Figuring out the Formula

M anage your park rating, gouge peeps, build coasters

Like any other tycoon game, Rollercoaster Tycoon is bounded by it’s economy and made up of some intrinsic rules. Satisfy these rules and you will run a profitable and successful park that peeps enjoy.

Park Rating is determined by — Appropriate pricing of rides, amenities or park entrance; The number of rides in your park and their excitement ratings; A wide variety of ride types; The number of food and toilet facilities; The amount of litter, vandalism or spew on your footpaths; The complexity of your paths; Whether your park is overly crowded or not; The number of security guards and entertainers employed; The scenary.

Peeps walk into your park with pockets full of money, gouge them — Set prices of more than $9 for well-designed roller coasters (I usually price them as excitement rating + ~$2); $20.00 for umbrellas (they’ll buy anything if it’s raining); A couple of dollars for each type of food and drink; $0.20 for the privilege of a toilet and $4 a pop for 2 turns around a micro Go-Kart track. Raise prices as much as possible before peeps reject to pay that much. Find the tipping point and set prices accordingly.

As you play the game you will inevitably learn how to build roller coasters. There’s a vibrant community for Rollercoaster Tycoon so there’s no shortage of of resources to help you learn the basics of helixes, lateral g’s and the very nature of gravity. Well, maybe not the nature of gravity. But you’ll definitely learn how to make a sweet shuttle loop.