pants

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• Canada

• Accolade Panelist

Definitely agree about the AI logo lol, that was a weird surprise.

Absolutely adore the park though! I love how your style has evolved, how you've managed to maintain the same scale but boost the level of detail. I keep going back to that row of facades around the water coaster in particular. Everything's so sophisticated and intricate, spacious while somehow still feeling cozy. Just masterful stuff there.

The hotel's another highlight for me. I'd say I prefer your version to the real life one. It's so bold, but the surrounding tulip fields and cottages help soften it, making it feel whimsical rather than just ridiculous.

I wasn't as in love with some of the coaster layouts. The spinning one in particular had such a bizarre layout that didn't seem to match the realism of everything else. The area around Waterwolf also felt pretty blocky compared the organic flow the rest of the park layout had. Finally, I know there had been some Discord discourse about map shapes, and I think for this park I fall on the side of wishing it was more rectangular. Looking at the overview, those slabs of tulip fields really disrupt the overall composition and draw my eye more than they should.

Other highlights for me were the entrance (especially that tulip fountain), the layout of those duelling woodies, and the level of care you put into all the kids' rides. The car and bicycle ride in particular are so thoughtfully realized. Lovely lovely.

Always a big fan, Faas!

Between the two parks you submitted, I greatly prefer this one! The scale is so sweet, and I love the idea of having mini LA on one side, and the mountains on the other. That being said, the park exterior feels quite static. The design of the city, in particular, is so vibrant in its design that the lack of movement almost makes it feel like a diorama.

Generally, I enjoy the park itself! Like everyone else, this style is just irresistibly nostalgic. It feels almost like a classic east coast, Lake Compounce-y park transplanted into a west coast setting. There are a few parts that feel a tad bare, like the diagonal path heading towards the bumper cars. I think you could have snuck another building or ride in there. Overall, this is a real charmer though!

Very fun release! I think this has the bones of a wonderful park. The macro is pretty great and some of the coaster interactions are built with clear intentionality. However, I have to agree with everyone else that it feels oddly bare in some parts and the architecture throughout is quite uninspiring. 

Some areas have strong, interesting themes (especially that steampunk-y western area), but other areas feel kind of vaguely realized (especially around The Flower Factory and Thunder Loop). I think there's a way to overtheme some areas and leave other areas pretty generic, implying a history of growth in the park, but I think it reads more like a lack of cohesion here.

That being said, I really enjoyed exploring this park and can't wait to see what you create next!

Nice one, AJ! Some great composition here. Similar to Lurker, you're great at working within a personally well-established theme and iterating on it.

The coaster queue that moves through the fields is such a lovely idea, though I wish the landscaping (especially those bushes) wasn't quite so uniform. I also love how you've integrated the glass station roof with the castle theme. It's that subtle subversion you're so good at, that plays on the inherent absurdity of RCT. If roller coasters can be moving through a medieval landscape, then why not have a glass roof, eh?

I would like to see what you could do with a more polished presentation. The jokey ride and Drag Race-queen staff names feel kinda expected from you at this point, and leave me thinking "well that's AJ" when they could have been a great chance to add texture to the map's story. Your queer perspective is so distinct, and comes through in all your work, I'd be interested to see how you channel that beyond just easy references.

Big fan of this entry, Lurker! I'm such a sucker for your style, and this map feels like a real elevation.

Though the scale of your work is pretty tight, the detailing feels perfectly calibrated, giving it a diorama feel rather than an overstuffed-RCT feel. The difference between what's within the fortress walls and what's outside is so distinct. The land outside gives such a nice (and well observed!) border to the map.

The colours are so tastefully chosen and the landscape is so subtly complex. In particular, the reds and greens in the town square really add character and help break up the uniformity of style.

I still can't believe how you're able to pump these submissions out with such consistency. A part of me longs to see how you could apply your technique to the new meta, but for now, your style has really cast a spell on me.