I need help bad!!

Can anyone give me any tips on making better rides. Ive had the game for over 2 1/2 years now and still cant make a smooth coaster that gets higher ratings. If anyone has any tips please send them to
weasle521@msn.com. Thankyou.

Best thing to do ... download top rated rides from MULTIPLE sites and examine how they were built, closely, in the editor. The only way to learn is first by seeing, and then by doing.

Some other sites to get rides (in case you did not know):
www.coasterfuel.com
www.coasters2k.com
www.coastersims.com
www.modstothemax.net
www.cg2.org

Any of these sites will allow you to see more rides (some of the same rides appear here as well), but you can get a wider persepctive of what is available and get a feel for well designed coasters.

[coolbeans326]

which makes me wonder, how do people like Buster, and Real, and jack fraun "pioneer" such great rides?

[Kev]

Originally posted by thecool326

which makes me wonder, how do people like Buster, and Real, and jack fraun "pioneer" such great rides?

I think it depends on your patience level. These guys seem to have an incredible amount of patience with building rides. Myself, if I can't get something perfect within a few tries, I usually move on to the next thing.

patience, practice and care

[hyyyper]

...and originality and when building supportsturcture, a sense for orientation

and physics^

Weasle,

Originally posted by Buster

patience, practice and care

What he said ...

Originally posted by hyyyper

...and originality and when building supportsturcture, a sense for orientation

Originally posted by -sOul_CreePr-

and physics^

... and not what they said. -->

TConwell, on your own page "How to Rate NL Coasters" http://www.freewebs.com/tconwell/rating.htm you do mention the term "g-forces" at least six times.

How come, that you recommend explicitely *not* to care about physics if at the same time you find a coaster's most characteristic physical property so important? [?]

Or is there some entirely new *un-physical* way (i have not heard of yet) to care about g-forces in coaster construction without involving even the simplest calculation? [:O]

redunzelizer, stunned...

You dont have to be a physics major to read the G-Forces on the screen though Red

As for me, I dont care much for physics in the way of learning them. Its just too complicated for me and I have no real ambition to totally learn them HOWEVER I have a fairly good understanding of the physics behind roller coasters - which does have an influence on my building.



Remember Red, the detail level at which your knowledge rests is on a totally different spectrum than most of ours

Agreed Real, in every of your aspects concerning my person.

But again, IMHO it's a farce if not utter ignorance to explicitely recommend *not* to rely on any physics.

Any math or physics should stay a voluntary *option* for those interested in.

I am simply stunned that someone makes such a misleading "one way only" suggestion for a newbie, which possibly is seeking *any* kind of help.

redunzelizer

Well, I could see how an understanding of physics could help, but one that is general, like mine.

that would include knowing how forces act on our bodies, which would better help a person determine G-Forces and how to use them: duration, intensity and quickness of forces. I can see that being an issue.

Redun, while I appreciate and respect your stance and your knowledge in the area ... I must demand you consider the source that was talking about 'physics'. (No offense intended 'sOul' so do not read too much into this.)

But here, we are talking about a 15 year old who said the word physics, but really has NO IDEA as to why it was said - and I believe I am more than qualified to say this with the help I have been giving him on the side through e-mails and demonstrations of design tips.

This member (weasle) is seeking help in designing, as in beginning to make 'good' layouts; not looking to get a physics doctrate to further understand the forces in the simulator and relate them to designing in the editor. Perhaps starting instruction from Step 1 is the best way to teach before assuming Step 1,385 and the intamicies of how physics plays on the car.

Surely, you of ALL people would be able to appreciate this, eh?

TConwell, clarifying ...

Edit: PS -- the mention of 'physics' on my web page would be how that relates to red Gs appearing in the sim ... nothing more.

umm well i do know all i need to know about physics. if u think about it, its pretty much comon scents. with out gravity....no g forces. with out g-forces...no pysics. (i think i said that right)its all about gravity, weight, and what not. Anyway!..

"I must demand you consider the source that was talking about 'physics'."

So where from, in the name of the holy blue vertex, should i know about *that*. I would have appreciated you to clearly state in the first place that your post only was some kind of flamewar, personal insult, dissing or whatever you actualy wanted to express...

Anyway, thank you for clarifying, next time i will know better about true intentions of your posts.

You state "This member (weasle) is seeking help in designing, as in beginning to make 'good' layouts;".

I read nothing about layouts in weasel's post. What i read was: "still cant make a smooth coaster".

We all know this is a tedious task, at least involving "patience, practice and care". By trying to achieve smoothness we *also* might consider the *possibility* to explain 'smoothness' in a geometric and physical way. I doubt one will be able to describe 'smoothness' without using the according basic vocabulary of geometry and physics. In the end it's all about radii and g-forces and the subtle changes thereof.

_____________________________________
Enough! lets do something useful now:

Some short explanations about smoothness in NL. Basicaly there are three types of smoothness: transitions, pumping, banking.

- transitions

care for equal radii on both sides of a vertex. not only play with handle lenghts, but try to keep segments of equal lenght and then use 'C2' on the vertex of interest.

what makes it tricky is the fact that we're operating in three dimensions so looking at a vertex from one view only will not give enough information in the editor. utilize any avalable views.

remember any sudden changes in radius will give sudden changes in g-forces (or even 'spiking') and therefor is unpleasant to unhealthy.

- track pumping

occurs whenever a segment has a changing radius over it's lenght where it actualy shouldn't have. you'll have to mangle both handles on beging and end of segmenet to fiddle with this, then naturaly affecting neighborhood segments, which already might have beeen optimized. its a back and forth job to do so, but i know of no other way whenever building strictly by hand.

- banking jerks

once more related to equal segments lenght. in case your segments differ a lot go split these. then adjust banking again. usualy quite a few steps are required to smoothly go from one banking value to another, your milage may vary depending on the affected element.

- in general

ride from last car repeatedly to see how much the train in front of you jerks around. and don't hesitate to build complete crap at the beginning of a project. just be aware that there is no one step solution. its always optimizing step by step.

feel free to continue this thread with constructive help...

redunzelizer

So, in short recap ... redun decided to smack me in the mouth with a vague attempt at a cheap flame because he was ticked that I thoroughly explained myself, and then pronounce, "Enough! lets do something useful now:" ....

And then conclude the thread with a hope of no wity response in return with, "feel free to continue this thread with constructive help..."

OK, I get it now.
If it makes you feel better I can live with it.

Specific edit to fit the situation before anything develops: Let's remember I am familiar with the slaps in the mouth of CS.com lineage and how members who do not respond with something 'wonderful' get flamed, so let's stop before the line gets very cloudy on which site we are at, shall we?

At any rate, thank you for the clarification of tips, I think we can all benefit from those.

TConwell,

Please take your time and explain: why do you feel smacked? I don't understand that one. How come that you seem so sure to know about my thoughts???

And also please explain why out of nowhere you accuse me of affiliation to some other website? Is there something you know about my many memberships to multiple coaster sites that i don't???

Finaly please explain why you "must *demand* me to consider" something? Am i in any dept to you so that you can claim legal rights to "demand" anything from me? Are there any open bills i should know of???

questions over questions....

redunzelizer

[Brtnboarder495]

I gotta agree with TJ here, before you confuse him with the G forces and physics howabout let the kid create a decent coaster with green G's.

"questions over questions" ... needless afterthoughts and petty sarcasm, IMO. Besides, I thought you had ended this conversation on the last page with your "Enough!" comment? Just let it go redunzelizer and remember you are talking to an adult who frankly hasn't the time, patience, need, or desire to explain himself to you.

I said what I said, take it (or not) at face value and press on.

man i feel bad. was that all because i said the word physics? my bad.

Not at all sOul ... not at all.

i hope thats not sarcasm i hear. X_x