Splitvision

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• Sweden

• Logo Artist

This is big for me. I joined NE *checks member list*... 21 years ago now. I have been active on and off and had a longer break in the mid 2010s, but am so happy I found a way back about 6-7 years ago now, and found the community to be as active and innovative as ever. To now finally actually join the Parkmaker category is something I feel happy and proud of, and I want to thank the panelists not only for agreeing to score this oddity (which frankly ended up being mostly a kind of indulgence for myself rather than something really geared for the community) but also for being patient and thinking through your score - and I could not have asked for a better outcome.

Thanks also for all the kind feedback in the comments above. I am very glad to hear that especially for the crowd that is at the intersection of NE and having played Pokemon, you seem to have picked up on what I was going for in terms of vibes and perhaps also in the storytelling elements.

I might consider making my own playthrough video at some point which would showcase the game from start to finish, smartly edited of course so that the extent of all the content and functionality on the map can be digested in a bite-sized format, I am thinking a total runtime of no more than perhaps 10 minutes or so. In parallel Marcel will continue to stream his playthrough, and we have discussed doing a kind of summary and "under-the-hood" video once he is done with that, which I would be very excited about as well. So for those who understandably felt they were not really able to access this park, I hope that kind of content can provide a more fitting way to enjoy this creation.

I will say this - I will definitely not competitively submit an elaborate "game-in-game" creation like this again, but I do feel quite certain I will continue to use my Adventure plugin to create games in RCT, which I still would want to share non-competitvely here, because I think there's still a lot of fun potential in this kind of stuff. I do have one idea cooking already, for an original game where I could allow myself more freedom than in this park, where I of course felt compelled to mimic the Pokemon gameplay aspects as closely as I could. It could therefore be easier to play, and also definitely be less constricted to specific versions of the game or settings etc.

In some competitive creations I might also still consider implementing a very light "layer" of interaction through the Adventure plugin, such as just enabling the viewer to walk around, and perhaps riding a few rides if they want etc - but this would in these cases not at all be the main point of the park, instead it would be more like a simple, fun addition, so I think would not pose the same conundrum as Pokemon Thrill did when it comes to scoring against NE standards.

And to close it out - I do promise to also build some "normal" RCT in the near future! 

Really pretty stuff! Those little wooden pavilions using just the base game wooden fence and rooves will never not look great, and especially so when added to a flume. 

Hey that's fun! I think the junkyard theme in RCT will never get old, love how it looks when it's pulled off well like it is here.

AJ's Prairie Lightning
Really like the countryside setting and the vibrant, pleasant feel to this park. The coaster is solid, although I can't say I understand at all how the steam power is connected here - there is a crashed steam driven train and a lightning bolt shoots up above it and does what...? It also maybe doesn't feel so firmly like a 19th century setting, but I do still like that you chose a more unexpected setting rather than the brick/factory/steelworks theme that is very easy to reach for with this prompt. Also props for entering all rounds so far, all good quality work!

Chamberlain Steel

A great entry packed with fun, coasters and great details! Very solid on all fronts - archy, landscaping, and ride design are all on point. As I mentioned in the Discord, what really stood out to me the most was the river - so brilliant to bring it to life the way you did it. I had originally missed that it even goes from being clear and unpolluted to a dirtier shade after passing the plant's wastewater. The landscaping there is also really fantastic. The steam element is also well represented in general, although it is maybe not directly obvious exactly how it powers or is part of the operation of the coasters. If it weren't for some other entries that are shockingly strong, I think this definitely had the quality to win a TtA round. 

Modern Foundations
A nice entry, where I think the standout is the coaster, which feels well-designed and sweeps through most parts of the map in a cool way. Archy looks good, if not perhaps so remarkable. But I did not catch where the steam-powered element comes in for the coaster. Or is the idea that the steam train represents and checks off that objective?

Steel Valley

I will admit, I am not so much an LL guy, but I can certainly appreciate the elegance and beauty of many of the classic LL parks. But this busier style of LL is not really my cup of tea. It feels a bit too fragmented and at times difficult to read. The coaster meant to adress the objectives of the round is also maybe not so interesting and a little unclear to me where the steam power comes in. That said, I do like the side friction coaster and the wooden wild mouse and those areas.

The Last Frost Fair
Brilliant concept, and while I am not surprised to find this full to the brim with beautiful architecture after seeing who built it, I will at the same time never quite understand how some builders like you guys can plop down this huge quantity of amazing-looking buildings in just a few weeks. Everything that is going on on the ice looks so lively and fun, to the extent that you can picture yourself partaking in the festivities. Only minor complaint is that the coaster doesn't quite live up to the standard of the rest - it seems too discreet, placed toward one side of the map and almost blending in too much with the buildings, and it wasn't made very clear what part of it was steam-powered. Still an incredibly strong entry, and would not be surprised if it took this round.

Victoria Mine - Shaft 13
I friggin love this map. Everything from the concept to the execution is close to flawless for me. One of those parks that look really great and pleasing from the overview compositionally, but also look amazing when you look closely at every detail. On top of that, I feel like it has a very refreshing and original style - there are elements of the sophisticated, grid-breaking and realism-leaning archy that is dominating the NE meta in the last few years, but at the same time it feels a bit more fun and playful than what we typically might see in such parks. And the cherry on top is the coaster, which I find phenomenal in all aspects - it impressively dominates the setting while at the same time fitting so well in, and with the fun vertical drop feature it really becomes a very memorable coaster. A true centerpiece! For me this is the clear winner of the round, excellent work Hepta and RWE!

Oh this is gonna be epic