Ask the Experts / Theming

the one problem i always have is theming, not theming rides, but theming those little 2 squares next to a piece of archy, what bushes to use, if i should place jagged rocks there or not, the problem is also land, i cant use the land, and i want to start using the land, raising it lowering etc, i looked at a few parks and i was amazed and thought 'how did he do that?', its just that when i build parks i always seem to build them on a totally flat landscape, no hills etc whatsoever, i just want any tips on using the land to make your parks better, any help?

well, I usually connect the buildings, but when i don't, I just put some flowers and bushes and maybe some small trees. As for landscaping, this is one of the hardest things to do. My suggestion though, is to plan and do everything free-hand. Don't use the mountian tool. It takes a long time, but it will pay off.

ur talk about theming goes into landscaping. can´t you do anything right? j/k. jus look at tha masters, there are plenty of ways to make stuff look good. It´s all a matter of try, error, and keep at it.

it's just that when i build parks i always seem to build them on a totally flat landscape, no hills etc

When I want to force myself to landscape I raise large areas of land with the beast (make land tool about 40x40). That way you've got natural height changes throughout the park. Then, if you want to take it further, put in large hills and stuff then force yourself to work with the hills, rather than landscape according to what you build (which will almost always end up with you levelling it all out again).

Landscaping like in Begending is dead, unless we all try to recapture it...

When I want to force myself to landscape

you should landscape only if u want to...

When I want to I have to force myself. Seriously. I 'want' to, but can't unless I do all the land shit and then work round it.

Otherwise it all ends up flat again!

Also, I tend to forget about landscaping altogether sometimes, and end up with large flat spaces. Seeing as that's one of my pet hates i'm not too happy about that happening in my own parks, so I force myself to change it.

A lot of my RCT game involves forcing myself to do things. That might sound like torture or whatever, but it's what I enjoy and how I end up making something that I like.

mantis has got it right.
what I tend to do is use coasters partly to determine my landscaping.
Another thing about landscaping is you should never think in general terms.
For the most part, there are no such things as perfect hills. There will always be places with flat areas, dips, dithered sides, rocks, small cliffs, ditches, rocky ground, unstable ground, drop offs, valleys, tiered land structures, etc.
It's all in the details, EVERYTHING in rct can be broken down into infinte detail. Remember that.

Landscaping is evil...

I can never seem too get it right...