Park / Wasteland
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29-December 15
- Views 6,835
- Downloads 770
- Fans 8
- Comments 23
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77.50%(required: 70%) Gold
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Description
About Wasteland
Wasteland is not a theme park. It's an apocalyptic recreation within the RCT2 engine.
In Wasteland, I had two main goals that I wanted to accomplish.
1) Find beauty within the ugly
2) Extend the realm of roller coaster tycoon
Both of these goals have intrinsic value to me, but I felt that if I accomplished them well, it would have a tremendous impact on the RCT community as well. Of course, the biggest bar from people’s enjoyment of the project is likely to be that it isn’t a theme park. So, with goal number two in mind, I would ask that everyone view it with an open mind, and try to see what RCT can offer beyond the realm of theme parks.
Juxtaposition
The most prevalent theme in Wasteland is juxtaposition, which allows me to mix feelings of awe with feelings of discomfort. It makes for a confusing viewing, it’s not exactly clear if you should be feeling one or the other, but that’s what I wanted to hit on; how close discomfort can be associated with awe. I will go through a number of major examples of juxtaposition, from macro to micro.
Rugged Natural Beauty vs. Human Creation
The first thing people notice when they open the park is the vast natural landscape. I used map object manipulation to raise land blocks above the natural height limit in the game, allowing for mountains more accurate in scale. The snow capped peaks, sharp cliffs, dried up rivers and dense forests inspire the awe of natural beauty. Immediately juxtaposed to these beautiful mountains is the immensely scaled downtown area, also showing the grandeur and awe of human creation. The meaning behind the comparison is explained in the small town area, where nature is reclaiming human creation. All the houses are packed with dense foliage, returning to nonexistence. Ultimately, the juxtaposition reminds the viewer of the temporary nature of human creation, despite both sides being able to inspire awe through immense scale and beauty.
The Gas Chambers vs. The Train Station
On one hand, the ugliest act of humanity, killing, is on full display. Rows of people waiting to enter the chambers, completely subject to authority. Unlike most of downtown which is cramped and difficult to view, in many ways the gas chambers are on full display. The glass chambers allowing the viewer to see the death taking place. The people in a fenced off line are able to see their fate. On the other hand, the towering gothic train station is adjacent to the chambers. Large, beautiful, inspiring, creating awe. The train station proudly displays humanity at its best; harboring prideful creation. The technological value of trains, and the value of the connection they provide. The juxtaposition compares humanity at its best and at its worst.
The Theme of Absurdity
Wasteland tells a story, and it’s an experiment the absurdist philosophy. In the book The Stranger by Albert Camus, the main character does strange and sometimes heinous acts like murder. As a reader, he is an incredibly frustrating character because of his nonchalant attitude. We try to assign meaning to his actions, like that he had a purpose for murdering someone. However, the truth is that he did not have a reason, and his acts are random and absurd, like the universe we live in, and that trying to assign meaning to his or the universe’s random actions only ends in frustration.
Similarly, Wasteland is an absurd story. There seems to be biological warfare, mass murdering, and torture. The city is in complete decay, yet the courthouse is scrubbed clean, shining white, and well guarded. The world is coming to an end, yet people are still being killed in mass quantities. The highway seems to be well maintained, but leads to a city in decay and a fallen bridge. As logical and empathetic viewers, we want to make sense of the situation, to try and understand how these things could take place, but we can’t because they are absurd, and trying to make sense of it only ends in frustration. The events in wasteland have a story, but they are just as absurd as the universe it takes place in. In the end, we find things to appreciate in the viewing, the nuggets of beauty in the apocalyptic environment. Letting go of the absurdity allows us to enjoy beauty, no matter the situation.
Outro
I hope these things will provide clarification to what I can only guess is a very unorthodox creation to view. I have poured several years of my life into this project, and no matter how the community takes it, I can be satisfied that I stayed true to the goals I set out to accomplish. I hope you will find something to appreciate in this project, I truly feel it has a lot to offer.
Thank you -
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Very good piece of work. I would've enjoyed it a lot more had I not already seen it all in screenshots, but I can't deny the atmosphere is excellent. MY favorite part was the collapsed skyscraper in the city.
This was a tough vote for me, but in the end I didn't feel enough was done with the theme in-game to expand on what we saw in one best series of AD screens I can recall. Still, it's really outstanding work. I love the field, town and bridge most.
This is great stuff, but sadly a disappointment because of all the stuff you advertised but had to cut. And I don't mean just the port, I felt like Wasteland was presented as a map full of story, mystery and endless little things, which were mostly absent from the actual map. The mountains were empty, but that wasn't hyped anyway. The city though... There wasn't much to see there on a micro level. There wasn't enough going on to make the story come alive, and therefore stuff like the pristine courthouse and the big black wall did not work for me. But on the other hand, I don't think you advertised the collapsed skyscraper and that was a major wow-moment for me. Simply amazing. The rural area was much better in this regard, it was much more fun to explore because it fulfilled the promises. Someone else stated that everything was too neat in the village, not really showing that society had collapsed. It didn't bother me upon viewing, but I do agree with that. A burnt out building and some crashed cars could've helped.
All in all: not the masterpiece I was hoping for, but still a very very original, very interesting and very well made map. Congratulations on finishing, and I look forward to seeing you explore new territories!
Just wonderful. So much work and dedication. This was absolutely worth the wait. Thank you for sharing.