RollerCoaster Tycoon
PC
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RollerCoaster Tycoon
The Complete Strategy Guide
Chock full of Rollercoastery Goodness!
and now with more Tycoonery Crazyness than ever before!
ver 4.0 (8-8-99)
by Dan Simpson (manymoose@hotmail.com, ICQ: 185116)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - N O T E S - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
If you haven't read the Game Manual and are reading this, I highly recommend
that you read the manual first, since this Guide is meant more as a supplement
to an already good manual, rather than as a replacement for it. Enjoy!
This guide is updated often.
A Version History can be found in section "11. Final Words..."
The most recent version of this FAQ can be found at:
http://www.gamefaqs.com/computer/doswin/faq/rollercoaster_tycoon.txt
http://www.cheatcc.com/pc/sg/rollercoaster_tycoon.txt
http://www.game-revolution.com/games/codes/pc/rollercoaster_tycoon_faq.htm
ftp://ftp.avault.com/cheats/coaster-faq.zip (ZIPPED)
An HTML version of this FAQ can be found at: (New as of v. 4.0)
http://manymoose.8m.com/coaster/
There are foreign language versions of my FAQ as well:
German: http://surf.to/spielelounge
Dutch: http://members.tripod.lycos.nl/draznyk/rctstrategyguide.txt (inc.)
Note: If you would like to do a foreign language version of my FAQ, drop me a line!
If you don't actually have the game you can get the demo at:
English: ftp://ftp.microprose.com/pub/demos/rollercoaster/rct-edl.exe
Non-English: ftp://ftp.microprose.com/pub/demos/rollercoaster/rct-mdl.exe
Keep in mind that this demo is Time-Limited, so after 20 minutes it ceases to
work. (BTW, don't email me asking for "cracks" for the demo, I don't have any
nor do I know where any are.)
If the ASCII art above looks garbled (it should say Rollercoaster Tycoon) then
make sure to set your font to Courier, or another similar Fixed Width Font.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
---------
Contents:
---------
| 1. Scenarios
| 2. Your Park
| a. Queue it up!
| b. Park Maintenance
| c. Guests
| 3. Rides, Non-rollercoaster
| 4. Rides, Rollercoaster
| a. Crashes!
| b. Basic Coaster Building
| 5. Landscaping
| 6. Shops
| 7. Alternative Ideas
| 8. Common Problems (frequently asked questions)
| 9. Cheats!
| a. RCT Utilities (non-cheat)
| 10. Bugs
'-> 11. Final Words...
|Section includes a Wish List, Internet
|Links, Credits, and a Version History
Note: The game year starts in March and Ends in October (8 months)
Note: Save every scenario after you beat it. (see "10. Bugs" for more info)
Note: Not every scenario has every ride in it (unless you cheat).
---------
1. Scenarios
---------
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - L E G E N D - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
'Rides' indicates which rides the scenario already has in it.
For example, C indicates that there is One Rollercoaster, 2C, Two.
'Coasters' indicates which coasters are possible to research.
All Goals that have a number of guests for a goal require a rating of 600.
In almost all cases where you get $10k in cash, you have a loan of that size.
Coaster Key: Notes Key:
------------ ----------
B - Bobsled L - Able to buy land
C - Corkscrew C - Able to buy Construction Rights
M - Mine Train * - indicates that these scenarios
Sm - Steel Mini aren't immediately available
I - Inverted ! - indicates that you must download
R - Reverse Whoa Belly (Free Fall) this scenario off the offical
Su - Suspended web page (see "11. Final Words")
S - Steel @ - available only if you passed all
Si - Single Track other scenarios
Ss - Suspended Single Track
U - Stand Up Rides Key:
V - Vertical ----------
W - Wooden C - Rollercoaster
Wm - Wild Mouse G - Gentle Rides
T - Transport
E - Exciting/Water
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Name: Rides: Cash: Goals: Coasters: Notes:
----- ------ ----- ------ --------- ------
Forest Frontiers -- $10k 250g, 1yr SiSuSmUWmW L
Tips: Passing the tutorial also counts as passing this scenario.
Dynamite Dunes C $10k 650g, 3yrs CMUSmSsSuW L
Leafy Lake -- $10k 500g, 3yrs MSSiSmSsSuWmW
Diamond Heights 4C,T,G,E $1k $20k, 3yrs BISmSWmW
Evergreen Gardens -- $10k 1000g, 4yrs BCMSSiSmUWmW
Tips: Cut down on paths here to avoid getting lost guests.
Bumbly Beach C,2G $5k 750g, 2yrs BCSiSmWmW * C
Trinity Islands -- $10k 750g, 3yrs BIMSSiSmSsSuWm *
Katie's World 3C,3E,T $1k $15k, 3yrs BMRSSmSsSuUWmW * L
Tips: Katie's World is extremely rainy, and as such it needs indoor rides.
Also, it has the first completely underground ride, a rollercoaster.
Dinkie Park 4G,2E $10k $10k, 2yrs BCIMSSiSmSsSuUVWmW * L C
Tips: You need to expand this ultra-small park quickly, by buying land
across the street. You get to that area via contruction rights on the
street.
Aqua Park 5E $10k 900g, 3yrs -- ALL -- *
Tips: The waterslide here often "stalled out" on me, consider replacing it
or redesigning it.
Millenium Mines T $10k 800g, 3yrs BCIMRSSiSmSsUVWmW *
Karts and Coasters 2C,2E $10k 1000g, 3yrs BCIMRSSiSmSsVWmW *
Mel's World 2C,2E $5k 1200g, 3yrs -- ALL -- *
Mothball Mountain -- $10k 800g, 3yrs BCIMRSSmSsSuUVWmW * L
Pacific Pyramids -- $10k 1000g, 4yrs BCIMRSSiSmSsSuUV * L
Crumbly Woods 3C,3G $5k 1200g, 3yrs -- ALL -- *
Tips: All the rides here are exceptionally old and unreliable, consider
replacing them with new ones.
Big Pier -- $10k 600g, 3yrs BCISSmSsSuUWm *
Lightning Peaks 2T $5k 900g, 3yrs -- ALL -- *
Ivory Towers 2C,E,T $10k 1000g, 3yrs -- ALL -- *
Tips: Ivory Towers has been heavily vandalized and is rather filthy. Clean
it up first.
Rainbow Valley -- $10k 1000g, 4yrs BCIMSSiSmSsSuUVWmW *
Thunder Rock T $10k 900g, 4yrs BCIMSSiSmSsSuUVWmW *
Mega Park -- $10k Have Fun -- ALL -- @
Fort Anachronism C,T,2G,E $1k 1250g, 3yrs BCISSiSmSuWmW ! L
Note: Whenever you pass a scenario, all the guests in your park will applaud,
and also they will all let go of their balloons. Which means that they
have to buy NEW balloons, so you get twice the balloon money! Of course
you've already passed the scenario by that point...
You may be looking at the scenario names thinking to yourself, "I never saw that
Scenario." Well I have the US version of the game, and the other International
versions have different names. Here's a little comparison:
US: International:
------------------------- ---------------------------
Katie's World Katie's Dreamland
Dinkie Park Pokey Park
Aqua Park White Water Park
Mothball Mountain Mystic Mountain
Big Pier Paradise Pier
---------
2. Your Park
---------
- The first thing that you want to do in your new park is to set Research up
to the maximum funding possible ($400 a month). If you do not have the
Information Kiosk available already, then you will want to uncheck all
research boxes except for "Shops and Stalls". (Information Kiosk is the
most useful shop in the game, since it sells both maps and umbrellas)
- Once you get the Information Kiosk build it close to the entrance (not
right by the entrance, but somewhere nearby), as your guests will want a
map to avoid getting lost (and an umbrella if it rains). Typically what
I do here is to build the Information Kiosk on a corner of the first
intersection, that way everyone has a good chance to buy something when
they enter the park.
Note: Don't forget to recheck the research areas back to all areas. Unless
you don't mind never getting new rides...
- Next you will want some rides. Build a good mix of rides, some gentle,
some exciting, and of course a rollercoaster. Place one, and only one,
rollercoaster by the entrance to get the guests' hearts pounding early. It
also increases their happiness. The rest of your Rollercoasters you will
build deeper into your park (you build only one by the entrance since
they will have to travel to the others, and will sometimes see other things
on the way) You want at least one indoor type ride, like the Haunted
House.
Note: The game sets ride prices if and only if you are letting Guests into
your park for free. If you are charging them to get into your park
then you will have to set the price yourself. (see sections 3 and 4
for pricing guidelines)
- Third, hire one of each type of employee. Uncheck the handyman's option to
mow the grass. You don't need that yet. (mown grass looks nicer, and
helps guests happiness ratings, and park value ratings) When you do want
someone to mow the grass, hire a handyman specifically for that task, and
uncheck all but the mow grass option.
- Fourth, jack up the entrance price to the park to around $15-$20. You want
it cheap enough to keep your guests happy, but high enough to get you some
money. Generally, for every 4 new rides that you build, add $5 to
admission. $10 if one of those rides is a roller coaster. I'm not saying
that the only money you get should be from the entrance fee, I still think
you should also charge them on rides. This way you can maximize your
chances of getting all your guests money.
- Finally you are going to want to build some amenities, such as Bathrooms,
and shops. Build these a little further away from the entrance, since
the guests who enter don't need to use them yet. Avoid placing food shops
near the exits of vomit intensive rides--although you can, and possibly
should, place Drinks stands there.
Note: Once you get over $30 thousand dollars, you don't need to increase your
admissions price any more! I always keep my admissions price around
$50 at that point. (the absolute maximum that you can set your
admission price is $100)
Buying Land:
If you want to expand the park, you can buy land (in the Main Entrance
window). Land that is for sale has a little white sign on it, and costs
between $15 and $90 per square (depending on the Scenario). Construction
Rights sell in the same way, but only 2 scenarios let you buy those.
Other parks come with construction rights already purchased, like Katie's
World (for the underground coaster) and Mega Park, where you can build a
ride (or anything else, for that matter) across the path to the entrance.
Common Viewpoint:
Ever wish that you could visit your wonderful theme park? Well one way is
to view a guest just before they enter your park, name them, and click the
"i" button (the bottom button on the individual guest's window) to receive
updates on them. By following around several people like this you can get
a new viewpoint on your park, and it may help you solve problems that you
didn't know existed! If you leave his window open you get to see how long
a queue wait really is, how hard it is to find a place in the park, and if
you really have enough facilities like bathrooms or food and drink stalls.
Note: Naming your peeps with a number first to assist in keeping track of
the peep. (i.e. name someone "1 Dan Simpson" or "2 Bob Roberts")
They will then be listed first in the GUEST MEGA LIST, making them
much easier to find later.
Money Making:
Remember that you can take a loan. If you need a new rollercoaster RIGHT
NOW, then take out an extra $5k or so (keep your loan under $20k total, the
max loan possible is $50k but you shouldn't need that much; also bear in
mind that each scenario will allow a different Max Loan). Also use the
Rides button (press "R") and slide the marker down to "Profit" to see where
you are making, and losing money. If a popular ride isn't making money, it
may be that you are charging so much for the ride that people won't go on
it. You want to get all of their money, but you don't need it all at once,
so lower the rates. (see sections 3 and 4 for a pricing guide to rides)
Later in the game you may want to consider only charging for admission
(say... $90) and giving the rides away for free, or maybe you want to let
them in for free and charge them more on rides. Well there are problems
with both. Since your ideal is to get every cent from the guest charging
$90 at the gate is a problem: 1) what if a guest doesn't have $90? and 2)
what if the guest has more than $90? The first guest can't come in, and
the second will probably leave your park with money. (there's only so many
ice creams that he can buy!) Your other option is to let them in for free,
and charge them more on rides. This option is even worse. Here's why:
Suppose Guest 1 enters your park with $100 and he's happy. Then he gets in
a long line for a log flume that was poorly designed (i.e. LONG). By the
time he gets off the log flume he is hungry, thirsty and very unhappy.
Since he didn't pay to get into the park he's getting outta there. I
usually stay with the $50 admission and still charge for rides. I get all
of their money, and they usually leave only when they run out of money.
Awards:
Best Value Park in the Country
Worst Value Park (is there an award for Least Safe? Deadliest?)
Tidyest Park
Untidyest Park
Most Beautiful Park
Safest Park
Best Roller Coasters
Note: If you click on a duck, it will quack. Ducks only appear if you have
water in your park.
Note: To slow the game down, click and hold the right mouse button.
(only works on slow computers! For a different way to slow the game
down, go down to section 7. Alternative Strategies)
------------
2a. Queue it up!
------------
I'll discuss Line Queues here, before I even talk about the rides themselves!
The first thing to building the ultimate Queue is Ride Placement. Place the
ride well away from the nearest path, at least 2 or 3 squares. This keeps
the Queue from "attaching" to a path before you are ready. Then start
building the Queue, and don't put it near a path until you are satisfied with
the length. Only after you have built the entrance Queue to a ride should
you build the path to the Exit. So, how long should your Queue be? That
depends on the type of ride mainly. For example, a roller coaster is a very
popular attraction, PLUS it loads a lot of people at once, PLUS its a short
ride, and can also have multiple trains. So for a Rollercoaster build a long
(10-20 squares) queue line. Long waits in line are fun for no one, so if
the "people" tab on the ride window say a queue wait of 10 minutes or more,
cut the line down.
Here's the breakdown:
Rollercoasters - 10 to 20 squares
Exciting Rides - 6 to 15 squares
Gentle Rides - 5 to 9 squares
Log Flume - 6 to 9 squares
Boat Hire - 3 to 5 squares
Transport Rides - 5 to 15 squares (depending on the type of transport)
Even if you see a very full line, don't overdo it and make it longer, then
the people will wait in line a long time, and they will lose a lot of
happiness; and if the ride isn't so hot (like the Log Flume) they'll have
been worse off for going on the ride. Keep waits under 9 minutes if you can.
Even less for long rides (5 minutes and more). If waits get above 15 minutes
the people will get fed up and leave the line.
Finally, don't just wrap the queue around itself, try to open up some holes
to the side to place trees, fountains, etc. This will help keep the guests
comfortable, and happy.
_____ ride entrance ________ ride entrance
| | | | __ | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |__| |
| |_____| | | |________|
Example of a boring Queue Example of a better Queue
Dynamic Queues:
Alright there's no such thing (see the Wish List in the Final Words section
below) but there is a good way to "fake it". A dynamic queue is one that
changes its size depending on need, i.e. if more people want to ride it, it
increases in size, if less people want to ride, it decreases in size. When
you first build a ride have one section that "pokes out" of your main line
queue. This will accommodate the larger crowds that new rides see. When
the crowd dies down, or if the wait time is too much, simply cut off that
area of the queue.
When to have No Queue At All:
There are times when you don't even need to build a queue. Simply having
the entrance built right next to a path will allow people to enter the
ride. This is only feasible with certain types of rides (never ever do it
with a rollercoaster, for example). The best rides to do it with are the
Space Rings, Maze, Car Ride, Boat Hire, and the Slide. If you build these
on a crowded enough path, then they will always be full, yet never need a
queue (therefore people are never actually waiting for the ride, and
therefore never becoming unhappy with a long wait).
Note: Even a ride with no queue, still has a queue of one person, except now
that person is waiting on a normal path.
Note: Entertainers can help keep the people in line amused.
Ride Exits:
The best place to put a ride exit is on an already existing path, rather
than building a path specifically for the exit. (That can result in dead
ends, and lost guests) Which means that you will want to place the ride
at least 1 square away from any paths, and then place the exit somewhere
in that area.
Note: Placing the exit near the entrance will promote repeat business on
that particular ride. (especially useful on rollercoasters)
Note: If your exit is not connected to a path, and is over water, guests
will all fall off and drown.
Now Incorporating all of the Queue ideas, we'll now do a little trick, that
seems to me, to save a little space. First build a Merry-Go-Round 1 square
away from a path. Build the entrance on the far side away from the path, and
build the exit right next to the path. Now build the queue so that it goes
immediately back to the path. This method has several advantages, the first
being that the Exit is always on a normal path, so you don't have to create
new dead-end paths; second, it saves space.
----------------
2b. Park Maintenance
----------------
Mechanics:
It is my theory that for every 4 rides you build you should hire a new
Mechanic. This keeps a "net" of coverage on your park, as there will
usually be a mechanic nearby if a ride breaks.
As your rides age, their reliability will go down tremendously. To help
alleviate this problem, swap the Inspection rate on the rides down to
"every 10 minutes". At each inspection the reliability will go up a
little. Also if your rides are REALLY old (5+ years) you need to take
drastic measures to insure that they don't crash. Consider replacing the
ride. Or, just reduce the number of trains on a rollercoaster down to 1.
(this will avoid a crash) Another way to tell if it is time to replace a
ride is "Down Time".
Note: If you want to get your mechanic somewhere quicker, do NOT just pick
him up and put him there, this resets his JOB and he will forget
what he was doing. Instead just wait. If you have to wait too long
you know that you don't have enough mechanics.
Overkill Maintenance:
One way to guarantee a good response time from your mechanics is to hire
one mechanic for every ride (yes, EVERY ride) and give them ONE route
marker right on the exit of the ride--the route must actually be ON the
exit, not just by it. Then set all the ride inspection times to 10
minutes. Too bad there's no "Constant Inspection" option. This comes in
handy when your roller coasters are very old, and when they fail it can
be fatal. With any luck your Mechanic will fix the ride before any
accidents happen.
Handymen:
For every roller coaster or shop that you build you should hire a new
Handyman to help with the added trash and vomit. Make sure to "specialize"
your handymen, that is, don't have them clean trash AND mow lawns, in that
that is very inefficient. Have most your handymen clean trash, water
gardens, and empty trash cans. Then have a few mow the lawns.
15 Second Rule:
So how many Handymen do you need? There's no really good way to tell,
but one strategy I use is to count to 15 once I have spotted some
garbage. If by 15 no handyman has ever come onto the screen (max zoom
in, of course) then I hire a new handyman. (Then again I subscribe to
the "More is better than Less" philosophy, I'd rather have more Handymen
than I need than have less than I need!) If one has come onto the screen
in the alotted time, then I move him onto the garbage. There are,
naturally, special cases when this rule does not apply:
1. At the exit of Rollercoasters. They need a Handyman all their own.
2. If you already have over 40 handymen, you probably won't want more.
(although it should be noted, that in large parks, I often end out
with around 60 handymen)
Let them Roam:
So should you give your handymen an area to clean up (assigning an area)
or should you just let them roam on their own. Both. In general you
want most of your handymen just roaming around, but you also need some to
permanently stay in your "worst areas" (i.e. those by the pukiest
rollercoasters). Why not assign them all routes? Too much hassle when
your parks get really large, plus you don't get all that much benefit
from all your micromanagement.
Note: Another way to remove litter/puke is to remove the path.
Finally, you need security guards to stop Vandalism. But since you can't
always stop it, you need to know what to do afterwords. Vandals strike only
3 things, benches, garbage cans, and lights. The vandalized bench will be
broken in half, the garbage cans will be tipped over, and lamps will have
their lights broken. Simply replace the old items with new ones to fix.
(Don't right click to remove! That may get rid of the path as well) So
who are all these vandals? If you check the people screen, the vandals are
the ones with the red snarling faces. If you manage to catch one of these
perps, you can try to get his anger out by placing him on a one square path
with a bench. He'll smash the bench and become happy again (well... he won't
be so violent anyway), then you can move him back into the park. (this is
covered again in the next section as well)
Note: Keeping a clean and pleasant park helps cut down on vandalism. If your
park is clean enough, you may not need Security Guards at all. Plus it
really isn't that hard to replace benches/lamps/trash cans, so lately
I haven't been hiring Security Guards.
----------
2c. The Guests
----------
To better serve your park guests, you will need to understand them. For one
thing they are all male, and exactly the same age. The following is a small
breakdown of your park guests stats:
Happiness - happy people stay in your park and will be more willing to
part with their money. Happiness is increased by fun rides, like
roller coasters, and maintained by normal rides. The guests become
unhappy if they are: Tired, Sick, Hungry, Thirsty, or have to go to
the bathroom. Other things that contribute to unhappiness are: Long
waits in line, and inability to find good rides, and how clean/pleasant
your park is in appearance. Finally, don't forget that you do have
Entertainers, and although it seems like they are worthless, they do
help your guests happiness ratings.
Energy - a tired guest won't go on anything but the most exciting rides to
"wake up", but once he has done that will go on other rides. Tired
guests also walk slower than others, and are less happy. Place a
good roller coaster by the entrance to wake up these sorry fellas.
Hunger, Thirst - these two stats start at a random value when the guest
enters the park, usually under 1/4 full. These values increase mostly
over time. Thirst is also affected by what the guest is doing. Eating
Fries increases thirst, as does a high nausea rating.
Nausea, Nausea Tolerance - guests always underestimate their chances of
getting sick off of a ride. Nothing you can do about it except provide
numerous benches, and clean any vomit up. Also note that sick guests
become very unhappy and walk very slowly (to the point of slowing down
the launching of rides).
Bathroom - need I explain?
Other Complaints:
"I'm Lost!" - reduce the number of paths that don't lead to rides, provide
more Information Kiosks (if you priced the maps high, then reduce that
price). Also guests seem to get lost more often when they take a
transportation ride to a far off section of your park. Also try to
build shorter paths between areas of the park.
"I Can't find XXX Ride" - same as above. Also Observation Towers can help
the guest spot the ride. Or you could take them there directly via
pincers.
"I'm not paying that much for XXXX" - reduce the ride cost, OR change the
ride around to be more exciting.
"I can't find the Park Exit", "I want to go home" - you've lost these
guests, and they want out. Pick them up with the pincers and get rid
of them before they become even MORE unhappy. Nothing you can do will
keep them in the park, so don't even bother.
Note: If you need a certain number of guests in your park to pass the
scenario, you may want to stick these peeps (guests) in a place
that they can't get out of. Something like a 1x1 path in the
middle of nowhere works. (see "7. Alternative Strategies")
How Guests Move:
Guests are morons. You just have to accept that. Their normal algorithim
on moving goes like this:
Walk down path
If you are at an intersection, pick a direction at random
Also realize that Stores, and Line Queues create intersections. The only
exception to this algorithim is when a guest knows EXACTLY where he is
going (his window will say "Heading for XXXX"). This means that you HAVE
to avoid using Double Paths (paths that are 2+ squares wide), and cutting
down on intersections also helps. Employees also follow this algorithim,
which is really annoying.
Compliments and How to get them:
The guests want a nice clean park to visit, good rides to go on, and short
lines. Also pricing things affordably gives the guest a good feeling that
translates into happiness. When the guest likes something, they will give
you the "good thought" (check the people button, and look under thoughts).
Happy patrons, when they leave, promote your park to their friends.
Big Problems:
Every once in awhile you will want to check the People button and look at
a summary of their thoughts (the second "Group" tab). Checking here will
give you a good idea of areas to improve in your park. If a lot of people
complain of hunger, build some food shops; if people complain of having
to go to the bathroom, build a bathroom; if lots of people complain about
waiting in line forever, consider cutting the line down.
Vandals:
The best way to prevent Vandalism is to keep your guests happy. However,
that doesn't always work, so here's some suggestions on vandalism.
Whenever a guest goes red in the face, he is about to commit vandalism. So
what do you do with a guest that you catch before he does anything? Put
him in "Jail". That is, a one square path with a bench on it for him to
smash. Let him smash it and get him outta there. Consider it "Destructive
Therapy". If you are wondering how Security Guards affect vandals, Guests
do not commit vandalism if there is a guard present. They don't actually
get "caught".
Note: Guests' Preferred Intensity increases as they ride tame rides (or as
the manual puts it "Riding less intense rides near a coaster can often
help guests get up the nerve to ride the more extreme attraction"
pg. 11)
Note: Guests who leave happy are considered "Good PR" and a free
advertisement.
Note: Guests who Die or Leave unhappy are considered "Bad PR" and can
discourage others from visiting your park.
Note: Guests can die in crashes, or drown; see section "4a. Crashes" below
for more info
---------------------------
3. Rides (non-roller coasters)
---------------------------
Before we get to the Complete Ride Listing, a few words. All rides have many
customizations in them. From the amount of time the ride will take, to the
amount of people crammed into it, it is usually all contained in the ride
Information under the Gears tab. Any ride with independent vehicles, like
the Chair Lift, or the Boat Hire, has a maximum of 12 vehicles.
Music rides influence the moods of people walking by, and make them happier.
Indoor rides are popular when it rains every other ride is considered outdoor
Custom denotes that you can custom build the ride
a single * indicates that many people per vehicle
Gentle Rides: cost: size: people: notes:
Bumper Cars $440 4x4 12 Music, Indoor
Car Ride $540+ ** ** Custom
Ferris Wheel $450 4x1 32
Haunted House $340 3x3 15 Indoor
Hedge Maze $216+ ** ** Custom (16 max people)
Merry-Go-Round $460 3x3 16 Music
Observation Tower $592+ 3x3 20 Indoor, Custom
Slide $330 2x2 **
Space Rings $288 3x3 4
Exciting Rides:
3D Cinema $560 3x3 20 Indoor
Go Karts $920+ ** 1* Custom
Gravitron $580 3x3 8
Motion Simulator $440 2x2 8 Indoor
Scrambled Eggs $360 3x3 16
Swinging Ship $387 5x1 16
Swinging Inverter $424 4x1 12
Whoa Belly $800+ 3x3 8 Custom
Water Rides:
Boat Hire $205+ ** ** Custom
Log Flume $1320+ ** 4* Custom
River Rapids $1840+ ** 8* Custom
Water Slide $1200+ ** 2* Custom
Transportation Rides:
Chairlift $1440+ ** 2* Custom, Indoor
Miniature Railroad $1300+ ** ** Custom
Monorail $1550+ ** ** Custom, Indoor
Ah, More US:International Comparisons:
US: International:
------------------------- ---------------------------
Swinging Ship Dragon Boat
Whoa Belly Launched Freefall
Gravitron Top Spin
Scrambled Eggs Twist
Miniature Railroad Steam Train _or_ Miniature Railway
Bumper Cars Dodgems
Boat Hire Boat Ride _or_ Boat Hire
Reverse Whoa Belly RC Reverse Freefall Rollercoaster
Fries Stall Chips Shop
Cotton Candy Stall Candy Floss Stall
Gentle Rides:
People for the most part don't like Gentle Rides. Most people want to ride
Rollercoasters (not all, some are a little chicken). But you can usually
get anyone onto a Gentle Ride. They tend to ride Gentle Rides AFTER having
already ridden on something exciting. This is the most true with the
Haunted House, which can have no business at all if people haven't ridden
something exciting first. The other time when a lot of people ride gentle
rides is when they are getting up the courage to ride something more
thrilling.
Custom Rides:
So what exactly makes a good custom ride? First off, each custom ride has
a saved template in the game, so you don't have to start off designing them
right away. The main problem with this is that it doesn't always fit into
your park. Remember that the amount of vehicles/trains/boats is determined
by the size of your Station, and if you have multiple stations, then it is
decided by the size of your smallest station. Well here's some notes on
each ride:
Boat Hire - a station platform is all you need, you can build "Guide
Rails" if you want to control where they go, but you don't need to.
If guests get lost/stuck on your boats, then you might want to
consider putting in a guide rail. Also build a Guide Rail if you
want to limit the amount of time the guest spends on the ride.
Note: The Guide Rails do not need to form a complete circuit.
Log Flume - keep this one short with 3 or 4 drops. 3 minutes is plenty,
any more than that and people start to get impatient and unhappy.
(they become impatient when they become hungry, which increases over
time) Also try to use the Log Flume as a showcase for your other
rides, e.g. have it go through the loop of your coaster, or by your
Go karts ride.
Water Slide - keep it simple, one uphill chain pull and then just move
them around, use the complete circle tracks to keep them from flying
off the track. (the idea is similar to the Bobsled Coaster since
neither are connected to the track)
Tadhg Pearson sent me this about Water Slides:
"Water Slides always go faster when there are people in the boats
and this can result in 'boat pile ups' when empty boats are
followed by a few full ones. Increasing the minimum waiting time
can help solve this." -- you could also uncheck "maximum" wait
time, and leave it "waiting for full load".
Any Transport - you need at least 2 stations for these to go anywhere,
Monorail doesn't need a complete loop, and the Chairlift
automatically makes a loop. Build the stations at least 6 squares
and more is always better. (well...not _always_ but you get the
general idea!)
Any Tower - go as tall as you can!
Note: on Whoa Belly if you make it very tall you will need to
increase the launch speed to keep up, but go too fast and it
will "jump free" of the tower. Oddly it may not crash,
though. (the one I built cleared the tower by a good 5 feet
but then on the way down, went right back onto the tower;
however I tried this again later and it caused a crash)
Go Karts, Car Ride - Up down, around, whatever.
Note: For fun one time I built a really short Go Karts that had only
2 station platform squares and immediately turned around and
finished the ride. Then I put the laps up to 10. It got an
excitement of "5 High". Not bad for a puny ride!
Dan Mullin had this to add about Go Karts:
"As with roller coasters it appears that Go-Karts really like to have
intertwined and paralleled tracks at the same or similar levels, i.e.,
a driver going one way on a section of track can see a driver going
another way on a different section. This seems to boost excitement
quite a bit.
"As you know, when run in race mode the winner always gets to take a
victory lap. Therefore, a nice balance to achieve in the number of
laps is completion of the victory lap at about the same time the last
place car actually finishes. Otherwise, if you simply cut down the
number of laps you are not speeding things up and you are reducing the
excitement level."
Hedge Maze - there's no good advice here, except to try to make a good
maze, but not so hard as to be impossible. Also keep in mind that
the longer the guest is lost in your maze, the hungier/thirstier
he becomes.
Note: One of the best ways to build a Maze is to build the Ultra
Small Hedge maze. Have only 2 squares of maze, with only one
straight path. Place both the entrance and exit on a path
(i.e. no queues), and you have a very quick loading/unloading
ride! They get out and go right back in! Best of all, the
whole ride + stations takes up only 4 squares, and can be
placed almost anywhere.
Now for more detailed information on Transport rides.
Chair Lift - Building any more than 7 station squares is unneccessary
since the CL can only have 12 cars. Also to decrease the time it
takes to load the ride, place the Entrance near the beginning (where
it starts to become the ride) of the Station. (see Common Problems
for a "picture" of where to place the Entrance/Exit) Also increase
the speed of the ride to 9 mph. (under the Gears tab)
Monorail, Railroad - these rides really slow down going up hills, so one
idea is to make them into "subways" and only surface them at each
station. Part of the idea with these is to show patrons the park,
however, so that may not be the best idea. Again make your stations
as long as possible to have large multiple trains if you want those.
Note: The monorail doesn't even need 2 stations to operate, simply
set it to "Shuttle Mode" and it will go to the end of the
track and back. Shuttle Mode also works when you don't have
a complete loop.
Note: You can build a maximum of 4 stations!
Some thoughts on Pricing: (if you don't charge admission into the park, these
prices are too low for you, charge more)
These rides fall into 3 pricing categories: freebies, cheap, and workhorse.
Freebies are gentle rides like the Merry-Go-Round and the Ferris Wheel. You
make these free to keep people happy, and in the park. Cheap rides are the
other Gentle Rides, the Transportation Rides, and the Boat Hire. Cheap
rates are .30 to .90 and keep people coming on rides that they would other
wise avoid. Workhorse are all of your exciting rides and the other 3 water
rides. These rides are consistently popular and you can therefore charge
more. Workhorse rates are .90 to 1.30.
Also be sure to remember that you can charge more for new rides than old
rides. This is due to the "Novelty Factor". You can sometimes get away
with $5 admissions on new rides.
Remember that you get most of your money from Admissions and Roller Coasters
so don't freak out about the costs of these rides.
Note: The maximum that you can charge any guest on one ride is $20.
Further Thoughts on Pricing:
Some people split hairs trying to get as much money from the guests at
every possible opportunity, by overcharging on new rides, and gradually
decreasing the rate. As near as I can see this will merely deplete your
guests funds quicker and get them to leave sooner and less happy. I believe
that having fair prices (i.e. _not_ overcharging) is better in the long run.
Firstly your guests can stay in your park longer keeping your guest count
higher. Secondly they leave happy, which encourages more people to come to
your park. And finally they usually leave with little to no money anyway,
it doesn't matter if you get it all at once, or gradually, you still get
their money!
Some thoughts on Spacing:
Some rides--the Log Flume, Monorail, etc.--launch many separate independent
vehicles. Obviously you don't want to launch them all in one bunch, as
that would be bad spacing (think of waiting in a line that either moves fast
or not at all, and you see what I mean). To increase your spacing you need
to edit how the ride launches each vehicle. The best way to do this is to
increase the Minimum Wait time. This keeps each vehicle there longer, and
increases the space between it and the previous vehicle. Another good way--
especially good on Monorails--is to set both the Minimum and the Maximum to
the same time, so that it stays at each station exactly that amount of time.
This keeps your transportation network moving.
Here's a good formula to follow:
Minimum Wait Time = (Ride Time Length / Vehicles on Ride) - 1
Bear in mind that this isn't a perfect formula, and depends on your rides
loading in less time than the minimum time. Remember that if it takes
longer than your minimum time for the guests to load onto the ride, that
your carefully planned Min. Wait time is worthless.
Note: The highest setting for "minimum" and "maximum" is 250 seconds.
Note: The Data Logging graph stops at 5 minutes.
Thoughts on the Pause:
This is also discussed down in Alternative Strategies. Normally if you
want to change the attributes of a ride (like the amount of logs in a log
flume) you have to close down the ride, causing everyone to leave the line.
One way to avoid this is to first Pause the game, then close the ride,
change what you want to change, and then Unpause. Quick and easy. Notice
how the line stayed where it was. However, everyone who was on the ride is
now leaving the ride (you can also Fleece the Guests this way). They
surprisingly, don't seem to care that much about this. (although it should
be noted that they won't be as happy as they would be if they rode the
entire ride, since happiness is increased gradually.)
-----------------------
4. Rides (roller coasters)
----------------------- _____
Bobsled |
Inverted |
Mine Train |
Reverse Whoa Belly |
Single Rail |
Steel Mini |
Steel |______ Each is good, exciting and expensive!
Standup Steel |
Steel Corkscrew |
Suspended |
Suspended Single Rail |
Wooden Crazy Rodent |
Wooden |
Vertical _____|
For a basics guide to building rollercoasters, go down to "4b. Basic Coaster
Building"
Special Track Pieces: (not all are available on all coasters)
On Ride Photo -- Takes a photo of your guests, which they can buy for $2
(to start) at a profit of $1.80. You want one of these on
EVERY coaster that has it available!
Brakes/Booster - One slows you down, the other speeds you up. One of these
alone is not enough to get you up/down to speed.
Helix -- A Helix is a banked turn that also goes up or down. Comes
in two flavors, LARGE and SMALL.
Half Loop -- The first element in the COBRA LOOP, to use you need to
first use a straight track with the small angle up. Then
to finish you need to use a corkscrew.
Corkscrew -- Standard corkscrew.
Inversion -- Like a corkscrew, but not as large. Only available on the
Inverted Rollercoaster. (technically a Loop and a
Corkscrew are considered "Inversions" but that isn't what
we mean here)
"S" Bend -- Used to move your coaster 1 square either left or right.
Vertical Loop -- The normal loop. Also moved your coaster left or right 1
square. To use have one straight piece angled up slightly
then build your loop.
Steep Twist -- Not really a "special track" in that it isn't in the
little menu, but it counts for me. It is essentially a
turn while going down at the maximum angle (not straight
down). To build it, have a steep drop (or climb) then
on the next track have it also go steep, and do the small
turn.
Water Splash -- Only available on the standar wooden rollercoaster. Sends
the coaster train over a "water splash". Adds excitement
but also slows the train down.
When designing your tracks pay more attention to Lateral G's than Vertical,
as this will increase the Nausea rating of the ride--which you want to keep
low. (Lateral G's are created when you take turns while going very fast)
Some strategies to keep in mind about L. G's are to slow the coaster down
before taking turns, and try to avoid using the sharp turns. And especially
don't combine the two. The best way to slow a coaster down before a turn is
to have it go up a hill right before the turn. Use brakes sparingly. Test
your roller coaster, and if the L.G's exceed about 3 or so several times in
quick succession, you may need to go back to the Drawing Board. I'm not
saying to avoid L.G's completely, as they are quite intense and exciting, but
keep it within reason. It does not really matter if you have more than one
"lift hill", as the guests happiness increases based on the ride as a whole,
and not by where they currently are. Finally, when you run a coaster
through a loop, try to keep the speed down, as fast loops increase intensity
and nausea really quickly.
To keep things interesting (and expensive) periodically shut down the roller
coaster and refit it with something new. On a wooden roller coaster, try to
add an On Ride Picture, or a "Splash" section; on a Mini Steel, change the
cars to Spinning, etc. This helps to keep your ride from getting stale.
Further Thoughts on Design:
If you want to create a Roller Coaster (or any custom ride) and save the
design, one good way to do it is to follow this idea:
- Start the Forest Frontier scenario (or any other)
- Take out the maximum loan
- Set Research to Maximum, AND take off all research options except
"Rollercoaster"
(or if you are doing another ride, check the appropriate option)
- Design your roller coaster (don't open the park)
- Test the Design out, try for High Excitement
- Save the design (open the ride window, click the Disk button, select
save design; Note: you must have named the ride!)
The idea here is to use this scenario as nothing more than a canvas for
creating new rides. Then you can take your saved design and place it into
whichever scenario you are working on. This should save you time, and
money. An alternate idea is to use a scenario that you have already
passed that has a lot of money. Close the park (takes awhile to get those
guests out of the park, however) and bulldoze the rides. Save the blank
park as something else (Test Park works) and start experimenting. Remember
that practice makes perfect.
Note: Intensity of over 10 is unridable. Not completely unridable, mind
you. I built an 11 intensity coaster that had an excitement around
5, but then I cut the intensity back to 9 and the excitement shot up
to 8.
What the *?$% is Intensity Anyway?
Excitement - is a measure on how exciting the ride looks to a guest and is
based on Intensity--between 6 and 9 is usually good, anything higher
and the excitement plummets--and the Aesthetics of the ride itself.
Large rides with loops generally look more exciting than something that
is small and flat. Also try to weave the ride through previous sections
of the ride--like sending the track through the hole of an earlier loop.
(it's even better to send _other_ rides through the loop!) Tunnels and
Scenery will also help. Another trick to use is the old "Decapitation
Trick"; which basically works by dropping just below some obstacle just
in the nick of time, giving the appearance that it would take your head
off. You can also increase excitement in tunnels by placing an object,
such as a statue, on top of the tunnel. Finally excitement lowers over
time but one way to get it back up is to change the ride--like changing
the type of train on the coaster, painting it, or adding to it.
Note: Scenery only effects the coaster excitement up to 4 squares away,
anything further has no effect.
Intensity - is a measure on how intense the ride is. So what does that
mean? You want to keep the ride moving fast--have only one lift hill--
and add elements like loops and corkscrews to increase intensity.
Simply having a tight turn is not in itself a bad thing, it only becomes
bad if its too fast, and followed by a turn in the opposite direction.
(think of shaking a soda can, if you simply move it fast in one
direction it doesn't fizz so much, but if you move it back and forth
fastly, it fizzes quite a bit) Have the coaster go up and down, take
sudden drops, and above all keep the speed up!
Nausea - is based on the Intensity partly, and on the how you get the
intensity. Fast speeds on hairpin turns that go left then right, is
generally a good way to get people sick. Try to keep nausea below 7.
Thoughts on Pricing:
Roller Coasters are the big money makers, and are very consistent. When
it is new, charge $3 to $5 (depending on size and excitement), and as time
goes on, drop it to the $2 to $3 range. You shouldn't have to drop it
further, unless you want to. On Ride pictures help to increase profits.
Note: Guests will only buy ONE On Ride picture in your entire park, period.
Further Thoughts on Nausea:
Some people just shouldn't ride roller coasters, but do it anyway. For
them you need at least 3 benches right outside of the Exit, as well as a
Bathroom right by the exit. It is also wise to have a Handyman on patrol
by the Exits to popular (and therefore pukey) roller coasters. Also
sometimes a Drinks stall nearby helps.
Rain Delays:
Guests don't like to go on roller coasters (or any other outdoor ride for
that matter) in the rain. Doesn't mean that they won't do it, however.
There are 2 notable times when guests get over their aversion to outdoor
rides in the rain:
1. If the ride is new, people will still line up for it (Novelty Factor)
2. If they just got off the ride and want to go on it again (repeat
business)
Anyone else who lines up in the rain is a freak.
Note: Underground (and mostly underground) rides are considered "indoor".
Rain Delays 2 -- Beating the Rain:
So your guests won't go on coasters in the rain... or will they. We have
already established that they will go on coasters that are brand new due
to the Novelty Factor. So when it is raining, (and if it tends to rain a
lot in that scenario) you might want to try "Breaking up the Ride". That
is, remove one section of the ride (after it was closed, of course), and
then re-open the ride. Since the ride is now considered "new", you should
be able to get peeps to line up for it. Best done during prolonged rain
storms that cut your lines down to zero.
How to Build an Underground Roller Coaster:
If you've played the Katie's World scenario, you know that it is possible
to have a coaster completely underground. Well how do you do that? It is
actually kind of simple. Cut away some land down to the level that you
want to build your coaster. Then build one station platform above ground
in the hole, with the next station platform going underground. Then remove
the first station platform and raise the land back to where it was. You
are now free to build that underground coaster! You should realize, of
course, that this is much more expensive than building a normal coaster.
Note: The maximum height for land is 31, so the highest drop that you could
manage underground is a 29.
How to build an Elevated Roller Coaster:
Ever want to put that coaster station above ground in the air? Well it
isn't so hard to accomplish. Simply raise one square of terrain to the
level that you want, and build your first station on that, then just keep
building. Then later go back and lower that piece of terrain back to the
ground level.
Transport Rollercoasters:
You may eventually want to use a Rollercoaster as a train to shuttle people
from one area to another. Bear in mind that you can't use the powered
launch mode with 2 stations, therefore you have to build a lot of "Booster"
tracks to keep it going. Also if you make a straight track it will be
very boring. You will want to add some excitement to it via a Loop or
something similar.
Note: You don't actually have to have the guests go through the loop, as
long as it exists on the track somewhere, it will increase the
excitement.
Fix the Crazy Vole: (Wild Rodent)
This ride actually needs a bit of a tune up to make it better. Sometimes
when the cars launch from the station, they don't have enough speed to make
it all the way to the lift hill, which is surprisingly far away. To help,
have a small downhill section out of the station, then turn it and then
back up and onto the lift hill.
The Single Dueling Coaster:
This isn't so hard to produce. Simply build one coaster as normal, except
that when you get to finish the ride, move the track 1 square left or right
and make a new station that would be identical in length to the first one.
Now build a second coaster. Try to keep it the same size as the first
section. To finish the ride off, have the track go back into the first
station. Now you'll probably want to get half the Trains to each station,
so push the "Test Ride" button until half the trains have left, then click
the Red "Close Ride" button once. To get the 2 stations to synchrnoize,
click the "Synchronize with Adjacent Station" buttons (you have to do this
for each station!) Now you just need to place 2 entrances, 2 exits, and
you're done!
Note: Do not simply link 2 separate coasters together to make one, that
doesn't work!
-- answer from alt.games.rctycoon, Michael Kerr
If you want a more in depth look on Rollercoaster Construction go down to
"4b. Building Good Coasters"
Some more ride design ideas can be found in "7. Alternative Ideas"
Note: If you demolish a ride that had an On Ride Photo, all the photos from
that ride disappear as well!
Note: The cheapest roller coaster (pre-made) is the Shuttle Launch Steel
Roller Coaster.
Note: Spinning cars on the Mini Steel Rollercoaster increases Nausea more
than they increase Excitement.
Note: Naming your Coasters different names, not only helps you differentiate
between them, but can also help your guests out!
--------
4a. Crashes!
--------
If you are lucky, you won't ever have to deal with a crash. However, it is
very likely that you will have to eventually.
Preventing:
Constant Maintenence! On your old rides, decrease the inspection time down
to 10 minutes (this may require more Mechanics). This increases your
reliability rating on the ride, and may help avert major disaster.
The most common crash is that of Station Brakes Failure on a Roller
Coaster. To prevent this common malady you need to slow the friggin
coaster before it gets to the track. There are several ways to do this:
- Have a lift hill right before you go back into the station, this is
a separate system from the brakes and won't fail in the same explosive
way. (having other brakes, i.e. track brakes, does not work because
all brakes tend to fail at the same time)
- Use up all the speed in the ride. This entails a lot of good ride
design as you have to get its speed down before it enters the station
yet still avoid stalled out trains, and trains going backwards.
Coasters that come into the station at 5 MPH tend to not crash as much as
coasters coming in at 90 MPH. Other ideas to try are to have a Mechanic on
permanent patrol near your rides, or you could finally remove all the other
trains completely. (if you do that make sure that the train has the
maximum amount of cars allowed)
Dan Mullin has this to add:
"I tend to design a coaster so that as much speed is dumped
during the ride as possible, then the train is actually hauled back into
the station by a small lift hill (maybe 2-3 levels). This can be
accomplished by either raising the station a few ticks above the ground
or, even better, having the end of the coaster ride underground, then
hauling back up to ground level. The latter will normally increase your
excitement level. Either way, a train that has to pull back uphill to
enter the station at 5 MPH WILL NOT CRASH."
The other main way to crash a ride is through bad design. So avoid bad
designs! (easier said than done, eh?) Typical bad designs are when you
build a hill that is higher than your train can get up. It will then slide
back down and hit the next train coming down the track. The easiest way
to fix that is to change the hill to a lift hill. Also on your test
modes, have only one train go through the ride at a time to avoid any on
ride collisions. (an alternative to switching to one train, is to watch
to see if it will crash, then to quickly hit the Close button, which will
somehow magically remove the trains)
Note: If you crash something in the "Test" mode, guests will still fear the
ride ("I'm not going on that, it isn't safe!").
Recovering from a crash:
The best way to recover, is to scrap the ride and build a new ride there.
This is because crashed rides have horrid reputations and people will avoid
it like the plague. However, it isn't always feasible to replace rides
(cost, or maybe you really like the ride), so there is a plan to save it
and get it back to being popular. Close the ride for 2-4 months. Give it
only 1 train. Repaint the entire ride to a different color scheme (I don't
know if this helps them forget that people died here, but it couldn't
hurt), and if necessary, advertise the ride. After your Mechanic has had a
look at the ride, double click the Close button on the roller coaster to
reset the ride, and then you can re-open it. Your roller coaster should be
a big hit again! Also be SURE to give it a 10 minute inspection time. And
if you feel like it, you can edit the ride a little. (add that On Ride
Photo you always wanted!) Don't worry if it isn't popular right away, it
will take some time to get there.
Note: One odd way to crash is to have the coaster fly through the ground.
If you have an incomplete track that allows the coaster train to fly
off the track, and it goes into the side of a cliff, instead of going
"BOOM" it will go through the cliff, and will only crash when it
reaches the edge of your park. (either the sides, or the low level)
Note: Besides dying in crashes, guests can also drown. Guests will drown if
your ride exit is over water, and has no path connecting to it (then
they'll fall right in), if you destroy a path that is over water they
will fall in, or if you use the pincers to put them in directly.
----------------------
4b. Basic Coaster Building
----------------------
I'll be the first to admit that I'm not the best coaster designer in the
world. But I have been doing it for quite awhile, and know a few tips and
tricks to help you build a good coaster. Also if you have any ideas of your
own, I would love to hear them! (manymoose@hotmail.com)
Firstly: - - t h e S t a t i o n - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Make sure to give yourself plenty of room in all directions for your
coaster. Have at least 3 squares from your station to the path where you
will connect the entrance to. And on almost every rollercoaster you
design, you want to build as many stations as you can (don't stop until it
says you can't build any more station platforms!). The exception to this
is the Wild Mouse, which doesn't require such a long station.
Note: Speed alone does not create excitement nor intensity, rather it is
acceleration (called "G" forces) that your ride produces. Acceleration
(if you don't know) is created by a change in velocity, either speed
up/down, or change directions. A turn to the left/right is called a
lateral acceleration (lateral G forces), while a change going up/down
is called a vertical acceleration (vertical G forces).
Second: - - t h e L i f t H i l l - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Now we need to build a lift hill (or if you'd rather not, see below
"7. Alternative Strategies"). Based on the size that you want the ride to
be is how tall you want your lift hill to be. Really large rides require
a large (25+ units tall) hill, while smaller ones can make do with a
small lift hill. Also try to keep in mind the distance from your track to
the ground, not only does it get more expensive to build up at great
heights, but you are limited to how high you can get off the ground. If
you ever need it to go higher than you are allowed, simply raise the ground
under the track. If your coaster is going to be using a long train (mine
train, corkscrew, etc.) you are going to want to have 2-3 flat tracks at
the top of your lift hill, before sending the track down its first hill.
Why? Because without it a lot of the train will still be climbing the hill
when the first part starts to go down, slowing the first drop somewhat.
Third: - - H i l l s & L o o p s - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Remember that you can't go as high up the next hill as you went down
the first. (conservation of energy) This means that if you went down
15 units on the first hill, you can only go up 12 or so on the next. The
same thing holds true for loops and other trick tracks. You can only make
it through the loop if you have enough speed before it, which means that
the loop has to be lower than the last drop it came from. (unless you've
already built up a lot of speed) The way around this are BOOSTER tracks
and BRAKES. If your test ride didn't make it through a loop, then replace
a track or two before it with some boosters, and set the speed high.
Likewise if the ride is too intense, you could add brakes before the loop
to slow it down. Some fun alternatives to Loops (but which still go
upside-down) are as follows:
- Put down one corkscrew, then do another of the same direction so that
it is like a U-Turn
- Put down a Half-Loop then a Corkscrew for an odd way to turn a direction
or if you want you can reverse it and do a corkscrew then the Half Loop.
Fourth: - - E x c i t e m e n t & I n t e n s i t y - - - - - - - - - - -
You have to have both Intensity (a measure of what your ride does)
and Excitement (a measure of how your ride does it). Also keep in mind
that you don't want too high of intensities (10+) as that DECREASES
Excitement, and if you get higher than that NO ONE WILL RIDE AT ALL. You
can increase Intensity by adding Loops and other special tracks, or by
taking high speed turns. You increase Excitement by what you do with the
ride. If you send it through a tunnel, you increase Excitement. If you
send it around another ride, or by some large scenery, or have it race
another coaster, you increase Excitement. One of my favorite things to do
is to Loop through another Loop.
Fifth: - - R i d e L e n g t h - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
One of the biggest problems I have run into is how LONG to make a roller-
coaster. Quite often I end out making too short of a ride. Remember that
you CAN have more than one lift hill if you need it, so if you can build
the ride longer than you think it can handle. Then if you need to you add
the lift hill at the end, and that may help prevent crashes (see "4a.
Crashes!" for more info).
-----------
5. Landscaping
-----------
Landscaping is a very important aspect of RCT, as it makes a park a theme
park rather than a ratty old carnival.
Paths:
Place benches on every 7 to 10 squares of path, more if there is a shop or
a rollercoaster nearby. Also place garbage cans on every 10 to 15. And
although it isn't as important, place Lamps by all the benches. And for
fun you can put "Jumping Fountains" on paths. (even more fun if you put
10 or so in a row) Finally have your paths go near the most exciting parts
of your most exciting rides. This is a little "inside" advertising for
your rides. Try having a path go through a loop of a rollercoaster, or by
a drop on the log flume, etc.
Trees:
Lining a path with trees is a very good idea in the Summer to keep guests
from sweltering in the heat (which contributes to them feeling sick). Also
place trees around rides to add to their atmosphere. This also increase
Excitement on rides.
Gardens:
Flowers, Gardens, etc. are the final piece to the puzzle, and make the
guests a little happier.
Rides:
Try to build rides on hilly areas, and use the land to customize your
rides. Have a log flume go down a hill and into a tunnel. Have a steep
cliff by a sharp turn on a rollercoaster ("oh no we're going to hit that
cliff!"), etc. Also skillful use of trees can add to the excitement of
rides. (remember the speeder bikes in Return of the Jedi?)
Themes:
Mining Theme use the brown dirt and place the Mining objects around.
Also be sure to use the wood support on the land as well.
Best used on Mine Rollercoaster.
Roman use any type of land.
Egyptian use the tan style of land (desert). Also good on Mine RC.
First of two themes to include Lamps.
Wonderland use the Checkerboard land (comes with the theme), and try to
use the card walls to surround the ride.
Mars Red land style. 2nd theme to include lamps.
If you do some great landscaping you will get several bonuses: One, you
will be voted the "Most Beautiful Park", and Two you will get guests who
take pictures of your breathtaking park. (the other way to get them to take
pictures is to name one of them "Chris Sawyer) Another benefit of good
landscaping is that it will increase your park value AND your park rating!
Note: Fences do not increase Excitement ratings on rides.
Note: Landscaping will only effect rides up to 4 squares away.
-----
6. Shops
-----
The important thing here is saturation. What do I mean? You must have at
least one of each type in every segment of your park. A large park would
have 8 segments, medium 6, small 4, etc. (a segment being a small area of
your park) In each segment place a food stand (pizza, burger, fries) or two,
a drinks stand, a desert stand (cotton candy, ice cream), a bathroom, and
either a Information Kiosk or a Souvenier stand. This allows the guests to
easily find what they need when they need it. The longer they need it the
more unhappy they become. Also buddy shops up, place a drinks stand by a
fries stand. Finally by every shop that sells a food item of any kind, place
numerous benches, and a few garbage cans. People like to sit when they eat.
- - - - - - - - - - -S T O R E L I S T- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Food: Cost: Notes: | Misc: Sells: Cost:
----- ----- ------ | ----- ------ -----
Fries $300 Salty | Info. Kiosk Maps, Umbrellas $250
Burger 300 | Souv. Stand Toys, Umbrellas 210
Pizza 275 | Balloon Balloons 200
Popcorn 250 Salty | Bathroom Relief! 200
Cotton Candy 250 Sweet |
Ice Cream 250 Sweet |
Drinks 225 Drink |
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Food Courts, Why You Shouldn't Build Them:
Food courts may sound like a wonderful idea to you. After all, you may
have grown up seeing them in malls, amusement parks, and maybe even at your
school. But in Rollercoaster Tycoon, they just aren't that effective at
what they need to accomplish, that is, serving food. For example, if you
were to build a food court, only a few of the shops would actually do good
business. The rest (like ice cream) get ignored. Also food courts tend
to get guests lost in great numbers. So avoid building these. Instead,
spread your shops out along the paths. Put at most, 3 shops together, and
try to make them different. Like a Fries next to a Drinks, or a Pizza
next to an Ice Cream.
Note: Variety is somewhat important when building food shops. People like a
choice between whether to have Cotton Candy or a Burger, so build more
than one food shop in the same area. You may often want to build 3 or
4 even.
Note: Placing Souvenier Stands and Balloon Stands near the exits of your
most popular rides may help you sell those items better (happy people
are more likely to buy things!).
Note: Never charge people to use the Bathrooms unless you want your guests
to leave your park. Bathrooms should be a FREE service of your park!
-----------------
7. Alternative Ideas
-----------------
I know this is a strange name for a section. I'm not even entirely sure why
I named it that, so live with it. This section contains ideas so strange
that they had to be given their own section.
Park Design Fun:
----------------
The Mega-Shop Approach:
This is probably more expensive than it is worth, but if you've already
done everything you could try this. The basic idea is to have a path
that does a big circle around your entire park. We make it a double
path with a space in between the two paths. Then in the space in between
we build 2 burger huts, one facing one path, the other the other path.
Then 2 Drink Huts done in the same manner, and on through the shops.
Then build a path to connect the two parallel paths, and build an inform-
ation kiosk on that path. Then continue until the entire loop is like
that. You can build all the rides you want on the outside and inside of
the loop. Then build nothing but benches and garbage cans on the paths.
And on any space by a path that isn't taken up by a ride or a queue, put
a garden or a fountain.
The Alcatraz Approach:
Here's something fun to try if you need to have a number of guests in
your park to pass the scenario. First build 4 paths in a square (so it
would be 2x2), then raise the terrain around it to create "walls".
Finally place fences on the top of the walls, and then create a little
moat around the walls. You have your own little prison! So whenever you
find a guest who is thinking "I wanna go home" or "I can't find the exit"
pick them up and place them in the prison. Then they can't EVER leave,
and your guest count stays the same! Oh, and be aware that this will
effect your Park Rating/Value but not significantly (unless you put a
LOT of people in there).
Alcatraz Modified:
Similar to the first Alcatraz, but instead of putting the peeps in your-
self, you have several rides exit into the "prison". The downside is
that you have a lot of peeps in there with money that they can never ever
spend.
The "You Can Never Leave" Approach:
So you wanna keep guests in your park, but that Alcatraz idea seems like
too much work. Well here's another idea. Have 3 types of rides near
your entrance, a Gentle Ride, a Small Coaster, and a Big Coaster. Have
each of the ride exits lead to an area that is completely inaccessible
from the Park Entrance. Once they ride one of your rides they will be
in the new area, and will be unable to go back or ever leave your park!
The Old Remove the Exit Trick:
If you need to keep a certain number of peeps in your park, but you don't
know whether you can do it, simply remove the path leading to the exit
once you have enough guests in your park. The downside? No one new can
enter your park!
Ride Design Fun:
----------------
The "No Lift" Approach:
This is pretty simple, really. Right out of the station build 5-10
booster tracks, each set to the maximum speed (67 mph on a Corkscrew
coaster) then you can shoot it up the hills. If you do it right you
won't need a single lift hill.
The layered Rides Approach:
This involves building several (4+) rides in a single area or land. Your
first ride needs to be very spread out along the land. Have large drops
and wide open areas on both sides. Have the ride cover a lot of ground
as well. Build the second on the same idea. Have the 2 rides interlock
a little. Loops interlocking other Loops are always fun. Then with your
next rides, just try your hardest to interlock them with your other rides
at every possible opportunity. Build as many rides as you can this way
to increase excitement on a lot of rides.
Layered Rides Modified:
A slight change in strategy to the Layered Rides approach. Build several
small non-coaster rides like the Merry-Go-Round. Then simply build a
rollercoaster OVER those rides, and have its entrance by the entrance to
the Merry-Go-Round. Saves space, and people have a good choice of rides.
Teeny Tiny Rides:
-- modified from alt.games.rctycoon (David Keenan & Scott Amspoker)
I discussed this a little earlier in section 3, where I mentioned tiny
Hedge Mazes and Go Karts. Well that's not all that you can do with Tiny
Rides. Try the Tiny Coaster. Build something simple like a station
followed by a helix up, then a vertical loop, another vertical loop (this
time in the opposite direction) finished by a helix down and into the
station. Then set it to Powered Launch mode, and have fun!
Working the Pause:
------------------
Just because you can't build rides while paused doesn't mean that you can't
do anything while paused. You can do the following things while paused:
Hire new employees AND set their routes
Rename Guests
Change the Prices of rides and shops
Close Rides and change their attributes
(Guests on the ride will still get off the ride, however)
Take out/Repay loans
Alter Research Priorities and funding
So if you need to get something on that list done and you don't have a lot
of time to spare, just pause it and do it!
Change the Game Sounds:
-----------------------
You can listen to (and change) the ambient noise sound in the game. In your
RCT directory in the folder DATA, change the name of CSS2.DAT to CSS2.WAV
and you can listen to it (and edit it) in a wav player of any kind. Also
you can change any sound you want to CSS2.DAT and it will be in the game.
(UNTESTED) If you do that make sure to back up the sound before you monkey
with it!
The other game sounds you can only edit if you have done a full install.
CSS3.DAT is the Bumper Cars sound
CSS4.DAT through CSS14.DAT are Merry-Go-Round sounds (except 10 and 12)
All must be PCM 8bit 22khz and Stereo to work.
One site (http://www.tdi.net/evans/firstpark/mainpage.html) has a small
archive of alternate sounds for the Bumper Cars. (like the Village People's
YMCA, or a Jazzy beat)
How to Change the Game Speed: (Hex Editor)
------------------------------------------
** originally posted by Surfyxx onto alt.games.rctycoon (slightly edited)
Although there is no explicit option to change the game speed in RCT, you can
change it with a little Hex Editing!
======================================================================
Warning: This has not been tested by me, so do this at your own risk!
======================================================================
Here's how you do it:
- Make a copy of RCT.EXE (name it RCT_backup.exe or something)
- Open rct.exe with any hex editor
- Search for the sequence:
83 F8 19 (hex)
There should be only one place that matches this sequence, independent of
the program versions or file length. If there are more, just try out
each one until you get it right!
- 19 (or decimal: 25) is the important value to change the gamespeed, and
can now be changed according to your wishes:
from 0 (faster) to 25 (default) up to 100 (slower)
**Caution**: values between 101 and 255 will make RCT very very slowly,
and sometimes it won't even start. So the best values are between 0 and
100.
- After changing to the new value, save the new rct.exe, leave hex editor,
and play!
---------------
8. Common Problems
---------------
My park rating is going down!
The park rating is just a composite of how the guests feel about the park.
If it is raining, this may experience a small dip (they can't go on roller
coasters in the rain). Also your park may be dirty, overcrowded, and have
long lines. Hire a handyman, build a new ride to siphon people away, and
cut the lines. Also hire an entertainer or two to patrol your longer line
queues. Finally overhaul your rides, paint them, add to them, advertise
about them, whatever it takes to get people excited again. If your value
drops for no apparant reason, the most likely cause is litter.
My Park Value is going down!
Park Value depreciates when your rides get old. Replace the really old
rides with new ones (even if its the same ride), and keep on developing the
park! Build scenery, shops, and new rides. In order to even keep your
park value steady you must add to the park.
People are avoiding my Rides!
Chances are they think that ride is too expensive. To find out for sure
what is wrong with the ride, check the People tab on the ride and click the
thought bubble. You will see exactly what people are thinking. If you see
"I'm not paying that much for XXXX" then slash prices. Remember that if
it's raining, they will tend to avoid outdoor rides like rollercoasters.
The other reason people avoid roller coasters, is if it is too intense
(10+). To tone down the ride, remove sharp turns and replace them with
larger, banked turns (not available on all coasters). You can also add
brakes before you hit the sharp turns.
People are stuck on my Ride! How do I get them out?
Sometimes the problem is mechanical, and your mechanics will go in and get
the ride moving again. However, sometimes, it is simply bad design that
gets people "stuck" or "stalled out" on a ride. In either case try to get
them out by double clicking the Red "Close" Button on the ride. If that
fixes it then the problem was the design so redesign the ride to remove the
problem. Try to make it go faster through the problem area, add a lift
hill or a booster, or even shorten the ride itself. If closing the ride
does nothing, then wait for a mechanic to come and fix the ride.
How do I cheat?
Look below in "9. Cheats" section.
How do I save my Custom Rollercoaster?
-- from page 40 in the Game Manual
This is in the manual but some people have troubles with it anyway. First
you have to have a ride to save. Then NAME the ride something (you can't
save "Rollercoaster 1"). Finally with the ride window still open, click
on the DISK icon and go down to Save Track Design.
How do I create an underground Roller Coaster?
Look above in "4. Rides (roller coaster)" for instructions on how to build
yourself an underground roller coaster.
How do I make a Dueling Coaster using only one coaster?
See section 4.
How do you make an underground Whoa Belly (like in Mel's World)?
Well you can't really, but you can make it look like it anyway. Lower a
3x3 section of land at least 2 units (the more you lower it, the harder it
will be to build the Whoa Belly--aka Spaceshot or the Reverse Freefall).
Then build the ride in your hole. Now select the path icon, and select the
"Bridge/Tunnel" tool and build a path in a donut shape above the ride.
Note: To build a ride entrance underground you must have the land at least
5 units above the bottom of the ride, and the exit needs land 3 units
above the bottom of the ride.
Help! My Chairlift won't work!
The chairlift is a little different than other rides, in that you only need
to make one line (not a loop). Here's a small diagram of what to do.
1st Station 2nd Station E - Entrance
X E X E X - Exit
SSSSSSS========================================SSSSSSS S - Station
= - line
Where each letter represents 1 square of land. At the first station you
want the Entrance to be close by where the Station touches the wires, but
on the 2nd station you want the opposite, put the entrance as far from that
as you can, but if possible, still on the same side as the first stations.
Mechanics can't get to my rides to fix them... why not?
Two possibilities. One, you gave them an area to patrol that did not
include the ride exit (not the path by the exit, the actual exit itself
must be covered in their path). Or Two you are using the Blue Queue Path
leading from the exit. Switch over to a normal type of path and that
should fix it.
Note: There is no good way to set a route for a mechanic on a completely
underground ride.
How do I make a smooth looking Hill/Mountain?
-- from a Grey Box on page 32 of the Manual
This is covered in the manual, but some people seem to have trouble with it
anyway. Open up the Land Window by pressing the Shovel button. Then press
the Minus button. You should see (in the window) one solid square
surrounded by non-solid squares. Then raise/lower the land as normal and
it will raise the land near it as well, but contoured to make a smooth
looking hill.
I've been playing this scenario for ages, yet I don't have all the Rides...
Simply put, not every scenario has every ride. Most scenarios have all the
non-rollercoaster rides, but some (like Forest Frontiers) will be missing
a few. Don't worry, you'll get to see those rides soon enough! You can
also check out "1. Scenarios" for a list of Coasters possible in each
scenario, sorry there is currently no listing for common rides.
How can I create a picture to go with my own Custom Rides?
There is a utility for that! Go to:
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/5366/rct.html
And that should have all the information you will need.
We installed a new hard drive, and my CD ROM is now a different drive, but
RCT keeps asking me to put the CD in the drive that the CD ROM used to be...
You can change this by editing the registry. Go to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Fish Technology Group\Rollercoaster Tycoon\
and change the "Setup Path" value from the old drive to the new drive.
-- answer from alt.games.rctycoon, Alden Bates
I have version .164 ... where can I get the patch to version .165?
There is no patch to version .165, which is annoying because I have heard
that you can't load some saved games. You either got .164 or .165 when
you bought it, and there isn't anything you can do about it now. Sorry.
Is there going to be a sequel/add-on?
I'm not sure. I have heard recently that there IS an add-on being worked
on for a 4th Quarter of 99 release, but this is not a concrete (or for that
matter, reliable) release date. We can certainly hope that it is.
What is Chris Sawyer's email address... I have great ideas for an add-on!
First off, Chris accepts no submissions for new ideas, and won't discuss
his future plans. You can mail Chris at: webmaster@chrissawyer.com
-------
9. Cheats:
-------
There isn't a real need to cheat in this game, but sometimes it's fun to just
build coasters without having to worry about space or money. So here's a
cheat or two for you.
You can find various Game Trainers (cheats) at the following places:
BEST: USA or UK -- http://manymoose.8m.com/coaster/
Alt 1: USA or UK -- http://www.rctuk.freeserve.co.uk/techno-4.exe
Alt 2: USA or UK -- http://members.xoom.com/Casper1st/Techno4.exe
Alt 3: USA or UK -- http://teckno.8m.com/ (offline)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
UK -- http://gamersfury.hypermart.net/rct/clsrcttn.zip
UK -- http://www.strategyplanet/rcte/files/rct7trn.zip*
UK -- http://gamersfury.hypermart.net/rct/uktrainer.zip**
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
USA -- http://rtc.gagames.com/downloads/utilities/cheats/techo3b.exe
Note: Each of these trainers listed here is completely unique from the others
they aren't just alternate site listings, or different versions. They
are all different!
* - I had trouble even downloading this one... hmmm...
** Push F12 to open the Trainer window: (for 3rd UK trainer only!)
- To open up all the scenarios press F11 and then F12
- To get lots of money press F10 and then F12
To close the Trainer, double-click its icon in your System Tray.
-- Instructions from RCT UK: http://www.rctuk.freeserve.co.uk/
The UK trainer has 2 features:
Enable All Scenarios
Add 1.000.000$ Cash
The US and the BEST version also has:
Win Current Scenario
Add 100 Guests Make Rides New
Auto Advertising Mow Owned Grass
Own all land Rich Guests
Clear Trees Rotate Weather
All Rides Available Set Temperature
and you get $50k instead of $20k. Happy/Macho Guests
and many more...
It does not need to be in the RCT directory, it merely needs to be running
while you play the game.
Bear in mind that I didn't make either Trainer here, so I know little about
them and how they work. Also keep in mind that I have the US version, so
I have never seen any of the UK versions work. (in case you are wondering,
I did download them, but couldn't get it to run, and I have heard some
horror stories about it as well, so run at your own risk) Finally, these
trainers may not work with all versions of the game. Although the US
trainer is supposed to.
There are some easter eggs in the game as well:
Rename a guest to one of these names
Chris Sawyer -- Will take pictures of your rides
Simon Foster -- Will paint pictures of your rides
Melanie Warn -- Increases the guest to completely happy
Katie Brayshaw -- Will wave to everyone she meets
John Wardley -- Says "Wow!" when he sees (or is on) a good coaster
John Mace -- Gets on your rides for free (it was reported that he would
pay 2x the cost on rides, but he didn't for me!)
Damon Hill -- races around twice as fast on the Go Karts
Cheats which do NOT work: (at least they didn't for me)
It was widely circulated on the net that you could get $5k a month by
doing this: Press 'F' to bring up the finance screen, then press 'M' +
ENTER. However, this doesn't work, and is likely a hoax.
Also at one time GameSpot reported that you could use HORZA or DEMO as a
way to cheat. Well that is the Theme Park cheat, not a RCT cheat.
The Adrenaline Vault reported that at the Main Menu, if you pressed and
held SHIFT then typed 'rct2' that it would activate some in game cheat. I
tried this and it did not work!
--------------------------
9a. RCT Utilities (non-cheats)
--------------------------
This section is devoted to all of those little programs floating around the
net, which are not cheats, but are designed to enhance the game. Since none
of these were designed by me, if you have problems with them, you should
email their authors. These programs are the property of their authors, and
are to be used as described in their documentation.
Image Converter BMP (169k download)
This little utility takes any bitmap image and converts it to the TP4
format which is used in the game. To use it first, take a screenshot of
your ride (from a good enough zoom so that you can see the whole ride).
The screenshot will save in PCX format. Now you have to use an imaging
program to reformat the PCX as a BMP. Then you can run this program, and
transfer the BMP into a TP4!
Author: Conrad Feinson (acfeinson@compuserve.com)
Web site: http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/5366/rct.html
Image Converter PCX (119k download)
Similar to the first image converter, this one takes a PCX image rather
than a BMP, which is handy since RCT takes screenshots using the PCX
format. Use the medium zoom to take the picture of your ride (make sure
to get it all on screen), and then run the program. Place the Box around
the ride completely, and save. When saving make sure to save into your
TRACKS directory using the same name as the ride for which this picture
is to be used. (ex: if your ride is FIZZLY.td4, you should save it as
FIZZLY.tp4)
Author: Patrick J. Campbell (campbell@public.shanghai.cngb.com)
Web Site: http://members.aol.com/pjc0407/maketp4/index.html
RCT Reader (110k download) -- Updated
This program, which has been recently updated, can look at all the stats of
your rides directly in your tracks directory. So if you just downloaded a
set of 100 coasters, and you want to see which the best are, you can run
this and see. This latest version (2.1.0) also supports Zip Files.
Author: Luke Harless (luke_harless@ibm.net)
Web site: http://members.xoom.com/Luke_H/rct.htm
Utility Rumors:
Save Game Editor, this may never happen, but supposedly Conrad Feinson from
the above Image Converter is working on it.
Scenario Editor, this one is coming closer to being a reality, but still
isn't out yet. For more information check out:
http://pweb.netcom.com/~deveret/
-----
10. Bugs!
-----
Ah, Bugs. These are sorted by seriousness, with the most serious at the top
and the kinda annoying near the bottom. Most of these here are merely
annoying.
Really Bad Bugs:
JR Brewin sent me this:
"Now, I'm not sure if you can replicate this, But what I did was there
was park with a go kart ride, and I wanted to reverse which way the cars go
round it, without rebuilding the whole ride. So, I removed the station
sections, added a new station by building a NEW ride, and then joined the
tracks together. This totally froze my pc. Which wasn't nice. Note, the
station from the new ride joined up to the track of the old ride just
fine."
Dan Mullin had this to add:
"Concurring with JR's observations. I was using monos in MegaPark for
high speed transport to different areas of the park. I made the mistake
of building two shuttle monos going opposite directions and butted the
ends of the station platforms up to each other. The game crashed."
This one just happened to me:
I was building the Reverse Whoa Belly rollercoaster (a.k.a. the Reverse
Freefall), and while building the vertical section of the coaster, I
pressed the 'forward track' button, and that caused the game to crash.
Steph sent me this:
"This seems to happen with my fiance's and my computer. We have the multi-
media keyboard. On my machine, if I try to turn my volumne up, the game
crashes. On my fiance's computer, if I have mute on, then go to save, it
will crash (right AFTER saving)."
Every once in awhile you might get a GSK Exception Trapper Error. This
could be caused by old versions of DirectX. You should updgrade to
DirectX 6.1 to correct the problem. Most new games come with this, so
you could install from a game CD, or download from the Microsoft web site
(or pretty much any other gaming related web site). (untested) However,
this isn't a guaranteed solution.
-- from alt.games.rctycoon (Kip)
Really Annoying Bugs:
This bug occurs after a daylight savings time or summer time (whatever)
switch (who knows why) which causes your data to become "lost". Your saves
will still be there, but your progress through the scenarios is gone. Fear
not! If you have saved each scenario after having completed it, then go
to the official web page "http://www.rollercoastertycoon.com" and download
the small utility:
"http://www.rollercoastertycoon.com/test/patches/rctrec.exe"
Then merely run it and everything should be fine.
Note: Your name will disappear from the scenario listings.
Small Bugs, Glitches, Etc.
I just caught this one:
I wanted to kick everyone (2000+ guests) out of my park so that I could
experiment with custom rollercoasters. It took forever to get people out.
But finally I noticed that I had gotten into "Negative Guests", that is
it said I had "-1 guests" then "-5 guests" all the way to "-22 guests".
I'm not sure why this happened, but I'm pretty sure that this is a bug.
Dan Mullin had this to add:
"I also witnessed negative guests. I got bored with Pokie Park and
started drowning everyone in the lake. It appears that, though your
mechanics, handymen, etc are not listed in the guest totals at the
bottom of the page they are still tracked as part of the population.
Kill everyone then kill a mechanic and your guest total will hit -1."
So what do you do when you suspect that the Guest Counter in the lower left
is giving you false information? You open up the Guest Menu (by pushing
the Guest Button of course) and it has the "Real" count of how many guests
are in your park.
One Graphical Glitch:
I'm sure you've noticed some odd graphics "bugs" things that show through
the foreground when they are in the background, etc. One thing I noticed
was on a coaster I had just designed. The third train was half off the
station platform, and so the final car on it was on an angle. That car
couldn't decide if it was at an angle, like the track, or horizontal, like
the rest of the train; and it kept going back and forth. Up. Down.
Andy Fey sent me some German Translation errors:
1.) Translation-Error in the german version: If you set "play music" in the
options-menu, you don't hear any music. If you set "Don't play music", you
hear the music.
2.) In the window with the thoughts of the people there is sometimes this:
"I don't have to use the bathroom". But if you click to one of the persons
thoughts, they have to use the bathroom really badly.
Roderik van de Logt sent this Dutch Translation error:
"If you want to remove a tree, you have to click on the tree with the right
mouse button, but on the Status Bar at the underside states that you must
click the left button. I tried this and it does not work."
Lasse Hedegaard sent me this:
"If you're making a rollercoster thru a tunnel that's 1x1 square, and the
corner is 90 degrees in 1 square (I think the coaster is called Wild Mice
RC) - you can't see thru the tunnel - and it seems that the track stops
there - but the train goes thru..."
Tadhg Pearson reports that there is a bug involving early Pentium II
machines that causes the game to crash on opening. As of this writing
there is no patch available for this.
There is a bug that involves the 3D Cinema. If you have the early version
(it ends with 64) then the 3D Cinema can only hold a maximum of 8 people
despite being listed as having a maximum of 20. A later version (65)
corrected this but there is no patch available. You will just have to
learn to cope.
Andy Fey sent these 2 bugs in as well:
1.) Build a long station of a rollercoaster. At the end of the station
add 7 pieces of a straight way with chains. Now build the entrance and the
exit and select "inverse incline" and start the test-mode. The wagons are
overtaking themselves and making strange things.
2.) Go Karts: Build a track which is not a closed circuit. Select "Cont-
inuous Circuit mode". If you want to open the Go Karts a message appears
that tells you that you have to build a closed circuit. But if you select
"Race Mode" you can open the Karts without this message.
Matt Linden sent me this:
"Build any type of ride/stall. Right-click on it and bulldoze it (not
demolish) completely...leave the construction window open and place it in a
different location. Left-click on it to bring up the window and set to
'overall view', and it will still show the original location."
Lerdahl Petter sent me this:
"After starting the game a small vertical piece of the screen (looks like
the size of MS Office shortcutmenu bar.) is showing on left side of the
screen. This on occasion updates with a piece of the screen. So if you
have a ride window in that part of the screen and you have turned the ride
on you can be fooled into thinking that the ride has not started. This
problem can also apear if the office toolbar is not loaded."
I have heard a lot of reports of the game colors getting all messed up,
turning all pink and whatnot. According to Microprose this is caused by
bad (meaning old) drivers. Usually this problem goes away when you save it,
or if you do an ALT-TAB. I'm not aware of any permanent solutions.
Sean Malloy had this to add:
"This appears to be a palette problem. I run a program that periodically
swaps background images on my desktop; whenever that happens while I'm
playing RCT, the colors go wonky. The problem appears to be due to Windows
calculating a new color palette when the background image is changed, and
RCT not getting the new color mapping until you do something to force it
(i.e., selecting Load or Save, which pops up a dialog box in the Windows
colors, resetting RCT's palette.
"The effect is repeatable using a slide show program to view a bunch of
images; when the image changes, even if it's running invisibly in the
background, it recalculates the palette and RCT's colors go screwy."
I have also heard reports of the game crashing when you click the Right Mouse
button. From what I understand this is caused by your Mouse Driver, simply
uninstall the driver, and install a Basic Mouse driver of some sort.
--------------
11. Final Words...
--------------
If you still haven't read the manual, SERIOUSLY, go read it! Or at the very
least go skim through it and look at the pictures! I have kept this faq
"lite" in that it doesn't contain any information on installing, running, or
maintaining the game itself, and mostly has information on how to play the
game. This faq was intended as a guide for beginners to intermediate range,
and also as a reference for the more "serious" player.
Online Resources: (if you would like a link, all you have to do is email me!)
RCT Specific Pages:
-------------------
Official Page -- http://www.rollercoastertycoon.com/
Note: This page, besides simply being the Official Page, also has contests,
rides designed by Chris Sawyer himself, and other cool things.
"First" RCT Page -- http://coaster.gamestats.com/
RCT Empire -- http://www.strategyplanet.com/rcte/
RCT Online -- http://rct-online.webjump.com/
Ultimate RCT -- http://rollercoastertycoon.virtualave.net/
RCT UK -- http://www.rctuk.free-online.co.uk/
Casper's RCT -- http://members.xoom.com/Casper1st/
Danimation -- http://www.danimation.com/new_index.html
First Park -- http://www.tdi.net/evans/firstpark/mainpage.html
New Scenarios -- http://pweb.netcom.com/~deveret/
Note: This site actually has genuinely new scenarios, rather than the cheap
imitation scenarios that you can find elsewhere. Also this site has
a screenshot of what will be, hopefully, a fully working scenario
editor!
RCT Disneyland -- http://www.webworldinc.com/pcorpse/index.html
Note: This is a very high quality conversion of Disneyland at various times
to an RCT format. Also note that it is not a direct translation,
and certain liberties were taken (unless you really think that the
Jungle Cruise is an Inverted Rollercoaster!)
RCT Central -- http://rtc.gagames.com/
Note: This page hasn't been updated in a long time, and shows no signs of
life at all.
Techno's Page -- http://teckno.8m.com/
Image Converter -- http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/5366/rct.html
Note: This page contains a utility to convert BMP files to tp4 files
used by the game to show a picture of a Custom Coaster. Cool.
(see section 9a. above for more information)
Desktop Theme -- http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Dunes/3909/coaster.html
Other Really Good Sites:
------------------------
GameFAQs -- http://www.gamefaqs.com/
Cheat Code Central -- http://www.cheatcc.com/
Adrenaline Vault -- http://www.avault.com/
Game Revolution -- http://www.game-revolution.com/
An HTML version of this FAQ can be found at:
http://manymoose.8m.com/coaster/
Eine deutsche Version dieses FAQ kann an gefunden werden:
http://surf.to/spielelounge
En natuurlijk de Nederlandse versie van deze FAQ kan gevonden worden op:
http://members.tripod.lycos.nl/draznyk/rctstrategyguide.txt
Usenet -- alt.games.rctycoon
ASCII Art created using SigZag by James Dill: (freeware!)
http://www.geocities.com/southbeach/marina/4942/sigzag.htm
This FAQ was writen entirely using the GWD Text Editor: (shareware)
http://www.gwdsoft.com/
Wish List: (things that I wish were in the game... don't get me wrong, it is
a great game, but I think a few things here and there could make it
a PERFECT game!)
Separate Roller Coaster Designer -- so you don't pay for it as you build
Scenario Editor -- so that we can create our own scenarios, edit the map, etc.
Ride Creator/Editor -- If you ever saw the SimCity Urban Renewal Kit, you
know what I'm talking about. It was a really neat utility that you could
use to edit/create new buildings with. An RCT version would let you
create new rides/shops/etc.
More interesting Vandalism -- maybe they could spraypaint your rides, or even
damage the ride itself (throw a wrench on the track of a coaster or
something)
More types of Entertainers -- a calypso band or a Magician
An arcade attraction -- get more money, another place to go in the rain
The SkyCoaster -- where they pull you up 200 feet and drop you, then you
swing at high speeds, it's kinda like skydiving.
More Musical Rides -- like the Merry-Go-Round, or Bumper Cars, OR the ability
to put music "boxes" in the park to add music without a ride.
Different Game Speeds (slow would be nice to edit rides, fast to get through
scenarios quickly)
Dynamic Queues -- they would increase or decrease in size depending on the
need of the ride. New rides would have longer queues, and as the ride
aged its queue could shrink as its crowd shrinks.
Other Types of Restaurants/Shops
Sit Down Restaurant -- would be pricey to bring in the big bucks
Cafeteria -- Cheap but could hold a lot of people, maybe it could be like
the bumper cars (size wise).
Bar/Club -- for the Adults
T-Shirt Shop -- "I survived the ANNIHILATOR!" or whatever
Large Shops -- like the Emporium in Disneyland which sells almost
everything found in the park
Multiple Parks on your property each with a separate Admission, like Disney
World, or Universal Escape
"Non-Thrill"/Educational Rides -- like almost anything in EPCOT
Live Shows/Features
Fireworks
Parades
Large Fountain Shows
Competing Parks -- whether versus another player or the computer this would
be very fun. This also brings up the point of Multiplayer features which
could be added. Imagine competing against a friend to build the biggest
bested park. He builds a collosal coaster so YOU build an even larger
one!
MEGA Rides -- larger versions of current rides, like a GIANT ferris wheel
Shows -- like Sea World's Shamu, or Disney World's Indiana Jones Stunt thing
(or if you played Theme Park, think the various "Acts" attractions like
the "Clown Acts" or the "Medieval Acts")
Themed Areas -- guests could go to a themed area (like a "land") instead of
to a specific ride, based on their ride preference. For example you
could have a "Kiddie Land" with all gentle rides, and a "Monster Land"
with really big Coasters.
Night Time -- your park would close and everyone would leave giving you a
chance to clean up, and maintain the park.
Winter -- you could either close up shop for the season-- but still invest in
new rides-- or you could stay open, weather permitting
For a more complete Wish List go to:
http://members.tripod.com/agkoolaid/agi/index.htm
Shameless Self Promotion:
I have also written faq's for:
NES: The Legend of Zelda
Disney Adventures in the Magic Kingdom
SNES: Utopia: Creation of a Nation
Aerobiz Supersonic
PC: Ultima 4
Ultima 7
Ultima 7 Part 2: Serpent Isle
Ultima Underworld -- Keyboard Commands
Ultima Underworld II -- Keyboard Commands
Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri
Colonization -- the Single Colony Strategy Guide
-- Cheat Guide
Master of Magic (revision)
All can be found at:
http://www.gamefaqs.com/
Questions? Comments? Mistakes? Email me about it!
Email: manymoose@hotmail.com
ICQ: 185116
Note: Any email asking for information already contained in this faq will be
ignored. So, before you email me, make sure that what you want to know
isn't already covered. Also don't email me about "cracks" or any other
illegal activity related to the game, in that not only do I know nothing
about it, but the game doesn't cost that much so you should just go out
and buy it!
Special thanks to: (credits)
------------------
JR Brewin for some info on vandalism and the bug report
Kevin McGormley for catching my mistake regarding Buying Land
Ben Hicks for sending me the UK scenario names
Alden Bates for informing me that the UK version has different ride names
Andy Fey for the German Bug info and some other bugs
Breno Couto Kummel for showing me the award for "least tidy park"
Butch Sims for some info on Drowning
Lasse Hedegaard for a great deal of info and correcting a mistake of mine
Dan Mullin for his numerous comments and contributions (too numerous to count)
Finboy for some info on paused games
Core for info on Lost Guests, How Guests Move, and Buying Land Costs
Florial Thiel for translating the German Version (yay!)
Tadhg Pearson for an idea on water slides and the statues on tunnels idea
SoWhat14 for the correction in the Scenario listing
Scott Amspoker for the correction on the Chair Lift
David Keenan for the Tiny Coaster Idea
Matt Linden for the demolition bug
Steph for info on the Multimedia Keyboard bug
Lerdahl Petter for the couple of bugs
Sean Malloy for more information on the Color Palette bug thingie
Mike Groels for doing the Dutch Version (yay!)
Kip for the GSK Exception Trapper Bug thingie
Michael Kerr for the Dueling Coasters thingie in section 4
Roderik van de Logt for the Dutch Translation Error
Adam Pederson for the .164 common problem and bunches of other things
ScottZf for some information on changing game sounds
Tomas Winnerholt for the Damon Hill cheat
Eric Edmond for some info on Pause stuff and some other things
Everyone who emailed me who had comments or nice things to say about the faq
Everyone on alt.games.rctycoon for their posts/advice/tips/whatever
Chris Sawyer and his team for making this fine quality game
Version History: (in order that they were added)
----------------
Original Version (4-5-99, 20k)
Changes in 1.1: (4-6-99, 26k)
Added more Scenarios
Added more Rollercoasters
Added Guests Sub-Section
Added the new Bug
Added Table of Contents
Other Small Changes
Changes in 1.2: (4-7-99, 30k)
Fixed mistake in Scenarios
Added a new Scenario
Added diagrams of good and bad queues
Added new idea on designing rides
Other Small Changes
Changes in 1.3: (4-10-99, 40k)
Added more tips to Roller Coasters section
Added Drowning Note
Added a new Bug!
Added 3 new Scenarios
Expanded Online Resources (who knew!)
Added new Money Making scheme
Added Common Problems Section
Added "Rain Delays" thingie in Roller coaster section
Tons of Small Changes
Changes in 1.4: (4-15-99, 45k)
Added to Shops section
Changed the name of the Guide
Moved the Cheats out of Obscurity into their own section
Added 2 New Rollercoasters
Added 3 New scenarios
Added how to build an underground coaster
Added Usenet link
Added to "Common Problems" section
Added 2 new awards (most beautiful! worst value!)
Some format changes
Added Themes to Landscaping section
Usual Bunch of Small Changes
Changes in 2.0: (4-19-99, 52k)
Added a new bug
More format changes
Added the "Transport Rollercoaster" and "Elevated Coasters"
Added to the Cheats section (NEW US Trainer!)
Rebuilt the Scenario listing to have more info!
Added US:UK scenario comparisons
Added a Spacing Formula in "3. Rides (non rollercoaster)"
Added to Landscaping section
Added a link to the Wish List section
Added Ride Exits in "2a. Queue it Up!"
Moved some custom rides in "3. Rides (non rollercoaster)"
More Small changes than you can shake a stick at!
Changes in 2.1: (4-22-99, 55k)
Added some US:UK ride and shop comparisons
Added more Online Resources
Added the German Translation Errors and Sorted the Bug list
Clarified some things in "2a. Queue it up!"
Added a new "Common Problem"
Edited "2b. Maintence" somewhat
Added 15 second rule to "2b. Maintenance"
Added a note under "3. Rides (non rollercoaster)"
Small Changes (of course!)
Changes in 2.2: (5-4-99, 60k)
Added a Graphical Glitch and Right Click bug in "10. Bugs"
Small format change on the Store List
Added a new 'award' in the award list
Rewrote the 'Drowning Note' in "4a. Crashes!"
Moved some things in "2. Your Park"
Added a note to 'Common Viewpoint'
Renamed 2b to "Park Maintenance"
Rewrote some of 2b.
Added to 'Hunger, Thirst' in "2c. The Guests"
Changed the trainer in "9. Cheats!"
Small Changes
Changes in 3.0: (5-13-99, 72k)
Added cheats which do not work in "9. Cheats!"
Added the Chairlift thing to Common Problems
Added 2 new easter eggs in "9. Cheats!"
Edit stalled rides in Common Problems
Changed it from US:UK to US:International
Added the new section "Alternative Ideas"
Fixed a small error in "3. Rides" involving Hedge Mazes
Added the Dynamic Queues in the Queue it up! section
Rewrote "6. Shops" for clarity
Rewrote "4a. Crashes!" for clarity and to include new information
Added a lot to the Wish List
Added a new bug/glitch
Small Changes Everywhere and not a drop to drink!
Changes in 3.01: (5-14-99, 73k)
Removed something that shouldn't have been there (oops)
Added a new Pause idea in "7. Alternative Ideas"
Added a note in "2b. Park Maintenance"
Fixed other small errors
Changes in 3.1: (5-18-99, 78k)
Added link to German version of this faq
Rewrote the first thing in "Notes"
Added a new link in Online Resources
Added another Park Strategy in "Alternative Ideas"
Added another cheat that does not work
Added "How Guests Move" to "2c. Guests"
Rewrote a note in "2. Your Park"
Fixed an error involving Buying Land
Added a new note in "6. Shops"
Added a Crazy Vole note into "4. Rides (rollercoasters)"
Added a New Crash idea through the land
Added the Rollercoaster special tracks into "4. Rides (rollercoasters)"
Small Changes
Changes in 3.15: (5-26-99, 80k)
Added 2 new easter egg names in "9. Cheats"
Added a small warning about the UK trainer in "9. Cheats"
Added a new "Shameless Self-Promotion"
Added percentages to Contents
Added a Reader Note to Water Slides in "3. Rides (non rollercoaster)"
Added another bug
Small Changes
Changes in 3.16: (6-1-99, 83k)
Added 2 new UK trainers
Rewrote some of the Cheats section
Added a couple new bugs
Rewrote Shameless Self-Promotion a little
Added 3 new online links
Changes in 3.17: (6-2-99, 85k)
Edited Handymen in "2b. Park Maintenace"
Added a new "Common Problem"
Added the US & UK trainer
Added the How to Change the Game Speed thing in "7. Alternative Strategies"
Added a new link
Changes in 3.18: (6-6-99, 87k)
Added some things to the Notes at the top
Rewrote the % in the contents (forgot about that the last 2 versions!)
Added 2 notes to landscaping (posted by core on alt.games.rctycoon)
Corrected a small mistake in the Scenario listing
Corrected a mistake involving the Chair Lift
Reformatted "Common Problems" a little
Small Changes
Changes in 3.2: (6-9-99, 94k)
Added a "cheat which doesn't work" in "Cheats"
Added a few new Common Problems
Added the new Section "4b. Basic Coaster Building"
Added the Steep Twist to track list in "4. Rides (rollercoaster)"
Some small format changes
Many Small changes and additions
Changes in 3.21 (6-12-99, 97k)
Added to Alternative Strategies
Added another Common Problem
Added a little to Basic Coaster Building
Small Changes
Changes in 3.22 (6-22-99, 98k)
Added to Shameless Self Promotion
Added a new Bug
Small Changes
Changes in 3.23 (6-25-99, 100k)
Added a new Common Problem
Added to Alternative Ideas
Added to the Wish List
Small Changes
Changes in 3.24 (7-1-99, 102k)
Added another Common Problem
Added another Bug
Added links to the Danimation Page and to Techno's Page
Small Changes
Changes in 3.3 (7-5-99, 104k)
Added the new section RCT Utilities
Small Changes
Changes in 3.31 (7-8-99, 104k)
Changes so small you might miss them!
Changes in 3.32 (7-10-99, 106k)
Updated the Utilities section to the new RCTReader
Added 2 new bugs
Added another common problem
Small Changes
Changes in 3.4 (7-16-99, 112k)
Added some info from Sean Malloy in the bugs section
Added a link to the Dutch version of this FAQ
Added a new Wish List item
Added a GSK Exception Trapper Bug
Added a link to the RCT Disneyland thing (really cool, check it out)
Added the Single Dueling Coaster idea to section 4. Rides (Rollercoasters)
Added a Dutch Translation Error
Added a little anti-Food Court propaganda to section 6. Shops
Updated the RCT Reader information
Small Changes
Changes in 3.41 (7-19-99, 114k)
Fixed a small but annoying error involving downloading the techno trainer
Added a new rain idea
Added the "No Queue" idea
Added Darren Eagle's recovering from a crash idea
Added stuff to the Park Maintenance section
Small Changes
Changes in 3.42 (7-20-99, 115k)
Removed Darren Eagle's idea as it didn't work the way it was supposed to
Added another pricing idea in the Rides (non rollercoaster) section
A couple other small changes
Changes in 3.43 (7-21-99, 116k)
Fixed a really dumb mistake
Added a bit of information to the Chris Sawyer email thing in Common Problems
Added another Common Problem
Small Changes
Changes in 3.44 (7-25-99, 116k)
Changed the HTML version link
Moved the trainer links around a bit
Changes in 4.0 (8-8-99, 122k)
Removed the %'s on the Contents (they didn't add anything really)
Expanded the Change Game Sounds thing
Added a new Cheat (Damon Hill)
Added a little note about Gentle Rides in Rides (non rollercoaster)
Added some more Pause info
Added 2 new links
Rewrote a ton of stuff for clarity
Lots and Lots of Small Changes
Personal Note: Everytime I think that I won't have to update the day after I
have updated, I find some mistake, or someone sends me some good information.
Well seriously... this time... oh, who am I kidding. Also that version
history is getting really large. Maybe I should cut it. I've tried to make
things a little clearer in this version.
"Tora! Tora! Tora!"
This Document is Copyright 1999 by Dan Simpson
GAME
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