Planet Coaster: What you've been up to?

[Tim]

It's the strive for realisem that slows me right down. That time machine's been in the works for over a month. I kept building parts that just didn't blend with the rest, so I had to rebuild them.
Quite often it's because I place a part then discover it doesn't re-colour correctly.

I did quite like this chariot I put together:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2307397951

 

[DistortAMG]

Looks really good! I love the attention to detail people put into their stuff on here!

Heres a question, does anyone here use any custom scenery from the theme makers toolkit??

I did not. But I downloaded a park or two off the workshop and it automatically downloaded a fair bit of custom scenery for each park, meaning I can use it in my parks. There is some pretty good stuff to be fair.

I find downloading a park that uses it, then letting it auto download all the pieces for the park, much better than individually going through and getting pieces, even if you dont control what you exactly get.

 

[Connor98]

Looks really good! I love the attention to detail people put into their stuff on here!

Heres a question, does anyone here use any custom scenery from the theme makers toolkit??

I did not. But I downloaded a park or two off the workshop and it automatically downloaded a fair bit of custom scenery for each park, meaning I can use it in my parks. There is some pretty good stuff to be fair.

I find downloading a park that uses it, then letting it auto download all the pieces for the park, much better than individually going through and getting pieces, even if you dont control what you exactly get.

I have used creations from workshop myself, but only scenery items or shops. myself, I enjoy building ride areas and station buildings, so sometimes I can get a bit impatient perfecting custom buildings for shops, facilities and scenery for a whole area. One day I will find the patience to improve my building skills, as coaster design and landscaping is my best ability I’d say.

 

[Skyscraper]

I have used creations from workshop myself, but only scenery items or shops. myself, I enjoy building ride areas and station buildings, so sometimes I can get a bit impatient perfecting custom buildings for shops, facilities and scenery for a whole area. One day I will find the patience to improve my building skills, as coaster design and landscaping is my best ability I’d say.

Yeah I agree, coaster construction is my main ability on PlanCo.

 

[Ian]

I kept building parts that just didn't blend with the rest, so I had to rebuild them.
Quite often it's because I place a part then discover it doesn't re-colour correctly.

I’m so glad it’s not just me who encounters this. I’ve been working on a water coaster of my own on and off for about 4 months now. One element of the ride is a pair of show buildings perched atop a hill and modelled on the architectural style of Greece’s White Villages.

I made great progress getting the initial frame down, then found not only could I not recolour some parts, I also couldn’t rotate the panels about the Z axis, which meant I couldn’t enclose the lift hill in a dark tunnel neatly. Instead I’ve had to use a stepped approach.

I think it’ll be ok when I’ve had chance to fully enclose it all, but annoying and time consuming, non the less. I don’t get why it’s one rule for one part and another for others.

 

[Tim]

I've been working on the facade for a dark ride. It's still a work in progress (In case the hundreds of floating walls didn't give it away) but I'm really happy with how it's looking.

 

[Skyscraper]

Built a 14-looping beast lol

Hangtime: Ultimate Duel
Got it's name because of how slow the trains traverse the main inversions. Unfortunately the trains don't actually duel though.
I only realised it had 14 inversions after counting them.

 

[Matt N]

I've been working on the facade for a dark ride. It's still a work in progress (In case the hundreds of floating walls didn't give it away) but I'm really happy with how it's looking.

Out of interest, was making it look a bit like the Royal Albert Hall intentional, or coincidental?

Everyone’s projects are looking really fantastic, though; I’m hoping I can share some more of my own soon in one of my topics I’ve made!

 

[Tim]

Out of interest, was making it look a bit like the Royal Albert Hall intentional, or coincidental?

Everyone’s projects are looking really fantastic, though; I’m hoping I can share some more of my own soon in one of my topics I’ve made!

Completely intentional, good spot.

I needed a building with the shape of a stadium but completely enclosed. I also wanted something that would look natural in a city but also a little steam punk. The Royal Albert Hall was the perfect template. However once the queue is finished the final shape of the building will be more like Madame Tussauds (A dome with other buildings attached).

 

[Connor98]

Few quick snaps of my latest area (please ignore the floating tree in image 1, ive only just spotted it lol) New Texas Creek is the name. Themed around a post apocalyptic town in the desert, RMC topper track in the background, with a huss top spin, food and drinks stalls and a small restaurant, Ive also left area to expand behind if anyone has any suggestions?

 

[Matt N]

Coming on really nicely @Connor98; the theme is also really quite a fun and original use of the theming in Planet Coaster, in my opinion!

 

[Skyscraper]

This is another coaster in my current park, simple but record-breaking!

Sonic Boom- Speed Coaster

First launch is 105 mph, second is 175 mph!

Park entrance, underneath monorail station;

As you can probably tell by the name, most of the coasters in this park are big scary thrill machines.

 

[Matt N]

Wow; that looks obscene @skyscraper! Absolutely brilliant, but obscene!

 

[Connor98]

Coming on really nicely @Connor98; the theme is also really quite a fun and original use of the theming in Planet Coaster, in my opinion!

Thank you! I was running out of ideas for themes and started thinking movies and games even, then “fallout” came into my mind, it all spanned from that

 

[Ian]

As a few of you know I'm the master of starting and never finishing projects. I've been working on this one over the past couple of weekends (progress is glacial as you can see).

So for a bit of background, this all started from one of my favourite pieces of video game audio, Space Harrier. The theme is incredibly memorable and I always had a particular soft spot for the PS2 remaster of it. A few months back now I was listening to it and started thinking what a great theme it could make for a coaster.

Space Harrier - The Ride
Enter the Fantasy Zone



This is a double-launch B&M Wing Coaster which features an onboard soundtrack. The ride model was selected due to its seating position, which I felt was the closest I could get to that of the Harrier, who clings to the side of a vehicle to fly (reference).



I also figured it should be a dark ride as I'm hoping to get some cool effects going around the ride (think Space Mountain at DLP), but as the track is pretty hench it would require an even more absurdly oversized show building to get many big elements inside. As a result the second half of the ride takes place outdoors, with some of the larger elements.



It's certainly been an interesting experience so far, creating a layout which is roughly timed to the length of the audio. I was keen that when the track essentially loops back to the core melody a second launch should take place, so that defined some of the pacing. Equally, having that huge show building has meant I've had to give extra consideration to the sightlines, hence the berm around the edge, trees, and go-away-green walls!



The station and pre-launch dark ride section are all set quite forward from the show building, so I'm hoping I'll be able to use a smaller queue line and station building that will obscure some of the view from ground level (think RnR at Paris where the main layout is set in another building with just the launch connecting it). I also figured just for a bit of fun and detail I'd also make use of the area behind the berm and show building to create a bit of a utility space.



As you can tell, there's still a fair way to go, but figured I may as well post it as WIP as I doubt it'll ever get finished! I've shot a little bit of a POV with the soundtrack too.



I'm wholly aware it needs a lot of refinement as there are some pretty janky transitions that need smoothing out, and a couple of elements that need slightly lowering to improve the pacing through them (looking at you, outside overbank)

 

[Skyscraper]

Decided to remove that coaster, just got to decide what to put in it's place lol

 

[Tim]

As a few of you know I'm the master of starting and never finishing projects. I've been working on this one over the past couple of weekends (progress is glacial as you can see).

So for a bit of background, this all started from one of my favourite pieces of video game audio, Space Harrier. The theme is incredibly memorable and I always had a particular soft spot for the PS2 remaster of it. A few months back now I was listening to it and started thinking what a great theme it could make for a coaster.

Space Harrier - The Ride
Enter the Fantasy Zone



This is a double-launch B&M Wing Coaster which features an onboard soundtrack. The ride model was selected due to its seating position, which I felt was the closest I could get to that of the Harrier, who clings to the side of a vehicle to fly (reference).



I also figured it should be a dark ride as I'm hoping to get some cool effects going around the ride (think Space Mountain at DLP), but as the track is pretty hench it would require an even more absurdly oversized show building to get many big elements inside. As a result the second half of the ride takes place outdoors, with some of the larger elements.



It's certainly been an interesting experience so far, creating a layout which is roughly timed to the length of the audio. I was keen that when the track essentially loops back to the core melody a second launch should take place, so that defined some of the pacing. Equally, having that huge show building has meant I've had to give extra consideration to the sightlines, hence the berm around the edge, trees, and go-away-green walls!



The station and pre-launch dark ride section are all set quite forward from the show building, so I'm hoping I'll be able to use a smaller queue line and station building that will obscure some of the view from ground level (think RnR at Paris where the main layout is set in another building with just the launch connecting it). I also figured just for a bit of fun and detail I'd also make use of the area behind the berm and show building to create a bit of a utility space.



As you can tell, there's still a fair way to go, but figured I may as well post it as WIP as I doubt it'll ever get finished! I've shot a little bit of a POV with the soundtrack too.



I'm wholly aware it needs a lot of refinement as there are some pretty janky transitions that need smoothing out, and a couple of elements that need slightly lowering to improve the pacing through them (looking at you, outside overbank)

Love the coaster although some of those indoor transitions seem a bit too close to other sections of track. Although that could be the cameras fault, as I noticed the wingriders camera made near misses seem too close even when they arn't.
It'd be good to increase the pacing but it might need up the timing with the audio.

I had a go earlier at the interior of the building I previously showed. All the floor and ceiling panels have been fractuanly angled to prevent the textures clipping. Marbel wasn't my choice for the floor but the game lacks a good carpet.

Now I just need to pick some props to fill it with. I might use this as the exit for the ride but haven't decided yet.

 

[DistortAMG]

So I have been playing Planet Coaster on my cheap, ultra light, low powered laptop, with no dedicated graphics. When away from my main PC.

Not only have I been playing it. But playing it with every single graphic setting set to its maximum, and running smoothly.

What is this sorcery?? Well it is called Geforce Now. What is even better is you can use it unlimited for free! But while using the free version you have to wait in a queue for cloud PCs to become available and then you are limited to 1 hour play time. But you can keep re joining the queue. Or just pay a subscription to get rid of the limitations.

You know what, it works really really well. As long your internet connection is stable, you will not be able to tell the difference.

How it works is this, you download Geforce Now from Nvidia, login to it. You then login to your own Steam account through Geforce now and it will present to you, your own game libary of already owned Steam games that work with Geforce now. Planet Coaster being one of them.

As it is running on with your own steam account (on a PC on their servers) all your saved games ect are available. Just like on your home PC.

Another interesting tidbit. Each user using Geforce now is using a dedicated (to their session) £6000, Nvidia Tesla P40 24GB workstation graphics card, which is about as powerful as their Geforce 2080ti card gaming wise. Basically, it means amazing performance, amazing graphics, on any PC capable of playing simple video. Great for long journeys or anyone who simply cant afford to buy an expensive PC. You can play and enjoy Planet Coaster, just as well as everyone else.

It is worth noting that with all this power, you still do get lag at some point. Due to the way Planet Coaster is written. But you can run very large parks. But there are certain limitations in the way Planet Coaster is written which means lag is inevitable, even on the fastest PCs available.

Amazing technology non the less.

 

[Skyscraper]

Just completed another park! (not much space to expand as you can probably see in the screenshot)

Guess the inspiration

 

[Josh555]

Picked this up on the PS5 in January and I’m only now really getting to grips with it.

I’ve started with a spinning coaster themed around a castle ruins being overrun with vines, kind of a cross between Thirteen and Hagrids I think. Really happy with the theming, less so with the coaster as I wish in hindsight I’d gone for a B+M Invert rather than a spinning coaster as I think it would have suited it perfectly.

It’s a real learning curve in terms of building areas that look natural and polished rather than looking like they’ve been made on a computer game and I’m definitely very much still in the infancy of learning that process. I’m starting with a dark forest esque area just because I now have a ride of that ilk.

I’ll post some pictures on soon. The eugene counter is a bit annoying as I think I’ll easily do the 100% with more that I’d want to build - the paths take up loads of the space.