Disc Golf 3D Video Game

[nuclearnova]

Hi Everyone, I'm new to this site but not to Disc Golf. When I'm not playing around on the small course I made on my property, I program video games. Recently I finished Disc Golf 3D for the iPhone/iPad/iPod. I'd love for you all to check it out on the iTunes/Mac App Store.

[url="http://tinyurl.com/awz6gt4"]iPhone/iPad/iPod[/url]
[url="http://tinyurl.com/aado42k"]Mac[/url]

Any feedback is welcome! To celebrate, here are some promo codes. Please post if you use them so other people don't keep trying
iOS
7M443KRAX9L4
L33NMLYFTA7R

Mac
P9L36RA9K3W7
WJMWTWX373H4

Screenshot - http://nuclearnova.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/1.jpg

Description - Welcome to Disc Golf 3D, the finest disc golf game on the Mac, iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch! Disc Golf is a fast growing sport and can be thought of as golf with a Frisbee, or Frolf. The object is simple, traverse the course in as few throws as possible, finishing each hole by sinking the disc in a metal basket. Avoid natural hazards such as trees, hills, rivers, lakes, and more. Built off of the amazing Nova Golf engine, Disc Golf 3D is sure to keep you entertained and immersed for countless hours. Disc Golf 3D has everything both casual/hardcore gamers and amateur/weekend disc golfer could want.

Features Include
• Realistic flight physics – Everyone will enjoy the realism while avid disc golfers will be able to shape every shot using one of many different discs
• Stunning 3D graphics – Disc Golf 3D adapts to each computer/device for the best image quality while always maintaining a smooth frame-rate
• Unique courses – Locations from around the world feature distinct styles of both play and appearance. You’ll know if you’re in the Pennsylvania forest, Arizona desert, or on the Scottish coastline
• Customizable characters – Level up five playing statistics and upgrade equipment while managing each avatar’s wardrobe and physical appearance
• Career mode – Play as both an amateur and professional and progress by winning the required qualifiers and multi-round tournaments
• Multiplayer – Challenge up to three of your friends and play at the same time
• Purchase custom discs upgrades using both virtual currency earned in game or through In-App Purchase
• High replay value – No hole is the same when varying the white/blue/green tees, four pin locations, and three environmental difficulty settings
• Custom music made specifically for Disc Golf 3D
• Best rounds list for each course/difficulty setting

[what'shisname]

Cool, thanks!

used 7M443KRAX9L4

[dgdave]

What about Android?

Looks good none the less

[nuclearnova]

Unfortunately no Android for the foreseeable future, maybe someday though

[what'shisname]

Played this a little last night on my iphone. Like it a lot once I got the hang of it. Plenty of controls and views to play with and pretty realistic graphics and flight compared to other disc golf games out there. I haven't tried it out yet, but the career mode looks like it could be pretty cool.

Only complaints so far would be that the putting seemed to be a lot harder than the rest of the game and there are a couple glitches where the dude seems to putts from the ground. I haven't spent a ton of time with it though so it could be that I just don't know how to putt with it yet. Kinda like real disc golf! I loaded it on my ipad to try it out with more real estate but it crashed on loading every time at 93%. Definitely would improve with more screen space on the ipad so hopefully it's an easy fix.

Thanks!

[nuclearnova]

Putting should become much easier as you level your player up in the career mode. There also will be a gimmie putt at <5-10 feet, which will eliminate that sideways thing. What generation iPad are you on, I couldn't get it to crash on mine, and are you running the latest version 1.02 on it?

[what'shisname]

Putting should become much easier as you level your player up in the career mode. There also will be a gimmie putt at <5-10 feet, which will eliminate that sideways thing. What generation iPad are you on, I couldn't get it to crash on mine, and are you running the latest version 1.02 on it?

It's a 1st gen ipad. I'll check later on what version it's running.

[JHern]

• Realistic flight physics – Everyone will enjoy the realism while avid disc golfers will be able to shape every shot using one of many different discs

Just curious...how do you do that? How is the pitching moment parameterized? What is your spin down function? Did you use the Hummel Frisbee model?

I downloaded the game and was trying it out (thanks for the promo code, btw), but I can't figure out how to change the hyzer angle, the nose angle, or the release speed...or at least how these are parameterized in the power and direction bars.

Also, I haven't been able to make a throw where the disc actually turns over, even at max power. Also, the disc seems to turn hyzer without actually moving left a great deal at the end of the flight, are you sure the lift vector is properly oriented with the flight plate?

In essence, I'd like to know how to make the discs behave realistically, as in the following example:

[Leopard]

[nuclearnova]

JHern, during the setup you can adjust your shot several ways. First, selecting the disc will make it more/less stable, faster/slower, and float. After that use the fade/draw buttons to adjust hyzer/anhyzer (I used golf terms to make it more familiar with regular golfers), and use the loft/punch buttons to adjust the starting nose angle. Power is the first selection bar, the second effects both fade/draw and push/pull if you don't hit it in the center. The disc should turn left in the direction of the disc normal, though at times I have noticed what you said and I think the disc may be drawing a little more turned over than it actually is. Once you level up the character's power and either forehand/backhand it should be easier to get the disc to turn over, though the spin stat will stat will stabilize the disc at higher speed.

[JHern]

JHern, during the setup you can adjust your shot several ways...

Thanks for the info. I've been playing with all of these, using various discs, and I still can't seem to get much left-right movement out of the disc, and nothing that looks like an S-curve even after trying all the various combinations. Maybe you can suggest a disc, fade, and loft setting that would reproduce something that looks more realistic?

Also, still curious about the physics model, are you using Hummel's model? The Potts model? How does spin rate vary during flight? Is the pitching moment parameterized in terms of angle of attack? What sort of drag/lift coefficient scaling laws are you incorporating?

When somebody says "realistic physics" I take it seriously because 1) I'm a research physicist and mathematical modeler who also happens to be a disc golf addict, 2) a lot of other people have worked hard on studying the physics of disc flight and their efforts deserve respect, and 3) as a peer it is my job to evaluate your physics model to see if the claims you made are rigorously justified...people will come to me and ask my opinion about your video game, so I should make a good effort to understand what you mean by "realistic physics."

[nuclearnova]

With a maxed out character I found an s curve with the screenshot below. Not as extreme as your picture but who would want to throw that type of flight anyway? Would be impossible to control and half the distance would be wasted horizontally.

The physics are mostly accurate (I have a masters in microelectronic engineering with a minor in physics so I have the background), but as you know tradeoffs for simplicity and assumptions are often made, so it is not exactly either of the models you mentioned. I'm not going to go into detail as I've already spent enough time working on that in my code, but I feel it has been done good enough to convince 95% of disc golfers that the flight is completely realistic (especially when it bugs and the disc gets stuck in a tree!)

Remember it's a video game, not a scientific tool. The only job anyone has is to have fun playing it.

http://nuclearnova.com/temp/scurve.png

[what'shisname]

jhern, you sure do take yourself pretty seriously, eh?



Fun game nova. I updated my ios last night on the ipad 1st gen and it still crashes unfortunately.

[PMantle]

jhern, you sure do take yourself pretty seriously, eh?

Glad somebody said it. That post was douchetacular.

[JHern]

...who would want to throw that type of flight anyway?

Max distance with a utility driver. Thread a left-right-left fairway. Etc. The old guys always said "master that shot, and you can make money in this sport!"

Would be impossible to control and half the distance would be wasted horizontally.

Depends on the fairway. I throw this shot often, on several holes at my home course. It is a max distance line because you get the most glide out of the turn and you still get forward penetration in the fade at the end of the flight. This is all good stuff.

The physics are mostly accurate (I have a masters in microelectronic engineering with a minor in physics so I have the background), but as you know tradeoffs for simplicity and assumptions are often made...

OK, fair enough, but you do know that real "realistic models" have been published, right? You don't need to re-invent the wheel, you can even find much of it free online. I'd be willing to share them with you freely, if you need help.

I'm not going to go into detail as I've already spent enough time working on that in my code...

Not sure why you don't want to go into it, especially if it can help improve your game.

...but I feel it has been done good enough to convince 95% of disc golfers that the flight is completely realistic...

I hope so, but convincing them it is realistic because it IS realistic is even better, no? And you can also get the other 5% too (especially top pros, who complain the most about disc golf game realism).

(especially when it bugs and the disc gets stuck in a tree!)

Awesome! Is the 2m rule in effect?

Remember it's a video game, not a scientific tool. The only job anyone has is to have fun playing it.

Yeah, I realize this game is more about having the skill to hit a button at just the right time, and less to do with understanding the physics of disc flight. And I confess I'm not a video game player, I've never liked them my entire life.

To your credit, this is one of the first games I've actually enjoyed playing in a long time, and I like the course and everything else, and I can imagine that it took a lot of work to set it all up. Don't let anything else I said discourage you, I'm just a grumpy old academic. I'll gladly give you $8 or more for that kind of work.

jhern, you sure do take yourself pretty seriously, eh?

Glad somebody said it. That post was douchetacular.

No, I take the subject seriously. Would you rather that nobody took it seriously?

Feel free to tune out any time PMantle, you only just tuned in a few months ago. This discussion has been ongoing at DGR since 2008, and probably long before that. DGCR might be more appealing for you, if name-calling is all you're interested in doing.