Both have a high learning curve, but if you're willing to take the time to learn them they are not so bad.
This to me is the same way that people feel about the UR series. "It's crap", "presets suck", "you can't build right", I've heard it all before. I think both HR and UR are severely underrated. Sure, you can't get as inventive with the track as you can with NL or SM, but both games have their high points. Editing the props in HR a certain way gives the appearance of a terraformed environment, the same as using props in UR. Using the ctrl button in UR while you build will help you to modify a track piece that's placed so it's not lifting/banking/widening at the preset default. HR can be used to create parks, while the UR series is uber-moddable. These are things that people tend to overlook and that's too bad. There probably will never be a contest for either of these games here, but if there was I would be one of the first to submit a coaster for them.[approve]