Coaster Throughput

[MrOsterman]

So I'm working on adding my first coaster to the newly remodeled Realm of Legends. I'm looking at my process with a more critical eye and so I thought I'd share it for thoughts/ feedback/ support.

Step one: Pick area for ride and drop station. Station usually has "out" pointed towards the nearest major path with "in" pointed to the "inside" of coaster area. I like to use that space under the coaster (or similar) as the queue area.

Step two: Lay out the track, running it in testing mode to see how I'm doing on the EFN factors. Even in Sandbox I still like 3 green numbers.

Step three: Connect a temporary exit and queue to get bodies coming into the ride to test the timing.

Step four: Adjust brakes, the chain lift speed and track length so that there is:
a) always a coaster in the loading station.
b) always a coaster on the chain lift/ main lift, starting
c) always a coaster running/ on the way into the station
d) NEVER a stopped coaster.

I think I hate coasters stopped and waiting more than I hate having the loading station empty. But what I struggle with is the exact timing of how long it takes to empty and load the train and then send it off.

Step five: Decorate coaster area with theme materials (if it's a themed coaster)

Step six: Rebuild the queue to be "interesting", pausing if it's in Career mode so that there is no down time. I keep the ride open if it's turning any profit even if prestige is low because of the queue rating.

Step seven: Rebuild exit area with 1st aid, one or two vendor stalls, and some scenery. If I'm in Sandbox mode I add an "Information" station that acts as a "Ride Photos booth".

Step Eight: Profit?

How's that jive with others?

 

[LN]

Yes, I think this is about the same as how I do it.

Always tweaking brakes, maybe add or delete some track after the initial layout build, but yeah, keep tweaking with the lift hill speed, brakes and sometimes friction to make sure all trains run and one is in the station without having one stopped on track. It's always nice to see the most efficient throughput possible.

Always make sure the exit is postioned in the exact center of the train to minimize times with peeps exiting the train (dont have exits and entries on the same side of the station). Longer default (without adjusting lenght) trains take about 16 secs total to unload/load. shorter trains obviously take less time, but I think the minimum is about 10-12 secs.

I normally build 1 coaster, 1 family ride, one thrill ride per "sector". With some shops and facilities nearby (sometimes in between 2 sectors)

 

[Bullethead]

Yeah, throughput is maximized when the next train enters the station mere seconds after the prior train leaves. Having trains stopped on the brakerun doesn't increase throughput, it just kills excitement and thus hurts the ride's prestige.

The optimum number of trains (or logs, rafts, whatever) is a function of the ratio of the ride's unload/reload time compared to how long it takes the train to get around the track. IOW, it's a function of overall track length plus train/vehicle size AND station configuration. If the ride time is the same as the station them, then the ride can only have 2 vehicles, 1 reloading and the other running. If the ride time is 2x the station time, then you can have 3 vehicles, etc.

The major thing that controls station time is how long it takes old peeps to get completely off the station platform and the exit gate to close behind them. New peeps get on the vehicle effectively instantly so this isn't a factor.

Peeps leaving a ride walk slowly so you want to minimize their travel distance. If the exit is on the same size as the entrance, then the peeps have to walk along the track to the departure end of the station, then walk across the platform to the exit gate. This is OK for 1-car rides and coasters with no more than about 3-4 cars as nobody has to walk very far. But for coaster trains of 5+ cars, the peeps in the last car have to walk the full length of the station, which greatly increases reload time. Therefore, with such long trains, you need to put the exit on the opposite side of the platform from the entrance, and center it on the length of the parked train. This means no peep has to walk farther than 1/2 the length of the station.

With trains of 7-8 cars and the exit centered on the far side, the reload time is about 28 seconds and can't be made less. So, you want to rest of the track to be about 1 minute of ride time if you want to run 3 trains, 1:30 for 4 trains, etc.

Then you set the min and max station wait times, and the departure interval, to 28 seconds, and you're golden.