My compact coaster collection v1.3
TL;DR: Very small coasters meeting the minimum stat requirements
v1.3: Updated my downloadable park with new variants presented in further posts below, plus a few more alternative designs and a few fixes.
I'm old enough to have played RCT when it first came out and retro enough to sometimes return to my old favourites. I have previously built compact coasters, for me it's a puzzle game within the game, trying to squeeze a lot of coaster into a small footprint.
I returned to this puzzle game after discovering the youtube channel of Marcel Vos, who was gracious enough to also post the minimum requirements (below which there are penalties to the coaster stats) for all coaster types on reddit. So I went ahead and tried to build the smallest coasters which meet these requirements.
Reddit link: https://www.reddit.com/r/LordMarcel/comments/78maqk/rct2_table_with_the_minimum_stat_requirements_for/
My main goal was the smallest possible footprint, which often meant placing entrance and exit inside the track, but only if it is possible to place/dig paths to the outside. If you don't feel like digging or a scenario won't allow landscaping, just place them on the outside of the track.
However, I wanted to be able to transport a decent number of passengers, so station length and thus number of trains/cars are a slight factor. Which also means that unless a coaster is launched I aimed to run at least two trains, though some of them are so short that one train would be nearly as efficient.
In fact, many of these tiny coasters are very efficient and can transport a lot of customers per hour. Only three of these designs can't achieve over 1,500 customers per hour: The Wooden Wild Mouse, the Dinghy Slide and the Steeplechase. No wonder, since their cars can only fit two passengers.
And I also wanted to avoid height whereever possible, some coasters could have had a smaller footprint if I build them stupidly high, but I think it looks ugly, plus it drives up the cost. Marcel Vos himself has created lots of coasters which are unbeatably cheap, for me it was a secondary consideration, size came first. On-ride photo sections are included unless I didn't find a place for them.
No cheats were used except for the chainlift trick, if a train is long enough it can climb a bend or a steep hill without a chainlift on those pieces. To download them I have placed them all in a basic park, including some alternative versions squeezed into the bottom of the park. It's attached at the end of this rather long post. It's full of guests so you can see the coasters in use and if you like any of them, you can save them individually.
I usually like my stations to be at the bottom, though raised stations can lead to a smaller solution. Duelling wasn't a consideration, though a number of these coasters can duel with a mirror version (or front to back, if you're lazy). I also like a bit of variety, I came up with identical solutions for some of them in which case I usually picked a “second best” candidate for one of them. Currently the Wooden and the Steel Wild Mice are identical, but I included a different version I quite like for each as well.
Now I'll show them all individually with their naked stats in the track editor. I'll present them by length requirement, longest to shortest, followed by those without a length requirement, first those without a launched mode and then with a launched mode. I have included some water rides, too. I'll mention the requirements, seldomly the minimum max speed and g-forces, because they are usually a given. Note: Some of the designs presented here have been replaced over time by new versions which I showcase in further posts below.
Bobsleigh Coaster
Requirements: 370 m, 42 kmph
11x5, 370 m. I think I have come up with a very nice design with turns going into both directions, which won't be true of many of these coasters. It is a pretty slow ride, though. I would have liked to include a block brake somewhere in the middle of the track to run three trains, but I couldn't find a spot which wouldn't drop the max speed below the requirement.
Wooden Roller Coaster
Requirements: 370 m, 2 drops, 9 m drop
10x5, 372 m. You can see the lifthill trick in action on this coaster. I started with banked turns but discovered unbanking them makes next to no difference to the stats and it is a bit cheaper. In my park I included a 10x6 version I also like, which doesn't go over the mimimum required 9 metres, so it looks even more compact.
Mine Train Coaster
Requirements: 370 m, 2 drops, 6 m drop
10x5, 372 m. I could have copied my Wooden Coaster design and a lifthill of only 10.5 m height, but this once I personally prefer this taller version based on the Bobsleigh Coaster, substituting the helix with a twisted drop.
Suspended Swinging Coaster
Requirements: 370 m, 9 m drop
10x6, 373 m. They said it couldn't be done, better men have tried and failed, but I got this awkward coaster and it's 4.5 m height clearance down to 10x6. A block break is helpful here just for the longer trains (5 cars instead of 4), but the ride time is short enough that two trains are fine.
Mine Ride
Requirement: 270 m
9x5, 270 m. This ride never slows down, so the last 180 degree turn is a bit intense.
Side-Friction Coaster
Requirements: 250 m, 2 drops, 4 m drop
10x5, 258 m. I feel the Side-Friction needs a station length of 6 minimum, which allows 3 trains with 3 cars each, it's so slow I should really go for an even longer station and thus size. The problem is the low speed and long ride time of 72 seconds, making this rather inefficient. Marcel Vos has a design which looks a lot bigger, though the footprint is actually only a little bigger while the ride time is also a lot faster and thus more efficient.
Virginia Reel
Requirements: 210 m, 2 drops
8x4, 210 m. I was missing 3 metres with a lifthill of 4.5 m and thought I'd have to start over, but came up with a cool solution using a 6 m lifthill.
Reverser Coaster
Requirements: 200 m, 2 drops, 1 inverser section
10x5, 200 m. Only one reverser section, since only the one is needed, so every other ride is sitting backwards. Surprisingly high throughput, decent speed, fairly popular, I underestimated this coaster.
Mini Suspended Coaster
Requirements: 200 m, 4m drop
10x5, 200 m. Even this design requires a little digging for paths. Exactly 200 metres long, that's nice. 10 cars can just about be handled, optimal throughput. Careful though, if it breaks down cars get stuck on the ride.
River Rapids
Requirements: 200 m, a drop
6x5, 218 m. I could shave off a little to get closer to the minimum length, but I think for all water rides longer means more excitement, so I'm fine with this.
Wooden Wild Mouse
Requirements: 170 m, 3 drops, 6 m drop
7x3, 171 m. Just this once I built a little higher than necessary to be able to squeeze it into just 7x3. A bit intense for my taste, not sure I'd dare to ride this irl.
Steel Wild Mouse
Requirements: 170 m, 3 drops, 6 m drop
6x4, 171 m. Same requirements, same track pieces, you could copy the 7x3 Wooden version above. But the cars fit twice the passengers, so I went with a 6x4 design instead.
Inverted Hairpin Coaster
Requirements: 170 m, 3 drops, 6 m drop
6x4, 170 m. Again, same requirements, same track pieces. However, the 6 m drop only registers as a 5 m drop (is this a bug?), it actually needs a 7.5 m drop. I went with a longer ride time because it fits more cars onto the small station.
Spinning Wild Mouse
Requirements: 170 m, 2 drops, 4 m drop
6x4, 171 m. It didn't take long to find a solution for this one, even though it is missing a steep lifthill. I have added a brake to keep intensity and nausea down and I also added a spin block piece. Without it the cars would have to turn nearly a full 360 degrees in the station. With it they align well, though only every other round, because they get unlocked again. I could try a new design but noticed in the park that passengers add randomness, so just getting it righ in the track designer might not help.
By the way, I know smaller footprints are possible for these coasters using block brakes, but I don't like my cars to be stopped at block brakes the whole time, a simple continuous circuit is preferable, methinks.
Dinghy Slide
Requirements: 140 m, 9m drop
9x5, 173 m. The last ride with a minimum length requirement. Well, with a drop that size and no steep lifthill you really don't need that short length requirement, this is the shortest I could manage - 176 m, not 170 m, if I remember correctly.
Onto the coasters with no minimum length requirement. I'll start with the coasters without a launch mode, which do need a complete circuit though technically a train doesn't have to travel the whole circuit, which can allow for smaller designs, though I have made versions which utilise the whole circuit.
Giga Coaster
Requirements: 2 drops, 12 m drop
A tall 11x2 loop using boosters and chain lifts is the shortest complete loop the Giga can manage, you'll find it in my park. Maybe a little cheaty is the fact that Giga trains cannot be shorter than 4 cars even with a two-tile station. But here's a more traditional 9x5 design running two trains, also using boosters instead of a lift hill and needing a brake to reduce the speed through the final unbanked turn. Plus it'd be too fast otherwise to properly utilise two trains.
Flying Rollercoaster
Requirements: 1 inversion, max speed at least 36 kmph
18x2, 162 m. The Flying Coaster has two options for inversions, the half loop and the inline twist. I'll offer options for both because I like both of them. The first uses the half loop: Raising the station to 4.5 m helps to keep the length in check.
9x5, 182 m. My solution for the inline twist is more expensive, has a larger footprint and no room for an on-ride photo, but it's cute and small. If it wasn't for the max speed requirement the lifthill could be even smaller.
Lay-Down Rollercoaster
9x5, 100 m. The coaster has the same requirements as the above and all the same track pieces, but you cannot replicate the 9x5 design above because that was inverted. Instead I came up with this rather simple design, twisting in slow motion. There's also a block brake which will be in heavy use, the only way to have trains long enough to make the lifthill trick. This one isn't running in the park but among the variants sitting idly in the bottom row.
Compact Inverted Coaster
Requirement: 9 m drop or an inversion
11x4, 108 m. Again, rather unspectacular, I'd prefer a length requirement on all these coasters. I came up with an even shorter version of just 93 m, but using a raised platform, so I prefer this one.
Multi-Dimensional Coaster
Requirements: 2 drops or an inversion, 36 kmph
10x5, 189 m. Just a terrible coaster, imho, with very few track pieces. The ride time is fairly long, you have the room to extend the station by one tile and run two trains with 7 cars instead of 5, but it is more intense and nauseating.
Spiral Coaster
Requirements: 2 drops, 9 m drop
10x4, 142 m. Full credit to Marcel Vos, his cheapest design is unbeatable, adding the second drop through an upward helix piece, very clever. All I did is lengthen it by one, the extra station piece allows for twice the capacity, 4 cars instead of 2, and that's a really decent throughput. I developed my own variants, 5 tiles wide, allowing for longer trains and/or block brakes, but in-game the throughput is pretty much the same, so are the stats, so just stick with this.
Junior Coaster
Requirement: 4 m drop
8x5, 86 m. Which brings me to the Junior Coaster. Again, the smallest version by Marcel Vos is fully sufficient, after adding a block brake and running two short trains with very little waiting, the throughput goes over 1500 passengers an hour, not bad for such a short station. I have created one of my 9x5 versions with a longer station and trains, it's in my park, but the puzzle is already solved with this little version.
Classic Mini Coaster
Requirement: 4 m drop
7x5, 79 m. Thanks to a steep drop I got this down to an even smaller footprint. However, the block brake is now a turn back and thus in heavy use, might be nicer to make this 8x5 and place the block brake right behind the station.
Mini Coaster
Requirements: 2 drops, 9 m drop
9x5, 186 m. Though it seems so similar to the Classic Mini, the Mini actually has pretty tough requirements and doesn't have a curved lifthill. So it needs a “real” track. The rocket cars of the Classic are always available, I think, so use 2x3 rocket trains for a 4% excitement boost.
Hyper-Twister Coaster
Requirements: 2 drops, 9 m drop
9x5, 178 xm. Unlike the Hyper Coaster this one doesn't have a launch mode and it needs a station length of 5 to run 2 trains.
Hyper Coaster
Requirements: 2 drops, 9 m drop
9x4, 150. The first of the launched coasters. I started with a longer station and 5 cars, but it never seems to fill up. So I was able to reduce it to 9x4 with a train of 3 cars, which still transport plenty of customers per hour.
Looping Rollercoaster
Requirements: An inversion or 2 drops, 10 m drop
8x5, 123 m. As I already mentioned, launched coasters don't need a complete track. As Marcel Vos shows, you can just build a loop in front of the station and pick a speed low enough so that the train doesn't complete the loop. I went with a complete circuit instead, but it is a pretty intense ride with high speed in unbanked curves.
LIM Coaster
Requirements: 2 drops, 7 m drop or an inversion
I pick the inversion. For the smallest footprint it's tough to beat Marcel Vos' looped design, a half-loop directly out of the station followed by a twist and then another half-loop back to the station. If that's too tall for you I have a totally unsafe flat version with just the twists directly on the ground, I would not ride that in real life. The cars actually vanish into the ground, maybe OpenRCT should disallow this design.
Stand-Up Coaster
Requirement: 9 m drop
9x5, 149 m. Another terrible coaster. I came up with a cute lifthill design until I realised it has a launch option, in the park you find a working version which is 10x4 and 98 m short and for once paths are easy to place. This version is also included.
Inverted Coaster
Requirement: 9 m drop
10x5, 108 m. Again, there is an even smaller launched version in the park, just 9x4 with 89 metres. But here's my simple 10x5 chainlift version running two trains, about 0.4 less intense.
Water Coaster
Requirements: 6 m drop, one water track piece
10x5, 190 m. No worries about the last turn back into the station being too intense thanks to the water section which acts like a brake.
Corkscrew Coaster
Requirements: 2 drops, 9 m drop or an inversion
It's impossible to come up with anything which can compete with Marcel Vos' extremely short design. I again went with the smallest circuit, a very obvious design with four corkscrew pieces, just 6x4. Lengthening to 7x4 does nothing, but 8x4 doubles the capacity. If you want or need higher intensity, just increase the launch speed.
Vertical Drop Coaster
Requirement: 15 m drop
10x4, 160 m. It's probably enough to run 2x3 trains rather than 4x2, throughput is very high.
Inverted Impulse Coaster
Requirement: 15 m drop
5x2, 49 m. The design including with the game points you towards the smallest closed circuit you can achieve, the coaster has so few track pieces anyway it's pretty obvious. Since it's so ridiculously tall, I don't usually like it in my parks, so this time I'm instead presenting the very smallest version which meets the requirement.
Log Flume
Requirement: one drop
8x5, 156 m. The Log Flume needs the smallest of drops and has no ride length requirement as far as I know, but the excitement will barely get past 2.00, but that increases with a longer ride length and higher drops. So here's a version which is still small but at least gets to over 3.00 excitement.
Splash Boats
Requirement: 4 m drop
8x10, 124 m. So this is the smallest possible design meeting the sole requirement, but adding to the length and drop height quite quickly gets you to 4.00 excitement. I actually quite like the included “Doubledrop” design, I recommend turning it into a single drop, that's even more exciting. The official footprint is large, but the high part towers above most flat rides and my small coasters and is great to build on slopes, too.
Finally, not pictured but in the park: The shortest possible Reverse Freefall and an Airpowered Vertical Coaster Marcel Vos presented on youtube which he calls the most overpowered coaster of them all, though it actually doesn't even meet all minimum requirements.
1096997225_CompactCompilationParkv1.3.sv6
