.
The only real threat I see in the foreseeable future, is if Links Corner suddenly were to cease operations, if for example anything happens to Andy and there are no backup admins around with access and energy for it. Sure, maybe one day a Windows update comes around that makes it really tough for anyone who doesnt have an old computer to run the game, but I have seen people pronouncing doom and gloom from that perspective with literally every single new Windows operating system since Win 8 (and Im sure it happened before that, only I wasnt around to see it) and yet still, here we are, playing the game. The game is not on some dramatic short-term brink of death, just slowly dying, but thats old news.
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...
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...
Re: Is the Great Link2k3 Dying a slow painful death??
"To be honest we don't need new courses, there is already a ton of them" a fair a valid point.. and I agree completely.. IT IS GREAT AS IS.. I suppose what I was asking ..was although the majority ( and me included ) love the game as is.. with time marching on ...and so few NEW players joining/using the game .ie the gaming industry is a brutal one...ok we can all agree perfect golf and ea pga tour LOOK NICE ...but are crappy in regards playability and physics.. it is great to see people like Linkster bring in new innovative design methodology with the QGIS stuff..alternatively maybe what LINKS2K3 needs is simply A DEDICATED youtube channel to up visibility to the masses .. a empassioned PR COMPAIGN of sorts..maybe the mecruial nature/finickyness of the old APCD design software has gotten to so many past and present designers that course development has slowed ..
Re: Is the Great Link2k3 Dying a slow painful death??
Hi everyone,
Check this guy out...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Maybe he deserves some attention.
https://www.youtube.com/@Southcitygolf
Sage.......
Check this guy out...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Maybe he deserves some attention.
https://www.youtube.com/@Southcitygolf
Sage.......
If there is one thing ................ummmmmmmm.......I can't remember.
Re: Is the Great Link2k3 Dying a slow painful death??
I agree 100% on all points. I would add WGT to the list. Spent time and money on that game before despising it so much that I have not even be back to their website once since I quit it. Nothing lasts forever, but I am impressed that a game I played the first time when I was around 20 is still around after all this time. I did not expect that. And, it is better than ever. Definitely better than the Links I played originally.Pe11e wrote: ↑November 16th, 2024, 11:06 pm To be honest we don't need new courses, there is already a ton of them. I only see a need of updating some of them, due to a change of layout, and generally to be updated visually.
And also, to be honest, after playing EA PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR 2K21 and 2K23, Perfect Golf, and whatnot, I always go back to LS2003 due to the freedom of customization of seasons, AI and difficulty. both EA na 2K series are very easy to play and master, while I struggle in LS2003 even at Pro difficulty, Classic swing.
I am also among those who have found a way to renew the game by increasing the level of difficulty over and over. And if I had enough money to pay the developers, I would ask them to fix many great courses created a long time ago instead of producing new ones. I think that even if I lived another 30 years and I played a different game every day, I would not be forced to repeat the same courses too many times.