So after a tumultuous and dramatic voting period, the results are in...and so are mine. I always like to give the contestants my full review regardless of what happens because I think it makes us all better to get opinions from peers and reflect on what we could have done better. So without further ado:
Colossus:
F7, such a simple name for such a behemoth. As wing coasters have become a new fairly new fad among RCT3 users, I was really looking for something unique that would set yours apart from the others...and for the most part, you delivered that brilliantly. I'll start primarily with the things I liked. The progression of the first 5 inversions was great. The coaster flowed so nicely and transitions were seamless. It was refreshing to see the zero-G so late (although I suppose the layout was similar to the beginning of Medusa) and in such grand fashion. Let me pause here to focus on the zero-G roll. While drawing from Gatekeeper, I thought the execution of this element was so breathtaking that everything else was just the whipped cream on top of my delicious F7 sundae. Your supporting is unique (even when compared to Gatekeeper) and the simplicity allows me to focus on the shear power that this centerpiece offers up. I also really like the elevation changes (as in going above and below "sea level") with your first few inversions. You had a good mix of in-game and CSO content which showcases your ability to integrate them both seamlessly into your design. Ride interaction with the queue is fantastic and is a great show of your attention to detail even under extreme time restrictions. Now I must regrettably move to the things I find not so appealing about your submission. As has been mentioned before, your last section of the ride (the subterranean segment) just killed the pace of the ride. What I want to mention before I get too deep into it is that I think this would have worked nicely at the start of the ride as I actually really like the speed of the elements and overall feel. But due to its placement, this section felt
extremely forced. I couldn't enjoy it because everything that had built up to it was so epic that this just cut short my adrenaline rush. To continue with the sundae analogy, I was expecting a cherry on top but I got an old shoe
Also, your color scheme was pretty uninspiring in my opinion. I would rather you had taken a chance and gone for something insane than just white, too sterile in my opinion. And finally, not a big thing, but I saw multiple points of significant clipping (for example that last bit of the right side POV that you cut off [yes, I noticed]), but that is really a moot point for me.
nealbie:
Right off the bat, your entry was massive! It was the perfect first impression to get my attention. Fit the theme and put me right into the world of your coaster. LOTR is known for being epic, and the setting for Durin's Bane is by all means of epic proportion. Your texturing was pretty nice for the most part especially in the mountains. Really, the surrounding mountains may be my favorite part of your entry...just put everything into great perspective and made me feel so insignificant. The second "act" of the ride was very action-packed and offered so much in a relatively small portion of the coaster. I particularly liked the loop and I'm not totally sure why but I think it had to do with the fact that I just didn't expect it. And the mist/steam/smoke (who knew what it was, but the mystery made it all the better) made me so unsure of what was to come...really raised my suspense pretty much throughout the ride. Alright, now for the not so good. Your presentation skills definitely need some work. First hint, if you didn't make a complete park/themed area, don't show the incomplete part. Seeing a path just leading nowhere is not attractive and pulls me right out of the story you worked so hard to get me invested in. And the rocks...this was the most off-putting part of your ride. From an exterior point of view, the rocks were just atrocious. Too much of the same thing and it just made the mountain/cave unrealistic in so many senses. Recently I have been working on varying my rockery and I think it looks much better when executed correctly. When the fog obscured my vision, the scenery looked great but when I could actually see all those rocks...ugh! Also, quick thing since it has already been mentioned, the station could use more effort (although I do like those steps you used). At times your coaster seemed like a cheesy Asian coaster: excessive catwalks, too many helices, and more chain lifts than any of us care to be a part of. It was like you were giving us the LOTR trilogy in three lift-drop segments, with the first one being by far the weakest. I felt there was virtually no point to it as the elements were nothing particularly unique. In fact, the second act was pretty much all I cared about. If the coaster had been shortened to just that, I would have liked it much more. Like the movies, this ride droned on for far too long in my opinion (no hate intended toward the LOTR trilogy).
So my vote went to Colossus. Much better layout and pacing (even with the ending). The centerpiece was so great I just can't explain haha...truly overwhelming. And as always, awesome presentation which always gives you brownie points in my book. Reminds me I really need to get around to writing that tutorial on presentation skills (maybe after the final?).
That said, congrats to nealbie and I look forward to taking you on in the final!
