Greetings golf fans!
This update is mostly a post-release patch to version 1.18, which includes small fixes and QoL improvements, based on your feedback. Mostly.
However, as per the laboured pun in the sub-title, I'm happy to say that the biggest change in this update is the introduction of multiple par 5 holes across all the full size courses! 😁
For a long time a popular request has been to add par 5 holes to the game - which were, up until now, technically unviable. When I first started this project a little over 3 years ago the initial game design only scaled to smaller holes, and the engine itself was unable to render anything bigger, for no reason other than that I had no idea just how big this project would eventually become!
Over the last few updates I've been working behind the scenes on updating the engine to allow for bigger holes and, most recently, I've been creating the holes themselves:
You may be perhaps wondering about the scoring on the updated courses (specifically courses 1, 2, 5, 7, 10 and 12) as the modified par will of course affect the overall possible score. I've decided that the best way to handle this is to archive the existing all-time leaderboards, for these courses, and create a new set.
You'll still be able to browse the old scores via the Steam client, however from the beginning of October 2024 the 6 (or 18 if you count the front 9/back 9 combos) leaderboards are effectively reset. Monthly boards are unaffected as they automatically reset at the beginning of the month anyway.
I look forward to seeing all those new scores battle it out for top position!
Here's the full change list:
- Fixed - Prevent switching to freecam when current player is CPU
- Fixed - Occasional texture streaking on minimap
- Fixed - Ball not updating distance on UI when rolling on the driving range
- Fixed - Cropping drawables to bounds of minimap
- Fixed - Reassigning controller indices when using multiple controllers and one is disconnected
- Updated - Mulligans are now only awarded once per 9 holes
- Updated - Eliminated players are now marked on the scoreboard after elimination
- Updated - Freeplay CPU skill level is based on current club set, and base level is lower for entry level players
- Updated - Career CPU stat generation to reduce the maximum possible skill
- Updated - Workshop tools now use ImGui file browser for avatar masks instead of native dialogues
- Updated - Increased overall render distance
- Updated - Full size courses now contain a selection of par 5 holes
- Added - Controllers are now listed in player order on Options menu when multiple controllers are connected
- Added - Menu hint when loading the player roster for the first time
- Added - Mouse wheel scroll now adjusts headwear transforms (hold shift for bigger increments)
- Added - Ball travel distance to minimap
- Added - Current Skins pot is displayed on the scoreboard in Skins games
- Removed - Incorrect markings on range indicator when using decimated power bar
Thanks goes to everyone who submitted feedback which contributed to the list above - do let me know how these changes work out for you!
As always please leave suggestions/comments in the Discussions, or hop into the Group Chat and say hello!
Until next time, happy golfing! 🏌️♀️⛳🏆