Roller Coaster Tycoon - PC

Introduction

Welcome to Roller Coaster Tycoon, a simulation game where you design, build, and manage your own amusement park. Your objective is to create the biggest, best, and most thrilling theme park, attracting guests and achieving various financial and operational goals. This manual provides essential information for installing, operating, maintaining, and troubleshooting your game.

This image displays a typical in-game view of a theme park, featuring a variety of roller coasters, flat rides, pathways, and numerous guests enjoying the attractions. It illustrates the isometric perspective and graphical style of the game.

Setup

System Requirements

• Operating System: Windows 95/98 (Original release)
• Processor: Pentium 166 MHz or higher
• RAM: 32 MB
• Hard Drive Space: 100 MB available
• Graphics: DirectX compatible video card
• Sound: DirectX compatible sound card
• Optical Drive: CD-ROM drive

Installation

1. Insert the Roller Coaster Tycoon game disc into your PC's optical drive.
2. If the auto-run feature does not start automatically, navigate to your CD-ROM drive in 'My Computer' or 'This PC' and double-click on 'setup.exe' or 'install.exe'.
3. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the installation process. Choose your preferred installation directory.

Compatibility for Newer Operating Systems

For users running Windows 7 or newer operating systems, you may need to adjust compatibility settings to ensure the game runs correctly. Follow these steps:

1. Locate the game's executable file (e.g., 'RCT.exe') in the installation directory.
2. Right-click on the executable file and select 'Properties'.
3. Go to the 'Compatibility' tab.
4. Check the box for 'Run this program in compatibility mode for:' and select 'Windows 98 / Windows Me' from the dropdown menu.
5. Additionally, check 'Disable visual themes', 'Disable desktop composition', and 'Run this program as an administrator'.
6. Click 'Apply' and then 'OK'.

Operating

Game Objective

Your primary goal is to build and manage a successful amusement park. This involves designing exciting rides, maintaining park facilities, keeping guests happy, and managing your finances to achieve specific scenario objectives.

Building Rides

• Selection: Choose from various ride categories including thrill rides, roller coasters, mild rides, and water rides.
• Custom Coasters: Design your own roller coasters by laying out tracks with twists, turns, drops, and inversions. Pay attention to the physics model to ensure the ride is both exciting and safe.
• Placement: Rides require an entrance and exit, which must connect to pathways. Ensure adequate queuing areas to manage guest flow.

Park Management

• Staff: Hire handymen for cleaning and repairs, entertainers to boost guest morale, and security guards to prevent vandalism.
• Facilities: Construct food stalls, drink stands, souvenir shops, and restrooms to meet guest needs.
• Finances: Set admission fees, ride prices, and shop prices. Monitor your park's income and expenses. Invest in research to unlock new rides and technologies.
• Guest Happiness: Keep guests happy by providing a variety of rides, clean facilities, and reasonable prices. Monitor their thoughts and adjust your park accordingly.

Scenarios

The game features 21 distinct scenarios, each presenting unique challenges and objectives. These objectives may include achieving a certain number of guests, a specific park value, or a minimum park rating within a given timeframe. Completing initial scenarios will unlock access to more advanced ones.

Controls

The game is primarily controlled using the mouse. Use the left mouse button to select objects, navigate menus, and place items. The right mouse button often provides additional options or cancels current actions. Keyboard shortcuts may be available for quick access to certain functions.

Maintenance

Ride Breakdowns

Rides will periodically break down due to wear and tear. When a ride breaks down, it becomes inoperable and may cause guest dissatisfaction. Ensure you have sufficient handymen hired and assigned to patrol areas where rides are located. Handymen will automatically repair broken rides.

Park Cleanliness

Guests will generate litter and occasionally vomit in your park. An unclean park negatively impacts guest happiness and your park rating. Handymen are responsible for cleaning pathways and emptying trash bins. Strategically place trash bins and assign handymen to cover all areas of your park to maintain cleanliness.

Troubleshooting

Game Not Launching or Crashing

• Verify Installation: Ensure the game was installed correctly and all necessary files are present.
• System Requirements: Confirm your PC meets the minimum system requirements.
• Compatibility Mode: For newer operating systems, apply the compatibility settings detailed in the 'Setup' section. This is a common solution for older PC games.
• Graphics Drivers: Ensure your graphics drivers are up to date, although this game is less sensitive to modern drivers.

Disc Read Errors

• Clean Disc: Gently clean the game disc with a soft, lint-free cloth, wiping from the center outwards.
• Optical Drive: Ensure your PC's optical drive is functioning correctly. Test with other discs if possible.
• Corrupted Disc: If the disc is physically damaged or corrupted, it may not be readable. Contact your retailer or Atari support for assistance.

Performance Issues

• Background Applications: Close any unnecessary applications running in the background to free up system resources.
• Game Speed: Note that Roller Coaster Tycoon typically operates at two speeds: normal and fast-forward. There are no granular speed settings.

Specifications

Warranty and Support

For technical assistance, product inquiries, or information regarding any applicable warranty for your Roller Coaster Tycoon PC game, please contact Atari customer service directly. Refer to the original game packaging or visit Atari's official website for the most current contact information and support resources.

Please note that warranty terms may vary based on your region and the date of purchase. Keep your proof of purchase for any warranty claims.