Start Times

As we've been discussing in the Staff Group forums, we'd like to start rolling out new TW10 features just as soon as we are given the "OK" to do so.  This blog represents the first in a series of posts in which we will reveal the functionality behind some of the brand new features going into the game.

One of the new things we're implementing in Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 10 is a new start time system within PGA TOUR Season mode.  This functionality was implemented, in large part, thanks to the feedback and suggestions we receive from all of you.
 
In years past, your golfer would start every round of a PGA TOUR Season event in the final starting position.  In this year's version of PGA TOUR Season we modeled the start time for your golfer after the system used on the PGA TOUR.

In TW10, the player will start each round of the tournament in the following manner:
•    1st Round: Random start time.  The player's start time for the round will be based on a random draw.  The player could be one of the first golfers to go off, or one of the last.
•    2nd Round:  Inverse of 1st round.  The starting order will be the inverse of random order that the first round was played in.
•    3rd & 4th Rounds: Start time based on leaderboard position.  If you are towards the bottom of the leaderboard, you will start the round before those towards the top (and vice-versa).  The starting order is the inverse order of the leaderboard standings.  So, just like in real-life, the top two players tee-off in the final pairing.

This new functionality opened up another cool aspect of tournament golf that we were able to take advantage of.  When you go off in the final starting spot (like in years past), you are the last golfer to finish the round.  You know exactly what score you need to shoot and once you finish the final hole, there are no other scores coming in.  With the new realistic start times there will be occasions when you will not be in the final group and will finish before the rest of the field.  We implemented a screen at the end of each round that will animate to show the movement of the remaining golfers out on the course as the climb and fall on the leaderboard.  If you finish your round before the field you will be taken to this screen, where you can watch the rest of the round play itself out.  Think of it as sitting in the clubhouse waiting for the field to finish.
 
Implementing the new start times feature in PGA TOUR Season also gave us the opportunity to add groupings and pairings to this mode in the same way the PGA TOUR does.
 
In TW10, the player will be grouped in each tournament round as follows:
•    1st & 2nd Rounds: Random groupings of 3.  The player will be playing the round at the same time as the two other AI golfers in their group.
•    3rd & 4th Rounds: Pairings are based on leaderboard position. The player will be playing at the same time as the AI golfer they get paired up with based on their position on the leaderboards.

These additions are a few of the many new features we are adding this year to help bring out the drama of tournament golf.  There are some other new elements that go hand-in-hand with some of the features discussed above which we will cover in subsequent posts.  

Next week the EA SPORTS Season Opener event will be taking place in downtown San Francisco.  This event marks the media unveiling of many new features across a number of the EA SPORTS franchises.  As such Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 10 will also be opening up many of the new additions we’re adding to the game that we have not been allowed to discuss up until now.  Since we all can’t go to the Season Opener event, I will be creating a special blog entry on March 12th, to give you all an in-depth description of all the new features that are revealed.  I’ll keep you all posted as the date approaches…

To read this original blog post and make comments, visit the Inside EA SPORTS Blog.