Nausea

Nausea is one of three Ratings given to a ride in the RollerCoaster Tycoon series of games, that gauges the overall enjoyability and quality of the ride. The Nausea rating is partially dependent on the Intensity rating, as well as on the type of ride and that ride's configuration. Nausea also increases the Nausea level of individual guests, and can cause them to vomit.

Contributing Factors

Nausea is most directly tied to Vertical G-forces - the up-and-down forces that occur while on a ride. In particular, long stretches of low or Negative G-Forces can have a negative effect on Nausea. Additionally, rides that twist and turn a great deal will have an impact on nausea.

Some types of rides are predisposed to higher-than-usual Nausea ratings, simply due to the ride's design. While care can be taken to keep levels low, often it is very difficult to create an Exciting enough ride while simultaneously keeping Nausea at low levels.

Scale

Nausea is measured on a scale that starts at 0.00 and goes infinitely high, though ratings above 10 are rare and not desirable. The scale is broken up into categories, which are:

• 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 the Excitement rating, in which a higher level is better, or the Intensity rating were levels vary depending on the target audience, a low or nonexistent Nausea rating is preferable - the lower the rating, the better. This is very rarely a possibility, but there is no benefit and indeed there are many drawbacks to having rides with high or extreme Nausea ratings. Even moderately high ratings lead to increased path litter and a decrease in ridership (some riders have no nausea tolerance and will avoid all but the least nausea-inducing rides).

Uses

The Nausea Rating can be used in conjunction with the Intensity Rating to identify and fix trouble spots on a ride, that cause needlessly high ratings and which reduce the Excitement of the ride. Nausea Ratings can also be used as a warning of increased path litter, making it easier to identify areas where Handymen may need to patrol. Additionally, the rating can help in planning the locations of food Stalls, as nauseous guests typically avoid food and drink, as well as the placement of restrooms.

See Also

Excitement

Intensity