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The stage is set for the biggest and best contest in RCT history. It started with the Hi-Rollers Championship which eventually helped spawn the idea for the first annual Pro Tour. More than a year later we return with the best collection of parkmakers ever and a brand new bench coming in a couple days. The size hasn't even been determined yet, as different rumors have been flying around about 85x85, 90x90, or even 100x100 benches. Even the scenery included is unknown at the moment. Still, all the invitations have been sent out and accepted, and those who failed to do so are now too late. That means perennial favorite Mala will have missed his first contest in two years unfortunately, but it also opens the field much more for the rest of the group. Congratulations to all of the preliminary winners who earned their spot into the world's greatest contest, and to those who missed out, better luck next year. So...first things first, the announcement of the remaining three bonus spots.
Bonus Week Results
Winner - Thunderbird by Steve
2nd Place - Dental Valley by postit
3rd Place - The Woods by Metropole
4th Place - Chiron vs. Urinos by Master Jay
5th Place - The Journey by Adonis
6th Place - The Fairytale Forest by Inversed
7th Place - Jungle Explorer by Levis
8th Place - Extol by Chapelz
9th Place - Hibbing State Park by Ekimmel
Next...the two extra bonus spots...
Congratulations to Metropole for earning the first of the two bonus spots. While he only got in two entries over the course of the preliminaries, both were of high quality and very unique from each other. First he lost in a nail biter to penguinBOB in the Inverted Coaster round with his speciality "Inspiration" coaster. Still, one ride is not enough to earn a bonus spot, so wisely Metropole submitted his suspended coaster he missed the first time around, the awkward but original "The Woods" entry which came 3rd in the very tough bonus round. These two together proved to me enough that Metro has both the skill and the productivity to be a threat in the final...and immediately puts himself as a favortie for one of the two new NE Parkmaker spots up for grabs.
Secondly, congratulations to Chapelz for snabbing the second bonus spot. This spot was incredibly tough to choose. At first I had narrowed it down to 8 or 9 potential people for this spot before reaching the final four. After everything was said and done, I decided chapelz should get the spot. He gave us three entries this time around....although it was more like two and a half. First and my favorite, in the 4D round he entered "Constantine" which I loved..too bad it was unfinished and Six Frags walked away with the win in that one. Next he entered a very nice bridge entry but yet again, he fell just short and lost to magnus. Finally, it came make or break time as the bonus round rolled around...and well, chapelz choked. He submitted a half finished wooden coaster that needed a lot of work and came second to last. Still, with his first two entries, his half-attempt at the bonus round, and his overall skill, I felt he would do the best in the final.
Thanks to everyone who entered the prelims. Levis came the closest to landing a bonus spot as he was very productive throughout the entire Preliminaries, submitting a whopping four entries. He came on strong with the original "Playboy Park" and his liquid coaster experiment "Atlantic Quest". Unfortunately, he didn't make it due to his other two entries which were way below par. First with the mine train "Route to El Dorado" which unexplainably mixed snowy mountains with El Dorado, and finally his bonus entry which really disappointed me, showing a real lack of theming and creativity, instead going with a generic forest themed split coaster. After Levis was postit for the bonus spot. Postit had an excellent bonus round, really surprising me with "Dental Valley", but unfortunately with his unfinished mine train entry being his only other contribution, I didn't have enough evidence to give him the spot.
Other close contenders: Master Jay, tracidEdge, yyo, Geoff, and RCTNW
Now the list of possible entrants has been locked...and the 'roster' is as follows.
1.Ablaze - Has not been seen or heard from lately much at all. He was last active during the QFTB-X when he really reached the climax of his talent, releasing some beautiful works in LL such as "Sixgun" and "Serenity", bouncing people like Mantis and Twisted before running into natelox. He disappeared for a while following his ugly defeat to Nate and returned months later with screens of a new project that were good..but not nearly as good as some of his prior work. Whether or not he'll even enter is unknown and if he does...will he bring the work that elevated him? Or will he settle for work below his talent?
2.Alec - A special late addition to the contest who recieved a free ride due to his former, short-lived Parkmaker status. While he's one of the most talented LL'ers on the site, with a very unique and distinguishable style, as well as being one of the premier Beast Trainer-masters of all time, he's one of the most unreliable parkmakers ever as well. The chances he'll actually get an entry in are nearly impossible, but if he does it should make some waves. The last time Alec joined an official NE contest he surprised everyone with the nearly perfectly-scored "Unknown" coaster...if he can make the same impact this time, he'll be tough.
3.Artist - Easily one of the people to watch out for. Not many people have been on a roll quite like Artist as of late. With two spotlights under his belt already, Artist only continues to improve. This will be a true test though, as Artist will be forced to the park with no guest appearances or cameos, one on one against some of his extremely talented friends. Still, as far as theming alone, he's one of the top on the entire site. He's also proved to be extremely dependable and productive, so I'd say an entry from Artist is almost guarenteed. Not only is he a real threat to place extremely high, but he also must avenge his somewhat embarassing performance at last year's Pro Tour.
4.Blitz - One of the newest official Parkmakers at the site, Blitz is almost unbeatable when he's active. Just ask Coaster Ed about that one when not even Ed could break through Blitz during H2H, en route to Blitz creating the best mini of the whole year, the brilliant "Ghost Cell Crisis". Unfortunately, he's about as reliable as Alec, and work from him comes very few and far between. If he does manage to get an entry in, he could sneak in and win the whole thing, especially if he pulls off some of the ideas he's tossed to me lately.
5.cBass - The defending champion...so obviously a huge threat to repeat. After an almost full year absence due to his touring with the Dallas Orbitor, cBass returns triumphantly to defend his crown for another year. No parkmaker has ever won two NE contests before, not even the almighty Mala, so cBass could be chasing history. With ideas that nobody can match, and the actual talent to correctly execute them, he's suited perfectly for these types of contests. Whether or not he still has it is yet to be determined.
6.Chapelz - The last person in the Pro Tour 2, meaning he has quite a bit to prove. With a deifnite flair to his style that is hard to put your finger on, he's very capable of making something breathtaking. He was very close with his 4D entry "Constantine". Still, he's another in a long line of unreliable parkmakers, so an actual finals entry from chapelz isn't guarenteed. Although, Chapelz does have quite a bit to prove...he always seemed a bit disturbed at all the hype and attention surrounding some of his fellow peers at NE, and this is the perfect opportunity to launch himself past them.
7.CoasterForce - A real darkhorse in the competition. I didn't even know he played RCT until I recieved his "Project Dinosaur" mine train...admittingly winning one of the weaker rounds of the PT2. Based solely off the work I've seen firsthand, I'd say CoasterForce needs to step up his game to compete in the Pro Tour 2, cause the field just got a lot stronger. Hopefully he'll be able to do just that and make a memorable impression on this year's event.
8.Corkscrewed - Definitely one of the heavyweight favorites in my opinion. He recently came 2nd in the Parkmaker of the Year race and has been on an unbelievable role that has included "Paleos Bay Mine Ride", "Flight From Castle Dracula", "DynaTech Labs", and "Escape From Rockwood Prison". For someone as established as him, he continues to get better and better, which is not good news for the rest of the field. Always seemingly one step behind the 'real' big guns, I think this year is Cork's year to really elevate himself to possibly the #1 parkmaker at New Element.
9.DarkJanus - The enigma. One of the most talented newcomers at the site, I granted him a NE3 Parkmaker Spot almost immediately, only to find out he's even more inactive then people like Blitz and Alec. While I'm not expecting an entry, if one is submitted he defintely could be a top 5-10 contender, very similar to Blitz.
10.Evil WME - While he was looking forward to the chance of possibly beating Mala, he'll have to settle with possibly beating everyone else. One of the greatest talents at the site. He's great at either game, can do either realism or complete fantasy, and can build coasters better then 99% of the rest of the field. Last year he earned himself a top 10 finish, and seemed very unsatisfied with his seeding. This year is his big chance to possibly win the whole thing...I wouldn't look past WME.
11.Fatha' - The mecca when it comes to LL. Only Fatha' lately has made LL stuff that would make even the best RCT2 work look outdated. Always finding new ways to reinvent theming, he's also possibly the best coaster designer of all time. The all-around package...but surprisingly, as dependant as he's been in terms of Parkmaking, has never entered an official NE contest...which leads to speculation about how well he performs under pressure. And that fact alone may give the rest of the field a chance to breathe.
12.Gutterflower - One of the most underrated parkmakers alive. Also can play both games, and again one of the most daring coaster designers ever. Also one of the few parkmakers who has constantly reinvented new rides time and again, giving him the skill and creativity factors...the two most important ones in terms of contest entries. He's coming off the release of his newest LL park "Ville des Fleuves" after a frustrating H2H season. Should be interesting to see what he does if he enters.
13.Jacko Shanty - He's been one of the 'best upcoming parkmakers' for about a year now, and unfortunately it's gotten to the point where I'm not sure he'll ever break through past that title. He's very experimental in some aspects (very open to trying custom scenery-free parks) but very rigid in others. He's also very unreliable so I'm not even expecting an entry from him in all honesty. Hopefully I'm proven wrong here though and the Suspended Prelim wasn't won in vain.
14.Jazz - I personally have no idea who Jazz is other then his winning wooden coaster entry, and that didn't exactly wow me. Still, it showed promise and creativity, so I am looking forward to seeing what Jazz does. Unfortunately at the moment, I have him placing near the very bottom of the pack if he enters at all, but I'm looking forward to you proving me wrong.
15.JKay - The Parkmaker of the Year? Must anymore be said? The person who will most likely submit the first entry to the contest due to his rapid-fire style. His coaster skills leave a lot to be desired, but they are improving. If they match his theming and quarter tile-block skills then not many others really have a chance. A lot of his work is really hit or miss though so where he places and what he does is completely up in the air.
16.John - Well, I really should say that I doubt to see an entry from John...but something tells me he may surprise me. After all, he was one of the two parkmakers who earned his spot last year with his 11th placing "Disney MiniSeas", and he's been a little more productive then usual surprisingly. He's easily one of the best themers and architects at the site, though like JKay his coaster building skills aren't quite up to par. Still, he got #11 last year...and he's only improved. Means he could be a very dangerous person.
17.Kevin - There may not be another parkmaker who's work is nearly as beautiful as Kevin's. Whether he'll get something in is shaky though. If he does, I expect him to place anywhere from 1-10, depending on how strong the field is. He could very easily win this contest if he brings his best, that's how skilled he is. I dubbed him 'the prodigy' a long time ago, and while he hasn't really released any work lately that has warranted that title, PoD is still coming (any day now Kevin?) and "Helios" was great, so we know the talent is still there.
18.Kumba - He really outdid himself last year, getting the 12th ranked park with Darwood Grove, and barely missed out on getting a Parkmaker Spot, losing it to metalface and John. This year is a whole different ballgame. He's now the newest NE Parkmaker on staff and his skills are much better then last year. He has the creativity to win this contest, but he really needs to work on his flaws like coloring and spacing if he wants to finish in the top percentages. Still, I'm sure he'll do well...and I'd say an entry is guarenteed from him...he's probably the most active parkmaker at the site.
19.leighx - Very tough to call. I've seen work from leigh that has made my jaw drop with his amazing uses of quarter block tiles. Then again I've seen work that made me wanna turn my screen off. If he even finishes is up in the air cause I've yet to see some real good finished product from him, and I've been waiting for quite some time to no avail. At the moment, he's not really high on my radar for those parkmaker spots, so a great entry in this contest is crucial if he ever wants to join the ranks with his buddy Artist.
20.Magnus - One of the best newcomers at the site, in a real hunt for one of those two parkmaker spots. He's also one of the hardest parkmakers to really judge so far, based on the lack of work we've seen from him, and the constantly changing styles he displays. We've seen him do great things with hotels in the "Palace Athena" Olympics entry, and he really created a beautiful bedroom in the "Life is a Roller Coaster". Other then that though I'm waiting to see what he's really got on a big enough project, and this looks like the right setting. He's also dying to get into the SLR project (which is picking back up after the PT2), so he will really need an amazing performance here to earn a spot into that.
21.Mantis - At one time Mantis was the epitome of dependable. Unfortunately computer problems have turned the two-time Parkmaker of the Year into a bystander. He claims he lost the fire he once had when he was pumping out work like WOMB, Age of Empires, Divine Comedy, Danse Macabre, and Atomkraftwerk. At the top of his game, mantis was pretty much untouchable, becoming everyone's favorite parkmaker for a span of over two years. If he can get on a working computer and find that motivation, he could win this thing without batting an eye. If he can't...then we probably won't even see an entry. Hopefully he does.
22.Meretrix - I've been dying to see what Meretrix can do when he's not building fullscale Disney resorts. I really hope he enters this thing because he's really hard to compare to other parkmakers since his style has always been very limited to what Disney would or wouldn't do. Given the freedom of building whatever he wants, I want to see how he compares. His theming skills are top-notch although his coaster layouts are always somewhat amateur-ish. One of the best RCT2 architects thought, and amazing at creating engulfing atmospheres. Also one of the most generous people at the site, he almost singlehandedly kept the site running for a few months with his donations.
23.metalface - Right now...I'd have to say Metalface is one of my two favortie parkmakers along with Phatage. His perfect style of 'interesting realism' looks absolutely breahttaking in RCT. "Sierra Glen" was pure class and "Gotheburg" was absolutely incredible. I really hope he enters this year cause I think he could potentially win the whole thing. Last year he was the only non-parkmaker to get a top 10 spot with his "Cayman IOA", and he's improved more then anybody over the course of this past year. A definite threat, and one of my most anticipated entries.
24.Metropole - He's got a lot to prove at the moment. He never won a Preliminary round to really cement his status in the Pro Tour 2, so he needs a great entry to prove that belonged here. Not to mention he's been waiting patiently for a parkmaker spot for quite some time now, always barely on the outside. He's obviously a favortie for one of those spots...his only problem is a lot of his work has become monotonous. He must prove he can expand his style to really impress me here.
25.Old Red - If nothing else, this entry should be interesting as hell. The most creative person this side of cBass, Old Red has come up with amazing idea after amazing idea, from gigantic mazes, to lightning infested parks and underground caves. His actual basic skills are not really too defined, meaning his coaster skills, theming, and architecture still leave something to be desired...but his ideas usually make up for them.
26.penguinBOB - He's always really intrigued me. He seemed like the oddman out when it came to the RCTFusion parkmakers, always kinda playing the background behind more vocal members like Titan, JKay, and Kumba. Now is the perfect opportunity to really show the depth of his talent...something I don't think anyone has really seen yet. He showed glimpses of brilliance with his Inverted Prelim...and I think if he really wanted to, he could surprise a lot of people and snag one of those parkmaker spots. It's a question of if he wants to now...or maybe I just see something that isn't there. I dunno.
27.Phatage - As much of a favorite to win as anyone. We know he can build steel coasters, as seen by his Best Steel Coaster of the Year award. He can build woodies as seen from that award. He was the best realistic parkmaker of last year....as well as the best fantasy one! There's absolutely nothing he can't do. Looking back, in my opinion he definitely had the best entry last year with Epica, but ended with an unfair #8 seeding. This year is his year imo...and if I had to call one person who is the overall favorite...I think Phatage would be it.
28.posix - The chairman of LL. Last year posix, who is easily one of the most talented LL'ers of all time, disappointed me quite a bit with his experimental Darkwood Amusements that took his natural bare style to the extreme. While beautiful in a subtle way, it also felt very dead and unwelcoming, unlike his other work. He's somewhat dabbled in RCT2 a little bit lately, but remains one of the strongest LL'ers at the site. If he can find the perfect harmony between his bare realism and beauty, I think there are very few who could touch him.
29.Prince - Chances are...we won't see an entry from him. He returned briefly to advertise once again for his long lost project, the triple map Project Ownage. It was during this time he accepted his bid to the Pro Tour. Since then though, I haven't seen him around and it looks as if he's returned to his hiding place, wherever that may be. He did pretty well last year...but I doubt we'll see anything at all this year.
30.ride6 - One of the parkmakers really competing for one of those parkmaker spots. He's drastically improved over the course of last year, starting with his first Pro Tour entry, which first tuned me into the talent ride6 has. He definitely has his own style, and it capped off in the H2H season when he almost singlehandedly won the championship...first defeating Titan and JKay with his "Eternal Springs City", and then winning the deciding championship match with "The Pyramid Connection" beating Kumba and Jacko Shanty. He obviously has what it takes, let's just see if he improvement continues.
31.RRP - In terms of talent, the single best player of RCT in history imo. Better then SA, better then Mala, Nevis, Fatha', mantis, Ed, X, Joe Holland, Buster, etc. Unfortuantely...he can't finish shit. He couldnt even finish a guest spot in a park. I can just about guarentee there won't be an entry from him so no need to even bat an eye at his name on the lsit.
32.rwadams - Not too many people have more of a point to prove then RW. Last year he earned himself a spot in the PT and then came in dead last, unexplainably resorting to LL, a game he's much weaker in, and coming 23rd out of 23. Hopefully this year he returns to form with what he's good at. He's the single best hotel creator in RCT2, and possibly the best architect. He needs his coaster and theming skills to catch up, but what he's good at usually overcompensates. No LL this year Rog!
33.sacoasterfreak - Another very fancy name...but again I doubt we'll see anything concrete come from SA. He's played around with RCT2 but hasn't done anything significant since the release of Rivers of Babylon, which was almost two years ago. With the combination of no motivation and rust, I don't think SA will be a factor at all in this year's Pro Tour 2. Of course, if he does enter, he replaces Mala as the clear cut favorite to win...and win big. Hopefully he enters in Mala's absence...and continues his reign as the king of RCT..in both games.
34.Six Frags - An extremely fun parkmaker. We've settled our old disputes and lately I've come to really appreciate Six Frags' style. I was actually looking towards him for a possible NE Parkmaker spot so a good performance here could really help him in that department. He makes great parks in his one of a kind, larger then life style...a style nobody seems able to duplicate. He had a nice entry last year with the "10th Kingdom", and a great Prelim 4D with "It II'. This year should mark an even better performance for Six Frags.
35.Steve - He's gotta be pretty frustrated. He came second to Kumba to become a NE Parkmaker, losing only by 2 votes. He came 2nd in the Suspended Coaster prelim to Jacko Shanty. Second in the mine train entry to CoasterForce. Finally, he broke through and won the bonus round. At the moment he's probably considered the #1 or #2 non-parkmaker after seeing his work in Turtle's park, as well as "Mandarin". He was even invited to participate in SLR...but really disappointed when he couldnt finish his area, dropping him lower on the parkmaking totem pole. This is the best opportunity for him to shimmy back up it though.
36.Titan - I'm calling it right now. If Titan finishes on time, he could definitely win the entire contest. Only a few days since the breathtaking "Arch Angel" was released, and the whole world now knows why Titan is so highly thought of. One of the newest NE Parkmakers, one of the best architects, and an amazing coaster designer. He has all the tools to become the next legend...except the productivity. So how bout being productive and proving you're better then the Kevins, Slobs, Johns, Turtles, and Artists...if you can.
37.Toon - After disappearing, he returned to 'half' accept the PT2 invitation. I doubt we'll see an entry from him, but he wanted to keep his options open. Still, he remains the RCT2 messiah so if he enters, that could end everything right there. My all time favorite RCT2 parkmaker...but I'm still waiting for that piece of material to really justify that spot.
38.Turtle - The closest of all the new age parkmakers to becoming a legend. He takes the approach of building actual parks, and it's definitely working out for him. He's also won two spotlights, just like Artist...only his two Spotlights seem much more convincing. His style seems much more polished then Artists (or anyone elses at the moment). His main attribute is atmosphere, and we'll say if he can portray that over a smaller bench then usual. Last time he tried that, disaster ensued with his H2H causing the team two consecutive losses.
39.Twisted - One of the best 5 LL'ers easily at the moment. Coming off his recent spotlight "BOVT", Twisted seems ready to replace mantis as the new 'it-LL'er' behind Fatha'. He entered last year with the very nice Continent Traasok....but since then has gotten better and better. Hopefully he keeps going into the PT2.
40.X250 - Another frontrunning non NE parkmaker. He just came off a tough loss in the bonus H2H round where he put up a good fight against Corkscrewed singlehandedly, but ended up taking a 20 vote loss. Still, the mini showed just how far X250 has come...easily one of the best themers of all non parkmakers and right now one of the best 2 non parkmakers IMO along with Steve. Really wants to beat his friends Artist and Kumba...and he's got the talent to do it.
41.XCoaster - I love this guy's style. It's so fresh and unique, almost reminiscent of Six Frags. He won the controversial Best B&M round and I really think he'll come up with a very fun and interesting final round. Could be the sleeper of the contest if he enters...which I think he will. He seems pretty dependable with all the RCT2.com contests.
42.X-Sector - As I like to call him, the x-factor. He might have won last year's contset if he had gotten "Love Token" in on time. He's one of the all time best LL'ers, and the scary thing is...he's just as good in RCT2. He's been kinda undependable lately though...although he did get his team a huge win in H2H...but his solo park has completely hit the brakes and he hasn't provided any material other then H2H, when he used to be the most active parkmaker at the site. Here's his perfect opportunity to shoot himself back up into the favorites...since he seems to be forgotten among all the new stars at NE.
Unfortunately, Harakiri, PyroPenguin, Mala, Foozy, aero21, Coaster Ed, OZONE, natelox, and Butterfinger will not be allowe to enter the contest as they did not accept their invitations by the time the Prelims ended. There's always next year.
Now good luck everyone! The bench comes out in a day or two. The rule for screens is each person is allowed one screen...all the way zoomed in, and that's it. Screens really work to your disadvantage though in this contest as you'll be giving away vital secrets. The judges will remain secret until the results of the PT2 are announced. Good luck again...and welcome everyone to the second Pro Tour!!!!
Congratulations to the all the people who got in through the prelims!
"The enigma"... hehe
i cannot wait for this. bring it on people!!
This looks like a great line-up of parkmakers to compete, I'll just hope most of them will finish their entry..
Now I'm really looking forward to 'The Bench' and to actually start with the PT!
SF
edit; And congrats to Steve, Metro and Chapelz! I loved Steve's woodie (top notch atmosphere), and I have always loved metro's style, and this is no exception..
Ill read it all later, i gotta go golfing.
Good picks tho iris
The only other entry I got to was Metros. Very nice, I really liked the atmospher with the huge towers and the music. Great layout, but it was pretty slow. Can't wait to see your final entry.
The final should be great, im sure we will not get 42 entrys, 28 is my guess, Phatage is my pick to win it all, he is an RCT contest legand alreddy (RCPro, Station, RCT.com, where has he not won a contest?) and boy this would cap him as the greatest contester (if thats a real word) of all time. Cork i'll take for second place, cBass third.
I can't wait to see who gets parkmaker spots out of this, imo its down to X250, Steve, P_BOB and ride6 id be suprised if its not any 2 of them that get it.
Also Mala don't listen to iris, if you send something in it will either be added or made a spotlight so please enter!
had a good time reading.
should be very interesting.
iris, that was inspiring. You really know how to get us excited, don't you?
Can't wait for this (and I also can't wait to get #2 again).
Congrats to everyone who made it, and I'm highly anticipating everything about this contest.
Now as for the other entries they were all spectacular and I stand by the ranks giving though I should have been last cause it was just that bad. Congrats to evryone and awesome writeup iris.
But congrats Steve, Metro, and chapelz. All of you deserved it, especially Steve. I can't wait to see what you put out there in the finals, Steve.
And yeah, I'm gonna step it up for the finals. I promise you all that.
I wouldn't call myself a favorite, though. I'm just an overrated gimmicksmith.
I would have like to have seen the results come out with postit no. 1 and steve no. 2 for this round and steve and metro getting in by the bonus spots.
Anyways, good luck to everybody on finnishing their entries. This contest will be a blast.
No worries Steve: you would have got a bonus spot from me if I had chosen, lol
Great work Postit