How to Transfer Your Scenario Progress

Author/Contributors: Dave "RCT Help"

These instructions are designed to help anybody who wants to reinstall Rollercoaster Tycoon™ and any official add-ons but not lose the progress they have made in the scenarios. The instructions also work for moving progress between computers. However they do not allow progress from one computer to be merged with progress from another.

It is recommended that you print these instructions before using them.

The techniques described here are not supported by Hasbro™, the publishers of Rollercoaster Tycoon.  The only officially supported way to restore progress is to keep copies of saved game files from completed scenarios.  This is described at the official game website.  Using the officially supported tehniques, if you wish to transfer progress between computers, this means transferring many megabytes of saved game files and only if you've kept them or made them in the first place!  The method described here involves moving only one file, typically about 4 kilobytes in size.

This description is my own, but the first time I saw the method described was in a post by Henry Winkelstein to the Rollercoaster Tycoon fans' newsgroup at alt.games.rctycoon. Henry wrote my favourite Rollercoaster Tycoon Trainer, TRG Swiss Army Knife.

The instructions have been successfully used on English and none-English language versions of Rollercoaster Tycoon, and the game add-ons Added Attractions™ (called Corkscrew Follies™ in the USA) and Loopy Landscapes running under all versions of Microsoft Windows™ from 95 to XP (but excluding NT v4) using the most up to date versions of the game and add-ons available as at January 11, 2002.

The steps to be followed are different depending upon whether or not you have one of the game add-ons, and to be able to use them you need to know basic Windows Explorer techniques such as copying and renaming files, and how to change your computer's time and date.  Click on one of the links below for the appropriate instructions.

I don't have any of the game add-ons
I do have one of the game add-ons

I don't have Added Attractions or Loopy Landscapes

Make a copy of the file called SC.IDX.  This is in the Rollercoaster Tycoon SCENARIOS directory on your hard disk.  (If you have a default installation, this will be  C:\Program Files\Hasbro Interactive\Rollercoaster Tycoon\Scenarios).  Put the copy somewhere else on your disk (or on a floppy disk if you want to move progress between computers).  Make sure the copy is not in any of the Rollercoaster Tycoon directories or it may get deleted if you uninstall the game later. Now, depending on whether you want to reinstall Rollercoaster Tycoon, or move your progress to another computer, click on one of the links below.

I want to reinstall Rollercoaster Tycoon
I want to move my RCT progress to another computer

I want to reinstall Rollercoaster Tycoon

1. First uninstall Rollercoaster Tycoon.  It is recommended that you keep the saved game files.  You don't need them to get your progress back if you follow the rest of these instructions, but it's always nice to able to go back and look at old parks you've made!
2. Follow the instructions below for moving RCT progress to another computer.

I want to move RCT progress to another computer

1. If you haven't already, install Rollercoaster Tycoon, any official patches you need, and the unofficial Drexler patch if you like to play with any of the unofficial parks available on the web.
2. Start the game at least once.
3. Rename the SC.IDX that has been created in the SCENARIOS directory on your hard disk.  (If you have a default installation, this will be  C:\Program Files\Hasbro Interactive\Rollercoaster Tycoon\Scenarios).
4. Reset the time on your system to 20 December 1998.
5. Copy the old SC.IDX that you made into the SCENARIOS directory.
6. Start the game up.  If you choose the New Game icon from the title screen, you should see that your progress has been restored.
7. Reset the system date and time to the correct value.
8. That's it.  You've finished.

I have Added Attractions and/or Loopy Landscapes

Make a copy of the file called CSS0.DAT.  This is in the Rollercoaster Tycoon DATA directory on your hard disk.  (If you have a default installation, this will be  C:\Program Files\Hasbro Interactive\Rollercoaster Tycoon\Data).  Put the copy somewhere else on your disk (or on a floppy disk if you want to move progress between computers).  Make sure the copy is not in any of the Rollercoaster Tycoon directories or it may get deleted if you uninstall the game later. Now, depending on whether you want to reinstall Added Attractions and/or Loopy Landscapes, or move your progress to another computer, click on one of the links below.

I want to reinstall Added Attractions and/or Loopy Landscapes
I want to move my AA/LL progress to another computer

I want to reinstall Added Attractions and/or Loopy Landscapes

1. First uninstall Rollercoaster Tycoon.  It is recommended that you keep the saved game files.  You don't need them to get your progress back if you follow the rest of these instructions, but it's always nice to able to go back and look at old parks you've made!
2. Follow the instructions below for moving AA/LL progress to another computer.

I want to move my AA/LL progress to another computer

1. If you haven't already, install Rollercoaster Tycoon
2. If you own Loopy Landscapes and Added Attractions, and it isn't already install Loopy Landscapes.  There is no need for you to reinstall Added Attractions.
3. If the only add-on you own is Added Attractions, and you haven't already, install it.
4. Install any official patches you need, and the unofficial Drexler patch if you like to play with any of the unofficial parks available on the web.
5. Start the game at least once.
6. Rename the CSS0.DAT that has been created in the DATA directory on your hard disk.  (If you have a default installation, this will be  C:\Program Files\Hasbro Interactive\Rollercoaster Tycoon\Data).
7. Reset the time on your system to 20 December 1998.
8. Copy the old CSS0.DAT that you made into the DATA directory. After copying, ensure that the file is NOT read-only by right-clicking on it and selecting 'Properties'.
9. Start the game up.  If you choose the New Game icon from the title screen, you should see that your progress has been restored.
10. Reset the system date and time to the correct value.
11. That's it.  You've finished.

Finished

Congratulations.  You have successfully restored or moved your scenario progress in Rollercoaster Tycoon or Added Attractions/Loopy Landcsapes. It is now safe to copy back your saved games into the RCT Saved Games folder. After you have copied them, ensure that the 001 file in the Saved Games folder is NOT read-only. You can check this by right-clicking on the file called 001 and selecting 'Properties' from the menu.