Option for More Realistic Time System with Park Open & Closing Schedual

[breezerHOG1]

Option: 1hour per Day w/ Closing Schedule, Weekends, Holidays +More

Other supporting threads:
https://forums.planetcoaster.com/sh...stic-Opening-Closing-of-Park-Daily-Seasonally
https://forums.planetcoaster.com/sh...nd-Closing-time-proposal-day-cycle-management
https://forums.planetcoaster.com/sh...s-and-money-management-tool-(Extreme-Realism)
https://forums.planetcoaster.com/sh...k-opening-times-and-varied-park-guest-numbers
https://forums.planetcoaster.com/sh...-Day-Night-Operating-Seasons-Closing-At-Night
https://forums.planetcoaster.com/showthread.php/4092-Outside-the-Park


I never liked seeing parks go 50-100 or more years old, and I always wanted to see these games follow a more realistic time system. What if the game clock was a 24 hour/weekly system, instead of months/years? What if One day/night cycle equals 48 minutes of real time? Objectives would still take an equal amount of playtime to complete, a 1-2 week objective would be equal to 4-5 year objective in RCT3. And this way each "month" could match the season/weather that belongs to it, and scenarios could have additional challenges. The money/profits system would have to be tweaked a little, so at the end of each day you are still making money to build new rides. IMO this would be very interesting to see, and it could also add more depth to park management. (maybe as an OPTION for those who want it).

I'm sure most people would not like to see their parks get closed each night, but this could be an option... IMO it would be realistic/interesting to see parks shutdown around midnight, saving money and bringing in a new round of guests for the next day. Employees would continue working for an hour before "resting", and then time could skip ahead a few hours. I realize this might prevent guests from filling the back of large parks, decreasing the level of fun for some people because dark rides and night lighting are awesome!! Maybe the closing of the park isn't necessary, but just as an option for people who want that realism (sandbox mode allows you to keep it night all the time anyway, right? IMO this is more for the objective mode anyway, or just as an OPTION if the player wants it). Park and ride maintenance would occur during closing hours, certain rides should be tested every morning prior to the park being open.

Most guests would arrive to the parks earlier in the day, ticket prices would be reduced for guests who come later in the day, and weekly "passes" could be offered at another price. If the time cycled over hours/days instead of months/years, it could allow seasons that actually match the time of year. I'm not sure how snow would work, but maybe certain parks allow certain rides (or in-doors) this could add so much to the scenario/campaigns. If a park is slow due to rain or lightning, maybe closing the park early for the day would prevent players/parkowners from losing too much money, a decision that would be risky to make but also interesting.

Weekends should be busier than weekdays, busier days should have angrier guests requiring more security/staff, and staff/employees could have certain "tasks" at specific times (I could go on and on about staff management...) Also, holidays could be applied and maybe costumed entertainers could automatically change their outfits to celebrate a specific event for the day. Did you know most parks raise ticket prices during specific times of the year? In real life, I love visiting parks when they are the least busy. Makes me a happier park goer when the lines are short, as I am getting more value for my ticket. But sometimes holiday seasons have parades/special events going on.

Another idea is there could be "returning guests" who visited previously and still retain their favorite ride information, certain items, etc. If too many people leave unhappy in the case of a park having a "bad reputation" and losing guests due to dangerous coasters or vandalism or something, then maybe closing a park for a couple days to do "renovations" would help restore said reputation. Just a thought [praise] thanks

UPDATED: I saw others discussing the possibility of in-game time matching real life, with 24 hours in-game actually taking 24hours IRL. That seems a bit overkill to me, somebody else mentioned 4-6 hours IRL being 1 day in game, but I think 2 hours would be too long. If one year in RCT = 1 hour, then 1 day in PC could = 1 hour

Other supporting threads:
https://forums.planetcoaster.com/sh...stic-Opening-Closing-of-Park-Daily-Seasonally
https://forums.planetcoaster.com/sh...nd-Closing-time-proposal-day-cycle-management
https://forums.planetcoaster.com/sh...s-and-money-management-tool-(Extreme-Realism)
https://forums.planetcoaster.com/sh...k-opening-times-and-varied-park-guest-numbers
https://forums.planetcoaster.com/sh...-Day-Night-Operating-Seasons-Closing-At-Night
https://forums.planetcoaster.com/showthread.php/4092-Outside-the-Park

 

[Salmonman]

The problem with that is that with guests moving in real time, that gives them only an hour to ride all the rides they want, which obviously doesnt work. If something like this were to be done, which I think it could, it would have to have a literal 24 hour system, 1:1 ratio to real time (or at least closer, like 6-12 hours). Time would have to be sped up by the player to move forward significant amounts.

Additionally, I saw another post about off-site hotels, which actually ties in rather well with this idea. At closing time, guests would leave the park, but not exit the simulation entirely. They could go to a nearby hotel and return in the morning, keeping their interest and "saving their place". This would allow for the inclusion of multi-day passes to be sold, much like the larger modern parks do today, which would increase ticket revenue for your park, but only when guests think they can't do everything you have to offer in one day. Would be pretty awesome actually. [woah]

 

[breezerHOG1]

I would love to see "returning" guests who have been to the park before, and know their favorite ride locations. Hotels would be cool but seems like a pretty big feature. I think 2-3 hours should be a sufficient amount of time for visitors to travel around a park, and not getting to ride each ride is reason for them to come back (allowing players to make more money as guests "refill" their wallets) and if a guest leaves angry they probably won't return

thats why I think it would work as an "optional" feature, though.

 

[BackSeatJunkie]

Spend a day playing a game and only advance two weeks "in game" time? YIKES

 

[breezerHOG1]

Spend a day playing a game and only advance two weeks "in game" time? YIKES

Yikes?? lol Why do years needs to go by? I hated seeing a park reach 50-100+ years so I paused a lot, but it's just a numerical value. If your still making equivalent amount of money and spending the same on building in real life time. its the same thing (speaking statistically in-game) just replace year with week and month with day on the in-game financial calendar chart.

I liked the original levels of RCT1, but in RCT3 I mainly played sandbox mode so time and profits didn't really matter. I just think it would be more realistic if parks closed at the end of each day. Like I said, time could skip ahead for those few hours (and it could be optional).

 

[Mr.Binks]

It would make your average scenario game way too long. 12 hours of game play just to get though 2 weeks of in game time? Not even school children on summer break have that kinda of time to commit to a game.

 

[breezerHOG1]

It would make your average scenario game way too long. 12 hours of game play just to get though 2 weeks of in game time? Not even school children on summer break have that kinda of time to commit to a game.

my response is the same as the one i posted just above you. Sounds like an attention deficit problem, but when in reality the game wouldn't change... YEARS ARE UNREALISTIC

Yikes?? lol Why do years needs to go by? I hated seeing a park reach 50-100+ years so I paused a lot, but it's just a numerical value. If your still making equivalent amount of money and spending the same on building in real life time. its the same thing (speaking statistically in-game) just replace year with week and month with day on the in-game financial calendar chart.

I liked the original levels of RCT1, but in RCT3 I mainly played sandbox mode so time and profits didn't really matter. I just think it would be more realistic if parks closed at the end of each day. Like I said, time could skip ahead for those few hours (and it could be optional).

 

[BackSeatJunkie]

my response is the same as the one i posted just above you. Sounds like an attention deficit problem, but when in reality the game wouldn't change... YEARS ARE UNREALISTIC

In money based game play, I don't want to set the speed at the highest setting and then go wash dishes just so I can finally make money on ticket and shop revenue so I can pay to build something else.
In sandbox play, time wouldn't matter. In financed play where revenue is generated weekly or monthly.....12 hours of real time to gain two weeks of in-game time is going to be nuts.

"if it ain't broke, don't fix it" Watching the park shut down each night and reopen in the morning isn't really going to add anything to the "game play" and the programming for all that would have to take up some space....space better served for game play content.

 

[breezerHOG1]

"if it ain't broke, don't fix it" Watching the park shut down each night and reopen in the morning isn't really going to add anything to the "game play" and the programming for all that would have to take up some space....space better served for game play content.

THIS^ i can agree with [up]

but i disagree that it would "harm" the money making mechanics, IMO i dont think it would have to slow down profits or construction but... i guess that would be too much though, so it would be a lot of extra work for little pay off

i just thought it would add an extra element of realism, albeit unnecessary

 

[Curlyriff]

In money based game play, I don't want to set the speed at the highest setting and then go wash dishes just so I can finally make money on ticket and shop revenue so I can pay to build something else.
In sandbox play, time wouldn't matter. In financed play where revenue is generated weekly or monthly.....12 hours of real time to gain two weeks of in-game time is going to be nuts.

"if it ain't broke, don't fix it" Watching the park shut down each night and reopen in the morning isn't really going to add anything to the "game play" and the programming for all that would have to take up some space....space better served for game play content.

Tbh I would like longer day/night cycles to be shown in game with around 24mins day and 8 mins night . 7 cycles makes a week up, so a week would take about 3.7 hours thus 4 weeks would be 15 hours.

Everything that happens with monies being spent and all that would be the same regardless of time cycle at moment the day/night cycle happens and the guests ride as fast as they do with the same number of people in the park for the same real time as they are already moving at a real time speed/pace. The two are not intersecting in your income to the current cycle so that point about having to do dishes is moot.

In regards to objectives and when they are time based, all it means is that the denoted requirements are reflected so instead of it being complete this in 12 game months you would be complete this in 1 game month.

What this would however allow by adding/adjusting in the game is deeper immersion of weather & seasons to be included that don't last 10 mins and then cycle around tbh too fast to mean anything.

It is certainly a good option to have in but the timing and economics need to work together and that could be tweaked during Beta phase if it is added.

I do however agree that we should not have park close and be empty of guests tbh as it is still a sim game at the end of it tbh and it is all about the guests, rides & rollercoasters.

Regards,

Adam

 

[Abletudu]

I say give us the option (make it optional) and the ability to set it if we want.

 

[breezerHOG1]

Everything that happens with monies being spent and all that would be the same regardless of time cycle at moment the day/night cycle happens and the guests ride as fast as they do with the same number of people in the park for the same real time as they are already moving at a real time speed/pace. The two are not intersecting in your income to the current cycle so that point about having to do dishes is moot.

In regards to objectives and when they are time based, all it means is that the denoted requirements are reflected so instead of it being complete this in 12 game months you would be complete this in 1 game month. What this would however allow by adding/adjusting in the game is deeper immersion of weather & seasons to be included that don't last 10 mins and then cycle around tbh too fast to mean anything. It is certainly a good option to have in but the timing and economics need to work together and that could be tweaked during Beta phase if it is added.

Thank you, somebody who gets it

 

[breezerHOG1]

I've seen several other similar threads on this topic and updated my OP, I think this would be a really cool feature!

 

[Caravaggio]

Well, I don't know what the correct metrics would be, but I do think a day/night cycle that allowed for the park to close would be cool. There's something not quite right about seeing guests lined up for a ride at 4 in the morning then watching the sunrise from a ride. Maybe I have just have nostalgic memories about getting to a park early in the morning, having a big pancake breakfast, then rushing into the park as the gates opened. Plus, as others have mentioned, there do seem to be some pretty interesting game play possibilities that could result from this kind of a cycle and a necessarily longer length of day...

-meaningful weather (umbrella sales or fewer guests)
-fireworks show (so guests leave happy)
-hotels/resorts (because guests want to stay longer)
-nightly maintenance/cleaning crews
-other cool things I forgot

 

[widlanquebec]

Well, I don't know what the correct metrics would be, but I do think a day/night cycle that allowed for the park to close would be cool. There's something not quite right about seeing guests lined up for a ride at 4 in the morning then watching the sunrise from a ride. Maybe I have just have nostalgic memories about getting to a park early in the morning, having a big pancake breakfast, then rushing into the park as the gates opened. Plus, as others have mentioned, there do seem to be some pretty interesting game play possibilities that could result from this kind of a cycle and a necessarily longer length of day...

-meaningful weather (umbrella sales or fewer guests)
-fireworks show (so guests leave happy)
-hotels/resorts (because guests want to stay longer)
-nightly maintenance/cleaning crews
-other cool things I forgot

Yes, exactly. I don't know what the exact metrics can work, but it would be very great to have more realistic possibilities in the game. I always find it strange to see people in queue for 1 day and going in the ride that indicates queue time of 5 minutes. And in real life, park open and close, which will give very interesting management possibilities (repair, cleanup, etc.). These options for more realistic time could be options in gameplay settings. But I don't think it's impossible to do. Everything just have to be adjust consequently to the time frame of the game.

About longer wait time before building, in RCT1 and RCT2, we couldn't fast forward the game and it takes time to make money. OK, it was too slow for my taste, but if someone wants things to go faster to make money, they'll have option to fast forward. And it could have a cheat option or something in gameplay settings to remove cash requirement if someone wants it.

 

[Adam.W]

I like the idea of a 24 hour day, but obviously we should have the option to skip the night etc etc.

It also gives opportunity for the park to be cleaned, things to be fixed/installed (?) - Maybe set an area as complete so guests can access it (otherwise they can't), so therefore any changes which are done can't just pop in, but the path/queue might need to be closed, or the work done at night.

The problem is with a 48 min day is that not everybody has 6 hours a day to play planet coaster. 12 hours IRL time seems fair enough for a year, maybe a day could last 20 mins (10 mins day 10 mins night), or maybe 30.

 

[breezerHOG1]

The problem is with a 48 min day is that not everybody has 6 hours a day to play planet coaster. 12 hours IRL time seems fair enough for a year, maybe a day could last 20 mins (10 mins day 10 mins night), or maybe 30.

20-30 minutes would be too fast to have anything happen, guests would only have enough time to ride 3-4 rides in that time. About needing 6 hours a day, well some people do infact put in more than that, but it has nothing to do with the in-game clock. Lets say you take 1 hour to build a coaster, than in 6 hours u build 6 coasters, that will never change no matter how the game clock runs. 1 hour per day would be perfect IMO. 12 hours of play time = 1 year in RCT so all I'm saying is with 48 mins per day then 12 hours would = 2 weeks. Not trying to change the whole game just the way the clock reads...

 

[Caravaggio]

I guess I don't understand why having a more realistic day/night cycle or park opening/closing times would mean we all had to quit our jobs to play the game. Instead, couldn't we just hit the fast forward button anytime you want?

I suppose I assumed the speed of the game would be adjustable like rct3. Am I mistaken? It certainly would add to the 'planet-like' nature of the game, having all parks locked to a geocentric spot and their corresponding times of day. I could see there being some interesting gameplay elements here as well as we compete for the best VIP guests or perhaps try to schedule performers, run marketing campaigns, or work around bad weather... It's a neat idea, assuming people who just want to play a solo game and manage their own clock can opt out, but I didn't think that's where they were going with this 'planet concept'. Then again, I don't really understand the online component of this game yet at all.

 

[breezerHOG1]

I don't really understand the online component of this game yet at all.

I really really really would like to have multiplayer support with the ability to have friends walking through parks and riding rides together. That doesn't seem to be mentioned yet at this time. Multiplayer is in the list of possible suggestions, but that's it [knockout]

 

[Caravaggio]

I really really really would like to have multiplayer support with the ability to have friends walking through parks and riding rides together. That doesn't seem to be mentioned yet at this time. Multiplayer is in the list of possible suggestions, but that's it [knockout]

I thought they said that the planet interface at startup would be populated with your parks, your friends' parks, and perhaps other highly rated parks all of which you could visit in some capacity. What you're suggesting would really be great if we get playable go-karts, mini-golf, or other cool interactive mini-games in future expansions.

No idea yet if the planet also represents your assigned server, time of day, game speed, weather, etc...