Week 9 Weekly Digest (11th-17th January 2025)
OK folks; that's the end of Week 8! Let's get into Week 9, shall we?
As there was no voting during Week 8, there are consequently no results tonight and two rounds to be voted on in Week 9. Let's get straight into it!
Round 7 and Round 8 Voting
OK, folks. The Round 7 and Round 8 submissions are in, so the voting stage of both rounds can now begin!
Please vote for your Round 7 favourites via this Google Form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1...VjOBN5-9uEMIVxeikRU0JnNaQ/viewform?usp=dialog
And please vote for your Round 8 favourites via this Google Form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1...naWYKZaOJe1tXqjRquy0jYnyQ/viewform?usp=dialog
Let me just recap a few things about voting, if you need a reminder:
- If you're not clear on how I'd like you to vote; please pick your top 5 track layouts and rank them in order of preference from #1 to #5. Therefore, if you give a player a particular ranking, the points allocated are as follows; #1 ranking = 5pts, #2 ranking = 4pts, #3 ranking = 3pts, #4 ranking = 2pts, #5 ranking = 1pt. Note: As we only have 5 submissions for Round 8, please only pick a top 5 if you have not submitted a submission for Round 8. If you have submitted a submission for Round 8, please pick a top 4 to prevent voting for yourself. You can vote as usual for Round 7, as there are 6 submissions.
- You will also receive the opportunity to nominate a submission for Realism or Originality if you wish. These nominations are not compulsory; you can award them if you wish, but you do not have to nominate anyone for Realism or Originality. Each Realism or Originality vote a player gets will grant them 1 point in the corresponding category.
- Please only fill out each form once. I have not mandated this within the forms themselves, but I'm trusting you all here.
- Please do not vote for yourself. I know that there is no way I can mandate this, but I trust you not to. Please can I request that you only nominate submissions that are not your own.
- Please bear in mind that the numbered ranking categories in the Google Form (#1, #2, #3, #4 and #5) are intended to be mutually exclusive, and if you put a submission in one ranking spot, you should not put it in another. I will reject any ballots cast with one submission nominated for multiple ranking spots (for instance, you cannot nominate a submission as both your #1 and your #2). This does not apply to Most Realistic and Most Original, however; if you are making nominations in these categories, you can nominate the same submission for both, and you can also nominate a submission that you have already put in your 1-5 ranking for one or both of these categories if you wish.
- Please judge submissions on track layout only. This is a coaster layout building contest; theming is pretty much irrelevant here.
- I know that this form of voting is more anonymous than some may like. If you would like to add a slightly more personal touch, you can post a comment in this thread indicating your top 5 choices, as well as any Realism or Originality nominations. However, can I please request that the Google Form be your first port of call for voting; I will only count votes cast within the Google Form, as if you post in this thread, I wouldn't like to assume whether you've already voted in the Google Form or not. Post your choices in the thread by all means, but please make sure that you log your votes within the Google Form first, as the votes within the Google Form are the votes I'll be counting.
Here is a reminder of everyone's submissions for Round 7 so that you know what you're voting for:
- Icarus, an RMC IBox Track by @Matt N:
- Diphtheria, a Mack Rides Stryker Coaster by @mo237:
- Heathrow Airport: The Ride, an Arrow suspended coaster by @Thameslink Rail:
- Unnamed wooden coaster by @Poisson:
- Hyperia Reborn, a B&M Dive Coaster by @tactic:
- Skyperia, an Intamin Wing Coaster by @RicketyCricket:
And here's a reminder of everyone's submissions for Round 8:
Voting for Rounds 7 and 8 closes on
Friday 17th January 2025 at 11:45pm, and the results for both will be revealed as part of the Week 10 Weekly Digest
Now we've covered voting, it's now time to move onto the final bit of the week...
Round 9 Building
Now that Round 8 is over, it's time to reveal the next round of the competition! The brief for Round 9 is...
Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit Replacement at Universal Studios Florida! The context for the round is as follows:
When it was built, Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit was intended to be the icon coaster of Universal Studios Florida. And to a point, it did satisfy this aim, with it arguably providing one of the more iconic sightlines within the Universal Orlando Resort. However, the ride is growing increasingly old, increasingly unreliable, and increasingly out of step with the product Universal now wants to provide, so the difficult decision has been made to remove it. With the ride being removed, it needs a replacement... and Universal have hired none other than you to devise it! With Rockit having been a staple of the visual skyline of Universal Studios Florida for many years, Universal wants a coaster of equal scale to match the visual appeal and iconicity of its predecessor, but they also want you to bear in mind the very long, narrow plot that Rockit currently occupies. There are film studio soundstages and indoor attraction buildings on both sides of the ride at many points, so squeezing in a big coaster will be a challenge... how will you rise to it?
The constraints for the round are as follows:
- Must Fit Within Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit Area (Maximum Footprint 1,122ft*243ft/342m*74m with building as described in the below Google Doc)
- Minimum Height 150ft/46m
- Minimum Speed 65mph/105kph
- Minimum Length 4,000ft/1,219m
For some context, the area of Universal Studios Florida we're working with here is as follows:
To apply the footprint constraints, I would recommend using the Scenario Editor to make yourself a park template that allows you to enforce the constraints. Steps to build the building within this footprint (intended to parallel the various obstacles along the main USF midway blocking the Rockit plot in) are described in this Google Doc:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1okCcNV2zeCx4HDq3XUdAc5E8EBd0zd3ek08rCLRyZ3E/edit?usp=sharing
However, if you find yourself unable to do this, I have created a Steam Workshop park template with the footprint constraints pre-imposed and the building pre-built, which you can download here
(EDIT: Link updated on 11th January to make the template non-DLC requiring; apologies for the previous error):
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3405186549
For console users, I would recommend setting out the footprint constraints using wall pieces or path pieces to build yourself an "area" to work within and following the instructions in the above Google Doc. Path and wall pieces are typically 4m in length, for reference. I know it's not ideal, but it's unfortunately the best I can recommend given that neither Scenario Editor nor Steam Workshop are available on console... sorry for the inconvenience, folks.
To submit, please build your submission, film a POV and/or off-ride shots of it, and post the video(s) in this thread. You can briefly describe your ride if you wish. YouTube is the website I'd recommend for uploading videos to, as this would integrate best with the Google Form when it comes to voting, but if you want to upload your video(s) using a different method, then that's also fine. If you have any issues with recording or uploading your video(s), please don't hesitate to contact me. I will try my best to assist you.
May I once again emphasise that this is a
coaster layout building contest. By all means add some light theming and landscaping if you wish, but the
coaster layout should ideally be the focus. Quality of coaster layout is pretty much the be all and end all here; heavy theming won't gain you any points, and no theming won't lose you any points.
The submission deadline for Round 9 is
Friday 17th January 2025 at 11:45pm. If you struggle for time and would like me to extend the deadline, please PM me or request an extension in this thread before the deadline.
If you do not make contact with me and ask for an extension, I will assume that you simply do not want to compete in this round and move on after the posted deadline.
I think that's all I need to cover for Week 9. Good luck with Round 9, folks! If you have any questions or concerns about the round, please don't hesitate to contact me. I am always more than happy to help.
But that's besides the point; get building for Round 9 and voting for Rounds 7 and 8, everybody!
