Comments on: Pushing the Limits of Sandbox Games: Rollercoaster Tycoonists

Pushing the Limits of Sandbox Games: Rollercoaster Tycoonists

The ____ of Justice — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:29:07 -0800

Roller Coaster Tycoon 3 came out in 2004, and was received with mixed reviews. Four years later, hobbyists of the game continue to take it to a whole other level. You may have already seen links to the creative ways to devastate in RCT3. A whole other group of fans, however, have gone on to create highly detailed parks and ride recreations. They use customized textures and mods to create massive architectural works that require hundreds--sometimes over thousands--of hours of work.

Apologies in advance for the long intros and ride lines for some of these videos. (Yes, even the lines you stand in is a big part of Rollercoaster re-creation for many hobbyists.) Space Mountain (entry way and line shown here) Pirates of the Carribean @ Disneyland Paris Epcot Center's Test Track A glowing tribute to several creations, rousing music included. Still no word on a complete Disneyland however--the universal wisdom is that no one makes it past recreating Main Street.

By: monkeyx-uk

monkeyx-uk — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:44:48 -0800

Pretty stuff.... the videos are a bit on the long side though...

By: Effigy2000

Effigy2000 — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:48:03 -0800

You didn't include one of my faves, The PollerCoaster, put together by Australian political blog Possum Comitatus which shows the Australian Labor Party's two party preferred vote from January 2000 through to the 2007 election (which they won). I'm surprised no one has done something similar for the US presidential elections, or the Democratic Primaries. Yet.

By: The ____ of Justice

The ____ of Justice — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:56:03 -0800

That's a great video, Effigy. Never seen it before. Yeah, I agree on the length, monkeyx. I guess because a lot of the creators put 100+ hours into these rides, they feel compelled to put in every detail, at least to show to other creators.

By: NoMich

NoMich — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:04:18 -0800

I enjoyed the roller coaster crashed way too much. I need to bleach my dark, dark heart.

By: NoMich

NoMich — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:04:56 -0800

[crashes] dammit

By: Navelgazer

Navelgazer — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:31:32 -0800

Awesome awesome awesome! 3 cheers for The CREAMY CENTER of Justice. I laughed harder at the crash video than makes any sense. I think a lot of that has to do with the completely inappropriate music. What is that song? I NEED IT RIGHT NOW!! Okay, no more sugar for Navelgazer today...

By: WPW

WPW — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:49:04 -0800

Whole communities exist building this sort of thing for Simcity 4 as well. It's wonderful. Thanks for the post.

By: GuyZero

GuyZero — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:06:11 -0800

Where monorail meets monaural.

By: PM

PM — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:11:08 -0800

I'm just waiting for some jerk to inevitably say "Some people have WAY too much time on their hands!"

By: Navelgazer

Navelgazer — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:14:20 -0800

Some people have WAY too much time on their hands! amirite?

By: davejay

davejay — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:15:31 -0800

I'm surprised no one has done something similar for the US presidential elections, or the Democratic Primaries. Yet. How about this one for US housing prices?

By: PM

PM — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:18:35 -0800

Also, for Navelgazer, that song is "Hoppípolla" by Sigur Rós.

By: PM

PM — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:19:46 -0800

Double also, for Navelgazer, HA!

By: Navelgazer

Navelgazer — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:29:09 -0800

Well, that's what happens, PM, when people don't respond fast enough over here ("fast enough" in this case means "immediatelyimmediatelyfuckingimmediatelyCOME ON!") then I'll post on the blue, and hopefully send a few people over to this kick-ass post while I'm at it.

By: Navelgazer

Navelgazer — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:29:24 -0800

Post on the green. Sorry.

By: Phalene

Phalene — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:30:43 -0800

The destructive clip had an eerie sort of beauty.

By: Navelgazer

Navelgazer — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:35:27 -0800

I'd say I don't know what's gotten into me today, but I know exactly what it was: That Carnage Video. I don't know what it is, maybe I'm just this type of gamer, but I've watched it maybe a dozen times already and it loses absolutely nothing. I said this on the green already, but re-watch it just to pay attention to the bald guy in the black-and-yellow shirt at 1:29.

By: loquacious

loquacious — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:35:41 -0800

That Space Mountain video actually had me leaning in my seat, and I know that coaster really well - particularly that last big gravity and negative-G hill right before the end. The takeoff/lift track sequence is almost spot on, and I wish Disneyland really could project little floating 3D stars and galaxies you could crash through, but it's a pretty close recreation to all the light effects and disorienting light-spot projections they use to light up the structure and track on the real thing.

By: PM

PM — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:40:11 -0800

Understood. And agreed: this is a fine post.

By: smackfu

smackfu — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:59:42 -0800

The crash one is so tragic. The poor girl who survives the carnage by inches and is just staring at the scene, and then the cars come hurtling back to earth out of the sky. But still they miraculously miss her. And then the roller coast cars blow up. WTF?

By: jimmythefish

jimmythefish — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 18:03:12 -0800

Thank you, for Hoppipola alone!

By: jimmythefish

jimmythefish — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 18:11:31 -0800

PS I nominate Sigur Ros to speak to the aliens when they come.

By: Mitheral

Mitheral — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 18:14:55 -0800

davejay writes "How about this one for US housing prices?" Wish they'd update it for the crash.

By: CitrusFreak12

CitrusFreak12 — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 19:08:09 -0800

This made me really miss Disney. Those recreations are dead on.

By: The ____ of Justice

The ____ of Justice — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 19:23:33 -0800

Glad you people enjoyed the destruction/creations! Here are a couple of more crash videos illustrating RCT3's peculiar physics (as someone noted, the explosions seem to arrive centuries after the impact). Apologies if they've been posted before. The Art of The Coaster Crash The sadistic Suicide Park.

By: gorgor_balabala

gorgor_balabala — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 20:18:30 -0800

Not that anyone cares (and these are sweet), but I think the kooky 3D thing spoiled something in the Tycoon games. I would have loved developers to stick to the orthographic views, with the only change being in a few more camera views, better details, buildability (is that a word?) and characterizations, and of course, the ability to merge Zoo with Rollercoaster.

By: My Bloody Pony

My Bloody Pony — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 21:24:06 -0800

Thank You, The TOOTHACHE of Justice, while I still thing Hoppipolla is a much better song choice than Woman, I have to give props to your first new link there for naming the pedestrial-killing coaster "Free Balloon Ride."

By: Effigy2000

Effigy2000 — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 21:57:09 -0800

You people?

By: The ____ of Justice

The ____ of Justice — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 22:02:40 -0800

Effigy2000, Sorry--not sure what the question is.

By: PeterMcDermott

PeterMcDermott — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 23:10:31 -0800

Well let me be the first to say that I object to these slick, highly expensive virtual rollercoasters. Developers have been systematically destroying the traditional virtual carny scene, in order to put these high investment, high return, low labour cost rides into place, at the cost of jobs in the old virtual funfair economy. And if that's not enough, to boast abou their cultural and economic pillage in YouTube videos -- well, not the Best of the Web at all. Shame on you Mefites, for supporting this bland, homogeneous, neo-conservative agenda. Meanwhile, the progressives among us will continue the struggle to support all those virtual Lobster Boys and Bearded Ladies, not to mention the Geek Shows and the Pickled Punk tents that have now been thrown on to the scrap heap by this new generation of game players. A Lotta Continua.

By: Effigy2000

Effigy2000 — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 23:14:40 -0800

Just me being a little silly, The IRON MAIDEN of Justice. It's all good!

By: GavinR

GavinR — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 23:32:24 -0800

I liked the crash vid but it lacked oooomph so I put a few together with some music that I think suits it more. Here you go.

By: spirit72

spirit72 — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 05:43:49 -0800

Someone has also used RCT3 to create an interesting take on the film "Titanic"...

By: Dave Faris

Dave Faris — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 06:04:25 -0800

Your soundtrack is better, Gavin. And anyone who has ever played RCT knows that the crash video won't work. You need a bathroom, and maybe a cotton candy stand somewhere if you expect your guests to come back.

By: joelf

joelf — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:58:17 -0800

Wow. That titanic video is huge. Someone has a lot of time on their hands.

and a recreation of Titanic behind the scenes. Wow

By: zzazazz

zzazazz — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 16:11:11 -0800

Reminds me of the times I used to drive against traffic in an old NASCAR simulation game.

By: misha

misha — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 16:41:54 -0800

My kids used to play these, and put in one bathroom for the whole park, and charge $50 for it. Now that was cruel. The suicide park vid had me laughing out loud. Never knew I was so sadistic! Thanks for the thread.

By: krakedhalo

krakedhalo — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 17:29:05 -0800

My only real problem with RCT is highlighted in these videos. Say you're at an amusement park, and you're having fun, drinking $18 drinks and using misha's $50 bathroom, and you decide to ride the Big New Coaster. You wait hours in line, finally get to the front and notice that each roller coaster train car includes 5 pounds of C4, just for effect. WHO STAYS ON THAT RIDE? I mean really... the inner-tubes on the waterslides explode. That's just not building for safety.

By: spirit72

spirit72 — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 05:26:37 -0800

Looking further, "Titanic" has also been done in Sims 2. Yes, far too much time on their hands..

By: Dave Faris

Dave Faris — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 07:39:13 -0800

Seriously. Just think of how much gold they could have amassed in WoW in the time it took them to do that.

By: agregoli

agregoli — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 10:30:53 -0800

I was bitterly disappointed that they made Rollercoaster Tycoon into a 3D game. SO much was lost. It was cute, with character and endless gameplay options - the 3D really limited its charm to me. It made it more difficult to play and turned it into a clunky kid's game. I still play Rollercoaster Tycoon 2, the real version that is still enjoyable. And the user-created objects are fantastic too. Sigh. I guess that's the way it goes now with video games, but I really don't understand the fascination with 3D.