It’s definitely not game breaking, and I don’t think everyone is going to jump on that ball because of slower greens. I’m sure if the ball makes the greens slower, it will also make the fairways slower as well, so the ball will roll out less
If the putting is anything like 2K21 as well. The green speeds don’t really matter for putting because the game already lines you up at the optimal power based on speed and slope for putts anyway
Let’s say we’re playing in the @JBors Dumpster Fire event and @Jeff_M sets up round 1 on very fast greens.
Player A is using the default ball so they get to play the round on 192 green speeds.
Player B is using the friction ball so they get to play the round on 156 green speeds.
Player C is using the aviator ball so they get to play the round on 167 green speeds (and add 17 adds to their driver).
If some golf balls fly further, spin more, and/or are impacted by wind less then that’s ok as those things exist IRL golf.
Once golf balls literally change the playing conditions between players who should be competing on the same course under the same conditions, that’s where the logic completely falls apart for me.
Here’s the thing, people can pick whatever ball they want that they think allows them to shoot the lowest score possible. Maybe the balls aren’t balanced so everyone ends up using the same 1 or 2 anyway, maybe there are other trade-offs to the balls that will make others more desirable.
So, I understand the theory. I think I’m just too dumb to understand how it actually plays out. Maybe I’m under thinking it, but I just don’t think players playing different green speeds is going to impact the outcome at all, especially given that the green speeds are going to be expected for each player.
Can you explain the difference between 192 green speed and 156 green speed in terms of playing the game? Don’t we just hit it to the recommended spot on the swing meter?
Does this roll stat only affect green speed or green firmness as well?
If you use the swing meter then yes, that’s pretty much it you can just hit to the meter. 192/156/xx green speed refers to the number of feet a full putter swing will go on a flat green.
green speeds are a representation of how far you can hit the ball with a putter on a dead flat green.
192 = your can putt a ball 192 feet on level ground
156 = you can putt a ball 156 feet on level ground
In terms of playing the game, the higher the green speed number, then the more a putt hit with the same power will roll. It also makes the slopes of the green more severe (green turns to yellow turns to red).
Here’s an example of a green in 2k21 at what roughly equates to 155, 170 and 187 green speeds.
So a society could set up the course on very fast greens (the bottom picture) but if you choose a certain ball, you would get to play the greens on much easier slopes (the top picture) than somebody you’re competing against who either doesnt want to pay $$ for that ball, doesnt have enough VC to buy the ball or doesnt even know it exists.
Hence the concerns about society play being broken because we can’t ensure all players are playing the same course.
We’re on the very edge of needing a third party anti cheat software to play virtual golf
What a world
I’m not ready to be mad about this until I know how the in game currency works. Will it actually be hard to buy these balls to use? And if changing the green speeds is such a powerful benefit, everyone will use them anyway and they will likely get nerfed
you say that but TGCT has had that in place for years because HB provided them an API where they could validate players weren’t using controllers that would swing perfectly every time. It’s part of what allowed those who wanted to play competitively to trust that it was a level playing field (other than Xbox players who were completely screwed by the servers in 2k21). TGCTours
The equipment having a direct effect on how the course plays (green speed) is concerning. Like has been said, maybe once a lot of players are actually in game we’ll see one or two different balls universally used and it is the players choice, but if one of the preferred ones is expensive/takes time to earn and it makes the game easier, that’s a big red flag for fair online play. There’s room between where they were with 2K21 and the WGT pay to win model, so we’ll see where it falls. I’ll reserve judgement until I see how the game works for myself, obviously main concern right now is OP players because they spent an extra $100.
agreed. I haven’t had a chance to dive in to the exact costs and VC earning rates. My understanding is they’ve significantly reduced VC earning rates (50-80 VC per round) in the retail version from what they showed people in betas (250+ VC per round) but I’m not 100% on that.
The premium balls cost 400-500 VC per round too so it’s either grind your butt off (20+ practice rounds for a 4 round tourney worth of golf balls) or open your wallet.
If they are going to patch the green speed issue, they better do it quickly because people who pay a lot of money buying VC for an in-game advantage will be pissed if it gets patched down the road. Given the speed at which HB updated old games, the likelihood of a quick patch is likely zero.
Agreed. Bit weird to me to have slower greens be a benefit of a golf ball, that’s not at all how it works in real life between the different models of balls. Course conditions are course conditions, some cut through wind better because they spin less, but they don’t change ground conditions.
Jump ahead to the 14 minute mark on this video and he gets into the golf ball situation. PGA Tour 2K23: State of Launch - YouTube
I will check that out later for sure. For all of the virtual golfers eager to get back into the Refuge Tour, rest assured we’re monitoring the situation, clearly this will take some testing to see if the game will work the way we want.
It affects more than just putting. It should affect how far the ball rolls out on anything hit to the green. For me, VF, VF settings are difficult not because it’s that much harder to putt (though it is harder), but rather because it’s a lot harder to judge how far a ball is going to run out with five or six iron, and all of the sudden a 6 foot putt becomes a 15 foot putt, or a 30 yard pitch from a beach if it’s a @mctrees02 course.
I honestly think it’s weird that they even came up with a roll element to the balls, since there’s really not a real world equivalent. The difference between a Wilson Duo and a Rock-Flite just isn’t that big once you’re on the green. The game is supposed to be a sim. This is Hot Shots golf type stuff.
They should get rid of the very fast setting anyways because it generally makes courses suck to play.
All I know is I found out today that Rickie Fowler is in the game, so to me it’s already perfect. I’m all in.
I think this is bit extreme.
At least the golf balls do something now
