PGA TOUR 2K21

Welcome to the Digital Sportspage forum.

Moderators: Bill_Abner, ScoopBrady

Post Reply
User avatar
J_Cauthen
DSP-Funk All-Star
DSP-Funk All-Star
Posts: 3166
Joined: Thu Oct 24, 2002 3:00 am
Location: Rock Hill, SC

PGA TOUR 2K21

Post by J_Cauthen »

Since we're on the eve of the massive PGA TOUR 2K21 "Virtual Preview", where in a dozen or so YouTube and Twitch streamers are going to running streams and videos all day on a mostly fully functional game that they've had since yesterday, I thought it would be best to start a new dedicated thread to the new game.

First of all, we've got a ton of new information that became available tonight via the PGA_Tour_2K sub on Reddit. HB Studios agreed to answer a ton of questions that they've been dodging up until now. Here's the link to them and it's a worthwhile read: https://www.reddit.com/r/PGA_Tour_2K/co ... interview/

Secondly, the streams start tomorrow morning at 10:00 AM EDT, and many of the streamers seem to be planning to go for 10 to 12 hours. They can't share any details yet, but I can tell that at least some of them are quite enthralled with it, especially course designer changes and additions.

I'm going to be watching RespawnTV's twitch channel starting out, but I'll toggle between his, Crazycanuck 1985, VctryLnSprts, and JimGem's streams. I'll probably watch at least some of all of them, on archived videos, just to get a good cross section of their reactions. It's going to be a bid day tomorrow. I'm retired now so I can come and go as I please. I knocked out my honey-do list today so I'll have the day free. I'll probably be a vegged out nerd by 1 o-clock though. I'll be interested in reading the reactions of the faithful here tomorrow as well!

User avatar
Zlax45
DSP-Funk All-Star
DSP-Funk All-Star
Posts: 1981
Joined: Sun Jul 10, 2005 3:00 am

Re: PGA TOUR 2K21

Post by Zlax45 »

Here is the Q & A

Shout out for HB Studios for answering a second round of questions for the community! Here you go:
r/PGA_Tour_2K In the Q & A we previously had, you touched upon new tools that Society Managers will have at their disposal. Can you give me some details about these tools?
HB Studios: The event creation flow has been updated to be easier to use. This should give event creators in societies an easier time setting up new tournaments.
Online society events can now use different tees per round, in addition to different pins. This was a common request from societies that run longer events.
The all-new difficulty settings can be restricted by society managers. A default set can be chosen for all upcoming events, but overrides for specific events may be set as well. Or the society manager can leave the restrictions wide-open to encourage more players to join.
r/PGA_Tour_2K Is there any resolution to having tournaments/games (whether in career mode, societies or online matchmaking) not end in a tie/draw?
HB Studios: No. In career mode, the player breaks ties for first, but in all other cases, there are still draws.
r/PGA_Tour_2K How many courses will be in the rotation for Online Matchmaking? Will courses be rotated in and replace come courses that have been in the rotation for a while?
HB Studios: Currently all 15 licensed courses are in rotation for matchmaking—the front and back nines of each.
We have the ability to add and remove courses from matchmaking at will, including player-created courses.
r/PGA_Tour_2K We know that apparel items are cosmetic only. We assume that different club heads, grips, shafts will give some bonuses to your overall attributes. Can you explain more about how these attributes actually work?
HB Studios: Each golf club—except for putters—has a set of attributes that affect its performance and the accuracy requirements of the player’s swing with that club. Everything is what we call ‘horizontally balanced’. One club is not inherently better than the next; they’re just different and may suit different playstyles. For example: One driver may hit farther than another, but requires the player to have better timing and accuracy. A certain type of wedge may be easier to hit straight but have less control when shaping a shot.
The shafts and grips you equip to your clubs remain cosmetic. Only the base clubs have attributes.
r/PGA_Tour_2K Do golf balls in the game also have different attributes?
HB Studios: No. There is only one ball that all players use and there are no attributes applied to it.
r/PGA_Tour_2K Will there be “ghost” players like there were in previous TGC games?
HB Studios: Yes.
r/PGA_Tour_2K Will players be able to move their balls on the tee?
HB Studios: No. But the tee height will adjust based on the club you’re hitting with.
r/PGA_Tour_2K Sometimes it was very difficult for some people to find the course conditions (fast greens etc). Will this be made easier to find?
HB Studios: The Create Match flows have been updated to make it easier to see the course conditions you’ll be playing in your match and make adjustments if needed before teeing off.
r/PGA_Tour_2K Can you give us a bit more insight on the new swing mechanics?
HB Studios: There are all new options when shaping your shot to give you more control.
Backswing tempo has been removed, and distance control added; an optional swing meter complements this change.
The downswing timing windows and accuracy tolerances have been tuned in line with our new difficulty options.
The swing animations have been tweaked for a more athletic swing.
The resulting shot trajectories, bounce, roll, and spin have all been updated on the physics-side to be more realistic.
r/PGA_Tour_2K Will the game have DLC in the future? If so, could you give an idea of what kind of DLC to expect?
HB Studios: Yes. We are aiming to introduce more licensed courses, new modes, and new MyPLAYER options.
r/PGA_Tour_2K When the next-gen PlayStation and Xbox are released, will the game be updated for these next-gen consoles? If so, how will players be able to get these updates?
HB Studios: There will not be a bespoke version of the game for the new platforms but PGA TOUR 2K21 will support backward compatibility.
r/PGA_Tour_2K It has been said that in online games, everyone will be on an even playing field. Can you explain this further?
HB Studios: When playing in matchmaking all players will be playing off of a global difficulty preset. When playing in a private match, or a society event, the match creator has the option of restricting, or opening up certain difficulty options based on what kind of playing field they want to have.
r/PGA_Tour_2K Are there any changes to the putting mechanics?
HB Studios: Putt Preview is available to those who want to play with it enabled. We found this has resulted in new players finding success early before moving on to higher difficulties later.
A new real-world rule came into effect during development that allows golfers to putt with the pin still in the cup. This has been added to the game as a toggle, and the bounce physics on the pin has been overhauled to accommodate the addition.
The green-grid has been re-made from scratch to be more performant, allowing it to cover the entire green on a given hole and provide more detailed information helping you read each putt.
The rolling physics on the golf ball— especially when on a green—have gotten some more attention and now play out more realistically.
r/PGA_Tour_2K Can players edit their names so that their real name shows up in Career Mode (and possibly other modes of play)?
HB Studios: Yes, the player can choose the first and last names to appear in Career Mode.
r/PGA_Tour_2K Can you tell us about some of the new assets available in the course designer?
HB Studios: A re-work of how the game loads its course assets was the biggest undertaking in relation to the Course Designer since its inception. This under-the-hood change means that the designer is no longer limited by theme.
r/PGA_Tour_2K Will the courses published in TGC 2019 by HB Studios also be in this game? Are there any new courses designed by HB Studios?
HB Studios: All licensed courses from TGC 2019 will make a return in PGA TOUR 2K21, in addition to the new ones. This adds up to a total of 15 licensed courses shipping with the game. Some of the fictional courses from 2019 will also return, with new ones sourced from the community to help fill the Career Mode seasons.
r/PGA_Tour_2K Can you tell us more about the modes of play available in online games?
HB Studios: Private Online matches will ship with all previously available formats—Stroke, Stableford, Match Play, Skins, Four-Ball, Alt-Shot; and one new addition: 2v2 Scramble.
The matchmaking options will be a subset of these at any given time. The available modes can be adjusted by HB Studios at any time based on community feedback, or data that shows a mode may be getting stale.
Online Society events will stick to the tried-and-true Stroke format.
My xbox live name is "The Zlax45"

User avatar
Leadfoot5
Starting 5
Starting 5
Posts: 899
Joined: Mon Nov 13, 2006 4:00 am
Location: Charlotte, NC

Re: PGA TOUR 2K21

Post by Leadfoot5 »

I'm just a casual player, only booting up the game to play in our DSP events. I don't see anything in the list of changes above to get excited about. Am I missing something big or evolutionary? I stopped playing the Career mode when tournament ties simply went to the player, and I see they haven't changed that... so that's disappointing.

Sounds like I just have new swing mechanics to learn, but that's about it...

User avatar
Diablo25
DSP-Funk All-Star
DSP-Funk All-Star
Posts: 9085
Joined: Sun Aug 08, 2004 3:00 am
Location: Pennsylvania

Re: PGA TOUR 2K21

Post by Diablo25 »

I just saw on Twitter that these streams were going on today. I’ll be watching them along with round 1 of the PGA :D
XBLive Gamertag - Diablo25
PSN Name - EPDiablo25

User avatar
Diablo25
DSP-Funk All-Star
DSP-Funk All-Star
Posts: 9085
Joined: Sun Aug 08, 2004 3:00 am
Location: Pennsylvania

Re: PGA TOUR 2K21

Post by Diablo25 »

Wow, 33 pages of trees in the designer. Looks like the designer has a ton more of detailed objects.
XBLive Gamertag - Diablo25
PSN Name - EPDiablo25

User avatar
AcemanPR
Starting 5
Starting 5
Posts: 765
Joined: Thu Sep 30, 2004 3:00 am

Re: PGA TOUR 2K21

Post by AcemanPR »

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gXv0UsJG9Y[/youtube]

I follow this guy on YouTube as he loves these golf games. Above is his first round and color me very impressed with this game, especially all the setting options!

User avatar
Diablo25
DSP-Funk All-Star
DSP-Funk All-Star
Posts: 9085
Joined: Sun Aug 08, 2004 3:00 am
Location: Pennsylvania

Re: PGA TOUR 2K21

Post by Diablo25 »

Yeah the number of things in settings looks very adaptable. The Respawn guys says he hasn’t shot below +18 on legend difficulty. I also just saw that both the right and left sticks are involved in shot shaping. Claims balls physics are way better and that the courses have taken a big step.
XBLive Gamertag - Diablo25
PSN Name - EPDiablo25

User avatar
Danimal
DSP-Funk All-Star
DSP-Funk All-Star
Posts: 12099
Joined: Mon Apr 12, 2004 3:00 am
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Contact:

Re: PGA TOUR 2K21

Post by Danimal »

I don't see a single Twitch stream going, anyone have links?
Follow Me on:
YouTube - www.youtube.com/maxpixelation/
Twitch - twitch.tv/maximumpixelation
Twitter - twitter.com/maxpixelation

User avatar
Diablo25
DSP-Funk All-Star
DSP-Funk All-Star
Posts: 9085
Joined: Sun Aug 08, 2004 3:00 am
Location: Pennsylvania

Re: PGA TOUR 2K21

Post by Diablo25 »

Search RespawnTV or Vctrylnsprts
XBLive Gamertag - Diablo25
PSN Name - EPDiablo25

User avatar
Diablo25
DSP-Funk All-Star
DSP-Funk All-Star
Posts: 9085
Joined: Sun Aug 08, 2004 3:00 am
Location: Pennsylvania

Re: PGA TOUR 2K21

Post by Diablo25 »

Well this is certainly my opinion but if anybody watches this and is not excited about the game then you just never liked the game to start with. Again my opinion.
XBLive Gamertag - Diablo25
PSN Name - EPDiablo25

User avatar
10spro
DSP-Funk All-Star
DSP-Funk All-Star
Posts: 13886
Joined: Mon Dec 02, 2002 4:00 am

Re: PGA TOUR 2K21

Post by 10spro »

Saw some footage on YouTube, looks like de-lofting the ball you would have to move up the arrow and down for lofting the trajectory of your ball. Shouldn’t be the other way around? Or was that for the spin trajectory? Looks like there’s a lot of aid that I would turn off in settings such as the distance control assist. Noticed also that on Pro level a pitching club carries up to 117 yards and a 9 iron up to 142 yards.

There should be a bit of a gap in between, although my guess is that once you unlock better clubs, the distances will be more realistic.

Looking forward for the game for sure.

User avatar
J_Cauthen
DSP-Funk All-Star
DSP-Funk All-Star
Posts: 3166
Joined: Thu Oct 24, 2002 3:00 am
Location: Rock Hill, SC

Re: PGA TOUR 2K21

Post by J_Cauthen »

I've probably spent 7 to 8 hours today watching streams and videos. I must say that even as much of a fanboy as I am of this game, what I saw today exceeded my expectations. There are so many options present now that I've been wanting for ages. I love that we now have six difficulty levels and all sorts of aids and options that can be turned off and on to make even more difficulty levels in between and above and below.

MERACE's dream of having a swing calibration process have come to be! You go to the range and hit 10 shots, the game calculates your average tempo and swing path, and applies that to your controller settings. It uses those as a standard, rather than a universal preset.

One thing that I learned that really bothers me though is the one difficulty level that will be used in public online matchmaking - "Pro", which includes three putt previews!? Are you kidding me? The only option we have is to allow three putt previews in 9 holes 8O I can handle the Pro difficulty (the 3rd hardest of six difficulty levels) better than I can rest with the idea of something as supernatural as "Putt Previews" should be a part of a head to head competitive match. I got to talk to Craig at HB today during one of the streams and he said this was done to be inclusive of newcomers to the game. What's happened that has conditioned people to think they should expect something like this in a golf game, newcomer or not? I don't get it.

I wish they had two difficulty levels you could pick from for online matchmaking, one of which wouldn't have silly aids like Putt Preview. They're afraid it would dilute to player pool to diversify them among two difficulty levels, but it's going to turn me off from ever wanting to play it. I ran into a number of others today who felt likewise.

It's a great looking game and has lots of intriguing elements though, I'm sure I'll get more out of it than TGC 2019. One thing I do see as a question mark for our Digital Sportspage society though is what setting will be use for our Society events. My first thought is I'm thinking I'll settle on Master difficulty, with the shot and putting meters OFF (I just don't like watching meters while playing a golf game, I want to watch my golfer and gauge me swing from his animation). The streamers are saying this game is much harder to play with the meters off though, so it may take a while to find the right fit. I'm ready to take it on after what I saw today, I know that much!

User avatar
Danimal
DSP-Funk All-Star
DSP-Funk All-Star
Posts: 12099
Joined: Mon Apr 12, 2004 3:00 am
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Contact:

Re: PGA TOUR 2K21

Post by Danimal »

I saw one stream for like 15 minutes and the guy was playing beginner default difficulty. I saw those putt previews and thought man that makes the game easy. The guy didn't miss a putt but I didn't see much else honestly.

I assume it is not cross play, meaning if I go PC and I can't play with you guys.
Follow Me on:
YouTube - www.youtube.com/maxpixelation/
Twitch - twitch.tv/maximumpixelation
Twitter - twitter.com/maxpixelation

User avatar
J_Cauthen
DSP-Funk All-Star
DSP-Funk All-Star
Posts: 3166
Joined: Thu Oct 24, 2002 3:00 am
Location: Rock Hill, SC

Re: PGA TOUR 2K21

Post by J_Cauthen »

Danimal wrote:
Thu Aug 06, 2020 10:57 pm
I saw one stream for like 15 minutes and the guy was playing beginner default difficulty. I saw those putt previews and thought man that makes the game easy. The guy didn't miss a putt but I didn't see much else honestly.

I assume it is not cross play, meaning if I go PC and I can't play with you guys.
I was surprised at how many streamers I saw going with the easier difficulties? Sports Gamers Online had the highest quality video I saw today, at 1440p, but Mike Straw had to be playing at the easiest, or second easiest difficulty, with putt preview on. He was off the charts fast on his tempo, but never missed a fairway, because the forgiveness was so high. I couldn't learn much about the game watching that and just have a hard time imagining a sports gaming website dumbing the game down that much!? I would get bored playing like that for in a short while.

Unfortunately, there is on cross play, which I had hoped there would be. It would have been very easy to at least make the PC and the XBox One cross playable with each other. They're both using the same OS and network environment.

User avatar
Diablo25
DSP-Funk All-Star
DSP-Funk All-Star
Posts: 9085
Joined: Sun Aug 08, 2004 3:00 am
Location: Pennsylvania

Re: PGA TOUR 2K21

Post by Diablo25 »

I watched two of the streams play on Legend. They couldn’t sniff par. Glad there are legit levels of difficulty.
XBLive Gamertag - Diablo25
PSN Name - EPDiablo25

User avatar
Greensboronclion
Mario Mendoza
Posts: 89
Joined: Thu Apr 09, 2020 12:21 pm
Location: Clearwater Florida

Re: PGA TOUR 2K21

Post by Greensboronclion »

I have been watching a lot of videos and some rounds and must say not only does the game look better but much more realistic. The ball on the ground physics just light years better and even saw backspin. Really think they made huge leap from TGC 2019.

User avatar
Danimal
DSP-Funk All-Star
DSP-Funk All-Star
Posts: 12099
Joined: Mon Apr 12, 2004 3:00 am
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Contact:

Re: PGA TOUR 2K21

Post by Danimal »

J_Cauthen wrote:
Fri Aug 07, 2020 1:14 am
Unfortunately, there is on cross play, which I had hoped there would be. It would have been very easy to at least make the PC and the XBox One cross playable with each other. They're both using the same OS and network environment.
This is unfortunate as the game is too expensive to double dip this year so I will go PC only in hopes someone actually hacks a way to put real golfer names into career mode.
Follow Me on:
YouTube - www.youtube.com/maxpixelation/
Twitch - twitch.tv/maximumpixelation
Twitter - twitter.com/maxpixelation

User avatar
vader29
DSP-Funk All-Star
DSP-Funk All-Star
Posts: 3720
Joined: Fri Oct 10, 2003 3:00 am
Location: Connellsville, PA

Re: PGA TOUR 2K21

Post by vader29 »

Danimal wrote:
Fri Aug 07, 2020 10:30 am
J_Cauthen wrote:
Fri Aug 07, 2020 1:14 am
Unfortunately, there is on cross play, which I had hoped there would be. It would have been very easy to at least make the PC and the XBox One cross playable with each other. They're both using the same OS and network environment.
This is unfortunate as the game is too expensive to double dip this year so I will go PC only in hopes someone actually hacks a way to put real golfer names into career mode.
I put all the real golfer names in 2019 on the xbox, took about 4 or 5 hours to enter them all with a controller then ended up only playing through a little over 1 season of the career mode because there wasn't much to it.
"Two rules man: Stay away from my f***in percocets and do you have any f***in percocets?" ~ Marco Belchier
https://www.ea.com/games/nhl/nhl-20/pro ... rm=xboxone

User avatar
J_Cauthen
DSP-Funk All-Star
DSP-Funk All-Star
Posts: 3166
Joined: Thu Oct 24, 2002 3:00 am
Location: Rock Hill, SC

Re: PGA TOUR 2K21

Post by J_Cauthen »

Danimal wrote:
Fri Aug 07, 2020 10:30 am
J_Cauthen wrote:
Fri Aug 07, 2020 1:14 am
Unfortunately, there is on cross play, which I had hoped there would be. It would have been very easy to at least make the PC and the XBox One cross playable with each other. They're both using the same OS and network environment.
This is unfortunate as the game is too expensive to double dip this year so I will go PC only in hopes someone actually hacks a way to put real golfer names into career mode.
You won't have to worry about that in 2K21 Dan. They somehow got the real PGA Tour pro names on the leaderboard and streamer JimGem called attention to that fact in his first video on YouTube yesterday. I imagine there will be a few pros who've opted out or are still under contract with EA Sports, but I saw plenty of pro names on his career standings chart. That will be huge, taking the guesswork out of which pros name should be subbed for which fictional player's name, not to mention taking all of the work out of it. That might even get me to try career mode this year, as unphased as I've been by it since TGC 1. :)

User avatar
Diablo25
DSP-Funk All-Star
DSP-Funk All-Star
Posts: 9085
Joined: Sun Aug 08, 2004 3:00 am
Location: Pennsylvania

Re: PGA TOUR 2K21

Post by Diablo25 »

Pre-Ordered today. I was planning on pre-ordering anyway but all the preview streams solidified things. August 21st!
XBLive Gamertag - Diablo25
PSN Name - EPDiablo25

User avatar
J_Cauthen
DSP-Funk All-Star
DSP-Funk All-Star
Posts: 3166
Joined: Thu Oct 24, 2002 3:00 am
Location: Rock Hill, SC

Re: PGA TOUR 2K21

Post by J_Cauthen »

If you want to see a comprehensive video of how the swing mechanic works in PGA TOUR 2K21, check out this one by Respawn on You Tube. He breaks it down into easy to understand terms.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsOu5JtjWTg

He will also be publishing what I believe will be the first 4K video of 2K21's gameplay by an independent player at ~ 5PM EDT.

The DSP Society is going to have to make some tough choices with how to set the difficulty for the game in 2K21. I have no idea what level I'll wind up playing on in career and private match play. All the previewers say it's going to take them a while. I'm really looking forward to it as it does sound really exciting!

User avatar
10spro
DSP-Funk All-Star
DSP-Funk All-Star
Posts: 13886
Joined: Mon Dec 02, 2002 4:00 am

Re: PGA TOUR 2K21

Post by 10spro »

Along with ‘early1981’, Respawn’s channel has done a great job informing us on 2K21 while they had the game on their hands. I think since we will be all newbies in the beginning, personally playing on Pro or Pro AM will be the get go for me with all kind of settings off.

I am sure that there will be a learning curve from the start so beginning with a Masters level could set up all kinds of frustration which we don’t need. But that’s the beauty of 2K21, you can really customize to your heart’s content until you get it to the play field that you’re comfortable.

Now, once a few weeks have passed by I am pretty sure that with this group going up in Masters will be the way to go and time for me to get a new controller too.

User avatar
Diablo25
DSP-Funk All-Star
DSP-Funk All-Star
Posts: 9085
Joined: Sun Aug 08, 2004 3:00 am
Location: Pennsylvania

Re: PGA TOUR 2K21

Post by Diablo25 »

I am looking forward to release more than expected. The preview streams were better than expected.
XBLive Gamertag - Diablo25
PSN Name - EPDiablo25

User avatar
J_Cauthen
DSP-Funk All-Star
DSP-Funk All-Star
Posts: 3166
Joined: Thu Oct 24, 2002 3:00 am
Location: Rock Hill, SC

Re: PGA TOUR 2K21

Post by J_Cauthen »

10spro wrote:
Tue Aug 11, 2020 1:23 pm
Along with ‘early1981’, Respawn’s channel has done a great job informing us on 2K21 while they had the game on their hands. I think since we will be all newbies in the beginning, personally playing on Pro or Pro AM will be the get go for me with all kind of settings off.

I am sure that there will be a learning curve from the start so beginning with a Masters level could set up all kinds of frustration which we don’t need. But that’s the beauty of 2K21, you can really customize to your heart’s content until you get it to the play field that you’re comfortable.

Now, once a few weeks have passed by I am pretty sure that with this group going up in Masters will be the way to go and time for me to get a new controller too.
It seems like Pro difficulty, with the power bars turned off was presenting a reasonable challenge for the previewers early on. I'm trying to get a feel for how the rest of the guys who play in our society feel about power bars. I personally don't like them because your attention is taken off of your golfer during the swing, and watching a meter, at least until the ball is struck. That interrupts the immersion of being in the moment for me.

I was also wanting to read other's thoughts on the vibration feedback for gauging your backswing length. Apparently you get a little bit of a vibration "buzz" as you approach your desired carry backswing power percentage. I'm not as down on it as an aid because it still allows me to keep my eyes on the golfer throughout, but it's still will feel like an aid that goes a bit too far in the long term. I want to use it as a learning aid to help me know what a 95% backswing looks like, but once I get that look and feel, I want to turn it off and play without it, but...

... The downside of turning the vibration feedback off is it also turns off your ball strike quality feedback effect, which is NOT an aid and if done right (and many previewers said it has its moments), adds a new experiential dimension to the game. I wish they could make backswing vibration feedback and ball striking vibration feedback two separate, toggleable options, but it sounds like they won't be, at least for now.

User avatar
Diablo25
DSP-Funk All-Star
DSP-Funk All-Star
Posts: 9085
Joined: Sun Aug 08, 2004 3:00 am
Location: Pennsylvania

Re: PGA TOUR 2K21

Post by Diablo25 »

I’m not a fan of the swing meter/power bar. It smacks of “Im a beginner, give me some aids”. The vibrations sounds like a cool feature. I was watching one of the streams where the streamer had the scout cam on but no reticule. I liked that. I’ve been playing TGC 19 with no scout cam lately. Just using the yardage and over head map to choose clubs. It’s a more realistic approach IMO. In “real” golf you don’t have luxury of swooping all the way up to your landing spot. Trust your yardage, judge the wind and hit the shot. After we get our greasy mitts on the game and play a few rounds I am sure we will know which difficulty is best for the society.
XBLive Gamertag - Diablo25
PSN Name - EPDiablo25

Post Reply