Excitement

Excitement, or Excitement Rating, is one of three Ratings combined to determine the quality and enjoyability of a ride in the RollerCoaster Tycoon series of games. Excitement is measured on a scale that starts at 0 (very dull), and which in theory can be infinitely high (though readings above 10 are extremely rare). Excitement is used primarily as a judge of ride design, and also determines how much guests will pay for ride admission.

Contributing Factors
Ride design is crucial for increasing Excitement. Adding variety to a ride, while decreasing parts that cause discomfort or boredom for the rider, will increase the excitement rating. Generally, rides that have sections that enter the ground are more exciting than rides that stay above-ground. Also, rides that have portions of it going over water will have higher excitement ratings. Rides that have lots of sections with high Positive and Negative G- forces or high Lateral G's will have lower excitement ratings; this is evidenced by many rides built that have very low Excitement Ratings while also having ultra-extreme Intensity ratings - the excessive G-Forces of the ride make the ride not enjoyable, and the excitement rating suffers. An intensity rating must always stay below 10, for the ride to stay exciting.

Nearby scenery and theming can massively increase the excitement rating. Even decorations as minor as planting trees or bushes can increase excitement, but when a theme is developed and the ride conforms and works within this theme (or vice versa), there is a potential to massively increase excitement scores, depending on the ride. In this way, the games simulate reality, as good theming surrounding a ride can in many cases substantially improve a riding experience. Nevertheless, If too much scenery (47 items) had been used, the excitement rating would stop increasing at some point.

Also, having coasters interlocking themselves or others, or having pathways or other rides going trough loops or corkscrews also greatly improves excitement ratings.

If you add scenery or interlocking tracks/paths, it will take a few seconds for the ride to recalculate the new excitement rating. In older versions you might have to close the ride and test it again to get the new value.

In RCT1, excitement is measured on a tiered level. Tracked rides must fulfil a set list of criteria for maximum excitement.

1. The primary factor for excitement is intensity. More intense rides generally have higher excitements. But eventually the relationship stops increasing and drops.

2. Excitement can only increase by up to 3 points by having other rides passing close to the tracks. The more rides nearby increases the excitement rating, but eventually the rating stops increasing even if you build more rides close by.

3. Underground sections increase excitement by up to 2. The more underground-above ground intersections in a ride, the higher the excitement increase, but eventually, the rating stops increasing, even if you have more intersections.

4. Having rides go near water increases excitement by up to 1. Having more length of track going near water increases excitement, but eventually, the relationship plateaus.

5. Playing music increases the excitement, but not by much. E.g 0.3 points.

6. Having more scenery /interlocking paths close to the ride increases excitement, but place more than 41 pieces at least 4 tiles away from the track, and the rating stops increasing.

7. The last way to increase excitement is to "synchronise with adjacent stations". This can increase excitement by as much as 1.5. It doesnt matter if the coasters keep up with each other, just checking this option will increase excitement ratings by a fixed amount.

This tiered system is most probably the reason why roller coasters in RCT1 rarely have extreme and ultra extreme excitement levels.

Some rides will characteristically have lower Excitement ratings than other rides. Roller Coasters will typically have the highest excitement ratings, followed by Water Rides and Thrill Rides, then Gentle Rides and Transport Rides, although there are exceptions in each category. Since riders will pay more to ride a more exciting ride, it is typical, in a pay-per-ride park, to have the Roller Coasters have the highest admission cost, since they are (usually) the most exciting.

Scale
Excitement is measured on a (nominally) 10-point scale, where higher numbers represent higher excitement ratings. Ratings above 10 are possible, but ratings below 0.00 are not.

Excitement is given a value; x.xx; and that value is associated with a category:


 * Low: 0.00 to 2.55
 * Medium: 2.56 to 5.11
 * High: 5.12 to 7.67
 * Very High: 7.68 to 10.23
 * Extreme: 10.24 to 12.79
 * Ultra-Extreme: 12.80 and up

Unlike Intensity or Nausea ratings, a higher or more extreme Excitement rating is desirable. Additionally, a guest will not intentionally ride or not ride a ride because of its Excitement rating, but usually on the Intensity rating.

Uses
The Excitement Rating can be used as a crude estimate of how "fun" a ride is. The more exciting the ride is, the more guests will say "Ride X was great" and return to ride the ride again.As such, it can be used to determine proper admission prices and ride photo prices, queue/line length, and the amount of advertising it should receive. The Excitement Rating also encourages unique building concepts, use of special track elements, and the construction of rides near each other, near paths, near scenery, and underground. In this way, the Excitement Rating works to encourage real-life ride building practices.