News / Acolade Panelist Recruitment

Panelist Recruitment:

We're in need of a few panelists, however with recent discussions over panelist voting* we are running an application process like we originally had.

You do not have to be skilled in the game to be a panelist, if you are interested then please reply to this topic, answering the questions below.

*By no means do we judge any of our current or previous panelist's vote. A panelist votes with their opinion, something we respect.

1) Pick three releases of varying quality and produce a vote for each, explaining your reasons for the vote and giving your opinion on what makes a release a great release.

2) Which versions of RCT can you run? RCTLL/RCT2/RCT2WW/RCT2TT.

3) Would you feel comfortable to judge RCTLL submissions?

We look forward to reading your applications.

heh, i would if i wasnt seen as such a noob />/>/>/>/>/>

okay. but what the fuck, lets go.

1) Pick three releases of varying quality and produce a vote for each, explaining your reasons for the vote and giving your opinion on what makes a release a great release.

Hillsburg Park- One thing that detracts me off the start is the fact the rides are closed. This adds to the lifelessness already given with the lack of peeps and the uninspired architecture. The path didn't give good guilding lines for your eyes, something that helps flow, and often there was too much path. The composition also left a lot to be desired, as a lot of the flat rides and buildings feel haphazardly added.

However, I did enjoy the coasters much. Insane was great for its purpose and wildcat was decent, some places could've been reworked to make the woody stronger. I also like the little realistic details you've added thoughout the park. For example, the catwalk/end brakes on insane were well done, as well as the details on the pirate ship.

Overall I'd give it a 40% as there were a lot of things that set it back, but the work look(ed) promising.

Ivalice- I love off the start the fansatical approach to this release, as well as the unconventional asthetic that the buildings had here. At times it felt chaotic and some places, like the entrance, would've been clearer if he'd give some space for everything. On that note, I love love love the atmosphere given off. Every area felt unique, and had it's own theme, because you added subtle details that made the parts unique (e.g. the wooden walks in the flyer area). Even though I do not get the FF refrences as I've never played one, I can see that the naming was good.

This release lacks in coasters. The Flyer, which was good up until the slow end. The woodie could've and should've had more space as it felt cramped. Also,The diver was pretty bad and had some really painful spots. The racers seemed decent to me.

I would have given this a 75% because I was a constant fan of the themes and atmosphere that Ivalice gave off, even if the coasters could've been better as a whole.

Djinn- wow. The theming here has to be the some of the best executed that is in existence. everything just fits here. The details made it for me, i'm hooked. Hell, I even love the patterns in the paths, though I can see some not liking the pathways. The coaster was brilliant and felt unique and exciting. I can't think of anything bad to say here.

My score would be 90% and my jaw on the floor.

2) I can run Rct2 and expanisons for the time being, but I am considering getting LL

3) Once I get it and become acquainted with the game, yes.

Schools ending for me in a week.

1. First, what makes a release a great release? In my opinion, a good release should ooze atmosphere. It should wow you. It should make you greatly interested in the minor details. It should make you take a step back and think about what the person was thinking when they were making it. What was their thought process? How did they produce such creative, atmospheric work? I compare RCT to art, because it IS art. Good art is open to interpretation, so a good RCT release should be open to interpretation. All of this makes a good release, in my opinion.

Sonoma Falls Theme Park (85/100 score from me, yes to spotlight) - This park has the complete package. First, it is incredibly entertaining to look at. I can watch some of these coasters over and over because they are mesmerizing. Second, it oozes atmosphere. When I look through the park, I can imagine walking through the entrance being like "I can't wait to ride that one, and that one, and that one!" It feels very real to me. I give it an 85, rather than 90, 95, or 100 because it lacks the minor details that 90+ parks should have. Overall, highly entertaining park that captured my attention for hours.

PineHills Orlando (65/100 aka, silver, score from me) - Technically, this is a highly skilled piece of art. The support work for the rides is well executed. The lining of the paths is neat. Just extremely skilled in every way. But it is missing the *POP* that a Gold+ park should have. None of it is particularly interesting. The coasters don't hold my attention. I can't look at one spot for more than a couple minutes. I give it a 65 because it has the skills of a Gold level accolade player, but it lacks the atmosphere and attention holding level of a Gold accolade.

Avantasia (70/100 aka, design, score from me) - Gentle and extremely pleasing to look at. It doesn't have the clutter of many codex filled LL parks/rides from the current generation. The colors of the paths, coaster, queue, foliage, and landscaping is just very calm and pleasing to my eyes. I gave it a 70 because it has atmosphere, brilliant landscaping and foliage, and a moderately good layout.

2. I can run RCTLL, RCT2, RCT2WW, and RCT2TT.

3. I would feel comfortable judging RCTLL.

I'd like to add that I have a lot of time on my hands now that school is over />

1.)

A - Halcón Azul - 65% - I did not like the atmosphere in the park and this really reminded of an older building style. The coaster was great tho, really great work on the supports. It was like a coaster of today in a park of yesterday. Not being impressed by the surroundings I think the best I can do is a 65%

B - Thunderclap - 95% - WOW, just love everything going on here. It's got a great coaster, details, atmosphere, trackitechture... I don't think it's 100% worthy because of some sloppy areas here and there, but overall this seems like a great piece of RCT that is worthy of one of the highest possible scores on the scale.

C - The Hornet - 25% - Nice little coaster with an awful paint schema, but it goes with the theme. Still, the only detail is the track supports on the coaster. It's just way to simple to be an NE Design, so I need to go low with my score. I could see this guy getting close someday, but this is just too little.

2.) RCT2 and LL... seems my WW and TT disks are lost forever...

3.) LLLL, so yes I would love to judge some LL entries.


I finished with my classes and graduated last week, so I can be an active panelist again now... if you'll have me back

Darren stop trying, they'll never pick you

Congratulations on graduating!

1) Fränkisches Abenteuerland I would have given an 80%. I thought it was absolutely brilliant and retained a great level of believability. The park had excellent architecture all round and my favourite part was the Medieval area. The German entrance area also had some excellent architecture. Also, the level of detail throughout was mind-blowingly good. However some of the coaster layouts were quite weak and could have easily used some improvement to make them flow better. In my opinion the park was easily worth Gold and the architecture took that up to a Spotlight in my eyes.

Seahawk would have got 55% from me. The coasters were great and the first inversion was a fantastic idea. The architecture in general was quite strange with no general colour scheme. However, I did like the pink building with the orange roof. That was very nicely done. A few improvements in the architecture here and there as well as in the foliage (which I felt was the weakest part of the design) could have raised the score on this. Overall, quite good but not enough to get it a design.

Black Mamba I would have given 25%. I felt the layout was very strange and could have used a bit of re-thinking. However, I think the station architecture was quite enjoyable as was the landscaping. The foliage was terrible though. I think this was the worst part of the design and could have brought the score much higher had it been improved.


2) I have RCTLL, RCT2, WW & TT.


3) I would definitely be open to voting on LL releases.


Edit: Forgot to include what makes a release great.

For me a large part of it rests on layouts. A weak layout can spoil a design with good surroundings, but at the same time a good layout can be spoiled by the surroundings themselves (I wouldn't be as strict in parks). I guess architecture is becoming a more and more important feature in modern releases and the focus is being drawn from the coasters themselves, so this would also be something vital, as would the atmosphere and path layout. I tend not to focus too much on foliage and landscaping and don't think it could make or break a design (or at least only in extreme cases). A great release should be able to make me stare at the screen in wonderment and awe, looking through all of the details and getting a vibrant feel from it without boring me. Little things can also play a big role in making a release great and I feel that without nifty little ideas to catch your attention and make you smile, a release can fall down drastically.

I'd usually base my voting on this scale:

/20 Coaster (layouts, supports, details)
/20 Architecture (buildings, shops, scenery etc.)
/20 Ideas and Atmosphere (creativity, originality, atmosphere etc.)
/20 Landscape & Foliage (landscape variations and integration, foliage arrangement)
/20 Overall Aesthetics and Placement (rides, path layout, overall interaction etc.)
/100 Total (closest to mulitple of 5)

heh, I probably should've done more recent stuff, but whatever.

It doesn't matter whether the submissions you choose are recent or not so recent, we're just interested in hearing your opinions on each and your reasoning for your vote.

Also remember that your vote doesn't have to be similar to the score of the actual park, we're looking for your opinion, whether that's different to the panels or not.

Happy applying

I’ll throw my name in, even though I come from noob city.

1) What makes a release a great release? : In my opinion, a release that would be considered a great release should be one that has cohesion, flow and atmosphere to the park or design. By cohesion and flow, I mean that each the park should be able to work with the others, to improve the overall look and feel of the park. A park with good flow should not have pieces that feel out of place, or awkwardly put in. Hand in hand with this flow, should also be a good atmosphere. What makes an atmosphere is a feeling of presence in the park. To me, the idea of atmosphere is that if I could imagine myself, whether a fantasy or realistic park, walking through that park, and looking at my surroundings. Any park with good atmosphere should give off a good vibe that corresponds with the intention of the park, which makes me want to keep looking at the park, and to explore the park. Though, this atmosphere doesn’t always come just from the park, often it comes from the surrounding area too. One last strong belief I have, is that the style in which the park was made should have no immediate effect on the rating. A park with custom scenery should not be ranked higher or lower than a park without custom scenery, just because it was made with custom scenery.

1) Pick three releases of varying quality and produce a vote for each, explaining your reasons for the vote.

Violet Gardens (70/100): This was overall a very nice park. The park had great cohesion, as each piece of the park worked well with the others, though the layout and flow of the paths was a little crazy and lacking. Overall the atmosphere was where I thought this park lacked the most. When I opened the park it felt dead. There weren’t very many peeps and many rides were running completely empty. Also, the architecture felt sterile in some places, and it didn’t have the character feel that a park like this might have. One good feeling about the atmosphere was the overall foliating of the outside of the park, yet some parts seemed like they needed just a little more feeling. The ride placement was good, and the thought that went into each of the rides and the park as a whole was very visible. Overall it was a very nice park, though it did not grasp me, and I did not think “Wow this is a spectacular park.”

Zippo’s Wacky World of Wonders (90/100 Spotlight: yes): I very much liked this park. Overall, I felt that each of the themed areas worked really well together as a whole, and the park kept the same general feel throughout the whole area, despite the theme changes. The different ideas presented in each of the areas were simply outstanding, and each area had its own neat little tricks. The overall atmosphere of the park was simply outstanding, and the park felt alive, happy, and vibrant. I could really imagine myself walking through the paths of these parks, and enjoying a wonderful day. The one major thing that killed the otherwise practically perfect atmosphere for me was the use of the ugly striped queue lines. I’m certain that some creativity could have been used with invisible queues and scenery, but this just makes it feel ever so slightly incomplete, and kept it from a 95 or 100 for me. Overall, this park really wowed me, and I thoroughly enjoyed viewing the park.

Almere-Vesting (60/100): I liked this park. The park worked well as a park. Everything fit together nicely, and it felt like it had a certain classic, quaint, feel to it. The park had a wonderful atmosphere and felt bustling but very tidy. It felt like the kind of park where I could feel like I was walking around and seeing everyone happy. The architecture was very well done, and it captured the essence of a countryside park without being too flashy. I thoroughly enjoyed the movement in the park too, it felt complete. Overall, I liked it, but not overwhelmingly. I felt that some parts were a little bland, others seemed too simplified, and others just looked a little off. An example would be the inverted coaster. The park didn’t completely wow me, but I felt as though it was nice, which makes me think a 60 is the right score for this.

2) I can run RCT2 and RCTLL

3) Perhaps? If I had a week where I could study LL and different parks then I would probably say yes.

Okay, wow, I wrote a bit of an essay here. I hope that I’m not overwhelming the admins here, and thanks for your consideration!
And just a note, even though my post count is low, I'm actually around a lot, and have been for a while. I just don't always post.

Ah, what the hell. I may as well try. Here's my own essay
1):
RCT2: PARK 360, by Beejer (55% Vote)
Overall, the park has a certain fantastic, ultra-modern feel to it, though also (confusingly) has many Greek and Roman influences. It also has highly unrealistic roller coasters, a fitting design style considering the park itself. In my opinion, what really keeps this from being a Silver is the redundant architecture. Many buildings, even the covered bridges, have no real variation in their styling.
The quality of the release is inconsistent overall, and I can sense that the creator put a lot more effort into some areas than they did others. The foliage in some places is perfect, though in others feels lackluster and randomly-placed. The edges of the map are, for the most part, completely empty, and the corner containing the two roller coasters "Backwoods" and "Birchville" was, in my opinion, of Honorary Mention quality.
In summary: PARK 360 is inconsistent in quality, which makes it difficult to vote on. The more I look at this release, the more flaws I see in it.
~~~
RCT2: Divinity Ridge, by JKay (90% Vote. Spotlight? NO)
I'm a bit surprised (and intrigued) by the 'candy' theme of this park. Its psychedelic colors and happy music would be a large turn off on other parks, though JKay somehow manages to pull it off and make it an engaging theme, even if it does strain your eyes in areas like Bazooka, a medley of vibrant blues, pinks, and whites, or Sugar Whip, a complete washout of blues, pinks, and yellows. (Which makes me wonder what would this park look like while high. )
Notice that I used the term "washout." There are frequent times where I find myself overwhelmed by the color and am forced to look away from the screen so that my retinas don't burn, which obviously detracts from the enjoyment of the park. Despite this quality, other areas shine in their less...vibrant...coloring, such as the "Reese's" area's brown, yellow, and orange colors.
Overall, Divinity Ridge is a very nice park, though to me...I don't think it's quite worthy of Spotlight, even for its time. Certainly a very high Gold, but not a Spotlight.
~~~
RCT1: Silver Valley Theme Park, by Loopy (85% Vote. Spotlight? YES)
Silver Valley had some of the most clever, amazing, why-didn't-I-think-of-that-?! trackitecture I've ever seen in LL. That carousel in the Babylon area is just stunning. The Hanging Gardens are executed beautifully within the constraints of the game. Dragon Inferno is an excellently themed and executed launch coaster, and my only compliant is that the dragon-shaped station looks more like a slug than a dragon of any description.
The Treetop Flyer area is probably my most favorite part of the park, even if it is a kiddie coaster. The trees here are all fantastically executed. The spiral lift around the tree trunk is incredible, with the branches supporting it and everything.
My major complaint is that the area around Vampyre seems too barren, even for Transylvania; I don't think I'm alone on that opinion, either.
Overall, I'd say that this park is one of my favorite LL creations, and certainly deserving of a Spotlight. Amazing park, Loopy; it's no surprise that you're one of the best around when it comes to LL.
~~~
What do you think makes a great release?
The parts of a release that I usually enjoy the most are the layouts, foliage, and architecture; more specifically, how well that those three elements blend together. If a park doesn't have a smooth, flowing layout that draws you in and keeps your attention for the entire thing, then I usually won't like it as much. The same holds true for coasters and other rides.

2) I'm running RCT2TTWW and RCTLL.

3) Certainly.

I would like to put my name in the hat. Not going to write 3 paragraphs on why simply because its 1.15 am and i cant be arsed, good day

Eh, why the fuck not. I've wanted to be a panelist for long enough anyway.

>Part 1<

1. The Doomed Domain (65/100)
I loved this park. It totally pans away from the realism, and into a detailed, massive inferno. The archy is absolutely stunning, the rides are exciting, and the all-around environment is breathtaking. This is definitely one of the most unique releases NE has seen today. My favorite part was the mine train snaking through the rapids. It definitely pumps me up for some more releases from Arjan.

2. The Hornet (25/100)
I liked the idea of the ride, but not necessarily the execution. It's just really messy. The foliage could be a bit more refined, the buildings a touch more detailed, and the colors, oh god the colors clash with the rest of the environment. I think the ride would have been much better in a full countryside park. It's definitely a step in a right direction, and I think we can expect a release from Matt in time.

3. Kim Jong-Il's Present to his People Park (70/100)
This park was hilarious! It packs refined detail into a such a small area, throws in cute rides, and creates a fun environment. When I opened the park for the first time, I didn't leave until I found every quirk. I believe it's quite indescribable, and hard to say what I fully believe about this park, but I generally got a real kick out of it. I hope the park inspires people to make more country-inspired parks.

>Part 2<

I can run RCT2 and the expansions. I would be able to run LL but my disc broke.

>Part 3<

I would be perfectly fine judging LL parks, but as said above, no disc. ;_;

Thank you for the opportunity, and please consider me.

1.
a) Hyatt's Crystal Cove Resort- RCTNW

Vote: 65%

Wow, those towers are just incredible to say the least, and they are certainly creative. The main reason why this would receive a silver instead of a gold would be due to the "cold" feeling that most of his parks have. Unlike parks of smaller Scale, Hyatt's Crystal Cove Resort lacks the elements. If the foliage were done in a better more detailed manner, I would say differently. The water park itself was quite nice but one again, the "cold" atmosphere and lack of small details go against the higher vote. The buildings, like most of RCTNW's creations were brilliant, but the it could have been amazing if the water park were done at spotlight quality and the foliage were better.

b) Mul- Miracle

Vote: 45%

The individual quality of the park was nice, but the park itself wasn't the greatest. My biggest complaint would be the fact that much of the park is cold and concrete and it contrasts with the repetitive foliage in the back. The front part of the park is significantly stronger than the back but still lacks the interesting element that I would desire in most parks. The exposed ride huts were also a complaint. I also felt that some scenery items were a little odd, but they actually worked in this case. Although the park wasn't necessarily lacking in quality, I would have voted Bronze if it had blended in with its surroundings.

c) Snowdrift- 5Dave

Vote: 70%

This park is of high quality, but only enough to hit the gold. The landscaping is brilliant by itself but the architecture is lacking when compared to most parks. The entire park has an archaic feel to it and although it supplies the essence of charm, it lacks in detail that most parks of this scale contain. The structures are nice and blend in though, and they accomplish the effect but they just feel as if they were quickly thrown together, thus the park is given a gold but not a spotlight.

Now, what makes a release a great release? I feel that the overall atmosphere and structure of the park is the most important element, as a park with the best rides and architecture will not look "correct" if it isn't well designed. Landscaping is the second most important, as it is required to pull in the attention of the viewer and if done correctly, prevent the viewer from finding the park depressing. Architecture is needed but not to the same extent as landscaping, which must complement the building. Most buildings in RCT are built in a generic style, but building a structure of massive scale, impeccable detail, or exotic design can raise the vote.

2. I can run RCT2 and RCT2WW. I have lost my RCT2TT disk, and RCTLL is currently uninstalled. Hopefully I will be able to get these games before the end of the holiday season.

3. I would not feel comfortable to judge LL submissions due to my inexperience with them. I have seen many RCTLL parks but I feel that my vote may be biased or clueless and therefore inaccurate. I am not the best at judging LL parks but if required, I will oblige.

Going to write my apply this afternoon.

I would like to put my name in the hat. Not going to write 3 paragraphs on why simply because its 1.15 am and i cant be arsed, good day

Then I am afraid you aren't eligible for consideration.

We aren't looking for a massive amount of writing, just a simple vote with a reason for each park is enough.

1)

a. Six Flags Santa Fe by Robbie=95%
This submission really embodies everything that RCT is all about, in my opinion. Whether perceived as "realism" or "fantasy," I always look at each park with the same question in mind: "can I imagine myself here?" From a little lake-side eatery to a queue that winds its way beneath an awesome coaster, I want to be able to picture myself in the park. I think that this is what SF:SF really does perfectly. As someone who has been to a few Six Flags parks, I can really appreciate things like the advertisements pasted around the queues, the “abandoned” rides fenced off from the view of the public, and even the gaudily industrially-themed Gotham City area. What really makes this park stand out to me so much, though, are the little things that show how the builder is thinking outside of the box: facades only at the entrances of tunnels (riders can’t see the rest of the tunnel, right?), supports painted yellow to alert maintenance vehicles, a half-built canoe in the flume line, etc. Just awesome stuff, and a near perfect park.

b. Halcon Azul by Arjan v 1=70%
I really loved the atmosphere in this submission. I thought the variance of path textures, along with the foliage, gave it a feel that differentiated it from others of similar theme. The map itself had a good supporting cast of rides in the train and antique cars; both were great eye-candy. The coaster itself—the focal point of the submission—was very well executed. Not a lot of people do B&M sit downs, so it was cool to see one. I do feel, though, that this fell into the trap of being a little bit mundane, despite the extra inversion. The layout, as a whole, was pretty standard, and I wasn’t a huge fan of the long sweeping turn into the final break-run. It seemed a bit lazy. However, there were just so many things that saved this coaster (and submission as a whole): the awesome tunnel after the first inversion, the fantastic view-point before the second vertical loop, and that kick-ass queue line. I know it was short, but what a beautiful location in the bottom of that station! A deserving design, for sure!

c. Seahawk by Corkscrewy=60%
Definite points here for trying something daring. However, I’m not sure if the execution matched the ambitiousness of the idea. My one rule for a racing coaster is this: both tracks should be able to stand alone as solid coasters. Yeah, I know that if you took only one Lightning Racer track, it wouldn’t be half the ride as the two intertwined tracks combine to create. That being said, one Lightning Racer is still a good ride. I felt that when viewed as separate rides, neither track is strong enough to warrant a design win. I mean, just look at how much time that flyer spends on it’s back. The rest of the map is solid, I think, but just lacks coherence and inspiration. I mean, the architecture is good, but it really doesn’t convey a certain atmosphere (a really well-done beach-side park feel would have done this wonders). The monorail track usage and roadway are both things seen in many designs, but just didn’t seem to add anything here. Also, I thought the Haunted Boardwalk ride really missed the mark. A better façade design could have made this awesome. Not a bad submission, overall, but just lacking the refinement, coherence, and of course the “it” factor that makes a design, I think.

2) Just RCT2. Sorry.

3) Nope. I have LL but I don’t have the original disk to install it anymore.

Well, I got better responses for Seahawk in this thread than I did in the damn release page.. stupid arguing over panelists. haha

But, this is something that would definetly interest me. I'm picking up my computer tonight now that it's fixed and I'll post some reviews very shortly.

-Josh

Hi, my name is Austin55.

1.

I. Ashcombe
Interesting park, automatic props for being timeline based.Being able to see the progression from a simple farm to a local tourist attraction was fun, reminded me of some childhood type parks. It's obvious Louis has tons of patience for placing scenery, the map is actually rather empty without foliage. Lots of skill in the landscape texturing to.
Overall there are some unique and innovative ideas in here. Maybe not enough zing to go gold, but the quality of a good silver. In all, I'd say high silver, so 65%.

II. Halcon Azul
Upon opening I knew it was something special, because it looked really good, kinda old school, but I had no idea who made it. It was clear the the landscape was sculpted for the ride, and then the pathing was sculpted over that. Path interaction was really good, peeps had a good view of important elements, and good access to restraunts and other supporting attractions. The architecture was nice, it all went together and nothing felt out of place, and it was detailed well enough to give of a good atmospheric vibe. Layout was 4/5, some weird kinds like the last turn. probably just make a brake run. Overall, solid 70%, mayyybe a 75%.

III.
Superman: Krypton Coaster (SFFT recreation)
Release of a decade right here. The architecure takes you into another world, and reminds you why this 10 year old game still has a following. Whimsical, the layout perfe... ah shit. This is mine, lemme find something else.

IV. Cedar Flags Drayton Park

This is fun, because it's not really meant in a serious way. It's clear Liampie and friends were working on some older stuff, and just needed to get it finished. So, props to that. Lot's of fun overshadows what isn't as good. Solid bronze. 55%.


2. I can run all RCT2 plus expansions. No LL

3. I do not have LL.

III.
Superman: Krypton Coaster (SFFT recreation)
Release of a decade right here. The architecure takes you into another world, and reminds you why this 10 year old game still has a following. Whimsical, the layout perfe... ah shit. This is mine, lemme find something else.

Incredible