Park / Secrets in the Snow
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01-December 25
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Description
An old lab and factory are getting renovated- All that innovation turned from the space race to makin your heart race. Hidden in the valley, shrouded in the snow, will you survive what might be hiding in the woods?
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McCarthy Air Force Base
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[REDACTED] - Rumble in the Red Rocks
![park_6235 [REDACTED] - Rumble in the Red Rocks](https://www.nedesigns.com/uploads/parks/6235/aerialt6474.png)
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Disney's Kennedy Space Center
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MorganFan 2 minutes ago
Logo by J K
1950-1969
Your park must be set between the years 1950 and 1969, or themed to that era.
Your park must feature a launched roller coaster.
Your park must include a reference to the Space Race or Cold War, between the USA and USSR.
Before voting, please ensure you have viewed all entries below. The first question asks you to evaluate which park or parks have met the above Objectives the best. The second question asks you to choose the park or parks with the highest Quality. You may vote for multiple parks in each question. The poll will be closed in approximately 72 hours, after which the total vote for each park will calculated and the park with the highest number of votes will be declared the winner of the round, granting its creator(s) entry to the Grand Final.
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.
Sheesh these are some lovely entries, great job folks
Hard to vote on this one as Disney's quality is in a league of it's own, but attention to the brief (a very GT/TTA thing) isn't as compelling as McCarthy and Rumble at Red Rocks, mostly down to the coaster for me and the lack of treatment of it indoors.
I will break each entry down individually very soon. Wow to Disney from a quality perspective, wow to red rocks and McCarthy for delivering the brief and then some.
Wow the quality of this round is fantastic! Great work to all the builders! Some small reviews:
AJ:
Really enjoyed it a lot, lovely coasters and all so well intertwined! Music slaps and adds a lot to the vibe, youre always on point with that. Really fantastic map!
Ge-Ride:
Very interesting map, i dig the vibe, but overall this minimalistic and abstract style is not for me. The idea to play with the chainlift speeds to simulate the space race was dope, but maybe couldve been done a bit better.
GigaG:
Nice to see an entry from you. That rocket improved a lot from earlier iterations, really cool to see it develop on discord and now the final product. Launched coaster is cool, feels like a mix of both versions of dodonpa. Overall the park could use a bit more polish; i like the texture and foliage you got going in that one corner, maybe you couldve brought that into the park in spots to break up that sand texture a bit.
Deano and hypno:
Sick team that led to a sick entry! I love the style here and the overall quality feels very high. The underground parts were done nicely, but sometimes a bit hard to read for me in contrast with the surface. I also felt like the entry was trying to tell more of a story than it actually did; i was searching for a lot more peep scenes or clickables here - not a big complaint though. Love the coaster and how it launches upwards out of one of the rocket thingamabobs.
In_error:
Great to see you join an NE contets in_error! This map is large and really packed with nice content, the rides are creative and well integrated. Maybe its a little too packed, as i would prefer a touch more breathing room overall. Some stuff also feels a bit boxy. Highlights are definitely the rockets and rocket-adjacent infrastructure, those look fantastic. Also great object usage as always, i especially love the cogwheels with the aboriginal pieces. Definitely stealing those!
MorganFan and Mamarillas:
This is a personal favorite of mine. Love the atmosphere and the contrast between the wide rocky mountains and open landscapes to the hectic inside faculty. The coaster and flume are a strong 1-2-punch, Great interatcion and both flow super well with how they dip in and out of the rocks/walls. Only complaint would be that the pink rocks are a little too light and bright; personally would probably darken the entire rocks by 1 shade.
Narc and RWE:
This park goes the route of themed area in an amsument park and does so really well. Coasters are super solid, although Railgun Rocket's pacing feels like it could be a bit higher. Buildings and theming are nice. Foliage is done very well, but i personally would like a bit more diversity in ground textures. Great park overall!
Xtreme and the other guy:
Absolutely insane map. How you 2 were able to build this in merely a month is beyond me. Building quality, pathing, foliage and detailing are all at the highest level. The grid doesnt exist and its even using vehicles for some of the curved shapes which is neat to see. I must say though, with how perfect the park otherwise is, the music is a mismatch to me and i think its a missed opportunity hiding almost the entire coaster without any cutouts.
Secrets in the snow
Interesting choice of objects, thought it was the infamous disaster bench. This whole park screams like you've had fun with it. VostokApult is great, love the little trickeries you did with it: the spiral lift hill, the launch and brakes next to eachother and then that triple launch (which is fun to see with a spike at the end... will the train stop in time...). At first I didn't really like the music, but now it's stuck in my head. Really catchy.
The Povtsk building is great, for me the best building on the map. The way you did the edges with the void-black foliage is wonderfull, such a great idea. Though I think the person making the park map image will have cursed haha. The biggest minus on this entry for me is the lack of space stuff. As a space geek I just wished there was more vast space stuff in here, like rockets or a launch pad. I did miss that over here as this more feels like a Soviet plant and the objects there seem more placed like an afterthought.
Moonrace Alpha
I'm afraid this style of rct isn't my cup of tea. I do think actual racing coasters portraying the race to the moon and have grandstands for the people following it is great. Neat idea! Missed opportunity to not let the coasters launch from the start...
The Cosmodrome
Cool to see the Russian launchpad executed here. The rocket is kinda fat and wouldn't work but if someone would try to make a fat rocket, it would be Roscosmos. I like how the coaster serves as a backdrop for the rocket and goes under the pad. After that, I think the lay-out kinda goes like 'what now', I think that part could've done better.
Architecture is a bit basic. But nonetheless a fun map to explore. Fun rides and some cool details like the rocket mover and the crash site.The Jumbo Jet coaster is done very well.
McCarthy Air Force Base
Oh so much to love here! The underground rockets(shafts), the Gemini and Orbiter funfair rides, diagonal dodgem cars...
The architecture is ace, really blasting the viewer back to the '50-'60ies. The underground parts are so cool. The coaster is great, to me it's the best coaster of this round. Smooth flowing layout with some cool elements. Really great entry, loved to see it.
Race to the moon
Kudos of making the biggest building in the world actually looking big in-game. Also kudos for making those rockets look so good with NCSO! I loved to see SLS out there too but kinda bit not fitting the right area
A lot of fun rides but the coasters weren't especially memorable sadly. G Force was the most interesting one but had some awkward parts. The giant boomerang didn't really add anything since most of it is built out of sight. The Worm was an interesting choice but also here I think there was more to get out of.
REDACTED Rumble in the red rocks
Best landscaping this round and the crunch is also on point. Love to see an entry based on Roswell. The underground base is great, love how there's different height levels you guys worked with and the coaster and flume going over/through it making some great interaction.
The best custom music of this round for me, really setting the scene and atmosphere. That 50'ies architecture is also great, that threesome of the motel, diner and gas station is so great! Lovely map, a lot of details to see. Def a contender for the win if you ask me!
The men who stare at Oats
Fun backstory, overall I think it needed an extra level of detailing but in general a solid entry. The coasters are ok, Railgun a bit too slow. Really like the old free fall, really fits this map. The crop circle being made was a cool detail.
The rocket was comically too small, could easily made that 2 or even 3 times higher and it would've not only looked more realistic but also more imposing which is what this map could use. Overall a fun little park.
Disney's Kennedy Space Center
Damn it guys... this kind of park is exactly what I one day wanted to do! The half diag entrance feels like a flex but I have to admit it works really well. This whole map feels like it's built off grid. Love all the roundness in here, in the paths and in buildings.
There is so much to love here... The sick NASA globe sign, the rocket garden, rocket jets ride, hidden Mickeys, the cool rockets and the genius way you made them describable... Really too much to sum up. You 2 are rct power couple and this park is just another proof of that.
If I have to nitpick: I didn't like the music and I wish there was cut-out in the building so we could see the coaster (but given this is a contest park I get why not). Minor nitpicks because this park is amazing, probably the best one of TTA all rounds so far.
't Was a fun round with a great theme that delivered some cool maps. Very hard choice, I couldn't chose for just one here.
Secrets in the Snow - I really love the dark trees as an outline. The main ride is great, I really like that you did something unique instead of just another Intamin/Mack launched coaster. Spotless interaction between rides and architecture.
Moonrace Alpha - It sure is a space race. Not sure what more to say.
The Cosmodrome - I actually really like this one. The sparseness of the design, the distinct areas (the exploded building, the rocket, the bomb lab) and the realistic rides (especially the Spiral coaster, nice supports!). RCT2 is an inherently beautiful game and this park shows that you don't have to delve deep into half diagonals to show that. Not so sure about the camels and the parabolic dish however lmao
McCarthy Air Force Base - My favourite part here is the underground complex. Really well made. The implicit storytelling with the hidden missiles, the way the rollercoaster connects it to the surface, the transfer track elevator! Stellar stuff. The KGB tunneling towards the base is a fun detail.
Race to the Moon - Damn, this thing is massive! The architecture and the rocket sculptures are simply great. The ride layouts on the other hand feel quite basic and could use a little more work, same for the foliage.
Rumble in the Red Rocks - Tasteful use of half diagonals and amazing attention to detail. The UFO, the speeding rebel, the soviets, great execution! I really enjoyed how the main ride interacted with the rock wall.
The Men Who Stare at Oats - A charming and fun build with an obvious and well executed storyline, this Narc character is a genious! Everyone should vote for this one, twice! Ehrm...
Disney's Kennedy Space Center - Contemporary RCT at its best. Simply stunning. Heaping more (well deserved) praise on this submission feels pointless so I'll bring up the one thing I did not like. In a park where everything looks polished to a ridiculous degree the main rollercoaster is hidden away in a big box in the corner and if you remove the roof to check it out it's just ordinary RCT which honestly feels a tad unfinished. The Peoplemover is a superiour ride.
Pretty much my literal first thoughts:
Race to the moon:
That's big fucking building. It looks pretty great. Not as great as the rockets. Pretty good object uses all over. It's a shame that the building blocks a lot on the map.
Cosmodrome:
Hey, I remember this from discord! You made a lot of good improvements since I last saw pictures. Also filled the map up nicely.
Moon Race Alpha:
A literal space race, that's funny! I made NATO crash. How unfortunate. A bit sooner than expected.
NASA Fair:
Looks a lot of fun! Very effective propaganda!
Disney x Kennedy:
Jesus Christ, Steve and Xtreme! You didn't need to go this hard for a prelim. But thanks for doing so. Fantastic stuff.
The Men who Stare at Oats:
Really enjoyed the ride design. Fun ideas to fit the theme. Particularly liked the dive around the rocket on Railgun Rocket.
[redacted]:
This was probably my favorite launched coaster and possibly theme. Particularly liked the way the coaster interacted with the outside.
Secrets in the snow:
A kiddie launched coaster how cuteee… what the fuck is going on in the snow!
Been meaning to write more reviews on this site, especially with a fresh new contest happening. I got time to do it today since I’m feeling a little sick for work. Either way, good job everyone! Nice to see all these maps with such a fun theme.
AJ: First of all, Vostok-apult is definitely my favorite roller coaster of this round. I love the combination of the spiral lift and the launch system, as well as the winding layout. The invert also has some fun moments, like the golden loops. The other tracked rides are cute, if not a little quaint. It’s a nice park, very Phantasialand-esque. Beyond the main coaster, the other draw would be the textures at play. Seems like some of the typical parkmaking details, like path amenities or what not, are a little lacking, but the stylized choice in textures offer something different, too. I like seeing builders embrace the WW/TT objects, even if they’re not typically preferred in the NE community.
Ge-Ride: I do wanna say that I don’t want to immediately dismiss this park as quickly as some others might. There is a unique style in this entry that I think is worth highlighting, if not an unconventional one. I think if one was to view this as a more discrete piece of video art, then it’s somewhat interesting with the development of textures at play. As an entry to this contest, it’s a bit too austere, including the game. I do like the cross spaceship, and the moon also has some interesting textures. But that’s kinda it from me.
GigaG: Cool choice to build your entry off the launch pads in Kazakhstan! Now that I think about, I don’t think NE has too many maps based around USSR adjacent countries, beyond maybe the obvious Motherland or so. Either way, I feel a dichotomy with this map. On one hand, a lot of the buildings, foliage, and general scenery are a pretty simple in their details and structure. On the other, I enjoy the approach to parkmaking that’s here. I like the content of the Soviet block area, the varying structures in the park, the burnt building, the themeing choices for the Sputnik ride (I like the idea of your on-ride picture being taken under a rocket), and even the camels. Some good ideas in the park, just maybe needed a little more details/meat to make it shine.
hypnopompia and deanosrs: Hold on, I need to orient myself to the geography of this map. Oh wait, ah, now I get it. Alright, interesting. Anyway, good fair! It’s small but the rides look nice. The diagonal Cliffhanger type ride is quite neat, and I like the awning-less pavilion tables. Really nailed the Googie architecture, too. My favorite building is the car wash, but I suppose the old Mickey D’s gets runner up. The coaster is also pretty cool, like with the elevator transfer track. Too bad that it’s mainly...by itself for most of the layout. Probably the weakest area for me was the “proper” military base. I know these types of military bases need a lot of space, and these maps can only be so large, but it’s just too bad that we only get a little bit. Maybe another building would’ve helped. I think I like the rocket tower more than the rockets themselves! Overall, it is a nice entry. Definitely a fun duo, wouldn’t be surprised to see y’all work again.
InError: Hello!!! Big building alert!! Or rather, big rocket alert, because look at them all. And they’re great! The subtle differences between their textures are cool to explore, some real nice tricks with them. Good stuff too with the Nasa assembly details, like the American flag. I liked the Compressed Air-launched coaster the most, especially seeing one with multiple hills. Most of the other rides were alright, some had nice themeing for what they were, but were just maybe a little isolated. The star is definitely the scale of the main building, and it’s hard to nail rides that share that same caliber of scale. Fun to see, sorta reminds me of Beejur.
MorganFan and mamarillas: Wow, that poor Soviet car got destroyed by that tank! But also, wow, looking good! This is some super consistent rock work. It doesn’t get too repetitive texture wise, and is well-proportioned throughout the map. Definitely my kind of stuff. Love that arch over the Turbo Encabulator. Speaking of, this is also a real fun ride! Some of the best path+ride interaction this round. Really expansive layout, too! Just a lot of fun details throughout this map. The greaser car, the Soviet base, the motel, mega stuff! Overall, a plentiful map that was pulled off very well.
Narc and RWE: Gonna be honest, not sure if I follow the backstory too well, but I appreciate the intent. The main coaster is fun enough, and I like how it dips into the rocket pad. For some reason, I find the Mind Ripper ride to be the most intriguing, just because I’ve not really seen an old skool drop-tower ride operate in such a manner. Plus, it’s got a cool sign. Other than that, I think the park is just fine. It’s pleasant. Not under detailed, but not overly ostentatious. This isn’t a bad thing, just maybe needs more park land to take it all in.
Steve and Xtreme97: Well, golly. Ambition be damned. Really had to show us how its done! In all seriousness, this is some top tier stuff. Y’all know how to articulate this type of parkmaking like it’s nothing. Look at all them paths! The ride interactions! Curves like it’s a non-isometric game! Really, really inspirational stuff at it’s best. But, to be honest, and this might be a controversial opinion, while I immensely appreciate this approach to parkmaking, I’m not so sure that it makes it my favorite map. For all the wonderful layouts of the paths and rides, as well as the elite composition in the buildings, that only feels like half of the entry. The other half are a bunch of backlot walls and roofs. To be fair, they’re beautiful walls and roofs, but it sadly doesn’t feel as complete. A certain angles, they take up a majority of the view. Kinda makes the park more fun to see in certain moments, rather than as a whole.
Good job from everyone. In the end I’d say my favorite is Rumble, but it was a hard choice to pick my second favorite. Great round!
Secrets in the Snow - Hell yeah, this has so much atmosphere, and I feel like a story is being told in just the grungy texture alone, which is everywhere. So much life and movement, while at times overstuffed, leaving the quiet corners to be my personal favorite parts. Particularly, the bloody camp scene really interested me, and I wished for more in that vein of storytelling. Vostok-apult is a charming and impressive coaster, with such a singular design that it could only come from AJ. The architecture is fittingly oppressive and brusque, without constraining the park layout and plazas too much. I loved the music as well, it adds a strong touch of authenticity and ties together the cold yet scruffy vibe. Nice work!
Moonrace Alpha - This is a fun concept, and I think the large scale is where this map succeeds. I really like the look of the racing coasters out among the field of stars and the giant moon. The highlight is definitely the space station which adds a nice touch to the outer space area. I feel that the main park area is a bit underfinished, but the ideas are there and I can see what you wanted to accomplish with the racing aspect. I think you would excel with a bit more time and focus on what makes the concept work.
The Cosmodrome - Welcome back! This is a great step up from your previous work, and shows an understanding of parkmaking that makes me excited to see what the future holds for you. The USSR setting is charming, and all of the expected beats are here. I especially like the destroyed building, it adds heaps of life to the atmosphere and makes it feel really lived-in. At times however, the park feels constructed as if checking items off of a checklist, and the moments of cohesion were often the best parts - particularly the plaza with the enterprise framed by the two coasters and rocket pad.
McCarthy Air Force Base - Man, what a park! Tons of neat details to get lost in here, and a fun concept. Awesome coaster, even if sacrificing interactivity for the theme, but I love how it launches upward out of the missile silo. Infrastructure is this map’s strong suit, and the structure ties everything together with a clear macro direction. I do wish there was a bit more interactivity on the back half of the map with the actual air force base, as compared to the fairground and city sections, it feels a bit still and eerie, which to be fair, actually kinda works in this context. The scale of the underground facility is a great contrast to the human scale of the fairground, which is replete with impressive geometry. My favorite was definitely the Soviet spies digging beneath the gas station. I could go on about the individual elements that grabbed my attention, so I will summarize by saying that while in places this map can feel disjointed, it doesn't make each respective part any less extravagant.
Race to the Moon - First impression, you have a great eye for spectacle, particularly in regard to the grand setpieces dominating this map. The building is MASSIVE and while one could argue that it should be smaller, it looks great! As do the rockets; for a second, I seriously questioned if they were completely NCSO. There are some nice interactive details too, my favorites being the go karts spiraling around the rockets, and the pathways that go near/under the crawler-transporters. My biggest gripe ultimately is that each ride and set piece feels very segmented and separate from the next. I would have liked to see a smoother flow between sections so that the park doesn’t feel as compartmentalized. Regardless, this is a great entry, plus it’s always a pleasure to see work from newcomers. Welcome, glad you made it!
[REDACTED] - [REDACTED]
The Men Who Stare at Oats - This is maybe the funniest concept of the contest so far. Love the idea of a research facility run amok with overzealous characters and less than effective oversight. I think the theme really tied this entry together, but without it, some of the elements come off as a bit detached from the whole form, and as a result, parts feel a bit off-balance. For instance, the large brick buildings in one corner teeming with life and activity contrast heavily with the runway on the other side, which is essentially a dead end without much function. Regardless, there is a lot to love throughout the park and I do think it threads the needle of being a believable government facility, while also functioning as an amusement park. The pizza flying saucer was a favorite of mine, and I have to say the Mind Ripper ride is a cool feature, but their placement is a bit awkward with the path going around. The center building with purple glass is striking and I really liked the deck area by the lake as well, it was charming. Very solid entry!
Disney’s Kennedy Space Center - What the hell man. This is nuts. The entrance area is maybe the most effective use of half diagonals to date? You guys used pretty much every architectural trick in the game at your disposal and flaunted it throughout the park. It honestly looks like you got carried away and had a lot of fun making it. So many circles and pointy spindly things, definitely sells the retro-futurism aesthetic. The coaster gets a meh from me, but the main point of interaction is really nice, and honestly that’s all you can ask for from Disney. Speaking of which, the park definitely feels like Disney throughout and down to the backstage which wraps the map nicely. It’s so perfect almost to a fault, that the entire park feels very homogenous, but forgivable since it’s a small park. I do think the connection to the space race feels thin, mostly since the park feels like a version of Tomorrowland that could exist today, but as I dug around I found evidence tying it to the time period, and the rocket garden is probably the strongest argument in support of that. The Rocket Jets were an easy favorite, that corner of the park just works so well. I don’t have much else to say except job well done. Always happy to see a collaboration between you two!
Ok, here goes...
Secrets in the Snow
-Really fun ride layouts - loved all the weird launchy-reversy stuff going on. A lot of fun to watch.
-The expansion objects give this such a vibe - those industrial windows and roofs make it feel very Soviet haha. Plus the oversized lettering on the signs - good use of weird objects!
-Loved the surroundings especially the gory little camp scene.
-Music is a plus, which I’m coming to expect from you!
Moonrace Alpha
-Very nice idea for the concept with some viewer participation! Haven’t seen that before.
-The space station is a nice set piece - I quite like the abstract vibe of it.
-I assume the area down on ‘the ground’ is unfinished? A shame because the ideas are clearly there. Hope you have more luck with the deadline next time!
The Cosmodrome
-Fun to see this ride type! Don’t see a lot of these!
-Loads of nice ideas here and again I get a strong Soviet vibe! Especially from the housing blocks. The crash site is a cool detail too.
-I feel a bit torn about the overall layout - on one hand I like the sparseness and it suits the theme. I think it’s the thinly-spread path network that bothers me a bit - you might be better concentrating some of the main stuff into denser clusters with more open space in between? E.g. some more plazas in the paths with narrower walkways in between. There’s a lot of great moments in this map - I just think they could be joined up better.
McCarthy Air Force Base
-Loved this entry - again such a vibe, this time classic midcentury Americana which you nailed. The architecture and especially the various big signs with their various typefaces (e.g. the carwash and motel) are just so so good.
-Very nice retro funfair - extra points for the diagonal dodgems!
-Great and subtle landscaping - feels very believable.
-Then there’s the whole secret underground area - so cool! The way you’ve done the kind of cutaway is very successful and readable. Love how the coaster launches out of one of those underground missile pit things. Super peep scenes down there and throughout the park - e.g. the presentation on the stage, painting the rocket, etc. Good stuff!
Race To The Moon
-I love the opening moment with the mechanic - sets the tone! Then you zoom out and get to see the scale - so impressive.
-Really great use of objects throughout the map - I spent ages with the eyedropper tool to see how you’d put things together. The rockets are impressive of course but I also really liked the various industrial-looking machinery stuff with pipes and girders everywhere - very cool.
-The ride design is really fun - weirdly I think I prefer the various flat rides and non-coaster rides (e.g. the go karts around the rockets and the tower rides) - the coasters (and their stations etc) are good but somehow feel a little disconnected from the environment - I think maybe because they’re very much around the edge of the map so they feel a bit boxed-in. Maybe some interaction with the paths or the main building would have helped this. Overall very good work though!
Rumble in the Red Rocks
-Suchhhh a vibe - you’ve nailed the retro feel with the architecture and the music.
-Landscaping is phenomenal - crunchy goodness.
-So many great details like the speeding car, the crashed UFO, the secret spies… various great peep scenes dotted around which make it fun to explore.
-Also love the highway cutting through the whole map on a half-diagonal - very strong move.
-The concept of the interior with all the training exercises is super fun - and executed very well. You can get a sense of that cavernous echoey space inside the mountain. The main coaster layout is great - I don’t envy whoever build all those supports haha.
The Men Who Stare at Oats
-Another fun and quirky concept and it was fun trying to piece together the story through the peep scenes.
-Nice architecture through the park - the red brick buildings are very American-looking (I say that as a non-American haha but I feel like this is what US municipal buildings often seem to look like). A nice mix of these and the more futuristic/industrial/military style ones.
-I had a similar train of thought to one of the peep scenes about is it a secret military base or a theme park? But maybe it doesn’t matter - it’s a nice piece of RCT to enjoy.
Disney's Kennedy Space Center
-Jeezo. Made my eyes go funny on first look with the level of grid-breaking. Just insane - I wouldn’t know where to start with a layout like this haha.
-The combination of the off-grid straight lines with all the beautiful curves is something else - never seen roofs made of ride vehicles like that before. Again, no idea how you did it haha.
-Gives very strong tomorrowland/Epcot vibes with the colour palette and lush greenery. Shoutout to the foliage which is superb.
-I have the same ‘complaint’ as others about the coaster being stuck inside. I always kind of feel this way about parks that strongly emulate Disney because most of Disney’s rides are inside so don’t necessarily translate into an aerial view. But also I kind of don’t care when the buildings look this good. You should be very proud of this!
Secrets in the Snow by AJ
A lovely park! Modest size but that probably allowed you to fill it with much detail and polish. I really like the general Soviet aesthetic and palette without falling into obvious stereotypical ´traps´ of that era, with creative use of objects from the original games as well and giving many buildings a believable rundown look. Also the coasters are really nice, very creative Vostokapult - also Nasad, small but surprising. What in my opinion is a challenge, but that really counts for all/most parks in this round, is that they are not necessarily ´cozy´ or very inviting from a guest perspective with this cold futuristic/tech theme, but that is simply a personal preference that says nothing about the park(s)
Moonrace Alpha by Ge-Ride
I like the concept of duelling space race coasters! I tweaked the lifthill speed quite a bit but did not get them to crash as per instructions - not sure how crazy you intended us to be there - and also realized there is no launch element… Tweaking the theme to an alternative future space race between USSR/NATO is creative and smart to spice things up. The park is quite different from the other parks, and with that a breath of fresh air, with surprising objects and bold colours. I dig the campy vibe even if that was perhaps not your intention, but also think some parts are still a bit rough in terms of polish.
The Cosmodrome by GigaG
Is the broken launch pad at the centre of the coaster a reference to the collapsed base in a Russian rocket launch recently? If so… I love it. Not a crazy creative or surprising coaster but it does the job, and I like the other coaster too! Curious also what happened at the charred/burned site… Visually I think the basics are there but perhaps more attention could be paid to the foliage and buildings to give them more complexity and depth. I know it is not for everyone but breaking up the grid here and there, can really do a lot to make a park more interesting.
McCarthy Air Force Base by hypnopompia and deanosrs
Gosh, so much detail and storytelling here! Great park, right up my alley. A fun coaster, and impressive how the underground part is still very polished and with good visibility as a viewer. Oh and the kiddie comet? I want to ride that. And the flat rides; always appreciate a park that takes its flat rides seriously. The architecture of the surrounding the military base are also very in tune with the kind of US-deserty retro style (based on the image I have as a non-US person), impressive how you managed to nail that!
Race To The Moon by InError
A quite unique visual style that can be tricky (or at least when I try it) but that you really pull off! Using many original objects from the game it creates a unique kind of coherent style that is busy and somewhat cold but really fits the tech/industrial theme. The massive storage building block is somehow not too dominating or off-putting, which could be a risk but also works here for me. Also impressive how many rides you managed to fit in, many of them with a nice design. Oh and the lifthill looping? Not sure I’ve ever seen it… but kind of want to try that now.
[REDACTED] - Rumble in the Red Rocks by MorganFan and mamarillas
Wow, love the desert aesthetic and particularly with the lovely buildings next to the road, and the cliffside that incorporates some verticality into desert maps that are often (and understandably so..) quite flat. Really fun and creative rides. The underground base does not scream ‘space’ to me aside from the ride names, and neither does the other part of the park - but I did not enjoy it any less. Attention to detail to shops and amenities next to the road are amazing… I would love to stay at that motel.
The Men Who Stare at Oats by Narc and RWE
I like the concept and description of this park! So much potential and creativity. I feel like I do not really see much of it back directly in the park, perhaps because of practical constraints or I simply miss the hints. That does not change that in my opinion it is a nice and decent park, with some good rides and polish. Perhaps it could have used a bit more attention to detail, in the foliage for example, or spicing up the concrete/tarmac pathing.
Disney's Kennedy Space Center by Steve and Xtreme97
Yeah… not sure what to say here and what hasn’t been said already (I have not read the other comments yet), but this is another level. For a second or two you convinced me the grid was indeed half diagonal until I realized that was in fact… all your doing. Wow, so much detail literally everywhere, and so charming and cozy, which is impressive for this theme. Captures nicely a retro, optimistic, kid-friendly futurism that was so far missing this round imo. Oh and shout-out for even designing the inside of the astronaut Q&A building, did not expect that! My only two minor gripe would be that most of the attractions are enclosed and thus not visible and the rollercoaster layout which was a bit timid and short, but I am not coaster expert and it probably was Disney-proofed in terms of intensity. But overall… wow.
Secrets in the Snow - I was really glad someone tackled this from a heavily soviet perspective. Although for many the object selection is probably off-putting (and, usually, would be for me) somehow it works because it creates a nice contrast with the standard CSO object sets used in the american parks. The void tress around the map is my favourite moment of Through the Ages so far. I love the idea of this isolated russian forest with this huge base hidden in the darkness. The splash boats disrupted the theme for me a little bit: as cold as the rest of the scene looks, something which I associate with much warmer weather feels out of place. Objectives hit for sure, and a park I really enjoyed viewing.
Kennedy Space Center - I feel like both you guys have been building up to this. You've already done some great parks together, and then Xtreme's use of circles in Lostilieth (crucial in making the 1/2 diags work here IMO) and Steve's 1/2 diag work in Macaw culminate together in this amazing macro. I think what's really nice about it is it just screws with your mind: when I saw the entrance to New Moon Bakery, my first though was, "how did they get so much detail on a 1/2 diag?" that's how disoriented the boldness of the macro had made me. The shapes in the path are a key part of the macro too. And let's not forget all the lovely details like the NASA globe, ticket desks, entrance gates (a real wow moment), rocket garden, mission apollo signage, etc. For the most part, the SV slope vehicles work great - I don't think the railing vehicles quite pass though, and it would have been good to see the coaster themed, but then I remember you did all this in 4 weeks which is amazing.
Race to the Moon - this was a lovely surprise. The scale of everything is so bold, and I love that in RCT. The chocolate bar pathing and super dense foliage felt like a mismatch to the scale of everything else, but there is so much to like here. The rolling platforms holding the rockets, the rockets themselves, the dude painting the flag, it's all a lot of fun. Really enjoyed this one.
Moonrace Alpha - I think leaving all the purple around the map spoils the setting a lot. I see the hammer and sickle sculpture, but beyond that I can't say I'm sure what I'm looking at. I just don't really understand what the park is I guess. I felt the same with your NEDC entry. A more cohesive vision, consistent scale and other aspects of storytelling would really help to contextualize what your parks are and help guide the viewer as to what they are looking at. I think it would help you a ton to do some off-map work first to scenery manager in later, so you could first develop some visual ideas that will later define the map as you work on a macro, rides etc.
[ REDACTED ] - this is again a lot of fun and exactly the kind of thing I like in RCT parks. No shame at all in conceding my motel is out-moteled by this wonderful effort over in the corner. There's lovely crunch across the map. It's a 4 week timer and especially with an 80% share for Morgan they'll always be something that was a time save and for me it's the big kryptonian rocks. I think the tolsimir rocks mix in well with them, but the fisch rock arch over the top feels like one texture too far. I love all the great details along the road, the gas station, fireworks store, and radio tower all over so much and really bring the map to life. The base itself is great. I especially liked the wind tunnel and freefall - the glass around them really gave a lab/training vibe that just works. That glass accent is just perfect. The tunnel into the base by the tank is a great little touch too.
The Cosmodrome - great to see returning members! It was fun seeing you refine this on the discord. in the end I think 4 weeks is just not a lot of time to catch up with the meta and get a full park done but there's a lot to like here. The soviet apartment buildings were especially on point.
The Men Who Stare at Oats - your parkmarking is really coming along Narc, the execution here is really good and really clean. I think I was just missing some super clear ties to specifically the time period, architecturally or with more rockets etc. But there is so much promise in your work and this is a big step up from round 1. Keep going - I look forward to seeing future entries from you!
Logo by J K
Round 2 - The Space Race
Results
America may have eventually won the Space Race, but it's time to see who won the second round of Through The Ages. Out of the 8 entries received, it was Steve and Xtreme97 who came out victorious with 45 points with their fantastic entry Disney's Kennedy Space Center, and become our second to make it to the Grand Final! Congratulations!
Find the full results table below. Total score is calculated by adding the number of votes for the entry in the Objectives and Quality questions.
Total = Objectives votes + Quality votes
Disney's Kennedy Space Center
by Steve (50%) and Xtreme97 (50%)
14
[REDACTED] - Rumble in the Red Rocks
by MorganFan (80%) and mamarillas (20%)
22
McCarthy Air Force Base
by hypnopompia (50%) and deanosrs (50%)
22
Secrets in the Snow
by AJ
10
Race to the Moon
by InError
5
The Men Who Stare at Oats
by Narc (85%) and RWE (15%)
3
The Cosmodrome
by GigaG
2
Moonrace Alpha
by Ge-Ride
0
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