Park / A Day at the Races

Select your favourite park.

  1. Esoterra by the Scream Queens 25 votes [38.46%]
    • PizzaWurscht
    • nin
    • Steve
    • pants
    • AJ-
    • Dr_Dude
    • Nokia
    • frigginbrownie
    • hoobaroo
    • Cocoa
    • SSSammy
    • inthemanual
    • In:Cities
    • chorkiel
    • Maverix
    • Louis!
    • A n d r e w
    • Faas
    • Hepta
    • Mulder
    • Xtreme97
    • Wulfke
    • Astroturd
    • Milo
    • AvanineCommuter
    Percentage of vote: 38.46%
  2. A Day at the Races by the Cereal Killers 40 votes [61.54%]
    • Version1
    • Scoop
    • Six Frags
    • Emiel
    • Mr.Brightside711
    • Iretont
    • Kumba
    • wheres_walto
    • kenos
    • MorganFan
    • Gustav Goblin
    • ottersalad
    • FredD
    • Goliath123
    • René
    • SupraSix
    • Lowenaldo
    • Suormot
    • Magnus
    • CedarPoint6
    • Pacificoaster
    • olddtfan51
    • RobDedede
    • posix
    • barnNID
    • Chrixz
    • Lurker
    • Shen Kitchen
    • MK98
    • Paeve
    • Fisch
    • Psi
    • Zarathustra
    • MCI
    • geewhzz
    • SensualEthiopianPolice
    • Turtle
    • bigshootergill
    • Tolsimir
    • RaunchyRussell
    Percentage of vote: 61.54%

58 Comments

This park shares comments with 1 other park(View Park)
  • Lilith%s's Photo

     

    where? I don't see a review yet. 

     

    so whats the scoop 

  • Scoop%s's Photo


     

    so whats the scoop 

    I'll get there. I'm trying to go in order. I still have one more to do in round 1 and then I'll move to round 2. 
  • FredD%s's Photo

    I'm really happy for my boy Geoff! Bold moves from SQ but it didn't pay off. Better next time.

  • Turtle%s's Photo

    Great matchup guys, I think the right team won, although as I said I was 100% sure I would vote on the other park before spending a bit more time in them. 

     

    Esoterra was really close to being an incredible park. I LOVE the idea behind it, I don't think i've ever seen a good tarot park and it's a great H2H concept. For me, there was just too much missing. Most of the tarot "scenes" you made didn't get the idea across well enough, and I wasn't sure what I was looking at half the time. The card graphics that accompanied the park were a nice tough, but as someone else mentioned they were so pixelated that I had the same issue - not sure what i'm looking at. I think it would have been better to have actual tarot cards, and have people try and find them all in the park.

     

    There are parts that I really like, and some design choices that I love. The black stacks of land are awesome, very imposing. The chariot ride is a great idea. The arches on the bridge is my favorite little section. The biggest thing that really bugs me is the sediment layers in the land. It's a strong choice, and a good idea, but with so much else going on it just makes the whole place look SO busy and hard to look at. In a different setting, say a huge canyon woodie where the landscaping takes center stage, this land effect could have been amazing. 

     

     

    Conversely, I didn't think i'd like Day at the Races that much on first glance. It looks a little more basic than other parks we've seen so far, in terms of landscaping, ride design and theming. But it was so fun to be in! A really great park layout with a large river, pretty awesome grandstand and a cool air race going on. I kept finding little touches that really cohesively brought the theme together. I didn't love a lot of the sculptures, again they were a little basic compared to what we've seen, but appreciated how many there were. The coaster was charming without taking away from the focus of the map which was the air race, and rightly so. Overall, just a really fun park, that perhaps got a little lucky not going up against one of the other parks we've seen so far. 

  • Camcorder22%s's Photo

    nice

  • Lilith%s's Photo

    nice

  • In:Cities%s's Photo
    baby
  • Maxwell%s's Photo

    Finally adding my thoughts here as well. Comments below!

     

     

    H2H9 Park Reviews

     

    A Day at the Races

     

    The overall coloring is so much fun. Love the pastels and boardwalk architecture all round!

     

    Aeroplane coaster is one of my favorites of the round! It gives off strong Thunderbolt vibes too

     

    The seemingly endless docks/boardwalks with the festoon lighting adds a ton of atmosphere

     

    Really enjoy all the naming and variety in the planes!

     

    The Stunt Plane acrobatics are wild and fun to watch

     

    Racing team planes has to be the most dynamic competitor inclusion I’ve seen. Really adds to the overall theme and buzzing atmosphere!

     

    +1 for Air Show for synchronized maneuvering and colored trails, such a clever idea

     

    Grandstand architecture and surrounding cliff side garden areas are nicely done

     

    The small details really sold me on this one like the Press stand

     

    Notable are the racing pylons and pockets of grandstands, the artist and their easel next to Bisby’s Spiral Airship, and the blue cake at the private garden party/viewing area!

     

    Notable plane details are the Icons crash, plane unboxing, and the wing walker!

     

    +10 for Bayview and Bisby’s Spiral Airship, both executed very well

     

     

    Esoterra

     

    First off, love the huge rings of black rock and the overall landscaping!

     

    All the waterfalls bring a great sense of tranquility

     

    Also love the use of plain grass for walkways. Really embodies that natural feel

     

    Sediment layering works well in certain areas, and sort of loses me in others

     

    I appreciate the Tarot Deck organization on the Rides tab!

     

    Having each card have a little vignette area makes the map fun to explore

     

    Favorite attractions/areas include Hermit, Hierophant, World, The Chariot, and Hanged One

     

    The fact that The Chariot takes you through Last Judgment and Death is a really neat touch

     

    Really enjoy the architecture for the splash down and the Hierophant bridge!

     

    +10 for The Stool

     

    +1 for Pat Sajak

     

     

    Vote for R2M3 – A Day at the Races

     

     

    The decision was supported by the inclusion of a multitude of dynamic components that upheld and carried the respective themes. Not to take anything away from Esoterra, but A Day at the Races seemed to have that much more which ultimately brought the map to life in my eyes.

     

    Proud of all the work and accomplishments thus far! You all are killing it.

     

    Here's to R3!

  • Liampie%s's Photo

    It's nice to hear everyone's reviews. I didn't build on this park, but I was quite involved with shaping the park conceptually, and I gave a ton of feedback. It also feels like my park a bit! I think most of the criticisms are quite fair. It's not the most boundary pushing park we've seen, and maybe it's not as refined as Nippon or Acqua Alta, but we made sure to make it easily digestible, yet rich in fun and content. I don't think there's anything wrong with a most traditional RCT park. I'm really glad people recognized that and gave us their votes.

     

    Hope to review Esoterra at some point. It's a daring park with an intriguing theme. Losing the match doesn't mean the park failed, however. There's plenty to appreciate.

     

     

    Here's the graph for this match:

     

    Attached Image: Schermafbeelding 2021-05-21 om 20.16.19.png

     

    I was a bit sad and mildly nervous when we started losing the wide vote margin we had during the first 40 votes or so. 85% is quite different than 60%, but we'll take it all the same. ;)

  • FredD%s's Photo


    I don't think there's anything wrong with a most traditional RCT park. I'm really glad people recognized that and gave us their votes.

     

     

    I'm still glad we can have that and that it can win. Sometimes I feel H2H is too much about innovating & doing special stuff, and too less just building nice atmospheric parks. Day at the Races was awesome.

  • Lilith%s's Photo
    i want to talk a little bit about the concept for Esoterra since many people didnt understand the theme and wanted more context included with the readme or using named staff. we used the rides list to label the features of the 4 themed areas, but it seems not everyone noticed this. still, it was exciting to see people researching the meanings and offering their own interpretations without any knowledge of tarot cards
     
     
     
    Attached Image: deck.png
     
     
     
    very unfortunate that people also missed the thematic named shops and stalls and most importantly shitters courtesy of aki
     
     
     
    Attached Image: shop.png
     
    Attached Image: toilet.png
     
     
     
    on to the themes shown in the rides list. each of the 4 themed areas represents an element, its corresponding minor arcana suit in the deck, and which part of yourself if relates to. the features in each area represent the 22 major arcana cards which are grouped with their corresponding elements and range from functional rides to buried closed rides to make a structure clickable. some of the features are also more clear than others, some were kind of last minute and arent as thought out as the main features
     
     
     
    O The Fool - Swords, Air, Mental
     
    the roller coaster represents naivety, wandering, beauty, and appreciation of nature by taking you across most of the areas while weaving through the landscape and other features
     
    I The Magician - Swords, Air, Mental
     
    the little dude at the center of the monolith rings represents truth, the elements, manifesting, and shaping your reality, which may suggest that he created the monument built into the landscape, or created this world itself
     
    II The High Priestess - Cups, Water, Emotional
     
    the entrance to the cave represents inner knowledge, intuition, patience, and the wisdom to take the lift instead of the stairs
     
    III The Empress - Discs/Pentacles, Earth, Physical
     
    the cozy cottage represents love, nurturing, and maternal energy
     
    IV The Emperor - Wands, Fire, Spiritual
     
    the emperors throne represents authority, leadership and paternal energy
     
    V Hierophant - Discs/Pentacles, Earth, Physical
     
    the entrance arches represent tradition, ritual, and structure, and is one of the only theme park structures in esoterra
     
    VI Lovers - Swords, Air, Mental
     
    the two swans together in the pond represent love, devotion, bonding, and harmony
     
    VII Chariot - Cups, Water, Emotional
     
    the chariot ride represents willpower, direction, and control as it takes you on a journey to self transformation which visits Hanged One, Judgement, and Death
     
    VIII Justice - Swords, Air, Mental
     
    the rotting trunk hosting colorful fungus represents natural law and equilibrium
     
    IX Hermit - Discs/Pentacles, Earth, Physical
     
    the secluded swamp represents stillness, meditation, and guidance
     
    X Wheel of Fortune - Wands, Fire, Spiritual
     
    the himalaya ride represents cyclical change, astrological influence, and fate
     
    XI Strength - Wands, Fire, Spiritual
     
    the ruined windmill represents discipline, conviction, and the courage to just roll with it after you realize the thing was built in the wrong area
     
    XII Hanged One - Cups, Water, Emotional
     
    the enlightened peep suspending themself from the tree represents freedom, imagination, and the submission of the ego to the heart. visited at the beginning of the Chariots journey
     
    XIII Death - Cups, Water, Emotional
     
    the flooded mausoleum represents grief and letting go, accepting change, transformation, and the death of the ego. visited at the end of the Chariots journey
     
    XIV Temperance - Wands, Fire, Spiritual
     
    the Fools loop and support structures represent balance, poise, and centered self, and its positioning on top of the water represents unity of fire and water. this was a last minute addition when we realized temperance wasnt on the map, which i think was perfectly fitting
     
    XV Devil - Discs/Pentacles, Earth, Physical
     
    the twisted horn sculptures represent ego and ambition, and the Devils Food stall represents physical attachment and temptation
     
    XVI Tower - Wands, Fire, Spiritual
     
    the tower and drop ride represent collapse, chaos, and sudden change
     
    XVII Star - Swords, Air, Mental
     
    the spring bath and fountains flowing into the Lovers pond represent origin, belonging, connection, and healing
     
    XVIII Moon - Cups, Water, Emotional
     
    the labyrinth through the cave represents night, the subconscious, and light guiding you through the dark 
     
    XIX Sun - Wands, Fire, Spiritual
     
    the hot spring represents warmth, renewal, gratitude, and understanding. it also represents the outcome of the moon journey
     
    XX Judgement - Cups, Water, Emotional
     
    the winding aqueduct and splash drop represents growth, compassion, self forgiveness, self acceptance, and opening the heart to allow energy to flow freely. visited in the middle of the Chariots journey
     
    XXI World - Discs/Pentacles, Earth, Physical
     
    the giant tree, and its roots that twist around the Fool and creep across the Hierophant bridge, represent nature, beauty, harmony, wholeness, and truth
     
     
    and finally heres the dotmap from 2 angles since the areas are obscured from the back
     
    Attached Image: esoterra-dotmap.png
  • In:Cities%s's Photo
    This park is still in my top for this season. Thank you for the writeup - I really love it.
  • Cocoa%s's Photo

    thanks for the writeup, I love how detailed the ideas were and how much love you guys put into it. I agree, I also probably love this park more than average- maybe I'm an SQ stan. You guys are killing it from an artistic standpoint.

     

    I hadn't noticed the organized rides list but thats a neat idea

  • hoobaroo%s's Photo

    Great write up. Esoterra captured something very artistic with its subdued symbols and storytelling.  The deeper that I looked, the more I was fascinated by this approach and with the care put into the park. We haven't seen anything quite like it this H2H besides your newest park, and I am really happy to see work like this being created. 

  • Maverix%s's Photo
    https://youtu.be/TTApJfx8La4


    Check out my video review of the parks!
  • CedarPoint6%s's Photo

    Here's a video review of both parks.  Esoterra continues to grow on me-- great landscape.

     

    https://youtu.be/kOMbFXAb86c

  • Scoop%s's Photo

     I Just looked at the comments section of Esoterra and I am truly sorry.  Hindsight is definitely 20/20 . Even if if my opinion of the park is what it is, that doesn't justify the way I acted.  Reading back on them, I didn't realize how much of an asshole I sounded like. I can probably look through a lot of the scream queens parks and say the same. So I'm sorry to the lot of the team.

  • In:Cities%s's Photo

    the world is healing

     

     

     

    esoterra is still one of my favorite parks in recent years. gg queens

  • Cocoa%s's Photo

    have we decided we actually all liked esoterra now? good good