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March 31, 1999...20 Years

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Offline wabigbear

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March 31, 1999...20 Years
« on: March 21, 2019, 04:14 PM »
March 31, 1999

That's the day that a new game called RollerCoaster Tycoon was released  - a construction and management simulation video game that simulated amusement park management. Developed by Chris Sawyer Productions and published by Hasbro Interactive, the game was released for Windows computers.

That was the beginning. 

Hard to believe that 20 years has now passed since then...

The original game was followed by RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 in October 2002 and RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 in October 2004.  Followed by a number of lesser games that just use the RCT name.

Several similar games such as Theme Park Studio attempted to build on the success of the original, but it wasn't until the release of Frontier Development's Planet Coaster that we had what many people consider a true spiritual successor to the original three games.

Some of us in the community have been around almost since the beginning (noting of course that citytrader predates the invention of video games, computers or electricity...), while others of the community are more recent in taking up the games.  Some of us have played all three of the main RCT versions, others have played one or two, some have never experienced them.  But however many versions people have played, or the differences in how they play (park building, coaster building, scenario play...), there's always seemed one over-riding theme that united all these different people who's made up this large community over the past two decades...and that is a true love of this game.

While the spiritual successor of the original series seems to now carry a different name, here's to RollerCoaster Tycoon and all it's successors...may the future of this wonderful game genre be bright and the community that shares it enjoy yet another 20 years!



What was the first experience you had with the RCT games or similar and when?  How many of the different games have you enjoyed?
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Offline Gravquian

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Re: March 31, 1999...20 Years
« Reply #1 on: March 21, 2019, 06:46 PM »
Quote from: wabigbear on March 21, 2019, 04:14 PM
"... What was the first experience you had with the RCT games or similar and when? 
How many of the different games have you enjoyed? ..."

Hey'ya Wagi...

     Wow, can't even recall that 1st experience now.  But I bought my 1st copy right
after the game was first released.  And unsure if I got it via KB-Toys, Toys-R-Us,
or Walden Books.  All 3 of those stores/chains were also "our" main source for
D&D/AD&D gaming supplies (at that time). The Best-Buy chain also became a
good source for (then) current materials and new games.

     After buying RCT2, and the expansions... I passed the original on to the kids of
a cousin.  Again, the same after obtaining RCT3.  After near wearing out the discs
for 3 (and expansions)... had to buy a copy of RCT3P via Walmart.  Still using it.

     Did try some generic titled "Park Tycoon", and "Zoo Tycoon" games.  But was
sadly dissapointed with them {maybe I just sucked-at-them}.  So I stayed with RCT3P.
Not having ever bothered to obtain copies of most of the other "related" games...
guess I've no grounds or right to comment on/for them.

     Non-RollerCoaster type games.  Off-n-on a visit to an RPG known as
" FATE: The Traitor Soul " by WildTangent.  Had most of the AD&D titles, but they
were not well supported beyond Win-2K (or Win-Vista).  Laff now if you wish :) , but
on even more rare occassion... I still play Chicken Shoot (or Moorhaan ?).  Or even
as rare, "Turkey Hunter 3D".  More often, it is the Slot machines I fall back to.

Happy Gaming!
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Offline JB

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Re: March 31, 1999...20 Years
« Reply #2 on: March 22, 2019, 12:19 AM »
Thanks for the trip down Memory Lane, Wagi. (I remember the first time someone called you that; musta been on the old Atari site. You replied with something like: "Sure, you can call me that." I guess it sorta stuck. :P)

Quote: "What was the first experience you had with the RCT games or similar and when?  How many of the different games have you enjoyed?"

Okay, this is gonna be a long one. (I'll wait here while you make a trip to the bathroom: :whistling: :whistling: :whistling:)

Now then: Back in the mid 1990s, I was playing the original Sim City on my MacII when the idea struck me how cool it would be to play a Sim City-type game where you build theme parks instead of cities. I decided to try and write/program a theme park building game (just for my own enjoyment) on my Atari 130XE (8 bit) computer, using BasicXE- a souped-up version of Atari Basic.

When I was about halfway through the programming, I read about a game called RollerCoaster Tycoon (or something like that :P). And I remember thinking "Why am I bothering to program this piece-o-crap game", which I probably would never finish anyway. RCT was made for Windows and I didn't get my first Windows PC until 2004. So I shelved my game (which I called SimPark), thinking that I would just wait to play RCT when I finally got a Windows PC.

Well, by that time (2004), RCT3 had already been released for a couple of months. So I skipped RCT and RCT2 and bought RCT3 instead. And I liked it! A lot! Shortly after I bought RCT3, the Soaked expansion came out. I remember standing in the computer games aisle, reading the blurb on the Soaked box: "Design, build, and operate the ultimate summertime fun park with water rides...". Well, I wasn't much into water parks so I put the box back on the store shelf.

A couple of months later I decided to read the game box again (I could feel it gnawing at me every time I saw it in the games aisle). That's when I discovered that, with Soaked, you could now tunnel into the terrain; which I really, really wanted to do. Plus, Soaked came with new themes, coaster types, etc. I snatched it up right away. And while I'm still not real big on water parks, I do enjoy building them. And the Soaked expansion is probably the best thing that happened to the RCT franchise.

A month after I finally bought Soaked, the Wild expansion came out. I knew right away, even without reading the box, that I would buy it. I'm not that much into building zoos either, but they had me at "prehistoric".

It was also about this time that I saw the original RCT and RCT2, plus all their expansions, in the bargain bin at Office Max. So I got those as well, and played through all the scenarios. I like playing those earlier iterations of the game (I still play them every few years), but man, they have a few major annoyances:
1) You can't zoom in close enough to really see any detail.
2) The camera is constricted to the four compass points. Many times I tried to nudge the camera to the left or right to get a better view of something, only to remember that you can't do that in these games.
3) You can't ride the rides.
4) No shadows. That, plus the isometric view where everything is the same size, whether its closest to you or farthest away, makes it hard to tell if you've placed a stall, etc. properly. I remember several times when I would plop down say, a restroom. And then, many (real-time) hours later I would get a message that the guests can't reach the entrance to the restroom. Turns out I accidently placed it about 30 ft. in the air! But I couldn't tell, for the reasons listed above, and because something was blocking the view from the other three camera angles. :facepalm:

All in all, there just isn't much of an immersive feel to RCT(1&2). I'm sure that if I had bought and played those two games before RCT3 that I would have a much different take on their shortcomings.

And then RCT3 Platinum came out and I got that as well, because it was already patched (I hated messing with those patches) and everything was all on 1 disk. Easy-peasy. A few years ago I bought a second copy of Platinum just in case something happened to the one I already had. So yeah. I have: RCT3 vanilla, Soaked, Wild, and 2 copies of Platinum. Atari has a lot of my money.

I don't have Planet Coaster yet. I'm waiting for the kinks to be worked out. Plus a few more features that are currently not available. I realize that those features will probably never come to pass, unless another Jonwil, Belgabor, or Marcus Lomberg comes along and partially cracks the game like they did with RCT3. I'm sure I'll get the game eventually; the graphics are fantastic.

I don't have Theme Park Studio either. I contributed to their Kickstarter program many (many) years ago... I'm still waiting for my boxed version of the game to arrive in the mail. :down:

Parkitect looks like fun, in a retro RCT2 sort of way. I'll probably get that game as well, mainly for the park management aspects and to play the scenarios.

I also have a few of the older games like Ultimate Ride and Sim Theme Park. But I've only played them for a few hours (back in the day) and lost interest in them.

Whew! Now, if you'll excuse me; I have to use the restroom.
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Online cody

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Re: March 31, 1999...20 Years
« Reply #3 on: March 22, 2019, 01:04 PM »
I used to play the original RCT games on my dad's computer when I was a toddler. 2004 I remember we got the demo for RCT3 and it only developed my love for theme park games. I do love everyone's accounts of how they got into this amazing theme park game. I think it is unreal to see how much we have done with RCT and it honestly has helped me learn to get creative and use my source of imagination. It has only evolved into me playing a big role and I have RCT to thank for it.  :D
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Offline Fisherman

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Re: March 31, 1999...20 Years
« Reply #4 on: March 22, 2019, 02:07 PM »
Wow!  20 years already?

Remember Danimation?  That was where I first discovered RCT1...and first joined a community.  Then with RCT2 we moved on to other sites - RCT Depot, RCT*Mart, 1890 & Beyond, and that other one...New Element?  Good old days...  I met some great friends way back then...citytrader and Wagi...  Remember the RCT awards?  what did we call those?  Edna Mae would remember.  She still around?
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Offline wabigbear

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Re: March 31, 1999...20 Years
« Reply #5 on: March 22, 2019, 02:14 PM »
I first got the original RCT game in 2000, after it had been out for awhile.  I hadn't even owned a computer for very long, and wasn't a 'gamer' by any sense of the word.  I always like architecture and city planning - I remember making elaborate maps of areas I had imagined.  RCT seemed like a way to create similar things but with a little more control than I found in the only other game I owned - SimCity 3000.

I found RCT to be the perfect pastime, it was relaxing and just perfect to unwind after work.  Then I discovered the RCT Community...first RCT Station, then I started getting involved with some of the other sites that sprang up like RCT Depot, rct2.com and rctmart.  I found that the community was just as much a draw as the games were!

By this time I was spend a good part of the year in Brazil, in fact the two RCT2 expansion packs were in Portuguese as I bought them there.  I had RCT3 in both languages as well.

I was one of those few who were pretty happy with rct2, especially after custom scenery was available, so it took me a bit before I tried rct3, but once I did I was hooked.  Much of the community gathered at the old Atari forums back then and we had some good times until Atari...being Atari, decided the community wasn't something they needed to support.  But luckily we had a site that welcomed everyone with open arms...right here at shyguy's.  That's when I think the game reached new heights...all the amazing custom scenery and rides that were shared.  The community literally gave RCT3 many additional years of life...and made Atari more money.

Of course we were all waiting for the next step in the evolution of RCT.  TPS was disappointing (and no, I never received the hard copy of the game...nor the posters...nor the t-shirts either  :mad: ).  And when both Frontier and Atari finally both announced plans for new coaster/park games, it was like heaven! 

I helped on the beta for RCTworld (yes...I'll admit it...), although I suspect it was less for my input or suggestions and more with a way to mute my sometimes opinionated posts about it's progress... 

Since I didn't think it was kosher to beta-test one while playing the other to avoid comparisons, I didn't get Planet Coaster until the beta-testing unofficially ended (in other words - when Atari and Nvizzio quit bothering to even speak to any of us...), and even then it was a gift purchase from a very nice longtime community member.

Since then I've enjoyed the beautiful game Frontier has given us as the true successor to the RCT line (while also griping about it's occasional flaws as well...), and been saddened by what Atari has done tp and with the franchise.  I'm hoping that there will be an improved Planet Coaster on the horizon sometime, and look forward to the day when Atari no longer holds the rights to the RollerCoaster Tycoon name...  :sneaky:
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Offline wabigbear

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Re: March 31, 1999...20 Years
« Reply #6 on: March 22, 2019, 04:00 PM »
Quote from: Fisherman on March 22, 2019, 02:07 PM
Wow!  20 years already?

Remember Danimation?  That was where I first discovered RCT1...and first joined a community.  Then with RCT2 we moved on to other sites - RCT Depot, RCT*Mart, 1890 & Beyond, and that other one...New Element?  Good old days...  I met some great friends way back then...citytrader and Wagi...  Remember the RCT awards?  what did we call those?  Edna Mae would remember.  She still around?

I wasn't very active on Danimation, but lurked there a bit.  1890 & Beyond was a great place for the two of us and citytrader since we all had an interest in historical parks.  I wasn't very active at NE, they had a different style there than some of the other sites. 

They had a bunch of different awards at rct2.com (or RCTspace as it later became...), there was the big Convention we had, the Disney Project that was shared with rct*mart, there was also the Nutz n' Boltz competitions, and of course the RCT Vacation Parks...  And who can forget Boomer's "e-Views"

Why of course Edna Mae's still around! 

She, Magarat and Pookiekins won a vacation cruise on an oil tanker to some Eastern European country.  There, while undergoing her weekly electrolysis to remove that little mustache of hers (and assorted back hairs...), she was 'discovered' by a famous Romanian film director (well, famous in parts of Romania anyways...or maybe it was just his apartment building he was famous in, Edna Mae wasn't specific...) who was casting for his Romanian re-makes of famous American action films. 

The Romanian edition of Weekly World News had a photo of our own 'little' 'Edna Mae in her recent role as "Wonder Womanavich". 


It's in the edition with the shocking article about Bigfootr's Love Slave, you may have seen it?  Riveting story...

« Last Edit: March 22, 2019, 04:02 PM by wabigbear »
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Offline JB

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Re: March 31, 1999...20 Years
« Reply #7 on: March 22, 2019, 06:00 PM »
Re: Edna Mae-

Good gawd almighty! Give us a warning next time! I won't be able to sleep tonight.

You can see just how lovestruck Leon is.
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Offline wabigbear

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Re: March 31, 1999...20 Years
« Reply #8 on: March 23, 2019, 07:48 AM »
When Edna Mae's films are shown on Romanian Netflix it's known as "Netflix and Hurl..."
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Offline JPAlmighT

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Re: March 31, 1999...20 Years
« Reply #9 on: March 23, 2019, 11:14 AM »
Much of this predates me as I picked up RCT3 from a discount bin, and then still didn't get into it much for a couple of years... which landed me on this forum sometime around '08 or '09 maybe?

And yet, somehow, I can't help but feel as though I've crossed paths with Miss Edna before.  Perhaps we once shared the same waxing salon, or maybe in a prior lifetime we were on the Titanic together, and she was laying on a floating door and I of course drowned, because, well because.
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Offline Fisherman

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Re: March 31, 1999...20 Years
« Reply #10 on: March 24, 2019, 03:55 PM »
Or maybe she was the iceberg??   :o
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Offline citytrader

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Re: March 31, 1999...20 Years
« Reply #11 on: March 24, 2019, 06:41 PM »
Quote from: Fisherman on March 24, 2019, 03:55 PM
Or maybe she was the iceberg??   :o

I was going to say the door, but you were funnier! And contrary to what Wagi thinks, I certainly don't predate electricity! My buddy Zeus patented that!

Hard to believe it's been twenty years! Where has the time gone? Two marriages and a divorce (not in that order), a career change, and three kids have all interrupted my game play time, but what are you going to do?

Here's to another twenty! (If I live that long!)
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Offline wabigbear

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Re: March 31, 1999...20 Years
« Reply #12 on: March 30, 2019, 07:04 AM »
Quote from: citytrader on March 24, 2019, 06:41 PM
Hard to believe it's been twenty years! Where has the time gone? Two marriages and a divorce (not in that order), a career change, and three kids have all interrupted my game play time, but what are you going to do?

Well with three kids I'm guessing your 'game play time' wasn't limited to just RCT...   ;D

Quote
Here's to another twenty! (If I live that long!)

You've said the same thing before...there's ancient scrolls recording it...
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Offline citytrader

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Re: March 31, 1999...20 Years
« Reply #13 on: March 31, 2019, 08:36 AM »
Ha Ha! Reminds me of that old Reagan joke about George Washington;



Love him or hate him, the man could tell a joke!
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Offline Fisherman

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Re: March 31, 1999...20 Years
« Reply #14 on: April 01, 2019, 05:55 AM »
Hey, guys!  The Ringer just posted a cool article on the legacy of RCT.  It includes interviews with Wagi, Silv, me, and some others.  It's a VERY thorough article.

https://www.theringer.com/2019/4/1/18286916/rollercoaster-tycoon-game-20th-anniversary-legacy
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Offline wabigbear

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Re: March 31, 1999...20 Years
« Reply #15 on: April 01, 2019, 06:52 AM »
Victor did a really nice job, I think he really captured the idea that this game genre is very different than most and it really has an 'endearing legacy' for many people.
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Offline JB

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Re: March 31, 1999...20 Years
« Reply #16 on: April 01, 2019, 03:28 PM »
Thanks for the link, Fisherman. I just read the article. So much of it rings true. It should be required reading for every member of SGW. (There will be a quiz later. :P)
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