Openrct2: Feature request: Ride stats breakdown/itemization, virtual real-time testing, construction speedometer

[ocalhoun6]

I know this would be a pretty big project, but it could be really cool to have...
It might become a standard feature ... or it might be something that you enable/disable through the cheats menu.
----------Ride stats breakdown---------------------------------------------
Suppose that next to each excitement/intensity/nausea rating, there was a little button you could click, like so:

And if you clicked that button, it would open up another window with a breakdown/itemization of how that stat was calculated, such as:
Maximum speed (106km/h): +3.21 (+5.00 possible)
Drops (5): +2.13 (+4.00 possible)
Air Time (1.2 seconds): +1.52 (+3.00 possible)
Interaction with own track (3): +0.30 (+1.2 possible)
Interaction with path (6): +0.73 (+1.2 possible)
Underground sections (7): +0.14 (+.20 possible)
Track pieces more than 10 units above water (3): +0.23 (+1.00 possible)
Track pieces less than 10 units above water (8): +0.45 (+1.00 possible)
High intensity penalty (11.24): -4.32 (unlimited)
Low track length penalty (124m): -2.90 (-3.00 possible)
No inversions penalty (0): -3.00 (-3.00 possible)
... et cetera
(Obviously, these numbers are made up, but you get the idea)
And similar things for nausea and intensity.
(Or, alternatively, there could just be _one_ button, which displays the breakdown for all three stats at once.)

--------virtual real-time testing------------------------------------------------------------
Part two ... because you didn't think I was done building castles in the sky _yet_ did you?

It would be extra cool and useful if these breakdown windows were available at all times, even when the ride is only partially constructed, updating in real time as you build the ride.
They would have to be based on hypothetical/virtual testing of the incomplete ride, handled by an algorithm working in the background, probably.
But it would be really awesome to be able to have that window open and see your potential excitement rating rise as you begin to build track pieces over water. It would be really useful to be able to see it take a nosedive when you build a sharp turn at too high of a speed.

---------construction speedometer----------------------------------------------------------
Yes ... _and_ a part three. Getting a little too ambitious, probably.

If part two was done, it could then be possible to have a 'construction speedometer' -- in the construction window, place a little bit of text showing what speed the train/vehicle is estimated to be traveling when it reaches the piece you're currently building. Something like this:

Or ... possibly, this might be expanded even further, offering not only the speed, but the negative/positive vertical/lateral g forces that the currently selected track piece would produce:

This text might also turn red whenever they're high enough to cause an excitement penalty or a crash (ie, high negative vertical g's on a bobsled coaster).

---

I know this is a daunting project, and it might not be feasible ... but it would be really fun and useful if it was implemented, so I thought I would put the idea out there.

[Gymnasiast]

I think all of these take away from the game _massively_, and I would veto any PR implementing them. It takes away from the art and challenge of building coasters, so I'd consider it a severe degradation of the game.

Having said that though, if someone were to write a plug-in for it, that would be ok.

[HaasJona]

Yes, the appeal of the game is trying to create nice coasters and not optimization of statistics. It's fun to try out different designs and get experience how to build a good coaster. It's not really fun for most players to tweak tables of numbers, but having the calculations visible would quickly lead to that as an optimal strategy.

[ReikaKalseki]

Yes, the appeal of the game is trying to create nice coasters and not optimization of statistics. It's fun to try out different designs and get experience how to build a good coaster. It's not really fun for most players to tweak tables of numbers, but having the calculations visible would quickly lead to that as an optimal strategy.

I second this entirely; it has completely taken over Modded Minecraft community - and is creeping in the Factorio one - for exactly that reason. People feel compelled to "minmax" and it leads to cookie-cutter designs which are designed to the algorithm rather than to fun or anything else.

(Edit Gymnasiast: toned down the language a little bit)