FK+Coastermind

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inb4 voting is closed (like last round)

Race To The Moon -  Love the idea, tons of great ideas and always fun to see how NCSO objects can serve a unique theme. Ride design and macro felt a bit cramped in places. Main structure was my favorite part, love the construction and imposing size.

The Cosmodrome - This park felt oddly sparse considering you had a lot of great ideas and fun bits to explore. I particularly like the exploded building and the spiral coaster. It feels like you have the ideas and just need to focus on execution and finer details that will really sell everything and bring it all together.

Secrets in the Snow - I really love the textures in this park. The combination of less conventional (and yet very AJ) scenery choices and some great crunch treatments made this feel rough and tactile like an old quilt, that I think really played in to the content. I particularly loved how to did the edges of the map to make it feel like a lit up glade in a dense forest, very cool. Vostok was probably my favorite coaster of the round, with some really fun elements given a more limited (and also very AJ) coaster type. That being said, the other two coasters didn't feel necessary and the invert in particular cramped that side of the Vostok. That being said, this has a unique point of view and some smart tricks that I've come to associate with your work. 

Moonrace Alpha - The concept is very interesting; you always bring something entirely unexpected to the table. I'm not sure the interactive element really worked for me, but I always love trying to engage viewers in a different way. I don't know that I would call this a launched coaster, or at least it's launched more as a pun than in operation. The construction and execution is a bit too abstract for me, though I like the bold color choices. I'd love to see you take more time with how you package your ideas so that viewers can better engage with them.

McCarthy Air Force Base - I can't tell if this park is unfinished or just felt like it, which I guess leaves me in the same place? Some of it felt absolutely top tier; great macro with a lot of smart choices to disrupt the grid, some interesting and well organized architecture, and micro details that really sell a mid-century aesthetic. The way you tackled the map edges and underground sections made it a little hard to follow though, even though the industrial details are great. I'm also not sure the ground texture is developed enough; it seems a bit flat in places and could have used another layer of dirt and grime to give it more depth. I think the coaster needed a more clear 'launch' to it as well. I think this is just a bit of polish away from the top tier of this round.

The Men Who Stare at Oats - I liked the idea based on your writeup, but this felt more like a theme park with a light 'America' theme. I really liked the base in the middle with the helipad and some of the more interesting object choices made throughout. In some places the details were great and really sold the setting, but elsewhere the execution felt a bit lacking. I'd love to see you take on a less 'theme park' format for the next round, but I kinda also like that your entries feel connected in that way.

Rumble in the Red Rocks - This had my favorite landscaping in the round, though I think some of the pink rock forms forms could use a bit more variety to them. This theme felt a little expected given we've seen similar vibes in the last H2H. I really liked the macro, juxtaposing the small rural roadside against the industrial base. It would have been cool if there was a cutaway trick or removable roof or something, as I love how the outside portions of the coaster feel like an old janky corkscrew but the inside has these intense huge loops and launches. It would have been cool to have part hidden like a reveal, but I'm getting a bit wild. Love the motel, it's so hideous and quirky, something I always love seeing. If you told me there was a Josh park hidden in this round, this would be my guess. It has the execution mixed with fun details that feels very action park coded.

Disney's Kennedy Space Center - There isn't much to be said about the macro, execution, and theming, which is all near flawless in a way that feels unattainable to many of us. My biggest knock is that this doesn't really feel 'space race' enough as opposed to retro-futurism focused, and to have one of the objectives be a barely visible coaster with an un-themed interior feels like a misstep in the contest's format. This is undoubtedly the highest execution of the round and the kind of park I will come back to again and again for inspiration, but in some ways it feels like a concept you've wanted to build and this round was an excuse. That being said, it's hard to deny the quality of this kind of work. It really is a sight to behold.

Congrats all around; some really fun entries and a great spread.

Late to voting, didn't get the time, but congrats to Fred & Deano and everyone for a fun first round of entries.

Ancient Light - This theme really lends itself well to some classic Lurker goodness. Love the overall vibes and some of the smaller details/structures.

Indoor Egypt - A fun take on the theme/requirements. Had a good balance of classic rides with some modern flare and those good Aj vibes. Some of the execution felt below your high standard, but overall tons of fun details to explore.

Ptolemy - Easily the most full map with a high level of execution and a ton of really great ideas. That really sells this for me, all the little scenes do a great job of living in the time period and exploring different aspects of the ancient world thru rct. I did find some of the color/texture combos a little harsh and in places the archy was a little blocky, but I think the overall amount of content and composition really make this a top entry. Also some killer details like the roof treatments and the nod to all the wonders. Congrats on the win!

The Construction of Giza - Probably the best execution of this round IMO, especially the use of textures to create a really gorgeous landscape. The details are really top notch, if a bit repetitive. I think overall it suffered in comparison to the amount of variety that Ptolemy had. I also wasn't sold on the diagonal pyramid and some of the construction details, but that's kinda silly. The peep scenes and sand affects were a great touch.

Pyramids - Really run design and I thought the foliage was really superb in places. Execution wasn't as stellar as some others, but there were definitely some spots that felt well composed. In some places it felt a little too far from the base theme. The pyramid in particular felt a little too cartoony and could have used some more details as a set piece.

Seven Wonders Selection - I think where this excelled was the composition and small details within each area, the foliage, and the textures. Overall, it lacks some of the excitement of the others and obviously undercooked in some places, but I liked the small versions of the wonders. The cliffs are...unfortunate, heh.

The Ancient World - I like the colors you used, which i think capture the vibe of Egypt well. The structures were well composed, but pretty blocky and the overall textures (like the path) didn't look great. I think bringing things closer together or filling with more details will help it feel less sparse.

Congrats on the release JK. A huge achievement to complete something this big (yet again). I think it's a great example of how you've embraced modern rct aesthetics without forgetting the old-school foundation that shaped you. Undoubtedly a spotlight in my eyes; I'll leave the score to the panel. 

Love the bold color choices. In some places the blue with a wealth of tan is a bit iffy, but I think when you add the green and other shades from the landscaping it really comes together. 

Landscaping and that truck really steal the show. Crunch is stellar as always and love the bold saturated colors. There are some lingering linear elements from different pieces used in the crunch that would help to smooth out, but very minor.