Lost Player Syndrome

[stillgolfing]

In my recent adventures with PGA2000 I have also been encountering something I have not seen in my previous casual visits to the program's courses over the 10 years it has been installed on my various PC's. For want of a better name I'm calling it "lost player syndrome". I would estimate for a typical round it occurs about 5 times. Essentially, I have hit a shot into the rough say to the left or right of the fairway or a few yards short of the green and on the redraw, I can't tell where I am, because my player is looking the wrong way (and in most but all cases the overhead does not show a dot for my location). Typically. I'm facing at a right angle to my target, but it can vary. The occurrance that prompted me to post on this issue just happenned on the 4th hole at Beartooth Pass. I had cleared the hazard on my second shot and landed in the rough in front of, and below, the hole about 20 yds. However, the redraw had me looking back over the hazard down the fairway 180 deg. from what one would expect. I have figured out how to turn the player around with the arrow and the reset camera feature, but I was wondering if there was any explanation for this anomally. It's has certainly kept me on my toes. Previously on one course I hit a shot way OB, when I thought I was looking down the fairway. I'm aware of the fact that I obviously have a problem, when I click on the find flag button, and don't see anything, but that's just a tool that helps confirm my suspicions and doesn't help explain what happened.
Thanks Dave

[A Brandt]

Dave, I see this problem a lot when playing in practice mode. It usually occurs when I move my golfer to a different spot and, upon redraw like you said, it points me 180 deg to the right. I have not had this occur in a normal game mode though. I have no clue what would cause it either.

[bryce]

This will happen from time to time, with little or no explanation. When I designed Twisted Realm years ago, I used alot of rocks, flowers, grass etc, and figured out that if you are behind an object, even a very small tuft of grass, your player may be aimed to chip out sideways. Sometimes in a deep sand trap, or up against the lip, the player may be aimed away from the flag. It even comes down to the shot path that the designer has placed. Even with a shot path in the architect seeming to be straight down the fairway and at the green, golfers can be aimed somewhere else for no apparant reason.

Beartooth has some thick rough, so you may not be able to see it on the overhead. What you can do is right click near your players feet and look on the overhead to see where you are at exactly. As long as you know the shift-R and space bar, you will be able to find your way.

[Indy Anna Jones]

Dave, this might be nothing new to you, but you can utilize your various camera keys for different points of view. For example you've overhit the green in one of those little canyons; the redraw shows the top of your player's head and his shoulders, but you can't see his torso, legs or the ball. Why? Because the #2 camera (snap camera) is just above and behind the golfer inside or above the rocks and can't get the angle. (Those bomb craters... er, uh... bunkers on Polslad's new Royal Lytham course are another good example.)

My solution: I've programmed the #9 key as an overhead camera that'll look down on the golfer from almost directly overhead and at close range. How:
1. With your game screen showing tap on the #9 key (or any other 0-9 views you don't commonly use, #2 not recommended since it's the snap cam)
2. On the top right corner of the main screen click on the camera icon.
3. Elevate the camera to 15-18', set pitch at -45 degrees. Hit apply.
4. Carefully manipulate the little camera icon behind the ball until you get a view directly but slightly behind the golfer. You may need to hit "apply" a few times until you get it into the position (and view) you desire.
5. Save.

Now when you hit the #9 key you'll get that overhead view. Add to this the grid (x-key) and you can also see how your ball is lying.

You can adjust any of the 10 available cameras as you wish, though I've never messed with the 1, 2, or 0 (blimp) cams. If you feel like you messed it up or prefer the original view just hit default setting.

Re being turned sideways, just hitting Shift-R (rotate) will turn you towards the pin; you're likely to see then why the game mechanics turned you away (sometimes nothing more than an idiosyncracy)... on the other hand, there might be a tree or shrub RIGHT in front of you that's become invisible and you won't know it until your darn ball hits it.

[SteveHorn]

Dave! For your info if you don't already know the number buttons on your keyboard (0 thru 9) are all different default camera views. Number 4 is an overhead view and 0 is an even higher blimp view. You can also move your player anywhere on the course by holding down the shift key and clicking on a spot with your mouse then hit the move camera button from your lower left options menu to get even a different perspective on your next shot.

[stillgolfing]

Than you all for taking the time to respond. This is great stuff, and very helpfull info. I know a lot of this info was in the original manual, but I think I mistakenly threw mine out when my old PC finally packed it up last year, and I have not found anything similar so far in the posted Utilities.
Cheers, Dave

[Indy Anna Jones]

Beat me with a wet noodle for being a dummy, but I've been playing this game for so long that I done plumb forgot that there's a HELP button in the upper left hand corner of your game screen that'll answer most of your basic game related questions.

#4 cam is a nice high and behind view; programming your #9 key as I mentioned above puts you right over the ball.

Dave, assuming you're not as big a dummy as I was 10 years ago when I first got this game, you do know how to open and set up your overhead view cam, green cam... additional cams? How to check your site line and determine your landing spot by right clicking on the overhead view? How to move your player to the green or landing area to check out problems, slope, etc? How to move your player out of the way when he's blocking your putt line then return him? How to move the player on the tee to avoid an overhanging tree?

[stillgolfing]

Beat me with a wet noodle for being a dummy, but I've been playing this game for so long that I done plumb forgot that there's a HELP button in the upper left hand corner of your game screen that'll answer most of your basic game related questions.

#4 cam is a nice high and behind view; programming your #9 key as I mentioned above puts you right over the ball.

Dave, assuming you're not as big a dummy as I was 10 years ago when I first got this game, you do know how to open and set up your overhead view cam, green cam... additional cams? How to check your site line and determine your landing spot by right clicking on the overhead view? How to move your player to the green or landing area to check out problems, slope, etc? How to move your player out of the way when he's blocking your putt line then return him? How to move the player on the tee to avoid an overhanging tree?

Judy;
I forgot about the screen help also. I will check it out. I figured out how to get a window for the hole overhead view after reinstalling last week (I think I went to the view menu or something and selected "overhead", but, honestly I'm not exactly sure). Also, yesterday I accidentally pressed the 1 key, which I noticed made the main view switch to behind the player looking at the pin. As for the other cameras/views etc. I hadn't felt I needed them for anything, but I think in another thread someone mentioned cameras are keys 1 to 9.
Cheers, Dave