RCT Discussion / Parkmaking help (staying interested)

I have played RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 since 2003, but for some reason, I haven't come close to finishing a park since I got the game. Don't get me wrong, I love this game, and it would mean the world to me if I could finish something, or at least get past the first design steps. But I usually don't. My head is brimming with great ideas, but I always lose interest in the game for a while, and when I inevitably return to RCT2, I want to start over because I have another idea or I feel that something could have been done better. How do you expert parkmakers keep interested long enough to get anywhere? How do you keep the great ideas from crowding each other? 

You just build and hope for the best.

I personally have so many different projects all at different stages of completion. Sometimes I go back to a certain project because I'm inspired at the time to carry on with it, sometimes I never open a project to build on it again.

Inspiration comes and goes, so, for me, there is no point trying to complete something that you have no inspiration for as the work becomes bad. Sometimes I'm lucky and I am so inspired for something I finish something within a week, like I did with Goliath.

Sharing is the main thing though. People who say they build for themselves are liars. We all build for the feedback we get from each other. The feedback we get gives us more passion and inspiration for what we are doing, and the cycle continues. This community is incredible, 12 years down the line and we are still going strong.

Only things I can suggest:

-Don't be worried about starting over. Starting over is inevitable.

-Don't be worried if you think you can do something better, redo it and you'll be proud of what you have achieved.

-Try and finish at least one thing so you get the experience of what it feels like to put something out there.

-Just build, and share what you build. Sharing is the key to RCT. The more feedback you get from the community, the more inspiring it is to continue. The community is the reason why we are still here, we are a lovely bunch of people.

You're facing the same problem as anyone else here who still holds ambitions to score on the site - don't beat yourself up.

I'll give you what I think is the raw truth. The way RCT has been "played" here for 12 years is to impress others. People have tried several things: hacks that surprise people, visually beautiful compositions, high recreational accuracy, strong "storytelling" in parks (usually fictional), and a mixture thereof. Whatever someone's thing is, he will go for. And it's hard to impress an audience. You need a talent and strong dedication for it. Latter is usually fueled by the community, but it's different for everyone.

If you never finish anything, it's because you either lack the talent that allows you to have satisfying results quickly (which will motivate you), or you just lack the dedication to impress people with your parks.

If you were to "play" RCT, you would play the scenarios and be entertained. For us on NE, it's the other way round, we "play" to entertain.

^ So beautifully said.

I'm also always full of different ideas when it comes to create something, but hey! You can only finish one thing at a time.

Dedication, motivation and persistence are three important rules i.m.o.

Dedication, motivation, inspiration, and perspiration!

Receiving feedback on screens sometimes helps with my motivation.

Also, keep good ideas on the shelf until a good opportunity comes along, a good opportunity being another idea that you combine it with for example. I often bundle ideas, the best example being my Eftel Towers and Cedar Flags parks. More recently, I combined a very old idea of mine (frozen water) and an ever returning castle-building urge with a new idea (Game of Thrones locations) which resulted in a design. This way your creations will have more content as well. There are some ideas that I consider to be my best that have yet to see the light of day, sometimes up to five years old, perhaps I have even older ideas. Eventually, an opportunity will come along and motivation will be higher.

My trick is to lock myself on a ship for 2 months with nothing else to do... won't work for everyone though

Im not sure how many will remember me but i once began a small park. which developed into a Big park, The park was called ThorpePoint ThemePark, over its i dont know maybe 3 year construction. It became home to many new ideas and concepts. I found in RCT2 everyone has there achilles heel, Mine was shop architecture and foliage yet i could knock up a layout pretty sharpish. When ever i became down with the park, i stopped popped on some music and had a good look through trip reports on TPR or trawled the RCDB just for inspiration. 9 times out of 10 it worked. Some times you even have to take a day or two off away, to really get your mind flowing with ideas and get you buzzed for working on it again. Have a look at encouraging comments you have received. Then when it no longer feels a chore, just do a little and before you know it you have a new coaster and shop lol.  Sadly for my my PC ended, Harddrive decided to not be friends and i came away from RCT2 for quite sometime. Plus my old PC really had trouble with the park, alot of hacks make an unhappy PC.  Eventually i got a new PC and it was mainly for Ride Simulations, but then i jumped back into RCT3 and got rather into it. Sorry,  And then i think it was December 2013 I came back here, just a little look at an older community that once was so much and to be honest still is and i saw, people had taken the time to find all my released work and make me a page, It really made my day.. All in all if you get the downer, dont let your park become a chore, but make it somthing that makes you happy.For those that remember ThorpePoint, you might like the future. =]

Ripsaw aka DanThorpe 

^As long as it's not RCT3, that's great to hear and I look forward to the future. Nice to see you post, stick around.

Ripsaw you have no idea how long I've been waiting for ThorpePoint.

I always have about three projects going on. When I'm motivated for a project I build on it and usually when I lose interest in that project I've found inspiration for another project. This way I never spend too much time at once on one specific project but I just keep switching.