Ask the Experts / I need advice...

So, I have been thinking alot and have realised that I have never enjoyed making parks in RCT2, I enjoy surfing the forums more. Im not sure this is the right place to post this, could be "the troubled crowd", anyway. I start a park, build 1/2-3/4 of it and get totally bored, trash it and start another, etc etc.
So what i was thinking, was that when I am not on the forums im usually on rct2, but I realised that i cant be bothered going on rct2. What I need advice on is the fact that I want to stay in the community, carry on playing rct2, and enjoy it. But that doesnt seem to be happening, If I left the community then 2 days later I would be bored as hell and come back.
I guess my way of playing rct2 is build 2 structures, get bored, come back online hoping some topics have been updated, go back on rct2 etc etc.

I dont really enjoy any of the game, or I suppose I do enjoy looking at my completed work and feeling good about myself or looking forward to people posting in my topics.

I have 3 ways to go:

1. Stay in the community, stop playing the game.
2. Carry on like I am, and be bored and bored and bored
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3. Find something in rct2 that I enjoy doing

When I look at the green in my parks which I have to build on, I just groan and go back online. I dont know how you can really help me because most of you will just say "do what you thinks best" or "if you want to go then go". Argh.

Im Stuck.

Stick to RCT because your recent work looks wicked. I have the same problem when i start a park. It's not a problem.

Join the club

This is what I say: plan. Plan the park. If a cool idea strikes you, write it down somewhere. If you get a few cool ideas, and have a lot written down, then go to your map and plot out some boundaries, make a nice landscape or something. Then, start building random buildings in each area you've marked out, along the lines of the plan. Don't try and complete one area before moving on...keep yourself interested by moving about.

To me, variation is the key. I'm not satisfied following one style through to its conclusion all the time - I flit about between styles in different areas. It keeps me interested.

Also, don't always think about the small-level of 'this building' or 'that ride'. Think about the big picture - experiment with land forms, with big buildings, with rides being encased in buildings etc. Really, your imagination is the limit, and anyone who has bought this game must have some sort of imagination - if you really want to, take things other people have done and say 'right, i'm gonna do that, but 10x better'.

At base level, you really should have something to work with, rather than a green canvas. When you look at the map you shouldn't see "bah, blank space", you should see "ooh, i could put a big mountain there".

Maybe this'll help. What you've posted there is exactly how i feel a lot of the time- but when the rct bug really hits you it's definitely worth putting everthing else on hold - let it take over and you'll get the satisfaction you deserve.

As for the forums being a distraction, it's true, but you should use them as an outlet for RCT-improvement. If you want to, just don't post except in the rct forums.

This is all the stuff i've been doing lately. And it's worked to some extent.

I'm just curious Marshy, what part of RCT2 seems to interest you the most?

From what you've said, it seems, to me, that you just might be burning out on your creations. Maybe you should take a break from RCT2, just don't play/create for a while.

When you do decide to start building parks again, begin with smaller parks so that you don't have a lot of stuff to create. Maybe even keep some of those green spaces open and put the park out to see if someone else can complete it, just for fun, no contest entries.

Or, you could work on creating coasters or scenarios for the rest of us to use.

But, utlimately, you have to decide what you like best. And I know you didn't want to hear that. Personally, I don't want you to leave the community. You have a lot of good advice to give.

Cheers.

I guess the thing that makes me go in rct2 is building things that are going over the top, like giant splash boats, weird inversions, I guess you could say it was fantasy rides with really great theming and architecture.

The trouble is, as soon as I disconnect from the net, I almost automatically click on rct2.

Ill have to think it over.

Oh, and thanks for the brill advice y'all.

Your problem is, your spending far too much time on your PC.

Go out, do things, socialise, go watch a movie. If you get off your PC and go out to town or something along those lines, you will inadvertadly come across something which interests you. EG, I get most of my inspiration from places I go, a hell of alot of my work is based from things I saw in films, like extravagent landscaping, exotic creatures, legends ect. Or sometimes I end up reading about things out of sheer curiosity, and get fascinated by the posibilities of what could be created if it was in a theme park.

Even different games can inspire you RCT2 wise, like I occasionaly play Heroes Of Might and Magic series, thats a massive idea base for me.

I advise you either leave your PC, or atleast look for new things to do with your PC time. Read up on a topic which interests you, and imagine how you would implement what youve read into an RCT2 park.

Take a break, thats what I do.

The way you are acting you make it seem like you must play RCT, which you don't.

So, yeah, just take a break.

Everything mantis said is true for me as well. Freaky.

If you find all you are doing with your time is playing RCT2 and browsing forums that is the real problem. Spending that much time on anything is going to bore the hell out of you. Try getting out more, make plans with friends, do something so you don't have as much time to kill.

Then the question becomes what to do with that time you have to kill. I had about the same problems you do with RCT2 now and i came to the conclusion that its because RCT2 is simply no fun. You have to go through so much to make decent looking buildings that all immagination and fun that could easily be expressed in the original takes side track to churning out intricately detailed buildings that aren't fun to make. My suggestion, try your hand at the original, it really is a game that is more about just enjoying it. Sure, RCT2 allows you to do alot more, but thats where I was running into problems. All of a sudden I wanted to do too much, became frustrated, and just stopped having fun.

Aside from what everyone up there said, my "hint" is to make mini or micro parks. Heck, start making a series of 15x15 parks. That way, you can finish quickly and you won't get bored. Make it a series based on some theme, like another interest. Make 15x15's of your favorite movies, or songs, or whatever.

It's a change of pace, and you'll be producing stuff too.