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scw55's Mini-Monsters Contest

scw55

Hyper Poster
It is said that great things come in small packages. I believe this is awfully true with coaster designs.

As designers (even casual ones), we are constantly striving to make "bigger" and "better". Sometimes we forget that size isn't everything. The theme of this contest is Dwarf Coasters.

3XcLV.jpg



Rules

The distance between the highest point of the Coaster and the Lowest point must not be greater than 60ish ft. It is true that it'll be almost impossible to tell, and any proof of will look horrible (lovely height marker spam). So I entrust you to enforce this guideline. This restriction is in place to allow you to build something when height is taken away from you. If you need to go a little bit lower later on in the layout for an element sequence to make more sense, then boundaries can be stretched by a few ft.

No post-editing to images or PoV to cheat out of the system. Your ordinary editing is allowed (RP Fake Promo images if you want and the usual bells and whistle on Videos).

One coaster entry per user. Feel free to make many (if you can) and cherry pick the one with the best layout.

Deadline will be 1st of September. 8th of September.

You can use any coaster type. You can see in my example that inversions do have a different aesthetic when the whole layout is rather low. It's not a suggestion just an observation. Also means you can have an interesting layout without relying so much on scenery or strategic planning.

Scoring

I wanted to do something different. I won't reveal the criteria of the scoring. I'd rather entrants worry more about what they're designing than if they're ticking certain boxes. I can give a hint about things that I like if you don't know me: I don't like rough bends. I don't like violent shifts in track elements. Basically if you're watching a PoV and getting immersed in the experience, anything that shatters that suspension of disbelief I'll mark heavily down on.

Pretty scenery is nice, but might not necessarily help. If it's rubbish you'll perform worse than if you left it minimalist.

If you're going for a conceptual design that isn't grounded in realism, explaining the 'story' may help justify it.

It will be a 60-40 ratio of scored between myself and forum voters. The forum voters can grade the entrants in their own way also. Realism of Track, smart use of scenery etc tend to be common factors users go with.


Advice

Low Friction will help your train along your layout with minimal assistance from boosters and lift hills.

For my own marking, try to limit the amount of Launch and Lift Hill sections. Preferably one or the other. However if you can introduce Launches and Lift Hills logically into the layout without breaking the flow of the ride, then you'll achieve more than if you just used one.



That pretty much sums up the contest. Post if you have any questions as no doubtingly I may have complicated it. I will be eager what creative methods you'll employ to get around the height handicap.

The long time limit and height restriction is so that you can still enjoy the summer/IRL commitments and still take part. If you are wanting to spend more time anyway on this contest, then you have the luxury of extra time to refine your entry.

XprBS.jpg


*Disclaimer* My examples are only exampling layout and concept. Don't use it as a guide for scenery use as I am awful in comparison to other RCT3 users :D
 

Colossus

Giga Poster
scw55 said:
I can give a hint about things that I like if you don't know me: I don't like rough bends. I don't like violent shifts in track elements. Basically if you're watching a PoV and getting immersed in the experience, anything that shatters that suspension of disbelief I'll mark heavily down on.

Now you see that is a really interesting statement, considering I have read numerous quotes from you that you don`t care for realism like the rest of us do and you like to just enjoy the game.


Anyway, nice idea for a comp, though
I doubt i`ll get round to it as I`m waiting for portemines competition next as he did say he wanted to start one after mine, then Josh had his, so porte again stressed his want to start one and now this has started.
I`m not saying we can`t have two run at once, I`m just saying I want to hear his idea.
 

scw55

Hyper Poster
I have never been on a roller coaster, so my immersion-breaking would be different from yours. I.E. I have no experience of forces.

Besides that quote was for the context of Breaks and beyond-vertical inversiony-things. If you take the realism at face-value, not having breaks before the station when there's only one train on the track, isn't a big deal. Nor is being ignorant about immense positive Gs when you experience an inverted vertical inversion.

I must have missed Port saying he wanted to do one sorry.
 

Coaster Hipster

Giga Poster
I have mentioned my intention to set up one in several instances, in both Derek and CP10's comps. Anyway, I'm way too busy this month to organise anything.

As a Frenchman, feets aren't my strongsuit. Using Google it roughly translates as 13 m. That's a hell of a restriction, even though Nemesis (among others) proved that it could result quite creative. I think I'll submit only a non-themed coaster with only layout and supports, which could take only 2 days to make.
 

Intricks

Strata Poster
I think Ill make something for this to get my 'groove' back

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2
 

scw55

Hyper Poster
@Port yes it is. But it's enough to squeeze in 2 sections of very steep track, ordinary sized half loops and corkscrews. It'll just means your layout will have a new aesthetic compared to your freedom layouts.

If you look behind the first example with the awful black and yellow track, that is a Dive Machine with the same restriction. I am able to get a small section of verticality and have a decent layout. Granted it's pretty much a B&M Wild Mouse.

But yeah, like Nemesis, to increase 'thrill' on the layout despite the small height I had to abuse terrain and scenery to create a claustrophobic ride experience. Even the supports offer some violent near-misses.

Also, if other people don't enjoy custom support work, then this contest is brilliant as it's rather a simple job. No annoying over-banked turns to bewilder.
 

Josh73

Giga Poster
Is it just the drop that is less that 42 ft? Because 42 feet is almost impossible to work with.
 

scw55

Hyper Poster
-ish because it's hard to prove (and ugly/boring if you do) and sometimes dipping a little bit below might allow you to add a certain element.
 

Intricks

Strata Poster
In the ish area probably.

Could it just be it below 50 or something instead of 42ish?

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2
 

gopats1479

Mega Poster
This is going to be a toughie. All of my coasters rely on speed, so this will be interesting. I'm thinking Furius Baco style for this one.
 

scw55

Hyper Poster
Well the drop is 42ish ft. But then it dips slightly into a ditch for the elements on the right-hand side of the first example. Sort of Nemesis-esk terrain humping inverter.

The constriction is in place so that someone smart doesn't do a hillside coaster that repeatedly has drops of 40ft but in total has a distance of 200ft from highest to lowest. The "42ft" limit was clearer and less long-winded.

You can take artistic licence with the height restriction. Just don't take the piss :p Aim for 40-45ish ft but I won't penalise/murder you for going over.


(Forgot to add. Using a small train size (if you are using a coaster type where this is applicable) will make it even cuter :))
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm very sorry. But I just checked my examples and realised that the height difference between the heights and the lowest was 60ft. I really remembered the numbers wrong. 40ft is used for junior coasters, and I found that when I tried my extreme-kiddy coaster that 40ft was unreasonable. 60ft allowed an interesting drop and some exciting elements.

I apologise for the ignorance, I should have checked before I pulled the number out of my corruptible memory. I hope I haven't caused too much inconvenience to users who have already started or were brain storming.[/b]

18m for those who want context in metric
 

scw55

Hyper Poster
An easy way is to change the game settings to imperial.
I keep it imperial as I find speed easier to contextualise was MPH. I find it hard to visualise distances in either measuring.
 

reddude333

Giga Poster
Okay, this definitely looks like a fun contest for me to enter. I do want to see if port does one soon but in the meantime I will work on something for this. Great comp idea scw!
 

scw55

Hyper Poster
Trivia:

According to Towertimes, Nemesis stands at 43ft at the highest point about ground level (ignoring the sections below). The contest limit is 50% higher.

Might help you contextualise the limit.
 

Colossus

Giga Poster
There is no chance of me entering this.

As I have had hardware issues with RCT 3 in the past as well with other things, I have decided to put an end to it all.
My desktop is getting on a bit and although it still works reasonably it just can`t cope with what I need it to do anymore.
So I went slightly crazy yesterday and spent a lot of money on a brand new top of the range desktop, complete with Intel i7 processor and a 1.5GB graffics card.
This will definitely end my problems and will hopefully allow me to be much more adventurous with future creations.

But for now I have to mess about re-installing the game (I actually have to buy the game again as I have lost my Wild disk.) and transferring all the CS/CTRs etc aswell as moving other bits and bobs.

So for now I remain out of action, but I hope to be back for port`s in a big way. :)
 
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