Atari officially announces RollerCoaster Tycoon 3

That's the second question you've asked when it should be obvious that the only thing any of us knows is what's in the press release.

I just hope the degree differential between the drops is more controllable, having only 2 or 3 choices in drop degree, they need a system like on disney's game Coasters which was released in the early 90s.

I was very impressed with the Enterprise shot. Both it and the water looked real good. It will be nice having water that looks like, well..water! I am also impressed by the use of fire in that same picture. I could see using the 3d fire to make an awesome volcano themed coaster! (Keeping my fingers crossed that it can be used that way).

What I am hoping for most though is something simple....better organization of the rides. Each tiny variation does NOT need to be a seperate ride. The more expansions and free downloads I put into RCT2, the harder it is to find what I am looking for. The original RCT handled this much better and I hope more then anything that this new version will not be so cluttered.

And speaking of free downloads...It would be nice if the game was user extensible...by design. If 3d shooters can do it, (and even encourage it!) then I don't know why RCT couldn't do the same thing. A flat ride creator would be real nice! Wishful thinking I know, but I can dream.

One last thing...for those of you who can't wait...you can see your existing RCT & RCT2 parks and rides in 3D right now! There's a pretty cool program out there that lets you do this. It's a little crude and not as pretty as RCT3 will be nor does it show you the flats, but hey it's better then nothing. I've had a lot of fun with it walking around the Six Flag's Belguim park. But again, don't expect miracles. The free demo will show Mine train and Inverted coasters only. I am not sure if the full version shows every other type or not. (Anyone know?) But it's worth a look:

http://www.rollercoasterrider.com/index.html

And that might be the only way we ever get to see our old parks in 3d. I doubt the new one will convert the old parks...but again, I can dream. :)

"And speaking of free downloads...It would be nice if the game was user extensible...by design. If 3d shooters can do it, (and even encourage it!) then I don't know why RCT couldn't do the same thing. A flat ride creator would be real nice! Wishful thinking I know, but I can dream."

I couldn't agree with you more. This would send the longevity of this product through the roof. If they just have a simple import untilty included, it would be amazing. They can still bring out full blown expansion packs, and STILL make money if they are done right, unlike WW and TT. We get to modify the flat rides, shops paths, and general decor, while Atari can bring out expansion packs that actually introduce new types of shops, never before seen flat rides, and newer coasters that are not part of the original package. Everyone will be happy.

Im sorry but this looks horrible and has gone too far!! This RCT3 looks horrible. It looks as if there could be no theming on the rides and like indoor stations. The entrance and exits for the ride entry is totally realistic. It just all looks fake, even though the arrow coaster does look pretty good, except the loop looks retarded. Is the whole RCT3 supposed to be all 3-D or is it some kind of mode you can switch off, if its not, ill stick with rct2 its good enough for me. The diverse people, some of the stalls, and the pathways look ok, but thats the only compliment. I wish they would think and release this on a later date for better quality!!

This looks sweet! Personally I wouldn't mind the jerkiness of the cookie-cutter pieces because getting to experience the parks in 3D is going to be cool enough. I also like the fact that the guests have a much larger variety. This will add a whole new, and fresh aspect to the game.

In my opinion, this game is coming out just at the right time. I know that some of us have invested in high-speed computers with good graphics cards in the past few years, but to do so you had to shell out some major bucks. I mean, NoLimits won't work well unless you have a kick ass system, but it's not until recently that $500 would buy you a computer with 2.4+ GHz and at least a 64MB GeForce4 graphics card. I know there are much better systems out now and a Radeon is a face-melting graphics card, but these really aren't necessary for the needs of the average consumer. It wasn't but a year ago that these same systems were bordering $1200 or more. It seems that with the ever decreasing prices in powerful computers, this game along with other games that need 3D accelerators are no longer just limited to the avid gamer, but the average computer user will be able to use them as well since the necessary game requirements come standard now.

I look forward to the release of this game, and hopefully it will rejuvenate some buzz around here and the game site. I don't know, but I have a feeling that it will be a bit more busy around these forums and the next off-season will warrant this game in order to calm some people's excitement about the following 2005 season...;)
*** This post was edited by CPgenius 3/6/2004 11:29:32 PM ***

CPGenius: "This looks sweet! Personally I wouldn't mind the jerkiness of the cookie-cutter pieces because getting to experience the parks in 3D is going to be cool enough." Yeah, thats a really good point. I like the idea of seeing my park from a different view (3-D). Its really not about how realistic it looks. Its about getting a different perspective on your creation.