Game Design for discs, courses

[Moonshine]

Disc golf is fun because it is me and a disc against the course, I don't need it to be any more. It is by its very nature a meditative and mentally and physically challenging endeavor.

QFT. I don't necessarily agree with the rest of the post but these two sentences explain my feelings on the matter.

I also spend a lot of time in an office setting, and for that reason the meditative nature of disc golf is one of my main attractions to the game. It feels very natural for me to be outside throwing things. It's an activity that I've enjoyed in many different forms, for example playing catch or skipping rocks. I guess what I'm saying is that some people would be attracted by the gamification of disc golf, but for me, it would take away from the primal aspect that initially attracted me.

 

[Cgkdisc]

It would be more interesting to start with every disc possible and reduce the type of discs available as you get better until eventually all you need is an Ultra-Star or Zephyr to conquer the world.

 

[thatdirtykid]

It would be more interesting to start with every disc possible and reduce the type of discs available as you get better until eventually all you need is an Ultra-Star or Zephyr to conquer the world.

I always am on the Zephyr train. What would keep me from playing with just my Zephyr even with all the discs available to me?

 

[Dan Ensor]

I think most people are missing the progression aspect of his three bullet points in post #1. Almost every video game these days has an element of leveling-up, where the player starts at a basic level and acquires more abilities to use as the game progresses. In disc golf, we always start hole 1 with everything we need.

I leveled up my forehand 10' this month. I still don't have everything I need when I start on hole 1, and I've been playing for a few years. I beat New Vegas in a week.



If you want an example of more challenging golf, watch the Australian Open. Broken fairways are an excellent way to create challenge without necessarily adding distance or trees. It's also one of the more fair ways to give advantages to different skills (distance, especially).

 

[Brokensaint]

Consider that, when playing in any "unorganized" fashion, there is no "correct" way to play. Things me and mine have come up with to liven it up sometimes: bag swap(throw someone else's plastic for a round), roller Derby(rollers), best and worst disc, invent a hole (I play a lot of morning golf and tend to have it to myself most times), three disc, putt (gotta make 5 putts in a row from a given point to move to the next point or start over...first one to spell putt wins)
Just throw 'em however you like.

Idea: search courses around you, play them all by their course rating, in order. But! You only throw a putter. Conquer the lowest by achieving par, earn another disc. Next course down 2, earn a disc and a course. And so on. That way you're getting progression and challenge. Create self-imposed mandos and islands. Write a Rulebook and I'll take a copy. Even if it is digital.

 

[Vorpaljesus]

Tron 3 will feature Jeff Bridges digitally disc golfing

 

[DavidSauls]

Idea: search courses around you, play them all by their course rating, in order. But! You only throw a putter. Conquer the lowest by achieving par, earn another disc. Next course down 2, earn a disc and a course. And so on. That way you're getting progression and challenge. Create self-imposed mandos and islands. Write a Rulebook and I'll take a copy. Even if it is digital.

Double up on the courses with multiple tees. Conquer the short tees to earn a trip to the longs.

 

[scarpfish]

Hit an ace unlock an easter egg.

I one time proposed an alternate scoring format, where instead of counting strokes, you gave each hole a set numerical value, and your score was that value divided by the number of throws. Some holes would be worth more than others, and you could use a variety of criteria such as distance, difficulty, or drawing them out of a hat to determine this. Say a hole had a value of 100 points. If I ace the hole, 100/1=100 points. If I birdie it, 100/2=50 points. Par 100/3=33 1/3 points, bogey 100/4=25 points, etc. Add up all holes for your round score.

 

[Jessy]

Say a hole had a value of 100 points. If I ace the hole, 100/1=100 points. If I birdie it, 100/2=50 points. Par 100/3=33 1/3 points, bogey 100/4=25 points, etc. Add up all holes for your round score.

This is an awesome example of a scoring system that would have been impractical or undesirable, due to complexity, before smartphones. Get a Quip document going, with some rule ideas, and I'll start a plan to get working on an iOS app.