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Our Plans for New Tiers and Levels

Wed, Dec 18 2013 1:21 AM (313 replies)
  • WGTalex
    2,087 Posts
    Tue, Aug 10 2010 9:55 AM

    Over the past two years, we’ve gathered lots of feedback from our player community about our Tier system to help rank players as Master, Pro, Amateur and Hack. Today, we’d like to share with you some improvements that we are planning to make to address that feedback and improve the game. These changes are designed to help everyone compete more fairly and unlock new virtual golf equipment. We look forward to your comments and questions to help us finalize these changes this month.

    SKILL TIERS

    Tiers will continue to be based on your scores and used to determine who you compete against in tournaments and match play. To make competition more interesting and fair, we plan to introduce three additional Tiers: Tour Pro, Tour Master and Legend, as described below.

    OLD Tiers NEW Tiers
    1. Master 1. Legend
    2. Tour Master
    3. Master
    2. Pro 4. Tour Pro
    5. Pro
    3. Amateur 6. Amateur
    4. Hack 7. Hack

    There would be no changes for players in the Amateur and Hack Tiers, but the Master and Pro Tiers need to be divided to be more fair, so we’ve grouped similar players by their recent scores. Current Pro players would become Pro, Tour Pro or Master, and current Master players would become Master, Tour Master or Legend.

    LEVELS

    We also plan to introduce new Experience Levels that will be based on actions you perform on WGT such as completing rounds, hitting shots and interacting with other players. Experience Levels will not be skill-based like Tiers; instead, you will level up as you play and interact on WGT.

    At new Levels, players will be able to unlock new virtual items previously unavailable to them. Since this is a new reward system, we’re considering having everyone start at the same place, Level 0. Those who spend time on WGT will be able to level up fairly quickly.

    One nice benefit of Levels will be encouraging players to finish more multi-player games, since completing the round will help to increase their Level, making multi-player games more fair and fun.

    PRO SHOP

    The other highly requested change is from players who want to buy more of the advanced equipment in the Pro Shop. We’re planning to make the equipment in the Pro Shop available based on Level rather than Tier. A player who never develops all the skills necessary to reach the Master Tier will still be able to gain access to advanced equipment if they achieve enough experience Levels.

    As in real life, you may never play as well as a real pro, but that doesn’t mean you can’t buy the same equipment they’re using. However, also in real life, some golf equipment will continue to be designed for beginners and other for experts, in terms of factors like swing meter speed and forgiveness.

    We are not planning to make changes to any of the golf equipment that players have previously won or purchased. Everything that was in your WGT bag will still be there, with the same name, and perform the same as it did before. After the change, you would still be able to sell back any equipment to the Pro Shop for credits, but not be able to purchase the older equipment in the Pro Shop.

  • BolloxInBruges
    1,389 Posts
    Tue, Aug 10 2010 10:00 AM

    nice!

    edit- after thinking about it for a half hour, doesn't this just encourage sandbagging even more?

    If competent sandbaggers are using the same equip as me, from 2 or 3 teeboxes ahead of me, what chance do I have to win if it is a credit match for example?

  • iconian
    599 Posts
    Tue, Aug 10 2010 10:02 AM

    Alex FTW

    Nice list, when can we expect first changes to be rolled out?

  • lilrob88
    870 Posts
    Tue, Aug 10 2010 10:07 AM

    sweeeeeeeeeeeeet

     

  • DougBieker
    333 Posts
    Tue, Aug 10 2010 10:09 AM

    Sounds GREAT!!!!

  • borntobesting
    9,601 Posts
    Tue, Aug 10 2010 10:14 AM

    DougBieker:

    Sounds GREAT!!!!

    Yes it sounds great. Especially for us struggling masters who probably should still be pros.

     

  • AlaCowboy
    1,321 Posts
    Tue, Aug 10 2010 10:16 AM

    Will there be additional tees? Will a Tour Pro have longer tee shots or more difficult conditions than a Pro?

  • KingOfTheCourse
    419 Posts
    Tue, Aug 10 2010 10:22 AM

    Nice! Do we have any idea on release dates yet alex?

  • Iceats
    346 Posts
    Tue, Aug 10 2010 10:29 AM

    All of the changes seem to be in the right direction except making better equipment available to lower tiers - "We’re planning to make the equipment in the Pro Shop available based on Level rather than Tier."

    There are a number of players who, by design, do not want to reach master.  They are much better playing at the pro level and in fact do not enter into ranked rounds so their average stays high.  Why you say, so they can catch unsuspecting players and entice them into matchplay rounds.  I can offer WGT a couple of examples if you desire to back this up (not here obviously). 

    I can also offer WGT many examples of players who shoot really good scores in competitions and then turn right around and purposely shoot high scores to keep their average high.  Example:  shoot 60 in a weekly tournament then go shoot a 90 ranked round, not once but as a routine.  Very obvious to look at scoring history to see this.

    Providing these types of players the finest equipment will only lead to further abuse by these players.

    Please reconsider this idea.  Leave getting the better equipment as a reward for obaining the appropriate tier.  Otherwise, what is the benefit for reaching the next tier.  This change will encourage people to not try and improve their game, why would they ?.

    Ice 

  • WGTalex
    2,087 Posts
    Tue, Aug 10 2010 10:29 AM

    @alacowboy: Yes, the plan is to have Legends tee off from the championship tees.

    @king: The exact release date has not been nailed down, but should be within the next 30-60 days.

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