Atari officially announces RollerCoaster Tycoon 3

SWEEEEEEET

I just hope it isn't too much like the Sims RC games. They are cool but they are too cartoony for me, that's why I perfer RCT, but the screen shots looked awesome. Just have to wait and see. I'll have to keep busy with the other 2 newer expansions for RCT2.

Can't wait.

It looks as if gameplay will be largely unchanged, save for everything being rendered in 3D.

I'm not really interested in things being in 3D, both because my computer isn't too keen on running games like that and because it's little more than a gimmick.

If gameplay isn't improved over RCT or RCT2, I don't think I'm going to bother with this one.

It looks interesting...

I just hope 'coaster cam' isn't limited to 'coasters'. I'm hoping for a 'ride cam' that encompasses all rides.

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It took longer than we expected... only 11 posts until someone complained about transitions and compared it to NoLimits!

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Ha! That's why I posted it over in the RCT forum thread and not here - sometimes RCT fans are so predictable ;)

BTW, for you old timers out there, Frontier Developments is David Braben's company - the man responsible for Elite. He's been doing 3D games since the Commodore 64 days.

I'm so happy bout this! Although, I didnt see any kind of lines. I wonder if they haven't developed them yet. Graphics look good. Should be a great game and it looks like quite a few flats have been added.

With Sawyer on the game, it shouldnt disappoint too much.

I'm dying to see some kind of water park stuff along with a night time!!!!!

Fingers crossed...

I am so looking forward to this. I've been out of the coaster gaming scene for a while (though I need to get back to Scream Machines at some point). RCT2 and its expansions didn't do it for me, and I'm over No Limits for a number of reasons. I don't expect this game to be like a theme park version of No Limits, and in fact, I'll be glad. I don't want to spend weeks building and refining a coaster, and even if there are pre-built elements, that won't be bad, considering how may parts RCT2 gives you (though I am hoping there that many track pieces and coaster types as in RCT2). I mean, really, think about how awesome it will be if all the features that were in RCT 2 are available in various perspectives -- so long as the tree and scenery building aspect are more advanced in terms of "ease of use" this time. No more shift-ctrl stacking and the like.

I've been reading a lot of posts on various sites where people are already comparing this to Sim Theme park which is insane, and No Limits which is even more ridiculous. Then there are those who were begging for years that RCT take a new direction like 3D, and now some screen shots show up and they're already complaining about the look of the trees, or the shops look to "cartoony". Sim Theme Park's main problem wasn't the 3D, but the actual rides which were horrendously themed and beyond unrealistic (the Ape swinging the bananas ring a bell?). Or how about those coasters which looked like kiddy-drawn train tracks, and the limited space you had which you couldn't create squat! As for No Limits, I don't expect this to have every shiny bolt and cross plank found on today's popular coaster manufacturers, but if we get a smooth ride 3D ride on what was once played solely in 2D, I'll be more than happy, and finally have my one gaming wish come true! :-)

*** This post was edited by JCat 3/4/2004 1:18:41 AM ***

Finally, black people!!!

I have to say that this looks awesome. As for the transitions, I am glad they're still cookie cutter. If I want to design the perfect coaster, I'll use NoLimits (which I do...on a semi-annual basis)...this is for the fun of creating your own theme park. After building tons of parks, I have to say that I never really played much of RCT 2...I'll have to get on that when I get back from Kuwait, but RCT3 I think will truly rekindle my fire for the game. I love the idea of having a beautifully rendered park for your own perusal, and it will make the great gameplay of the originals shine through the added bonus of experiencing the parks as a patron. I've always wondered what some of my wildest coasters would look like interacting with the theming and park patrons.

Jman

Im hoping for some new flat rides as well

especially if the carousel malfunctions like normal ;)

But yeah what's the point of 3D if the B&Ms and Intamins are going to feel like arrow now?

And what kind of mega graphics card are we going to need for this? The game slows down in 2D once you reach several thousand people as it is.*** This post was edited by B&M Guy 3/4/2004 9:58:02 AM ***

JMan said: "but if we get a smooth ride 3D ride on what was once played solely in 2D, I'll be more than happy"

Well, if it follows the rails, smooth is not a word that will come to mind.

Perhaps I was misunderstood before though. Will I come to any RCT game to design perfect, true to life coasters? No. I have to remember that the game is largely made for the general public, not coaster enthusiasts. Does the GP want to spend hours tweaking control points and beziers to get the smoothest, most realistic ride possible? No. The cookie cutter track pieces are one of the great things about RCT coaster building... it makes it easy and accessible to the GP. That said, it appears that RCT 3 is simply the gameplay and rides of RCT 1 & 2 3Dified. Sure it's pretty, but does it really add anything to the game? No. If the only improvements that come with RCT 3 are purely aesthetic, I'll bet I won't be a customer.

-BB (trying to reserve judgement till I've seen more than a screen or three)

**DROOL** This looks sweet! I can't wait!

The graphics look great and put you on the level where you can actually experience your park........the bad thing though is that we will lose much of the theming and custom built scenery in the game so far.

"Well, if it follows the rails, smooth is not a word that will come to mind"

This is true, but I imagine they'll have some code which will smooth out the transitions in 3D mode. Plus, we're talking about an entirely new engine so you're not going to get the original mechanics of the 2D view we've dealt with for years, translated to 3D on the fly. My bet is, you will be able to zoom in/out up and down so when building the park, you'll be able to look down in what appears like the original view.

I'm sure they're aware that a choppy ride would be a disaster, as their key selling points for this incarnation are the camera cam and "ride in the first seat" features.

I like it but if they don't brake out of the boundaries of the Hexadecimal Numbers then I will be really mad. I would like to go beyond 256 a not be limited by such a low number. This was my biggest beef about RCT2 instead of the bugs.

This game looks to be great. RCT offers people to build a fantasy theme park. Fantasy is far from realistic. I loved RCT and the expansion packs and RCT2 I liked because the coaster would work with blocks and stuff like that. I hope the game will have Rocket Coasters maybe some custom supports. And I highly doubt it but night time with lights and such. RCT2 doesn't work well on my PC so I'm guessing RCT3 won't work at all. :( DARN!!

HALLELUJAH!!

Wow! A Theme park management game that actually has GOOD graphics! I never even bought RCT2(I still play the original, though) but I will almost definately buy this one(once the price drops).

anyone know about any new rides , flats or coasters, that are new to the game?