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Rolling S Golf Course
by Patrick Alexander
| Links Corner Course Database ID Number - 786 |
Release Date |
CRZ Filesize |
Par |
Course Length |
| 2002-02-19 |
34,491,952 bytes |
72 |
7127 yards |
| Type |
Style |
CRZ Filename |
|
FICTIONAL |
PARKLAND |
Rolling S Golf Course.crz |
| Course ID |
Course Key |
| c59e5902eded41239f86e7914918e63b |
fd3e344ac52df2a6fb8b04d56a4c974d |
|
LINKS CORNER REVIEW |
Reviewed by
Chuck Clark
March 2002
Background: This is the fourth golf course released by Mr. Alexander to Links Corner. His first three courses were interesting to say the least. None of them were highly rated, but I do note that his ratings are trending upward (which is continued with this course). This is a good sign for sure. At least he is learning, as opposed to some designers who seem to keep making the same mistakes over and over. Mr. Alexander's last course, The Bitch, was a highly unusual fantasy type course built on islets of lava. It was not a course you could ever imagine being built in real life. This course however, could have been built in real life and he states in the read-me that it is based on a real course near his home. The rest of his read-me is pretty interesting so I will include some of it here:
'Now for the course. This is a real golf course in my hometown, Rolling S is its name. I have tricked it up a bit of course, and added some non-existing textures to this course just to make it more appealing to the LS players, but the basic layout is the same except for 2 or 3 holes.
I didn't want to learn how to do course previews, ( please course reviewers, don't ding me for this J) So I'm going to give a brief description of each hole and a few warnings ahead of time.'
He then adds at the end:
'I hope this helps you play this course better, and I hope you enjoy it.
Hey REVIEWER!!! How about a good rating here, Huh? J'
Well, I am sure he is just kidding around with this pleading for a good review, so I won't 'ding' him for that at least!
Overall Impression: This is actually a very pretty parkland type golf course with lots of interesting golf holes. It is much more believable and playable than Mr. Alexander's previous courses. There are some unusual combinations of textures and planting which sometimes detract from the experience, but it is mostly very well done. There are some obvious technical errors though. You will probably enjoy a round or two of golf here but leave wishing for better execution.
Around a number of the holes are swampy areas which are built with a bright blue water-like texture with lots of bushes planted on top. This is pretty strange, because you don't lose your ball when it goes in here. You play from these areas, even though it looks like a hazard. You appear to be standing on a bright blue rug, with bushes sticking out. These areas are not too believable I am afraid. The other strange thing about the textures is the waste areas. Even though these areas are composed of sand, the texture properties are set to (I am guessing here) rough. You don't have to worry about that 5:00 o'clock snap when hitting from there, which feels weird to say the least.
Playability: This course is relatively playable. Some of the holes occasionally border on the imaginary type, but for the most part they are ok. The fairways and greens are pretty generous and they aren't too severe. You shouldn't have any complaints here, except for the odd slanty putt or two.
Shot Values: You are tested pretty well by this course. There are lots of bad places, which you don't want to go. Careful planning is required to avoid these areas but they can be avoided. You will need to have the top cam open most of the time, since there are no previews. I would say this course is pretty average in this category. A funny thing is the eighteenth hole. It is a reachable par 4, which I always love. But, when the wind is blowing (at your back) it is reachable with a 3 wood. Now any hole that is reachable with a fairway wood, should probably be called a par 3, but that is a pretty small quibble.
Visuals: This is an interesting looking golf course. The textures are a bit strange (see the picture above) so you will need to be ready for that. The planting is very well done too and was quite beautiful in places. The pano used is ok, but hardly seeable except for a few holes. There is a floating tree or two (on the splash screen of all places too), but you don't really notice these too much unless you are looking for them.
Technique: This is the one area that this course fails. Mr. Alexander needs to learn about edge sharpness. There are a number of places where the interior edges in an area were obviously set to -1, causing dark shadows and creases. This was especially evident in the bunkers, which did not look very good at all. When you insert a shape the perimeter edges default to -1. But when you are inserting a shape into a like object, then you have to go back and change these edges to 0. Otherwise you get these shadows and bad spots. There were also some messy texture transitions, some unmapped faces and a few other small bad things as well.
Summary: It is obvious that Mr. Alexander is getting better and better with the APCD. Hopefully, he will continue to learn and apply his knowledge. As for 'dinging' him for lack of previews, I can't ignore that they are not there. Many people like to see all the added stuff, so not including them is a detriment. I have never given much though to how much less I would rate a course if it didn't have certain features. But Mr. Alexander's read-me has got me to thinking. I am starting to feel like a skating judge who has to reduce a score because the skater didn't perform some 'required elements'. I would say that a lack of added 'stuff' would only reduce my score on a course by a point or two. I mostly rate a course on the golf, not much of anything else. So rest assured Mr. Alexander, that your score is not a lot lower due to a lack of previews. It is not any higher because of the items mentioned above, especially the technical issues.
I am both a player and a designer. I review courses primarily from the standpoint of fun and playability. I appreciate courses that are beautiful to look at, but first and foremost I want a fun experience. I have spent many hours designing courses myself, so I understand the blood, sweat and tears that go into the design process. Any critical comments made here are meant to be constructive and helpful.
Included/Not Included:
Cameo: Yes
Splash Screen: Yes
Hole Previews: No
Tee Signs: No
Custom Tee Markers: No
Custom Flags: No
Read Me: Yes
Handicaps: No
Custom or Added Sounds: No? |
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