/vr/ - Retro Games

>>4172538
I've ruminated on this in the past, and I think that the challenge is disproportionately weighted to the beginning of a given scenario. It's a combination of overcoming slow cash flows and getting enough momentum to meet your objective. Past that 18 month point, the challenge quickly dissipates. You have enough rides and attractions to earn a comfortable flow of money and there's enough leeway for you to mess up and have no real consequences come your way. Past the first year and a half, the only time you'll ever see yourself in the red is for a few fleeting seconds after a big purchase. Some of the most challenging scenarios are ones that either purposefully extend that beginning phase or prevent you from leaving it. To use two examples:
-The ultra micro park from the /v/ pack I think. You start with like 2 tiles of land and you have to manually make the money to expand. It's a neat concept, and you have to carefully balance your cash flows in order to stay in the black. Your stay in the beginning period is extended far longer than normal.
-Shnupz's Forlorn Fortress. You start with a maxed out 138,000 13% loan and $8,000 in spending money. You hemorrhage thousands of dollars just trying to get the park started with your limited funds. To this day I haven't been able to escape drowning in debt very early on. Entering ez mode is very difficult because of that constant downward pressure.

I think the common theme in these two cases is the presence of a real negative limitation, be it from space or money. If I were to change something to make the game more challenging, I'd ramp up ride and stall upkeep costs significantly, and make them payable every week instead of 2. Right now, they're pitifully small to the point of being minor inconveniences in the earlygame and utterly negligible in the lategame. With an increase, you'd have to be cognizant of attractions that simply aren't pulling their weight.