Fast approaching its 8th birthday,Planet Coasteris still widely considered to be one of the greatest theme park management/building games out there, hearkening back to genre icons likeRollercoaster Tycoonwhile adding a wealth of modern bells and whistles. A successor to that legacy is waiting in the wings.Planet Coaster 2releases in just a few short weeks, and its development team couldn’t be more excited.
Game Rant recently had the chance to sit down withPlanet Coaster 2’s senior executive producer Adam Woodsto discuss the upcoming sequel. During the interview, Woods candidly spoke about his own upbringing and personal history with theme parks and gaming, his favorite part of the development process, his favorite new additions in the sequel, and a few other tidbits that fans will want to know.The following transcript has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Planet Coaster 2 Is Fueled by Passionate Developers
Q. What’s one ride you’ve never been on before, but would really love to go on?
Woods:The launch coaster (Red Force) in Ferrari Land, front row because then you have to have the special glasses! I definitely want to do that.
Q. Was there one ride in particular that inspired you while makingPlanet Coaster 2?
Woods:I couldn’t say there was one ride. It’s more to do with my childhood and my family. I grew up with everything from a very simple steel crocodile coaster on Clacton Pier, all the way through to Wicker Man at Alton Towers to Vampire at Chessington. I’ve just started to introduce my son and daughter to theme parks as well. We go to a water park in Zante on our holiday.
It’s actually that. It’s that feeling that it’s what I used to do as a kid, it’s what I still do as an older kid, it’s what I do with my children now. The ability to then bring that and combine it with what we laid out in the original game is a bit of a dream come true.
Q. You’ve talked about your passion for theme parks, but where does your passion for gaming come from?
Woods:It probably comes from my dad. He wasn’t a computer person whatsoever, but he bought me and my sister anAmiga 500when we were about 6 years old. He figured the future would be computers, but he didn’t know how to use them. He just bought an Amiga for a 6-year-old and thought, “Well, he’ll be able to figure it out, won’t he!”
That started it really. It was theCartoon Classicspack, it hadCaptain Planet,Lemmings, andThe Simpsons. It just started there, and I’ve been playing games ever since. Now I’m very fortunate that I get to help develop them.
Q. What’s your favorite part of the general game development process? And what’s one thing that’s encouraging you to get through to the end ofPlanet Coaster 2’s development?
Woods:There are two things for me. It never gets old seeing the progression come. I regularly update my build and suddenly there’s this new thing. It was words on a design spec, then it’s words in Visual Studio, and suddenly it makes a thing in a game. That’s absolute magic to me. I’ve been in the industry now for 17 years, and computer games are still utter magic: how they’re actually built and how they put them together.
The other side of it is being able to work with such incredibly talented and intelligent people. They really put their heart and passion into these games across the industry, and it’s a real privilege to see that.
The Senior Executive Producer’s Favorite New Additions to Planet Coaster 2
Q. What’s your favorite addition inPlanet Coaster 2?
Woods:I think, for me, it’s the creative option of being able tocustomize your flat rides and coasters. I’ve already seen some pretty outlandish designs, particularly on the coasters, where people have put fire particle effects and trees and all kinds of things on them. There’s room for some really wild designs.
But when you look at what some of the concept artists have made for the flat rides, it’s just wonderful to see how you can pull all the scenery pieces together and put them on and create these really bespoke rides. I think that’s probably my favoritenew feature inPlanet Coaster 2.
Q. Along similar lines, do you have a favorite new piece of theming?
Woods:It’s like asking to pick a favorite child…but I’m going to! I do love them all, of course I love them all. But the Viking one has some incredible detailing on the signs that make them look like they’re made out of chopped wood. I remember seeing some of the earlyMythology conceptsas well, and it had this really lovely verticality to it, the idea that the gods are in the clouds. All of them are lovely.
Q. Is there one part ofPlanet Coaster 2that you’re able to’t wait for the community to get their hands on?
Woods:It’s hard to say, it’s the output of all the tools we’ve put in. It’s watching how they’re going to build the plazas, the parks, it’s seeing them create posters and attach scenery. But it is the parks at the end of it. I can’t wait to see what they do with all the tools.
How Planet Coaster 2 Is Handling The Onboarding Process
Q: Strategy and management games can be a little difficult for newcomers to get into. How doesPlanet Coaster 2ease new players in, and is there any advice you’d give newcomers looking to jump straight into the sequel?
Woods:Within the career mode, there are two levels dedicated to tutorials. The first one is based on the fundamentals of managing a theme park, as well as coasters and flat rides. The second one focuses a bit more on the water park side. Completing those two will give you a good, solid foundation so that you’re ready for the rest of the career mode.
Also, the way that we try to design our user-interfaces is so that it layers complexity. You’ve got an info panel on a ride, for example, and its first tab is a summary. But you may drill into the details, you can use the heatmaps, and that can lead you to the management screens. Have a look at all the screens first, and you’ll grow with the game and start to ease into the rest of it.
I think the other piece of advice is to look at the ride blueprints. We now can blueprint flat rides, which means you can quickly and easily place these really lovely-looking rides that your guests will find very attractive. You can then use that to inspire yourself.
I should also call out the community very quickly. We have such a lovely, engaged,passionate community surroundingPlanet Coaster, and they’re just willing to help other people out and give tips and tricks. Look at the workshop, look at what they’re creating, and just really immerse yourself in it.
