Are You Glad Chris Sawyer Isn't Working Directly On RCT3?

Thought this might be a little food for thought:

Gamespot Locomotion Article

Screenshot #1
Screenshot #2

Looks like Chris Sawyer is hard at work on Locomotion... his spiritual successor to Transport Tycoon... the 2 pictures above in the links provided, it shows that his newest game has VERY very very similar graphics to what RCT1 & 2 looks like.

Now, if Chris was working directly on RCT3, do you think that RCT would look very much like this Locomotion, which looks like RCT 1 & 2? I think so... and in a way... I'm now relieved that Chris is only providing input on the game...

...because it'll be a lot better now that RCT3 will be headed mainly by Frontier Development, since they are making the switch to the new advanced engine.

What do you think?
Do you think if Chris worked directly on RCT3, it'd look like this Locomotion game he's working on, or would it bear a resemblance to the 3D conversion it's going to be?

*** Edited 4/3/2004 9:02:48 PM UTC by DawgByte II***

Of course I'm upset. Once Chris Sawyer left the quality went way down and it was all about the money. I really wonder how much better RCT3 would have been if he had been a part of it. I sure hope they make up for all the bad expansions they sold for RCT2, with RCT3.

In retrospect, even if Sawyer would've stayed involved directly with the RCT2 expansions, I'm not sure there would be enough new content or features to really make any of it special.

I think if he doesn't evolve in terms of technology, he should take the kind of role he has with RCT3. He is obviously a very clever and very good game designer, but that doesn't mean he needs to code every line.

I love his games. I still play Transport Tycoon every now and then (the original, not Delux.) RCT3 just doesn't look to have near the quality to me, but I guess I'll see when I play it.

I love Chris's grahpics, they are simple, yet very realistic.

Locomotion looks great. If Chris Sawyer isn't working on an RCT3 that my computer can't run so he can make this game, I'm all for it.

I miss Transport Tycoon.

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Jeff said:
In retrospect, even if Sawyer would've stayed involved directly with the RCT2 expansions, I'm not sure there would be enough new content or features to really make any of it special.

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I agree with that for the most part. However, I think if he were involved directly with the RCT2 expansions, he may have put more effort into it by adding more flats and the Rocket Coaster. Remember the expansions for RCT1 always had new flat rides, roller coasters, and even new features such as the multi-colored path options. But as far as new themeing options go, I really don't think there would have been much difference even if Chris Sawyer were involved directly. *** Edited 4/3/2004 9:07:13 AM UTC by Scream Machine***

I'm pretty mad CS isn't directly working on it. Now I think RCT3 is going to be to cartoony with what I've seens and read.

Uh, it was "cartoony" to begin with. Besides, what's wrong with that?

I'll wait for the game to come out to decide if Chris Sawyer should've been involved. (Like everyone else with RCT2 :))

Locomotion looks like a cross between RCT and SimCity, and everything looks crowded.

Locomotion is the next evolution of Transport Tycoon, which most people who play RCT are probably too young to remember.

Transport Tycoon was the first game I ever was excited about.

Transport Tycoon was and still is fun to play. But was too slow. And lacked a lot of variety.

I think Sawyer is better of designing and thats what he is getting paid to do, no doubt there are people who can code better with their eyes closed. It's hard to find someone who can do both.

Apart from Jeff obviously....

:D

Hahahaha. I don't do design or code better than average, just average. But hey, one publisher actually trusts me enough to write a book on it. Go figure.

I'm already getting tired of people saying that RCT3 looks "cartoony". Like Jeff said, so did 1 & 2. And after seeing the reflective water, the video of the enterprise in action, and the fire effects in that same picture, I'd say that RCT3 looks MORE realistic and less cartoony that the others.

I just don't get what people want here. Photo realisim? Isn't going to happen with the current state of home computing power. And besides...the graphics of RCT appeal to a lot of families and childern which is one reason why it has been so successful. So the graphics actually should be on the cartoonish side a bit!

I'm hoping it's not too difficult to navigate. That tends to be the problem I find with 3D enviroments.

If you need to jump to another side of the park quickly etc.

Hopeful still a 2d construction mode, then go into 3rd person after the parks finished to watch it run?

I don't think we will be seeing a 2D version in the game. From reading how the views will be set up, it sounds like it will only be in a 3D environment.