Micro Madness 2019 / MM3 - The Grand Final!

Cocoa - Dynamite Dunes

AvanineCommuter - Airhaven

hoobaroo - Genesis

inthemanual - The (Not So) Secret Spot

__________________________________________________________________

i made the original dynamite dunes

I got kinda tired of reviewing everything, but I'm back for the grand finale! I'm beyond excited to see what these four finalists have come up with!

Cocoa- I audibly reacted. Your creativity has been on point this entire contest, but absolutely nothing can compare to how you introduced this park. I don't want to spoil it for those who want to see it for themselves, but it's unlike anything else I've seen in ORCT2. As for the park itself, though, it's a little hard for me to follow along. You said it yourself; the scenery was more of a stream of conciousness than an adherence to a particular theme. Whatever the theme may be, though, the presentation is wonderfully detailed. Definitely worthy of grand finals!

AVC- I was incredibly excited to see what you would present throughout this competition, and it's no surprise I was stoked to see you in the finals. Your final micro of the contest (not counting the bonus round, of course) does not disappoint at all. Once again, your style shines through, with gorgeous and elaborate architecture complete mastery of the fantasy theme. There's no better triple-A attraction for this park than a coaster which leaves its rails and soars through Airhaven. The music is an amazing touch too. The only thing that confuses me about this park is the Vox Turbine. What's the launch track used for? It would have been nice to see more context for it, but that's barely a damper on this incredible micro. Amazing work!

hoobaroo- I had never heard of you before MM3, so seeing the quality of your releases and watching you make grand finals was quite a surprise. My first glimpse of the park felt a little underwhelming, but the more I scaled the tower, the more and more impressed I was. The architecture is gorgeous from base to spire, and I love the progression of time as the coasters scale the clock tower. I also really like how every coaster has its own little theme as well. They all have their own place in the bigger picture. I know this is a trivial point, but I also like the little robot guy sitting at the base of the tower. He's the perfect cherry on the top of an incredible fantasy park.

ITM- This is a great little micro. I love the concept of a coaster tucked into a serene little spot off the highway, and the scenery does so much to bring it to life. Your use of the minigolf hack to have the cars only appear on the tiny section of highway was a great touch, as was the little swimming hole by the waterfall. It has a lot of soul, and it almost reminds me of something I would've come up with as a RCT-obsessed kid. Unfortunately, there's nothing that really makes it stand out from the other three micros. After seeing the other competitiors' grandiose submissions, this being the final micro I loaded made me think "That's it?" However, this is one of those parks that gets better the more you look at it.

With the reviewing out of the way, all that's left is to determine my favorite. Since this is a very special occasion, I'm going to rank every park rather than my two favorites. It's time to see who I think should win the contest!

4. The (Not So) Secret Spot- Putting this at 4th feels like an insult. Of course, that would happen in grand finals of a contest like this, where every submission is amazing. Maybe it's just me thinking bigger is better, but while I loved this one, it just didn't have the flair the others did.

3. Dynamite Dunes- Again, I feel like I'm doing a disservice to this one. The introduction absolutely blew me away and the park itself is superbly detailed, but once all is said and done, I find this one a little incoherent and hard to follow.

2. Genesis- I had a bit of a hard time understanding and following this one at first, but once I figured it out, it blew me away. The way every coaster advances up the tower gives this park a sense of progression, making it more of a story than a static park to look at. For someone I had never heard of before, hoobaroo's potential over this competition absolutely blows me away, and I can't wait to see what he comes up with after Micro Madness!

And that leaves one more park. The parkmaker I nominate for the title of MM3 Champion is...

1. AVC/Airhaven- After witnessing his masterpieces like La Reve Parapluie, Arcanis Mineralis, and Mandala, my expectations for AVC were very high. Now that we're in the final, he's met and exceeded them. If there's anything more impressive about AVC than his grandiose aesthetic, it's the way uses it to create worlds. Airhaven is a shining example of this. Through all the flying airships and balloons and massive glass walls, there's something almost authentic about Airhaven. It's a world you would find in a science fiction novel. There's a good reason AVC didn't include a readme; the park itself tells it all. It immerses you in its little world while leaving room for interpretation.

Before I retreat back to my goblin hole, I want to applaud everyone who participated in this contest, from the finalists to the duds (coughcoughsub-rosasubwaycough). Micros are a fun and challenging take on RCT2 and my personal favorite kind of park, so it's always a joy to see what NE's top parkmakers can fit into such a small space. This was an incredible contest, and I can't wait for the next one!

Dynamite Dunes - Well that's certainly one way to leave an impression. From the name I was expecting it to have a bit more to do with the scenario beyond the name of the main ride. The tone is quite aggressively darker than I was expecting and it's so cluttered it's quite hard to appreciate the details here. The very high walls don't help. I do appreciate the very industrial, chaotic mess but Dynamite Blaster almost seems slightly anachronistic in this otherwise very fantastical sci-fi piece. What is the alien supposed to be?

Airhaven - I have to admit your style this contest still hasn't quite clicked with me. I love the ships and the mix of colors makes this thing just ooze atmosphere. I wonder if maybe blue or some sky-like tiles would have been more appropriate underneath instead of black? The ship design is super cool. Dragoon's open air station design is wonderful. The use of canvas roofs does confuse me a bit amidst all this tile, brick, and metal. I also still don't quite know what this turbine launch track is supposed to be - some sort of defensive weapon for the station? Or something to launch ships? I kept waiting for it to play some role in the layout of Dragoon or Balloon Transport but it just kinda hangs out up there at the top of the map by itself. It's unfortunate that the turbines break down immediately, small nitpick but easy fix.

Genesis - Well fuck me. If anything was ever going to make me come 'round to the towering stack micro philosophy, this is it. All of the areas feel cohesive, the use of a color palette is mercifully excellent, the integration of all the coasters is so cool. The timing with the music is perfection. If I had to come up with a complaint, maybe there is one too many ideas on display. The rusted automaton is a neat touch but the clockwork/mechanisms aren't really explored past the first level. The foliage/landscaping at the bottom is a little glitchy I guess. But fucking hell my dude, what a piece of parkmaking.

The (Not So) Secret Spot - Great little classic micro. Unfortunately it just has nowhere near the content or ideas to stand up in the most stacked grand finals ever, but I love the idea, the waterfall is nice, and the overall framing is really good. It looks like you might have run out of time and rushed a bit? Still an incredibly capable micro with a great coaster.

In the end, I think the winner was all of us because this was a fucking incredible contest. Thanks to the admins for running probably the tightest contest NE's ever seen.

Dynamite Dunes - When you said it's your worst entry I knew not to lower my expectations too much, and boy was I right. Everyone, myself included, will be stunned by that opening. What a trick, so well done and never-before seen, incredible really. I requested spacek to do a similar CTR with blocks in order to make buildings with curves, but there's so much potential for CTRs like you showed here with the fuse and the landblocks that I didn't think of. I really want to hear how you pulled it off. The actual space underneath is interesting, chock-full of details and incredibly dense. I'm not sure I understand the full theme (mix of western desert mine with steampunk-ish glass?) but there's quite a bit to keep me engaged and feels like an interesting step away from your typical Cocoa-isms and color scheme. The ride's layout was very cool, I really enjoyed the way the tracks crossed over itself multiple times, meandering in loops. It did get a little cluttered in the lower areas, but it's a minor thing compared to the overall idea and creativity shown here. Overall just a completely fantastic entry. This, along with your entire run in this MM, is well deserving of the win IMO.

Genesis - You pulled an ITM and came out of nowhere to take MM by storm! While the park took me some time to understand, I'm still not quite sure I get the full story behind the rides... but man what a beautiful way to end your incredibly impressive MM run. I think there's a story here that could've used a little more explanation in the readme, or a reference, but even without it all, it's a wonder to see all the details packed into this tower. The color selection is wonderful and the rides themselves are puzzlingly interesting. I'm not sure how you did all these hacks with the coasters but I'm very impressed in the sheer amount of rides packed into such a small space. I think there were a few missed naming opportunities that could've lend some narrative clues into the story that's being told here. The handymen were fantastic and a very clear indicator of the park's theme. The music adds so much to this entry, and sets such a glorious mood when dissecting all the secret messages throughout. It almost feels like an opera of some sort! Loved the micro details here, with the chandelier, the curtains + spotlight for the stage, all the little floating spires, and the clock tower. I think giving the tower a little more shape would've helped the overall composition, with a slightly wider base that gets smaller as you ascend each section. I could definite see you winning the whole contest with this great entry, and I have to say I'm incredibly impressed with your ascension from a promising new player to someone I'm genuinely a fan of. Great work!

The (Not So) Hidden Spot - Knowing how little time you had with the baby and the move, I'm still impressed that you managed to pull out a great layout and immersive little micro here. I really liked the cars speeding past on the highway, and the hidden entry across the brook to discover this lovely little slice of paradise. This feels kind of like a distillation of your RCT skills in general, with your work in both fantasy and realism. I'm would love to see your original finals idea turned into a Design submission in the future!

Knowing how little time you had with the baby and the move...

I didn't know about this when critiquing your park, ITM. Makes it a lot more impressive!

I downloaded and viewed these blind, not looking to see who did what as best as I could not remember...that said, I am learning your styles and was mostly right in my guesses.

Airhaven - This edges out the Spot.  Overall this is the most complex that makes sense, where as Spot does the same with less.  I love the steampunk archy, the balloons above and that the coaster flowing through this.  Dragoon looks like a fantastic thrill ride throughout all of the nooks and crannies, between structure and visiting airships.  Overall, love the color mixing here.  Looks like I need to use this Dirt bench for a project, I've been looking for windows like you have in here.

Not So - My first thought honestly was...this is small, and for the finals?  Then I took a step back and imagined how you really would find the spot...thru a tiny path off the side of the road into the woods.  That's where the magic is.  The track roots for the tree, the spiral around it for the lift.  The spinning cars with smooth banking dives over peeps and tiny paths, with sure enough, a hidden helix at the end into the station.  Single paths for the win.   This is a very deceptive gem. Thanks for making it.

Genesis - Wow, I had a feeling there would be at least 1 skyscraper and here it is.  I love the tower, but I guess I am lost on the theme.  Over my head as it were....then #12 crashes?  Maybe this is biblical and out of my area of expertise.  Excellent tower with multi-themed areas and interior...lots of detail abound....but even in the finals, part of me is wondering if something that tall is really micro.  I like it, but not in this round or in the spirit of a micro.  I know (and deserved) a title of a macro micro on my first round entry cos I didn't really understand how this works 2 mos ago...but now that I do, I'm conflicted on this for a micro.  Great job in the tourney - solid for all 4 rounds!

Dynamite! - Wow...that hack.  No words.  The inside...I see there are are some solid cross pathing hacks on the mine train (I can't do these things admittedly), but the overall interior is more cluttered than the other parks in this round, or yours from previous.  I've crammed things in 'boxes' before, so I can relate.  Not a bad park, and it certainly would win in other rounds in certain groupings, but I feel like I remember the beginning, and then forget the end.

No screens?

Wow guys, impressive work! 

Dynamite Dunes; Love the explosion in the beginning, something we haven't seen before this way. Pulled off with perfection, and really adding to the theme, also love the little igniting rope in the beginning. The content itself was good as well, maybe in comparison to Airhaven and Genesis a bit underwhelming, but I guess that's due to the time issues you described. Still very enjoyable and a high skill piece of work

Genesis; lovely atmosphere, especially the music adds so much here as well as the color scheme. The vertical construction is lovely and smart to get more content in. Nice little touches here and there with the birds and butterflies. I feel the top and bottom of the tower could've used a bit more theming, now its a bit bare, while the middle part has more details with the cracks and ornaments.. As others, I also had some trouble figuring the story out, but the ascension of the coasters 'rising to the heavens' makes sense to me (although you may not have meant it that way, or maybe more meaning was behind it).

Airhaven; La Rève someone? I get La Rève chills all over again, lovely atmosphere just like in La Rève. Did I say it reminds me of La Rève already? Actually, I feel this is even better than La Rève as it's a more cohesive whole, and as such more consistent and you could've explored your artistic abilities more. The music (yeah, I'm a sucker for a good soundtrack behind it) really finishes it off and adds that same flavour La Rève did back in the day.. I think this is my favorite work from you AVC, the way you use rides as a way of making things is out of this world and close to perfection. Well done!

The (not so) secret spot; Nice little ride/park, but not much more to comment on I'm afraid. I read someone said you were moving AND having a kid, so kudo's to that and at the same time getting some work in, but it's far from the level of the other entries.

Have to look a few more times to make up my mind between Airhaven/Genesis/DD to decide which is 'best'.. I think actually all 3 are winners! Thanks guys for all the hard work put in, was lovely to see the entries every round. 

No screens?

probably to force downloads, as to not judge by screens 

probably to force downloads, as to not judge by screens

The not so secret spot - ITM
I thought this was a nice micro... the landscaping is nice but there's just not much content here... it kinda reminded me of Steve's first entry in that it's high quality, just not crazy or ambitious. Some parts feel last-minute, but this is all understandable. Someone on discord said it's reminiscent of the crazy ideas they had when they were younger and first started the game. I can see that... it would be really cool having a hidden roller coaster behind the 'secret' creek I used to hang out in when I was younger.

Genesis - Hoobaroo
The English palette is perhaps the best ever made lol. Really like this entry... it certainly has scale. That rusty robot with a butterfly around it at the base of the tower is a really nice touch. Your style is perfect for building tall structures and what's here is high quality. My main critique however is that most of it is still the facade of a building... it's an excellent entry that would have carried itself in earlier rounds. However, it just could've used more wackiness as it felt a little stagnant. Regardless, it's amazing seeing a newcomer going head-to-head, and in many cases beating some of the best and I hope to see some large scale releases from you with this unique style.

Airhaven - AVC
Always wanted to do something like this... in fact a giant airship was a quick plan I had for H2H8 and I'm glad someone else executed it so well. I love the usage of strange objects in a less eye-melting way than a previous micro... it's also about time someone used the super looper ride as scenery. This is like the steampunk version of nin's SMK-011K (and it was a very nice execution of the theme, feeling more industrial than most similar parks). A huge floating sci-fi vehicle was something we needed this contest and this entry narrowly beat Hoobaroo's; both are high quality but this had more life.

Exploding Cube - Cocoa
As soon as I opened this up, I embraced the inevitable... this was awesome lmao. I hope the community finds more use for land-block ride cars... there's a lot of potential in that object. It kinda reminded me of a way more chaotic version of the lab area in Forgotten Mekong. It doesn't have the vertical-ness of the others and I could say it's messy or gimmicky but I'm a huge fan of messes and giant explosions. Plus that's the point of micro madness... being micro-sized and composed of utter fucking madness. Thus this entry got my vote.

Either way this was a great finals and I certainly enjoyed every entry. Congrats on everyone making it this far because you certainly didn't disappoint. I agree with Ling... this is possibly the tightest contest we've ever had, and it shows.

AVC: what a way to round out a fantastic contest from you. Some really atmospheric and inspired airships and design here, especially the red and purple ones at the bottom. You do a good job breaking out of the squareness of the grid and the balloons are lumpy and excellent. The thing at the top is just super cool too, even if I dont actually know what it is It maybe shows a touch of out-of-time-ness but I think it doesn't suffer on the whole. also, those wizard of oz walls are fucking great, i'm stealing that

hoobaroo: I actually loved this, probably would have gotten my vote. I love how ambiguous and esoteric the story is, first of all. Thats the sign of a complex and moving piece of art. The various rides/hours were a joy to watch (the secret to turning for tall structures is to zoom out first, then turn, then zoom back. I have keyboard shortcuts so that 1 and 0 on my numberpad are zoom in/out so i can mash em quickly with my pinky). It would have been slightly easier to follow perhaps with some more indication on the outside of the building of where my eye should look next. The details were all awesome though, with crazy annexes and little things everywhere. I especially like the robot at the bottom, reminds me of studio ghibli a lot (maybe a combo of laputa+spirited away). The coffin (in my interpretation) at the beginning really sets the tone IMO, cool shit dude. Can't wait to see a full park from you...

itm: quiet and classy. The spinner layout is pretty solid and the environment is nice. the little roadside diversion theme adds a bit of spice and mystery too. a really refreshing way to wrap up some bold and weird stuff from you this contest.

My goal this round was to get some "wtf" responses and I got some good ones in discord, so I'll call it a success. My idea for MM was to try to learn some new trick for each micro, to which I think I semi succeeded. For r1, the falling logs, for r2 the multipart story ride (originally I wanted it to shoestring and each go through either the castle, underground, or swamp, but it turns out rapids are technically challenging beasts to shoestring b/c they don't really go backwards). For r3, the tapes, and this one both making a new ride and then executing a ridiculous idea. I certainly learned a lot each round! Thanks for all the comments and nice words along the way.

Anyway, I'd be happy and honored to lose to any of you! I'm relieved to be finished but its been so fun and I can't wait for some chill bonus content afterwards.

itm - not so secret spot

I love the idea behind this, but the execution isn't up to the standard I'm used to seeing from you. Obviously understandable that real life got in the way, so there's nothing to hold against you for being able to submit something at least. I'm still glad you beat me, because none of the micro ideas I had would have been able to remotely compete in this round haha. Hoping to see more work from you as always - if your child lets you near a computer ever again.

hoobaroo - big clock tower

Jesus dude, you're the best newcomer we've had in ages. I'm not really sure how to interpret some of this, but at the same time thats what makes it so good. I love the creativity you show in all of your work, and I really can't wait to see what you come up with in the future. The robot is my favorite thing on the map by far. Such a peaceful little scene. The palette you chose for this works perfectly. I love the pendulum idea up top as well. You're really making this round difficult to vote on haha. 

AVC - airhaven

Despite my personal preference of building slightly more realistic things lately and less complete fantasy, you've still remained one of my favorite builders. Your style is always recognizable and pushes the boundaries each time in some fashion. This park is no exception. The color palette you (and hoobaroo) chose is what really enables this park to shine I think. It just wouldn't have the same impact with the default colors. I also love how clean a lot of this is. You didn't micro-detail and layer on a ton of little deco pieces. The forms and lines were contrasting and strong enough to give this park a distinct and memorable look.

Hot Cocoa - big bloc

I don't think there's much else I can say about the big explosion that hasn't already said by others. But JESUS dude that was crazy. An excellent idea executed perfectly. I appreciate the patience it must have took to learn how to create a ride, test it in game, test your proof of concept in game, and then make it and sync it all up. Ridiculous. Coolest 'trick' of this contest in my opinion. All that said, the park below does leave a little bit to be desired. It's a little busy with all of the rising smoke, which is understandable of course. But the overall forms and contrast are a bit hard to make out. The layout of the coaster is pretty sweet though, and I  love the lift hill. Also i really like the big bug thing up top. Interesting choice, but memorable.

Honestly not sure who to vote for because you are all some of my favorite people in this community and have consistently produced awesome work. Going to have to think on this for a bit. But thats a good problem to have at least! It's crazy that this contest has been as successful as it has turned out to be, and I appreciate everyone who helped organize it and who participated in it. 

itm:
Really loved the concept and the park looked quite good too. Would have done good in earlier rounds or when finished/expanded. Sucks that you had to get a child and a new house, kind of ruined how good your season otherwise was.

Cocoa:
Another fantastic idea. Don't beat yourself up over the execution, it looked great as it was. The park beneath was stunning as well, although a bit hectic. Great end to a fantastic season.

Hoobaroo:
Wow. You went full Camcorder this season, ending with a camscraper. So glad you've come to this site. Your work has gotten increasingly better throughout the contest and this is a nice (big) cherry on top. The use of music was very good. It's interesting how it seems that every round you seemed to outdo your closest (supposed) competitor at their own game. This work almost seems like a combination of your competitors styles.

AVC:
I always enjoy your work and this was no exception. The colors are very pretty and there is so much to see everywhere. It feels less original than your other entries but I wouldn't say that makes this less good. You also had a really good season with some very strong concepts.


Tough finals. Not sure who I'll vote for yet.

I am 100% away from access to RCT for a couple weeks and won't be voting. Could someone please send me a picture or two of each park in Direct Message?

Im not sure mine would work in a picture

things r a mess rn so this won't be as in depth as what i left on previous rounds
 

AVC>Cocoa>Hoobs>ITM

To be fairly blunt, while everything for this final was still great to see, I honestly did prefer everybody's previous work this MM, honestly one of the weirder contest finals I've experienced. That's ok though, I still had a great time checking out the parks <3

AVC: great, but messy, some buildings/sections were bare and the coaster clipped a lot
Cocoa: Also great, but even messier. I preferred the micro here and loved the big idea™ here, but it was way too dense and stream-of conciousness
hoobs: gorgeous concept, colourwork and micro, music added a lot of atmosphere, building needed a wider base or something more than 4 relatively flat surfaces, landscaping was underwhelming, shame to see inside was empty
ITM: Very steve/cocoa/faas. It's cute a cute comfy ride but didn't feel that special at all

everybody was really under the pump though and busy irl, so it's amazing to see that you all put something  still objectively good out there despite that, and this while contest has been an amazing wild ride from start to finish. Just the perfect balance of good rct and stories/drama/fun stuff to talk about later
 

Airhaven - up until this round cocoa and hoobaroo had been producing my favorite micros but I think AVC has swooped in and won the finals in my heart. Whereas hoob's genesis feels like several connected vignettes up the tower, airhaven is so coherent it feels like a cinematic fantasy set piece. From the lower red vessel all the way up to the turbines the archy has awesome details and gorgeous colors. A bit glitchy in spots but I can look past it. The coaster is fantastic, free-flying and magical with just enough track components to give it some structure. The backside where the coaster returns to the station is so beautiful with the purple vessel and large blue entry. Amazing.