Planet Coaster Suggestions (Detailed)
Technical Features
Multiplayer Mode - Multiplayer Mode is a feature that can consist of allowing players the ability to manage parks so that others can join in real-time. This would give the option for 2-6 people (to conserve data consumption) to be able to join a park simultaneously, being able to interact as if it were in Solo Mode.
With the introduction of this feature, then comes the ability to assign Roles for each player. The main person creating the park file will be able to adjust certain roles that other online players have. They could simply click “Add a New Role”, and enter the Username associated with that role. The Owner will be able to fully customize each players ability by checking and unchecking re-designated boxes such as “Allow Player To Move/Adjust Objects”, “Allow Player To Build/Edit”, “Allow Player To Manage Other Players Files”, “Allow Player To Use Rides”, etc. With these roles, there could be pre-designated roles available by Frontier...the ability to Duplicate roles so the user doesn’t have to recreate the same one over and over, and the option to create custom brand new roles.
This brand new Multiplayer Mode would make a positive change to the community, allowing for group projects to seamlessly integrate, as well as streamers the ability to collaborate in one park at once, real-time. Multiplayer Mode can also bring an addition to the Scenario Editor. Different scenarios could be edited so that it requires the ability of 2+ players to complete certain goals/tasks. This could include different research options, competitions in one park file (Where a map can be split into sections with “Player Boundary Lines”, and players can compete to finish their own scenario before the other person.), etc.
Multiplayer Mode is nonetheless a function that will conjoin community members, allowing the extensive purpose of collaboration and team skills. This feature may require a lot of stability problems, as well as coding challenges, but would be a game changer if Frontier could pull this off.
Custom Music Intensity - With the ability to add roller coaster Music provided by Frontier, the current coding process is adjusted due to the coasters speed. When the car on a coaster reaches a certain speed, the music changes due to this property, thus giving unique experiences on the coasters. Unfortunately, certain parts of rides have music that slows down, when mainly you would want energetic music to be playing in a slower section of the ride. This is where I was thinking of the idea of a Music Sequencer.
Similar to the trigger panel in the coaster options menu, there could be a Music option, which gives the ability for the players to adjust the music intensity during certain portions of the ride. The intensity levels could be adjusted mainly on three levels… “Low Intensity”, “Medium Intensity”, and “High Intensity”. Like the track triggers, players could add music triggers, which can be adjusted the specific intensity obtained. This will allow for the player to manually change the Intensity of the music, rather than relying on the property of the coasters speed to tell when the music changes (But this feature can still be here, but could be placed in the Music category as a check and uncheck box saying “Automatic Music Sequencer”). Just like triggers, players can add a delay time to the music intensity change (delaying the trigger), to enhance the customizability. This feature would only be available on music files that have the properties of Intensity Change, which can currently be found under the Music Category “Rollercoaster Music”.
With this reason, I was also suggesting the extension of this Music Library, by giving players more songs that can have their Intensity adjusted. Whether this is converting already in-game songs to custom Intensity songs, or creating a brand new list of songs that have multiple genres from “Orchestral, Fairytale, Western, Tropical, Electronic, etc.” The properties of the Music Intensity could be applied to a Park Speaker, possibly using the in-game Sequencer tool, but add an option to this that allows for a speaker to be adjusted on its songs Intensity. This would also contribute to Firework Displays, where a song can be sequenced to change Intensity to allow for more dynamic shows/performances.
The change of the Music Intensity would be critical in obtaining realistic results of music that would be on roller coasters, but is an intermediate challenge for developers to make this feature to its reality. I would think, taking the already existing code for the trains speed, and applying it to a trigger system wouldn’t be so bad to re-code, but nevertheless, it is a developers insight.
Physical Features
Track Switches - Highly mentioned, track switches are something that is missing in Planet Coaster. There could be the ability to have all coaster types given a variety of track switches seen in the real world such as a ‘Flip Track Switch’, Where the 4m track piece inverts after a coaster passes by it once/twice which can be adjusted in the track piece settings. This allows for the coaster to travel backwards on it, going in a different turning direction. A second version is in the reverse, where the train travels over the turned piece first, then when coming backwards on it, it goes on the straight piece. (Seen on ‘Expedition Everest, Disney World’)
There could be a ‘Reverse Launch Piece’ similar to a block section, which can be placed to reverse or launch reverse the coaster backwards. This piece can be adjusted to its length, acceleration, and approach/ascend speed. This element could also be like a block section, and being able to be placed up to 30 degree angles, holding riders at an incline. This piece comes in handy when trying to travel in reverse when using the ‘Flip Track Switch’. The combination of the two following switches can be used again later in the course to reverse the train forward again.
A ‘Rotating Platform Switch’ could also be used when a train is typically moving in reverse, and you want to rotate it back forward. This feature (Like the one on Universal Studios Hollywood “Revenge Of The Mummy”, rotates after the train enters on the platform. Players could be given the option to add a delay to the rotation as well as the speed of the rotation accordingly. The properties would work just like a block section, where it can be used for a car to wait on it before the next section is clear. There can be custom sizes that adapt to the length of the cars just like how the coaster station adapts to the amount of cars placed. The main features can allow for the player to adjust the amount of rotation. There can be set rotations in 30 degree horizontal increments, going as much as 30 degrees to a full 360 degree rotation before exiting this element. This all applies to a horizontal track bed. The physical track isn’t flipping upside down, but the track stays upright and rotates in a circle.
An ‘Elevator Lift’ piece could consist of an elevator that lifts the train to custom heights (or pre-designed 4m/8m/12m/16m, etc.) that adapts like the Rotating Platform Switch to the length of the coaster car. This elevator can be seen at SeaWorld San Diego “Journey To Atlantis” ride. This ride is mostly related to the in-game Cascade (Water Coaster), but this track switch can be applied to all types of coasters. This will have an elevator shaft that lifts the coaster to a custom heights set by the player. Players can also adjust the delay time when entering this element. The properties would work just like a block section, but a piece outside of the elevator would stop an incoming train if the elevator is occupied. Players could also edit the acceleration of its release and entering (just like the station has speed controls when entering and exiting).
A ‘Drop Track’ is similar to an elevator lift, but in reverse. This has the car at a higher section, before entering the piece of track that drops when the train is on it, meeting up with a new track at the bottom. There can be two alterations to this track. One, the car enters the track, drops, but then when its about to leave, it exits forward. The second iteration can have the same drop, but instead of exiting forward, the train goes backwards. With either or of these concepts, the entry/exit speeds can be changed (the acceleration). Players could also edit the delay times prior to the drop of the track, and prior to exiting the element at the end. An example of this track can be found at Busch Gardens Williamsburg on the ride ‘Verbolten’.
A ‘Platform Sliding’ track switch would be a piece that houses the train on top of it. Once the train enters the moving piece (which adjusts to the train length), the car would slide on a vertical track, and meet with another piece of track. Once the two new pieces are connected, the train would move forward onto the next piece. There could be two versions of this track:...One where the coaster enters the track, slides over to the new one, but then leaves the track piece by moving backwards...The other piece can be a regular forward one, where the car enters the track, slides, then moves forward to exit it. With either or of these tracks, the exit and entry speed can be toggled by the player themselves, as well as have a great range of acceleration and deceleration sliders. Players could also edit the delay that the track switch has, as well as the speed of the sliding track.
A ‘Regular Sliding’ Track switch works just like a Platform Sliding, but has the properties of a Rotating platform switch. Once the train passes over this track switch either once/twice, the track switch would change gears to the other piece (without the train on it, like a transfer track). Once this process is complete, the train can continue forward onto the track switch, going the alternate route, like typical track switch. Players could also edit the delay that the track switch has, as well as the speed the track slides.
A ‘Dual Station’ similarly found on the ride ‘Incredicoaster’ at Disneyland, consists of a station that has two trains on it side by side. To operate this, a transfer track is used prior to entering the station and prior to leaving the station. Both lanes can be transferred on to one circuit. The mechanics can involve one car waiting for the other to leave the station before the transfer track automatically moves to allow the other train to pass on it. The same properties would work like a single coaster, but the station would need to have two entrances, or find a way to connect both lane entries to one single entire ride line, before splitting off to the two parts. When the ride is about to enter the station, the transfer track would automatically be switched to the open lane station. To accommodate this dual station, a simple Regular Sliding track switch would could do this task, as seen in the real life example listed.
Track Details - Having the ability to add multiple track elements to as many coasters as possible would extend the variety of each, but still maintaining the definition of the original coasters. There could be launch elements added to a wooden coaster, spinning coaster, and other ones that do not have these elements. As well as other coasters that are limited in features (chain lift, launch, etc.) that can be added to them to make more unique ride experiences. A coaster has its own defined look, but taking for example a launch section to an inverted coaster wouldn’t change the fact that it is an inverted coaster, but it would give an overall customizable workflow that allows people to make even more creative coasters.
It would be cool to see other parts like stall tracks. It would be of great usage to have the ability to stop trains in the middle of a course, to give a more unique coaster layout. This would contribute to many coasters that have dark ride elements, which require trains to slow down or come to a complete stop before continuing. Like the Tour bus in the Studios Pack, it has the ability to stop the cars at a designated point. It would be a great feature to have this for coasters without the need of using multiple trains in block sections, but simply a pause with one car on the entire layout. With this piece, it could behave like a block section, being able to be bent up to a 60 degree incline.
To specifically launching elements of a coaster, the in-game acceleration could use more options to make coasters accel faster. Looking at real life coasters, the Planet Coaster acceleration at its max with LIM/LSM launch coasters are able to reach high speeds, but their initial “jolt” is quite weak at certain parts. I am suggesting the ability to increase a coasters acceleration even more than we already have to get realistic launches that are quicker than what we currently have.
NOTE: With all of these track switches changing the direction of the train, the same properties apply to the trains when heading backwards as is forward. Block sections, brakes and tires would continue in their forward motion when the car is in reverse. To solve the confusion, there could be a tab in the ‘Heat Maps’ category, which shows the trains direction throughout the entire course. I would suggest having most to all of these features to be added to as many coasters as possible. In reality, a wooden coaster wouldn’t have a flipping track switch, but anything that can be digitized to the coasters would make for more unique coaster experiences. All types can have the ability to have the train pass over it once or twice until it activates.
This sums up only a portion of what the Planet Coaster Community is requesting daily, and I am assure that the developers are taking much consideration when it comes to developing new content or us users. I didn’t want to make this list too long as it already is, so I threaded down to specific suggestions and provided detailed descriptions so it’s easier to get an understanding. With plenty of content being requested daily, it would be of great pleasure and surprise for a staff member of Frontier to take notice of these suggestions and notify them to the developers. Thank You to Frontier who has made an effort to correspond greatly with the community, taking in suggestions one step at a time to ensure that we get quality and quantity mixed together.
[happy] [up]
Technical Features
Multiplayer Mode - Multiplayer Mode is a feature that can consist of allowing players the ability to manage parks so that others can join in real-time. This would give the option for 2-6 people (to conserve data consumption) to be able to join a park simultaneously, being able to interact as if it were in Solo Mode.
With the introduction of this feature, then comes the ability to assign Roles for each player. The main person creating the park file will be able to adjust certain roles that other online players have. They could simply click “Add a New Role”, and enter the Username associated with that role. The Owner will be able to fully customize each players ability by checking and unchecking re-designated boxes such as “Allow Player To Move/Adjust Objects”, “Allow Player To Build/Edit”, “Allow Player To Manage Other Players Files”, “Allow Player To Use Rides”, etc. With these roles, there could be pre-designated roles available by Frontier...the ability to Duplicate roles so the user doesn’t have to recreate the same one over and over, and the option to create custom brand new roles.
This brand new Multiplayer Mode would make a positive change to the community, allowing for group projects to seamlessly integrate, as well as streamers the ability to collaborate in one park at once, real-time. Multiplayer Mode can also bring an addition to the Scenario Editor. Different scenarios could be edited so that it requires the ability of 2+ players to complete certain goals/tasks. This could include different research options, competitions in one park file (Where a map can be split into sections with “Player Boundary Lines”, and players can compete to finish their own scenario before the other person.), etc.
Multiplayer Mode is nonetheless a function that will conjoin community members, allowing the extensive purpose of collaboration and team skills. This feature may require a lot of stability problems, as well as coding challenges, but would be a game changer if Frontier could pull this off.
Custom Music Intensity - With the ability to add roller coaster Music provided by Frontier, the current coding process is adjusted due to the coasters speed. When the car on a coaster reaches a certain speed, the music changes due to this property, thus giving unique experiences on the coasters. Unfortunately, certain parts of rides have music that slows down, when mainly you would want energetic music to be playing in a slower section of the ride. This is where I was thinking of the idea of a Music Sequencer.
Similar to the trigger panel in the coaster options menu, there could be a Music option, which gives the ability for the players to adjust the music intensity during certain portions of the ride. The intensity levels could be adjusted mainly on three levels… “Low Intensity”, “Medium Intensity”, and “High Intensity”. Like the track triggers, players could add music triggers, which can be adjusted the specific intensity obtained. This will allow for the player to manually change the Intensity of the music, rather than relying on the property of the coasters speed to tell when the music changes (But this feature can still be here, but could be placed in the Music category as a check and uncheck box saying “Automatic Music Sequencer”). Just like triggers, players can add a delay time to the music intensity change (delaying the trigger), to enhance the customizability. This feature would only be available on music files that have the properties of Intensity Change, which can currently be found under the Music Category “Rollercoaster Music”.
With this reason, I was also suggesting the extension of this Music Library, by giving players more songs that can have their Intensity adjusted. Whether this is converting already in-game songs to custom Intensity songs, or creating a brand new list of songs that have multiple genres from “Orchestral, Fairytale, Western, Tropical, Electronic, etc.” The properties of the Music Intensity could be applied to a Park Speaker, possibly using the in-game Sequencer tool, but add an option to this that allows for a speaker to be adjusted on its songs Intensity. This would also contribute to Firework Displays, where a song can be sequenced to change Intensity to allow for more dynamic shows/performances.
The change of the Music Intensity would be critical in obtaining realistic results of music that would be on roller coasters, but is an intermediate challenge for developers to make this feature to its reality. I would think, taking the already existing code for the trains speed, and applying it to a trigger system wouldn’t be so bad to re-code, but nevertheless, it is a developers insight.
Physical Features
Track Switches - Highly mentioned, track switches are something that is missing in Planet Coaster. There could be the ability to have all coaster types given a variety of track switches seen in the real world such as a ‘Flip Track Switch’, Where the 4m track piece inverts after a coaster passes by it once/twice which can be adjusted in the track piece settings. This allows for the coaster to travel backwards on it, going in a different turning direction. A second version is in the reverse, where the train travels over the turned piece first, then when coming backwards on it, it goes on the straight piece. (Seen on ‘Expedition Everest, Disney World’)
There could be a ‘Reverse Launch Piece’ similar to a block section, which can be placed to reverse or launch reverse the coaster backwards. This piece can be adjusted to its length, acceleration, and approach/ascend speed. This element could also be like a block section, and being able to be placed up to 30 degree angles, holding riders at an incline. This piece comes in handy when trying to travel in reverse when using the ‘Flip Track Switch’. The combination of the two following switches can be used again later in the course to reverse the train forward again.
A ‘Rotating Platform Switch’ could also be used when a train is typically moving in reverse, and you want to rotate it back forward. This feature (Like the one on Universal Studios Hollywood “Revenge Of The Mummy”, rotates after the train enters on the platform. Players could be given the option to add a delay to the rotation as well as the speed of the rotation accordingly. The properties would work just like a block section, where it can be used for a car to wait on it before the next section is clear. There can be custom sizes that adapt to the length of the cars just like how the coaster station adapts to the amount of cars placed. The main features can allow for the player to adjust the amount of rotation. There can be set rotations in 30 degree horizontal increments, going as much as 30 degrees to a full 360 degree rotation before exiting this element. This all applies to a horizontal track bed. The physical track isn’t flipping upside down, but the track stays upright and rotates in a circle.
An ‘Elevator Lift’ piece could consist of an elevator that lifts the train to custom heights (or pre-designed 4m/8m/12m/16m, etc.) that adapts like the Rotating Platform Switch to the length of the coaster car. This elevator can be seen at SeaWorld San Diego “Journey To Atlantis” ride. This ride is mostly related to the in-game Cascade (Water Coaster), but this track switch can be applied to all types of coasters. This will have an elevator shaft that lifts the coaster to a custom heights set by the player. Players can also adjust the delay time when entering this element. The properties would work just like a block section, but a piece outside of the elevator would stop an incoming train if the elevator is occupied. Players could also edit the acceleration of its release and entering (just like the station has speed controls when entering and exiting).
A ‘Drop Track’ is similar to an elevator lift, but in reverse. This has the car at a higher section, before entering the piece of track that drops when the train is on it, meeting up with a new track at the bottom. There can be two alterations to this track. One, the car enters the track, drops, but then when its about to leave, it exits forward. The second iteration can have the same drop, but instead of exiting forward, the train goes backwards. With either or of these concepts, the entry/exit speeds can be changed (the acceleration). Players could also edit the delay times prior to the drop of the track, and prior to exiting the element at the end. An example of this track can be found at Busch Gardens Williamsburg on the ride ‘Verbolten’.
A ‘Platform Sliding’ track switch would be a piece that houses the train on top of it. Once the train enters the moving piece (which adjusts to the train length), the car would slide on a vertical track, and meet with another piece of track. Once the two new pieces are connected, the train would move forward onto the next piece. There could be two versions of this track:...One where the coaster enters the track, slides over to the new one, but then leaves the track piece by moving backwards...The other piece can be a regular forward one, where the car enters the track, slides, then moves forward to exit it. With either or of these tracks, the exit and entry speed can be toggled by the player themselves, as well as have a great range of acceleration and deceleration sliders. Players could also edit the delay that the track switch has, as well as the speed of the sliding track.
A ‘Regular Sliding’ Track switch works just like a Platform Sliding, but has the properties of a Rotating platform switch. Once the train passes over this track switch either once/twice, the track switch would change gears to the other piece (without the train on it, like a transfer track). Once this process is complete, the train can continue forward onto the track switch, going the alternate route, like typical track switch. Players could also edit the delay that the track switch has, as well as the speed the track slides.
A ‘Dual Station’ similarly found on the ride ‘Incredicoaster’ at Disneyland, consists of a station that has two trains on it side by side. To operate this, a transfer track is used prior to entering the station and prior to leaving the station. Both lanes can be transferred on to one circuit. The mechanics can involve one car waiting for the other to leave the station before the transfer track automatically moves to allow the other train to pass on it. The same properties would work like a single coaster, but the station would need to have two entrances, or find a way to connect both lane entries to one single entire ride line, before splitting off to the two parts. When the ride is about to enter the station, the transfer track would automatically be switched to the open lane station. To accommodate this dual station, a simple Regular Sliding track switch would could do this task, as seen in the real life example listed.
Track Details - Having the ability to add multiple track elements to as many coasters as possible would extend the variety of each, but still maintaining the definition of the original coasters. There could be launch elements added to a wooden coaster, spinning coaster, and other ones that do not have these elements. As well as other coasters that are limited in features (chain lift, launch, etc.) that can be added to them to make more unique ride experiences. A coaster has its own defined look, but taking for example a launch section to an inverted coaster wouldn’t change the fact that it is an inverted coaster, but it would give an overall customizable workflow that allows people to make even more creative coasters.
It would be cool to see other parts like stall tracks. It would be of great usage to have the ability to stop trains in the middle of a course, to give a more unique coaster layout. This would contribute to many coasters that have dark ride elements, which require trains to slow down or come to a complete stop before continuing. Like the Tour bus in the Studios Pack, it has the ability to stop the cars at a designated point. It would be a great feature to have this for coasters without the need of using multiple trains in block sections, but simply a pause with one car on the entire layout. With this piece, it could behave like a block section, being able to be bent up to a 60 degree incline.
To specifically launching elements of a coaster, the in-game acceleration could use more options to make coasters accel faster. Looking at real life coasters, the Planet Coaster acceleration at its max with LIM/LSM launch coasters are able to reach high speeds, but their initial “jolt” is quite weak at certain parts. I am suggesting the ability to increase a coasters acceleration even more than we already have to get realistic launches that are quicker than what we currently have.
NOTE: With all of these track switches changing the direction of the train, the same properties apply to the trains when heading backwards as is forward. Block sections, brakes and tires would continue in their forward motion when the car is in reverse. To solve the confusion, there could be a tab in the ‘Heat Maps’ category, which shows the trains direction throughout the entire course. I would suggest having most to all of these features to be added to as many coasters as possible. In reality, a wooden coaster wouldn’t have a flipping track switch, but anything that can be digitized to the coasters would make for more unique coaster experiences. All types can have the ability to have the train pass over it once or twice until it activates.
This sums up only a portion of what the Planet Coaster Community is requesting daily, and I am assure that the developers are taking much consideration when it comes to developing new content or us users. I didn’t want to make this list too long as it already is, so I threaded down to specific suggestions and provided detailed descriptions so it’s easier to get an understanding. With plenty of content being requested daily, it would be of great pleasure and surprise for a staff member of Frontier to take notice of these suggestions and notify them to the developers. Thank You to Frontier who has made an effort to correspond greatly with the community, taking in suggestions one step at a time to ensure that we get quality and quantity mixed together.
[happy] [up]
