As a seasoned game developer with over two decades of experience under my belt, I must say that the advancements in technology, particularly with consoles like the PlayStation 5 Pro, are nothing short of exhilarating. It’s like being a kid in a candy store, only instead of sweets, there are pixels and polygons!
Amongst many studios, it’s rare to find one that excels in building and managing simulation games like Frontier Developments does. Their 2016 release, “Planet Coaster”, was a triumphant return to the beloved genre, and now, eight years later, they’re back with a sequel. “Planet Coaster 2” aims to expand upon its predecessor’s formula by introducing features such as water parks, advanced coaster customization options, and various other refinements. We had the opportunity to chat with the game’s creators about some of the most significant changes and enhancements, and you can read our interview with principal lead designer Dave Bamber and tech lead Simon Jordan below.
NOTE: This interview was conducted prior to the game’s launch.
There was a lot of excitement among the fans of the first version of ‘Planet Coaster’ about creating waterparks, and we were thrilled to include this feature in the follow-up.
When embarking on the creation of this new game, what fundamental idea or philosophy did the development team follow most closely, considering their previous accomplishment with the first Planet Coaster?
Dave Bamber (Lead Principal Designer) stated that coming back as a developer from Planet Coaster, there was an abundance of factors to think about during the pre-production phase. This included countless years’ worth of ideas and suggestions, both internally within our company and externally from the wider community. Our main objective at this initial stage was to improve and expand on various features as much as possible – to reevaluate what players appreciate about the game and intensify that experience. The passionate community of the original Planet Coaster showed great interest in creating waterparks, which we were eager to incorporate into the sequel.
In designing our game, we employed a specific strategy of segmenting the gameplay into seven key areas: Coasters, Guests, Economy, Staff, Aesthetics, Narrative, and Interaction Online. By considering the principles of Simplicity, Direction, Richness, Investment, Range, Attractiveness, Social Aspects, and Engrossment as they related to these gameplay segments, we were able to prioritize features and ideas that best fit our goals.
Is the inclusion of water parks one of the most exciting features in Planet Coaster 2, but how diverse are the ride and attraction choices that players will encounter?
In this game, we’ve made an effort to offer a multitude of building options for independent theme parks. There are more than 60 types of coasters and rides to construct, along with over 50 pre-made blueprints for coasters that can be utilized immediately. A fresh addition is the capacity to personalize coaster cars with decorative items, opening up a new avenue for creative expression and offering players an enormous scope for customization. This feature not only enhances the gameplay that players already enjoy, but also paves the way for even more exciting possibilities. We can’t wait to see what unique creations players will come up with next; we’ve seen some truly amazing (and peculiar!) examples right here in our office.
In a big comeback, Flat Rides are back with a twist in Planet Coaster! The community adored the intensely themed flat rides from the original game but sought more freedom and control over the theming to create a wider range of placement options within their parks. To cater to this demand, we’ve significantly expanded the flexicolour options by adding pattern selections as well. There are now over 30 different flat rides available, some of which have been redesigned from the original game for a more streamlined appearance, allowing players to customize them with animating scenery items that fit their rides perfectly.
In our community, you can now freely design and exchange blueprints for the popular game feature called Flat Rides within the Frontier Workshop. We’ve even pre-loaded 25 Flat Ride Blueprints as a starting point for you. From the perspective of coaster enthusiasts, we’re thrilled that players will find that paths and queues are now part of the blueprint options!
Could you tell me about some significant enhancements and alterations in coaster customization that Planet Coaster 2 is introducing?
John: Besides the exceptional personalization options for the entire coaster’s appearance, which we’ve already discussed, the most remarkable aspect is the dynamic coaster components that animate. These intricate track pieces are a standout feature in today’s cutting-edge rollercoaster designs.
As a roller coaster enthusiast, I can’t help but appreciate the unassuming yet crucial aspect of how these thrilling rides are crafted. We’ve revolutionized the way we store the ‘twist’ parameter in our coasters, resulting in an unprecedented smoothness in the coaster’s movements, even before the player starts tweaking the smoothing settings. When it comes to those smoothing tools, we’ve not only polished their functionality but also enhanced their versatility. Now, players can fine-tune the intensity and direction of the smoothing for a more powerful and precise experience.
Enthusiastic gamers will find that adjusting, shifting, and integrating parts of the pre-made tracks has become smoother and more adaptable compared to earlier versions. This enhancement applies to extensive sections of track, making it easier to create ins and outs seamlessly (Don’t forget to check out the Settings tab for adjusting Track movements!).
Beyond crafting a one-of-a-kind aesthetic for my coaster, what truly sets it apart is the dynamic coaster components that come alive. These intricate tracks are a testament to the cutting-edge innovation in today’s rollercoaster engineering.
Delving deep into the intricacies of managing guests is an essential aspect of the enjoyment for many theme park genre enthusiasts. While the initial Planet Coaster offered a fair amount in this regard, what are some exciting advancements that players can look forward to in this installment?
In response to player feedback, we noticed a desire for a deeper exploration of the guest simulation, including a better comprehension of guest behavior. As a result, several improvements were made.
We’ve rebranded the concept of guest satisfaction as “Guest Moods”, focusing on enhancing the entire “Guest Journey”. This new approach enables guests to express a more comprehensive view of their feelings throughout their entire park visit, going beyond a basic scale of happiness or sadness.
Visitors enter the park in well-structured groups, creating patterns of behavior for large numbers of visitors. These patterns fluctuate like the tide as visitors traverse your parks, offering us better management over visitor flow and finances. This system also provides us with a measure of control; if a visitor departs early, they carry their spending dollars out until the next wave arrives.
We’ve made a ‘Luxury’ guest need which controls buying souvenirs from the gift shop, an Entertainment need for going on rides, and a Panic need for high fear rides.
To cater to our guests’ dietary requirements, it is essential to consider a wider range of stores when arranging your offerings.
Furthermore, we’ve expanded the Ride Tolerance options for height, speed, and g-forces, enabling guests to enjoy a broader range of ride experiences.
In this game, players can anticipate facing fresh, engaging dilemmas and choices while developing and growing their park using the exciting upgrades we’ve incorporated.
In these simulation and builder games, a significant part of the user’s experience is found in the intricate aspects, such as menus, construction tools, and navigation systems. What enhancements might players find in these specific areas when it comes to the next installment?
Bamber:We’ve simplified access to features and tools. For instance, double-clicking or holding ‘A’ on your controller will trigger the editing tools for that specific feature. Additionally, we’ve broadened the radial menus from the Planet Coaster Console expansion, making them accessible not just for controllers, but also for keyboard users as well.
In addition to the guides on managing a theme park, we’ve simplified gameplay for beginners by ensuring that handy keyboard shortcuts from the original Planet Coaster are clearly displayed within the user interface, enhancing the overall learning experience while playing.
As a dedicated enthusiast, I’ve got to admit, crafting the path system wasn’t a walk in the park! It required countless hours of intricate work behind the scenes to ensure smooth, uninterrupted building experiences for our players. Yet, when you step into the game, it all seems effortless – constructing a plaza is as easy as laying down a single path marker, like applying a stamp!
From a feature point of view, being able to scale scenery is also a game changing improvement. As a result, the scenery menu is cleaner with fewer duplicates for sizes, and the player can adapt scenery on the fly to multiple situations.
Could you provide some insight into the event sequencer tool? What interesting actions or maneuvers might players be able to execute using it?
User: The Event Sequencer is essentially a timeline equipped with a user-friendly graphic interface for arranging animated backgrounds, visual effects, sound effects, and lighting adjustments. It can operate independently or connect with flats, roller coasters, or tracked rides, allowing for a seamless triggering of elements in sequential or simultaneous order. This visual approach to comprehending how your effects, scenery, and speakers work together harmoniously makes it an incredibly potent tool for creating captivating sequences of events that will surely impress your visitors.
In simpler terms, players can activate a flamethrower impact when a roller coaster traverses a specific track segment, or when a stationary ride initiates motion. A more intricate example would be creating a ‘Dark Ride’, where a meticulously designed track guides the ride through a sequence of indoor animated scenes that tell a story, such as an underwater journey inspired by our Aquatic theme, featuring sea monsters and water sprays!
Adding collaborative cross-platform saves to the sandbox mode seems like a fantastic enhancement. Are there any restrictions on this feature regarding save file sizes, compatibility with mods, or platform-specific functionalities, for example?
Simon Jordan (Tech Lead): The new Franchise mode offers cross-platform play and shared Sandbox saves, which presents an intriguing technical challenge. To ensure smooth gameplay whether players are joining a common save one at a time or competing in a Franchise challenge together, the experience must be flawless across console and PC platforms.
As a fellow enthusiast, if you recall the Oswald Eugene Counter from playing Planet Coaster 1 on console, you’ll be pleased to know that in Planet Coaster 2, there’s a user-friendly ‘Complexity Meter’ available on consoles. This feature guarantees a smooth gameplay experience regardless of the platform you choose. When designing parks and sharing them across platforms, PC players can now compare their creations with the Complexity Meter to ensure their friends can effortlessly open, build, and manage their parks on console versions without any hassle.
Are there any plans to make the game PS5 Pro enhanced?
As a fellow gaming enthusiast, let me share some exciting news about Planet Coaster 2. On its release, it’ll be optimized for the PS5 Pro, taking advantage of its advanced capabilities to render more pixels at a native 4k resolution. This means even more breathtaking visuals that will make your coaster-building adventures truly immersive!
As players construct and grow their theme park, they’ll encounter exciting, fresh dilemmas and choices due to the captivating updates we’ve incorporated in the game.
For a game developer like you, what’s your take on the rumored PS5 Pro? How does an upgraded GPU impact game development for your project as opposed to the standard PS5?
Jordan:It’s exciting to witness progress in hardware, as it opens up innovative possibilities for developers to explore the boundaries of what can be achieved in video games. We are vigilantly tracking advancements in both console and personal computer technology, and with the upcoming PS5 Pro, we plan to delve into this new tech as it becomes available.
What are your thoughts on PSSR? What kind of opportunities will this open for the game?
Jordan: Sony has pioneered AI-enhanced upscaling in consoles, which could lead to intriguing developments. Historically, console advancements have stemmed from improvements in core hardware technologies. However, the recent trend is the use of custom hardware to power AI, shifting the industry’s landscape. It’s an exhilarating period for game development; I believe we’re on the brink of a new phase of console innovation.
What resolution and frame rates will the game target on the Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PS5 Pro?
Jordan: We maintain a steady frame rate of 30 frames per second on all consoles, delivering a seamless and uniform gaming experience. The standard versions of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S render at 1440p resolution, upscaled to 4k. For the Series S, it’s upscaled to 1440p from 960p, while the PS5 Pro offers native 4k resolution.
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2024-11-15 23:13