Planet Coaster 2 Dev Talks Inspirations, new favorite features and more

Fast approaching its 8th birthday, Planet Coasters still widely regarded as one of the best theme park management/building games out there, hearkening back to genre icons such as Roller Coaster Tycoon while adding a host of modern bells and whistles. A successor to that legacy awaits behind the scenes. Planet Coaster 2 is being released in just a few short weeks, and its development team couldn't be more excited.

Game Rant recently had the chance to sit down with Planet Coaster 2s executive producer Adam Woods to discuss the upcoming sequel. During the interview, Woods opened up about his own upbringing and personal history with theme parks and games, his favorite part of the development process, his favorite news in the sequel, and a few other tidbits fans want to know. The following transcript has been edited for clarity and brevity.

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Q. What's one ride you've never been on before, but would really love to go on?

Woods: The launch ship (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 a particular ride that inspired you when you were driving Planet Coaster 2?

Woods: I couldn't tell it was a ride. It has more to do with my childhood and my family. I grew up on everything from a very simple steel crocodile coaster at Clacton Pier, all the way to the Wicker Man at Alton Towers to the Vampire at Chessington. I have just started introducing my son and daughter to theme parks as well. We are going to a water park in Zante on our holiday.

It actually is. 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 kids now. The ability to then take that and combine it with what we put 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 games come from?

Woods: It probably comes from my dad. He wasn't a computer person at all, but he bought me and my sister an Amiga 500 when we were about 6 years old. He thought the future would be computers, but he didn't know how to use them. He has just bought an Amiga for a 6-year-old and thought: “Well, he'll be able to figure it out!”

It really started. It was Cartoon classics pack, it had Captain Planet, lemmingsand The Simpsons. It started right there, and I've been playing games ever since. Now I am very fortunate to be able to help develop them.

Q. What is your favorite part of the general game development process? And what is one thing that encourages you to make it through to the end of Planet Coaster 2development?

Woods: There are two things for me. It never gets old to see developments coming. I regularly update my build and suddenly there is a new thing. It was words on a design spec, then it's words in Visual Studio, and suddenly it's doing a thing in a game. It is absolute magic to me. I've been in the business now for 17 years, and computer games are still pure magic: how they're actually built and how they put them together.

The other side of that 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 addition to Planet Coaster 2

Q. What is your favorite supplement i Planet Coaster 2?

Woods: I think for me, being able to customize your flat rides and coasters is the creative option. I've already seen some pretty outlandish designs, especially on coasters, where people have put fire particle effects and trees and all sorts of things on them. There is room for some really wild designs.

But when you look at what some of the concept artists have done for the flat rides, it's just wonderful to see how you can pull all the pieces of scenery together and put them on and create these really custom rides. I think it's probably my new favorite feature Planet Coaster 2.

Q. Similarly, do you have a new favorite theme?

Woods: It's like asking to pick a favorite child…but I will! I love them all, of course I love them all. But the Viking has some incredible details on the signs that make them look like they're made of chopped wood. I remember seeing some of the early mythology concepts as well, and it had a really lovely verticality, the idea that the gods are in the clouds. Everyone is wonderful.

Q. Is there a part of Planet Coaster 2 that you can't wait for the community to get their hands on?

Woods: It's hard to say, it's the result of all the tools we've put in. It is to see how they will build squares, parks, it is to see them create posters and attach landscapes. But that's the parks at the end of it. I can't wait to see what they do with all the tools.

How Planet Coaster 2 handles the boarding process

Q: Strategy and management games can be a bit difficult for newcomers to get into. How do Planet Coaster 2 make it easier for new players, and is there any advice you can give to newcomers looking to jump straight into the sequel?

Woods: Within the career mode, there are two tiers dedicated to tutoring. The first is based on the basics of running a theme park, as well as roller coasters and roller skating. The other focuses a little more on the water park side. Completing these two will give you a good, solid foundation so you're ready for the rest of the career mode.

The way we try to design our user interfaces is also such that it creates complexity. For example, you have an info panel about a ride, and its first tab is a summary. But you can drill into the details, you can use the heatmaps, and it can lead you to the management screens. Take 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 second piece of advice is to look at the blueprints. We can now draw flat rides, which means you can quickly and easily place these really beautiful rides that your guests will find very attractive. You can then use it to inspire yourself.

I should also call out the community very quickly. We have such a lovely, engaged and passionate community Planet Coastersand they are only willing to help other people and give tips and tricks. Watch the workshop, watch what they create and simply immerse yourself in it.