RCT Discussion / OpenRCT: advantages and disadvantages

Advantages
- Changing the object selection without parkdat or going into scenario editor
- Object selection window has great new functions such as filters and a search bar
- Multiplayer
- Speeding up the game (several speeds)
- New type of zero clearances (includes being able to build paths through land and lowering large scenery into the ground/water!)
- Automatic placement of staff
- Firing staff with a single click from staff menu
- Unlock all prizes
- Scenery removal tool can remove small scenery, large scenery and paths - all three optional
- Scenario editor has interesting landscape generator function
- Change map size, entrances and build outside owned land - as if in landscape editor
- Control sound effects and music volumes in the game
- Run without CD
- Saving the game removes ghost scenery
- Change object drawing order on a tile (reminiscent of codex)

Included hacking functions:
- Mountain tool
- Land mover max size is 64x64
- Track merging (using the new zero clearance type)
- Minimise/maximise hunger/thirst/energy
- Park maps, balloons, umbrellas
- Trams
- Open/close park
- Sunny weather/freeze weather
- "Have fun!"
- Change train type and operating mode
- Add money (5000 at a time)
- No money
- Make anything on any tile invisible

-------------

Disadvantages
- New saving/loading window is inferior to default windows window (at least in my experience)
- Gee hacked tiles often become visible again
- There are some bugs. Not quite enough to make the game unplayable, but you will find them
- Can't open the game by double clicking a savegame
- Hex-edited parks may not open, crash the game instead (Cocopa Bay does this, thanks Levis )
- New ride hut style makes huts invisible, but renders the savegame not backwards compatible

Missing hacking functions:
- Can't raise water or land without deleting scenery (no more slanted wall trick or making scenery underwater)
- Weather other than sunny
- No map object manipulation
- No ride hut rotating
- Change track type
- Add money (more than 5000 at a time)
- Remove border fence and all related functions




Please contribute to the list.

Since a few days underwater building works for me, I dont know why though.

Thankyou Liam!

 

Advantages
- Changing the object selection without parkdat or going into scenario editor
- Change map size, entrances and build outside owned land - as if in landscape editor

Missing hacking functions:
- No underwater building
 

 

WTF. You can change map size, move entrances in game? And choose objects too? What is this wizardry?

 

No underwater building? In what sense? Raising the water removes the objects?

Also new merging? Is it like the LL method then?

Yes, you turn on zero clearances, build the track through another track, and it's done.

You can't even raise the water if there's scenery in the way. It's a bit annoying sometimes.

I haven't been following OpenRCT too much.  By Multiplayer, do you mean several players building at the same time?  Or is it like a built in live stream?  Also, can you use 8cars to make up for the missing functions?  I'm not sure some the convenience of some hacks make up for missing others entirely.

what happens if you try to run 8 cars, does it just not recognize open rct? 

Just to add the list of questions

 

Do you need a CD to run it?

@dr dirt: It has a real multiplayer. Multiple people working on a map at the same time. You cant use 8cars with openrct, but you can open the save in "normal" rct2 and then do the hacks. That´s how I do it.

 

@Mattk48; Yes.

 

@Louis!: I dont think so.

How do you add and remove objects in game?

It's under debugging tools (weirdly). Which is the cogs icon at the top. If the icon isn't there then go into options > miscellaneous then check 'enable debugging tools'.

Also, can you use 8cars to make up for the missing functions?  I'm not sure some the convenience of some hacks make up for missing others entirely.

When I'm in OpenRCT and I need 8cars or SoB for something, I simply switch to regular RCT. And if I need OpenRCT while using default RCT I do the same. I use both games!

Zero clearancing doesn't seem to allow you to raise land, build, then lower it leaving the item in place.

 

As in, building slanted walls/fences. Am I doing something wrong?

Missing hacking functions:
- No underwater building
 

 

 

You can turn on "disable clearance checks", then lower things below the surface of water.

 

Zero clearancing doesn't seem to allow you to raise land, build, then lower it leaving the item in place.

 

As in, building slanted walls/fences. Am I doing something wrong?

 

 

You need to have "disable clearance checks" on before you do that. That feature is also only on the develop builds, not the stable version, so if you're using stable, you won't be able to do that until the next stable update.

The Gee hack works in open if you delete the dummy track on the tile. Atleast, that's been my experience. I rarely have issues with it anymore, except if its a large area of track.

I've been using it to build 99% of WoF, only switching back to make things invisible. Merging is also incredibly easy, however at the moment I have tried to do complete circuit mode merging, which is pretty important for bigger coasters IMO.

The built in object selector is also extremely useful. Not only for adding in stuff but finding objects that you normally would never know existed. Only disadvantage is you can't fill all the SS object slots with this, you'll need to parkdat the last two objects in if you want to use all the slots.

I haven't followed OpenRCT2 closely, but are you guys saying we could work on our RCT2 park in normal RCT2, then use OpenRCT2 for hacking work, once we done the hacking we wanted to do, we could go back to normal RCT2? I've always thought it's either build your park in normal RCT2 or OpenRCT2 and not use both and that they were two different base game that weren't compatible with each other.

I have the same question as Dirk. Can I just save my park in regular RCT2, then open it in OpenRCT, merge and then go back to normal RCT2?

Yes, you can currently swap between games as much as you wish.

Well color me intrigued now, if OpenRCT2 makes hacking that much easier and takes less time for a hack, it's a win win for me to use it as a platform for my hacking needs and normal RCT for a stable version of the game.

 

Would there be any opportunity in OpenRCT2 in the future to add custom track sets or custom track pieces for existing tracks such as a true immelman half barrel roll dive exit piece? 

Would there be any opportunity in OpenRCT2 in the future to add custom track sets or custom track pieces for existing tracks such as a true immelman half barrel roll dive exit piece? 

 Yes, ORCT2 devs have already said that they are gonna work on making it able for all types of Coasters to do X element within one track piece. (IIRC) I do think that they will leave it up to the community to make sprites for the trains and/or tracks if they don't have X sprite.