Introducing Golf Sim Virtual Tournament (GSVT)

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Viper
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Introducing Golf Sim Virtual Tournament (GSVT)

Post by Viper »

I would like to introduce you to a wonderful little program, Golf Sim Virtual Tournament (GSVT) created by Benjamin Miller.

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Ben initially created this program many years ago for Links 2003. I've used GSVT throughout this time. The program has allowed my continued enjoyment of golf sims in areas which otherwise would not have been as much fun any longer.

I recently contacted Ben to simply say thanks, having no idea after all this time if the email would even get through to him. Not only did he reply, but after a little discussion, he immediately began work on the program again to improve GSVT. He's been brilliant and prompt throughout this process making GSVT a fantastic program that is now even better than it's earlier version.

What is GSVT?

GSVT allows you to play 4 round virtual tournaments against AI scoring.
As the program is external to a golf game, it means it can be used with any golf game on the market. For golf games that have no season or tournament modes, you can now use GSVT and play tournaments using these games. GSVT can of course be used with golf games that already have tournament modes if you don't like the game's built-in tournament mode.

The way GSVT works, you enter your score at the end of every round and GSVT then calculates your position against the AI field. GSVT is incredibly versatile for setting the AI scoring/degree of competition. You can customize GSVT so regardless of how easy or tough a course, how easy or tough the course conditions, the AI scores will always provide you great competition. You can customise the AI to make the AI scores highly competitive or alternatively, easy to win. The level of competition and challenge is totally up to you.

GSVT Features:

- GSVT uses a 128 player field. One human player and 127 AI players.
The AI names can be renamed to whatever names you wish to use.

- You can set the individual AI player probability of how well they will score. This means you can make it more likely the better players will perform consistently well and the lesser players will not perform well.

- Scoring Difficulty can be set on a round by round basis. This feature gives you overall control of the AI scores. You can make the AI scores lower for easier courses/course conditions where you may typically shoot low scores or you can make the AI scores higher for harder courses/course conditions where you may typically shoot high scores.
Regardless if you have situations where you may typically shoot over the course par or situations where you may shoot 10 or greater under par, you can set GSVT to give you intense AI competition in either situation.

- Tournaments can be saved after each round.

- End of tournament results can be saved to a text file.

Here is an example of how I found GSVT very useful with a game that already has a tournament mode, Links LS 2000.
For myself, I love Links LS 2000 and it's my fav golf game. I use a combination of the in-game tournament mode and GSVT for LS 2000.
A couple of the LS 2000 courses are an easy tournament win for me even if the in-game tournament AI are set to the highest difficulty. For these courses, I use GSVT over the in-game tournament mode. Using GSVT, there is no such thing as an easy win on these courses. There is no lack of interest or loss of fun playing these particular courses because they are easy wins in LS 2000 using the in-game AI. With GSVT, I can create very tough AI competition on these courses making the courses as enjoyable as all the other courses in my season.

GSVT will be packaged with every golf game uploaded to this site.

I would like to thank Ben for the awesome work he has done and for allowing the program to be shared. Ben has created an incredible little program for the golf sim community.

Download:
Golf Sim Virtual Tournament (GSVT)
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Viper
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Re: Introducing Golf Sim Virtual Tournament (GSVT)

Post by Viper »

For anyone interested, here is how I keep stats regardless if the game has a tournament/season mode or not. I always keep these stats outside of the game as they allow me to create many challenges for myself.

Using this method I can run season after season and each season I am always trying to better myself. This could be done with GSVT and any golf game ever created. The stats are very easy to keep on a simple text document. It also gives you some kind of stat comparisons to make between the various golf games you may play.

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Explanation of what the stats below each red number represent:

#1 - My finishing position in the tournament
#2 - My best all time finishing position in this tournament
#3 - Number of strokes behind the winner of the tournament or strokes I won by
#4 - My best stroke performance in this tournament
#5 - My scores for each round and 4 round total over/under par
#6 - My best ever 4 round total
#7 - My 4 round total strokes and 4 round average for the tournament
#8 - My best ever 4 round average for the tournament
#9 - The course par
#10 - Total number of strokes for the entire season and score average for the season
#11 - Best ever score average to this point in the season.
(Little arrow shows if I am currently better or worse than my all time best scoring average)

Once you get used to keeping the stats they are easy to keep. The stats allow me to try and beat a host of personal bests. From the stats you can work out wins, top 10 finishes, a whole host of things which give you something to aim for throughout the season. If you are playing the same courses season after season, then you may really like to chase and better your overall scoring average tournament after tournament.

I never get tired of virtual tournaments/seasons using these extra stats outside of a golf game. I've been using the stats for over 2 decades to always try and beat my all time bests.
SteveHorn
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Re: Introducing Golf Sim Virtual Tournament (GSVT)

Post by SteveHorn »

Viper
How do I get this program and install it? I'm currently in the middle of a season on PGA2000. The top players this year on my new computer with windows 11 is a bit strange so far compared with previous seasons. If I do use it I'll probably wait for next season and give it a short trial run before commiting to it.
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Re: Introducing Golf Sim Virtual Tournament (GSVT)

Post by Viper »

SteveHorn wrote: April 3rd, 2022, 10:38 am Viper
How do I get this program and install it? I'm currently in the middle of a season on PGA2000. The top players this year on my new computer with windows 11 is a bit strange so far compared with previous seasons. If I do use it I'll probably wait for next season and give it a short trial run before commiting to it.
Hi Steve, it's in every game package in the Extras folder. Just extract the GSVT folder to anywhere on your drive, there is a text manual in the folder as well and click on gsvt.exe to launch it. It doesn't need to be installed. You just run it. Ben did the work, I did the testing. The scores it's putting out I find are better than any of the in-game AI. You have good control over the AI scoring with GSVT so it will give precisely the level of competition you desire.
Download World Class Leader Board on the link below to get it. The game is only a 5-6mb download.

https://www.golfsimclubhouse.com/forum/ ... php?t=1292
BrianZ111
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Re: Introducing Golf Sim Virtual Tournament (GSVT)

Post by BrianZ111 »

Maybe we should provide it as a separate download as well for those who already have the games they want to play installed?
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Re: Introducing Golf Sim Virtual Tournament (GSVT)

Post by Viper »

BrianZ111 wrote: April 3rd, 2022, 1:15 pm Maybe we should provide it as a separate download as well for those who already have the games they want to play installed?
Yeah, I was totally contemplating it but thought there will be some tiny games people can easily download. Probably best for it to be available on it's own.
I could put a link in the thread that introduces it. Then add a link to the GSVT thread in the general forum in the Game and Forum information Index sticky? What ya think?
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Re: Introducing Golf Sim Virtual Tournament (GSVT)

Post by BrianZ111 »

Sounds good. :up:
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Re: Introducing Golf Sim Virtual Tournament (GSVT)

Post by Viper »

BrianZ111 wrote: April 3rd, 2022, 2:10 pm Sounds good. :up:
Okey dokey! :up:
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