Help from the master?, Please? Options

[ktysmi View Member Profile]

For someone who has played the game as long as I have, you would think I knew my way around the controls.

I have stayed clear of the scenario editor until now, but suddently have an urge and an idea.

Wow this is work.

Took me forever just to figure out how to put the park entrance in place.

Someone the other day just let me find the mountain took, and I just found out I can put down multiples of the plants. I also just found out you can sort of paint the land owned by park--I had been clicking one square at a time and had always given up before I got past that.

I know much of the landscapeing and form making has to be done block by block, but please is there any easy way to change the kind of dirt?

When I try to do it I have to do it one of the large squares at a time--not only is it taking f o r e v e r, I seem to have a heavy hand on the click button and at least half the time I lower the land by mistake.

I want to create a large ranch--sort of Texas Hill country style.

I know I am not good at this and I expect it to look like a beginner made it.

I also have the triple pack so I know that just those with tt and ww will be able to access it.

Still, I have a drive to do it.

I also wish I could find some Mesquite trees. No luck even with all th objects I have.

So my trees won't be right.

So is there any way to change the entire park at one time to a different kind of dirt. Right now it looks like a well mowed lawn.

My premise is that the rancher has died--and his daughter decides to turn the ranch into a bed and breakfast. This is actually true of a place I know of. But the romantic weekends are just not making enough money. In order to increase her income and pay off the note--she also decides to open a theme park on the ajoining ranchland.

She already sold the heard to build the romanic cabins, so now the theme park is her only hope.

So fossil, is it change the land one large square at a time. If so I am probably doomed to quit in frustration.

[rct2obsessed View Member Profile]

When I try to do it I have to do it one of the large squares at a time--not only is it taking f o r e v e r,  I seem to have a heavy hand on the click button and at least half the time I lower the land by mistake.

You and me both, Girlfriend! I have the exact same problem.

If there is a way, Fossil will know, but I have been toying with the editor since the inception of RCT2 and I havent found a way. I have spent HOURS working with the editor, and there are quite a few frustrating things about it. But keep working at it and dont give up. Once you get the hang of it, it's really great.

I LOVE your idea! Cant wait to see it!

[rlindsey View Member Profile]

Unfortantly you have to stick with the tools at hand ktysmi.

But the good news is that if you can reproduce your trees into the paint program, you can then copy and paste them into the object editor thus saving a lot of time

[ktysmi View Member Profile]

I have zero talent with art. There are pictures of pecan trees and live oaks and such, but would never be able to convert them to objects.

The think that irritates me the most is that the land tool messes up my hills when I try to make them a mix of dirt and grass. There is not exactly what I need--the sand is too sparce and the grass too green, but overall for a first attempt I am faily pleased.

[Neeltje View Member Profile]

What I usually do is first make the various land types I want to use, and after that make hills and valleys. Then after the hills and valleys are roughly made with the mountain tool, I tweak them one square at a time for height as well as texture. Shores and banks need detailed tweaking as well. Fossil even noticed I had grass growing on the bottom of my lake which wasn't realistic. Well he's the master so now there's plain dirt, lol.
Making a realistic landscape is a LOT of work. Therefor I would advise you to start with small maps, so you can develop your skills without the work growing above your head. And also don't do a scenario the first time(s) where you need to build in game mode and convert the saved game to a scenario because you will find in game mode you have forgotten some essential things while still in the editor and you won't be able to restore it without having to build everything over again.

[ktysmi View Member Profile]

I know I should start small, but that is not me.

I just know that I downloaded just about every scenario I could find and some were great.

Others are terrible--to be polite. So you get to thinking you can do it better.

I had to build my hills and river first to experiment on which dirt I was going to use since I knew none of them would be exactly right. I had hoped the in game trees would work better than they are, but they will just have to 'do" since for a first effort, I don't want to learn how to make scenery also.

It is just going to take forever to just change all the surface. Why in the world they did not put in a select palate button--then you could just spot change certain areas.


I don't ever expect to get as good as you or Fossil, but this is actually fun EXCEPT for getting rid of all that golf course grass.

I plan on leaving it in the editor for a long time.

[Mokie View Member Profile]

You certainly have taken the bull by the horns...hehehe...Even a lot of experienced designers start with a pre-made map. The building part is work enough. You might look in RCT Fun's landscapes and workbenches, there are tons there.

So is there any way to change the entire park at one time to a different kind of dirt.  Right now it looks like a well mowed lawn.

If you can save your landscape as a "test" scenario and run it a while in the game mode, it will sprout lots of weeds. There are also some weeds available to plant around.

My premise is that  the rancher has died--and his daughter decides to turn the ranch into a bed and breakfast.

This is the most original premise I've seen, it should make for an interesting park, gives you lots of flexibility.

[ride_exchanger View Member Profile]

ktysmi, 8 cars per trainer can make the "land tool" any number of squares you want. In the scenario editor, the max number of squares that the land tool can be is only 8x8, but if you use 8 cars, you can make it 80x80 or 800x800 if you want. That will allow you to change the land quickly.

[Fossil View Member Profile]

ktysmi, 8 cars per trainer can make the "land tool" any number of squares you want.  In the scenario editor, the max number of squares that the land tool can be is only 8x8, but if you use 8 cars, you can make it 80x80 or 800x800 if you want.  That will allow you to change the land quickly.

That's exactly what I do. I'll usually set it to about 40 x 40 (much larger and it's too unwieldy for me) to start. Then I'll move it down in stages: 20 x 20 then 10 x 10 or so as I want closer control of edges.

The trainer works equally well on the "land owned by park" and "water" tools. Those are equally tedious tasks that are much faster with a larger tool.

I will usually "rough out" the park first, then focus on a small area and detail it. This sets a tone that can be carried forward to the rest of the park. I don't usually work sequentially on detailing. I will work on the major features first. The layout of the roads/paths should be made very early.

In "The Magic Academy", for example, I did the front entrance and plaza first, then the "Splash Boats" ride area. Then I switched to the back and worked on the back entrance. Next came the Academy building and side entrances. I had in mind both the railroad and Knight Bus, and kept room for them as I built. Then I planned the other rides and built their stations.

Even with the tool, getting the landscape "just right" is an enormous effort. The reward comes when the work reaches the point where you find it pleasing. Then embellishing it becomes a pleasure.

[ktysmi View Member Profile]

Thanks for the reply.

Ok next dumb question. Is this trainer hard to use. I have never used one.

Also Fossil, that is sort of what I have done. I had to build some of the hills--it is hill country not mountain land--and see which grass came closer.

I think I will go with the part grass part dirt one--it can be the hill county after a rain. I am building the ranch house and the cottages outside the park--the ranch itself is large--that is the way ranches are. I put in the river, but have not made the banks or anything yet--I just needed to define its space.

If I knew how to make my images small enough I would show you where I am--but it is very early.

I may look at that trainer if I can take a landscape in progress into it?

Now, anyone have any bluebonnets?