Hope folks don't mind that I post this here, but after seeing the other posts on Out of the Park Baseball, looked like we had some sports fans here as well. If anyone is like me, I enjoy playing golf, although I am not that great at it. Instead, I prefer to try and capture the glory by playing golf games on a PC or console. Until recently, you really only had the choice of more arcade games like Tiger Woods and Links (although this is pretty good too). About a month ago, Action! PC Golf was released, by the same developers who created the text replay sports games such us Action! PC football, baseball, hockey, and basketball. This is a fantastic game and has a different feel because it is much more visual and hands on in my opinion.
This game is much different than TW and Links since those games require you to "play" a video type game of golf where you have to be good with a controller and such. APC golf is much more of a golf strategy/simulation game, where video game skills is not necessary. It certainly does not compare visually to those other games, but very good in my opinion as you can see from some screenshots below. This game is all about golf simulation/strategy. You have options to play casual rounds and also can compete in a full schedule of tournaments on real-life courses, although they use fictional names because of trademark concerns. Currently they have four seasons available which are 1973, 1993, 2000, and 2012. Each of the season files contain the PGA tour players for that year and their ratings. You can even play across eras if you want to see how Jack Nicklaus might turn out against Tiger Woods. There are also roughly 25 courses currently available. The tournaments are intense and really give you the feel of participating in the tournaments, sort of like watching on TV.
When playing a round, you have to take all the normal situational stuff into consideration in order to have success. You have to read the course conditions (i.e. wind, weather, lie, terrain, etc.) and determine how you want to setup your golf shot (i.e. which club, fade/draw, spin, lop, pitch, punch, etc.) and then target where you want to shoot. Although it does not have arcade graphics, it does animate the golf ball flight path for each shot. The game uses aerial shots of the courses which I think are well done, especially for this type of game.
I know you all might make me take the walk of shame for saying this, but I have actually been playing this golf game recently more than any other game I own:( Again, I thought I would share in case we had any other avid golfers out there.
Link to Official Forum
http://actionpcsports.yuku.com/forums/19
Link to Offical Game Information (description, more screens, etc.)
http://www.dksports.com/golf.htm
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I wish the Action! stuff had career mode in them. That's the only reason I enjoy the sport text sims.. in order to run a team for many seasons while making all the decisions.
Quote from: Nefaro on May 11, 2013, 06:49:51 AM
I wish the Action! stuff had career mode in them. That's the only reason I enjoy the sport text sims.. in order to run a team for many seasons while making all the decisions.
I also enjoy career play but I believe there is room for both...their games are much more about season replay and game coaching then career play at this time. The golf game does have the ability to play across multiple years versus just one like the other games, but it is not career play since ratings and such do not change. Just allows you to keep playing. I wouldn't be surprised that in future versions of the golf game that career play is further introduced.
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on May 11, 2013, 06:53:51 AM
I wouldn't be surprised that in future versions of the golf game that career play is further introduced.
Could be interesting but, IIRC, someone mentioned that the
Action! devs stated they weren't interested in creating career mode for their football game. So I took that to mean that they didn't like it or want to bother with such a mode in any of their creations. :-[
Quote from: Nefaro on May 11, 2013, 10:12:18 PM
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on May 11, 2013, 06:53:51 AM
I wouldn't be surprised that in future versions of the golf game that career play is further introduced.
Could be interesting but, IIRC, someone mentioned that the Action! devs stated they weren't interested in creating career mode for their football game. So I took that to mean that they didn't like it or want to bother with such a mode in any of their creations. :-[
Certainly not a sure thing, but the golf game has taken the first step by allowing you to play across seasons. If you were going to implement career play, I think it would be much easier in golf than the other major sports since it doesn't have all the complexities (i.e. drafts, rosters, free agency, trading, etc.) of a team sport. For golf, you would mostly have to worry about ratings increasing and decreasing over time and generating new tour schedules each year, while maintaining a history of all the stats. The game already creates schedules each year and keeps a history of all the stats, so rating adjustments would be the big thing. Now if you want to add RPG like elements to it, that might be a different story like agents, life events, swing coaches, etc. However, for me, just having ratings adjustments would be enough for me since I don't need those other things in a golf game, at least I think so:)
So the golf game does let you play many consecutive years? Even though the players' game calc-related abilities don't change over time (and other similar progression) as a 'Career Mode' normally would?
I'm a sucker for these games (with career mode), even if I don't play or even watch them normally. This would fall into the latter category. However, I get the most kick out of roster management, contract negotiations, draft, free agency, etc. This specific one not having any Team-building as such, I'm not sure if I'd dig it. Still.. it does look a bit interesting.
I'm still pining over how bad we need a quality modern NFL sim the most. :(
Correct....you can play multiple years in the golf game but it does not change ratings and such. Basically at the end of the tour year, you can choose to advance a year which basically creates a new schedule (which is a default schedule) for the next year and carries forward all your stats and world rankings and such.
I couldn't agree more about the lack of NFL career sim's out there...Front Office Football outdated and never really liked PFS (professional football simulator). Hard to believe there is not a market for it, but must not be if nobody has done it. My best hope is that OOTP tackles it after they get done with their hockey career sim this year, which btw is looking nice (although rough right now).
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on May 12, 2013, 04:37:42 AM
I couldn't agree more about the lack of NFL career sim's out there...Front Office Football outdated and never really liked PFS (professional football simulator). Hard to believe there is not a market for it, but must not be if nobody has done it. My best hope is that OOTP tackles it after they get done with their hockey career sim this year, which btw is looking nice (although rough right now).
I've been pondering picking up the Hockey beta, but it sounds like it has quite a ways to go yet.
Quote from: Nefaro on May 12, 2013, 02:44:36 PM
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on May 12, 2013, 04:37:42 AM
I couldn't agree more about the lack of NFL career sim's out there...Front Office Football outdated and never really liked PFS (professional football simulator). Hard to believe there is not a market for it, but must not be if nobody has done it. My best hope is that OOTP tackles it after they get done with their hockey career sim this year, which btw is looking nice (although rough right now).
I've been pondering picking up the Hockey beta, but it sounds like it has quite a ways to go yet.
I have it but haven't invested much time....has a ways to go, but wanted to save a few bucks by pre ordering:)
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on May 12, 2013, 02:48:07 PM
Quote from: Nefaro on May 12, 2013, 02:44:36 PM
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on May 12, 2013, 04:37:42 AM
I couldn't agree more about the lack of NFL career sim's out there...Front Office Football outdated and never really liked PFS (professional football simulator). Hard to believe there is not a market for it, but must not be if nobody has done it. My best hope is that OOTP tackles it after they get done with their hockey career sim this year, which btw is looking nice (although rough right now).
I've been pondering picking up the Hockey beta, but it sounds like it has quite a ways to go yet.
I have it but haven't invested much time....has a ways to go, but wanted to save a few bucks by pre ordering:)
Oooo....I didn't know pre-order was already available...
Quote from: Arctic Blast on May 12, 2013, 04:39:13 PM
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on May 12, 2013, 02:48:07 PM
Quote from: Nefaro on May 12, 2013, 02:44:36 PM
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on May 12, 2013, 04:37:42 AM
I couldn't agree more about the lack of NFL career sim's out there...Front Office Football outdated and never really liked PFS (professional football simulator). Hard to believe there is not a market for it, but must not be if nobody has done it. My best hope is that OOTP tackles it after they get done with their hockey career sim this year, which btw is looking nice (although rough right now).
I've been pondering picking up the Hockey beta, but it sounds like it has quite a ways to go yet.
I have it but haven't invested much time....has a ways to go, but wanted to save a few bucks by pre ordering:)
Oooo....I didn't know pre-order was already available...
Yep, has been since early March....you can get basically for $10 cheaper and then you get the beta versions and all updates until release. They have been releasing game and data updates roughly once a week. Not a bad deal if you planned to pick it up anyways.
Just be aware that it's still in a rough beta condition. There may be crashes, some interface stuff still needs to be done, and I've seen some reports of the gameplay stats being rather odd at times. The latter is why I've not jumped in yet.. but I may buckle before long anyway. ;)
As you can see, I've been watching the beta forums for a convenient time to jump in. Since recently buying OOTP14, I already have that to keep me busy.
I don't even necessarily care about the Beta...I just like getting it cheaper. ;D
Of course, it can't hurt to wait a bit longer, either.
Quote from: Arctic Blast on May 13, 2013, 12:14:25 AM
I don't even necessarily care about the Beta...I just like getting it cheaper. ;D
Of course, it can't hurt to wait a bit longer, either.
+1. If you are going to get at some point, might as well save a few $$$$ :)
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on May 13, 2013, 03:59:38 AM
Quote from: Arctic Blast on May 13, 2013, 12:14:25 AM
I don't even necessarily care about the Beta...I just like getting it cheaper. ;D
Of course, it can't hurt to wait a bit longer, either.
+1. If you are going to get at some point, might as well save a few $$$$ :)
Breaking.. my.. will.. to..
resist..
:P
I'm a huge golf fan and don't care for the newer fast-twitch cartoon looking golf games. Heck, I still play Links 98 as my only golf game and that's only because I can't get Tiger Woods 1999 to run on my computer. So I'm looking at this golf game and I like the concept but I'm concerned about replayability. Sure, no two golf matches would be the same but I just don't see many options in this aside from picking the club and where you want to aim the shot and maybe two or three shot options (fade or draw, low or high shot perhaps). Have you found the novelty of the game wear off yet? If it was 20 bucks or less I'd get it and find out for myself but at $34 I'd hate to find that I get bored with it after a few rounds. Thoughts?
No, the novelty has not worn off and quite the opposite. I am playing this game more than any other at the moment. Golf is about strategy and this game captures it well in my opinion. The options you have are very similar to what you would do in golf. You have to read the course conditions (lie, terrain, elevation, wind, weather, slope, firmness, green speed, etc.) in order to setup a quality shot. You have to select the right club for the right situation, determine how much shot power you want to apply, do you want to fade/draw, do you want to spin the ball, do you want a high, normal, or punch shot, etc. In the short game, you have to determine do you want to chip, flop, pitch, or lob the shot, etc. And you have to determine the appropriate aiming strategy. There is a lot to consider in taking your golf shot, to me very similar to what you do in real life, can't think of much else you could add.
As you mention, there are now two rounds a like. You have 25 courses (if you buy them all) and 4 seasons (if you buy them all) which provides countless options. Your able to play a full season of tournaments which range from tour events, majors, and play-offs.
I actually think $34 for the base game is a steal and the best money I have spent in a very long time...
And don't need to take my word for it...unlike any other game company, this company offers a full 30-day money back offer if you don't like any of their games. Without any questions asked, you can return it within the first 30 days...therefore zero risk to you and better than any demo could ever be.
Couldn't of given a better sales pitch if you worked for the company yourself - I'll order the base game tonight and see how I like it. I wonder how the baseball game is compared to say Strat-o-Matic? I don't care for Baseball Mogul or that other popular one. I don't care about my minor league teams and drafts and salaries. I just want to sim a baseball game or maybe 162 games for the season. Have you tried it?
Yes, I own all their games which include football, baseball, hockey, and basketball. Love them all. I have tried strat hockey and football and in my opiinion apc blows them away. Never played strat baseball so can't compare them but I think it is very good. Just remember these are season repay games not career.
I don't work for the company but I am a tester for all their games:)
Picked up Franchise Hockey Manager Beta but boy does that have a bit to go. The interface still needs a lot of tweaking - many of the OOTP UI features aren't in (yet?). Think I'll let it simmer another couple months.
Quote from: Nefaro on May 15, 2013, 08:03:56 PM
Picked up Franchise Hockey Manager Beta but boy does that have a bit to go. The interface still needs a lot of tweaking - many of the OOTP UI features aren't in (yet?). Think I'll let it simmer another couple months.
What amazed me about that, originally they were supposed to fully release the game in Feb/Mar, but did not end up delaying the game until sometime around there. They must have known a long time before that the game would never be ready for release, but they waited until the last moment. I do agree with your comments, I haven't put much time into it since it is rough, but no regrets in buying it since I think in the end it will be acceptable. Time will tell.
Based on this thread I went ahead and bought the game. I've only messed around a little, but so far so good.
Just wanted to post a link that may be helpful. The site linked below has a section that has pictures for each of the 25 courses currently in the game that can be downloaded for a little extra touch. More importantly (at least to me) is that is lists the course name as it is in the game and the real course name so they can be edited in game.
http://www.sportsreplays.net/downloads.htm (http://www.sportsreplays.net/downloads.htm)
Also 1953 and all time greats season files there, plus golfers pictures at that site.
If you have any questions on the game, let me know. So far, this is the game of the year for me.
Forgot to post these too....couple gameplay videos for people on the fence.
http://actionpcsports.yuku.com/topic/15115/SlyBelles-Quick-Gameplay-Video-2
http://actionpcsports.yuku.com/topic/15101/SlyBelles-Quick-Gameplay-Video