Possibly the most important game in my development is Roller Coaster Tycoon 2, which is definitely saying something (a close second is Spore, which occupied half of my waking hours from ages 9 to 11). There are quite a few distinct layers of gameplay in RCT2, and I’ll try to overview most of the mechanics. There are a couple game modes that range from scenarios where the player must achieve a very specific goal with limited resources and pre-existing theme park, to a sandbox mode where the player has unlimited money and a blank canvas to create whatever they desire. Design of one’s theme park may follow different rules/priorities for different players; one may strive for the most aesthetically-pleasing park with themed decorations and clever park layout, one may focus on roller coaster design and imagine a highly thrilling sequence of elements, and one may focus on the business aspect of the game to maximize profit and simply exploit the game mechanics for the greatest windfall via concessions, merchandise, and park fees. What captivated me most as a kid was the roller coaster design aspect of the game, and it spurred a long period of roller coaster design obsession that carried over to RCT3 and more advanced design programs such as No Limits. In RCT2, the player can choose from a limited set of turns, banks, elevation changes, and inversions to create what is basically a list of elements that form a closed loop (or possibly an open layout for the more adventurous players). In listing the kinds of mechanics that make RCT2 so addicting, I believe the aesthetic categories the game capitalizes on the most include expression, pass-time, and fantasy. The graphics aren’t particularly stunning and there’s no clear narrative throughout gameplay, nonetheless my adolescence was completely ruled by it.
