RollerCoaster Tycoon
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This general scenario guide provides a very generic walkthrough for most RollerCoaster Tycoon scenarios. Guides for specific scenarios can be found on this page.

Starting Out[]

Most RollerCoaster Tycoon scenarios, upon being loaded from the scenario selection menu, will automatically open the park details window, set to the scenario objectives tab. It is strongly advised to pause the game at this time so that the happenings in the park (e.g. a ride crashing, notifications about guests being hungry/thirsty/lost) do not cause a distraction.

Read the scenario objective to get an idea of what must be done for the scenario to be marked as completed. Important things to be aware of include the deadline of the objective (if any) and, if the scenario's author bothered to write a Chris Sawyer-ish park description, any scenario limitations in effect and/or specific details relevant only to the scenario, such as:

  • "...won't allow any landscape changes..."
  • "...badly in debt..."
  • "...can't build too high above the ground..."
  • "...land is cheap but loan interest is high..."

Next, scroll around the map to get a general overview of the park. Things to note include existing rides, the park's boundaries, the scenario's loan limit and interest rate, and the variety of rides already available for construction.

After that, identify any existing problems, such as excessive litter, lost guests or unsafe or broken down rides. Litter cannot be cleared while the game is paused, but handymen can be hired and placed so that they will immediately start cleaning up once the game is unpaused. Lost guests can be picked up (using the claw tool in their window) and placed on footpaths close to the park entrance. Any existing ride deemed to be unsafe can be reset by closing it twice. If there are already broken down rides in the park, hire 1 mechanic (if there isn't one already) and place them near a broken down ride—they will set about fixing any broken down rides once the game is unpaused.

If the park has any rides already running, hire 1 mechanic (if this has not yet been done to fix broken down rides). For the time being, this mechanic does not need to be set a patrol path, since they are only a temporary measure to handle any (additional) ride breakdowns while the park is set up. The type of ride (i.e. transport, gentle, roller coaster, etc.), as well their ride statistics (such as their ride rating, admission fee and queue time) and, for tracked rides such as roller coasters or go-karts, their size, may be worth noting. At this point, it may be necessary to unpause the game and modify some pre-built rides or their queue lines for more desirable ratings.

Finally, before unpausing the game, check the Research & Development window. Several scenarios give a small selection of rides and stalls to work with, but certain stalls or ride types that may be important in the long-term will often be missing, so it may be necessary to adjust research funding and priority to get rides/stalls faster, or reduce the amount of money spent on research per month at the cost of researching new rides/stalls at a slower rate.

Building Rides[]

Unless certain conditions in a scenario create the circumstances, the park should have a mixture of low and high intensity rides to cater to as many guests as possible. A park that is starting out will generally have 1-3 gentle rides, 1-2 thrill rides and 1 roller coaster, so build the first new rides accordingly. If the park's geography permits, the first few low-intensity rides should be built on flat land near the park entrance. Ideally, the ride exits should connect directly to the main pathway leading from the park entrance. It may even be beneficial to relocate the ride entrance/exits of existing rides to facilitate guest movement around the park, while allowing for the construction of an appropriate queue path length that holds as many guests off the main path grid as possible while keeping ride queue time below 10 minutes.

Expansion[]

As the park is expended through the construction of new rides, it may be necessary to build additional footpaths. Try not to construct long footpaths (about 5 tiles long or more) that lead to a dead-end or ride exit as guests are likely to get lost along these stretches. As a general rule of thumb to keep in mind, no path should be only connected to the park's entrance through a U-turn. Avoid dead-ends at all if possible.

Reaching the Objective[]

Every once in a while, review the scenario objectives—it is very easy to lose track of what needs to be done during a scenario if park management/expansion is the main focus. If the objective is to reach a high park value, consider building more rides to attract more guests; if the objective is to have a large number of guests in the park, taking out advertising campaigns (if they are available) can help to generate an influx. Keep an eye on the date as well; the results of anything done will only be seen after a period of time. For instance, if the objective has a deadline of 31 October, Year 3, constructing many rides or starting a marketing campaign on 26 October, Year 3, will not miraculously cause the park value or the number of guests in to skyrocket to the objective within a few days.

See Also[]

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