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Whether you have good park design or not, you will definitely need decent rides to keep your guests entertained no matter what the circumstances. I will say straight out that learning how to consistently build good rides takes a lot of time...by using these tips before you, maybe, just maybe, it will be easier.

THE MOST IMPORTANT RULE: Wait until you have a nice amount of cash. Don't build a ride with a limited amount of money that could be much better with extra currency to use. WAIT until you have enough money to properly construct a ride with many different elements that will fully entertain your guests, rather than some half-ass coaster that goes in circles.

ROLLERCOASTERS
CRAZY RODENT:
         Crazy Rodent coasters, when built correctly, can be very exciting. These coasters, however, are normally more intense than the others, but you should still try to keep the intensity level under 10 if at all possible. If the conditions allow, the best way to start the ride is to have it drop under ground (all the way to ground level "1") right out of the station. Then turn or go straight. Either way, start an immediate steep climb. Take the coaster all the way to the top, then start the descent. I have found the best way to be not one long drop to start, but rather a series of drops in between sharp turns. This keeps the intensity down if the drops are spaced out correctly, and also gives your more possibilities with going with the track under and/or over itself. Try to do a lot of the cris-crosses, as the greatly increase the excitement. One final note: Try to keep these rides under 1:30. I know they are inexpensive and you might tend to build long, elaborate tracks, but the lines can get tremendously long. If you do choose to do that, be sure to have an entertainer patrol that specific area to keep the waiting guests happy.

STAND UP:
         Stand up coasters present and interesting challenge. Try to combine the fancy track elements with low g-forces (the riders feel the ride to be more intense when standing up) while at the same time keeping the speed relatively high. After all, a coaster that runs at 20 MPH is no fun. So, you have to achieve some sort of balance. That, my friend, takes time to learn and unless your are very talented, your first stand-up designs will surely suck. This coaster design is better learned with experience, but I will give you this advice: Try not to start out with a big drop. It is my experience that tells me to have a moderate first drop, then let the coaster run for a while, then gradually get back down to station level. And be sure to throw in some inversions and helix's along the way; it greatly increases the excitement.

WOODEN:
         Wooden rollercoasters are all about one thing: hills. When you build them, sections should look like slithering snakes, going up and down, up and down. While this does make the ride intense, it also makes it very exciting. On Ride Photos are also very profitable when put at the end of the first, massive hill (try to make your first hill AT LEAST 50 ft. high). Also, once you develop them or cheat your way there, water splashes are very useful and don't take up too much space, although the track will need to be slightly elevated to use it. These are a great way to increase excitement; when used in conjunction with the other track elements and strategies, wooden coasters can have the potential to be some of the most exciting rides out there. MINE TRAIN:
         Mine Train coasters, while appearing the be similar to wooden coasters, are actually quite different and require different techniques. Wooden coasters focus mainly on steep drops and climbs; mine trains, however, focus mainly on high speeds and twisting track. The best way to construct a mine train coaster is to begin with one big hill, then continue building on that with many turns and helixes. As the game itself even tells you, these types of rides are even more exciting when you add tunnels. Don't, however, construct the whole ride within a mountain; having it pop in and out increases the excitement.

STEEL MINI:
         Steel Mini coasters are much more versitile than you might first think. They are often looked upon as the "coaster you are able to build before the good ones." But, you may find that with enough skill, you can build a mini coaster to be just as entertaining as the more expensive, more elaborate siblings. As I see it, steel mini coasters are most effective when built in one of two ways. One way is to build the coaster is a very compact space, having it twist back and forth all around itself. This design saves space, and also is very exciting, especially if you have 3 trains running at the same time. Imagine the track dipping suddenly under a train fastly moving overhead. Sound exciting? It is. If you use this design, try to have many big hills; you will use a lot of turns and unfortunately you can't use banked turns of this type of coaster. Instead, use short, quick drops adequately spaced to get the coaster down to the ground again. The other useful method to build these coasters is to construct a wide, looping track around lots of scenery. The steel minis can take advantage of the fact that they don't go quite as fast as the bigger steel versions. Sometimes, all you need is a little scenery to increase the excitement.

STEEL:
         Steel coasters are my favorite coasters to build because they are very versitile and give such a smooth ride. The basic strategy for building these types is to keep it going very fast, preferably by gradual downhills. The best way to construct a steel coaster is to have it wind all around itself with helixes and loops and such. Remember to use the special track elements; especially the 45° banked turn, which will come in handy when you got the trains to go REALLY fast. Overall, this is probably the hardest coaster design, other than reverse whoa belly, to screw up if you watch your lateral and verical g's.

CORKSCEW:
         You will most likely end up with one of two scenarios when you build a corkscrew rollercoaster: a)you will get it right, or close to right b)you will get it horribly wrong. Why? Building corkscrew coasters can be confusing for sure, but there are a few steps you can take to help better the constructing. 1)Don't position the corkscrews or inversions too close on the track to turns. Give the train enough space to straighten out, achieve a steady speed, THEN turn. Those of you who have ridden a corkscrew coaster know that it can get quite jerky and beat the hell out of your head at certain points. 2)Watch how many inversions you have. You may be tempted to build corkscrews every where, but 5 or even a less number of inversions are just fine. Once you get good at this type of ride, however, you can add more. At the official RCT site, game creator Chris Sawyer has constructed a coaster with 10 inversions that still is under a 10 intensity rating.

INVERTED:
         Inverted coasters are some of the most exciting rides to go on because of the exposed feeling you have when your legs dangle below you. Thus, you would do well to have the "leg-chopping" effect on your inverted coasters. This can be achieved by skimming over trees, scenery, or even back over the coaster itself. Inverted coasters are the kind that have a lot of turns and twists (be sure to make good use of in-line twists!). Try not to have the coaster run straight for too long. Just like a standing coaster, the inverted rides make the guests more sensitive to g-forces, so be careful about your entrance speed to both turns and inversions. The best strategy I have found for constructing these types of coasters is to have a moderate (39ft.) hill start the run, then slowly build up speed. Instead of using a lift hill, you may choose to shoot out the coaster, then have it helix its way up to the top. If you have too high of an intensity rating on an inverted coaster, the culprit is usually high lateral g's. Check your turns, especially those close to an inversion, and consider widening them.

Well, I still have tons of work to do on this guide. I will finish writing construction tips for all 14 coasters, then move on to the "Other Rides" section. So, check back soon! (and often!) Also, got a tip I could use? Mail it to me!