Micro Madness 2023 / Micro Madness 2023 Pre-Selection Breakdown

(1-10)

Scoop - it is crazy to think that as recently as 2019 Scoop was still shaking off his "up and comer" status,  especially after H2H Season 9.  He had a strong rookie season in H2H8 and seemed poised to continue that momentum in Micro Madness 2019. Scoop didn't disappoint and had a dominate first round showing before exiting in a difficult Quarterfinals bracket.  This was only the beginning of some major strides forward as Scoop has had a productive past few years.  His H2H Classic run was impressive and showcases some versatility and carries on from his aforementioned H2H 9 run.  It is Scoop's Grand Tour showing,  particularly the micro round,  that is most relevant to this format and is likely a teaser for the type of quality micros we can expect  from him.  Scoop will likely have an eye on the Semis or Finals this time and has a good shot at getting there if he stays consistent and isn't too distracted with other artistic mediums.

 

Levis - after an extended hiatus from the game and community,  master hacker Levis returned for the H2H Classic season as one of the traditional "where did they come from?" sign ups.  His innovative techniques with vanilla RCT2 had become antiquated but his enthusiasm did not wane and Levis quickly familiarized himself with OpenRCT2 development.  Levis has shaken off the rust quickly via two quality H2H Classic maps in his trademark bombastic,  hacktackular style.  It is a style that should do well in the Micro Madness format and served him well back in the 2007/8 MM where he had a solid run.  If Levis maintains his motivation and activity he should be able to advance past at least one round,  with upset potential if he can clean up the refinement his work sometimes lacks.

 

In:Cities - another member who has made a huge push in the past few years,  Josh has quickly gone from solid contest and solo work to Spotlight winner and excellent contest showings.  In MM 2019 he narrowly got bounced out in the Semifinals and was qualified to be a Finals alternate.  His has expanded his versatility and I have full confidence he can execute any idea that comes to him at a high level.  His more significant contributions in innovative landscaping and macro may not be as relevant in MM,  but he also has showcased a more whimsical and fun style in H2H Seasons 9 and Classic.  Only a time crunch will derail another deep run from him and his ability to create unique environments will be a big threat in the bracket and a real treat to watch.

 

Kumba - it's cool to see another old timer so quickly jump back into the fray.  Kumba's productivity has taken a downturn for the past couple of contest cycles but earlier this year he managed to outduel an old partner in crime,  Levis,  to win by one vote in a close H2H Classic match.  No stranger to contests,  he pioneered the format and is a former MM victor.  Although he sat out MM 2019,  Kumba has long had a knack for micros and his trademark style of bold ideas executed with readable density does well in the format.  He was able to use H2H Classic to get back in touch with his older style and has all the modern tools of OpenRCT2 to innovate with his technical skills.  Unless there is a collapse of time or motivation,  Kumba should have a shot at the Semis or better.

 

Jens - In my H2H9 writeups I described Jens as gravitating towards high concept sculpture which might be a tough sell.  Well if it can work in H2H like shown with the Kraken in Pirates!,  it can absolutely work in micros.  Jens also went toe to toe with alex and Terry Inferno in a late round NCSO battle.  Although activity on NE has been light since H2H9,  Jens is a contender to shock more established players in this format and bust the brackets of those who don't respect the potential sculpture and storytelling Jens is capable of.

 

RWE - prior to H2H 8/8 and Micro Madness 2019,  he was mostly a group project and contest player.  Some experimentation in LL hackless play seemed to be the catalyst for a solid MM 19 showing where RWE made it to the Quarterfinals.  Sure,  it was a weaker bracket but RWE had 2 solid and distinct entries and didn't go down without a fight.  He has only continued to experiment and collaborate since MM 19 and feels like one of those players that is about to break out big.  MM could just be the format for that to happen.  RWE is a dual game threat and we don't see enough solo work from him so if he stays active I'm hoping for a similar or better showing than last time.

 

Faas - nobody has had their style called cute more than Faas.  It is true,  he has carved out a unique scale in a lot of his work but also a very RCT stylized look that feels like advanced scenario play.  It's a very approachable style that has plugged in well to contest maps as well as solo work.  Faas also seems to gravitate towards the micro meta whenever given the chance;  he has participated in the micro rounds of the Grand Tour,  NE Olympics and the Micro Madness 2019 Bonus round.  His path to the MM 2019 Semifinals was unconventional but not unjustified in the flexible bracket format.  After being eliminated in 3rd place in the first round,  Faas used his spot as an alternate to fill out a Quarterfinal match and gave hoobaroo a run for his money.  Only a gauntlet of a Semifinal match against Liampie, Stoksy and Cocoa would end Faas' Finals run.  With his consistent quality right up to his most recent Design,  Faas should be poised to have another solid Micro Madness run and has the potential to stun just about anyone on the bracket.

 

barnNID - it's interesting to see the trajectory of certain players when doing these writeups.  BarnNID was just a fresh face with some low key screens that had to be dug up when he was a newly signed up Micro Madness 2019 participant.  He always has had a lot of potential and entered NE with an already established style.  Although barnNID exited in the first round of MM 2019 due to being in a hellish bracket,  it's his consistent string of accolades and contest entries since then that are most relevant now.  In a screenshot from this past summer,  barnNID appears to have developed his style even further after a yearlong quiet period,  which has ramped up the excitement for his next project.  If he stays active,  MM 2019 could be a teaser for just how far he has upped his game and barnNID has the potential to advance far into the competition.

 

Gustav Goblin - the only real surprise here isn't that Gustav signed up,  it's that he didn't sign up within the first 10 seconds of the topic going live.  It was the holidays though,  so we'll forgive him for that.  Gustav is in a similar spot to barnNID,  where Micro Madness 2019 was his introduction to NE contests.  Although his Round 1 entry didn't receive enough votes to advance or put him into a replacement slot,  Gustav's enthusiasm only increased.  He has always shown an affinity for small scale RCT diorama style play and further advanced his style in the Grand Tour,  H2H Classic and some smaller projects.  The Discord Building Challenges have really seemed to be a inspiration for Gustav as he has upped his custom scenery skills  while pulling off dreamy,  high concept ideas in same vein as the more esoteric maps of players like FK, hoobaroo and walto.  His latest few screens have been soaked in atmosphere and are built on the same scale as a micro.  In fact,  Gustav has been clamoring for a contest of this format to happen and it seems like his newfound skills and enthusiasm have him poised to turn some heads if he can find the right ideas.  I would not be shocked to see him take out some major players and advance to the Semifinals this time around.

 

Jappy - since around 2015,  Jappy has quietly but steadily improved his game.  He entered Micro Madness 2019 with a string of solo accolades and contest appearances to his name.  He was still a bit of a dark horse at the time though so he seemingly sought to dispel that and came out swinging in the first round,  dominating with Club Psyke.  Unfortunately,  Jappy fell victim to a stacked Quarterfinal round and tied with roygbiv for a replacement slot that would go unused.  Since then,  he has continued to release a steady stream of high quality solo work and contest appearances.  Canary Mines cracked 80% and his H2H Season 9 work was solid despite going up against tough competition.  Jappy feels poised for a breakout performance in a solo contest.  He has shown he has the tools to do it and if he can replicate the magic of Club Psyke over multiple deadlines,  he could absolutely go several rounds in this iteration of MM.

 

(11-20)

Ethan - Who the hell is this guy?  Ethan burst onto the NE stage in the past couple of years and is another one of those players who arrived with a very mature style.  Ethan made achieving Gold look easy in his debut park,  Hoshi En,  a gorgeous urban Japanese park that takes full advantage of the most cutting edge scenery objects.  He has gone on to release a strong Design accolade and showcased ingenuity and flexibility in three distinct H2H Classic maps.  It appears Micro Madness is next up on Ethan's list of things to tackle and,  like many newcomers,  he has leveraged the Discord Build Challenges and created some fantastic micro sized dioramas.  All of this proves Ethan is familiar enough with the format to advance far as a dark horse Finals contender.

 

Zarathustra - a DKMP community member who has crossed over to NE and made some big splashes already.  He entered into H2H Season 9 with relatively high expectations and had a successful Rookie season.  With his technical knowledge,  it was new school hacker vs old school hacker in H2H Classic and Zara came out on top against Levis;  showcasing some of his own versatility with a somewhat more lowkey approach.  Zara has collaborated with top players and has plenty of solo experience to be a threat in the bracket with strong potential to get to the Semifinals on some innovative and creative ideas.

 

Bubbsy41 - after a red-hot H2H Season 8,  Bubbsy would go on to have a solid run in other contests such as H2H 8/8,  Micro Madness 2019 and NEFC.  He has continued to experiment and expand his versatility;  showcasing a wide range of styles and influences.  He had a one micro showing in MM 19 that had a lot of promise but a Quarterfinal drop out was disappointing.  After setting a high bar in H2H 8,  his H2H Season 9 run was more understated.  He has shown some extremely impressive solo work in the last couple years and has all the tools at his disposal to have a deep run in the bracket if he can put all the pieces together.  I expect another Quarterfinals appearance,  at a minimum.

 

RobDedede - a DKMP transplant who,  much like Zarathustra,  has already made waves here at NE in a short time.  He was a rookie to watch in H2H Season 9 and delivered a solid performance that has gone somewhat under the radar.  RobDe frequently shows up in competition play as well as in collaborative projects.  He also has experience with the micro format through DKMP.  He has a variety of styles at his disposal although it appears he is most comfortable with the newer DKMP NCSO variant.  In micros,  anything is fair game and there is potential for an upset here.  There is also potential for an unconventional run if Rob gets stuck in a hell bracket Quarterfinal due to the flexible replacement qualifications,  which Rob has reliability and the skills to meet even if he can't snag an outright win.

 

Mulpje - we've got a bit of a logjam of DKMP players here as Mulpje has been one of the more prolific DKMP NCSO players to cross over.  However,  Mulpje does not appear content to just coast on a single variant of RCT here at NE and has a high concept fantasy project that features a delightful mix of custom scenery,  DKMP sculpture and technical finesse,  such as CTR usage.  Mulpje has also participated in some Discord Building Challenges and showcased creative ideas in a format very easily translated to Micro Madness.  A bit of a wildcard but one to keep an eye on;  I could see a couple of outright wins or a solid run cut short in a hell bracket.

 

nin - he has mostly pivoted towards NCSO and a collaborative role on larger scale projects.  However,  nin has been around the community long enough to be familiar with the format and he has the artistic chops to pull off anything he sets his mind to.  Some strong showings in Discord Building Challenges show his skills have not stagnated in this type of format.  Time crunches have always been an Achilles' heel for him but he has pushed through that many times,  most recently in H2H Season 9.  Nin's time and motivation will dictate how far he goes but a deep run is very possible and he always brings out the best in his opponents,  so whichever corner of the bracket he winds up on will surely be a hellish one for everyone involved.

 

Camcorder22 - The original Micro Madness Cinderella story returns to MM for a fourth time.  Cam's "bigger is better" approach worked well in MM 07/8 and again in MM 2019 after a strong H2H Season 8 appearance.  Cam's run in 2019 ended in the Semifinals after her carriage ran out of time and turned back into the proverbial pumpkin.  Even the hastily thrown together Ride of Steel was very fun.  Cam's showings in the NEFC,  Grand Tour and H2H Seasons 9 and Classic were all good.  We don't see much solo work from her but what we do get is usually in the form of micros so I look forward to seeing what her approach is this time around.  Cam is in her element here and gets good results more often than not.

 

AJ -Zarathustra's right hand man,  AJ shows up right alongside many of Zara's contest showings and collaborative projects. AJ's name has also shown up in a lot of recent NE contests and 2022 has seen a stellar lineup of accolades from him.  Even more impressive,  he has embraced several styles and has proven himself a very versatile player.  He has a strong DKMP NCSO background but also tackles esoteric,  artistic maps and has fully embraced custom scenery.  He nearly scored 80% on his most recent CSO Design.  AJ is a rising star who I have confidence can match up well with his newer DKMP peers as well as any old timers.  Build speed and motivation are question marks but AJ's productivity has been ramping up and hopefully that will continue here in Micro Madness.

 

hoobaroo - introduced himself to the community via Micro Madness 2019 and some preliminary screenshots of a distinctive,  yet unrefined style.  Hoobaroo quickly advanced though,  and put together a Cinderella story all the way to the MM 2019 Finals,  only falling short due to a stacked final round.  Hoobaroo's progression was visible each successive round of MM and culminated in Genesis,  which was both artistic and ambitious.  That ambition would continue on in a strong H2H Season 9 showing.  In many ways hoobaroo's Cinderella story didn't end with the MM Finals but in H2H 9 with House by the Sea,  an incredibly ambitious and abstract map that had all the makings of a masterpiece...  except going unfinished.  After he stepped back for a while,  I am happy that hoobaroo is going back to his roots and reconnecting with RCT in another Micro Madness.  It is a great format for his strong artistic vision and world building.  As a previous MM finalist,  hoobaroo should have his sights on a repeat showing if the motivation is there.

 

mamarillas - In Micro Madness 2019,  he proved that DKMP NCSO could win rounds and advance into the Quarterfinals.  That was just the start of a set of huge runs in the Grand Tour and H2H Season 9,  and was one of several members from the DKMP invasion who had strong H2H Rookie seasons fly under the radar.  He has collaborated with his DKMP peers as well as quickly advanced his CSO skills,  including the most recent cutting edge stuff such as half diagonals. Mamarillas was an early mover to NE competition and has a Micro Madness victory under his belt so he comes out on the upper end of the newer members to the NE contests and the MM format.  I think he is a dark horse to make it to the Semifinals and maybe a push into the Finals.

 

(21 - 30)

Mattk48 - a bit of an enigmatic figure here at NE,  he is seemingly sitting on a fantastic solo project that has gone dormant after being actively advertised a couple years ago.  Matt's activity is sporadic at best but he has popped up for 2 previous Micro Madness runs and even showed up in SeaWorld Barcelona for a guest spot, which is wild.  He exited in the first round both times but always brings a solid showing and clearly is developing his style behind the scenes.  With that and the quality of his most recent solo work in mind,  Mattk48 might have a breakthrough into the Quarterfinals if he brings his best effort.  His style preference leans towards realism but he has developed the macro skills to scale down a realistic scene into the micro map size.  We need to see more from this guy,  including an update on Fraiser Lake and whatever he's got cooking for MM.

 

Xtreme97 - much like Scoop,  Xtreme's hype has risen dramatically since the previous iteration of Micro Madness.  dr dirt referred to him as "the bench guy" in his MM 2019 analysis and he was seen as an up and coming utility player by my own analysis in the lead up to H2H Season 9.  Xtreme began his RCT ascension with... Ascension,  his first round MM 19 entry.  He followed up with another strong Quarterfinal win but had a disappointing drop out in the Semifinals.  He has since gone on to have very high quality releases in the Grand Tour,  H2Hs 9 and Classic on top of several high scoring accolades.  He has also continued to provide for the community as an object creator, bench maker and as an admin of the community.  Xtreme has propelled himself into becoming one of the most well rounded,  well liked and active members of the community and expectations for his MM run are now equally sky high.

 

Cocoa - the Micro Madness 2019 Champion returns to defend his crown.  Cocoa is signing up with his typical caveats and a pledge to "get weird".  Repeating will be tough but Cocoa has the tools to do it.  His output has been relatively consistent over the last 15 years but he quickly mastered his technical skills and has developed a clean,  exciting,  innovative style.  Much like the timed adventure rides of old,  Cocoa is one of the players pushing the boundaries of the game itself and how to experience a piece of RCT through the technical tools OpenRCT2 provides.  Cocoa has a strong artistic voice and the way he plays the game doesn't just grab your attention,  it's a joy to look into deeper once it does.  Dynamite Dunes literally blew us away back in 2019, it will be exciting to see what his follow-ups will be.

 

inthemanual - not to be outdone,  the Micro Madness 2014 champion has also stepped back into the arena,  signing up right after Cocoa.  ITM also made it to the finals in MM 2019 but had to take his foot off the gas before having a fully polished finals entry.  He bowed out gallantly with a solid and pleasant micro that was doomed in a Finals round of heavy hitters.  Up to that point he was looking strong as ever in the three previous rounds.  He is coming off a relatively quiet period since H2H 9 but ITM has been developing his style for about a decade now and has a very strong track record,  especially in the MM format.  He also is getting relatively experimental in OpenRCT2 so it will be interesting to see what he produces as he works to find his way into a third consecutive MM Finals.

 

WhosLeon - Micro Madness 2019 was a continuation of his fantastic H2H Season 8 showing.  Leon looked like a Finals contender until a Semifinals forfeit ah... derailed his MM run.  The scary thing is I don't even think we've seen him at his peak yet and he has popped up in just about every community event from the past three years.  In that time he's also crushed NCSO builds and Discord Build Challenges,  tapping into an abstract and expressive execution of dioramas that could definitely translate into micro 3D maps.  WhosLeon will be one to watch as the competition advances because he is very high on the list of possible first time Finalists.

 

Bigshootergill - the main word that comes to mind with BSG's work is fun,  and fun does well in the MM format.  With a clean and carefree style,  he's a good candidate to have a similar run to his Micro Madness 2019 one.  Although he squeaked by in the Quarterfinals,  BSG had some fun entries.  Unfortunately,  his Semifinals entry that led him out of the contest was uncharacteristically understated.  While he is another player with an admitted time crunch,  I hope we can see at least one or two fun and whimsical entries from him this time around that are sure to be a pleasure to view.

 

Recurious - has a distinct style and is never afraid to tackle off the wall ideas.  His execution is good to great and the themes he chooses are intriguing and inviting to explore.  Recurious can also have a more grounded approach and has expanded his style most recently in H2Hs 9 and Classic with some creative maps and throwback object sets.  His first round micro in the previous MM showed a lot of promise,  with typical clean execution of multiple vertically oriented layers.  Unfortunately a Quarterfinal forfeit led to an early exit for him which was a shame because it would have been nice to see more.  He has the tools to have a good run if he can get past another time crunch.  Even if we can only expect one high effort entry from him,  with the replacement bracket it will be minimal harm done and I'm looking forward to what he comes up with as he has only improved in the past few years.

 

FK+Coastermind - interestingly Micro Madness 2019 happened during a lull in FK's RCT career,  as it wouldn't be until 2020 when FK would pop off.  His Grand Tour performance was fantastic,  as was his H2H Season 9 showing.  FK does have experience from the first two MMs and was a finalist in MM 2014 when he incorporated some of his developing surreal and abstract RCT into his late round entries.  FK was an early adopter of the heavily expressive approach to RCT and has continued to work on both his technical and artistic skills right up to his most recent guest spot in walto's surrealist map,  the Child's Dream.  Even some of his work in H2H Season 9 in Extraction feels like a prelude to the type of micros he can execute.  FK is coming off of another quiet period post-H2H and although he may not make as big of a leap forward as he did after his previous break,  he had a burst of inspiration and motivation that produced one of the biggest hot streaks ever seen on NE.  A good candidate to make it to the Semifinal and maybe pushing into the Finals again if he stays active.

 

Ulvenwood - a DKMP player whose work has been collecting a steady stream of accolades here at NE.  A recent and exciting development is Ulvenwood picking up a 77% scoring Design in a wacky and fun debut CSO project.   Big sculpture skills can do well and Ulvenwood joins Jens J. among the newer NE members who are finding success with a fusion of their DKMP work and NE CSO techniques.  We have also seen some experimentation in dioramas that are equally exciting and show that some excellent MM entries are a possibility here.  A dark horse candidate to slip into the Quarterfinals or beyond and take out a big name or two along the way.

 

Lilith - their commitment to LL is commendable,  up to and including the Micro Madness 2019 LL entry seen from Lilith.  It led to an early exit from the competition but they didn't go down without a fight.  Lilith went a little quiet after MM 2019 but returned for H2H Season 9 and had a good showing in some of the more esoteric and off the wall maps from the Scream Queens.  They then returned to LL form in H2H Classic with a creative and well executed Reef Valley,  some of the best underwater themed LL ever.  With tons of potential to upset,  I'm not quite sure what to expect from Lilith.  At this point it could be a dual game threat situation although the MM format is restrictive towards LL.  Whatever way they go,  it's sure to make for an interesting corner of the bracket.

 

(31 - 40)

Babar Tapie – it only took Babar one year to take NE by storm and produce a string of Gold accolades,  a feat many don’t achieve in ten.  He has a keen eye for sculpture and taking characters from existing IPs and translating them to the RCT canvas.  He also has a way of creating a vibrant atmosphere out of what could be considered more mundane real life spaces and his work often feels like fantastic little vignettes stitched together.  You could take a micro sized chunk out of any of his works and it would likely make a solid entry into MM.  Speaking of contests,  Babar has only participated in H2H Classic where he wasn’t super active but was able to put his stamp on a couple of high quality maps.  MM seems to be a contest format suited to Babar and with his blistering build speed he should be able to contribute some exciting entries that could propel him past the Quarterfinals.

 

Sulakke – one of the quieter but more consistent members of the community,  he’s been a stalwart participant in most contests,  particularly H2H.  He has contributed to many strong H2H maps but H2H Season 9 has been a big step up for Sulakke.  He had a hand in three maps,  including the one that would win the Tile Inspectors the finals.  What little solo work we do see from him is usually in the form of micros and he has participated in the last two Micro Madness iterations.  He got bounced out in the first round of MM 2014 but got to the Quarterfinals in 2019,  along with a nod as a Semifinals replacement that would not be used.  Ha Long Bay was a step outside his comfort zone in terms of technique and I would like to see more of something like that this time around.  If Sulakke has picked up some new things to try in solo work during his time with the Tile Inspectors,  he could surprise a lot of people and be a threat to go as deep as the Quarterfinals or beyond.  If he stays in his comfort zone I could see one or two solid micros from him but probably a similar run as in previous MMs.

 

AvanineCommuter – don’t look now but AVC has had a bit of a hot streak since coming in a close second in Micro Madness 2019.  He cemented his legacy with La Reve all the way back in H2H Season 6 but much like FK he has ascended to new heights in the last few years.  Although he once again signed up with time caveats,  I don’t have too much of a concern.  We saw higher than average production from AVC in H2H 9 with similar time misgivings and AVC even stepped out of his comfort zone in H2H Classic and executed at an extremely high level with a restricted object set.  His strengths in concept,  composition,  shape and color will all serve him well in his second MM appearance.  If AVC stays motivated I would expect another deep run and a repeat appearance in the Finals.

 

MorganFan – had a brief active period back in the 2010s before disappearing and then re-emerging with a highly technical and dense NCSO style.  His work hovers around borderline Silver accolade status and he’s not the most prolific player,  but MorganFan has a knack for distinctive and unique ride design,  both large and small.  It’s a skill I believe he can translate to micros relatively well and may set his work apart from other NCSO peers.  His custom scenery skills are unproven so if he sticks with his normal style,  he may have some difficulty winning over voters.  With some careful execution and readable density,  I believe he has a shot to get into the Quarterfinals and his entries should be fun and bombastic enough to potentially earn him an alternate spot deeper in the competition if he chooses to capitalize on that.

 

Tolsimir – yet another old guard player who has really blossomed in the last few years.  I’m not sure what the catalyst was for him exactly,  but between H2H Season 6 and 7 he was able to find his RCT groove and has never looked back.  He got his start back in MM 07/08 and has always had a unique sense of scale and dynamism to his style.  As he has polished his skills,  he was able to really push his style to the next level and has dominated contests ever since.  He also has flexed object creation and technical skills which has given him an edge in executing his wild ideas with over the top and innovative  techniques.  Only the magical run by hoobaroo in MM 2019 ended Tolsimir’s Finals hopes and he was eligible as a Finals alternate.  He has since gone on to captain his team to a H2H victory and came in clutch in the Semifinals with AvanineCommuter.  Tolsimir shows no signs of slowing down and I believe he will be on a redemption run to the MM Finals this time around.

 

Steve – Happy birthday,  Steve!  Fuck you and the poplar you rode in on.

NE’s resident old timer has been quite consistent since H2H Season 7 and has most recently captained his H2H 9 team all the way to the semifinals.  Steve has a wealth of community knowledge and contest experience to draw from although micros are a little bit outside his wheelhouse simply due to his embracing a macro heavy style that needs space to breathe.  If Steve dug deep for the perfect diorama ideas,  I believe he could have a solid MM run.  However,  all of us are getting older (or old, in his case) and I can understand wanting to save the energy for an event more suitable to his preferred naturalistic style.  Steve did prove a pretty nature diorama done in his style can work with a first round victory in MM 2019 but bowed out with a forfeit in the Quarterfinals,  which was a shame.  With the structure of the MM contest,  one high effort entry and then having to be replaced is not a huge deal and I fully expect at least one beautiful entry from Steve... if he can squeeze in the time between dog walks and bingo sessions.

 

CoasterCreator9 – has a style that is somewhat in the middle of the detail heavy players that do well in the Micro Madness format and the more macro focused players that require some open space to solidify their atmosphere.  Consequently,  CC9 bounced out of MM 2019 in the first round while qualifying as a Quarterfinal replacement.  Like Steve,  if he can come up with the right ideas I have confidence that CC9 could execute a solid MM run but I can also understand making a respectable one or two round showing and potentially being a reliable alternate.  Other than the obligatory boat memes,  it’s difficult to know what to expect as he has flexed some versatility recently in H2H Classic so we may see CC9 use micros as an opportunity to continue experimenting.  Time could be an issue and CC9 is a community admin but I could also see a valuable clutch play in the Quarterfinals or Semis as an alternate if the need arises.

 

Hex – a DKMP import who had a low key,  but solid showing in H2H Season 9.  Hex collaborates with a lot of his DKMP peers in their traditional NCSO style.  It appears it will likely be NCSO that Hex will use here in Micro Madness although it is a good opportunity to try something new if he is so inclined.  He has a good amount of experience in the RCT communities but otherwise he’s a bit of a dark horse in this particular contest.  We don’t see a ton of solo work from him and he currently is on the cusp of comfortably winning solo accolades here at NE but has not quite broken through yet.  I think Hex has the chops to do well but right now he’s in that logjam of newer members who will be fighting to get into the Quarterfinals.

 

Narc – a newer member who introduced himself to NE through Micro Madness 2019.  He used the old school approach of having a micro be a snapshot of a larger realistic park scene.  It’s a risky play and usually doesn’t pay off too well but if that’s what your style preference is then you might as well go for it.  After getting eliminated in Round 1,  Narc has gone on to showcase a low key and refined NCSO style as well as some collaborative work.  He also has participated in some of the Discord Build Challenges and has proven he has some diorama skills.  It will be interesting to see what direction Narc will go for this iteration of MM.  He had a respectable but understated showing last time and I hope he can build on recent development to really aim to make a push for a Quarterfinal spot.

 

MK98 – back in 2019 MK98 was a rising up and comer who was new to the community.  He did not flinch from the spotlight and used MM 2019 as a launchpad to have a solid run.  He proved he could compete through the first two rounds and came in clutch as a replacement in the Semifinals.  His style is fun,  creative and he has been honing his versatility,  most recently coming up with a realistic and grounded Design which is a contrast to his wackier and chunky sculpture heavy work.  MK98 was overshadowed a bit as a Cinderella story in 2019 but he had a great showing and has proven he will produce work consistently for contests in the years since.  If he stays motivated,  he could absolutely have another strong run into the Quarterfinals and he is enough of a risk taker that he could earn himself a ticket further into the competition as an alternate. With his recent development he is able to bring fresh ideas to the table and potentially stun some higher seeded players.

 

(41-50)

Lurker – a DKMP import who has made a home here at NE for about 2 years now.  As a member of the Barnacle Heads,  it was fun watching him showcase his work behind the scenes and he is very open to further developing his game.  Watching him consistently produce work throughout the contest was one of the highlights of H2H Classic.  He sports a somewhat more laid back NCSO approach than the usual DKMP style and it has translated well into some custom scenery work as well as LL.  Lurker’s most atmospheric work is probably his old school LL style but he has significant experience with micros and dioramas in RCT2 so he could pick just about anything for his MM debut.  Although his more casual approach may run the risk of being overshadowed,  he has the skills to break into the Quarterfinals and certainly to potentially earn an alternate spot deeper into the contest as he showed with his consistent production in H2H Classic.  An exciting newer member who may not be perfectly suited to this particular contest format but will be someone to watch in his corner of the bracket all the same.

 

Chocotopian – not the most prolific player and goes inactive for stretches of time between the more relaxed contest formats.  He has MM experience though,  with a solid MM 2014 appearance that went under the radar and a very good showing in MM 2019 with a high vote third place and an alternate spot in the Quarterfinals.  He has an old school NCSO style that isn’t the most bombastic or versatile but he has leveraged it well in the micros we have seen.  He is able to pull off sculpture work with a colorful and dense atmosphere.  We don’t see huge strides in his style during his absences,  and it probably still lacks some refinement but it’s always great to see these community members pop back up every few years to throw their hat into the ring.  This MM is very stacked but for a more casual NCSO player,  Chocotopian has potential to break into the Quarterfinals for the first time as he is now a consistent Bronze/Silver level accolade producer.

 

Maverix – at one point he was one of the most prolific Design and accolade builders on NE;  he has diligently honed a clean,  realistic style over a lengthy RCT career.  That’s not to say Maverix hasn’t gotten outside his comfort zone as he has collaborated with just about everyone in the community at some point during an equally prolific contest career.  He also has participated in the past two MMs and passed the first round both times.  He seems to have a strong first round idea but a slightly less successful second entry that falls back into his realism comfort zone.  Still,  they were good runs from someone whose style isn’t particularly suited to the format.  We’ve seen a bit of an uptick of activity again for H2H 9 and Maverix had a good run on three maps there.  He is constantly flirting with an 80% accolade and Parkmaker status and hopefully will cross that barrier at some point.  That is unlikely to happen in MM but what is likely is Maverix brawling his way into the Quarterfinals once again,  with an eye on the Semis.

 

Mitchellpaul – aha,  new blood!  A fresh face here at NE,  I don’t have much knowledge of his play style.  What is good is that the RCT community has that fog of war again,  where newcomers can arrive on the scene from other corners of the internet.  It is commendable to sign up for a contest blind,  all of us had to start somewhere.  I know the overviews can be daunting but if you look back through many NE profiles you will see earlier maps that will feel much more approachable (except for freaks of nature like hoobaroo, pants or Babar Tapie).  Best of luck and have fun!

 

RCT2Day – a long standing NCSO powerhouse,  we don’t hear much from him for long stretches and then he pops up again.  His NCSO has been ahead of its time before.  Although the broader RCT community has caught up to him in terms of technical,  clean NCSO execution,  RCT2Day still has a certain magic about him.  So much so that he has had a similar set of MM runs to Maverix.  Despite being seemingly outmatched in style,  he has powered through the MM 2014 first round and produced a solid second round showing as well.  In 2019 he whipped up a fun and wacky entry that earned him a potential replacement slot in the Quarterfinals.  We have not seen much other than screens from him since then but RCT2Day has provided the blueprint for other NCSO players and proven it can be a winning formula in the right hands.  A good candidate to stun someone in the first round and get a second outright Quarterfinal appearance.

 

Otsdarva – replaced a DKMP player in H2H Season 9 after the contest began and on paper had a decent,  if frustrating,  first season.  Two of three maps worked on would be released in an unfinished state but were still viewed as competitive.  It is good to see him sign up for another contest.  We have not seen a ton of solo work but as recently as 2019 he has a 70% scoring Design.  Seems to lean towards realism in solo work but has also been exposed to a variety of styles in H2H 9 so a potential breakout contest performance could happen.  Another dark horse who may have to fight his way into the Quarterfinals.

 

RaunchyRussell – after a Gold scoring first accolade in Quarry Adventure,  he pivoted to a Design and then a H2H Season 9 warm up collaboration in Cook County Fair.  He would then go on to have a role collaborating with the Adventurer’s Club on their way to the H2H 9 Finals.  RaunchyRussell has received some criticism for his style being a little sterile,  mostly going back to his breakout Gold park.  I think Raunchy has taken this to heart as he has shown a willingness to tackle grounded,  but unique environments in his work since his first accolade.  He has gone mostly quiet on NE since H2H9 but I am curious to see how he does in the MM format.  He has the skills,  I’m just not sure on the productivity or execution in micros.  With the right ideas he will be as strong a player as just about anyone and can likely pull off an upset or two.

 

Hobeon – the fog of war strikes again as I have a blind spot with DKMP centric players who are just crossing over.  Other DKMP counterparts say Hobeon is experienced in DKMP contest play and is entering Micro Madness with an established track record.  Most likely in NCSO but that remains to be seen.  Due to the middle of the pack being a cluster of talent,  much from DKMP,  Hobeon may have a bit of a slog to get to the Quarterfinals.  There is no better opportunity to make some waves here on NE than with a solid MM debut though,  so we’ll just have to see what happens.

 

Pants – built up hype around a full scale solo project that was released unfinished to some disappointment.  Less than a month later he would counter-punch with the release of DisneyEarth Vancouver,  a full scale solo that was fully finished this time.  It would also go on to win a coveted Spotlight award on his first attempt and earn him Elite Parkmaker in the process.  Not bad for only have one finished release to his name.  He is now advertising a new solo that looks poised to top his debut solo.  Seeing him break stride to enter Micro Madness is interesting as he obviously has proven talent,  just not in this format.  Pants has the skills and if he plays to his strengths he has the seems like a good candidate to have a deep run.  It may be an opportunity for him to experiment away from his solo work which could produce mixed results and just be a fun side project.  Either way,  it’s cool to see pants step out of the shadows and enter his first NE competition.  He will be a dark horse to keep an eye on.

 

GigaG – Between the low scoring accolade submissions and the forum antics of youth,  GigaG has been a bit of a meme around here.  We haven’t seen a screen from him for many years although he popped up recently with a seemingly more mature mindset.  Will this translate to RCT?  Who knows,  but it will be interesting to see how his contest debut pans out.  At this point,  a decent first round showing that results in some votes would be the start of a redemption arc.

 

(51-60)

Version1 – in Micro Madness 2014 he was still finding his style but still had a good showing in the first round.  Unfortunately,  he was one of hoobaroo’s early victims in a stacked round one of Micro Madness 2019.  V1 had a solid entry and even participated in the MM 2019 Bonus Round.  He has gone on to participate in the micro round of the Grand Tour with a strong entry that carried over the quality from his Gold scoring full scale solo.  In the past few years it appears V1 had found his stride and has the makings of someone who has the potential to earn his way past the first round of this iteration of MM.

 

Eshh – I’m afraid I don’t know much about this participant,  but just because you don’t have a lot of text next to your name doesn’t mean I’m not excited to see what you produce!

 

RaymondL – another DKMP member who has shown some work over here in the last year.  With very high quality trackitecture and sculpture skills,  RaymondL is also a newer member with some extensive DKMP contest experience.  Although he’s a bit of a wildcard due to a lack of completed work on NE,  he is yet another DKMP player who will make their particular corner of the bracket more competitive with their unique approach to the game that absolutely can make waves in Micro Madness.

 

Magnus - a veteran player who returned after a ten year hiatus,  Magnus hit the ground running in H2H Classic.  Due to his solid contribution in the acclaimed Cape Solari map from the Barnacle Heads, he seems to have shaken off the rust quickly and is gearing up for another contest.  He has experience in the Micro Madness format all the way back from 2007/8 where he won his first round vs a young Tolsimir and narrowly lost to a red hot Junya Boy in the second round.  Magnus is not the most prolific player but had a hand in some of the more iconic maps from previous H2H seasons,  like the infamous bedroom park.  He’s always been a contest centric player and his current enthusiasm and experience he is likely to provide a challenge to all the newer upstart members looking to make their way into the next round.

 

Milo – Milo Madness

 

Dr. dirt – has long been a contest centric player,  with numerous breaks between earlier H2H seasons.  He really came into his own in H2H 8 though,  having a breakout performance on three maps opposed to his usual one,  including the Finals winner.  I’m not sure what the revelation for him was but he would take a year off before putting together an impressive MM 2019 run.  Although he is a self-admitted macro focused player,  he further honed his skills in micros and put together two strong entries before running out of gas and dipping out of the Semifinals.  Although he had to captain his H2H 9 team through some ups and downs,  he further showcased his skills and is basically yet another player capable of producing Gold level work in his sleep.  Time may be an issue and he doesn’t seem overly enthusiastic about the MM format past a couple entries but he also contributed the MM 2019 writeups so he has really stepped up his community presence in the last few years.  Although he may not win it all,  he is someone you cannot ignore in the first few rounds as he has the creativity and composition skills to pull off unique environments,  quality world building and crazy themes that nobody else would think of.  I predict a similar run to last time,  with at least one outright victory.

 

Splitvision – I was very excited when Split signed up as his rise in the community has been fun to watch during the past few years.  He has a very high technical skill that has the capability of producing micros that nobody can even imagine happening.  Instead of just making a micro representing a claw machine,  the madman has the skills to actually make a functioning claw machine in the game.  He has a very unique style and has tackled a little bit of everything after returning from a break in 2019.  He picked up his giant spaceship project which at this point isn’t even close to the craziest thing he has executed well.  His storytelling and worldbuilding skills were on full display in H2H Season 9 and his Grand Tour micro round entry was a nice little prelude to what he can accomplish in the format.  If he stays motivated and has some ideas in his back pocket,  Split could be a contender to make it to the Finals.  Even if he only has one or two micros in him,  they will likely be a treat to see.

 

Thethrillman – a newish member who seems to have an affinity for the smaller diorama genre,  he has a couple released smaller maps and several in progress screens.  Since he doesn’t have to worry about being drafted,  we will hopefully see some completed work from in round one.  Based on his custom scenery skills it looks like he could surprise some people but he will have to work on his composition and get outside his comfort zone of just architecture if he wants to advance to the second round.  MM is a good place to kick off a budding RCT career though and anything can and does happen.  That’s the beauty of it.

 

Bmschulz – another fresh face at NE who appears to be joining with the right mindset.  I have no idea what type of RCT to expect but some unknown names in the competition is always a fun extra layer to the narrative.  Best of luck and have fun!

 

Iretont - a DKMP member with some of the most exciting work to their name.  Iretont came up big with some impressive hacking skills for the Adventurer’s Club in H2H Season 9.  Although Iretont isn’t the most prolific DKMP member,  the quality of work is high,  as is the potential wow factor based on what we have seen so far.  If Iretont is able to pivot to custom scenery,  I could easily say a push into the Quarterfinals at least.  Even with NCSO we know that with the type of skillset displayed,  it will be a competitive first round for sure. 

 

(The Lates)

Wheres_walto -  the mindgames have already begun as walto has released a micro that could absolutely be a round one winner just for the heck of it with his gritty representation of Los Angeles.  Although it’s a late sign up and maybe a begrudging one,  walto is not someone to sleep on.  He participated in MM 2014 and only got bounced out in a stacked round one of that iteration.  He has been a part of multiple H2H seasons as a dark horse up and comer and produced high quality work in all of them.  After a disappointing H2H 7 Finals,  he disappeared for 6 years before showing up again,  stronger than ever.  His H2H 9 run has been his best,  as an integral part of the Tile Inspector’s Finals run and the park that won it all for them.  His work since H2H 9 has only gotten better.  High detail realism,  exorcising his H2H7 finals park demon with the abstract masterpiece the Child’s Dream and multiple distinct throwback styles for H2H Classic are the highlights.  Hopefully he can stay enthusiastic for at least a round or two of MM.  Time will tell but walto is ascending to another level and hopefully MM 2023 factors into his plans.

 

roygbiv - ever the mercurial wildcard,  roy has opted for a late sign up.  It has been about a year since we last saw work from him but that last few years were a breakout time for him.  His Micro Madness 2019 run was while he was still finding his footing but he advanced through 2 round and secured a Semifinals alternate spot.  His solo work is at a consistent Gold status now and Orchid,  his latest solo work was submitted non-competitively but was at some of the highest level we have seen from him.  Hopefully this isn't a troll sign up but with his contest history and MM experience I anticipate at least one or two victories from him.

Always love these write-ups. Great to see you are doing them again Milo

Agree with Rec, love this. Praying I won't let you down.

Hell yes, great writeups!

Talkin me up a big game I see (insert nervous laughter here). I always love seeing these writeups. keep em coming!

Lovely reviews! I’ll try my best at busting the brackets haha

Thank you for the reviews. Im in a much more tryhard mood than last time, the competition also seems to be tougher though. Im definitely not in it to leave early!

Appreciate the write ups as always!

 

And yes indeed - I've got tons of ideas I want to execute and no time to do so. Seems to always be the case for me with these contests lol.

 

Looking forward to the next batch of breakdowns!

Looking forward to seeing some more write-ups! These are a lot of fun.

I appreciate the write up:)

Can't believe you're still doing these, but I love it! I think your analysis is accurate.

 

the only real surprise here isn't that Gustav signed up,  it's that he didn't sign up within the first 10 seconds of the topic going live.

My laugh was audible

Thanks for the kind words everyone.  The next set of 10 is in the first post.

 

My laugh was audible

 

 

This is one reason.  Plus MM was where I got my start doing these,  so it felt appropriate. 

Love these. Reading through the first 20, I'm struck by how deeply talented the current NE roster is. Every single name I'm like "oh yea that's a good player"

Milo breakdowns! I love reading these. I think my own was spot-on. Looking forward to the contest! 

Thanks again for the kind words and Happy New Year!

 

10 more up.

Do me do me.

Read 10-30; enjoyable as always. Puts me in the mood! I'm excited to see who will be this year's cinderella. '19 had hoobaroo, but X was also a revelation. Are there any mid tier good players that suddenly turn out to be capable of competing with the AAA-players? Who is flying under our radar? Jens, Mattk, Zara? I'm excited

These are so enjoyable to read. Thank you Milo.

I predict Ethan, Gustav, and Babar Tapie will do well this MM and have some breakthrough moment.

I could definitely see some DKMP players like Jens, Mulpje, Ulvenwood etc. breaking through big. That screenshot of the cliffs Jens showed was stunning.

These are so enjoyable to read. Thank you Milo.

I predict Ethan, Gustav, and Babar Tapie will do well this MM and have some breakthrough moment.

Please don't, I'm gonna have a panic attack.

 

I agree with Xtreme, I'm thinking this year's Cinderella story is gonna be a DKMP import. Hobeon and RaymondL have huge potential for their criminally low seeds. I also think Mulpje could end up in semis or even finals.