Ask the Experts / I'm new, And I've seen these new parks...

I've seen the parks that are posted here. Man are those fantastic! Being that I'm new to this type of RCTing, I figure I build some pretty good coasters already. I'm ready to taker on something a bit more fulfilling.

How do you go about planning a park? Do you dive right in with RCT, or do you work on it like a hobby, taking your time and creating new uses for items in the game?

Do you select a theme first, or just start building the ride, and put all the elements together afterwards?

I'm still using the original game. Are there many superparks that I can view made with the original games?

Thanks for your time. The parks are excellent!

My first reaction to New Element parks.>

I'm still using the original game.  Are there many superparks that I can view made with the original games?

Im probly not the one you expected to post here first, or even want me to. Anyways, do you mean you have loopy? or just the original rct? if not loopy, then dont bother, just buy it. Be for warned, if people dont like your park, they are going to diss it. with a vengance. Welcome to NE, the best rct site on the web.

Yes, I got Loopy. I also downloaded the dragon trainer. I had downloaded others, but this one seems to have the features I've been looking for. I already started to get familliar with the trainer. I think we're 'compatable'. It crashed the first few times in use, but I pretty much been using it all day without much problem.

So, why Loopy? I absolutely swear by Magic Quarters, and Sunny Swams practicly has it all anyway. Nice variable property with some water areas. I just modified the landscape to downsize the lake. I'm not really worried about size until I'm good and ready. I'm keen to practice archetecture, and the intergration of the ride into the landscapes.

Another question, I notice that none of the parks in the gallery have peeps in them. I realize that keeping it clean is a good idea, but I just woindered, if you "let the peeps out", and how they manage in a park with somewhat wider midways?

peeps arn't let in the park because they are annoying. And they get lost on wide paths. So you cant focus on themeing or coaster building if your trying to keep the peeps happy. I used peeps when I started playing, but then i found NE. Don't worry about them, you have trainers.

As for the first question, I do a sort of modified park planning. I plan the park out in great detail, with ideas and layouts for every ride, area, shop, etc. Then I go to work and totally abbandon everything I planned. While that may seem counter productive, I have found it allows you to solidify your ideas without constraining yourself from going in a different direction from it and introducing some spur of the moment creativity. Another tihng I have found to help me is to write detailed back stories which explain the area, these help with developing the look, architecture, alndscape, and theming bits throughout the area to give it a more developed feel.

As for the first question, I do a sort of modified park planning. I plan the park out in great detail, with ideas and layouts for every ride, area, shop, etc. Then I go to work and totally abbandon everything I planned. While that may seem counter productive, I have found it allows you to solidify your ideas without constraining yourself from going in a different direction from it and introducing some spur of the moment creativity. Another tihng I have found to help me is to write detailed back stories which explain the area, these help with developing the look, architecture, alndscape, and theming bits throughout the area to give it a more developed feel.

So in planning a park, this helps to keep you focused in a specific theme, or direction. Makes sense. I like the story behind the park area. Too cool! Do you work that out as you build, kinda simmering on the back burners of your mind? Or do you dream it up way before building?

I have had some very cool buildings and things scattered between several game files, and these would work so well in a single park. Have you been in that kind of situation? What do you do to recreate a themed attraction into another park? Take a few SS and use them as reference and rebuild in your new park?

Thanks in advance

peeps arn't let in the park because they are annoying.  And they get lost on wide paths.  So you cant focus on themeing or coaster building if your trying to keep the peeps happy.  I used peeps when I started playing, but then i found NE. Don't worry about them, you have trainers.

This makes a lot of sense. but how do you find out how the park is rated? Oh, nevermind, it's too easy to hit 999 these days.

I'm still using the original game.  Are there many superparks that I can view made with the original games?

Im probly not the one you expected to post here first, or even want me to. Anyways, do you mean you have loopy? or just the original rct? if not loopy, then dont bother, just buy it. Be for warned, if people dont like your park, they are going to diss it. with a vengance. Welcome to NE, the best rct site on the web.

Yes, I do have LL. Thanks for the tip. Whats the best trainer? I used Dragon a lot, and tried the Beast once or twice, I like it too. Is it possible to close & open (switching) between the two trainers is a good idea? I tried this, and only had one 'on' at a time. I'm on win98, and not too many problems as I save the game a LOT to prevent game loss.

Thanks everyone for your help! You've come to my rescue

well,u only need beast really cos it does basically everything u need.As for making a park the first thing I did was take my favourite parks and copy the areas almost exact but change a bit of the stuff and add your ideas.This helps you get used to parkmaking. You can download all the best parks from 'spotlight' and 'the list'.

You can switch between using trainers and it doesn't affect your game at all. You seem to be in a good habit of regularly saving anyway, so it shouldn't matter. Good luck in the future.

I always run Beast + Dragon at the same time. Much good. Much hack.

u need dragons to burry ur rides, rrp

Hey Montu, welcome at NewElement.

It seems like everyone is having a different opinion on those trainers... here's mine.
You'll need 4 trainers.

- Beast Trainer v2.3
- DragonIOA Trainer v5.0
- DragonIOA Trainer v6.0 BETA2
- Save Game Modifier

All four offer you unique things to do.
Beast Trainer has "Zero All Clearances" which is in my opinion the most important trainer feature for RCT and makes almost half of the "Special Build Mode" stuff no use.
Apart from that, Beast is most reliable with watering flowers and freezing the weather right.
DragonIOA v6.0BETA2 is the only trainer that can remove Height Restrictions for me. You'll have to load a blankmap with nothing on as the "Ride Tools" of that trainer cause error trappers with longer ride names. Here we go what DragonIOA v5.0 is for. It's your sort of better working "Ride Tools" from v6BETA2. In addition it has some very cool features like "burry all track coloured in alternative colour3" which the newest Dragon lost.
The save game modifier offers you some very useful things. What I use it most for is moving park entrances and people-entries. Very handy for drawing maps. You can easily do maplayouts with that.

Don't forget to have the latest LL patch installed and the Drexler patch of which you probably have heard already.
I think these are all trainers you'll need for now. Play a bit around with them to learn.
If you have problems just read FAQs or the trainer forums here at NE. People here will help you too I'm sure.

Hope you enjoy your time here at NE

So in planning a park, this helps to keep you focused in a specific theme, or direction. Makes sense.  I like the story behind the park area.  Too cool!  Do you work that out as you build, kinda simmering on the back burners of your mind? Or do you dream it up way before building?

I have had some very cool buildings and things scattered between several game files,    and these would work so well in a single park.  Have you been in that kind of situation?  What do you do to recreate a themed attraction into another park?  Take a few SS and use them as reference and rebuild in your new park?

Thanks in advance

I write all my stories out during planning and use it to develop all my ideas for rides and theming bits. The story is formed by my first vision of what the area will look like when I first came up with it. Then when building I keep the story in mind so I can work it in subtly in how the rides are built, how the landscape looks, the general theme... about everything.

I think everyone of us probably builds slightly different. Myself, I try to decide on the themes I want to portray in the park then do some research on the net to see what the landscapes and architecture of the area really look like. From there I usually just start building and let the park guide me to some extent.

u need dragons to burry ur rides, rrp

I don't like the way it buries the rides like that. I just build the ride, then build it the exact same way when it's time to go subterrainiean with it. That, or I just design a new ride and place a good part of it underground. The part I hate is changing your mind once it's been done. I want to revamp an area, and rebuild a coaster so it's closer to the midway. Good thing I didn't go too far with the theming yet. It would of been a sad scene.