Coaster

Coaster

Coaster Hints, Tips and Technical Information
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"Why does the same coaster get a different score every time?"
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The score the evaluators give you will vary if you have a 286 or low-end 386.
Why?  The computer can't "read" the entire track.  It reads the track at 
certain intervals to determine your score.  Or, we could also say that the 
evaluators give their opinion on your track at certain intervals, instead of 
a general score.  For example, let's say a 286 machine can read 50 intervals 
on your track.  Now, if the evaluators like all 50 intervals, you'll get a 
good score.  However, if they don't like any of them, you'll get a lousy 
score.  Now, let's say a 486 can read 200 intervals on your track.  The more 
intervals read, the more accurate the score is, so your track would get a 
more consistent score on a faster machine than a slower machine.  Also, on
faster machines, your coaster will ride a lot smoother than on a slower 
machine, so the smoother the animation is on your screen, the more accurate 
your score is.

"Why won't my coaster go up my first lift track?"
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You haven't built up enough speed to start up that first hill -- the car 
isn't catching the chains on the lift track.  To get around this, always put 
a flat (zero degrees, at least 24') lift track before that first hill.  
You'll be guaranteed to catch the chain.

"Why won't the screen center on the track piece I want to change?  It seems
  to center on the middle of the grid instead."

Go up to the Mode menu and choose Centering.  Choose Full to center on the 
current track piece that you're editing.

"I can't change a track piece in the middle of my coaster."
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First, make sure your edit mode (from the Mode menu) is Expert.  Then go
ahead and make your change, while ignoring the error messages the editor
gives you.  After you change the track to your liking, you may have to alter
the rest of the coaster until the error messages disappear.

"Even after I change the edit mode to Expert, I still can't add a new track
  piece in the middle of my coaster."

You're probably adding a track piece right near the beginning, or in the
middle where there are a lot of track pieces AFTER the place you want to add.
Instead of adding there, try adding in front of a smaller piece, preferably 
a 12' piece, then alter the track pieces until you get the desired result.
Also, if you have an error message that comes up everytime you try to make a
change (such as 'Track can't go below grid' or 'Design must stay on grid'),
the program won't let you add pieces near the beginning.  Fix the problem,
then go back and insert the piece.

"I keep getting 'Track can't go below grid' messages, but everything looks 
  fine (with a height of 0)."

The angle window doesn't show negative height, so your track could still be
below the ground (the grid).  Zoom in on all the parts of your track that are
close to the ground (using the Grid Window) and take a close look.  Also, if
you turned Shadows off, turn them back on.  A track piece that is below the 
grid will appear BELOW its shadow, since the shadow won't go below the grid.
First, make sure your edit mode is Expert.  Then change the angle of that 
piece, or the piece before it until the error message disappears.  You may 
have to readjust your track to remove any other error messages that appear.

HINT: Don't make your coaster too long.  If you have a great coaster (you 
think) and the evaluators don't like it, try shortening your coaster.  Also,
if you get the 'At track max' message, it's probably too long and it most
likely won't do well.

HINT: To find the boring parts of your coaster, go to the Signature menu and
choose Examine.  The boring parts are where the lines are fairly level and
long.  You'll need to adjust those portions of your coaster for a more 
thrilling ride.

Rating Scale: Don't you hate it when the evaluators give you their opinion,
but you want to know what it means on a ten-point scale?  Well, wait no more!
Here we have all messages that each evaluator gives, and its rating on a ten-
point scale.  For example, if Ted Shred gives you a message (let's say "Cool, 
man!) he's really giving your coaster an 8 out of 10.

Jed Buck
--------
10      "You put more motion in my backside than five star chili!" or
        "How de Doo!  Sir, I am honored to stand in the presence of a 
          virtuoso of coaster design.  Aah am humbled.

9       "Thunderhorn the bull would be proud." or
        "YeeeeeeeeeHa!  That's what I call a ride, son!  You keep 'em comin'
          and I may never rope a steer again!"

8       "Well lasso me to a bronco!  That was one of the best trips I've
          ever had!" or
        "I've rode some fancy fillies in my time, but this'n takes the 
          blue ribbon!"

7       "Made me think of an old bull named Thunderhorn.  He was untameable,
          and so was this ride.  Good job." or
        "Yippee, I felt like I was back in the saddle!"

6       "Better than a bronco with a burr under the saddle!" or
        "I could almost smell the gunpowder."

5       "I guess this is better than drivin' cattle for a livin'." or
        "Rollin' Rollin' Rollin', keep those coasters rollin', rawhide."

4       "You're turnin' this job into a charity event.  Don't you think I
          deserve some entertainment for my time?" or
        "I don't think you heard me right, son.  I said bumps.  Tarnation, 
          if I want a ride in the park, I'll get mah granny to take me 
          on one."

3       "Lazy as a midnight campfire." or
        "I'm gonna have to get you a nose ring so's I can keep you from 
          goin' astray."

2       "I've trolled for trout going faster than that." or
        "I've had wilder rides in a Conestoga."
    
1       "Desperado, you've got to come to your senses." or
        "I've been on more exciting porch swings."

Bambi Bailey
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10      "Like, that was the most totally fast, awesomest experience.  I 
         thought...WOW!" or     
        "You can't understand what a total blast that was!  You're, like, 
         the greatest speed machine maker in history!"

9       "Supersonic!" or
        "Warp Speed!"

8       "We have achieved terminal velocity!" or
        "Wow, we approached the speed of light."

7       "Whooo.  I'm flustered.  I mean I'm flushed.  I mean, who knew it 
         could be this good?  Can we try that again?" or
        "Boy!  When I said fast I didn't know you could make it so speedy!
         That was, like, megafast!"

6       "I'm gonna need a bug guard for the next one." or
        "I think...did I hear a sonic boom?  You've outdone yourself."

5       "Can't say I've ever dropped a boyfriend that fast.  Nice job." or
        "I think...did I hear a sonic boom?  You've outdone yourself."
            (Yes, this is a repeat from number 6)

4       "Your speed is up.  I've gone slower cliff diving in the rock 
         quarry." or
        "Woah, hold on, this is all going too fast...  I hardly know you."

3       "I've been on faster dates." or
        "Look--not a hair out of place.  I've been on faster tour buses."

2       "I've seen better speed bumps at the post office." or
        "My steam iron moves faster than that, and my washing machine 
         shakes more."

1       "I know better dips back in Indiana."
        "I'd rather shuck corn."

Mabel Husker
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10      "Wheee!  I haven't been shaken like that since m' granny Esther lost
         her grip on my baby carriage up on Halloran Grade!" or
        "You've outdone the Sandy Point Sidewinder.  I'll be in traction for 
         a month and thinking of you for every second."

9       "I screamed.  I admit it.  It was me you heard." or
        "I've seen plenty of track in my time, but this wins the prize!"

8       "I still got my teeth, but only 'cause I caught 'em when they popped
         out.  Good job!" or
        "Keep that up and i might have to pinch your cheek, cutie!"

7       "Now that's music I can dance to!" or
        "You've stopped reminding me of Lawrence Welk."

6       "Better than the tornado of '42 I lived through..." or
        "Jostled!  I've been jostled!"

5       "Hmmm, strong, nice looking.  Not bad for a designer.  And your 
         coaster's pretty good too." or
        "Glad I have health insurance."

4       "Don't quit your day job, sonny." or
        "Is this ride for that new insomniac's park?"

3       "I've had warm baths that were more exciting." or
        "I've pushed shopping carts faster."

2       "About as fun as deveining shrimp." or
        "I sure do miss the woodies they used to build."

1       "Help!  I'm trapped in a computer game with a moron!" or
        "I should have played bingo today."

Tyler Herdsley
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10      "That was the ultimate gut-buster!  It doesn't get any better than 
         that!" or
        "Yep, I lost it."

9       "Whoah!  What an awesome chunder-maker!  You can make me lose my 
         lunch any time!" or
        "Churn-o-Rama!  I could...Woah, excuse me--"

8       "I'm considering a career path change from jet pilot to coaster 
         rider...as long as you're in the biz." or
        "I'm dizzy.  But no, I like that.  This is good.  Whoah, check the
         butt-print on my seat.  Cool."

7       "You should be proud.  A worthy role model." or
        "Hah!  My big brother would hurl on that one."

6       "It beats repeating the 9th grade." or
        "So you got lucky.  Try it again."

5       "Better than wearing braces and headgear." or
        "From love songs to classic rock.  You're getting better."

4       "I've been on faster skateboards." or
        "Relatively straight.  Really, not very disorientating.  
         Thumbs down."

3       "3.2 on the Herdsley Barfometer - as in totally dry." or
        "Call me when you stop listening to easy listening radio."

2       "Will you play elevator music on this ride?" or
        "Nor even an acid burp."

1       "I'd rather read 'Little Women'." or
        "My generation yawns at your coaster."

Libby Melman
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10      "I've achieved a new level of consciousness.  I've never felt this      
         aware.  Every fiber of my existence is singing your praises.
and      Wondrous." or
        "Saints rode beside me on gilded rails.  Zephyrs rushed past me with
9        force of gales, awe rises like a tide inside my head, for I've
         ridden a coaster where angels fear to tread."

8       "A more masterful coaster could be created only by divine 
         intervention." or
        "Mythic.  The Melman quotient salutes you."

7       "You've achieved harmonic balance." or
        "You aligned the planets with that one."

6       "The discreet banking and smooth hill structure produced a most 
         pleasurable ride sensation." or
        "The sine of the angle of the initial drop modified by the square 
         of the time preceding the drop were lovely in comparison to the 
         Melman quotient."

5       "Eloquent, simple, yet profoundly above average." or
        "Most impressive.  Smooth, elegant, yet intense.  Bravo, I salute 
         you."

4       "Pure and simple, like a solid equation." or
        "Reminds ma of Van Gogh--in his sunflower period.  Colorful and 
         elegant."

3       "Thematically frayed.  Unintegrated." or
        "Basic, amateur, garden variety coaster.  Unimpressive.  Next."

2       "I've ridden caffiene highs that were more exciting." or
        "I'd rather compute pi to one thousand points beyond the decimal than 
         ride that one again."

1       "Ham-handed, neolithic gibberish." or
        "I've ridden on faster lab stools."

Ted Shred
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10      "What a rush.  Herculean, dude.  Epic." or
        "Spiritual, dude.  Truly transcendental and world altering.  You make
         the North Shore look like a fishpond."

9       "Wicked, shark attack intensity.  Sober job, dude." or
        "Tsunamis aren't this good!"

8       "Pure, ferocious, jawdropping intensity--the North Shore was never 
         this good." or
        "Thrilling as the midnight surf."

7       "You're sorta on a wave cycle.  Every eleventh one seems to be 
         good." or
        "You've graduated from ripples to tubes.  Now go for the rip curl."

6       "Good while it lasted.  Kinda like puka shells." or
        "Hangs six, dude.  Four toes short."

5       "You are for coasters what disco is for rock and roll." or
        "Getting hot.  Keep going in that direction."

4       "Ranks with lake surfing dude." or
        "I've slept through better coasters."

3       "I'd rather ride waves in a wading pool." or
        "About as thrilling as a sugar rush."

2       "Beached whales move faster." or
        "Have we ridden yet?  That was a ride?  I've waited in better lines."

1       "Helloooooo.  Heellllooooooo.  Anyone in there?" or
        "A snore, dude."


!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!! Read this section only if you've made numerous attempts to please !!!!
!!!!   the evaluators and can't satisfy all of them.  The information  !!!!
!!!!            given here could really ruin your gameplay!            !!!! 
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Statistics: By reading the descriptions on the evaluators, and through
experimentation, you should have a pretty good idea of what they like. 
However, to fine-tune your coasters to perfection we are providing the
following information.  

Jed Buck:  32 bumps (a piece angled up, then a piece angled down).  On slower
machines, it may be impossible to please Jed completely.  Since the slower
machines aren't able to read the entire track (see explanation on varying
scores, above), they can't read all the hills and valleys caused by the
bumps, which means that Jed won't feel all of them.  If you slow the track
down so the computer reads them all, Jed will most likely tell you that the
coaster is too slow for him.  Your best bet is to include what you can, and
hope that Jed likes the rest of the coaster.

Bambi Bailey: Varying speed, from fast to slow to fast, etc.  Check Examine 
on the signature menu and look for a lot of valleys and peaks on the chart.

Mabel Husker: 32 turns, left or right.

Tyler Herdsley: 3200 feet (approx.) of track.

Libby Melman: She likes an equal mix of everything.  Please everyone else and
she'll be happy.  Because of Jed's problem on slower machines, you won't
completely please Libby, but you can come real close.

Ted Shred: 8 inversions (loops or corkscrews).

Add in all these features, and you should have a winning coaster!