RTSM & RTSH Banned?

[tlvx]

What you are missing is common among many of us. There are "coders" who can create hacks within the game, the mouse driver/controller that cannot be detected by "cheat detection apps" in tournaments. PP has done a good job of this to-date but an experienced "coder" who has the ability to create exploits will forever be a nuisance in PG.

Note: Combine a "hack" with a skilled player and you'll see incredibly low scores; often times 10 to 20 strokes lower than second and third place.

These people's goal is to be #1 in the game but also be the #1 hacker.

Perhaps you just shoot 10 strokes worse - because you simply take 10 more bad shots, or make 10 more bad decisions?

As has been carefully outlined several times already, a straight-edge does not exploit any motion swing in this game; because that's not even the task at hand. The task is good tempo, and the direction is secondary. But, even if a player did try to use a straight edge to dumb down this game's motion swings... they would be flagged for employing unsportsmanlike equipment.

From what we know, the reason the controller was banned... is because it became widely available to straight-edge that method via very simple Steam axis controls, and to great effect. Further, such manipulation of the controller axis reportedly couldn't be fully detected by the game.

There are probably a lot of players in a lot of games trying to win by various exploits. But, unless and until you name an actual exploit - in this game - than you're just talking more tinfoil-hat nonsense, as per usual.

I can teach a lot of guys how to improve their scores, by simply practicing better course management techniques. But, somehow they still repeatedly go out and play grip and rip golf... and wonder why they aren't in the upper echelon of players. It's mind boggling to me how pervasive such poor strategy is in this game. So, fix the parts that you can fix, and then add up your numbers. Most guys would probably cut 4 to 6 strokes per 18 holes, if they just played smarter golf.

One strategy that a lot of guys would do well to employ, would be to eliminate a miss on either side. Pick the side that you are most likely to miss, and then play between the edge of the green and the other side of the pin. To wit: If you aim at the pin every single time; or you have a two-way miss... than, just like in real golf, you'll be in a world of hurt. Unfortunately, this requires the player to refrain from playing grip and rip golf, and instead take a more patient approach. - Something that seems to be impossible for most guys to get themselves to do, in this game.

That said, figuring out how to get the ball going in the intended direction is a first world problem. The strategy behind whether to come into the pin with a fade or draw, or to try to hit the ball on the screws, and whether to hit it high, or to try and cut through the wind... is ultimately a singular issue, for each player to overcome. I've alluded to splitting-the-difference before, in terms of, how to minimize risk, while maximizing results. There are probably an infinite number of potential ways to come up with a technique that can be repeated, that will mitigate risk. But again, that's something for which each player has to devise their own strategy.

But, personally I didn't think the controllers should have been banned from any of these ladder sites. Reason being, this game is so focused on fine distance control, and course management, that hitting the ball straight is almost a fool's errand. Furthermore, most of the controller players couldn't pitch or putt to save their life. So, I just saw it as having different pros and cons. There are things that each swing will excel at, and failures that become more pronounced, versus another method. But, it's all a wash in the end. An added handicap, possibly. But, banning a whole swing type in an already niche community is highly defeatist.

This is further evident to me - because one of the better controller players that I've seen, F1Partisan... never hits a single shot straight. Not a one. Everything is a huge sweeping hook or slice... and all with a purpose. How can shots with so much movement be routinely well struck, and almost invariably end up hole high? That's for everyone else to figure out. But, ignorance is not an excuse to blankly accuse better players of doing nefarious things, or somehow being evil geniuses.

[tlvx]

As an aside, anecdotally, when I play guys in 9 hole stroke multiplayer games, most guys can come within 2 or 3 strokes of whatever I shoot, be that -6 or -9. It just proves to me that - when pushed - most players can play a course well, and take what the conditions give them.

Conversely, I find it highly odd that in tournaments so many players just seem to fall apart. It's weird because in previous golf games, it was usually the opposite trend... where guys would be great in tournaments, and fall apart in multiplayer. - Just an interesting thing that I notice.

Two things that could contribute to these weird trends. 1. There are not enough players to be able to identify as many ringers (players on a similar level) as in golf games past. 2. In keeping with the first thing... a lot of these competitive players that I have played in multiplayer aren't necessarily showing up to PGLS tournaments, either.

Furthermore, I've come up against at least a handful of ringers, in multiplayer... that could literally, demonstrably compete with anyone; but, at some point over the last few years, they have come and gone from this game.

So, it's just all around a game that's rapidly reaching its shelf-life.

One more thing. This game has never had any official rankings, so that players could see where they stand, on the whole. Many players would probably be quite surprised - if they could just sort from all the players, instead of just from limited ladders, from which only segments of the community have joined.

So, while it's really hard for some players to understand the disparities in scoring within this game; frankly, there just isn't enough data to compare from, as in past golf games... because there simply aren't enough players.

Back to the topic at hand. The RTSC is banned from these ladders, for the aforementioned reasons above. But, it's not banned from multiplayer. Just wanted to point that out. I'm happy to play against any player that uses any swing; because, in the end, we're all just playing against the same course.