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New Solution: Tier vs. Level

• JaLaBar 1,254 Posts

  Fri, Jan 13 2012 10:56 PM

  iukine:

  start everyone as legends, and the more they suck the lower their ranking.thus the club thing isn't an issue.

   

  Sandbaggers would still start lousy so they could drop tiers.  Same difference as playing lousy now to stay in a tier.

• JaLaBar 1,254 Posts

  Fri, Jan 13 2012 11:05 PM

  godelescher:

  I imagine WGT would gain more regular players than they would lose if sandbagging were no longer an issue.

   

  I don't know that they would gain more regular players, but I don't think they'd gain less, either.  One thing I do know is that I have pretty much stopped permanently spending any money here, other than a few dollars a week for balls, and even then I try to earn free credits for them.  WGT has done nothing to earn my money.  Charge us insane prices for virtual equipment that costs them fractions of pennies to produce (the cost of scripting divided by how many they sell.  Even if it cost $500 to change the script to add the Nike balls, they've prolly sold at least 5000 of them by now.  So right now the cost to produce the Nikle balls hypothetically is 0.10 and falling fast).  They do nothing about the sandbaggers.  They do nothing save occasionally close an account when there is a big uproar about dual accounts.  They essentially steal balls from us that roll just under a bush, or just off the fairway at Kiawah, balls that they are already fleecing us for, balls that I could just walk over and pick up on a real course.

  If WGT would make any effort at all to combat these problems, and many good suggestions have already been proffered and, from all appearances, ignored, if they would do anything more than bury their heads in the sand and act as if the problems don't exist, then I might be willing to spend some money here.

  Spending trending

  Total expenditures - September and October $130.00

  Total expenditures - November and December $30.00

  Total expenditures thus far in January - $1.44

   

  This drastic drop is solely due to WGT complete unresponsiveness to the problems with the game.  When they remove their heads from their colons, I will spend money here again.

• JaLaBar 1,254 Posts

  Fri, Jan 13 2012 11:10 PM

  Jerm65:

  The main problem I see with the OP's idea is requiring Hacks to spend the most money to buy a particular club.  That's the reverse of the ideal business model.

   

  Actually, the OPs idea was for there to be no change in pricing for what would be considered tier-appropriate equipment.  So, for the hack, the LX5 or the Starter Plus would still cost the same.  But, the Rapture driver would be pricey, the G10 or R9 moreso.

  The main issue I see, which was mentioned, was with gifting.  How do you prevent a Legend from buying a bunch of gear at Legend prices and gifting it to his hack friend?

• JaLaBar 1,254 Posts

  Fri, Jan 13 2012 11:17 PM

  oilyrag:

  i disagree with your last point - tees should be tied to tournament. just like the real world

  Where players of differing tiers compete against one another, the tee boxes should be the same for all.  Where TPs compete against other TPs, use the Pro tees.

• JaLaBar 1,254 Posts

  Fri, Jan 13 2012 11:22 PM

  I was playing an alt shot just today where my p, a Tour Pro, teed off on the back9 par 5 at BPB from 468, and our opponent, a Legend, teed off from the Legend tees at 598.  130 yards difference.  They were both using the same driver.  In what @#%#ed up world is that fair?  On the first par 5 at Oakmont, there is 98 yards difference between the Legend tees and the Master tees.  That is absurd.  If they want to keep the difference, it should be no more than one or two club.  If I have to hit 4 iron, they should be no closer than 5 or 6 iron.

  On the par 5 I mentioned initially at BPB, I hit 6 iron to the pin.  Our opponents hit 3W to the fairway about 40-50 yards short of the green

• Lashe 824 Posts

  Sat, Jan 14 2012 9:24 AM

  JaLaBar:

  The main issue I see, which was mentioned, was with gifting.  How do you prevent a Legend from buying a bunch of gear at Legend prices and gifting it to his hack friend?

  This parts easy.  As the OP stated, the cost would be set at the level/tier of the giftee.  This is already done in the case of the Level Up Bars that were introduced a couple months back.   Though costing just 100 credits to purchase directly, when gifting the price is raised depending on the level of the person you are gifting to.

   

• Teedaawg 276 Posts

  Sat, Jan 14 2012 10:30 AM

  I have another idea if ya wanna be "keepin' it real"...I don't know too many hacks that would come out the gate even tryin TW's gear (although I'm sure some have tried). Why not make the higher tier stuff that's over a certain tier's head a bit harder to handle as we know in "real life" no one in the world ...(I don't care who you are!) is gonna step up to the 1st tee with Tiger's gear and stripe one down the center!...JMHO!

  Tee

• LeonDelBosque 1,551 Posts

  Sat, Jan 14 2012 1:18 PM

  JaLaBar:

  oilyrag:

  i disagree with your last point - tees should be tied to tournament. just like the real world

  Where players of differing tiers compete against one another, the tee boxes should be the same for all.  Where TPs compete against other TPs, use the Pro tees.

  Surely you guys understand that the tee boxes, in real golf and in virtual golf, are supposed to level the playing field for players of differing skills and experience? Legends have been on masters tees for more than a month in cc tourneys, and it's an absolute cakewalk for them. If you think it's "fair" that Legends play from the same tees as TPs, then I guess you think "fair" means, "legends should win every single game."

• godelescher 636 Posts

  Sun, Feb 26 2012 9:39 AM

  godelescher:

  If you use reality as a model, there is a quasi-solution to the equipment vs. tier debate.

  In real life, a regular guy off the street is able to purchase any clubs he wants to, but at retail prices. He can get fitted for custom clubs if he chooses. He can buy the same clubs as TW if he chooses to spend the money.

  The reason most people don't spend the money for such extravagances is because it's cost prohibitive.

  Professional golfers have sponsors who supply them with their equipment; in some cases, even custom-make equipment for them.

  Why not unlock all equipment for all players, but tie the price to tier. Make it cost prohibitive for Amateurs (20,000 credits for a L90 R11 driver, or whatever).

  As you progress through the tiers, the equipment becomes cheaper,as if you were a club pro who might get a 20% discount in the pro shop, or a Nike Tour pro who can purchase his clubs directly from the manufacturer at cost. All the way up to PGA Tour pros who pay only shipping and handling to have the clubs delivered.

  People would mostly buy what they can afford. Some would shell out big bucks at lower tiers for the best equipment, but that would be their prerogative.

  In the end, there would be much more financial incentive to advance.

  Gifting would have to be at the recipient's price.

  Still think this is a good idea. Even more so now.

• Steve2golf 930 Posts

  Sun, Feb 26 2012 10:39 AM

  LeonDelBosque:

  If you think it's "fair" that Legends play from the same tees as TPs, then I guess you think "fair" means, "legends should win every single game."

  That is absolutely, bang on by far the most truthful comment yet.

  Proof is in the pudding when you play a Legend usually from 09 or early 10 and a few long time TM and win the first hole or at least if you get the lead at some point and they start screaming in the chat box to the point I have to shut it down.

  Absolutely ridiculous that they expect you to roll over and play dead.

  Some i have offered to mail them the credits if they would just STFU.

  Only good thing about it is, I usually end up with a full out coles notes version summary of my profile, saving me the trouble of reviewing it. (LOL, yes I find this funny).

  On to the topic at hand, I think it would be a good idea for some players if equipment was available to tier rather than level, but I also get the reverse business model point of this suggestion. But there would be some incentive to players to move up tiers to get better equipment that would still allow them to compete with high level lower tier players.

  It would completely solve all the issues the whiners here complain of, if the equipment were to get significantly better the higher the teir, There would be no issue for a legend to play a level 90 TP  if the legend driver and ball went 100 yards further than the TP's.

  But then the game would suck for the Legend and be boring, but it's typical of real life as well, complainers tend to ask for things that once delivered make it awful for the silent majority.