The core of
RollerCoaster Tycoon 3’s gameplay is split up into three modes: an objective-based Scenario mode, a Sandbox mode, and a Scenario Editor. Each mode offers its own unique play-styles which should appeal to a variety of gamers.
Scenario mode is the core gameplay mode in Tycoon 3, and should appeal to micro-managers and control freaks. Here you take over a park and complete objectives. Each is set on a different tier that dictates its difficulty. Completing the first level objectives are pretty easy, and usually include building certain structures or catering to a park goer’s needs. As you move up through the tiers, things get a little more complicated. A big part of the upper-level objectives include making money and getting people into your parks. Other objectives include impressing VIPs with your rides.
Making money follows a simple to follow, yet complicated to perfectly manage economic model. Here you have complete control over income ventures like ticket, merchandise, and concession sales. Income is balanced against the costs of running your park like paying your employees, marketing, and building new rides. You can also tinker with fireworks shows to increase the visibility of your park, bringing in more customers.
Managing budget is a big part of the Scenario mode, with the other being keeping your customers happy. In order to do this you’ll have to do research on what park goers want, and also keep an eye on their habits in the park. Finding out what people want is a difficult task due to the lack of an option to get a general consensus of what people want. Instead, you have to choose people one-by-one and base decisions on that information.
Sandbox mode is for people who want to create without the limitations of money. Here you can build your dream park anyway you want it. This was the mode I found myself attracted to the most, and is in my opinion, one of the more entertaining parts of the entire game. Everything you need to create a park is right there -- from coasters to fireworks. As an added bonus, you can go online and download player-created rides, scenarios, and objects.
Scenario Editor is for the “tweakers” who love to get even more custom with their creations. Tycoon 3 gives you all the tools you need to build your own scenarios, which you can share with friends online. In the past, I’ve always been impressed with the things people have managed to build (such as scale recreations of entire real-life parks), so it should be exciting to see what people can come up with using Tycoon 3.
