Research

Under the research tab, players can choose between different types of rides, shops/stalls, special track elements or scenery, that they want to get developed for use in their park, and how much money they want to spend on researching these additional things.

RollerCoaster Tycoon 1 & 2
Players can choose out of 4 different fundings. The more money you spend on research, the faster new things will be researched.

Maximum funding
Cost: $500 a month.

Additional things for your park will be developed every 30 days.

Normal funding
Cost: $200 a month.

Additional things for your park will be developed every 45 days.

Minimal funding
Cost: $100 a month.

Additional things for your park will be developed every 60 days.

No funding
No additional things for your park will be developed.

RollerCoaster Tycoon 3
Instead of having four options of payment, players can raise and lower their research in increments of $10. The maximum amount is $500.

What can be chosen to be researched
Players can choose out of 6 different options when choosing what should be researched. One or more category's can be chosen at the same time. When no category is chosen, all of them will be researched.

Roller Coasters
New Roller Coasters will be developed for use in the particular scenario.

Thrill Rides
New Thrill Rides will be developed for use in the particular scenario. This includes water rides, including the Water Coaster, except for Boat Hire and Jet Skis.

Gentle Rides
New Gentle Rides will be developed for use in the particular scenario. This includes all of the transport rides.

Shops & Stalls
New Shops/Stalls will be developed for use in the particular scenario.

Scenery
New scenery themes or certain scenery items will be developed for use in the particular scenario.

Ride Improvements
Only appears in RCT1

Ride improvements will be developed for use in the particular scenario. This includes additional special track elements, additional vehicles etcetera. Note: if the next thing to be developed in this category is something for a ride that isn't yet researched, research will be done on all category's. Only when the ride has been developed that is next in line for an improvement to be researched for, this new ride improvement will be researched.

Other Notes
Sometimes in RCT 1 & 2, one of the categories will be yellow, and the box next to this category can't be clicked anymore. This means that every single thing that could be researched in that category, that's available in that particular scenario, has been developed. When all categories are yellow, everything that is available in this scenario has been developed, and nothing new will be researched. The player should then put funding on "no funding", to avoid unnecessary expenses. Note that in RCT3, the player is not told when there is nothing left to research.