Do your like the quality and theming behind theme parks or the classic and thrilling feel behind amusement parks?

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Themed, by far. I don't mean the crappy theming like Six Flags, I mean, Disney and Dollywood theming. It just makes the experience that much better! I like to be able to get into a ride. I like for it to tell me a story, and not just be thrilling.

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I'll take ten record-breaking steel coasters (and nothing else) in the middle of an empty field or concrete lot and still be perfectly happy. I can care less about any kind of theme, all I care for is the speed and adrenaline rush. And when I say nothing else, I actually mean just that....no theme, no flats, no water rides, no shops, and sure as hell no kiddie sections. Don't get me wrong, those wouldn't hurt to have, but not necessary for me.

Just my opinion.

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ThrillNetwork Lead Moderator (Originally known as Hurricane) -- and the newest iCarly fan.

I think theming to some degree is essential. Granted, not all of it will be on a scale to that of a Busch Gardens (never been to the one in Florida, so I am speaking of the Williamsburg one), but there should be some semi-relevant theming to create the story.

Just cobble some buildings together...and throw stuff in the middle and it is ok, but definitely not as enjoyable as when one can get caught up in the story.

Aside from the ride specs... would Flight of Fear at Kings Dominion be the same ride WITHOUT the theming? No, it would not be, and probably, it would not even be at the park anymore.

It doesn't really matter to me, I just like a well run park with great rides and attractions.

Sure I love for the place to look great, which is one reason BGE is still my favorite park. But if BGE just looked great like it does and didn't have themed lands, it would still be my favorite park.

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I've been to a few parks and what I get out of my time there is not "Oh wow, that area was themed so nicely!" No. Like Jimmy said, give me a roller coaster in a parking lot, and I'll be happy.

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I prefer Amusement parks. Though I do enjoy theme parks. I like small theme in side of Amusement parks but if they lean too much in either direction it can lower the overall quality.

What is most important is the quality.

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Michael C

I like amusement parks because they are geared toward the thrills. The theming I've seen at theme parks really just doll up the place but the offerings seem more tame. Disney doesn't cater to me but for more of the common people.

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Thrillnetwork Moderator - Intermediary - Original sn: CHILLERLC1
The Android is apparently stupid here?

I am for an all around experience when in a park. If a ride calls for theming then by all means theme it, but out of place theme is just un-necessary.

Give me some good rides and I will ride them, theme or not.

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I like the theme park, and the Amusement park. When I sit back and think about it I would have to say a theme park is far better than a amusement park. Don't get me wrong amusement parks are fun, but when you put a theme, story or any other detailed information behind a park or ride you go that park or get on that ride knowing your going to find out a back story or why the park was built there from the beginning.

Theming is nice, but it isn't the point.

Who said it was, I was just stating my opinion!

I wasn't responding to your post, that was my answer to the poll...

Oh, my applogies. I guess I read your post wrong.

Great rides and stuff are nice but without at least some theme it appears gimmicky to me. Just the thought of a park hurling a ride up without something behind it seems a bit like of a park's waste of money. But then too much theming can take away the whole point of the ride itself, and I think Disney lead Imagineer that shows up on Discovery/History a lot whatever should consider that. I see Disney Coasters as James Bond movies now. They all have the same plot(layout) just with a different backstory(theme).
On the non-themed side if I can't enjoy a ride because it doesn't have something to draw me to it, and I'm running out of time on a coaster trip the ride is not going to make it on my list of need-to-do-things. I will probably never ride Scream again for that reason. I got the credit, and I don't need it anymore.

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Sesame Street characters at Busch Gardens Europe!?
Take THAT Magic Kingdom!

That's a very good point. Scream is a good example. It's a nice coaster, but it feels like a carnival ride. There's obviously a happy medium in places like BGE and Holiday World and even Cedar Fair parks. But if I had to choose between Expedition Everest and Scream, I would probably go with Scream.

Pretty much sums up my opinion. Roller coasters to me are all about the sheer physics and the resulting adrenaline rush you feel. This is what differentiates a coaster enthusiast from a park enthusiast is that I just like to go for a ride and feel the rush, theme or no theme, whether on a field of concrete, or in a typical park setting.

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ThrillNetwork Lead Moderator (Originally known as Hurricane) -- and the newest iCarly fan.

Out of curiosity...of anyone that plays Roller Coaster Tycoon, those of you that have answered "Theme" do you theme your parks in RCT? Likewise for those who answered "Amusement" do you create parks like that?

Myself, since I like Amusement parks over theme parks, I tend to design my RCT parks and coasters the same way. All about the thrills and skimpy on the theming.

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My parks tend to resemble Cedar Fair parks (often, that is intentional). Cedar Fair balances theming with rides very well, I think.h
It's really difficult to do Disney- or even Busch-level theming in RCT. If I'm feeling ambitious, I might take on something more elaborate, but probably only for a small project.

I completely agree. As long as the ride is good it doesn't matter to me whether it is themed or not.

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New York Yankees - 2009 WORLD SERIES CHAMPS!

I'll say theme park as long as it comes with some quality coasters, like at IOA or BGA, even SDC is pretty good with its theming. I would rather have a theme park with Cedar Point's coasters AND flats of course, but IOA is still probably my favorite park, it has world class coasters and amazing water rides, and then you have Superman and Dr. Doom (and DDFF's theming always added to the thrill when I rode it) and now that they have HP it will just be that much better.

On a side note, a park like Worlds of Fun doesn't really need theming since it isn't all that much, though the park's name makes theming the park more appropriate and it makes the park easier to navigate...and makes for some more interesting ride names.

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Just give me an airtime filled ride. If it sits on cement, fine. If it goes through a castle, fine. Just give me air baby.

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I'd have to say amused. My favorite theming honestly is just Generic. I like everything generic. I'm a pretty boring person i guess you could say.

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I'm going with themed. When I go to a park I want it to be all about the experience and not just the thrill. I like parks that during the day you feel as if you are truly in the theme being portrayed by the park. For example I liked Cedar Point because I still love roller coasters but I would have appreciated more theming. I like the idea that theme parks have their cast members/hosts/workers themed to the areas they are working not just in polos and shorts, it makes the whole experience much more believable and fun (for me at least).

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I took some screenshots of stuff, I've tried not theming, and I just can't do it. It doesn't look right in my mind. Which is not to say I don't try to make a theme compensate for lack of ride, or vice versa. Check out the Mine Train, then the "Remove base land" view of it. I like making really twisted discombobulated track layouts, as seen in the "castle" one. I couldn't figure how to change the old RCT file types so I put the photos onto word documents as a work-around. Sorry if it's a hassle.

The closest I've gotten to not theming something is in the RCT1 landscape "Bumbly Beach." Where I just make a nice Beachside Amusement Parks, but even then the fact that I'm going for a "Beachside Amusement Park" stands out as a type of theme for me.

Attached Files

	RCT shots.doc (797.5 KB, 19 views)
	RCT shots2.doc (584.5 KB, 9 views)
	RCT shots3.doc (579.5 KB, 10 views)

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Sesame Street characters at Busch Gardens Europe!?
Take THAT Magic Kingdom!

Forgot to answer the RCT question. I usually start my parks off very general just to raise cash then about a year or two into the game I start to theme as much as possible. Even in the virtual world I still like my parks to be themed as much as possible.

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When I get on any RCT game I simply start small (to build funds),then I build up a big ride( coaster,water ride or a major thrill ride). As the park grows add theming if needed, it really depends what you envision.

Well, it depends for me. If it's theming, it better be really good theming. If it's thrilling, it better be really thrilling. If the ride is crazy enough (in terms of technological complexity) I would prefer no theming, because me being a future engineer, I like to see how that stuff works.

When I'm at a park I like to feel as if I'm in another world, and that's why I prefer theme parks over amusement parks.

Don't get me wrong, I love coasters and going to places like Cedar Point and Canada's Wonderland, but when I walk through the gates at Disney and can't even see any reference to the outside world, it's just awesome.

And when I play RCT2, I do theme my rides and parks.

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The user formerly known as WildeFyre
UOIT Mechanical Engineering Student

I liked Universal for the theming at Islands of Adventure. The New York set I'm a fan of at Universal Studios. It's where I felt very immersed in that. I haven't walked through EPCOT in awhile but I bet that will pull at me again.

I don't know how to build structures for theming in RCT. I can't put panels up or anything other than change station colors, put up the trees and fountains that are already in the menus.

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Thrillnetwork Moderator - Intermediary - Original sn: CHILLERLC1
The Android is apparently stupid here?