Head-2-Head-X / Head-2-Head-X: Pre-Draft Breakdown

Head-2-Head Season 10 has arrived!  It is fitting that,  in a year of RCT anniversaries,  New Element notches an achievement of its own.  H2HX is a milestone that is as remarkable as it is ridiculous.  It is a contest format that dates back to the earliest days of the community and has endured through leadership changes,  format tweaks, and the constantly evolving RCT meta.  Over nine seasons,  the core principle has always stayed the same though;  a significant portion of NE and the broader RCT community come together to collaborate,  create,  and compete with the finest RCT maps possible.

 

Season 9 successfully stretched the robust OpenRCT meta past limits previously thought unachievable.  In just 3 short years between seasons,  the tools available have once again been leveled up.  This was demonstrated in the most recent contests,  such as Micro Madness and the Grand Tour.  Seeing how H2H teams will innovate and leverage these new tools adds an extra layer of excitement, not to mention the new player points system and how that will adjust drafting and scheduling strategies.

 

As is tradition,  I will be doing an analysis of the pool of players who sign up to be drafted.  I do my best to research as best as possible,  with the caveat that if I don’t know much I can’t say much.  Any errors are done through my own ignorance so please reach out and request a change,  if necessary,  and I will correct any mistakes.

In:Cities - Josh is another player who really blossomed around H2H8 and in the years since.  In my H2H9 writeup I outlined that Josh would be captaining against Tolsimir,  who knocked him out in the Semifinals in H2H8.  As fate would have it,  both Josh and Tolsimir’s teams would face each other in the H2H9 Finals and Tolsimir would once again come out on top.  Although it looks like a second iteration of the Adventurer’s Club won’t be in the cards for H2HX,  Josh has kept his skills sharp collaborating in recent contests and his Action Park franchise run in the Grand Tour shows he is better than ever, and can work with anyone.  He even recently got out of his comfort zone by snagging an NCSO Design with Swagtitties.

J K - the return of J K has been one of the major feel-good stories within the community from the past couple of years.  It proves that with the right attitude and enthusiasm,  any familiar face from ten plus years ago could return to the game and pick up right where they left off.  He shook off the rust quickly with a mystical mine train Design accolade and then wasted no time embracing new techniques with a brand new solo and added another Spotlight to his tally.  J K and In:Cities worked together back in H2H6 and returned to form by winning Grand Tour ‘23 with Aztec Action Park.  In fact,  J K was an integral part of Kumba’s successful run with his Hurricanes team during H2H4/5/6 and his last completed project before his hiatus was the mic dropping forfeit win in the H2H6 Finals.  J K is looking to take this extensive experience and translate it to a team of his design,  if his bid for a H2HX captain slot is successful.

Scoop - had a commendable rookie season back in H2H8 and started to really show his capabilities in the Grand Tour ‘20,  especially in the microstates round.  For H2H9 I had a feeling he would punch above his weight and Scoop proved to be a valuable addition to the Adventurer’s Club and their run to the Finals.  Although he still isn’t prolific in solo work outside of competitions;  Scoop’s star is rising and shining brighter and more consistent than ever.  This will be the third season in a row where Scoop is putting his name in for a captain slot and he has the community engagement and experience to have a good shot.  Either way, Scoop will either end up drafting his own team or drafted higher than the previous two seasons by a good margin.  Scoop has also added to his skillset,  participating on LL and NCSO competition maps and showing his increasing flexibility and confidence.

GammaZero - went undrafted in H2H7 and then was a floater on nin’s H2H8 Replacements team, so Gamma has some H2H experience under his belt.  Gamma stepped away during H2H9 and resumed building a couple of years ago with a throwback NCSO map and then a Design attempt that fell narrowly short.  His GT ‘23 first round entry was very ambitious and executed well, unfortunately needing to be submitted before fully finishing.  The ideas are there and Gamma’s execution is improving as well.  With the new points system, Gamma has a good shot at being a flexible later round pick who brings exciting and bold ideas to the table.

Kumba - has been showing screens and a high enthusiasm for his massive DR3 project that is making use of OpenRCT expanded size restrictions.  After an activity lull for a few years,  it is cool to see him get his mojo back and reconnect with RCT.  His bid for a captain’s spot was unsuccessful last season but a return of the Hurricanes in H2HX feels right.  He clearly had fun with throwback styles in H2H Classic as well as a solid H2H9 showing.  Depending on how things go,  Kumba might be facing some former valued teammates as a captain and will have his hands full this season.  He has a focus on infrastructure and expansive scale for his current solo work but I don’t doubt that Darren has plenty of ideas in the tank. He is poised to fully leverage OpenRCT and what it has to offer and put together another formidable H2H run.

 

AvanineCommuter - hardly needing any introduction, a force in the past four H2H seasons as well as two Micro Madnesses, he has consistently produced some of the strongest fantasy parks in the formats.  After gaining a reputation as a strong contributor in H2H6/7/8,  Season 9 represented a major step up for AVC in productivity and quality.  He was a major player in the Tile Inspectors' championship run, with two Round Robin maps plus the Semifinals;  all while pushing the capabilities of OpenRCT at the time to its limits.  In H2H Classic he embraced a throwback style and then faced two former Tile Inspector teammates in MM ‘23 Finals where he grabbed his second MM silver medal.  Even the elusive fantasy solo work from AVC has been recently teased and there weren't many caveats to his sign up post.  I expect him to be drafted quickly and used as much as the points system allows in what is surely to be some of the best high concept fantasy of the competition.

RobDedede - proved to be a very solid last round pick for Tolsimir and the Tile Inspectors.  He made significant contributions to three Round Robin maps and didn’t even need to be a late round floater to do it.  Rob has NCSO roots for utility but has fully embraced CSO and is only getting better in the last couple of years.  His MM ‘23 entries were very strong with fun hacks and storytelling,  only getting bounced out of the Quarterfinals due to very stiff competition.  His two Grand Tour entries were very distinct and also included hacked storytelling setpieces on a larger scale.  Scenes of Georgetown was a tough sell for a specific accolade but it represents map detailing and architecture that will be right at home on H2H size maps.  Where Rob gets drafted in the mid-early/mid rounds isn’t certain but it’s damn sure not going to be the last round this time.

Six Frags - at this point it isn’t H2H if Six Frags doesn’t pop back up to participate.  As a long time competition player,  SF has a wealth of H2H experience and plenty of close wins and tough losses that go all the way back to H2H3.  He has been relatively plugged into the community Discord since H2H9,  where he had a solid contribution to one map.  He has beefed up his utility skills in the meantime,  presenting his fantastic 2023 Workbench to the community.  With a lot of object edit experience through that,  SF has added another dimension to his skillset.  His draft stock is similar to last season and he will be a strong mid round contributor who can bring his vast experience to one or more maps.

AJ- - entered H2H9 as a relative newcomer and quickly shed that label after making a good contribution to two Round Robin maps.  He had already shown flashes of a quick build speed and versatility before then but nothing like we have seen in the three years since H2H9.  His main style of choice is lush and naturalistic,  often featuring bold landscaping and colors.  He is not afraid to experiment and iterate on his already distinctive style in a variety of formats:  from Discord challenges,  solo accolades and competition entries.  AJ had been very active and is poised to be a mid-early round pick and a significant contributor to whichever team drafts him.  He’ll bring with him his own distinct aesthetics and a strong set of utility skills and OpenRCT knowledge to boot.

Zarathustra - a frequent collaborator with AJ- and they fortunately ended up on the same team in H2H9.  We’ll see if that can happen again but Zara had a quietly solid rookie season alongside AJ- and even made an appearance in the Semifinals.  His productivity since last season has been subdued but not without highlights.  Zara’s technical skills show up in full scale solos and he snagged a H2H Classic win so rust shouldn’t be an issue.  He does have availability caveats for this season so I expect Zara to be a strong mid-late round pick who has the experience to pull off high quality execution if the drive is there.  The points system could present some interesting opportunities here.

Splitvision - has always had a distinctive style even dating back to his old projects in the late 2000’s.  After an extended hiatus he came back with an entirely fresh outlook on the game and an enthusiasm to push the OpenRCT limits so far that it barely resembles RCT any more.  For H2H9,  I touted his versatility in style but it’s his technical prowess that will be recognized for this draft.  Last season he flexed his creativity and familiarity with the game systems with new set pieces and storytelling methods in RCT.  He has gone on to continue to surprise and innovate in his MM and Grand Tour appearances,  not to mention the gamification of RCT with Attack on SS Infinity.  Split’s skillset is well established at this point and it is very well suited to “wow” in the H2H format.  It is just a question on which captain drafts him in a mid-early round and what kind of off-the-wall ideas we will see from him.

Lilith - was a late round non floater who participated in two of the more memorable non-winning maps of last season.  At the time, she signed up as LL only but made meaningful contributions in RCT2.  This year she is again signing up as LL only,  in solidarity with the 25th anniversary of the original game.  Since H2H9 she has participated in H2H Classic,  MM,  and Grand Tour with a solid LL entry in each contest.  It’s always nice to see Lilith active and with her H2H 8 replacement and H2H9 experience,  I anticipate a late round draft selection and a pivot to OpenRCT due to lack of LL players in H2H these days.

 

kenos - although he doesn’t have any completed work since his contribution to Logan’s Run in H2H9,  kenos aka realsteel continues to cement his role as a valuable utility player.  The past three years have seen him working to polish his skills at developing new content for the game.  He has taken on larger projects relating to new track pieces and ride types that are larger than even a full H2H season can accommodate.  Kenos does have some screenshots to his name,  showing solid work in everything from hackless LL to CSO.  The draft list is always richer with players like kenos in it,  as he can do a lot to help translate novel ideas into the game, for any team.  I expect him to factor into someone’s game plan with only the points system being a wrinkle in how utility players will be drafted.

Jappy - since the middle of 2015 he has steadily improved his game.  He has reliably put out solo content in between contests and had a solid rookie season in H2H8.  Just before H2H9 he achieved Parkmaker status with Canary Mines,  one of his much loved scenario re-imaginings.  Jappy had another good showing in H2H9 with contributions to two maps.  He has faced tough competition in H2H but the maps he contributes to are of a consistent quality, even if they don’t come out on top.  Although he didn’t get Elite Parkmaker in the last three years,  he did notch another major achievement in his RCT career by winning his first Spotlight with Laguna Adventura.  Some fun new projects and two interesting fantasy style micros in MM ‘23 show that Jappy is still up for getting outside his comfort zone and adding new dimensions to his game.  He doesn’t shy away from bold ride design,  particularly sprawling coasters and it will be fun to see what he chooses to do this season.  Some time caveats will keep him as a strong pick in the middle rounds.

RWE - another player who has diligently improved in between major contests and has participated in the past three seasons of H2H.  Although he’s had some tough luck in past seasons,  he always comes back with an equal amount of enthusiasm and this will mark his third season in a row applying for a captain’s slot.  RWE is a flexible player and although he often stays grounded in realism,  his recent Grand Tour entries show a willingness to get more experimental and expressive.  RWE is a player poised for a Parkmaker breakthrough but we have not seen a large enough full scale solo project.  His productivity and consistency in competition make him a solid mid round selection,  or possibly a captain as he is a viable choice for that as well.

trav - has not been heavily active since H2H9 but going quiet in between seasons is nothing to be concerned about.  He has been one of those players that reliably pops up and makes a solid contribution to one or two maps for the past few seasons.  Logan’s Brewery was one of the better parks that didn’t win its match last season and that is just the latest in a string of solid H2H appearances from him.  Trav has also teased some high quality screenshots that show if he ever were to push forward with a large scale solo project it would be a breakthrough release.  He has the experience and skills to be a solid mid round pick so it is just a matter of where he lands within the new point system.

Ziscor - isn’t a particularly prolific player and most of the highlights in his body of work come from the past two H2H seasons.  His performance in those seasons was really good and he has proven his work can blend in with a variety of top tier players.  We saw some rare solo work from him in MM ‘23 where he showed some interesting vaporwave aesthetics and creative use of neon and laser objects/CTRs.  While we only got one strong micro,  which points to some spikes and dips in motivation,  Ziscor is clearly a collaborative player and a reliable build partner who is up to the task to assist top picks with their projects of choice.  It’s an important niche to fill and he will hopefully have success for a third season in a row,  likely as a mid-early round pick.

 

BelgianGuy - since H2H9 he has achieved one of the few accolades that he had not yet notched into his belt,  and scored a Spotlight with his latest iteration of his Thrill Point solos.  After a long and steadily improving string of accolades,  BG broke through the Gold barrier and as an added bonus,  scored high enough to achieve Elite Parkmaker.  It is always exciting to see a long standing member make such a push,  even after achieving so much.  His H2H9 appearance was somewhat muted,  in comparison to past seasons,  but did feature a version of the much vaunted combination with dr dirt with the duo assisting robbie92 for good measure.  There is little left for BG to prove in his list of accolades but he does appear to be approaching H2HX with enthusiasm as he has signed up for a potential captain’s spot,  which shows he is still looking to tackle new challenges in the community.

FredD - this will be his fifth H2H season in a row and he has had the consistent trend of making a solid contribution to one map in those previous appearances.  Although Croaked! from last season was not in a fully completed state before having to be submitted,  it was one of the more memorable maps of the season with a lot of ambitious ideas behind it.  Fred’s screens from his latest projects show further development of an already well established naturalistic, semi-realistic style with interesting ride design and interactions.  His latest work from the Grand Tour continues his trend of solid contest appearances. Although Fred broke his streak of aiming for a captain’s slot,  I don’t think his trend of being a solid mid round contributor to at least one map will change.

Xtreme97 - one of my big whiffs in my analysis of last season,  I undervalued Xtreme,  who would go on to be drafted number one overall.  He was Steve’s right hand man on Logan’s Run and their run to the third place match in H2H9.  Admin duties have not slowed his output and he has had impressive showings in H2H Classic,  MM ‘23, and Grand Tour.  He is capable of embracing throwback styles in LL and RCT2,  all while keeping his stylistic flair,  strong landscaping, and ability to create unique environments.  The comic book panels he did with WhosLeon in Grand Tour is one of the most impressive ideas in recent memory,  and that includes rival innovative powerhouses like Splitvision and Ethan in the mix.  With his admin position and experience captaining in H2H Classic,  he brings quality leadership to the table and is in contention for a captain spot,  perhaps facing his buddy Steve.  If they do end up on the same team (again) then we can expect a continuation of their fantastic modern,  semi-realistic style that we saw in Lemuria and Glow Worm.  The past few years have seen Xtreme collaborate with a variety of top tier players so he will be in his element no matter where he ends up.  A likely first round pick and MVP candidate with the right amount of activity.

Jene - success isn’t often linear,  but Jene’s certainly has appeared that way.  As a rookie last season,  he put forth a solid effort on two maps that unfortunately came out on the wrong end of close matches.  Jene had been steadily improving prior to H2H9:  winning Bronze in 2018,  Silver in 2019,  and Gold in 2020.  Jene’s H2H9 work was right at home with high ranking players on Logan’s Run and he had a solid showing in the most recent Grand Tour.  Now just before H2HX drafting,  Jene has catapulted himself up the prospective draft list with an official Spotlight in Porto Encanto;  the last rung in the solo accolade ladder.  It’s an impressive feat that his latest screenshots had been hinting at but the timing for Jene couldn’t be better, as he is now in contention for an early round selection,  up from mid round contributor with a style that can fit on a wide variety of semi-realistic and realistic maps.

bigshootergill - although he has taken a step back in productivity from his heyday,  BSG has reliably shown up for major community events of the past few years.  He had a large role on two maps from H2H9,  as well as two strong LL maps from H2H Classic.  He made one of my favorite micros for MM ‘23 in Hank’s Zippy Charge,  showing he hasn’t lost a step when embracing more offbeat fantasy ideas.  BSG has given time caveats for his H2HX participation and will likely be a contributor on only one map this season.  He is an active and upbeat team player though,  so I anticipate his stylistic flexibility,  utility play,   and brainstorming powers will still be a valuable contribution to whichever team he ends up on. A strong mid-late round pick who brings a lot to the table for his points value.

Steve - is looking to repeat a successful H2H9 season in a leadership role as the captain of Logan’s Run.  I think he has a good shot of getting a second season in the captain’s chair as he was able to successfully helm a team that rallied around his naturalistic and semi-realism trademarks.  Steve personally showed that good fundamentals are tough to topple with Lemuria last season and then again with Cape Solari in H2H Classic.  He has been keeping his skills sharp by making guest appearances on some of the top full scale solo releases from the past couple of years.  Glow Worm showed that the Xtreme97 pairing is as strong as ever and one that may affect draft strategies this year,  depending on who is a captain and who is a player.  Steve will bring extensive experience and insight to whichever role he has to tackle and is likely to be an early round draft selection or will be drafting another competitive team in his image.  Logang rise up!

Bubbsy41 - after a strong showing in H2H8,  he has reliably showed up to major community events and collaborative projects.  His role on Logan’s Run in H2H9 showed a decrease in productivity but not a decrease in quality.  His two Micro Madness ‘23 entries were impressive and he played a small role on an equally impressive Grand Tour map.  Bubbsy has fully embraced interesting color palette choices,  fantasy environments and impressive architecture.  He has some time caveats this season,  being on the sidelines until May.  I don’t anticipate he slips too far down the list and he will be a strong mid-round selection who can fit in with a variety of styles and is not afraid to embrace modern techniques.

MK98 - has been quietly participating in most recent contests and is showcasing an increased flexibility in style.  He was a H2H8 replacement who was able to contribute to one map.  H2H9 was a solid rookie season with contributions to two maps:  the very strong Pirates! map as well as a later round that had to be hastily constructed in a throwback style as a backup option.  MK98 has further flexed a variety of styles with a realistic Design win,  a memorable high concept micro in MM ‘23 with a fantastic musical hook,  and another high concept map in the Grand Tour that includes a modern and ancient split map themes with large sculptures.  After H2H9’s showing,  I think MK98 is a strong mid-round pick who is a good team player and can make a meaningful contribution to one or two maps and who is capable of working in a variety of styles as well as under major time constraints.

 

Recurious - we have yet to see a long teased full scale solo release but that does not take away from the fact that he has had a good showing in competition play.  He has taken the helm on parks from the past two seasons, plus H2H Classic.  Recurious often leans on dense Asian-inspired architecture or open,  natural scenes but is not afraid to incorporate bold ride design and artistic choices in his maps.  Most recently,  his MM ‘23 entries and screenshots show that he is as strong a player as ever.  Interestingly,  he has requested to not be the lead on parks for this season,  but to instead play a supporting role where possible.  This places captains in an interesting position when drafting a player usually selected in the first few rounds of the draft.  In order to accommodate this request,  he’ll have to have a sufficiently low point value so captains will be playing chicken on where they can secure Recurious while following his requested level of participation.  He brings a lot of interesting ideas to the table so I am curious to see how this looks spread across a few maps.

Suormot - came to NE as a primarily DKSO player prior to H2H9 and ended up drafted on a team with fellow DKMP community members.  This group would push alex and Terry,  no strangers to NCSO,  into a tight late season NCSO vs NCSO match that was exciting to see.  Where he really shined was in Le Coeur du Ciel,  where he was able to pivot to CSO and help Pacificoaster and Ziscor elevate a map by detailing the mechanics of a floating city,  plus airship sculpture detailing.  We have seen a ton from him since last season but a recent Design accolade win shows a continuation of a clean NCSO style and ability to adapt to new track pieces.  With the ability to hang with veterans established in his rookie season,  I anticipate Suormot to be a valuable mid round selection who can punch above his weight.

Levis - it is good to see the hackmaster back in action after an extended hiatus.  Although his original skillset has largely been made obsolete with OpenRCT,  his skills at development and technical knowledge of game systems is always a valuable tool for any prospective captain.  Levis was active for H2H seasons 4, 5, and 6,  captaining in 5,  before going quiet and offloading most of his solo projects unfinished.  H2H Classic provided an avenue for Levis to return to form,  building with his usual wild ideas and Pro Tour bench block sculpture playstyle.  I’m happy to see him stick around for the milestone tenth season and he’ll bring decades of playing RCT from a unique perspective for the team that drafts him.  He’ll potentially offer utility play,  plugin development and executing wild hacks that can elevate a map’s “wow” factor.  Time caveats mean Levis likely will be a late round pickup for flexible point valuation.  He’s been a Hurricane twice so we’ll see if he factor’s into Kumba’s game plan first.

Coasterbill - we have not seen much from him since H2H9 but with strong solo releases in his past and three H2H appearances,  he has the experience,  but perhaps not the time,  to be a strong contributor.  With time caveats in Season 9 he became a strong floater pick for Liampie and the Cereal Killers,  contributing to three Round Robin maps plus the Semifinals.  It sounds like this will be a role he wants to repeat for this season,  reacquainting with the game and plugging back into the community.  His realism and detailing skills,  along with some object creation,  mean that he’ll likely be a later round pick with the point valuation that allows him to participate on a few maps across the season and contribute where he can.

CoasterCreator9 - broke out of his shell in Grand Tour ‘20 and has not looked back.  Output has slowed after joining the admin team but he’ll show up for competition play and is a solid team player.  One major contribution last season in Drowned,  then went on to jump right into wild fantasy settings with two appearances in H2H Classic.  Collaborated with me in Grand Tour ‘23 on an LL map themed to Ethiopia and was a great build partner.  He brings strong ride design,  landscaping,  foliage and other fundamentals to the table.  CC9 is always looking to expand his RCT horizons and try new things.  He has been on an LL kick but I anticipate a return to RCT2 form for H2H.  With decent availability,  he’ll make a strong mid-early pick who can be counted on to get good results in a wide variety of styles.

SensualEthiopianPolice - in the past two seasons he has gone undrafted and then picked up as a replacement.  For H2H9,  he was picked up as a replacement floater and went on to participate on all of the Adventurer’s Club Round Robin maps,  plus the Semifinals.  Although his overall contributions weren’t high percentage wise,  he does have a lot of H2H experience now and made a decent contribution to El Dorado,  which secured an impressive victory.  Although he hasn’t been as engaged with the community and we have not seen much RCT from him in the years since H2H9,  Sens could be an interesting late round pick worth the points with his experience as a two-time replacement.  It is about time he is selected during the draft,  but even if he is skipped over on draft day,  he’ll be on the replacements list… just waiting for yet another opportunity.

ida - an interesting and eclectic player who shows tons of potential but mostly in the form of screens.  Went undrafted in H2H7 before making solid contributions on two maps as a late round pick in H2H8.  The style of choice seems to come in phases:  from NCSO,  to LL,  to all manner of CSO.  Recent screenshots show experimentation with modern objects and techniques after an extended break from RCT.  Since H2H8,  Ida did participate in H2H8/8 plus two interesting Micro Madness ‘19 entries.  It is a bid of a mystery what to expect in terms of participation with other priorities,  but ida has the experience to be an interesting late round dark horse pick who could surprise everyone with a truly unique map.  A builder who follows in the footsteps of someone like Jaguar.

wheres_walto - had extensive experience in H2H6 and 7 before taking a break from RCT for six years.  He returned for H2H9 and made a strong contribution to the Tile Inspector’s championship run;  participating on two Round Robin maps as well as the park that won them the Finals.  As a captain in H2H Classic,  his team ultimately won the competition with a solo map from him plus contribution to two additional maps.  Walto has embraced tackling unique themes and fantasy but has not pivoted completely away from his realism roots,  as his cheeky Design winning Amusment Park showed an ability to use the latest objects to innovate on a realistic map as well.  Most recently he made a run to the MM ‘23 Finals with a magnificent and diverse set of entries that earned him third place amongst many of his former Tile Inspector teammates.  Walto looks to continue this hot streak he has been on as a H2HX captain and all of his recent successes point to him being a viable candidate.  If he is not selected he will certainly be drafted in the first few rounds as everything he has been touching lately turns to RCT gold.

A n d r e w - didn’t even have a writeup last season as he was a late addition to the replacements list and a late addition to Liampie’s Cereal Killers.  He had big shoes to fill as he was replacing RCTFAN who was a risky early pick in the draft.  We had seen some screens of Belle Isle at this point but with no finished projects,  Andrew was looked at as a potential risky replacement with a good upside.  That upside would show up in the form of Rajasthan as Liampie’s captain experience served him well with a fantastic one map showing.  A small appearance on G Force’s Mahoning Gardens and some increasingly impressive screenshots were the final teasers before the much anticipated release of Andrew’s solo,  Belle Isle.  It was as good as expected and an instant classic Spotlight winner, catapulting him to Legendary status.  He will go from a replacement last season to an early round pick this season,  with everyone eagerly awaiting what he’ll produce next.

Jens J. - entered H2H9 as a primary DKSO player with an interest in giving CSO a try.  He used H2H as a good jumping off point and flexed his sculpture skills with a fantastic kraken in Pirates! along with contributions to two other maps.  After this solid rookie season,  Jens has kept his NCSO skills sharp in several competition maps moved over to NE.  He then would have a solid MM ‘23 run,  flexing some developing CSO landscaping and architecture skills and making it all the way to the Semifinals.  These skills would show up again in a fantastic Design win in late 2023,  earning Jens Parkmaker and a green name.  Jens has a good shot at getting selected in the first few rounds and has strong CSO and DKSO skills at his disposal.

 

FK+Coastermind - his growth as a player between H2H8 and 9 was remarkable and as a first round selection last season he had a strong appearance despite coming out on the wrong end of a match against the lethal Steve/Xtreme pairing.  His artist cocktail micros led to a run into the MM ‘23 Semifinals, representing top quality architecture,  murals,  ride interactions,  etc. and are some of the best examples of RCT as an artform as well as modeling sandbox.  FK’s Design win with Salinity showed cutting edge landscaping,  texture layering, and object detailing, blending a unique industrial landscape with surreal elements.  This was also true of FK’s collaborations in Grand Tour ‘23,  ultimately scoring the silver medal after two main competition appearances and a fantastic Finals entry with hydroportal.  He does have some time caveats for this season but is a lock for an early round selection.  He is at the top of his game and even contributions to just one map would be a welcome addition to the competition.  There are few stronger artistic voices in the game at the moment and FK has the chops to elevate any concept one could possibly dream up.

nin - although we won’t be seeing a rebirth of the Replacements this season,  nin is sure to bring his skills as a creative professional with him and is a viable vice captain pick.  We got one great map last season and with his efficiency,  we should count on at least one more this season.  Nin stumbled,  bumbled and pummeled his way through Micro Madness ‘23,  ending up the lone representative of the Manual Laborers again three former Tile Inspectors.  Although he ultimately came out in fourth place,  nin’s formula never wavered;  a good idea,  great execution,  and iterative building will carry you far.  He can execute a variety of styles and is likely going to push fellow teammates to aim for the best final product possible.  It may ruffle feathers but the right team climate can perform well with this philosophy.  Likely a pick in the first couple rounds,  it’s just a matter of seeing what he produces.  Perhaps more pirates?  Just fucking nuke.

Terry Inferno - in his second H2H season we saw him lead a very quirky park and collaborate with fellow NCSO veteran alex and come out on top with a simple but fun alien NCSO theme.  H2H Classic provided him an opportunity to flex his LL skills,  producing two maps, including Undertaker,  one of my favorite pieces of LL in recent memory.  Terry warmed up for Grand Tour ‘23 by releasing a long awaited Design  accolade and former Grand Tour ‘20 map,  Patagon.  Being fashionably late to the competition allowed Terry to fully flesh out and polish the mountain landscape and striking giga coaster.  His “swiss cheese” style maps with map edge cutaways to show theming for the main and supporting rides has become something of a trademark.  With recent Grand Tour ‘23 collaborations and a second impressive mountainous giga coaster Design win,  Terry has established himself as a Parkmaker fully capable of leveraging CSO to its full potential.  He will be a solid mid-early round selection and is an established multi-style threat.

WhosLeon - has firmly cemented himself as one of the premier competition players of the community.  He notched two Round Robin wins and a Finals appearance as part of the Tile Inspectors’ run to the championship.  With Gathar’s Greenhouse he was able to convert a Discord challenge screen into a Design winning mini map,  which was a prelude to his dominant performance in Micro Madness ‘23.  Leon’s high concept micros were dense,  readable,  and featured fantastic architecture and ride design.  He was able to outlast all his peers and cruise to a first place finish,  redeeming his MM ‘19 Semifinal forfeit.  For Grand Tour ‘23,  we saw one main competition map collaboration with Xtreme where he contributed to the comic book panel idea, which was one of the most memorable ideas of the competition.  Leon’s latest competition appearances are fantastic and hopefully set the tone for a potential captain’s role or a likely first round selection.

barnNID - man,  he cannot catch a break in Micro Madness.  Surprise showings by nin and Ziscor bumped him out in the first round for the second time in a row.  However,  his rookie appearance in H2H9 was very successful as he had a major role in El Dorado for the Adventurer’s Club,  which scored an impressive victory.  He has rapidly improved in the past few years and has shown good to great execution in a variety of styles:  from janky fairground flat rides to high concept fantasy.  We have seen some tantalizing screenshots of solo work under construction,  including a golf course that showcases some new landscaping objects that he has created.  Although he has warned that motivation can be hit or miss,  his competition experience and recent screenshots make a strong case for another mid-early round pick.  If he stays motivated,  barnNID has all the potential to be a valuable utility player with the ability to go toe to toe with anyone in the game.

Tolsimir - sadly we will not being seeing the Tile Inspector captain attempt to retain his title from last season,  but much like ][22,  his H2H legacy is secure.  As a captain he had one Round Robin showing,  where he took the helm but lost against the realism dynamic duo of CP6 and Maverix, who also spacek support.  He assisted with the Tile Inspector’s Semifinals winning park to secure their Finals spot and eventual win.  Tolsimir has been relatively quiet since H2H9,  but did pop up with two quality micros for MM ‘23.  The New Element,  in particular,  showcased some innovative storytelling techniques on a vertical oriented map.  He has requested to not be a park lead but he has the ability to create unique setpieces,  new objects,  and visual storytelling to elevate maps.  It’s not clear if he has any interest in a vice captain spot,  but his extensive contest experience adds a premium to his draft spot.  A likely early round pick who may not make a ton of appearances but can add a lot to a team behind the scenes.

hydroportal - last season’s round one pick did not leave much on the table to achieve for himself this season.  He absolutely dominated with his Round Robin showing Riverview Exposition,  which leveraged everything from a unique palette that contributes to the story,  cutting edge half diagonals,  and near flawless execution of a historical setting.  Although his significant contribution to a Finals park was not enough to stop the Tile Inspector’s march to championship,  hydro had done plenty to earn himself Park of the Year,  Rookie of the Year,  and MVP honors at the end of the season.  It’s the type of landmark season that may not be able to be replicated, but his Grand Tour collaborations with MK98 and FK showed no decrease in quality and a continuation of high quality execution of ambitious architecture and storytelling.  Hydro has advised that his availability is more hit or miss this time around but if he spreads his contribution across one or two maps,  it is sure to still be a significant contribution.

G Force - the realism powerhouse and former H2H captain was an efficient player for the Cereal Killers last time around and contributed to two Round Robin maps.  He has a good ability to leverage his realism skills to his advantage while still coming up with ideas that translate well to H2H size maps.  We have seen this with All Coasters Go to Heaven, as well as Uncanny Valley and Gangland last season.  He has flexed some throwback semi-realism skills in H2H Classic and set a new realism standard with his Mahoning Gardens Spotlight win on Christmas day,  2022.  A palette cleanser Design win with some experimentation with half diagonals and a guest spot on Belle Isle round out his recent activity.  He has taken a hiatus from the game after a strong early 2020’s run and seems reinvigorated for another solid H2H appearance.  He can do it all,  even on a trackpad,  and will likely be a strong mid round pick and detailed realism contributor.

 

Maverix - has a wealth of competition experience,  accolades and real life industry knowledge to draw from.  Over many years he has honed a style that leans on solid ride design and fundamentals,  which means he can make a meaningful contribution to any realism or semi-realism based maps.  Mav was a solid player on Logan’s Run last season,  spreading good contributions across three maps, of which two won their round.  Since H2H9 he has updated his Silver Lake park for 2021,  entered Micro Madness '23 with one of his traditional ride-first micros featuring a Premier spaghetti bowl recreation,  and had a guest spot on BelgianGuy’s Thrill Point.  Although his activity has not been high,  he has clearly not accrued much rust and his flexibility and experience make him a great mid round option.

Version1 - after a drop out in early H2H9 as the floater for the Adventurer’s Club,  I expected some waffling about joining this time around.  We had one false start sign-up and retraction, but it seems that he has made up his mind and will opt to participate this season.  In the past few years he has teased some solo work in between contests and has the ability produce Gold quality work.  He collaborated with Gustav Goblin in the most recent Grand Tour,  assisting on a standout Ethiopia themed map,  Birth of an Ocean.  Also in GT,  he created a fun spin on the H2H8 map Forgotten Mekong,  called Discovered Mekong.  Although V1’s motivation for H2H and RCT can be hit or miss,  he can be a solid addition to a team as a late round selection who can assist on a variety of maps.

Liampie - the battle for draft position 69 claimed its first victim as he had to throw in the towel and secure his captain’s spot.  It appears that he is fired up after two championship runs,  a second place finish,  and then a third place finish last season.  Liampie wants to build another championship winning team and will be going full competitive mode for this landmark season.  He may be facing some other legendary H2H captains and hungry new blood so he’ll have his work cut out for him.  I’m sure he’ll be able to work with the new points system and develop an effective strategy.  For recent work he embraced throwback styles in H2H Classic as a member of Scoop’s team and found significant success in both LL and RCT2.  Liampie had a successful string of entries for Grand Tour ‘23,  most notably talking Turtle back into the game and collaborating with him to win a round and then on a third place winning entry in the Finals.  The opportunity to cement his legacy as the best H2H captain in history seems to be energizing to Liampie and he is poised to make yet another postseason appearance.

SSSammy - another H2H season where he declares he will need to be considered as a lower round pick,  he was a valuable floater for Logan’s Run last season.  His desire to stick to fundamental components such as landscaping,  foliage,  ride design,  supports,  and other support roles makes him a very valuable team player.  Sammy has the ability to hold his own with a variety of styles and is capable of giving excellent feedback that you’d have to be a fool not to listen to.  After a successful H2H9,  he was a collaborator on the Barnacle Heads in H2H Classic,  where I had the pleasure of working directly with him at the helm on an LL map;  plus he also had a supporting role on two additional maps.  His most recent accolade is a strong NCSO Design,  Saeiqa,  which embraces some LL/NCSO hybrid texturing and new track pieces to create a very unique atmosphere.  As the draft progresses,  captains will be jockeying to see who can pick up Sammy first, as he will be one of the most efficient low point players of the competition.

hoobaroo - nobody can build with a dream-like and surrealist quality quite like hoobaroo,  and his Micro Madness ‘19 run is legendary.  H2H9 was a mixed bag for him,  with a strong showing in Stardust Circuit,  one of my personal favorites.  House by the Sea had a very personal touch and was a blend of serene tranquility and over the top abstract mayhem.  He has since gone on to explain the personal nature of the project and how tough it was to try and finish as it ultimately was submitted very rough around the edges.  Micro Madness ‘23 saw hoob eliminated in the Quarterfinals after two beautiful entries,  which is less a knock on him than an insight on how stiff the competition was.  He has released a teaser screen in preparation for the draft,  which shows his familiar style executed on a larger than normal canvas.  With his rookie season in the books,  it’s tough to know where to place him for this season’s draft.  I expect a captain will take a chance in a mid-early round on the massive upside he brings,  and the unique nature of his projects.  With the right pairing and his H2H experience,  hoobaroo always has the chance to shine.

 

Mr.Brightside711 - recent screens from a solo project show further development of his fun,  naturalistic style that focuses on rides and keeping the density readable.  With a keen eye for realistic detailing,  he will be a good addition to any realism and semi-realism based maps.  Although he has yet to get that elusive H2H win,  his contributions to two Logan’s Run maps in H2H9 were solid and both maps were competitive in their respective matches.  We haven’t seen much work from him since last season other than screenshots of a developing solo project but Mr.Brightside will be a strong mid-late round pick who is looking to match and improve on his performance from last season.

mamarillas - an impressive three map appearance on the Cereal Killers squad means that mamarillas had a successful rookie season while getting comfortable with CSO.  Since H2H9 he has experimented with half diagonals in a Design winning accolade,  pursued some DKSO competition play,  and had a run to the Micro Madness ‘23 Semifinals.  Mamarillas showcased improved CSO skills with micros like Mech Hangar 2,  a follow up to one of his MM ‘19 entries that shows significant development and confidence with CSO.  An entry for a Discord build challenge showcased some quality landscaping and foliage,  as well as a continuation of his sculpture skills.  Although he hasn’t been quite as productive as some of his peers,  mamarillas will be a good mid-late round pickup as he is following in the footsteps of players like Mulpje or Ulvenwood in his pivot to CSO, and he has shown impressive screenshots in preparation for the draft.

Hex - as a late round selection in H2H9,  he made contributions to two Round Robin maps and the Finals park for the Adventurer’s Club.  While not a remarkable rookie season,  it does provide him with a good chunk of H2H experience.  Since H2H9 Hex has been a high scoring competitor in the DKMP community events,  collaborating with many peers who are signing up for their first H2H.  He had a strong first round entry in Micro Madness ‘23 in Concrete Jungle,  which showcased impressive CSO skills.  Hex will likely be a good mid round selection as he brings flexibility in style,  strong ride design,   and has worked with a large chunk of the broader RCT community with a lot of competitive RCT experience.

CHE - went undrafted in H2H7 but has some valuable experience as Liampie’s floater in H2H8,  where he participated on four maps,  including in the Semifinals.  For H2H9 he was drafted a little higher than floater and participated in a joint effort for the Scream Queens with Frontier’s Keep,  which had the misfortune to go against a dominant Stardust Circuit.  Although his style may not be the flashiest,  CHE does bring a naturalistic charm to his landscape heavy solo work.  He keeps the detailing light and readable and is not afraid to bring unique ideas to the table, along with solid execution.  Although we have not seen much from him since H2H9 as he was unable to contribute to the Barnacle Heads’ H2H Classic matches,  CHE has enough H2H experience to justify a late round pick up for a reasonable point valuation.  A recent warm up screen shows that he is quickly shaking off any rust and is ready to play.

inthemanual - a two time captain and participant in the last three seasons,  he will have some time constraints this time around.  He participated on two maps last season and his second iteration of the Manual Laborers had their season cut short by some tough opposition.  ITM has popped back up intermittently despite his busy schedule to participate in community events.  He did a Discord challenge session that resulted in a collaborative shuttle loop Design attempt.  He also popped up for Micro Madness ‘23 with a cute first round micro that was surprisingly intricate despite being a for-fun build.  With his wealth of experience in H2H and competition play,  ITM will likely be a mid-late round addition to a team and is someone who can contribute to a variety of semi-realism and realism based maps.

Louis! - another very experienced H2H player and former captain,  he was unable to participate as much as he would have liked last season due to time constraints.  He was still able to be a part of three parks but his main map in NE Workbench 2021 wasn’t able to be fully fleshed out despite it being a fun idea with lots of references and easter eggs.  Things have been relatively quiet from Louis in the past few years since H2H9 and he only recently returned to the community,  just in time to sign up for this season.  He has requested a low draft and point value to better reflect his ongoing time constraints.  I expect captains to honor his request but pick him up in a later round with the hope that he’ll be motivated to punch above the weight of his point value.

Iretont - was part of the wave of DKSO focused players who participated in H2H9,  he ended up being a valuable pick for the Adventurer’s Club and would assist them with hacking the racing portion of Stardust Circuit.  He began a pivot to CSO in H2H Classic with a solid contribution to Pokepark - Kanto in collaboration with J K and Kumba.  He quickly moved past throwback styles and had two very high quality Batman themed CSO entries for Micro Madness ‘23.  As part of these micros,  we saw his CTR chops and further development on his ability to create storytelling setpieces like in Stardust Circuit.  Although he does have some serious time caveats,  Iretont will be a valuable mid-late utility player with his diverse set of skills and solid CSO background.

Cocoa - after a solid single park showing in H2H9 with the park with the longest name and an entertaining commentary track,  he has been active in major contests during the past few years.  His H2H9 showing was offbeat but he would go on to get weirder in H2H Classic with a throwback LL park with an extensive launched coaster and then a solid RCT2 park that combined a generic theme with unorthodox object selection.  His Micro Madness run was cut short in the Semifinals after three great entries,  each with very interesting themes that took advantage of negative space or single view objects to pull of a unique look.  The mind games are real as Cocoa has requested captains consider his low prioritization of H2H and to draft him in a late round with a low point score.  This may be a tough sell because Cocoa at his best is hard to turn down so we’ll see if captains heed his advice.  Still probably a mid-late round pick unless it’s all a ruse and he gets snagged early.

Camcorder22 - a competition heavy player who has been in and out of the community between major events for many years now.  Her contribution to two maps last season was solid but fell short of the standard set in H2H8 because of time constraints.  She was able to participate in H2H Classic and helped put together the extremely fun Pro Tour bench styled Riff Valley.  Micro Madness is another format Cam excels at and she had a good run to the Semifinals of MM '23 with three very distinct entries.  While she is at the top of her RCT game,  Cam is also facing major time caveats for this season and is among the players requesting a late draft selection.  Music and other pursuits will eat up a lot of her time but even just a contribution to one map will likely be of a high quality this season.

 

lightkeeper - a late round pick up as part of the Manual Laborers back in H2H7.  He was able to contribute to one LL map and an RCT2 waterpark with inthemanual that would unfortunately be very rough around the edges.  He had a brief activity blip in 2019 with a couple of decent solo project screens before popping back up for this season.  An interesting prospect as he does have H2H experience and a recent screen shows he has as much potential as ever.  His productivity is a question though and could drop him to the last round or replacements list,  which if he sticks around he could be a valuable replacement. 

roygbiv - made a good contribution on two maps for the Strangelove in H2H8.  Sat out H2H9 but has participated in the most recent Micro Madness with a strong entry that went over the tile limit.  A bit of a wildcard but very talented.  Will probably be a late round pick for someone willing to take a chance.

dr dirt - sticks to his guns when it comes to appreciating the simpler vibe in RCT aesthetics.  He had two good contributions to maps last season as captain of the Scream Queens but Esoterra was where he was more involved and it proved to be a bit too esoteric for some people’s taste.  He has shown some unique LL texture hybrid style screenshots and embraced a simpler style for a cute little gnome themed first round entry to Micro Madness ‘23.  I’m looking forward to what the doc brings this season as it will hopefully be another one or two map contributions with his unique style.

alex - had major contributions to two winning maps for the Scream Queens in H2H9.  Alex has been on a productive run in the past few years with NCSO and minimalistic maps.  His expo 77 parks in the recent Grand Tour had a unique ‘70s aesthetic and apparently fit together like puzzle pieces to form a larger whole.  For Christmas 2023,  his follow up NCSO solo dropped to much acclaim and Age of Sail scored an incredible 97%.  He’s a legendary builder for a reason and will be drafted in an early round for whatever contribution he can provide.

Fisch - made big contributions to two Tile Inspector maps last season,  including the Finals winning park.  He also made a contribution to a H2H Classic map but has otherwise been quiet.  A high quality builder who waffles about joining H2H until the last minute,  includes time caveats and then builds anyway.  Or it is all a ruse.  An early round pick.

ultro - a player favored by Liampie in the past two seasons,  he made contributions to one map and has been unable to have a breakout season despite showing tons of potential.  Time constraints are present again and may push ultro into the last round or replacements list this time around.

saxman1089 - has been quietly working on his Hesheypark recreation after a solid showing on two maps for the Cereal Killers last season.  He was a floater that participated on every park on the championship winning Spacecrabs so he has a good amount of experience.  His realism focus can fit with a lot of different builders,  especially from the US.  Likely a later round pick due to time constraints.

Thethrillman - despite his sign up for this season describing his fate in H2H9,  I think TTM has a much stronger chance of being drafted this time around.  Although he hit the ground running with solid CSO,  the past few years have seen further development in productivity and storytelling.  A solid first round and bonus entry in MM23 boost TTM’s draft chances,  as do his NE Discord Challenge screens.  Although not a prolific player,  TTM’s engagement in the community appears as high as it has ever been and he is showing too much potential to leave on the table.

Ethan - sometimes it feels inappropriate to place a player in the rookie list but that’s just a testament to how in two short years Ethan has established himself as a fully developed player whose style is already on par with others who have been a part of the community for decades.  His debut in Hoshi En scored a seemingly effortless Gold accolade and that solo was just the start of a string of high scoring competition entries for H2H Classic,  MM23,  and Grand Tour.  Ethan brings with him a wealth of techniques,  utility knowledge,  efficient build speeds and wild out of the box ideas that are executed at a very high level.  A potential rookie of the year candidate if he stays motivated throughout the season.  Sometimes readability and density can be an issue but Ethan’s ambitious ideas don’t outstrip his skills,  just the comprehension of the audience at times.  Although H2HC doesn’t count towards his rookie status imo,  it gives him experience in the format and an extra draft stock boost,  which is hardly necessary anyway.

ballpitwarrior - has a wealth of contest experience in other RCT communities and is a relative newcomer to NE.  This will be the first NE competition that ballpitwarrior has signed up for since bringing over some collaborative projects onto NE and showing some solid solo screenshots.  These maps are scoring Gold or strong Design accolades and are a good representative of ballpitwarrior’s skills within the NCSO/DKSO styles.  Although this style isn’t as preferred at NE,  it can still do well and we already saw an NCSO vs NCSO match last season,  which was very fun.  If he wants to stick to known styles or pivot to CSO is unknown to me but ballpitwarrior is the latest name in a growing list of people who can hold their own with their preferred style and are very likely to do well in CSO as well.  A potential later round steal,  especially on a team with teammates who are familiar with DKSO.

 

AmusementParker - his quick sign up bodes well for AP’s engagement with the community and although he only has one micro to his name,  it does a lot to propel his draft stock as part of an increasingly impressive rookie list.  As a relatively new face here at NE,  he has teased a solo that looks to have a decent chunk done.  That solo has not materialized yet but a recent screen shows that AP has strong realism and semi-realism chops and it is clear he has a good eye for detail,  intricate architecture and ride design.  Last year he finished a realistic micro that was competitive in an extremely tough bracket. Despite being his only finished work, his MM micro presents his strengths well in a small package.  Productivity is a question mark but his most recent activity makes a strong case for a late round pick who could have a significant breakthrough.

Gustav Goblin - has been a major presence for the past few years at NE and although he went undrafted in H2H9,  Gustav is in a much better position this time around.  The past three years have seen significant development and improvement from the raw Grand Tour ‘20 entries we saw prior to H2H9.  Gustav has participated in community competitions both large and small to better position himself for a good draft stock this time around,  and it has paid off.  He has collaborated with a variety of members and tackled many different styles,  showing ambitious ideas and solid execution in the last few years.  Sometimes this ambition can be a double edged sword,  such as in MM ‘23 but he bounced back quickly in a variety of strong Grand Tour entries,  including an appearance in the Finals.  Take a deep breath,  Gustav,  because you will be a strong mid to later round pick that will be a major asset to whichever team you end up on.

ACEfanatic02 - it is always exciting to see the return of an older member,  whether it’s a former powerhouse like J K or a dark horse like ACE.  In the late 2000’s,  she was a member who showed a ton of potential with Ad District solo projects (remember those days?) and an interest in realism.  Unfortunately these projects would go on to be released unfinished before a decade of silence.  ACE returned in late 2021 with a newfound enthusiasm for RCT and an ability to quickly pick up modern techniques.  Her first ever accolade came in the form of a Design with a very modern approach to realism and great execution overall.  She also has embraced object creation and digging into the technical side of OpenRCT to innovate realistic detailing.  It’s cool to see someone step up to be a part of a competition after so many years in and out of the community.  ACE has all the makings of a solid utility player who can add a lot to any realistic core of a team.

 

Babar Tapie - if adding a player like Ethan to the Rookies list feels inappropriate,  adding Babar to the list feels downright ridiculous.  In just over two years he has been an absolute whirlwind of RCT activity;  a one-man wrecking crew.  His biggest asset is a blistering build speed that resulted in five solo releases plus contributions to a H2H Classic team in his first active year on NE alone.  A former lurker,  Babar has developed an uncanny ability to translate his creative visions into the game at a rapid pace.  He can densely detail,  tackle sculptures of IP characters/franchises,  and create unique environments that feel lived in;  all at a pace few others can.  It isn’t just about speed either,  as his work has been a solid string of Gold accolades that have earned him Parkmaker and nearly Elite Parkmaker in that short span of time.  I expect a quick pickup of Babar in the draft,  if nothing else for the peace of mind he’ll provide by being able to supply a first round and backup maps that are of a high quality.  His solo work will be competitive enough but with collaborators looking after his one major blind spot in ride design,  Babar has the potential to have a historic rookie season. 

The Microwave - in addition to cooking my pizza rolls that fuel these writeups,  The Microwave is a relatively new face on NE that sports a throwback NCSO style.  It’s a style that worked in H2H Classic which provides some NE contest experience.  Last year a couple of unfinished projects were offloaded which is always a shame but can pave the way for new things and we have seen some screenshots that show further progression on potential solo work.  An interesting rookie candidate for a late round pick to add an extra dimension to a team with NCSO/DKSO potential, which is as viable this season as it was in H2H9.

Lurker - a fun to watch member with a positive attitude and scenario/old school throwback style;  it’s impossible not to root for him in competition.  He has a lot of experience in DKMP contests and has been an active NE member for around four years after being a long time… ah….lurker.  H2H Classic suited his preferred playstyles and Lurker was an integral part of the Barnacle Heads,  producing a large amount of fun 2000’s style RCT that the team could work with or use as backup options.  There are some unique challenges in a main H2H season for him though.  Lurker has some time caveats and internet outages.  He’s able to work around these bottlenecks with older style maps and LL as the data sizes are smaller but passing large files back and forth might be more difficult.  Lurker is very flexible style wise and has been stepping up his CSO skills and can pump out quality throwback RCT with his eyes closed.  I think someone snags him as a late round and low point pick and that he has the ability to be an efficient selection at that stage of the draft.  Being able to supply peace of mind with backup maps and assist anyone from LL players,  DKSO and CSO is a great quality in and of itself.

Narc - a newer member who popped up for Micro Madness ‘19 and had a brief active period in that year, building primarily in NCSO before going quiet again.  He reactivated for Discord challenges after a couple quiet years and participated in several rounds of them with solid entries.  MM ‘23 presented an opportunity for Narc to showcase CSO improvement with a simple but serene first round entry.  In 2023 he narrowly missed out on three design attempts,  each showing incremental improvement in NCSO or CSO execution.  Narc is just missing a small spark,  a wow factor to push him into winning a first solo accolade.  A H2H season might be a good venue for getting some beneficial inspiration and RCT development, if he can stay motivated.  Narc is an interesting rookie candidate for a later round pick and could really break through in the right creative environment.

Mulpje - a major player in the world of DKSO, with several years worth of competition experience.  Those DKSO maps feature bold ideas with large architecture and even larger sculptures,  often including a sprawling coaster that was the rotating ride type to include.  Mulpje got some exposure to CSO in H2H Classic and showed further development in Micro Madness ‘23 with two strong entries.  These improving skills eventually resulted in Amras Telrunya,  a full size CSO fantasy solo and Gold accolade that features DKMP competition trends but redone in CSO.  Now an NE Parkmaker from that solo,  Mulpje has kept up sharp DKSO skills as well,  with regular collaborations in that style and, most recently,  an impressive CSO design reminiscent of one of the best H2H9 maps.  It’s not hard predict an early selection due to productivity and flexibility and he could be in contention for rookie of the year with enough participation.

 

deanosrs - a long time dormant member who recently returned to the community in the past few years and whose screenshots show a rapid embracing of modern techniques.  He is no stranger to NE contests,  having participated in several Pro Tour prelim rounds as well as other forgotten formats like Hi-Rollers and Quest for the Best (Xtreme).  He did punch a ticket into Pro Tour 3 with a fun adventure ride entry but unfortunately we didn’t end up seeing a finished final map.  Deanosrs has clearly had potential,  dating back to the early 2000’s and his Opryland screenshot feels like he has been a part of the community without missing a beat.  I’m hopeful that his previous enthusiasm for contests is still there and he can be a solid late round contributor in his first season of H2H after all these years. Could be a good and efficient points player under the new system.

Congoy - is an intriguing newer member and rookie prospect with an exciting style and who brings strong technical skills to the table.  His introduction to NE was a high quality and unique steeplechase Design win with Raptor Run.  Congoy’s style fits somewhere between DKSO and nincso and features very clean execution,  fun worldbuilding,  unique hacks, and solid ride design.  His second Design fell narrowly short of winning the accolade but also featured some very strong NCSO realism aesthetics,  just with a somewhat understated central coaster.  Although we aren’t sure what to expect next in solo work,  Congoy signing up for H2HX bodes well for community engagement and he is likely to be a solid mid-late round NCSO pick up that will add significant hacking and interesting ride design skills to his team.

 

monsterbux - has recently brought over two maps from DKMP competition that showcase some very solid DKSO roots.  The two maps could not be more different from one another:  one featuring ancient ruins and a very tasteful Mediterranean vibe,  the other a dystopian,  neon nightmare with vaporwave aesthetics right in line with Stardust Circuit.  Many collaborators on these maps have also signed up for H2HX and could be the core of a very competitive NCSO/DKSO branch for any team that desires it.  Drafting will be tricky as at least one or two other players of this style will be required to round out the roster,  but the game knowledge and competition experience is there.  New blood with an interest in these competition formats like H2H is always fantastic to see and bodes well for the future of the broader community.

Hobeon - another player who has ported over some DKMP competitive maps to show their talents and contest experience.  He has one Design win under his belt with fellow DKSO collaborator,  Mulpje,  as well as two solo maps.  These maps seem to favor a fantasy style with large sculptures, sprawling coasters and innovative hacking to create unique environments.  Hobeon has expressed a desire to pick up CSO and could use H2H as a prime learning opportunity.  It is a smart move that can lead to fantastic results,  as we have seen from other players such as Mulpje and Jens.  With a good amount of availability,  open mindedness,  and contest experience I expect Hobeon to be a solid late round addition to a team.

 

Ge-Ride - an ambitious and artistic minded player who had a good run in the 2000’s with collaborative and competitive play,  as well as some solo releases.  He has competition experience from an early PT prelim bridge round,  Fusion Survivor maps and Micro Madness ‘07/'23.  His solo work in Igno Reme and Universal Studios New World is colorful,  psychedelic and in a style all his own.  Most recently,  Ge-Ride has been experimenting with the game in ways that closely resemble modern art projects,  restricting to using pieces only once on a map or experimenting with color,  silhouettes,  and block construction.  His main style relies on old school Pro Tour bench block construction,  which has its strengths and weaknesses.  An interesting dark horse with a potential to innovate in unique ways and surprise us all.  He could pair well on fantasy and surrealist maps and present out of the box thinking that takes standard ideas over the top.  With quality codex LL chops,  Ge-Ride makes an interesting flexible late round pick up for the points.   

Bear1 - a frequent DKSO collaborator with Mulpje,  who is good company after a successful pivot to CSO.  Bear1 has brought over three maps in the past few years and successfully achieved Design accolades on two of them.  We have seen traditional DKMP dark palette fantasy but most recently,  some intriguing NCSO realism from the duo.  Troublemaker represents strong execution of realistic macro,  coaster layouts,  and supporting ride design.  Not the most prolific player here on NE but has a good competition track record similar to a lot of peers from the DKSO community who are signing up for their first H2H.  Likely a later round NCSO pickup that can add style flexibility alongside with other DKSO players.

Ulvenwood - has a lot of experience as a DKMP competition player,  and has pivoted over to CSO and NE competition in recent years.  He embraced a throwback RCT2 block building style in H2H Classic with Cartoon Networld,  which featured multiple layers of nostalgia,  as well as Vermintide.  A combination dark-ride and spinning coaster Design win,  Pinocchio: Ride to Maturity, showed that Ulvenwood is embracing CSO in a big way and following a similar trajectory as Mulpje.  This newfound CSO development was further showcased in two strong Micro Madness ‘23 entries,  translating the traditional DKSO sculpture and large architecture motifs into a new format.  Only a rules mishap derailed Ulvenwood’s MM run as he missed out on a Semifinals replacement chance due to a tile miscount.  This combination of DKSO and CSO skills makes Ulvenwood a very strong mid-late round pickup,  with a lot of versatility and a very fun style that can add strong visual setpieces to many different styles.

LAWNCOWER - a very new face here at NE,  he has heard about H2H and wants to give it a try.  We love new blood here but a late rush of signup means that we will need to see some RCT work for the best chance at being drafted.  Has some Planet Coaster experience so it’s always good to see a coaster sandbox fan come into the fold.

TechnoKiwi91 - a relatively new member here at NE and one who has an old school,  mega park style.  It’s a very fun throwback style with some modern track pieces added to spice up ride design.  Most recent screens show some development of CSO play and a willingness to tackle realistic details like custom supports.  I see a lot of potential here but with a stacked list of potential draft picks,  we could see TechnoKiwi as a last round pick or on the replacements list.  We always like to see members who have the potential and willingness to further develop their game.

Bluetiful_Monday - a DKSO contest player who has been on NE for a little while now.  Much like other DKMP peers,  brings a lot of competition experience and game knowledge.  Has collaborated frequently with a large number of peers who have signed up so Bluetiful has taken the plunge as well.  A mid-late round pick to round out the NCSO portion of a roster.

Levels - the final DKMP player,  rookie and general player to sign up for the draft before the deadline.  Brings a unique fantasy and sculpture heavy approach to his DKSO work.  Viable late round NCSO pick.

I love these, man. On point too.

Yessss I love these so much

As always, the research you put into these is immaculate. Hell, I forgot I signed up for H2H7, so you seem to know more about me than myself

Thanks all!

 

Updated with 10 more.

Love to read it all Milo! looking forward to the rest!

Thank you,  good to have you back Levis.

 

10 more!

Nice to read all of these. I hope you get through as many as you can before the draft.

Lovely to read, Milo. I agree with mine 100%, happy to say i'm currently working on a full scale park to at the latest be released next year.

love to see these, always look forward to them

Thanks for writing this, always very fun to read.

The Microwave - in addition to cooking my pizza rolls that fuel these writeups,  The Microwave is a relatively new face on NE that sports a throwback NCSO style.

This was hilarious

Thank you,  good to have you back Levis.

 

10 more!

Thanks, it's still this itch which just doesn't go away. Still multiple times a month I suddenly get these flashes of inspiration and instantly think about how to make it in rct. So let's see how that will pan out now that I have to build in the new meta.

To bad to not see you signed up (yet), would love to be in a team together. 

Just caught up. Hyped, can't wait for the next batch.

I'm glad people are enjoying these.

 

10 more!

Yeah these are great! Always enjoy reading them and thanks for all the effort!

Thanks!

 

10 more!

so generous Milo, "having participated" is a very kind way of describing 5 failed attempts to qualify for Pro Tour 1 and a second-to-last hi-rollers finish! 

 

Appreciate the write-up!!

yayyy that's me

Awesome write-ups Milo, thank you for doing these!