Sid Meier's SimGolf
Encyclopedia
Sid Meier's Sim Golf is a computer game created by Sid Meier
, Firaxis, and Maxis
in 2002
. In the game, players must successfully design golf course
s and play them with their default professional golfer
, Gary Golf (though this player can be customized in a number of different ways). Played in a near-isometric
dimetric view, the game runs on fairly low system specs, and only at an 800x600 resolution.
and a putting green for Hole One and are then allowed to go on adding or modifying what lies between: trees, rough, bunkers (or sandtraps), landmarks, benches, paths, flowerbeds, terrain and just do about anything players would normally see in a golf course. Players are advised not to waste money because if the coffers stay in the red long enough, the game is over. If players design the course well, they can manage to build an entire 18-hole course while obtaining profits. Players can also populate their course with a variety of staff, such as groundskeepers who will pull out any unsightly weeds, greeters that will talk to customers and drinks vendors to help golfers quench their thirst.
Everything players add (or fail to) will modify the overall mood of the golfers; the main goal of the player is to make the course "look hard and play easy". Keeping them happy will allow them to invest in the players' course or donate a valuable landmark. Reward buildings, such as marina
s, airstrips, theme parks or churches, will be provided and may be used to beautify the landscape. Other facilities made available as players progress through the game include a bar, a putting green, a tennis court
and homes to parodies of Hollywood stars or other international celebrities, such as William Robins
, Bruce Springstone
, Pamela Panderson
, or Rosie O'Doul
. These landmarks have different properties that help the environment in some way, improving unpopular spots and otherwise calming down angry golfers (Every part of the course is rated in this way, so that players have to raise its value with fun, skill and intelligence to have customers like it).
The game also enables the player to save their professional golfer and then play championships with him to earn some extra money to further embellish or expand the course. Maxis has also set up a website where players can visit the exchange part and enter a huge archive of player-designed Championship courses for players to download and play. Another thing that adds to its depth is the fact that golfers come to play in pairs and usually talk about their own interests. If players put the proper landmarks in the proper places, these stories may progress and have a happy ending, which also adds to players' course. There is also a 'sandbox' mode, which allows players to play the game with an infinite amount of money, so they can hone their designing skills.
Another interesting thing about the way Sim Golf works is the calculation of the skill rating of your course. There are three skills all golfers either have or don't have: length, accuracy, and imagination. Length is the ability to hit the ball a long way, accuracy the ability to hit the ball straight, and imagination is the ability to "shape" shots the way you want to and put spin on the ball. The skill rating of a hole is determined by the average score of people with each skill compared to the average score of people without each skill. For example, if the average score of people with length is 4, and without length is 4.5, you have a length rating of 4.25. The skill rating of your hole is the rating in all three categories added together, and the skill rating of your course is the ratings of all your holes added together.
Sid Meier
Sidney K. "Sid" Meier is a Canadian programmer and designer of several popular computer strategy games, most notably Civilization. He has won accolades for his contributions to the computer games industry...
, Firaxis, and Maxis
Maxis
Maxis is an American company founded as an independent video game developer in 1987. It is currently a subsidiary of Electronic Arts . Maxis is the creator of one of the best-selling computer games of all time, The Sims and its first sequel, The Sims 2...
in 2002
2002 in video gaming
The year 2002 in video gaming saw the release of many games to sixth-generation video game consoles, predominately, the Nintendo GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox.-Events:...
. In the game, players must successfully design golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
s and play them with their default professional golfer
Professional golfer
In golf the distinction between amateurs and professionals is rigorously maintained. An amateur who breaches the rules of amateur status may lose his or her amateur status. A golfer who has lost his or her amateur status may not play in amateur competitions until amateur status has been reinstated;...
, Gary Golf (though this player can be customized in a number of different ways). Played in a near-isometric
Isometric projection
Isometric projection is a method for visually representing three-dimensional objects in two dimensions in technical and engineering drawings...
dimetric view, the game runs on fairly low system specs, and only at an 800x600 resolution.
Overview
The game features a complete system that allows the player to build their own golf empire. Players begin with some money and choose a country to begin building the players' course. Once there, players begin by placing a teeing groundTeeing ground
In golf, the teeing ground is the area at the beginning of a hole from which the player's first stroke is taken. When referring to the area, the terms "tee", "tee box", and "teeing ground" are often used interchangeably....
and a putting green for Hole One and are then allowed to go on adding or modifying what lies between: trees, rough, bunkers (or sandtraps), landmarks, benches, paths, flowerbeds, terrain and just do about anything players would normally see in a golf course. Players are advised not to waste money because if the coffers stay in the red long enough, the game is over. If players design the course well, they can manage to build an entire 18-hole course while obtaining profits. Players can also populate their course with a variety of staff, such as groundskeepers who will pull out any unsightly weeds, greeters that will talk to customers and drinks vendors to help golfers quench their thirst.
Everything players add (or fail to) will modify the overall mood of the golfers; the main goal of the player is to make the course "look hard and play easy". Keeping them happy will allow them to invest in the players' course or donate a valuable landmark. Reward buildings, such as marina
Marina
A marina is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats.A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or cargo from freighters....
s, airstrips, theme parks or churches, will be provided and may be used to beautify the landscape. Other facilities made available as players progress through the game include a bar, a putting green, a tennis court
Tennis court
A tennis court is where the game of tennis is played. It is a firm rectangular surface with a low net stretched across the center. The same surface can be used to play both doubles and singles.-Dimensions:...
and homes to parodies of Hollywood stars or other international celebrities, such as William Robins
Robin Williams
Robin McLaurin Williams is an American actor and comedian. Rising to fame with his role as the alien Mork in the TV series Mork and Mindy, and later stand-up comedy work, Williams has performed in many feature films since 1980. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance...
, Bruce Springstone
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
, Pamela Panderson
Pamela Anderson
Pamela Denise Anderson is a Canadian-American actress, model, producer, author, activist, and former showgirl, known for her roles on the television series Home Improvement, Baywatch, and V.I.P. She was chosen as a Playmate of the Month for Playboy magazine in February 1990...
, or Rosie O'Doul
Rosie O'Donnell
Roseann "Rosie" O'Donnell is an American stand-up comedian, actress, author and television personality. She has also been a magazine editor and continues to be a celebrity blogger, LGBT rights activist, television producer and collaborative partner in the LGBT family vacation company R Family...
. These landmarks have different properties that help the environment in some way, improving unpopular spots and otherwise calming down angry golfers (Every part of the course is rated in this way, so that players have to raise its value with fun, skill and intelligence to have customers like it).
The game also enables the player to save their professional golfer and then play championships with him to earn some extra money to further embellish or expand the course. Maxis has also set up a website where players can visit the exchange part and enter a huge archive of player-designed Championship courses for players to download and play. Another thing that adds to its depth is the fact that golfers come to play in pairs and usually talk about their own interests. If players put the proper landmarks in the proper places, these stories may progress and have a happy ending, which also adds to players' course. There is also a 'sandbox' mode, which allows players to play the game with an infinite amount of money, so they can hone their designing skills.
Another interesting thing about the way Sim Golf works is the calculation of the skill rating of your course. There are three skills all golfers either have or don't have: length, accuracy, and imagination. Length is the ability to hit the ball a long way, accuracy the ability to hit the ball straight, and imagination is the ability to "shape" shots the way you want to and put spin on the ball. The skill rating of a hole is determined by the average score of people with each skill compared to the average score of people without each skill. For example, if the average score of people with length is 4, and without length is 4.5, you have a length rating of 4.25. The skill rating of your hole is the rating in all three categories added together, and the skill rating of your course is the ratings of all your holes added together.