A group featuring some of NE's fantasy heavyweights sees winners Jappy
(Group F) and AVC (Group G) up against hoobaroo (Group H), Babar Tapie (Group I) and AJ- (Group J). Who will
secure their Semi-Final places?
You must view all parks in this match to vote. If you cannot view a park, for example if you don't
own LL, then please do NOT vote.
Once you have viewed all parks, select your favourite and second favourite in the above poll. The poll
will close after approximately 3 days and the results will be posted.
The winners will be determined by the formula set out in the Rules & Regulations topic. The creators of
the two highest scoring entries will proceed to the next round. The third highest scoring player will be
placed on the reserves list for the next round. The lowest scoring player will be eliminated.
Everyone may vote except for those participating in this matchup. If you are part of this matchup,
please null vote. Voting is public and monitored by admins, any cheating will be picked up on and dealt
with.
1. elysium---best clouds ever? the flowing bars holding up gardens are so inviting and perfectly executed, and do not underestimate the power of bird noises and shit haha. archy is flawless, love the abundance of gold trims, etc etc youre through
2. babar tapie discovers lsd---i do not understand the story but i also dont think it needs it. note to all you---readmes are overrated!! still, this is so much fun i can't pass it by. the middle layers are the best, with crazy unicorn psychedelic scenes and weird faces and colors everywhere, i spent a long time going through the details. your decision again to build on a smaller scale is super fascinating and also quite clever, and i dont even hate the abundance of weird big custom objects. just a really cool park.
romantic---moving, and i love the music again. a bit more content and you'd have me, its a tough crowd this round...love the contrast of the greyscale with the hints of color below.
oil rig---very fun stuff, and i love the dinosaur bones oil layer. the coaster is pretty solid too, good rig details. missing some character and substance perhaps? but still just ridiculous quality all around this competition, hard to believe compared to previous iterations. soil.
jappy---despite coming last and being undersized, this is sweet af. clair de lune is overdone but still somehow magical, and i love the contemplative color scheme here. I just want to be there irl.
hoobaroo - i liked this so much more than I expected to from the overview. First of all, the music is so perfect. The little whispy noises feel like the sound equivalent of the multicolor shooting stars (?). I love the splashes of color juxtaposed with the black and white. You parks have a way of moving me unlike any other builder. Really hope people just leave this sitting open for a bit and take it in, its really worth it. Small nitpicks: wish the coaster could be quiet(er) somehow and that the coaster wasn't clipping through the ground in spots.
Babar - yall have been doing A LOT of drugs huh? I've grown a bit tired of the stacked approach that is largely my own doing, but this ones really well done and worth it. There's so much to take in and it all kind of still comes together in a big candy/psychedelic sandwich. The music again adds a lot here.
AJ - I'm torn... love the trans flag but not the biggest fan of undersea drilling! Looking at the content itself, there's a lot to like, but everything feels a bit... rectangular? Think breaking up the grid and at least making the levels on the rig staggered would've helped a bit. Dig the coaster and the water slide with custom track.
Elysium - Another AVC classic... everything you build is distinctively you but feels unique enough to be fresh. I'm a sucker for multi colored flower spam especially when its integrated into the architecture. Very pleasant, very calming, exceptional archy and composition like always.
Jappy - I loved the Club Psyche pallette and am glad you're revisiting it. A bit small but another very serene composition. Reminds me a bit of Che's micro from last competition which I really liked.
top three are hoobaroo, Babar, and AVC but everyone did great. not sure where to go from there...
Elysium was beautiful - really classy, took top spot for me. Those clouds were outrageously good - one of those things that is a ton of work for not a ton of instant impact, but really takes a park from good to great. Love it.
I put the Exodus second. No goddamn idea what's going on, but i get the gist. This is called committing to an idea, and going all out for it. Wacky and wild and painful to look at in places but just a lot of fun.
I think the Romantic took third for me, although everyone is super close. I absolutely LOVE these little scenes you're making, it suits your style perfectly. Another big shout doing 90% of it monochrome, but it was worth it. Probably higher quality than the Exodus, but I appreciated the risk.
Probably the Oil Rig 4th, those industrial themes are hard to pull off and make look good, in my opinion, but you did a really good job. The layers were interesting to look at and grounded the whole thing nicely, and the rig itself had a lot going on.
Lunar Lights 5th, which feels harsh as I actually really liked it. Just maybe a little smaller in scope than the others, but a great palette and a nice idea.
The Exodus: Love the contrast between the upper and lower levels (Music really adds to it), and the amazing variety of styles and amount of tiny details.
Elysium: Beautiful stuff, the intricate trim work, trackitecture, foliage and overall atmosphere.
Lunar Lights: Nice color choices, peaceful atmosphere, and a nice lighthouse. Also like having a mini golf as the main ride since that's not as common.
The Romantic: Bold palette with the black and white with rainbow accents, and the ride synced rainbow effect was amazingly done.
AJ's Oil Rig: Very well done structure, and I like the amount of action here, also like how the rides fit into this.
Jappy - so simple but so well done, I wish you had more time to commit this round, I love your stream of consciousness experimentation
AJ - nice entry, there's a lot here that's deceptively difficult to execute as well as you have: coherent layers, industrial machinery, the wave-textured sea floor is outstanding. It's not trying to do too much, which unfortunately puts it at a disadvantage in comparison to the other monsters in your group
Babar - wow.. okay, there's a lot to take in here. The neon nightmare with rainbow stream is awesome, really fresh use of colors, love the eyes you've given features throughout. Love the balloon sculptures, it's making me imagine being on the ground beneath the Macy's day parade watching characters fly overhead. I think the contrast with grittier scenes is quite successful here, the grassy village is great as another strong execution of miniature scaling. One thing I'm finding a little jarring is the juxtaposition of blocky sculptures against more textured micro scenes in places where they intersect closely. All of a sudden I've spent 15 minutes looking around, this is really captivating work. There's really only one dominant viewing angle, but there's so much intrigue to be explored that it's kept me looking for longer than any other park so far
AVC - I knew this was gonna be great when I opened it. You've created the sky and cloud effect as well as could be done. The sculpture work between the single rail and deco pieces is so well done, you've managed to create completely novel shapes. The gardens add a welcome bit of color and texture complexity. Sometimes I run out of things to say, you're just so good at what you do, I find it interesting that you've chosen a more subdued atmosphere in the music and absence of a primary tracked ride laid over an intensely detailed structure
hoobaroo - I stared at this park for a very long time. Taking a step back to assess this as part of your larger body of work makes it clear that you're playing a different game from the rest of us. I can't think of anyone else with such clear thematic continuity across years of play. "There's always a lighthouse, there's always a man, there's always a city." Motifs carry over from park to park but you manage to stun me every single time. It's the subtle touches that won it for me: one pillar reflecting in the pond, another casting shadow over the hillside, rays of light streaking across the scene, the light spilling out of the tower windows. Kiss me please
It sucks to view these parks through the lens of a competition. Ultimately I went with the two parks that held my attention for the longest time, though I think Babar, hoobaroo, and AVC are all beyond deserving of a semifinals spot. Whoever doesn't make it out of this group can take my spot, just so I can enjoy one more park from each of you
What the hell guys. All QFs are mad but this one takes the cake so far. Mean to make me vote on this.
Babar - I am definitely not sure about what is going on here, but is it like the same place depicted in 5 completely different dimensions and/or periods of time? Lol. At any rate, this is crazy. So much content, of course it's quite effective to use a multi-level structure to fit more in, quite reminiscent of Walto's entry. The music is BONKERS haha. It was definitely hard to chose a vote for #1 but I think I could just not overlook the ambition and execution here, really spellbinding stuff.
Jappy - So this is interesting - your entry is somehow the polar opposite to Babar's in spirit, yet I was quite close to give it my first vote. This is just so goddamn serene, a bit similar to AJ's park in R1, where you were just drawn into the scene. This really feels like the most pleasant dream you could possibly have. It's ridiculous how much mileage you get out of this simple map, some mini-golfers, and Claire de Lune. I don't think I'll ever be a maximalist but I might be looking to take some pages out of the minimalist playbook in the future, I am always so impressed when these simpler parks have such an impact.
Hoob - I feel really bad for not being able to give this a vote. I mean, come on, this is such a cool entry. Black and white has been done many times before but the effect here is still striking and the splashes of color are really dramatic. The tower structure is really great, and I also love how the map is framed, the kind of inclined blacktiling/walling looks perfect here to really make it feel like a carefully curated slice of something bigger.
AVC - I feel like shit for not being able to give this a vote. This is, obviously, a marvelous micro. Beautiful, peaceful, inviting. Very impressive use of trackitecture and the cloud effect is the best one depicted in the game so far. But, I think the theme did not feel original or distinct enough to me to beat out such unique creations as mentioned above. I feel like we have seen too many similar maps before, even if this one might very well happen to be the best executed of them all. In a similar way to how I would be hard pressed to be swept away by a balloon-suspended city at this point, no matter how well it was executed, unless there was some other layer of concept or storytelling on top. Also I feel it was lacking some kind of main ride, perhaps not a super-intense coaster but something enveloping the scene, a bit like in China Blue. But yeah, really tough to leave this out of the voting.
AJ - Your R1 park was so contemplative and enchanting, really loved it - this entry feels more like you just had fun, while definitely churning out a very nice micro. Again we see the multi-layer approach to make it feel more filled out, and each layer is really nicely done, I dig the wavy ocean floor, looks great. The oil rig itself wasn't as convincing to me, maybe it was a bit too squat, also it was a bit on the repetivite side. If we didn't already have Tols' 5 minutes to 12 I think the oil rig theme would have felt more fresh, now it doesn't quite have that factor, but definitely a fun park.
Jappy - Cute, serene, love the overall visual and style. Missing that wow factor though that has become a requirement with this round and came up against some content heavy big hitters.
AVC - Striking visuals, beautiful use of the single rail coaster, and a really pleasant charm. It does feel a bit heavy handed in places, I always feel like you're drawing with a marker where as others are drawing with pen. The content provided was ace, but without a coaster or another dimension, it does feel a bit similar throughout.
hoobaroo - Incredibly distinct visuals with a ton of beautiful moments. I think the execution in places wasn't stellar, and that's a bit covered up by the dark aesthetic and color choices. The reflections and stark contrast with the bits of color is a great touch, particularly the reflections. The coaster felt in a way unnecessary to sell me on this, and yet a coaster is somehow a ridiculous requirement in micro madness it seems. I'm torn between loving the mystery and aesthetic of your entries thus far and wanting a little more to grasp onto.
Babar - The amount of content and sheer inventiveness in this entry is pretty astounding. From top to bottom you've reused ancient objects in magnificent ways. It feels like not just one narrative, but many narratives and artistic moments all strung together. Unfortunately, this does feel like a one-perspective wonder, given that the other 3 angles are largely ignored, but you've packed more content into that one angle than most of the others have in all 4.
AJ - Really enjoyed the ride hacks and the layers, which gave you some room to experiment and created some unique visuals. The concept of a theme park on an oil rig is fun, but I felt like it was missing more of the 'oil rig' stuff to really sell me on that. Again, the rides were fun, but I felt like they didn't leave much room to develop a gritty, dirty oil rig look that would have really elevated this. The lower parts are probably my favorite as they felt more aesthetically unique, but the top seemed boxy in places and I think could have benefited from a more interesting composition.
This was an interesting group. I think every park had major upsides, unique aesthetics, but then some drawbacks such as perspective issues or feeling a bit expected. Based on the freshness of their content and the sheer amount of it, I went Babar #1 and then Hoob just squeaking into #2. Congrats on some really unique and creative entries all around, but hope to see some more polish in the semis.
This is again another really strong round where its almost unfair that some of these have to lose.
Jappy: I liked this a lot more than I thought I would from the overview. Its very serene and atmospheric, super nice work. The landscaping was very well done. Only downside is that maybe there isn't as much content as the other entries. Great entry.
AVC: This entry is just insane. Beautiful composition, beautiful archy. I love the way the golden elements look on those towers. The waterfalls into the clouds also work very well and add some nice movement to the map.The only thing I am not completely sold on is the colour of the background.
hoobaroo: This was executed really well. Just lovely. I love the effects in the water. Everything else is just very clean. I think that while this entry looks really good from all angles, that one opening angle is really the stand-out angle. Only downside of this entry is that similar to Jappy's entry I feel like there maybe wasn't as much content as I would have liked. Great effort though.
babar tapie: Are you good haha? This entry is insane and feels like a trip. This was probably the entry that held my attention the longest so far throughout the entire contest. So many little details to discover. I definitely like the higher levels more than the lower levels but all levels are executed well. I don't know why but I find the little wall with all the doors opening very satisfying to watch. Great entry.
AJ: Love this entry as well. The coaster layout is really cool and I appreciate all the hacks. The support work on the coaster is also done really well and the whole thing just feels so natural. Even though its a coaster that is on an oil rig which isn't really realistic, the way that it is executed makes me go like: Ofcourse there is a coaster on this oil rig, that makes total sense. It is just integrated so well. The waterslide was cool though. The lower levels were a bit less detailled and I think you could have added some more fun details here, especially on the sea floor level for example. Overall though I think this was a clever concept to use different layers for.
I haven't really decided yet who I will be voting for as I really like all the entries in this round, I will have to think about it a bit more.
Biggus Riggus: Really neat layering here. Good use of that tried and true Micro Madness technique. Loved how the coaster and the boat ride almost dueled each other. Just a lot of fun to watch.
Elysium: This is like a mashup of Arcanis Mineralis, Papilio, and ACGTH lol. Really neat. Dreamy. Flowers and the abundance of them is lovely. Just so well composed.
Exodus: wow what the heck is this! I'm so incredibly intrigued by this and it really holds my attention. I've gone back to this a few times and keep finding more stuff. Captivating. Just so appreciative for this kind of work.
Hoobs: Really moody. Everyone this round packed a lot of emotion in to this round and yours especially. Very artistic. You work though reminds me of Bioshock.. "there's always a lighthouse.." You have a thing for tall towers in your parks lol
Jappy: really cool vignette. Just comes up against some heavy hitters. Love the vibe here as well. Color contrasts between the dark blue and yellow is great. Would be curious to see something like this from you but in a larger scale.
Lunar Lights - Another entry heavy with atmosphere. It's perfectly unique but it is still very RCT2 in a way that I really enjoy.
Elysium - Aptly named. Great use of the single rail coaster and lovely, heavy gardens. Beautiful.
The Romantic - Lovely use of colours (and lack thereof). It's nice that it's viewable from all directions and that the backdrop is still present when you rotate the map. Also, I often feel like half diagonals are distracting but in this context they are a perfect fit.
The Exodus - I seem to have misplaced my shroom stash. Somewhere, damn. Anyway... ...that's quite an entry.
AJ's Oil Rig - Rock Style 2 is my jam. Like the rest of the micro as well. The coaster is neat, the concept is fun and the use of layers is well executed.
First place for me goes to The Exodus. It is literally multilayered and every layer is detailed with something interesting. And some of the boldest colors I've ever seen.
Second place was a VERY tough choice but I'm going with Lunar Lights. It was that or Elysium for me and this one despite being less detailed, was very poetic and I got sucked into it in a rare way for RCT.
Third place I give to Elysium. It is just fun to watch. I liked the flower ride and the flying crafts. The music was nice too.
Fourth in my view is AJ's Oil Rig. It was very good when it comes to content but, surprisingly, considering last round's micro, it didn't have the amazing atmosphere that many others here did. Still, a very good micro that is a worthy creation.
The Romantic was a well made micro. Just went up against heavy competition. I liked the stripes through the sky but the coaster didn't add to the atmosphere the way the nighttime golf did for Lunar Lights. A good creation though.
Congrats to all for the very good to excellent micros and I'll see who ends up where.
AVC, Hoob, and Babar in the same round. I'm dead now, it's been nice knowing you.
Hoobaroo: Going by the overviews, I was thinking you'd be up against too tough of competition this time around. AVC is AVC and Babar's just looked insurmountable. I was telling myself oh my god, I exist in a universe where I have to vote against Hoob.
The little detail I forgot is that you are incapable of missing.
Something about this just keeps me coming back in a way almost no other micro this contest has. You once again deliver on unparalleled aesthetics and atmosphere with all the different plays on reflections, light versus shadow, and monochrome versus hyper-saturated color. Not sure what the narrative is with the Romantic and the Tyrant, but "Dreams of freedom" has me thinking the Romantic is somehow battling its way through this dreary Tyrant and breaks free to spread color all around? Either way I love the way you timed them to interact. The big reveal with the rainbows following the Romantic into the water is one of my favorite moments of this whole contest so far. You're definitely ahead of almost everyone else in the way you use this game as a genuine art form. Neat to see you doing something a little more design-centric this time around and working on those layouts. Tyrant is definitely one of your better layouts, although I feel like the way half of it clips into the ground and its supports clip through the Romantic potentially show a lack of planning. (I'll give you this though, supports suck to make.) I gotta get nitpicky about that because like come on, everything else is perfect. PLEASE make it to semis I'm begging you.
AVC: Fitting name because I'm kind of in heaven right now. Classic AVC intricate aesthetic gorgeous worldbuilding goodness. Amazing color palette on this bad boy, from the refined selection of colors on the archi to the rainbow of flowers all around and the sky blue backdrop. The single rail trackitecture steals the show; feel like working with Mulder during H2H9 really rubbed off on you. Papillon was a smart move for including a tracked ride that doesn't intrude on Elysium's natural beauty and Garden of Delights is a great support. Really hard to find much fault with this one honestly, and it's a super tight race between this and The Romantic for my favorite of the round.
Babar: I'm guessing this took you two days? This is just raw unadulterated Babar Tapie of the highest caliber. Feels like I dropped LSD and started binging VeggieTales. Really cool idea to take a biblical tale like the Exodus and throw all this insanity on top of it. I'm realizing as I look at this you pretty much compressed five micros on the level of your first one into this map which is just crazy. My favorite layers are definitely the corrupted forest and the ark. The corrupted forest looks so cartoony with the vibrant colors and how everything has big googly eyes. Can't find a better word to describe the ark layer than Babar; your sculptures are so recognizable and have so much character. I also love the miniature promised land at the very top. I will never get tired of anything you put out; it just oozes with style and uniqueness and I'm such a fan. Why must this vote be so hard?
Jappy: Oofffff, so vibey. Will never get tired of this aesthetic. It's definitely on the smaller and less content-packed size, but like Hoob's it makes up for it with a concentrated vision executed super well. The crescent-shaped island was a great idea, but I think my favorite aesthetic touch is the waves. Takes the setting from just floating around in space to this sorta half-space half-ocean thing. I die for stuff like this. Both rides seem to exist less for the sake of being a focal point and more to help set the mood which I appreciate. The coloration on the minigolf with the yellow holes really helps prevent this from being a big blue blob. The boats, obviously enough, are pure vibes. Unfortunately it just doesn't have enough content to justify competing with the top three, but hell if I don't love this. Really want to see more stuff like this out of you outside of this contest.
AJ: Dope layouts, pot stores, and a trans pride flag on the edge of an oil rig? Definitely AJ's alright. Love this take on the classic oil rig micro. Oil Slick is a hell of a main attraction and I love the hack where it goes up the spike both ways. You managed to fit in more supporting rides than I was expecting and Using Life Boats Poorly is a hilarious idea. The other three layers have plenty of crunch, fossils, and dead cops to go around. Unfortunately this micro called me gay so I unfortunately must rescind everything I said above and give this a 0/10. Sucks the competition was so tight this round; everyone here deserves to make it out.
Overall; Wow, this is so trippy! A crazy amount of content to explore and I'm so glad you included the readme as that explained a lot on what it's about. Although the story itself is as trippy as the micro itself Anyway, all the different levels and what they represent are so unique and created with quality and attention to detail, really well done. I feel there's a lot I've still not explored fully though, so I'm sure I'm gonna come back to this micro and spend more time exploring all the little things you've put into it. The unicorn ark level is my favourite I think, very nice sculpturing and seeing that flying duck had me giggling quite a bit Finally, the custom music tops it off, it fits so well to this trippy atmosphere and you explaining that it's from 2 films by Dario Argento, a filmmaker you love is just nice to know. Great job!
2) Elysium by AvanineCommuter
-Concept:++
-Content:++
-Quality:+++
Overall; Wow, what a piece of art again! Love the use of the single rail coaster to create these curvy forms all over the shop (kinda how we did in Droomvlucht-combined with foliage). The way you created those clouds underneath is the best I've seen clouds created in RCT so far I think, feels so natural. The architecture, decorations. foliage, waterfalls and colour scheme are so well done, it really elevates this micro to another level. The relaxing custom music also really helps helps to set the mood and finally, the papillon and Garden of Delights rides give it some much needed movement.
3) The Romantic by hoobaroo
-Concept:+
-Content:+
-Quality:+++
Overall; A very high quality atmospheric micro from you again. This time a bit more condensed and dark compared to your previous vibrant, decorative and elaborate structures. Nonetheless I really enjoyed this moody/nostalgic vibe you created here with all these great reflections, patches of colour and starry sky (in true Hoobaroo fashion). The concept is a bit vague to me (is it about the book 'The Romantic' by William Boyd somehow?), although I can imagine you wanted this to be viewed as more of an art piece as if looking at a painting.
4) AJ's Oil Rig by AJ-
-Concept:++
-Content:++
-Quality:+
Overall; Some nice vertical construction here (although I don't really get why there is such a large gap between the sand and oil bit-shouldn't they be right on top of each other?). The coaster and the slide on the rig itself is nicely done and I imagine it would be so cool if you ride it irl. The lifeboats as bumper cars were a clever idea as was the turbine as twister (although could've been made more visible or even expanded upon). A cool concept and execution overall, but bad luck you're in this group.
5) Lunar Lights by Jappy
-Concept:+
-Content:+/-
-Quality:++
Overall; Lovely colour scheme and atmosphere, just wish there was more of it! Kind of like how I felt with Ziscor's micro last round.
1.) AvanineCommutter - breathtakingly beautiful, as always! Everything is done just really really well in this, from the colors to the architecture to the foliage. Unlike a lot of other micro, it doesn't have a coaster as the center point, but it totally works here. It's perfectly serene and contains incredible details (I adore the metal scrollwork scattered throughout building facades and arches). Amazing work, easily deserving to move on.
2.) Babar Tapie - the transition between layers here is really well done. As a whole, it's very impressive. But when broken down, each is good but none of them are mind-blowingly good. The highlight has to be all the sculptures you created: I figured some had to be pre-made objects. The theme of one's personal music taste is a really good one and I love seeing an interpretation like this. This must've been an enjoyable park to make for you! Well done
3.) AJ - awesome idea! Layout is solid and the different layers are really cool. It's tough to decide which layer is my favorite. The bottom two are simple, but creative and right to the point. The top feels a bit crowded, but it fits the theme really well. I think the only reason that I have this third is because (1) AC killed it again and (2) Babar really put in a ton of effort that shows in the work. I suspect that I like this more than others, but I was really close to putting it 2nd. Still, easily the test oil rig I've seen in the game yet! Nice job.
4.) hoobaroo - Love the aesthetic of this, but it just didn't have as much going on as the others. It almost feels like the black-and-white color scheme was there to hide that it was missing details, rather than enhance the whole thing. I do really like that central building, I just wish there was more interaction with the coaster and other things.
5.) jappy - pretty cute stuff here! But clearly you ran out of time. I think the idea could've been cool. I loved the piano soundtrack. Oh well, speaking from experience, it happens to all of us.
As replacement, hoobaroo is invited to
submit a park for Round 3 (Semi-Finals). If there is a drop-out their
micro will be chosen at random as replacement.
1.) AJ - This is so AJ in the best way and I love it. Both the coaster and the water slide are really nicely integrated into the structure with some great custom supports. The hacking of the coaster was also pretty genius to have it go back and forth on the same track. Love the sand texturing and the bottom layer with the fossils (I suppose that's what they are at least haha). The leaking oil on the water surface is also another really nice detail. Love it!
2.) hoobaroo - I was sold once the raft came in with the rainbow of colors following. The shooting stars also having a reflection in the water is soooooo cool! The night sky and the building look great as well. I honestly wouldn't have minded seeing it without the coaster, but I understand if it was done to add some more movement to the park.
The remaining three in random order
Jappy - Very cute scene. I don't know why exactly but I'm really digging the blue landscaping. Felt like it missed that final oomph to really push itself into a semis spot, but a great RCT piece in general!
AVC - Love the clouds. In some places this feels a bit hard to read imo just because it is so heavily detailed with trims and foliage in certain spots, but the vibe is immaculate (which is also helped by the very nice and soothing background music). Really like how you decorated the area of the Garden of Delights.
Babar Tapie - The duck sculpture is SO CUTE. I don't know where to even begin… I'm still finding new stuff as I write this and it's all executed very well. My favorite level is probably the unicorn one, but each level really has something outstanding (to name a few things I liked: the custom candles, the giant book, the monkey worshipping/rave scene (lol?) around the black skull, the jellyfish and all the sculptures done in the upper levels).
Such a tough group here, very grateful to make it through though any one of these parks would be well worthy winners.
Reviews in no particular order:
Hoobaroo - I really think your style is so beautiful and distinctive. Out of all your ideas so far, this is one of my favorites for the sheer boldness and contrast of the black / white with the colors. Incredibly beautiful atmosphere and imagery. I think coasters are your weak point, but if you were able to up the level of detail on the main building and the coaster layout to match the strength of your incredible creative vision, that would be jaw dropping to see.
Babar Tapie - Jesus christ this is nuts and I love it. The neon color palette is so perfectly trippy and the music was used to great effect. I loved exploring all the clever details in each level, and you had so many objects that I never even knew existed, it took me a long time to pick apart your buildings and see how they were made! I think with cake-style parks the part that is limiting is one-view-wonder syndrome which unfortunately is hard to combat, but it would have been great to see the other views as considered as the main one. Congrats on the win and looking forward to your next park!
AJ - what a fantastic coaster here, really cool idea and well executed. The wavy sand texture is my favorite part, and it was great to see the touches of detailing at the bottom levels. Breaking out of the orthogonal would help elevate the rig itself to the next level, but what’s there is very clean and well done.
Jappy - You’ve really surprised me this competition with your two micros so far. This one is super dreamy and peaceful, top notch atmosphere. I really loved the subtleness of the micro, only wish it had been bigger with a little more content. Either way, I’m very excited to see you continue in this style if you have future parks or ideas at the level of this one.
AVC – My first vote. I don't think I've ever seen a more beautiful micro than this, which says a lot following your R1. You're a very special builder, thank you for sharing this with us. Foliage usage, trackitecture and colour palette was chefs kiss. Really looking forward to your next round.
Jappy – Bahhhh you did it again mate, your entries look like you had so much fun creating, it was dreamy, romantic and pulled on numerous heartstrings of mine from memories of a family member gone, but not forgotten. I couldn't vote on another entry if I tried.
Hoob – Yet again dreamy AF and nearly my second vote. Detail throughout was immaculate and your RCT takes us to very new places. Do you have anything else in the pipeline?
Babar – Whilst I loved it, I couldn't warm to it... it was a big collection of super intense babar stuff that I didn't feel had flow or succinct composition. Whilst it was 110% impressive, it didn't secure my vote. With that said... I've never not enjoyed a release from you.
AJ – Ayyyy! My guy! Great entry and like nothing I woulda expected you would've done. Enjoyed the viewing but the others moved me a bit more.
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Xtreme97 Offline
Red Division
Yellow Division
Blue Division
R1
QF
SF
A group featuring some of NE's fantasy heavyweights sees winners Jappy (Group F) and AVC (Group G) up against hoobaroo (Group H), Babar Tapie (Group I) and AJ- (Group J). Who will secure their Semi-Final places?
Lunar Lights
JappyElysium
AvanineCommuterThe Romantic
hoobarooThe Exodus
Babar TapieAJ's Oil Rig
AJ-Voting Rules
Cocoa Offline
1. elysium---best clouds ever? the flowing bars holding up gardens are so inviting and perfectly executed, and do not underestimate the power of bird noises and shit haha. archy is flawless, love the abundance of gold trims, etc etc youre through
2. babar tapie discovers lsd---i do not understand the story but i also dont think it needs it. note to all you---readmes are overrated!! still, this is so much fun i can't pass it by. the middle layers are the best, with crazy unicorn psychedelic scenes and weird faces and colors everywhere, i spent a long time going through the details. your decision again to build on a smaller scale is super fascinating and also quite clever, and i dont even hate the abundance of weird big custom objects. just a really cool park.
romantic---moving, and i love the music again. a bit more content and you'd have me, its a tough crowd this round...love the contrast of the greyscale with the hints of color below.
oil rig---very fun stuff, and i love the dinosaur bones oil layer. the coaster is pretty solid too, good rig details. missing some character and substance perhaps? but still just ridiculous quality all around this competition, hard to believe compared to previous iterations. soil.
jappy---despite coming last and being undersized, this is sweet af. clair de lune is overdone but still somehow magical, and i love the contemplative color scheme here. I just want to be there irl.
Camcorder22 Offline
another impossible to vote on match...
hoobaroo - i liked this so much more than I expected to from the overview. First of all, the music is so perfect. The little whispy noises feel like the sound equivalent of the multicolor shooting stars (?). I love the splashes of color juxtaposed with the black and white. You parks have a way of moving me unlike any other builder. Really hope people just leave this sitting open for a bit and take it in, its really worth it. Small nitpicks: wish the coaster could be quiet(er) somehow and that the coaster wasn't clipping through the ground in spots.
Babar - yall have been doing A LOT of drugs huh? I've grown a bit tired of the stacked approach that is largely my own doing, but this ones really well done and worth it. There's so much to take in and it all kind of still comes together in a big candy/psychedelic sandwich. The music again adds a lot here.
AJ - I'm torn... love the trans flag but not the biggest fan of undersea drilling! Looking at the content itself, there's a lot to like, but everything feels a bit... rectangular? Think breaking up the grid and at least making the levels on the rig staggered would've helped a bit. Dig the coaster and the water slide with custom track.
Elysium - Another AVC classic... everything you build is distinctively you but feels unique enough to be fresh. I'm a sucker for multi colored flower spam especially when its integrated into the architecture. Very pleasant, very calming, exceptional archy and composition like always.
Jappy - I loved the Club Psyche pallette and am glad you're revisiting it. A bit small but another very serene composition. Reminds me a bit of Che's micro from last competition which I really liked.
top three are hoobaroo, Babar, and AVC but everyone did great. not sure where to go from there...
Camcorder22 Offline
Not sure how my reviews for the other match ended up here, feel free to delete this post
Turtle Offline
Some really interesting stuff here, thanks guys!
Elysium was beautiful - really classy, took top spot for me. Those clouds were outrageously good - one of those things that is a ton of work for not a ton of instant impact, but really takes a park from good to great. Love it.
I put the Exodus second. No goddamn idea what's going on, but i get the gist. This is called committing to an idea, and going all out for it. Wacky and wild and painful to look at in places but just a lot of fun.
I think the Romantic took third for me, although everyone is super close. I absolutely LOVE these little scenes you're making, it suits your style perfectly. Another big shout doing 90% of it monochrome, but it was worth it. Probably higher quality than the Exodus, but I appreciated the risk.
Probably the Oil Rig 4th, those industrial themes are hard to pull off and make look good, in my opinion, but you did a really good job. The layers were interesting to look at and grounded the whole thing nicely, and the rig itself had a lot going on.
Lunar Lights 5th, which feels harsh as I actually really liked it. Just maybe a little smaller in scope than the others, but a great palette and a nice idea.
Lurker Offline
The Exodus: Love the contrast between the upper and lower levels (Music really adds to it), and the amazing variety of styles and amount of tiny details.
Elysium: Beautiful stuff, the intricate trim work, trackitecture, foliage and overall atmosphere.
Lunar Lights: Nice color choices, peaceful atmosphere, and a nice lighthouse. Also like having a mini golf as the main ride since that's not as common.
The Romantic: Bold palette with the black and white with rainbow accents, and the ride synced rainbow effect was amazingly done.
AJ's Oil Rig: Very well done structure, and I like the amount of action here, also like how the rides fit into this.
wheres_walto Offline
Jappy - so simple but so well done, I wish you had more time to commit this round, I love your stream of consciousness experimentation
AJ - nice entry, there's a lot here that's deceptively difficult to execute as well as you have: coherent layers, industrial machinery, the wave-textured sea floor is outstanding. It's not trying to do too much, which unfortunately puts it at a disadvantage in comparison to the other monsters in your group
Babar - wow.. okay, there's a lot to take in here. The neon nightmare with rainbow stream is awesome, really fresh use of colors, love the eyes you've given features throughout. Love the balloon sculptures, it's making me imagine being on the ground beneath the Macy's day parade watching characters fly overhead. I think the contrast with grittier scenes is quite successful here, the grassy village is great as another strong execution of miniature scaling. One thing I'm finding a little jarring is the juxtaposition of blocky sculptures against more textured micro scenes in places where they intersect closely. All of a sudden I've spent 15 minutes looking around, this is really captivating work. There's really only one dominant viewing angle, but there's so much intrigue to be explored that it's kept me looking for longer than any other park so far
AVC - I knew this was gonna be great when I opened it. You've created the sky and cloud effect as well as could be done. The sculpture work between the single rail and deco pieces is so well done, you've managed to create completely novel shapes. The gardens add a welcome bit of color and texture complexity. Sometimes I run out of things to say, you're just so good at what you do, I find it interesting that you've chosen a more subdued atmosphere in the music and absence of a primary tracked ride laid over an intensely detailed structure
hoobaroo - I stared at this park for a very long time. Taking a step back to assess this as part of your larger body of work makes it clear that you're playing a different game from the rest of us. I can't think of anyone else with such clear thematic continuity across years of play. "There's always a lighthouse, there's always a man, there's always a city." Motifs carry over from park to park but you manage to stun me every single time. It's the subtle touches that won it for me: one pillar reflecting in the pond, another casting shadow over the hillside, rays of light streaking across the scene, the light spilling out of the tower windows. Kiss me please
It sucks to view these parks through the lens of a competition. Ultimately I went with the two parks that held my attention for the longest time, though I think Babar, hoobaroo, and AVC are all beyond deserving of a semifinals spot. Whoever doesn't make it out of this group can take my spot, just so I can enjoy one more park from each of you
Splitvision Offline
What the hell guys. All QFs are mad but this one takes the cake so far. Mean to make me vote on this.
Babar - I am definitely not sure about what is going on here, but is it like the same place depicted in 5 completely different dimensions and/or periods of time? Lol. At any rate, this is crazy. So much content, of course it's quite effective to use a multi-level structure to fit more in, quite reminiscent of Walto's entry. The music is BONKERS haha. It was definitely hard to chose a vote for #1 but I think I could just not overlook the ambition and execution here, really spellbinding stuff.
Jappy - So this is interesting - your entry is somehow the polar opposite to Babar's in spirit, yet I was quite close to give it my first vote. This is just so goddamn serene, a bit similar to AJ's park in R1, where you were just drawn into the scene. This really feels like the most pleasant dream you could possibly have. It's ridiculous how much mileage you get out of this simple map, some mini-golfers, and Claire de Lune. I don't think I'll ever be a maximalist but I might be looking to take some pages out of the minimalist playbook in the future, I am always so impressed when these simpler parks have such an impact.
Hoob - I feel really bad for not being able to give this a vote. I mean, come on, this is such a cool entry. Black and white has been done many times before but the effect here is still striking and the splashes of color are really dramatic. The tower structure is really great, and I also love how the map is framed, the kind of inclined blacktiling/walling looks perfect here to really make it feel like a carefully curated slice of something bigger.
AVC - I feel like shit for not being able to give this a vote. This is, obviously, a marvelous micro. Beautiful, peaceful, inviting. Very impressive use of trackitecture and the cloud effect is the best one depicted in the game so far. But, I think the theme did not feel original or distinct enough to me to beat out such unique creations as mentioned above. I feel like we have seen too many similar maps before, even if this one might very well happen to be the best executed of them all. In a similar way to how I would be hard pressed to be swept away by a balloon-suspended city at this point, no matter how well it was executed, unless there was some other layer of concept or storytelling on top. Also I feel it was lacking some kind of main ride, perhaps not a super-intense coaster but something enveloping the scene, a bit like in China Blue. But yeah, really tough to leave this out of the voting.
AJ - Your R1 park was so contemplative and enchanting, really loved it - this entry feels more like you just had fun, while definitely churning out a very nice micro. Again we see the multi-layer approach to make it feel more filled out, and each layer is really nicely done, I dig the wavy ocean floor, looks great. The oil rig itself wasn't as convincing to me, maybe it was a bit too squat, also it was a bit on the repetivite side. If we didn't already have Tols' 5 minutes to 12 I think the oil rig theme would have felt more fresh, now it doesn't quite have that factor, but definitely a fun park.
FK+Coastermind Online
Jappy - Cute, serene, love the overall visual and style. Missing that wow factor though that has become a requirement with this round and came up against some content heavy big hitters.
AVC - Striking visuals, beautiful use of the single rail coaster, and a really pleasant charm. It does feel a bit heavy handed in places, I always feel like you're drawing with a marker where as others are drawing with pen. The content provided was ace, but without a coaster or another dimension, it does feel a bit similar throughout.
hoobaroo - Incredibly distinct visuals with a ton of beautiful moments. I think the execution in places wasn't stellar, and that's a bit covered up by the dark aesthetic and color choices. The reflections and stark contrast with the bits of color is a great touch, particularly the reflections. The coaster felt in a way unnecessary to sell me on this, and yet a coaster is somehow a ridiculous requirement in micro madness it seems. I'm torn between loving the mystery and aesthetic of your entries thus far and wanting a little more to grasp onto.
Babar - The amount of content and sheer inventiveness in this entry is pretty astounding. From top to bottom you've reused ancient objects in magnificent ways. It feels like not just one narrative, but many narratives and artistic moments all strung together. Unfortunately, this does feel like a one-perspective wonder, given that the other 3 angles are largely ignored, but you've packed more content into that one angle than most of the others have in all 4.
AJ - Really enjoyed the ride hacks and the layers, which gave you some room to experiment and created some unique visuals. The concept of a theme park on an oil rig is fun, but I felt like it was missing more of the 'oil rig' stuff to really sell me on that. Again, the rides were fun, but I felt like they didn't leave much room to develop a gritty, dirty oil rig look that would have really elevated this. The lower parts are probably my favorite as they felt more aesthetically unique, but the top seemed boxy in places and I think could have benefited from a more interesting composition.
This was an interesting group. I think every park had major upsides, unique aesthetics, but then some drawbacks such as perspective issues or feeling a bit expected. Based on the freshness of their content and the sheer amount of it, I went Babar #1 and then Hoob just squeaking into #2. Congrats on some really unique and creative entries all around, but hope to see some more polish in the semis.
Recurious Offline
This is again another really strong round where its almost unfair that some of these have to lose.
Jappy: I liked this a lot more than I thought I would from the overview. Its very serene and atmospheric, super nice work. The landscaping was very well done. Only downside is that maybe there isn't as much content as the other entries. Great entry.
AVC: This entry is just insane. Beautiful composition, beautiful archy. I love the way the golden elements look on those towers. The waterfalls into the clouds also work very well and add some nice movement to the map.The only thing I am not completely sold on is the colour of the background.
hoobaroo: This was executed really well. Just lovely. I love the effects in the water. Everything else is just very clean. I think that while this entry looks really good from all angles, that one opening angle is really the stand-out angle. Only downside of this entry is that similar to Jappy's entry I feel like there maybe wasn't as much content as I would have liked. Great effort though.
babar tapie: Are you good haha? This entry is insane and feels like a trip. This was probably the entry that held my attention the longest so far throughout the entire contest. So many little details to discover. I definitely like the higher levels more than the lower levels but all levels are executed well. I don't know why but I find the little wall with all the doors opening very satisfying to watch. Great entry.
AJ: Love this entry as well. The coaster layout is really cool and I appreciate all the hacks. The support work on the coaster is also done really well and the whole thing just feels so natural. Even though its a coaster that is on an oil rig which isn't really realistic, the way that it is executed makes me go like: Ofcourse there is a coaster on this oil rig, that makes total sense. It is just integrated so well. The waterslide was cool though. The lower levels were a bit less detailled and I think you could have added some more fun details here, especially on the sea floor level for example. Overall though I think this was a clever concept to use different layers for.
I haven't really decided yet who I will be voting for as I really like all the entries in this round, I will have to think about it a bit more.
ottersalad Offline
Biggus Riggus: Really neat layering here. Good use of that tried and true Micro Madness technique. Loved how the coaster and the boat ride almost dueled each other. Just a lot of fun to watch.
Elysium: This is like a mashup of Arcanis Mineralis, Papilio, and ACGTH lol. Really neat. Dreamy. Flowers and the abundance of them is lovely. Just so well composed.
Exodus: wow what the heck is this! I'm so incredibly intrigued by this and it really holds my attention. I've gone back to this a few times and keep finding more stuff. Captivating. Just so appreciative for this kind of work.
Hoobs: Really moody. Everyone this round packed a lot of emotion in to this round and yours especially. Very artistic. You work though reminds me of Bioshock.. "there's always a lighthouse.." You have a thing for tall towers in your parks lol
Jappy: really cool vignette. Just comes up against some heavy hitters. Love the vibe here as well. Color contrasts between the dark blue and yellow is great. Would be curious to see something like this from you but in a larger scale.
Narc Offline
Lunar Lights - Another entry heavy with atmosphere. It's perfectly unique but it is still very RCT2 in a way that I really enjoy.
Elysium - Aptly named. Great use of the single rail coaster and lovely, heavy gardens. Beautiful.
The Romantic - Lovely use of colours (and lack thereof). It's nice that it's viewable from all directions and that the backdrop is still present when you rotate the map. Also, I often feel like half diagonals are distracting but in this context they are a perfect fit.
The Exodus - I seem to have misplaced my shroom stash. Somewhere, damn. Anyway... ...that's quite an entry.
AJ's Oil Rig - Rock Style 2 is my jam. Like the rest of the micro as well. The coaster is neat, the concept is fun and the use of layers is well executed.
Ge-Ride Offline
First place for me goes to The Exodus. It is literally multilayered and every layer is detailed with something interesting. And some of the boldest colors I've ever seen.
Second place was a VERY tough choice but I'm going with Lunar Lights. It was that or Elysium for me and this one despite being less detailed, was very poetic and I got sucked into it in a rare way for RCT.
Third place I give to Elysium. It is just fun to watch. I liked the flower ride and the flying crafts. The music was nice too.
Fourth in my view is AJ's Oil Rig. It was very good when it comes to content but, surprisingly, considering last round's micro, it didn't have the amazing atmosphere that many others here did. Still, a very good micro that is a worthy creation.
The Romantic was a well made micro. Just went up against heavy competition. I liked the stripes through the sky but the coaster didn't add to the atmosphere the way the nighttime golf did for Lunar Lights. A good creation though.
Congrats to all for the very good to excellent micros and I'll see who ends up where.
Gustav Goblin Offline
AVC, Hoob, and Babar in the same round. I'm dead now, it's been nice knowing you.
Hoobaroo: Going by the overviews, I was thinking you'd be up against too tough of competition this time around. AVC is AVC and Babar's just looked insurmountable. I was telling myself oh my god, I exist in a universe where I have to vote against Hoob.
The little detail I forgot is that you are incapable of missing.
Something about this just keeps me coming back in a way almost no other micro this contest has. You once again deliver on unparalleled aesthetics and atmosphere with all the different plays on reflections, light versus shadow, and monochrome versus hyper-saturated color. Not sure what the narrative is with the Romantic and the Tyrant, but "Dreams of freedom" has me thinking the Romantic is somehow battling its way through this dreary Tyrant and breaks free to spread color all around? Either way I love the way you timed them to interact. The big reveal with the rainbows following the Romantic into the water is one of my favorite moments of this whole contest so far. You're definitely ahead of almost everyone else in the way you use this game as a genuine art form. Neat to see you doing something a little more design-centric this time around and working on those layouts. Tyrant is definitely one of your better layouts, although I feel like the way half of it clips into the ground and its supports clip through the Romantic potentially show a lack of planning. (I'll give you this though, supports suck to make.) I gotta get nitpicky about that because like come on, everything else is perfect. PLEASE make it to semis I'm begging you.
AVC: Fitting name because I'm kind of in heaven right now. Classic AVC intricate aesthetic gorgeous worldbuilding goodness. Amazing color palette on this bad boy, from the refined selection of colors on the archi to the rainbow of flowers all around and the sky blue backdrop. The single rail trackitecture steals the show; feel like working with Mulder during H2H9 really rubbed off on you. Papillon was a smart move for including a tracked ride that doesn't intrude on Elysium's natural beauty and Garden of Delights is a great support. Really hard to find much fault with this one honestly, and it's a super tight race between this and The Romantic for my favorite of the round.
Babar: I'm guessing this took you two days? This is just raw unadulterated Babar Tapie of the highest caliber. Feels like I dropped LSD and started binging VeggieTales. Really cool idea to take a biblical tale like the Exodus and throw all this insanity on top of it. I'm realizing as I look at this you pretty much compressed five micros on the level of your first one into this map which is just crazy. My favorite layers are definitely the corrupted forest and the ark. The corrupted forest looks so cartoony with the vibrant colors and how everything has big googly eyes. Can't find a better word to describe the ark layer than Babar; your sculptures are so recognizable and have so much character. I also love the miniature promised land at the very top. I will never get tired of anything you put out; it just oozes with style and uniqueness and I'm such a fan. Why must this vote be so hard?
Jappy: Oofffff, so vibey. Will never get tired of this aesthetic. It's definitely on the smaller and less content-packed size, but like Hoob's it makes up for it with a concentrated vision executed super well. The crescent-shaped island was a great idea, but I think my favorite aesthetic touch is the waves. Takes the setting from just floating around in space to this sorta half-space half-ocean thing. I die for stuff like this. Both rides seem to exist less for the sake of being a focal point and more to help set the mood which I appreciate. The coloration on the minigolf with the yellow holes really helps prevent this from being a big blue blob. The boats, obviously enough, are pure vibes. Unfortunately it just doesn't have enough content to justify competing with the top three, but hell if I don't love this. Really want to see more stuff like this out of you outside of this contest.
AJ: Dope layouts, pot stores, and a trans pride flag on the edge of an oil rig? Definitely AJ's alright. Love this take on the classic oil rig micro. Oil Slick is a hell of a main attraction and I love the hack where it goes up the spike both ways. You managed to fit in more supporting rides than I was expecting and Using Life Boats Poorly is a hilarious idea. The other three layers have plenty of crunch, fossils, and dead cops to go around. Unfortunately this micro called me gay so I unfortunately must rescind everything I said above and give this a 0/10. Sucks the competition was so tight this round; everyone here deserves to make it out.
Six Frags Offline
1) The Exodus by Babar Tapie
-Concept:++
-Content:+++
-Quality:+++
Overall; Wow, this is so trippy! A crazy amount of content to explore and I'm so glad you included the readme as that explained a lot on what it's about. Although the story itself is as trippy as the micro itself Anyway, all the different levels and what they represent are so unique and created with quality and attention to detail, really well done. I feel there's a lot I've still not explored fully though, so I'm sure I'm gonna come back to this micro and spend more time exploring all the little things you've put into it. The unicorn ark level is my favourite I think, very nice sculpturing and seeing that flying duck had me giggling quite a bit Finally, the custom music tops it off, it fits so well to this trippy atmosphere and you explaining that it's from 2 films by Dario Argento, a filmmaker you love is just nice to know. Great job!
2) Elysium by AvanineCommuter
-Concept:++
-Content:++
-Quality:+++
Overall; Wow, what a piece of art again! Love the use of the single rail coaster to create these curvy forms all over the shop (kinda how we did in Droomvlucht-combined with foliage). The way you created those clouds underneath is the best I've seen clouds created in RCT so far I think, feels so natural. The architecture, decorations. foliage, waterfalls and colour scheme are so well done, it really elevates this micro to another level. The relaxing custom music also really helps helps to set the mood and finally, the papillon and Garden of Delights rides give it some much needed movement.
3) The Romantic by hoobaroo
-Concept:+
-Content:+
-Quality:+++
Overall; A very high quality atmospheric micro from you again. This time a bit more condensed and dark compared to your previous vibrant, decorative and elaborate structures. Nonetheless I really enjoyed this moody/nostalgic vibe you created here with all these great reflections, patches of colour and starry sky (in true Hoobaroo fashion). The concept is a bit vague to me (is it about the book 'The Romantic' by William Boyd somehow?), although I can imagine you wanted this to be viewed as more of an art piece as if looking at a painting.
4) AJ's Oil Rig by AJ-
-Concept:++
-Content:++
-Quality:+
Overall; Some nice vertical construction here (although I don't really get why there is such a large gap between the sand and oil bit-shouldn't they be right on top of each other?). The coaster and the slide on the rig itself is nicely done and I imagine it would be so cool if you ride it irl. The lifeboats as bumper cars were a clever idea as was the turbine as twister (although could've been made more visible or even expanded upon). A cool concept and execution overall, but bad luck you're in this group.
5) Lunar Lights by Jappy
-Concept:+
-Content:+/-
-Quality:++
Overall; Lovely colour scheme and atmosphere, just wish there was more of it! Kind of like how I felt with Ziscor's micro last round.
RCT2day Offline
1.) AvanineCommutter - breathtakingly beautiful, as always! Everything is done just really really well in this, from the colors to the architecture to the foliage. Unlike a lot of other micro, it doesn't have a coaster as the center point, but it totally works here. It's perfectly serene and contains incredible details (I adore the metal scrollwork scattered throughout building facades and arches). Amazing work, easily deserving to move on.
2.) Babar Tapie - the transition between layers here is really well done. As a whole, it's very impressive. But when broken down, each is good but none of them are mind-blowingly good. The highlight has to be all the sculptures you created: I figured some had to be pre-made objects. The theme of one's personal music taste is a really good one and I love seeing an interpretation like this. This must've been an enjoyable park to make for you! Well done
3.) AJ - awesome idea! Layout is solid and the different layers are really cool. It's tough to decide which layer is my favorite. The bottom two are simple, but creative and right to the point. The top feels a bit crowded, but it fits the theme really well. I think the only reason that I have this third is because (1) AC killed it again and (2) Babar really put in a ton of effort that shows in the work. I suspect that I like this more than others, but I was really close to putting it 2nd. Still, easily the test oil rig I've seen in the game yet! Nice job.
4.) hoobaroo - Love the aesthetic of this, but it just didn't have as much going on as the others. It almost feels like the black-and-white color scheme was there to hide that it was missing details, rather than enhance the whole thing. I do really like that central building, I just wish there was more interaction with the coaster and other things.
5.) jappy - pretty cute stuff here! But clearly you ran out of time. I think the idea could've been cool. I loved the piano soundtrack. Oh well, speaking from experience, it happens to all of us.
Xtreme97 Offline
Match
Conclusion
The poll is now closed. The formula to derive the results is:
As replacement, hoobaroo is invited to submit a park for Round 3 (Semi-Finals). If there is a drop-out their micro will be chosen at random as replacement.
Jens J. Offline
The remaining three in random order
Jappy - Very cute scene. I don't know why exactly but I'm really digging the blue landscaping. Felt like it missed that final oomph to really push itself into a semis spot, but a great RCT piece in general!
AVC - Love the clouds. In some places this feels a bit hard to read imo just because it is so heavily detailed with trims and foliage in certain spots, but the vibe is immaculate (which is also helped by the very nice and soothing background music). Really like how you decorated the area of the Garden of Delights.
Babar Tapie - The duck sculpture is SO CUTE. I don't know where to even begin… I'm still finding new stuff as I write this and it's all executed very well. My favorite level is probably the unicorn one, but each level really has something outstanding (to name a few things I liked: the custom candles, the giant book, the monkey worshipping/rave scene (lol?) around the black skull, the jellyfish and all the sculptures done in the upper levels).
AvanineCommuter Offline
Reviews in no particular order:
Hoobaroo - I really think your style is so beautiful and distinctive. Out of all your ideas so far, this is one of my favorites for the sheer boldness and contrast of the black / white with the colors. Incredibly beautiful atmosphere and imagery. I think coasters are your weak point, but if you were able to up the level of detail on the main building and the coaster layout to match the strength of your incredible creative vision, that would be jaw dropping to see.
Babar Tapie - Jesus christ this is nuts and I love it. The neon color palette is so perfectly trippy and the music was used to great effect. I loved exploring all the clever details in each level, and you had so many objects that I never even knew existed, it took me a long time to pick apart your buildings and see how they were made! I think with cake-style parks the part that is limiting is one-view-wonder syndrome which unfortunately is hard to combat, but it would have been great to see the other views as considered as the main one. Congrats on the win and looking forward to your next park!
AJ - what a fantastic coaster here, really cool idea and well executed. The wavy sand texture is my favorite part, and it was great to see the touches of detailing at the bottom levels. Breaking out of the orthogonal would help elevate the rig itself to the next level, but what’s there is very clean and well done.
Jappy - You’ve really surprised me this competition with your two micros so far. This one is super dreamy and peaceful, top notch atmosphere. I really loved the subtleness of the micro, only wish it had been bigger with a little more content. Either way, I’m very excited to see you continue in this style if you have future parks or ideas at the level of this one.
J K Offline
AVC – My first vote. I don't think I've ever seen a more beautiful micro than this, which says a lot following your R1. You're a very special builder, thank you for sharing this with us. Foliage usage, trackitecture and colour palette was chefs kiss. Really looking forward to your next round.
Jappy – Bahhhh you did it again mate, your entries look like you had so much fun creating, it was dreamy, romantic and pulled on numerous heartstrings of mine from memories of a family member gone, but not forgotten. I couldn't vote on another entry if I tried.
Hoob – Yet again dreamy AF and nearly my second vote. Detail throughout was immaculate and your RCT takes us to very new places. Do you have anything else in the pipeline?
Babar – Whilst I loved it, I couldn't warm to it... it was a big collection of super intense babar stuff that I didn't feel had flow or succinct composition. Whilst it was 110% impressive, it didn't secure my vote. With that said... I've never not enjoyed a release from you.
AJ – Ayyyy! My guy! Great entry and like nothing I woulda expected you would've done. Enjoyed the viewing but the others moved me a bit more.