Foresight FSX Review

[Yongchai]

This is a review for FSX that was released on 6 March.

The latest FSX has added the 'play' component, which is the course simulator and made some major upgrades / bug fixes to the previously released 'fit' and 'compete' module.

As a summary, in case you are not interested in reading the rest of the review, let me say that this version is a tremendous improvement over what i considered the alpha version of FSX. However as with all new releases, new bugs are introduced but overall, if foresight keeps updating FSX, then i think they are headed in the right direction.

Validation

First off, validation. Foresight gives you the option to either use a dongle to validate the software, or validate through internet access. A rep from foresight told me that you needed constant internet connection to run the programs, but i'm happy to note that internet connection is only required during start-up and for the 'compete' module whilst posting scores to the leaderboard. But if you were using 'fit' or 'play,' internet connection is only required during startup, and the program will not disconnect if for some reason your internet drops. Advance buyers were offered a free course in addition to Tenton Pines if we agreed to return the dongle.

Compete

In what i consider their best improvement, the 'compete' module is now the most fun to play. In the alpha version, 'compete' was almost an utter mess. Any score you posted would not be uploaded to the online leaderboards. This made the whole affair of 'competing' lame as there was no one to compete against. After first checking out the program, i never went back to it again and spent all my time on 'fit' instead. However, Foresight has fixed the internet posting problem and now i find 'compete' to be the module i spend most of my time in. There are however a few caveats.

1) A recurring thing that you will hear me complain about frequently through all 3 modules is User Accessibility/Interface. FSX requires an online profile to keep score and supposedly keeps records of your practice. I give credit to foresight for making registering for an online profile as easy as possible. Username, password, email and you're good to go. However what i don't like is that every time you startup any module, you are required to log in every-single-time. I understand that foresight sells their units to learning centers so there will be many different people using the same machine and so logging in every time is a practical way of making sure that information isn't recorded to the wrong account, but for personal GC2 owners its a real hassle. Sometimes whilst competing, a swing fault might crop up, and i would want to change to the range to resolve it, and after doing so go back competing, but the logging in every-single-time for each module is a real hassle which i think foresight should be able to solve by creating an option in the settings to differentiate between learning centers and personal users so that under personal user, our username and password are saved in the computer and we don't have to keep logging in every-single-time.

Another example of bad user interface is after hitting 3 balls in closest to the pin, you're brought back to the main menu page whereby you have to click 1) closest to the pin, click 2) select to compete either on the driving range or a course that you own, click 3) which par 3 hole you want to compete on, click 4) from which tee you want to play from, click 5) which profile you want to compete in. If it doesn't sound like much trouble to you, its probably because you're a fast reader, but it probably takes more time to set up a game then it takes to hit 3 shots. And after that its back to the main menu and clicking again. Here's an idea, instead of sending the user back to the main menu and having to reclick all the same buttons, just assume that we wants to compete under the same previous conditions, and if we want to change we'll just click the exit button.

Also, when changing leaderboard view, you have to click on the duration, then click update... I'm not launching an atomic bomb if i press the wrong button, so if i made a mistake in clicking, i'll just click the right one again. Please stop making me confirm/update/refresh/acknowledge everything that i click on.

Maybe also try putting the leaderboards for each distance in the main menu after selecting closest to the pin, and showing you for which distances you got knock off so that you can plot your comeback.

2) It might just be my swing or because they firmed up the greens, but i find it easier to get the ball close by hitting it short of the green and running it up instead of going straight for the flag, and it bugs me that i can basically top the ball and still get it close to the flag. I rather foresight added some hazards so a bad shot isn't so well rewarded.

3) After hitting your 3 shots, you're sent to the leaderboards. Even if you hit well enough to get on the boards, you have to go searching for the score you posted. I'm not asking for much fanfare, but a red entry to signify your new record in a sea of black font might be nice. Have the the screen flash 'New Record!' might be nice. Its like the programmers never played arcade games before, or if they did, never posted a high score.

4) There seems to be a dearth in people competing online. After 3 weeks since launch, i still see less than 10 people up on the leaderboards. For now its ok, because i get to dominate the leaderboards and competing against myself is still fun, however, hopefully other will join in the fun soon. This also probably links to why the user graphical interface is so irritating. If foresight developers/qa/sales reps were allowed to test out the system, they should have managed to catch all the small bugs and irritating features, thus you would probably see more names on the board. However the lack of names on the leaderboards suggest that foresight reps are not getting any reps on the system. (Pun intended)

5) When others do join in, foresight has got to rearrange the leaderboards so that others aren't discouraged from participating. First thing, Foresight prioritizes closest proximity to the hole instead of the closest average of 3 balls. So if i hit 1 fantastic ball to 1 foot and shank the 2 other tries 50feet away, i'm still ranked on the leaderboards above another guy who hits his 3 tries an average of 2 yards (true story). I don't know about you, but i would rank a guy who hits it consistent over the guy who hits 1 fluke shot.

6) For now, the leaderboard default view is All Time Best. This view can get boring pretty soon once good scores get posted. A better default view in my opinion would be weekly so at least guys will still have a chance to get their names on the board, otherwise if people are always competing against all time best scores and not getting on, they might not feel too motivated to try and abandon the whole compete module altogether.

I have been so enamored with 'closest to the pin' that i haven't really tried out the other components in 'compete', but once i do, i provide another update if there's anything to report.

Fit

Foresight also upgraded Fit and its much better for it. I'm not sure if they listened to my previous rant but they implemented tracer lines and made it easier to select a new club from the main view.

They didn't implement my every suggestion which is fair enough, but i was most disappointed they didn't fix camera tracking for ball tracking. The Camera still follows exact ball flight even though there is a catch-up option whereby i presume it to mean camera stays at the start position until ball reaches peak height and then the camera catches up to the ball to follow it down to the flag.

But as mentioned, tracer are implemented which allows you to see the previous ball height and trajectory. And because of the tracers, i feel comfortable saying that the GC2 system is pretty darn accurate. Before, you couldn't get a reference as to where the ball hit the screen, but now if the ball hit the screen to the right and up of the previous tracer, you are going to see the new tracer right and up of the previous tracer. The tracer starts from where the ball hit the screen and thats pretty impressive.

Not implemented is the ability to limit the number of tracers. After about 20 balls, the tracers are cluttering up the screen rendering them almost useless and starting to be irritating.

Not implemented is allowing you to show data you want on the main screen a la trackman software. Their click and drag data boxes to focus on the numbers you want is sadly missing in FSX.

Inability to do custom ranges. Fit does provide a fair bit of distance options, but the lower distance are more sparing and that makes it difficult to practice chips and pitches.

And remember the issue of user accessibility, yeah its a problem here as well though not as bad as for the 'compete' module, but at least remember my user name.

Play

Play is the newest module to be added which is the course component of FSX and so far i find it ... serviceable. I'm running a projector at 1280 x 800 resolution and on a 16 x 10 ft screen, so maybe i'm just not seeing the course as it was mean to be seen in 4k resolution. But right now to me, the course looks flat and without any soul. Maybe its not the engine's fault and Tenton Pines is just not that good of a course to showcase FSX, but i can point to a few things that is a program problem and nothing to do with the course.

The course is nice, like from a postcard, the mountain vista is big with clear blue skies, but stand there admiring the view for a while and you notice that nothing is moving, like a postcard, eveything feels static. The leaves rustle, but there is no sound and with my resolution it just looks like pixels dropping in and out. The clouds are stationary, no matter how long you stand there waiting for it to move. Thats what i mean by soulless, there just isn't life to the course.

Hitting it into the rough or bunker conveys has a distance penalty but none for hitting out. Slopes and uneven ground have no meaning in a simulator and that takes away some of the difficulty and challenge from playing golf.

All these limitations are of course to be expected and accepted from playing a simulator, but foresight definitely can liven the course up. Maybe implement swaying of trees instead of just leaves rustling? Definitely add in sound effects.

In terms of user accessibility, one thing they are sorely lacking is being able to set a target in the mini-map and have it represented in the main view. Right now setting your pointer to a target on the mini-map shows distance to and distance remaining to flag. However, clicking on the map does not orient you towards the target, and you are still left with the default view of straight at the flag. Not very useful when you are stuck in the trees or have a 250 yard carry over water to the flag. View is changed by left right arrows and sometimes unless there is a clear landmark like a bunker, you're still not sure if you oriented yourself properly to the target you want to hit. An arrow representing current view orientation in the mini map would also be helpful in navigating the course.

Talking about flags, it is very difficult on my projector to see the flag if its far off. I know i was just talking about realism but to have the flag pole represented as skinny as in real life is just being silly. I wouldn't mind having a big arrow pointing down to where the flag is. Really. Or to carry this theme further, make the sim like one of those Augmented Reality golf apps, where they show you distances to hazards and carry distances required. Don't try too hard simulating real life because the bar is set too high by nature, but simulate what a high tech game of golf would be like and that is probably achievable.

Have a better transition to the next shot. Right now, when i hit the ball, the camera tracks the ball through the air and towards its landing point. The camera shows me exactly where i'm headed, but when setting up the next shot the view immediately points to the flag causing me to lose my orientation. I would rather they implement a smoother transition whereby after the ball landing, the view pans to the flag instead of warping there so that i can keep my orientation of the golf course.

Also, the course looks pretty flat, not sure if that is because thats how it is in reality or because of sim course designer or the viewing angle. Whatever the reason, this causes some hazards to be hidden. So another slick way for sim to trump over reality is to have and automatic fly-by to the flag and back-track to the ball (make it quick, but please no warping). By keeping you constantly aware of the hazards for the next shot it would go a long way in making you anxious and sim golf exciting. And lets admit it, most of us make the mistake of looking up too fast to see where the ball is heading because we want to know if the ball will avoid the hazard, so lets bring in the element that causes us to look up into sim golf. Otherwise its just hitting again and again from the same perfect lie, and all you need is to know the distance and not even have to look up at the screen.

Speaking of hazards, drop from the water hazard still looks like you're in the water. I would rather they show some land between me and the water when taking my next shot. But one thing FSX got right is the water hazard. It looks beautiful, but only if you are close enough to see it unfortunately its completely silent.

On the green, its almost impossible to read the greens, so you're better off setting the gimmie option for now. But hopefully for future update, FSX can review all the other golf games out there and see how its implemented.

Returning to transitions, once you end the hole its on to the next. It doesn't acknowledge a birdie or a bogey. I don't need validation from a software, but it'll sure be nice. At least show a score card after the hole.

Bugs

This release is definitely more polished than their last one, but there are still some bugs. Even though more polished, i get more crashes than the previous version. Sometimes start-up will fail, sometimes the GC2 won't connect, and very often the program will hang. Hopefully this gets fixed.

Also, there seem to be some problems with extended screens on one monitor and one projector. The program seems to only be willing to run full screen on the projector properly if that is designated as the main screen. This results in the monitor being left with limited/no functionality as i can't seem to run my video capture software on the monitor. Again, no problem with the previous version.

Summary

If i had to choose which issues i would want fixed most, i would say the program hanging often needs to be fixed, the user accessibility needs to be improved and the targeting system for mini maps in 'play' needs to be implemented. If the rest get fixed, thats just gravy. I have probably focused more on criticism and things to improve than the good parts, but like i said at the start, as long as foresight keeps updating FSX, i am happy with the way its shaping out to be.

[mxwoodman]

Great review thanks for taking the time

[col forbin]

Very good review. I agree that the FSX software is a great start and all the functionality issues can be fixed with future patches. I already expressed to them that a more intuitive mini map would be very helpful and they said that it was going to be updated sometime down the road. They didn't have a set date, but I can live with knowing that it will be addressed.
The graphics are an upgrade, but I agree with you that they could be more realistic if the scenery wasn't so static. Also, for some reason, some holes on Teton Pines seem very washed out or bright because of the sun effect they are trying. It makes it difficult to see some of the holes. They did tell me that brightness and contrast were going to be added in a future patch, which is all I needed to hear.
The good news is they will be listening to feedback and this is far from the finished product. When I asked about sound, it seemed like they really had no intention of adding any at this point. The sound of the ball hitting the green, the water, possibly some birds would add to the effect I believe, but is not a deal breaker for me at this point. Bottom line, this is early in the life cycle and I believe the patches will make it superior to the FS1 software in the future.

[john8888]

Thank you for the great review.

[col forbin]

After playing through 9 holes with a buddy, I immediately went back to the FS1 courses. I was playing Interlachen, which looks great, but there are way too many bugs at this point on the FSX. I don't know if it just my computer, but the flight time of the golf ball seems to take a good minute. I'm being serious here.....the ball hangs in the air and takes its sweet time getting to the distance. Didn't matter what camera angle I used, it was slow! Coupled with a non intuitive mini map and some excessive sunshine, which washed out the screen, I could barely tell where I was aiming. Bottom line is I have been talking up this software for a year to my friends, but it is too cumbersome to even play. It is like having a Ferrari with a Yugo engine. Plus the program drops quiet frequently. If anyone else has played FSX, please chime in and let me know your thoughts, and if your ball flight is painful to wait for. I don't think it is my computer, but maybe it is.

[Yongchai]

Program stability is hit and miss for me. Sometimes, on startup, i'll just get a black screen of death, and i'll have to ctrl-alt-del out to end task and it'll take 2-3 tries to start the program and sometimes, it'll hang within 2-3 minutes of starting, but once FSX is stable, i generally can play until i get tired without problems.

Mini-map as mentioned is not so great right now. Additional to previous complaints, i have noticed for closest to the pin challenge that sometimes when competing in the par 3's, the mini-map doesn't show the correct location of the flag.

I don't know about excessive sunshine, but i do think the course looks flat, with the grass not having too much detail, but i had put that down to my 1280x800 projector.

As for flight time, i do get some jerky movements and lag, but never excessive ball flight time. FSX is definately buggy right now, but i would say that issue is limited to only some. Hopefully foresight concentrates on fixing these issues first before trying to come out with new courses to sell.

[Minnelli]

I have the GC2 but not FSX yet. Thanks for the reviews and comments. I've actually been thinking about SkyTrak and e6 cloud when it's available instead of dropping the money on FSX. Could be a wash on the cost side plus you pick up more courses. I know the draw time delay of 3-4 seconds would be odd for us GC2 folks, but that may get worked out in the software. Time will tell. Thanks for the great review.

[Ballaholic]

What's up with speed of this game? Played a 3-shot closest to the pin. Ball was in the air for a minute each shot...

[Ballaholic]

Actually I think this is my own operator error - graphics card on the laptop is not that superb - I'm going to try and resolve that and report back before blasting the system.

[col forbin]

I do think it is quite possibly your video card. I had Jared at Foresight take a look at mine (AMD) and he noticed the ball flight took forever. Evidently, they use/recommend a Nvidia Geforce 750 TI as the minimum for the new software. I got a Nvidia Geforce 960 and have only looked at the courses so far with the new video card and I will say they look a lot better and the fly by is a lot smoother. I will report back on the ball flight, which was my main problem, but I think my previous video card just couldn't handle the upgrade.

[Ballaholic]

I'm planning to upgrade the video card. Did you also upgrade the monitor? If that's not 4k I'm wondering if the problem will persist.

Let me know how ball flight looks now. I agree - with my old setup prefer the old software and the plain old range for practicing. Ball flight is speedy and the shot view coming into the green is preferable as far as just banging balls and practicing.

[Steven]

Foresight already has a update out for the FSX software. I looks like it fixes a lot of the problems we have been mentioning like the aiming on the mini map. It is nice to see that they are taking the problems with the FSX software seriously.

FSX 1.1.0.0 updates include: ·
Ability to toggle brightness of green slope indicators by holding ctrl and selecting green slope indicator button
Added Mini Map functions:
Aim by left clicking on the mini map
Arrows indicate the current aiming line
Golf ball is now shown on the mini map in real time
Other player's golf balls are shown with labels
HMT graphic in analysis screen now represents club head for left-handed golfers in Play Mode ·

No longer able to edit conditions settings in Compete Mode ·

Scorecard displayed at end of a round now sorts players by tee and includes the hole lengths for all tees used. ·

Changed function of software to allow FSX camera to be disconnected ·

Fixed memory leaks effecting rendering and load times ·

When logging in or out of FPF, all shots will be deleted from previous sessions ·
Update Now!

[col forbin]

Played with the new video card on the FSX and it makes a huge difference. Ball flight is just fine now. I didn't upgrade my monitor because it only goes to 1080p, but I can't even play at that setting because my projector outputs at 1200 x 900 to fit the screen. Does anyone know how to get the 1080p not to do 16:9 and instead to 4:3. I have a 10 x 10 screen and the output when I put the settings higher make the screen incredibly wide. I wouldn't worry about 4k yet as the monitors and projectors are priced way too high right now.

[goatbarn]

Your projector needs to support 1080p resolution, first off.

1080p usually refers to the image size ratio as well as # of pixels. But if you mean to just have 1080 vertical pixels, then you should be able to output that to your projector (your current one will just downsample to native resolution, if possible) to 1440 x 1080 resolution (which is a 4:3 ratio).

[col forbin]

I believe my projector to be 1080i, so essentially a 720p, but it gives me the options in the FSX settings screen all the way up to 1920 x 1080. If I were to upgrade to an optoma or benq 1080p projector, are you saying that the best setting to run for a 4:3 screen would be 1440 x 1080. Currently, that is not one of my options in the settings screen because my projector is not true 1080p.
Just inquiring as I am pretty well knowledged in TV's, but inept when it comes to Projectors/throw ratios/appropriate aspect ratios, etc.
Thanks goatbarn

[Holeecow]

Great review!
Here are some notes in caps from what I see. (Sorry for the caps)

2) It might just be my swing or because they firmed up the greens, but i find it easier to get the ball close by hitting it short of the green and running it up instead of going straight for the flag, and it bugs me that i can basically top the ball and still get it close to the flag. I rather foresight added some hazards so a bad shot isn't so well rewarded.
I AGREE WITH THIS. I AM GOING TO PLAY AROUND WITH THE FIRMNESS SETTING A BIT BUT, VS THE OLD SOFTWARE 'STICKING IT' WAS A LOT EASIER AND IT FELT MORE REALISTIC. WHEREAS WITH FSX, I FEEL IT'S A LOT HARDER TO STICK IT, EVEN WITH 8000+ BACKSPIN. I'VE BEEN ADJUSTING BY CLUBBING DOWN AND RUNNING UP AS WELL.
I'VE ALSO NOTICED THAT PUTTING IS MUCH HARDER TO GAUGE. MIGHT BE JUST ME.


Play

Play is the newest module to be added which is the course component of FSX and so far i find it ... serviceable. I'm running a projector at 1280 x 800 resolution and on a 16 x 10 ft screen, so maybe i'm just not seeing the course as it was mean to be seen in 4k resolution. But right now to me, the course looks flat and without any soul. Maybe its not the engine's fault and Tenton Pines is just not that good of a course to showcase FSX, but i can point to a few things that is a program problem and nothing to do with the course.
I ALWAYS FELT THAT THE OLD SOFTWARE LOOKED LIKE A SUPER NINTENDO (EVEN WITH ALL THE QUALITY SETTINGS JACKED UP), WHEREAS THIS IS MORE PS3. I HAVE A GAMING LAPTOP AND THE GRAPHICS LOOK A LOT BETTER WITH SOME MOVEMENT IN THE TREES ETC. ON THAT NOTE, I GUESS MY LAPTOP ISN'T GAMING ENOUGH, BECUASE WHEN THERE'S WATER THE COMPUTER IS REALLY STRUGGLING TO DRAW FRAMES. NOT SURPRISING BUT JUST SOMETHING I NOTICED.
I DO NOT HAVE A GREAT PROJECTOR, SO THAT MIGHT BE THE NEXT THING I TRY TO UPGRADE.


In terms of user accessibility, one thing they are sorely lacking is being able to set a target in the mini-map and have it represented in the main view. Right now setting your pointer to a target on the mini-map shows distance to and distance remaining to flag. However, clicking on the map does not orient you towards the target, and you are still left with the default view of straight at the flag. Not very useful when you are stuck in the trees or have a 250 yard carry over water to the flag. View is changed by left right arrows and sometimes unless there is a clear landmark like a bunker, you're still not sure if you oriented yourself properly to the target you want to hit. An arrow representing current view orientation in the mini map would also be helpful in navigating the course.
I HAVE FOUND THIS MISSING FEATURE ANNOYING ALSO


Have a better transition to the next shot. Right now, when i hit the ball, the camera tracks the ball through the air and towards its landing point. The camera shows me exactly where i'm headed, but when setting up the next shot the view immediately points to the flag causing me to lose my orientation. I would rather they implement a smoother transition whereby after the ball landing, the view pans to the flag instead of warping there so that i can keep my orientation of the golf course.
I LIKED THE DATA THAT POPPED UP BEFORE, I ALSO DON'T LIKE THAT THEY DON'T SHOW YOU HOW MUCH YOU WERE OFF-LINE. SOMETHING THAT WAS GOOD IN THE OLD SOFTWARE.
IE SOMETIMES YOU'LL HIT WHAT YOU THOUGHT WAS A NICE DRAW AND IT WORKED REALLY WELL ON THE HOLE CAUSE IT DOG LEGS TO THE LEFT (FOR A RIGHT HANDED GOLFER). YOU IMMEDIATELY START TO FEEL LIKE YOU SHOULD BE COMPETING THIS WEEKEND IN THE MASTERS!
BUT THEN IF YOU CLICK ON ANALYSIS, YOU REALIZE THAT IT WAS ACTUALLY A PRETTY BAD SHOT AND WAS MORE OF A HOOK.

Also, the course looks pretty flat, not sure if that is because thats how it is in reality or because of sim course designer or the viewing angle. Whatever the reason, this causes some hazards to be hidden. So another slick way for sim to trump over reality is to have and automatic fly-by to the flag and back-track to the ball (make it quick, but please no warping). By keeping you constantly aware of the hazards for the next shot it would go a long way in making you anxious and sim golf exciting. And lets admit it, most of us make the mistake of looking up too fast to see where the ball is heading because we want to know if the ball will avoid the hazard, so lets bring in the element that causes us to look up into sim golf. Otherwise its just hitting again and again from the same perfect lie, and all you need is to know the distance and not even have to look up at the screen.
I AGREE, BUT THIS HAS GOTTEN A BIT BETTER SINCE THE PREVIOUS SOFTWARE. I THINK IT'S HARD TO CONVEY DEPTH AND ROLLING HILLS ON GOLF COURSES.


On the green, its almost impossible to read the greens, so you're better off setting the gimmie option for now. But hopefully for future update, FSX can review all the other golf games out there and see how its implemented.
I MADE NOTE OF THIS BEFORE... PUTTING HAS GOTTEN SO MUCH HARDER IN THIS SOFTWARE. SOMETIMES YOU FEEL YOU'VE HIT A GREAT PUTT AND IT'S WOEFULLY SHORT. OTHER TIMES IT'S THE OPPOSITE. I'M NOT THE GREATEST PUTTER AND EVEN WORSE ON SIMS. BUT IT'S HARDER THAN BEFORE.


Returning to transitions, once you end the hole its on to the next. It doesn't acknowledge a birdie or a bogey. I don't need validation from a software, but it'll sure be nice. At least show a score card after the hole.
AGREE! ALSO IF YOU HAVE THE GIMMIE OPTION ON, IT DOESN'T GIVE YOU THE OPPORUNITY TO MULLIGAN THE PUTT.

Bugs

This release is definitely more polished than their last one, but there are still some bugs. Even though more polished, i get more crashes than the previous version. Sometimes start-up will fail, sometimes the GC2 won't connect, and very often the program will hang. Hopefully this gets fixed.
I HAVEN'T HAD A SINGLE CRASH YET. FINGERS CROSSED.

GENERAL NOTES: I FEEL LIKE THE BALL DOES HANG IN THE AIR LONGER... IT'S LIKE BALOONING. I'M GONNA GET MY BROTHERS GAMING PC AND SEE HOW IT RUNS ON THERE. I HAVE A FEELING THAT WHILE IN THE AIR THE PC IS CHUGGING SO IT MAKES THE BALL FEEL LIKE IT HANGS IN THE AIR LONGER.

I AGREE WITH YOUNGCHAI, THEY ARE HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. I DO LIKE THE NEW SOFTWARE BETTER THAN THE LAST. IT WILL BE THAT MUCH BETTER WITH A FEW TWEAKS. I'M GOING TO UPGRADE TONIGHT AND WILL SEE IF THERE'S MORE OF A DIFFERENCE!

ONCE AGAIN GREAT REVIEW!

[Ballaholic]

After upgraded the video card I have a completely different perspective on this product -- it's awesome. Older video card was killing the app - with the new card ball flight time is much more realistic. There's a little fine tuning that could help the user experience (logging in every time, no keyboard shortcuts to at least speed up that process if they insist you need to log in each time rather than having to use the mouse). Those finishing touches will definitely enhance things... but contrary to what I thought when I installed this on a system without a great video card, I'm really impressed by what they've done here.

Will be interesting to watch what they do with regard to TGC software. There's not outrunning that platform as far as community driver/designed courses. I think it would make sense to integrate toward that, but build a killer range/skills platform and continue to provide a great hardware option. If they opt to shut down TGC or make it tough to integrate, I'm sure they'll see leakage as more and more people move to a hardware platform that makes integration a lot easier. We'll see... I do love the FSX and see myself spending a lot of time on it.

[col forbin]

I was pretty down on the software too initially, but the video card upgrade sure does make one huge difference. After waiting a year, I was thinking to myself what have they been doing that whole time. However, the new graphics cards sped up my ball flight, fly bys, and has made everything easier. Now that they have added mini map functionality and other small upgrades, I can honestly say that I look forward to FSX's future. A lot more tweaks to do, but this is definitely a step in the right direction.

[Steven]

I finally got a chance to test the FSX Play with the software update. The new mini map functionality makes a world of difference. Seeing where you are aimed and being able to click the spot on the mini map you want to aim greatly improves the experience.

I noticed a great new feature, or maybe I missed it before. They now have two grid options for the greens. The first one was there before and is helpful when you are on or right next to the green. It just puts lines on the green that show the slopes. The second grid button switches to showing lots of little balls on the green that roll different directions and speeds based on where they are on the green. You can see this even through hills or from farther off the green. So now if you are in a deep sand trap next to the green or 60 yards away you can get an idea of what the ball will do if it lands on certain sections of the green.

I guess the area I dislike the most is the ball views. The only one that I think is any good is the Ball view. However, it is too close to the ball so when you get closer to landing you can't really tell where you will land until it hits the ground. I wish they would add a Follow view that stays a good distance behind the ball. It would allow you to get a better feel for whether you pushed, pulled, sliced, drew or actually hit it straight. You would also be able to determine where the ball is most likely going to land instead of it being a complete surprise each time.

I did not have much time to mess around with the new update. However, I am now much more comfortable with my investment in the FSX software. Comfortable enough to invest in a few more courses.

[col forbin]

I agree with the ball flight views. I don't mind the start and and I believe exact setting, which would most feel like playing on the course. The Ball Cam is a good idea, but you are right that there is no real way getting a good bearing on where it is going to land. In the old software, I think I liked the one you are mentioning the best, where it stays a bit away from the ball, but enough so you can see the flight patter.
Good to hear the map functionality greatly improves the course management part of the game. I think at this point, most complaints I hear about is lack of sound, endless amount of options that were promised (i.e. lie penalty, brightness/contrast settings, time of day, weather, etc.), but I think this will all get addressed. My biggest problem was my graphics card and the mini map functionality. With both fixed, this is truly great progress. I went back to playing the old courses just to compare and it was night and day graphically speaking. I loved the ease of the FS1, but once all things get hammered out in FSX, there is no doubt it will be a superior product.

[torreypines]

Just started using the GC2 this past month. I had some issues withdistortion with Creative Golf (CG) and GC software tech recommended to change graphics to moderate versus high. The distortion improved. However not happy with going down on graphic setting. I have AMD Radeon R9 270 card and WUXGA projector. I understand Foreseight uses Nvidia Gforce 760 card. I have been in communication with Foresight and they can only "guarantee" their software will run optimally if they put together the computer. They use Alienware computer (mad by Dell). From my interpretation of comparison benchmaks AMD Radeon R9 versus Nvidia 760, the AMD is superior.
Do you think the AMD Radeon R9 270 is adequate? Or for some reason the Nvidia 760 is superior for Foresight's software. I have PR1 but will not upgrade until I sort out the graphic cards issue. Should I get Nvidia 960? Thanks.

[Minnelli]

Make sure your drivers are updated for that AMD card.

[Stonebattle]

The GTX 760 is a more powerful card than the R9 270, but they are in the same class. Your machine uses WUXGA? That's a resolution of 1920x1200 at an aspect ratio of 16/10. Native resolution often works the best, so you may want to try that.

AA sometimes causes a distortion issue, so you may want to try turning that off.

Of course, as Minnelli wrote, update your drivers.

[torreypines]

Thanks for info. What is "AA?" And how do you turn it off. Yes 1920x1200. I have a 10 x 16 feet. Thus you recommend to change resolution on projector to 1920x1080?

[Minnelli]

Anti Aliasing (AA)
Check out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqi0114mwtY
Best bet increase the resolution - see 1:30 seconds into the video but watch it. He is a tad annoying but informative.

[Stonebattle]

Minnelli did a good job on the AA.
No, I do not recommend 1920 by 1080, but instead go with the native resolution of your projector. That is 1920 by 1200. If you are going to reduce the resolution, I might suggest going with 16 by 10 resolutions as they should be the best for your projector. I have seen reducing resolution improve distortion, but this is not normal. The R9 270 is a good card and I would not expect that to be the issue. Drivers can be an issue though.

[Yongchai]

I did get distortions initially when i used the projector as an extended screen with my main screen being a monitor i hooked up running at a higher resolution. But once i switched the monitor to the same resolution as the projector, the distortions went away. So if you have a 2 screen set-up like mine, you might want to make sure both resolutions are set the same.

I'm using a hd5770 video card from amd running at a resolution of 1280x800 with no problems, so i wouldn't expect the R9 270 to be the problem even if u are running it at a higher resolution.

[akyyyy]

how often have u noticed software updates? Does the software update automatically?

[Yongchai]

Ver 1.0 was released on March 6 and Ver 1.1 was released on April 6.

I must say i was pleasently surprised that Foresight released a new version so fast. I thought it would be at least 3 months before they came out with a new version, considering how long ver1.0 took to come out. Here's hoping ver 1.2 will be out in May 6!

Software updates are done manually. Its not so much an update as a total reinstall. File size comes in at 767MB! In this instance I think Foresight can do more to be more user friendly, automatic updates would be nice, but if not, at least strip away and separate the different components of the downloads like Direct X, drivers for cameras, etc to keep the download size smaller.

Since i'm on the subject of Ver 1.1, i'll give my impressions so far.

Ver 1.1 has massively improved the stability of the program. I still sometimes get hangs, but its a rare occurrence now. Kudos to Foresight for fixing this problem so quickly and effectively.

They still have not implemented remembering your User name yet, so you still have to type in your username and password each time u start up the program, but with the aforementioned improvement in program stability, this has become less of an issue for me as i have to log in less now. But hopefully they will still implement that and other UI improvements like not having to clicks so many buttons.

They have implemented aiming lines in the minimap and also allow you to aim by clicking on the mini-map. I must confess that i played it only once to test it out and not again since. I guess it a combination of not having enough time to complete a full game and the fact that 'compete' is a much more interesting module than 'play'.

In real life, we all want to play on lush fairways and greens, but in a simulator, a uniform green landscape just doesn't come out very well if you are not using a really good projector. I think it would be better if foresight renovates the course and 'maintained' their courses in a Pinehurst/links manner. Its ironic, but i think with patches of dry/brown areas, the course will stand out more and show its undulations a bit better than a uniformly green course that a normal projector just shows as flat.

Other general observations. The tracer line generally starts from where the ball impacts the screen, but If you hit it above your screen, the tracer line starts from the bottom of the screen. This clutters up your viewing space quite fast when practicing and also makes the view unintuitive. Hopefully, foresight fixes the tracer line and only shows the line after impacting the screen.

Right now in the compete module, you can only use the par 3s to compete in closest to the pin. I hope foresight will make make available all the holes to compete. For the par 4's and 5's, i'm sure they can set it up as an approach shot to the green. This will greatly expand the usable holes from a measly 4 holes to 18.

Also, i hope they bring this concept to the 'fit' module. If you want to practice on the course, you only have 3 shots to play before you have to reset everything again in the compete module. So bring all 18 greens to the fit module so that we can practice unlimited shots there.

Greens are way too firm, or maybe just too flat in the compete module. Its almost impossible to stick a shot close even when using a wedge and i don't have that problem in real life. This makes me use a shorter club than i normally would to run the ball in. I think foresight should either reduce the firmness of the greens or add some slope to help stop the ball.

All in all, a great update that fixed my main complaints of program stability and aiming in mini-maps. My Wishlist of improvements for the next upgrade would be 1) ball camera improvements 2) UI improvements 3) fix tracer line 4) addition of par 4's and 5's to practice and compete on 5) sound addition.

Lets hope Foresight keeps polishing FSX and continue pushing out updates on a regular basis.

[akyyyy]

Have u used fr1 or tgc software? If so which do u recommend out of the 3?

Ver 1.0 was released on March 6 and Ver 1.1 was released on April 6.

I must say i was pleasently surprised that Foresight released a new version so fast. I thought it would be at least 3 months before they came out with a new version, considering how long ver1.0 took to come out. Here's hoping ver 1.2 will be out in May 6!

Software updates are done manually. Its not so much an update as a total reinstall. File size comes in at 767MB! In this instance I think Foresight can do more to be more user friendly, automatic updates would be nice, but if not, at least strip away and separate the different components of the downloads like Direct X, drivers for cameras, etc to keep the download size smaller.

Since i'm on the subject of Ver 1.1, i'll give my impressions so far.

Ver 1.1 has massively improved the stability of the program. I still sometimes get hangs, but its a rare occurrence now. Kudos to Foresight for fixing this problem so quickly and effectively.

They still have not implemented remembering your User name yet, so you still have to type in your username and password each time u start up the program, but with the aforementioned improvement in program stability, this has become less of an issue for me as i have to log in less now. But hopefully they will still implement that and other UI improvements like not having to clicks so many buttons.

They have implemented aiming lines in the minimap and also allow you to aim by clicking on the mini-map. I must confess that i played it only once to test it out and not again since. I guess it a combination of not having enough time to complete a full game and the fact that 'compete' is a much more interesting module than 'play'.

In real life, we all want to play on lush fairways and greens, but in a simulator, a uniform green landscape just doesn't come out very well if you are not using a really good projector. I think it would be better if foresight renovates the course and 'maintained' their courses in a Pinehurst/links manner. Its ironic, but i think with patches of dry/brown areas, the course will stand out more and show its undulations a bit better than a uniformly green course that a normal projector just shows as flat.

Other general observations. The tracer line generally starts from where the ball impacts the screen, but If you hit it above your screen, the tracer line starts from the bottom of the screen. This clutters up your viewing space quite fast when practicing and also makes the view unintuitive. Hopefully, foresight fixes the tracer line and only shows the line after impacting the screen.

Right now in the compete module, you can only use the par 3s to compete in closest to the pin. I hope foresight will make make available all the holes to compete. For the par 4's and 5's, i'm sure they can set it up as an approach shot to the green. This will greatly expand the usable holes from a measly 4 holes to 18.

Also, i hope they bring this concept to the 'fit' module. If you want to practice on the course, you only have 3 shots to play before you have to reset everything again in the compete module. So bring all 18 greens to the fit module so that we can practice unlimited shots there.

Greens are way too firm, or maybe just too flat in the compete module. Its almost impossible to stick a shot close even when using a wedge and i don't have that problem in real life. This makes me use a shorter club than i normally would to run the ball in. I think foresight should either reduce the firmness of the greens or add some slope to help stop the ball.

All in all, a great update that fixed my main complaints of program stability and aiming in mini-maps. My Wishlist of improvements for the next upgrade would be 1) ball camera improvements 2) UI improvements 3) fix tracer line 4) addition of par 4's and 5's to practice and compete on 5) sound addition.

Lets hope Foresight keeps polishing FSX and continue pushing out updates on a regular basis.