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Mastering game used to take years

• pmm711 5,709 Posts

  Mon, Feb 26 2018 2:08 PM

  renniw52:

   Which makes me comment once again. Are you a golfer or a gamer? Any person who has ever played a real game of golf, knows without a doubt. You do not lay out charts, graphs, have access to every wind condition, elevations or use a calculator and take whatever time you want between shots. The PGA and LPGA have a little pocket notebook, take a few seconds with their caddie and set up their shot. You are supposed to be playing the game of golf, not launching a rocket into space. And yes, putting is the hardest part of this game. I have made many awesome putts and have missed many from 2 feet or less. You can never be sure what WGT has in store on any given putt. You will set up for a 10 footer on your 15 foot scale, line it up and guess what? Now it is the 30 foot scale, how many have been burnt by this? Unless your a professional golfer and somehow have time to play WGT everyday, for crying out loud, play some rounds, enjoy your friends and put all your problems behind you. Golfer or Gamer, which one are you? Your answer will explain your actions pure and simple.

  Some gamers play this game really fast and score in the mid-to-low 50s.  The worst folks to play with are those who use 90 seconds and couldn't hit the side of a barn with a shotgun.  SHEESH

• el3n1 4,502 Posts

  Mon, Feb 26 2018 2:32 PM

  pmm711:

  Some gamers play this game really fast and score in the mid-to-low 50s. 

  I hear this and am not disputing you per se.  I know it has been shared, but here is the thing for me anyway...there are very good players who have been playing this game for 5 years or more...playing this game for that long and putting in the work to learn the game...I guess you could call them gamers to an extent after that long of a time.  They also know the courses and conditions in order to score well, but some of them still fall short of those absurdly low rounds on a regular basis.

  I just don't see or understand how being a "gamer" in and of itself alone automatically makes someone so much better at reading greens, knowing landing zones, and making putts over all the very good players on here that have learned the game over months or years.  

  The one thing associated with some but not necessarily all "gamers" is they tend to also know how to use or find "cheat codes" to crack the games they are playing.  I have heard and read about people using "cheat engines" or manipulating the meter and these type of things would give "gamers" an advantage I am sure.  But, I am still skeptical that gaming alone makes someone automatically an expert level player on a continual and ongoing basis.  

  I can get some lucky rounds myself, but I am not doing that every day I play.  Again, not trying to disagree but simply explain why this "justification" alone is hard to follow without knowing more about the nuances of the game and that certain aspects of the game is "designed" to create more variance so that players don't shoot those scores every single time they play.  Even the top players have bad holes and what they consider average rounds even though average for them may still be a great score for me.

   

• 11BC2 555 Posts

  Mon, Feb 26 2018 2:35 PM

  renniw52:

  Are you a golfer or a gamer?

  If we type in this web search;  what is a "gamer" (use parenthesis) you can find an answer to any Philosophy you hold to.   I'd make a change to your question.  Imo it should read, Are you a gamer who also enjoys real golf?"

  The dictionary shows us 1) a person who plays video games or participates in role-playing games, and 2) (especially in sports) a person known for consistently making a strong effort.  Tiger Woods is a gamer, and not just because he plays a game lol (and I'm not talking about the girls either).  He strives to do well and puts forward a strong effort. 
  

  The Big Fish Blog even has 2 separate surveys from 400 people asking a variety of questions, even direct ones like Do you consider yourself a gamer?  Why or why not?  Seems people playing games are just like people eating food.  There's a huge variety of answers.  2 points can be taken from the surveys (at least imo).

  The following are points made from the survey, not myself:

  
  

  1.   “I’m a gamer because I enjoy playing games. This is the only prerequisite.”

  2.   "A “non-gamer” is someone who is a game player but doesn’t identify with the term “gamer”.
  

• pmm711 5,709 Posts

  Mon, Feb 26 2018 2:52 PM

  el3n1:

  I just don't see or understand how being a "gamer" in and of itself alone automatically makes someone so much better at reading greens, knowing landing zones, and making putts over all the very good players on here that have learned the game over months or years.  

  I'd love to hear from "gamers" and "top players" in this thread.  I personally know a top player who is a mathematical genius who pops his distance equations into his calculator in a mere seconds, aligns his shot, and plays by feel too as he knows every single correct landing zone from tee to pin.  I don't consider him a gamer.  He plays on an old laptop with a relatively inexpensive wired mouse.  I've seen him play personally and he's not from the USA.  He truly plays by feel first and uses a little math second.  The game seems quite intuitive to him.  I wish I was that in tune and cerebral with this game.  Unfortunately I'm not.

  I'm wondering if he siders himself a gamer...I personally don't think he does.

• 11BC2 555 Posts

  Mon, Feb 26 2018 3:12 PM

  pmm711:

  I personally know a top player who is a mathematical genius who pops his distance equations into his calculator in a mere seconds, aligns his shot, and plays by feel too as he knows every single correct landing zone from tee to pin. 

  I've always found this type of response rather curious.  How so?  People using calculators and spread sheets also take into account green firmness, roll-out potential, where will I have the straightest putt, does the wind on this hole play differently than in the rest of the Wgt Universe, etc.

  People who play without any tools Do Not have a monopoly on creating a shot in their head and then plan to make a shot which will give them a desired result.

• kavvz 2,195 Posts

  Mon, Feb 26 2018 3:54 PM

  A "gamer" IMO, is someone who plays a lot of games and has for a long-ish time.  They are comfortable using computer's and can setup/tweak their machines in such a way so as to get the best performance / experience out of any game.  They can fire up something they've never played before and pick it up / become quite good faster than those who are either 1) not computer savvy or 2) don't play a lot of games.

  There are also pro gamer's who do it for a living.  Yes, people make a living doing it.  People make a living on Twitch.

  If you played Links 386 + all the other golf games in the Links series, you're probably going to have a leg up on this game over someone who's first golf sim is this one.  How many ways are there to simulate golf?  Not that many.  

  You can look at it anyway you want, but WGT is a game.  No ifs, and or but's about it.

• YankeeJim 25,827 Posts

  Mon, Feb 26 2018 4:13 PM

  kavvz:

  If you played Links 386 + all the other golf games in the Links series, you're probably going to have a leg up on this game over someone who's first golf sim is this one.  How many ways are there to simulate golf?  Not that many.

  The standard for me. You had to know golf to play well.

  Interesting take on the gamer definition, I tend to apply the term to the way players play this particular game. This is the only one that I know of that attempts to replicate the actual game as it applies to the individual abilities and changes as they change. That's what makes it different. The spreadsheets change.

  Levels in a typical game get harder as you progress but there's always an end; a puzzle to solve. This game doesn't end and will keep you challenged, whichever way you describe yourself. 

• jayw4862 3,364 Posts

  Mon, Feb 26 2018 4:16 PM

  pmm711:

  He plays on an old laptop

  LOL..uh, no. You're confusing when he played on your old laptop :-)

  No doubt that when he's home, he plays on a desktop. 

  I don't really think it makes a ton of difference for many players, though. Some like higher end rigs, some can enjoy 10 yr old laptops using dial-up.

  Andrew (Lizard) was/is an excellent top player and he played all of his WGT on a smaller laptop. 

  On a side note:

  Some players are now using some type of remote access and letting others play for them. Too bad Icon and the SS don't pull an old "share screens on skype" again. Streaming..nah..share screen and play. 

   

   

   

• YankeeJim 25,827 Posts

  Mon, Feb 26 2018 4:22 PM

  pmm711:

    I've seen him play personally and he's not from the USA.  He truly plays by feel first and uses a little math second.  The game seems quite intuitive to him.

  I think I know who you're talking about and I would definitely not consider him a gamer. If it's the same guy, I've seen him too and have an immense respect for his mind.

  I always had the impression he knew the game of golf and by some of the dialogue during the interface, I got an even better impression of how his mind worked. I consider him to be an exception to most rules. :-)

• renniw52 5,385 Posts

  Mon, Feb 26 2018 6:17 PM

   Doesn't seem I upset any golfers, but sure ruffled the feathers of some computer gamers, Sorry folks.