Fact vs Fiction

Should RCT rides all be made to look and act realistic? or are the limits of the game wasted by just making rides that could exist in real life?

Personally I think RCT can be used for both, but I prefer to use the tools that it gives to build magnificent eye candy rides that look amazing in the game a lot more often than making a coaster that could be built in real life.

I don't post these coasters on CB because it's not what is sought after but it is what I spend most of my RCT time doing.

As far as building coasters in RCT there seems to me to be three main segments:

I personally like to make rides that run realistically (block timing, forces, speed, etc) but with more "fantasy" layouts. Stuff that *could be built*but nothing like you see in the parks.

There's a whole group of people who like a realistic ride top to bottom. Not recreations, but their version of something you'd easily see in a park these days. KTS does excellent woodies in this style. I don't mind these rides and I like to download them, but I'm not big on making them.

A thrid group has no regard for realisam in any sense. Bigger, faster, crazier as long as it goes end to end. Pure unadulterated, empty calorie, columbian eye candy in it's purest form. You've seen the 15000 foot long giga or the 17 inversion looper running in continuous circuit mode. Usually fantastic in a visual sense they offer nothing for those who seek realism of any degree. These are the rides I avoid at all costs and can be found at every exchange on the net (except CB Games). Go to the official ride exchange for the worst of these offenders.

I personally think RCT is too much fun to just recreate real world rides, but I appreciate coasters on a level that I just HAVE to make mine run correctly. This leaves me on middle ground between the two extremes. I keep the looks and layouts creatives and the operations realistic. If I had to compromise, I'd take the realism over the fantasy elements every time.

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www.coasterimage.com
Dorney Park Visits in 2003: 17

A thrid group has no regard for realisam

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Speed typing again Gonch?

I see what you are saying and I agree that the pacing should be made to run fairly realistically otherwise the eye candy is wasted when it serves no other purpose in the game (ppm / profit etc.)

I think because I have limited rollercoaster ride experience I find it difficult to make a "realistic ride" I've only been on about 5 coasters in my life so trying to see how they run and put it into RCT is too difficult. (note, i've never been on a twister)

Because of the above I use RCT for the fantasy edge.

I guess it depends on the user. I use RCT to make my fantasy parks, parks that I would build in real life if I had the finances. Therefore most of my rides have some semblance of realism.

Same with theming. I do not go overboard in that area because for the most part (save some Disney and Universal rides) excessively themed rides rides are not prevalent. I guess that says something about my creativity (or lack thereof) I do try to incorporate my own taste, but it's not as outlandish as some of the designs I have seen on here. Thats is what works for me.

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Lyrically, I'm supposed to represent
I'm not only a client, I'm the playa president!

Yes, speed typing combined with the fact that my desk hasn't arrived at the new place yet and I'm on my knees in the corner with my keyboard on the floor. It gets ugly.

When it comes to scenario play. I do toss many of the "rules" out the window. However, I always use blocks. I just can't let a ride run in continuous circuit. It irks the hell out of me. Even though in theory a coaster running in CC mode would probably push more peeps through.

I use RCT for two things. Making "one off" coasters for fun and playing the scenarios. I've made exactly one fantasy park in my entire RCT playing time (since the original was released in March of 99) and it's available in CB Games. It's just not something that appeals to me. I find the time vs. reward factor to be quite low. With scenarios, they can take a little time, but for me the payoff of meeting a challenge keeps it fun. As far as single coasters, it's a low time investment. I can blow 45 minutes or an hour and make a pretty cool coaster. Nice time/reward ratio.

There's just so many ways to play the game and that's much of it's appeal. I happened to find the most like mided players here. CB Games is still the only exchange I visit more than once a month.

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www.coasterimage.com
Dorney Park Visits in 2003: 17

Oh come on Gonch, you know you are a constant visitor to RCT2 ride exchange to get hold of those "quality" rides...ahem.

Too many years of playing Bullfrogs original Theme Park made me long for a sandbox mode as opposed to scenario play, and although I did all of the scenarios in the original RCT I haven't even attempted any of the RCT2 ones.

I guess I fall into that second group. I make what I call STOCK coasters. Realistic designs on flat land with a generic station for easy installation into senarios or fantasy parks. These are the kind I use to upload in CBgames.

I guess it's just a personal taste thing. I like to feel like I'm working for B&M,Arrrow,or GCI and creating the next great design the salesmen will start trying to sell to parks. If you download one of mine and use it then I've done my job

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JOHN