I have a mover thread i’ll link this into, but this is more of a major gripe. You’ve (Mac) of course been in the Theme Park, soyou know by now I have some extensive experience with the movers… except one. The Track. It’s the reason why the park doesn’t have a coaster. Dude… I understand how it works, I see what needs to be done, and there’s no f’ing way I’m taking the time to do it.
Instead of just complaining, allow me to offer two suggestions. One for the current setup, and also an alternative.
CURRENT SYSTEM
Now, it’s obvious that the Mover Track spline system is bare bones and more of an “okay it’s functional, push out the patch” kinda thing, so it’s expected to be rough, and boy is it.
There are 2 major issues with the spline edit system:
1: Making a new node is locked to a pattern. I believe it always makes the new node after the last created one (haven’t done so in a while might be other way around).
The Fix: Have node options only pop up when you click a node, that selected node becomes the reference point, and have a “Place Node Before” & “Place Node After” button.
2: Smoothness between points. The track spawns in an oval, and between the two end points the track is rounded perfectly, but if you try to do that on your own, you’ll wind up with 90 degree angles at each node.
The Fix: A system that properly smooths out and rotates/banks the track properly when you click the button, either after of before the selected node. Doing a full track at once would probably crash some people. Sort of like how coaster games will do it automatically. And speaking of coaster games…
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ALTERNATE SYSTEM SUGGESTION
This has the potential to be a big update headliner if flushed out correctly. Much like the current system should sort of take after current coaster games, I think a system that mimicked the coaster games of the PAST would be much easier to build with, and super easy for other users who aren’t advanced builders like myself and several others to be able to make their own fun things…
WHAT: Modular Track Pieces
WHY: Roller Coaster Tycoon allowed everyone, regardless of skill, to build all sorts of custom things. You didn’t need to have hours and hours of practice and failing with I:O and moves like myself and others have just to get something that functions halfway decent. The casual gamers get left behind. Hell, even the major players in the coaster games have left them behind as those systems have gotten more and more complicated. They argue the modular system is limiting, which it is, but some people don’t NEED unlimited freedom, they don’t NEED a 30 degree turn instead of a preset 45 degree one, or are okay with the set amount of bank a built in piece has.
HOW: I’m gonna break this into “How to Do” and “How Could Use”
How to Do: Obviously, your first thought with Tower is an item with a bunch of variants, but I don’t think this would work well. There would need to be an actual snapping system between the two pieces to keep a fluid track line, and free-placing or relying on the snapping grid probably not the best.
I would assume you could have it where you place the first one as a straight piece, then it has an “add section” button where as long as you have a track piece in your inventory (if it’s an item you gotta buy), it spawns a straight piece off the snap point of that one, then you can change that now one’s variant to like a cork screw, or a left turn, then click add a new one and it adds a new straight piece after that. Would just need to make sure that all the pieces keep their points on the same grid pattern to the ends lines up, and also a system for it to know when the end meets the first piece.
You’d need multiple vairants. Station, straight, lift, drop, loop… I mean going through RCT 1 & 2 will provide you will a solid standard list.
How This Could Be Used: I know that sounds like a lot of work, I’m sure it is, but as mentioned this has the potential to be a larger update. I only used coasters in my example, but here’s a list of how this could be easily expanded once you have the logic cinched in and can just re-variant tracks.
MOVER 2.0 UPDATE BUNDLE MOCK-UP
MODULAR TRACKS WITH VARIANTS
(Note: These are scaled default model size and are would NOT scalable.)
1: Rollercoaster Track (w/Amount of Cars Option): Obviously, was the main point of the post. People could build their own coasters.
2: Railway (Engine + Amount of Cars Option): People could use just flat sections to make custom train routes. Multiple train types if you’re feeling ambitious.
3: Go-Kart Track (Empty): Maybe some variations like an open one, one lines with tires/rails. Empty on purpose, read on in the update.
4: Road (Empty or w/Cars): Can be used for actual roads, or NPC traffic as ambiance.
5: Water Trough/Lazy River (w/Water Speed Control): Could have several “vehicles” variants, such as inner tubes of rafts in a slow lazy river, or ride boats or those giant river circle ride cars in the rapids rides.
6: Hanging Coaster: Same as the first one, but hanging. Could be in a later update.
NEW ITEMS
1: Rideable Go-Kart: Released alongside the new tracks is a new go-kart (the one from the plaza shop) to ride on the new go-kart tracks.