Berrington Manor

[Harv]

Thanks very much! Compact was the key word when I was designing it. I had to compromise the corkscrew supports simply because Old Spice's wouldn't fit in such a tight space. I intend to improve on it in future though. Thanks for your advice.

 

[toofpikk]

these are beautiful! i love the woods advert, and the wild mouse layout. i think the arrow is a bit too low to the ground, and the manor itself is too simple, and needs some more details,but this is fantastic for a first project

 

[Rupert]

Sorry for not commenting on this earlier! Last few weeks have been pretty hectic.

Looking really good so far! You've done ace to make a compact layout with that, especially since the ingame pieces are pretty unforgiving for building a corkscrew. One pretty cool thing I saw Fredward do was build the vast majority of his Corkscrew rec on the diagonal (apart from the station I guess) so that the corkscrews follow the lifthill direction, rather than going away then towards them. But as yours is just inspired by it, that doesn't really matter! The changing-direction corkscrews are exactly the kind of thing Vekoma would do in an effort to inflict maximum pain.

If you're considering improving the supports, then I think using the recently released Safari J's Arrow Pack would really help. It has the single beam corkscrew supports, and I think they would also fit better than the Intamin mini coaster supports also. I like the support work on Miami Dipper in that it looks nice and haphazard like a fairground's would, but I think one of the terrifying things about fair coasters is that they seem to have too few supports rather than too many. I think you have supports every half tile? I think you could half the number, and maybe use JCat's mouse supports to make it look a bit more rickety. I'm intrigued by the park though, I think making tacky-looking parks are probably harder than well-themed ones. Gotta get StationJimJr's Midway Things in there though!

That picture with the bridge and the farm is really cool - the terrain around the farm is really well done. Just need a bit of foliage around the bridge! Is it at all inspired by Silver Swordsman's rail project? I'd love to see a British Rail take on that.

The manor is really nice (particularly the gardens) but I'd agree with toothpick that maybe the building could use more details. Unfortunately I'm not really sure what details as I'm generally poor at buildings. Am I right in thinking that the building is pretty much a rectangle? What about extending it out at a lower level on one side, for example using a mix of Ralfvieh's sets and Vodhin's Girders n Glass to create a greenhouse-type thing? Something to draw the eye beyond the tall walls. Similarly, why not think about adding a tower or something to break up the roofline? Alton's castle/manor/thing has a really uneven roofline where random bits appear stuck on. Another way to add a bit more visual interest is to perhaps set some 'wings' of the manor back a little from a main central portion. Just a little, in the way theseare. You could introduce some pieces from Ralfvieh's Antique World? They fit the stately home feel. I also reckon that on one side of the house (maybe the back beyond the fountain?) it would be super if the house was looking over a really nice lake. StationJimJr's Fencing set is out soon and there are some really nice plants in there that would add to the already super gardens you've already got. Particularly some of the groundcover pieces are ace but it's easy to get carried away and blanket every patch of grass you've got with them. Some of n7's plants would also work well.

Anyway, some ace ideas here and I'm looking forward to seeing more! Sorry for writing so much, take all suggestions with a pince of salt.

 

[Harv]

these are beautiful! i love the woods advert, and the wild mouse layout. i think the arrow is a bit too low to the ground, and the manor itself is too simple, and needs some more details,but this is fantastic for a first project

Thanks for the feedback and the advice! Thanks very much. I agree that Corkscrew is a little too low to the ground, but I'll be reworking it soon, anyhow. The Manor is due to receive extensive works in my second draft, as I've actually decided the best thing to do is to restart the park (I felt that the Manor isn't quite splendid enough and I want to redesign it, seen as it's actually quite a nice idea).

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Looking really good so far! You've done ace to make a compact layout with that, especially since the ingame pieces are pretty unforgiving for building a corkscrew. One pretty cool thing I saw Fredward do was build the vast majority of his Corkscrew rec on the diagonal (apart from the station I guess) so that the corkscrews follow the lifthill direction, rather than going away then towards them. But as yours is just inspired by it, that doesn't really matter! The changing-direction corkscrews are exactly the kind of thing Vekoma would do in an effort to inflict maximum pain.

Thank you for such a wonderfully detailed post, and it deserves an equally detailed reply.

To start with, I agree that the in-game pieces are pretty hard to use but they do look quite pretty once they're up, especially with the re-texturing from Krypt. I like the idea of building it on a diagonal, and I agree that the corkscrew direction is a little awkward, but I do like the compact feel of it so it depends if I can still make it compact when I rework it. It's likely to be a little longer when I do so, too.

If you're considering improving the supports, then I think using the recently released Safari J's Arrow Pack would really help. It has the single beam corkscrew supports, and I think they would also fit better than the Intamin mini coaster supports also. I like the support work on Miami Dipper in that it looks nice and haphazard like a fairground's would, but I think one of the terrifying things about fair coasters is that they seem to have too few supports rather than too many. I think you have supports every half tile? I think you could half the number, and maybe use JCat's mouse supports to make it look a bit more rickety. I'm intrigued by the park though, I think making tacky-looking parks are probably harder than well-themed ones. Gotta get StationJimJr's Midway Things in there though!

Exactly my thinking! I only saw Safari J's stuff a couple of days ago, but I am pretty sure they'd be perfect for Corkscrew. I love the single beam supports and would like to work them in. It's an interesting theory that fairground coasters look too unsupported and I have to agree that you're right there. Nonetheless, I quite like how squeezed in it all looks. It's only a few tiles worth and it looks quite busy. However, I don't intend to use it in Berrington Mark 2, so I may consider supporting it differently and sticking it up for download for others to use as a bog standard starter ride for their parks. Midway's already installed, and it will definitely be making an appearance in my game soon.

That picture with the bridge and the farm is really cool - the terrain around the farm is really well done. Just need a bit of foliage around the bridge! Is it at all inspired by Silver Swordsman's rail project? I'd love to see a British Rail take on that.

Thanks very much, terrain is something I struggle with hugely so that's a big compliment. And it is 100% inspired by that project. It looks so unbelievably beautiful I couldn't help but put my own take on it. Your guesswork is fantastic. It's also inspired by the unfinished London Games project on ShyGuy's. It is, however, very extensive and shall take a while to design and create.

The manor is really nice (particularly the gardens) but I'd agree with toothpick that maybe the building could use more details. Unfortunately I'm not really sure what details as I'm generally poor at buildings. Am I right in thinking that the building is pretty much a rectangle? What about extending it out at a lower level on one side, for example using a mix of Ralfvieh's sets and Vodhin's Girders n Glass to create a greenhouse-type thing? Something to draw the eye beyond the tall walls. Similarly, why not think about adding a tower or something to break up the roofline? Alton's castle/manor/thing has a really uneven roofline where random bits appear stuck on. Another way to add a bit more visual interest is to perhaps set some 'wings' of the manor back a little from a main central portion. Just a little, in the way theseare. You could introduce some pieces from Ralfvieh's Antique World? They fit the stately home feel. I also reckon that on one side of the house (maybe the back beyond the fountain?) it would be super if the house was looking over a really nice lake. StationJimJr's Fencing set is out soon and there are some really nice plants in there that would add to the already super gardens you've already got. Particularly some of the groundcover pieces are ace but it's easy to get carried away and blanket every patch of grass you've got with them. Some of n7's plants would also work well.

I'm basically going to rebuild the Manor in a new game, and take all of your points in. I agree with pretty much all of them, and I can safely say with guidance like the above post that it will look more regal than ever. The rectangle as a main body, I'll be keeping, but a conservatory and far more extensive gardens will be included. Hopefully it'll be something really lovely that deserves to be the namesake of a park.

Anyway, some ace ideas here and I'm looking forward to seeing more! Sorry for writing so much, take all suggestions with a pince of salt.

Thank you so, so much for taking the time to leave such an extensive reply. It has inspired me massively and as ever, your work is a huge benchmark for all RCT3 players to learn from. Don't apologize for giving me so much expert advice.

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There'll be more soon, hopefully. Thanks guys!

 

[Harv]

Sorry to double post but I have to share this.

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RCT3 just died for me. Someone in my house decided to play a practical joke by hiding the disc but when I found it, it's all cracked. I can't see a way around it, my PC won't read it and it just makes everything go unresponsive. Naturally, I'm deeply gutted. To be perfectly honest, I'm distraught. 1000 hours of free time and effort poured into the game has essentially been in vain, including a 20 minute RCT3 movie about Daleks, nearing completion. I won't lie, I even shed a tear, even though I know how immature and self-centred it is. So, goodbye Berrington, Olympic project, insanely cool woodie that I couldn't wait to show, numerous detailed Dalek landscapes, British Rail landscapes and everything else I've done. It's been a blast. Thanks for the community's support, but I don't have the devotion to restart the game. Nonetheless, I'll still be offering help on here to anyone who needs it.

 

[Fredward]

NastyPasty, if you describe the problem it may be fixable. What's happened?

 

[Harv]

Well, I'd give anything a shot right now. Basically, the inside ring of the disc (I'm such a technophobe, please excuse ramblings) has cracks in it. I place it into my tower's CD-ROM drive and it just has the funny swirly disc symbol on my mouse for ages then makes everything else run slower. It just doesn't load autorun. It does the same on my laptop so it's obviously the disc.

Thanks for your offer of help in advance though, even if it is beyond repair.

 

[Tim]

If it's a disk problem then you shouldn't have lost anything. All the game data is saved on the computer. Just get a new physical copy or download it from somewhere like Steam. It's on 50% off at the moment

 

[Harv]

It seems to have gone beserk with my files though, it says it can't open any of the folders to do with RCT. However, that does restore some hope, so fingers crossed. I'm so grateful for this quick and caring show of support, it's really fantastic so thanks!

 

[Fredward]

Can you open any of the files when the disk is not in the machine? If it is just the disk a new copy of the game should solve your problems. Unsure about the steam version though. I've got the game on disk. Steam tends to install games into it's directory so the folder positions may be all wrong it also only has the platinum version which if you aren't using platinum the folder positions may or may not be different.

May be safer to buy a disk of the exact same game you already own from a cheap store, unless someone can confirm what the directories are like in the steam version.. I'm sure you can get it for a fiver some where.

Before you spend money though and providing the game folders are all still there and accessible, Have you tried a little hack to tell the game it doesn't need to use the disk? I've done it to my RCT because I find it annoying to use the diskdrive. While it technically may be considered piracy (I disagree because I have already bought the game) So this option may not be for you, but if you search how to use RCT without the disk there will be a download somewhere of an altered copy of the games .exe file for you to replace, the only alteration should be the restriction of using the disk to play.

 

[Harv]

Thanks for all the advice guys.

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I've had a few problems with the disc lately, but I made an Intamin this afternoon. Nothing major but it's worth a post. It was designed to be a generic filler attraction along the lines of Velocity at Flamingo Land for any minor park.

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RCT3 - Raceway - Intamin Accelerator

 

[Ellie]

I know I am a couple of pages late, but I would have to agree with Diogo, the roof looks slightly out of place on the manor! To me, it just looks a bit 'simplistic ' for such a grand manor. However, I do love the gardens! simple yet elegant, plus I am a sucker for fountains XD Beautiful!

Now please get back on track with Berrington Manor, I'd quite like to see more!

 

[Harv]

I know I am a couple of pages late, but I would have to agree with Diogo, the roof looks slightly out of place on the manor! To me, it just looks a bit 'simplistic ' for such a grand manor. However, I do love the gardens! simple yet elegant, plus I am a sucker for fountains XD Beautiful!

Now please get back on track with Berrington Manor, I'd quite like to see more!

Thank you very much! Now I've redesigned the house and gardens, work can finally begin on getting some rides in place, but as ever, such response never fails to motivate and inspire me. Thanks for taking the time to comment.

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In the heart of Yorkshire, in Britain's lush and deep countryside, sits Berrington Manor. The symbol of classical architecture was a gift from the royals in the early 1700s, and the Berrington family has resided there throughout the generations since.​

The house itself is off limits, but local farmers such as myself are often welcomed to visit the gardens. One sunset I decided to pursue my hobby of photography within the grounds.​

Above, you can see part of the back garden. This is Lord Berrington's pride and joy. It's not as big as you may expect but the smell of fresh flowers in Summer is always a treat.​

Above, you can see Lord Berrington's study. I couldn't hear much, but there seemed to be some sort of disagreement going on inside. All I could hear was his Lordship's voice, and something about not wanting to "turn his estate into a common fairground". I decided to leave as I thought it better not to be caught listening in.​

A final shot of his Lordship's prize fountain and the back of the house.

A few days ago, it was revealed what all that business in the study was about. The local council has managed to obtain essential funds to keep Berrington maintained (apparently the place was more in debt than the Berrington family would care to admit). The catch being that the entire state will be 'transformed into a family friendly theme park that will undoubtedly boost the economic drive of the area'. It sounds interesting, and I'll be sure to keep you posted on whatever's happening.

Until next time, goodbye!​

 

[Ellie]

Love it!
Can't wait to see some rides put it, Keep it up!
Huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurry up!

 

[Harv]

Love it!
Can't wait to see some rides put it, Keep it up!
Huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurry up!

Haha, thank you for your kind words. It's really motivating to see that somebody's enjoying the park.

However, as far as rides being constructed goes...

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3 months later...

Last night some idiot decided to break into the gardens and set fire to a bin. I saw the smoke from my farm and was straight down to help, but fortunately I wasn't needed. The fire was minimal. It still represents the resentment that the house seems to receive after agreeing to the council's plan to adapt the estate into a family amusement park though. Personally, I cannot understand this backlash, the economy can only be boosted by such a development.

Despite this afternoon's terrible weather I decided to nip down and check out if the family was ok. We've been getting quite close, lately and I'd like to regard myself as somehwat of a friend.

I was really delighted to see the old Woodland Walk has been re-fenced and spruced up. This shows that physical developments are starting to occur around the estate.

You can see the Manor, peeking through the trees here.

After all the trouble I took, the Berringtons were visiting family in York. I passed on my regards to Mr. Perkins the butler and left. Still, I've always been a fan of seeing this sort of transformation occur and it pleased me that obvious changes were beginning to become more frequent.

Until next time, folks!

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N.B. Thanks so much for taking the time to read this. I promise that rides are on their way soon and although my updates are very lengthy in terms of words, I'll try to justify this in the future, especially when more interesting things start to happen. .. ​

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[Thomas]

Looking smart, keep it up. The narrative seems very realistic and well considered which I like.

 

[Harv]

Tom: Thanks very much, your feedback means a lot!

1 Month Later

Well, it has been a busy month here at Berrington Manor. I went down on this gloriously sunny September afternoon to catch upon the progress.

This is what greeted me; work has begun on the first themed area for the park. Lord Berrington invited me in for tea and scones to explain.

"You see, old boy, the woodland is highly protected by those over-protective suits back in London, doing all the formal planning work. So we agreed to work around the trees and create a mystical adventure; we're calling it 'Fairytale Forest', what do you think?"

He went on to give me a small tour.

"Here's the entrance, we're awaiting some signs and such! Exciting stuff, old chum!"

Then that initial building I'd seen. I was curious to discover the purpose.

"And here's Crumble Cottage, our first eatery; none of that machine coffee nonsense here - just tea and cake from the old refreshment lady. Do try the Victoria Sponge some time, it's sublime!"

"These mushrooms set us back a little, but don't they just complete the area? Simply delightful!"

His Lordship was very animated today; I'd say he's even grown endeared to the project.

I caught this final shot before I left; it really sums up the splendour of the place.

I hope you enjoyed the update, I hear that some kind of attraction is being shipped over, very soon. Exciting times here at Berrington. Bye for now!



All comments very welcome, once again, thanks for your time!​

 

[Jono]

Wow. Just Wow. The whole idea of it is just fantastic. I can really see all the work and effort you have put In to this marvellous park. Everything just looks fantastic. I love the whole story idea of it.

Keep up the good work!

 

[joelpagett]

Very cute park, love the small details Keep it up!

 

[DiogoJ42]

Cripes, I'd totally forgotten about this park. :-[
Really great work so far. I love the attention to detail in the story telling.

The new roof is a great improvement I have no shame in saying that it's a much better building than Blithering Lodge. Now get cracking and give us some world class coasters!