How about we just compare PC to RCT1? If I had to pick one aspect of management that is lacking in PC it would be the park size. Every park in PC is the same size and shape, with the majority of land being completely flat (except for the occasional terraformed sculpture) I liked in RCT having to figure out how to make the most of the land that I had available and to decide when to spend money on buying new land. Its a small thing, but it adds a bit more puzzle aspect to the game that I found charming in RCT1.
Now, I admit that it can be difficult to execute a strategy game and a simulation/construction game into one combined tool set, but there are other ideas that could be added to improve management without going too far. The game Theme Hospital is an example I often use, as being a simple management game with fun and interesting gameplay mechanics, such as staff getting tired and requiring rest, or training employees with actual training rooms and having "higher educated employees" train lower trained employees, or deciding to hire a low trained employee vs hiring a pre-trained one who requires more money. Not to mention all the silly differences between each employees work ethic.
Lets also not forget the original Theme Park game in 1994 had a world map with the ability to sell your park and move or buy new land, and also competitive parks that you would get ranked against at the end of each year. Or the rewards system of RCT1 where you could get a "worst park award" or other prizes (I guess thats similar to the challenge mode now, but still its the little things that make a game great) like when you beat a scenario in RCT1 the guests would clap and their balloons would fly into the air (it was cute) but in PC there is no win or lose its just keep building until your CPU crashes [big grin] part of the draw in replaying RCT1 is to break your high score, but you cant do that in PC
I understand PC is picking up where RCT3 left off, there has been a long period of down time in the series, and frontier is re-establishing their "roots" in the genre (so to speak) but I also would like to see this game have a deeper or more interesting career mode for the sake of bringing in non-creative players to the game as well. RCT1 did not appeal to just builders, it appealed to almost any theme park enthusiast because it was a simple and casual game. PC on the other hand went full hardcore toolset with little actual game play, so it only appeals to those who are willing to spend the hundreds of hours it takes to build something pretty.
Then we could also go on and on about the tiny little flaws of the game that don't specifically make it a bad game (I think PC is amazing) but theres tons of little tedious things that could be fixed that are currently keeping many people from playing the game. I dont have to go into the details because theres threads all over the place discussing the different things each person wants as everybody has a different view and opinion of the game. As for appealing to kids, I think RCT1 would be the easier to pick up and play game for all the same reasons that makes PC more advanced (if people could look passed the outdated graphics)
The most basic of functions within the games career/challenge mode should be the economy and prestige system, but they are not balanced enough to be challenging even on the hardest difficulty. Sure the occasional coaster challenge is probably the biggest difficulty in the game, but it should not be such a drastic difference, and to me that makes it seem like the game doesnt understand its own challenges. Many people have played career and said the game is too easy, except for some of the coaster challenges. I wish there were more coaster challenges, but they need a progression to them. Like in RCT1 you would start off with a simple woodie or junior, before getting the bigger rides. PC doesnt really follow a progression system in that many of the scenarios can be completed without any coasters, and then some require you to build coasters with perfect ratings (wheres the inbetween?)
But I do have faith that frontier will satisfy all their fans in the end [yesnod] I just hope the game doesnt get littered with microtransaction DLC scenery. Hopefully, well get a scenario editor someday to fix the lackluster scenarios we currently have, and maybe even some mods later down the road to give us a truly "evolved" management game
It doesn't have to have a massive effect but just boost excitment a little bit....
