Ask the Experts / What do the experts look for?

What is it you look for in a park? What makes one stand out more than the other? How long do you look at parks you open? What kind of details do you focus on mainly? How do you stay motivated to finish parks that take months to complete?

I am asking these questions to see what I need to work on and pay attention to. There seems to be so much going on in parks that I am not even sure what to look for when opening or making a park. What do I need to pay attention to that will help me get better?

Quite simple. Beauty and originality. That's what keeps me occupied when viewing a park... I want to be surprised. If I say 'wow' out loud, or can't surpress a big grin on my face, you've succeeded.

To me, effort and execution are the most important aspects.  If a park looks thrown together without much thought, it really starts to suffer in my eyes.  Same goes for effort, if there are a lot of mistakes and missing objects, etc... that is also something that hurts a park.

 

I don't gauge a whole park on how original it is, if its a unique park, that certainly helps, but the opposite doesn't really hurt a park to me.  If someone likes a certain style, they shouldn't be punished for building that style

 

Also, if your going for a certain type or chain of park, like a Six Flags or Bush park, to me its important how well you push that style of the chain.  Like if you're building a Bush Park and don't have B&M's or a Six Flags park without any IP's then its hard for me to give that a good score.

 

Most important is that you enjoy what you build and are happy with your work, if you do that then in the end the score or people opinions don't really matter.

I appreciate your opinions. Thanks for replying! I will try and keep these in mind when building.

Quite simple. Beauty and originality. That's what keeps me occupied when viewing a park... I want to be surprised. If I say 'wow' out loud, or can't surpress a big grin on my face, you've succeeded.

Exactly this. I would also like to add atmosphere. Trains full of screaming people and peeps sitting around eating ice cream adds so much for me. This is a big part of the reason I don't really like looking around to long in old classic parks, no peeps = less atmosphere.  

I agree with Faas. That's exactly why I prefer newer parks over classic parks.

 

or a Six Flags park without any IP's

What is an IP?

I agree with Faas. That's exactly why I prefer newer parks over classic parks.
 

What is an IP?

Franchises, like Frozen, Marvel, DC Comics etc...

For me it is actually the other way around. The more I see Batman and Superman etc. in a park following the same concepts, the more I get bored and the lower my score will be. 

For me it is actually the other way around. The more I see Batman and Superman etc. in a park following the same concepts, the more I get bored and the lower my score will be. 

 

Even if it is a correct IP in a Disney or Six Flags park?  That seems a bit backwards to me. 

Yeah, I agree with G Force here. It's all about committal to a concept. If you'redoing a Six Flags park, I want it to feel like a Six Flags park, with IPs, tackiness, obnoxious advertising, etc. Likewise, if you're doing a fantasy concept, really sell me on that concept through a story, through details, etc.; don't rely on tropes to carry your concept.

 

I don't care what style you do, what your park concept is, if it's realistic or not, fantasy or not, American or European... Just commit to your concept and sell it to me. Show me that you have something to stand behind in your work, something that can speak for itself.

Let me put it another way, I'd rather see an original park with original themes with some imperfections than a perfectly executed 100% realistic Six Flags park. If putting a Six Flags name to your park means having to make a batman clone and other Marvel rides, than that I would prefer if people wouldn't make Six Flags parks. 

But this shows that you can't keep everyone happy!

a batman clone and other Marvel rides,

 

I just got eye-cancer

 

 

I just got eye-cancer

 

dying

And there's where the divide really comes from, haha. I have a feeling I'm not alone in that I'm bored to death of the same small-building Efteling lookalikes we've seen trotted out throughout the years in RCT, much in the same way that I assume plenty of you are tired of American-brand realism. At the end of the day, there's definitely something that comes from cultural differences, which is why the only thing I look for in parks is committal to the concept. Even if there's a concept that doesn't resonate with me, I try not to judge the concept or inspiration alone because I may not have the same connections, cultural or personal, to it that the builder has.

Oh wow. This got a lot more replies than I expected. 

With the IPs from six flags, would it be better to come up with your own ride concept using marvel or something? It seems that people get tired of the same rides. I personally don't like cookie cutter rides myself. I have been on several Vekoma SLCs that had the exact same layout. One was in Houston Texas way back when Astroworld was still around. The other was at a theme park in Hot Springs Arkansas. I have been on 3 batman clones. One was in Sea World San Antonio, one was in Six Flags St Louis, and the other was at me home park  Six Flags Over Texas here in Dallas.

 

If I make a park there's a good chance I will not copy a ride that has been copy and pasted all over the place. I'd like to stay away from that. I like fantasy parks. I just have issues coming up with ideas for them.