Coaster Builders,

Put on your hard hats –  it’s almost time to build some coasters!

The first RollerCoaster Tycoon World Beta Weekend will begin for all PC pre-order customers on Friday, October 30^th and run until Monday November 2^nd. The RollerCoaster Tycoon World Beta is a technical demo focusing on our coaster building system and will show tycoons just a small taste of the sandbox experience and great parks you will be able to build when the game launches.

If you’ve already activated RCTW via Steam, the game will be automatically made available via a Steam update on 10/30. If you have yet to activate your game, follow the instructions given by Steam upon your purchase, or if you purchased directly from rollercoastertycoon.com or other retailers, follow this link for activation instructions.

The Beta will let you experience Sandbox mode in our Forest map. It is important to note that we are disabling the financial and peep simulation for Beta Weekend 1. We hope to gather tons of feedback from you all, so make sure to join our community at forum.rollercoastertycoon.com. The features in the beta include:

• Coaster Building: You will be able to utilize the FULL coaster builder across all of the coaster types. This is a HUGE system that we want feedback and testing on from our community. It’s one of the most important parts of the game and we have worked really hard to make it easy and intuitive to use, while providing unprecedented control and depth. Let us know what you think!
• Coaster Simulation: Almost all simulation features of RCTW will be enabled, from Operations Screens, to Physics, to Building. Let us know your thoughts on the feedback the game is providing. Do you like how it’s reporting ride stats? What do you think about the new safety rating? Any and all feedback is appreciated.
• Coaster Physics: We want you to test the limits of our coaster system and show us some of the craziest designs possible so we can identify what we need to tweak over the comings weeks and months. Build something super tall, boost coasters too fast around a track, and of course send them flying off the rails!
• Coaster Riding: Everything you build will be rideable in first person cam. It’s a system we are still tweaking but we want you to test it now and give us feedback!
• Scenery: Just as integral as the coasters you’ll build, scenery helps bring your park to life. For this Beta, we’re offering a selection of in-game scenery options. This is also critical to UGC as we want our future UGC creators to have an idea of some of the in-game scenery we will be offering, how it will look in the game, and how it affects different aspects of the game.
• Paths/Grid: Queue and path systems will be enabled. Tell us how you like our new grid-free map, the on-demand grid, and of course test out those curved paths.
• Terrain Deformation/Water: This system, although simple to use, is actually incredibly complicated to implement due to all the interactions with our building and physics engines. Test it out!
• Additional Features: It goes without saying, but there are a ton of other “under-the-hood” features in there as well.

Additionally, while you are playing the game we will be gathering data on System Configurations (through Steam), reading through your bug reports on our bug tracker (details to be announced next week), interacting on the forums, and much more. We expect a ton of feedback on the performance of the game (as it is NOT fully optimized yet) and will continue to optimize based on that.

The way the Beta program is laid out right now allows for you to make the biggest impact on the game by letting the dev team focus on specific parts as more and more of the game is revealed in stages. We will be doing more Betas in the future and we really need to be able to gather feedback in actionable chunks. For example, performance, peep simulation, and full park operations testing is really the focus of our 2^nd Beta (currently scheduled for late November).

Whether you are thinking of building the world’s tallest coaster or sending it into a harrowing spiral, we can’t wait to see you all in the RollerCoaster Tycoon World Beta on October 30^th.

More questions about the Beta? See our updated FAQ!

But wait – there’s more! I also want to encourage all of our fans to tune into Alienware’s Twitch channel here on October 29^th at 3PM EDT to watch us play the upcoming Beta. We are going to leave time during the Twitch stream for you to ask us questions about the game and we encourage it so bring them all! See you then!

Be sure to sign up for the RCT forums to get all the latest information on RollerCoaster Tycoon World and interact with our team.

Cheers,
Mattlab

Be Sure to Visit Us on the RCTW for Full Discussion of This Blog!

Excerpt From the Full RCTW FAQ

RCTW Beta Weekend 1 FAQ

What is the RollerCoaster Tycoon World beta Weekend 1 Beta?

• The Beta is an opportunity for the team at Nvizzio to test various aspects of the game. Specifically, this weekend they will gather feedback on the coaster builder/systems and user configurations. This is key to further improve the performance of the game. Please be advised that we may be updating the game throughout the weekend.

How do I get into the Beta?

• You must pre-order the game from anyone of a number of digital retailers. A few examples include Steam, Atari.com, and RollerCoastertycoon.com. If you buy it from any retailer other than Steam please be sure to Activate your Game on Steam in order to gain access. You must have Steam installed to play and must be on a PC for Beta Weekend 1.

When is the first RCTW Beta Weekend?

• The Beta will be available on October 30^th and will end on November 2^nd. It is open to all customers who preorder the Standard Edition, Deluxe Edition, or Ultimate Collection.

What time will Beta 1 be available on October 30^th?

• The game will activate on Steam at approximately 6PM EDT on 10/30/15. However, this is subject to change so please visit our Facebook page, Twitter, Forums, and Website for the latest information.

When will Beta 1 end?

• The Beta will end on November 2^nd around 1PM EST.

How do I access Beta 1?

• First you must install Steam (if you have not already). Login with your Steam account. If you purchased the game through Steam it should already be in your library. If you bought it through a 3rd party retailer please make sure to Activate Your Product on Steam. Then on the day of the Beta you will see the product go “live” in your Steam account and be available for download.

How big will the Beta 1 download be?

• It will be approximately 3GB due to Steam’s intelligent compression algorithms.

Can I save my game?

• We will be allowing you to save your parks during the time of the Beta. However, please note as this is only the first Beta it is not guaranteed that your park will work in future Betas or versions of the game.

Can I share video from the Beta?

• Yes!

Where can I give feedback on the Beta?

• Announcements on the best place to file bug reports, give feedback, etc. will be made next week. Stay tuned to our website and forums for more information.

Where can I find more information?

• Visit our FULL FAQ HERE!