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Citrus Dreamin' - Game Thread - The Penultimate Expedition is Underway
- Thread starter Pi on my Cake
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Going live in just a few minutes
cdunlap
Well-Known Member
It works!Hopefully this one works, let me know if it doesn't
Team Birds: Maim Street
Key Black- Beetlejuice's Escape Red- Maim Street facades and Evil Dead: Curse of the Deadites & Slasher Street show building. Green Square Left- Mushnik's Flower Shop Green Square Right- Future site of Table Service Restaurantsites.google.com
Lord Fozzinator
Well-Known Member
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(Looks at watch)
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I'm so sorry, with Tiki out of town it was on a different channel! I linked to the video, but I forgot to specify that!
It might not be live anymore, but the video is still up to watch
- In the Parks
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Team Boats Review
- First Impressions
- I honestly wasn't expecting too much from this. Fast and Furious is one of those franchises that I feel lends itself really well to a ride, but not as well to a land. But ya'll definitely convinced me here. I thionk the smartest move was the Monacco setting. Not only does that fit with the "famous city" theme that much of Universal studios uses, but it is also a city dedicated to racing. An exciting locale that lends itself well to being a theme park setting before even getting to the Fast and Furious inclusion. That mash up leads to a land that is a great mash up between street racing, international glamour, action, excitement, culture, and fun! Perfectly capturing both the classic racing appeal of the movie series and the more modern "spy" era of the series.
- Presentation
- The website is very nice. Nothing stand out, but that's not an issue. It functions nicely, everything is very clear and easy to read, the site is easy to navigate, even if it isn't a stand out site like some we've seen this season it is still very well done. Especially considering the last minute technical issues
- The map and concept art by @spacemt354 are fantastic. It does a great job perfectly communicating where everything is while still being very fun. I love the winding paths and kinetic energy of the coasters. This looks like a place I want to wander around and explore! And that's not something I thought I'd say about a Fast & Furious land lol
- I want to make sure this concept art by @Architectural Guinea Pig gets seen too! I love the more impressionistic (I'm sure thats the wrong word please correct me if you know) style! It was based off of Space's art and usually I would say not to have two people draw the same thing, but the style is so different that it kind of works here with Space's giving a sense of what it would really look like and AGP's giving a sense of what it would feel like if that makes sense. The art got lost to technical issues and was just able to be uploaded today
- Team Dynamics
- This wound up being a tough week in the last stretch especially with tech issues that popped up, but the team came together real fast and settled on the concept. Ya'll did a great job building off of each other and finding a great rhythm!
- @Lord Fozzinator came on a little strong early on as Skipper (mostly as a joke that didn't land but was meant tongue in cheek), but after that brief rocky start they did a good job leading the team for the first time! I'd recommend maybe checking in with your team once or twice more towards the end updating the to do list with who is doing what. Things like that can go a long way towards helping with a smooth landing. But you did a great job for your first time especially with all the issues at the end
- Introduction - @spacemt354 (I think, I know Space did a draft but not sure if the final one is his)
- Very solid intro. I like leaning into the separated land design with only one way in or out. It fits Universal really well creating an enclosed immersive space and giving more control over guest flow. Plus, this has the advantage over some other lands designed like this by still feeling connected to what is outside and around the sectioned off area. Love it!
- Street Showdown - @spacemt354
- This was fantastic! Love the kinetic energy of it. The way the coasters interact not just with each other, but with the land itself is great. The choice of ride system is really smart leaning into the drifting of the series but without overcomplicating things.
- The queue is great! A car show is sort of the obvious thing to do for F&F, but thats just because its so perfect. Plus, unlike the IRL ride, your car show queue has a reason for existing both in terms of the world/plot, but also for the theme of the coaster.
- The story is fun, but the story is an excuse. This is American Cars vs International Cars: The Ride. And that's such a fun concept for a dueling coaster and a great use of the IP in an unexpected way. The pre-show with Roman and Hobbs making a bet and bickering is perfect for the tone of the series and a very fun set up
- I'm not gonna pretend I have much to say about the stats. I love coasters, but I'm not a "coaster guy" like this so it tends to go over my head. That being said, I appreciate it. Between this and the map, it is clear how much thought and effort went into this.
- I also really love the two halves. The more contained first half weaving through tight streets before launching out above the walking paths for the second half is great. Really clever layout and way of setting it up
- Junior Gran Prix - @Architectural Guinea Pig
- I'm glad this survived. A kid focused "race" like this is a great way to balance out the land. Especially since there's not really anything for kids on that half of the park.
- The idea of bigger cars for parents and smaller cars for kids so they can race each other is really fun! Incorporating almost PeopleMover-esque views of the rest of the park is delightful.
- I don't have much to say about this, but that isn't a knock against it. I love this as a fun kid's ride and you did an excellent job! The detail that rarely the parent car can actually win the race would add to the excitement and fun too I think. That's a nice touch
- Tegan's Tire - @Tegan pilots a chicken
- The giant tire shaped ferris wheel right on the water is such a Tegan move and I mean that as a compliment lol
- It's a crazy idea that feels like it should clash with the glamour of Monaco, but it somehow does work. I like that this wasn't and after thought too. You put in the effort to ground this and add little touches that elevated it. The sponsor is a fun detail and I love the wide seats. Universal needs a few more flats and this would be great
- D-Zone - @Lord Fozzinator
- I kind of love having the car graveyard just off the street racing track. Its a fun yet dark gag that is perfectly "Universal." This is a great "plus" to elevate a land project and just make it feel more alive. And especially in a land that I'd imagine would get quite loud (most of it has a coaster going through it), a quiet area like this is good.
- Rivierra Bungalow - @ThemeParkPriest
- Getting something done right before your trip really does show your passion and dedication these games!
- This is simple, but not in a bad way. I appreciate that it isn't overdesigned. It's a boat house selling Mediterranean food. Don't need to say much more!
- Rally do love the menu though. Just fancy/unique enough to stand out but still appealing to picky theme park eaters. Always love a place with good calamari
- Fast & Furious Bites - @Lord Fozzinator
- This is a very nice additional dining location. Love it having a viewing area overlooking the land/coasters. A good way to add to the kinetic energy of the area and to add some more "plain" food options to compliment the Mediterranean fare at the Bungalow
- Shopping - @Outbound
- I adore the series of small shops. It is how Universal tends to do things and it makes for a really nice mix of options. Makes the land feel alive and lived in. You have a great balance of locations here and really would be a fun experience to just wander around!
- The joke about Universal keeping Vin Diesel and the Rock on retainer just to stop them from making terrible movies is fantastic I love it lol
- The custom RC cars at Tej's Techhouse is a particular stand out. Along with the antique store
- Shopping is generally overlooked or treated as an afterthought in projects like this, so it was nice to see someone give it proper attention and show how much a couple of good stores can elevate a project!
- Conclusion - @Brer Panther
- With all the tech issues it looks like your conclusion got lost in the shuffle, but don't worry I saw it in the chat thread and I'm counting it. You did a good job bringing it all together and highlighting what I think is this land's greatest strength: It's balance. There really is something for everyone here. Which is not something I expected to find in a land themed to a series as one note as Fast & Furious. Ya'll did a great job with this!
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Team Birds Review
- First Impressions
- Elephant in the room and all that. This was a rough and disheartening week for the team on many levels. Ya'll literally fought for this. I'm in awe of you're resilience. It's amazing something was able to be turned in at all, much less something this amazing. There's some nitpicky and mild stuff missing here and there that might be bigger issues in other rounds, but considering everything that happened this was an astounding final product.
- That out of the way, this project makes me personally happy on many levels. Love horror movies and love the idea of a horror land like this.
- Gonna break format a bit and just talk about the land as a whole for a bit just because I lot of my thoughts are on the whole land while I tend to have less to say about specific elements. So, its best to get the land discussion done first since everything else builds off of that
- Land as a Whole
- I really admire that you didn't overthink this too. There's no crazy complex backstory, no deep lore, no super detailed original locations for the setting, no reason everyone is here, no timeline explanation. Those things can be great, but what makes this land work is that the answer to every question about lore is "don't think about it too hard"
- The focus on primarily 80s horror was fun and helped the land feel cohesive as disparate as the elements could be. The simplicity of just focusing on residential areas was a smart move with one half being more urban and the other being more suburban. Almost like Toon Town but way more messed up and creepy lol
- I also really appreciated the mix of fun and spooky horror comedies alongside the more serious and/or intense horror. I think that was a smarter plan than just going full HHN 18+ for the whole land. That being said, I think the layout needed some tweaking to make that work. The Beetlejuice coaster which is more or less a family ride like Hagrid's is directly next to the Evil Dead ride which would probably be the most "Adult" ride at a modern theme park. I don't mind mixing the family friendly thrills and chills alongside the more "grown up" stuff, but if you do that I think you need to either tone down the grown up stuff to be more in line with the family stuff or do a bit more to separate out the more intense features
- I love all the entertainment throughout and how alive the land feels. The rotating cast of roaming characters, multiple pop up shows, streetmosphere, interactive or motion triggered effects, its fantastic! Maybe a bit too live entertainment heavy, but considering this is a sort of permanent HHN in many ways I feel like that works. Its a LOT, but it adds to theme here rather than feeling overwhelming
- Also, love the name. Maim Street is so good lol
- Presentation
- The website is great. Very clear, pleasing to look at. Little touches like putting smaller features in parallel rows was a nice touch
- The map by @MonorailRed (with alterations by @PerGron?) is simple, but it gets the job done. At the end of the day I generally prefer a simple map I can read over a beautiful one I can't follow. That being said, I'm sure if Red's computer hadn't exploded a bit more of a polished map probably would've been made and helped lol
- Team Dynamic
- For the first half, @MonorailRed was doing a great job leading ya'll through brainstorming. Technical issues took them offline for the last few days and having the Skipper physically unable to join in at the end of the project didn't help with everything else going on. But ya'll pulled through
- @WaltWiz1901 I know you struggled with the theme and connecting with it (which is ironic since I moved you to Birds becuase it seemed like you'd be more in sync with them lol), but you did a good job finding a spot to participate and doing a great job with it!
- Land Description - @WaltWiz1901 and @PerGron
- I gave my thoughts on the land itself already, so here I'm more focused on all the specific details you mentioned (which I love, this went such a long way towards making the land feel real)
- The Sewer Drain would surely have a line longer than most character meet & greets just to get threatened by that sewer clown lol. Love IT and this is a really fun way to incorporate the movie. I also really loved the realistic touch of the plexiglass. Shows the level of thought and care put into this.
- Kujo fence and the Exorcist lamp are both great little bits to add!
- Huge Scream fan so the Action News Van is a nice subtle touch. Gale popping out to interview people about all the murders and mayhem around town is a fun interactive bit
- Ghostbusters: Alive! is exactly the kind of streetmosphere pop up show Universal does so well. I'm not sure how well projection mapping would work in the day time and they don't keep the park open super late. But even if its just one showing after sunset this is still a cool addition
- The list of characters is maybe a tad bit high. I know they aren't all out at the same time and it rotates to keep things fresh. Buuut I feel focusing on a smaller set of heavy hitters would've been stronger. I love Scream, the first Scream is probably in my top 5 all time favorite movies. Even I think 6 scream characters might be overkill here. That being said, I really do enjoy having scare actors and character actors as a big focus for the land. It gives it a unique voice. And while I think 25 characters (29 if you count the Ghostbusters from the pop up show) is a bit much, the characters are a big part of what breathes life into the land and gives it such a unique voice.
- Beetlejuice's Escape - @AceAstro
- Beetlejuice lends itself so well to a theme park ride imo that I'm shocked it has never had one and that it isn't done often here. Its a natural fit for an effects heavy coaster like this! One that isn't a kids ride, but not Velocicoaster level of intense either
- The queue taking guests into the attic and then from the to the Netherworld was a clever way to work the elevation change in to get people to the upper level since the coaster goes over an access road/railroad.
- Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Beetlejuice followed by a launch was genius!
- There's pros and cons to the outside portion. On one hand it adds kinetics to the land which is great and gives the coaster some room to breathe. Plus, it ties in to the story of Beetlejuice escaping. The Juice is loose, some might say (that one's for you @JokersWild). But on the other hand I feel like this might be like the outside loop on Tron where its cool but also breaks the immersion of riding through this visually distinct wonderland. Although the coaster riders would give the land a steady supply of screams which adds to the ambience. So, despite my mixed feelings I'm thinking its a net positive
- I love the drop track being used right at the end and just for a gag/jumpscare. That is such a fun detail. Unironically I think that might be my favorite part of the whole coaster
- Evil Dead: Dead by Dawn - @PerGron
- The intro is hilarious. Absolutely a riot
- The ride itself is great too! It maybe pushes the boundaries of what you could get away with in a theme park slightly too far for realism sake. Universal is willing to go darker and more R-Rated from time to time, but a few bits here are probably crossing a line they wouldn't. That being said, this far into the competition you've long since proved your talents. There's nothing wrong with going a little self indulgent with it
- There's a lot of great moments (the turntable chase between Ash and his hand is a favorite) and if I went through everyone I'd just be saying "love it" over and over lol. You did a great job keeping it mostly focused centering it around Ash vs his hand. The pacing was great with ever increasing chaos and building to bigger, wilder stuff. I really appreciate how simple and grounded the effects feel. There's not much going on here that you couldn't have done on a dark ride 30 years ago. It has a timeless feel which works really well here.
- Slasher Street/Horror Make Up - @PerGron
- I know there was bigger plans for what you wanted to do with these, but honestly keeping it simple works best. I love the black box maze kept simple so it can always be updated. The horror make up show being moved here is smart. Both of these keep the theme of live entertainment and scare actors going
- Little Shop Live - @DisneyManOne
- First off loved it. Absolutely well done. Great way to translate it to a theme park setting. Reminds me of the Blues Brother show Uni does in way, a great outdoor pop up show that adds a ton of life to the land for those just passing through but rewards those who check it out with an amazing performance!
- It's a little long. Not the show itself (well, maybe slightly long for an outdoor show), but the write up. Having the entire script kind of overwhelms the project. You're an incredibly talented writer and it truly amazes me how much you can write in how short of a time without sacrificing quality. But also its a lot. Especially for a street show and not the focus of the project.
- That being said, again, loved it. I love the movie. I've seen it performed live more than once. I would absolutely make a priority to watch this everytime I was in the park. And sure the write up is very VERY long, but like I told @PerGron when discussing the Evil Dead dark ride, sometimes towards the end of a competition when you've already built up your resume it is ok to relax and get a little self indulgent. You didn't write this for me, you wrote it for you. The fact that I love it is a bonus
- But maybe next time a bit less detail would be nice. Would help me get the reviews out faster if nothing else lol
- Mushnik's - @DisneyManOne
- I enjoy this being set right after the movie ended. The idea that people are selling souvenirs inside the ruined store is fantastic. Would make for some really fun decor and a really unique area to explore!
- Other Stores - @PerGron
- I love the variety of movies present here. Giving shoutouts to HHN characters, the Warrens, Candyman. Really great group here. I admire that you didn't take the easy way out and just focused on a couple of big names and called it a day. Excellent work here. Can't wait to see that upcoming soon-to-be-hit "The Nun!" Sounds exciting!
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As Expedition 10 is still getting started bringing us ever closer to the end of Time's River and the end of the main game, let's take one last look back at Expedition 9 and officially declare the winner
Look, I hate ties. I really do. They feel like a cop out. But considering both lands did such a great job, both teams excelled in different ways (the kinetics of Monaco vs the entertainment focus of Maim Street), and both teams likely would've fixed the flaws in their projects if not for the shockingly large and disastrous tech issues (and also just being a busy week in general)... I think this might be it. I told myself when starting this game I would allow myself one singular tie. And I think this is where I'm gonna use it. If anyone is mad about it being tie, DM me and I'll tell you "your team won just don't tell anyone"
PerGron
Well-Known Member
I wrote the middle finger bit for me and me alone lol
WaltWiz1901
Well-Known Member
Yeah, it was a bummer that the direction I was pushing for wasn't the majority's pick, but like you and Joker said in the podcast, in the long run it was probably for the best that we went with a horror land first and foremost...
...and about the bolded, hopefully this current round will prove you right
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I think on the podcast I said it felt like you went "and now a little treat for myself, I've earned it" lol
PerGron
Well-Known Member
It’s just glimpse into my dark reality. A full stare into my twisted perspective would make most simply go insane.
Evilgidgit
Well-Known Member
After reading what happened, I can safely say that I am appalled but such rancid behaviour. I don't participate in the comps much anymore, but it's nice to see everyone else put such effort, teamwork, and creativity into projects. Then to have it all deleted for the "lulz" is completely and utterly unforgivable. I don't think I have ever seen such selfish stupidity on this forum since I joined this lovely community. No, just, no.
Meanwhile:
Meanwhile:
Are you kidding me? Guest services was considered an attraction!? I'd ask if they were Tangled theme but that's five years too early.
Lord Fozzinator
Well-Known Member
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I think we are all utterly disgusted by this kind of behavior. All of you have made that quite clear. Do I miss him, HELL NO. The dude was utterly annoying and at some points he would demand certain stuff which I personally don’t like. The ban was well deserved. I am thankful that people from even outside of the game are speaking about this.
Lord Fozzinator
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
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I forgot to mention this earlier but I would like to say thank you to @Architectural Guinea Pig for keeping my autopia idea alive.
cdunlap
Well-Known Member
I hate what Disney-Universal Fanboy did and I’ll NEVER forgive him for it! Now, I will present my personal memories of him. Disney-Universal Fanboy was an enthusiastic co-worker but he could get very, very, very annoying at times and seemed to have an inability to see value in my concepts that he didn’t like, but somehow valued concepts of mine that fit his ideal park perfectly, so I'm very glad that I don't have to work with him anymore, and that’s not something I say often!
JokersWild
Well-Known Member
Guys, seriously. I know you’re all upset, as am I, but we don’t need to keep bashing him like this. It’s been three days, he’s gone, and we’re moving past it. He was obviously just a young kid who did stupid, immature stuff.
But Hong Kong Disneyland is ridiculous, am I right? I checked and Pi was absolutely right - you can for some reason meet each and every one of Duffy and his friends as separate attractions. I’ll never understand why I can’t meet Gelatoni in Tokyo.
But Hong Kong Disneyland is ridiculous, am I right? I checked and Pi was absolutely right - you can for some reason meet each and every one of Duffy and his friends as separate attractions. I’ll never understand why I can’t meet Gelatoni in Tokyo.
cdunlap
Well-Known Member
The only part of HKDL that I like is Mystic Point and that didn’t open with the park.
Lord Fozzinator
Well-Known Member
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Well let’s see. What do I like about Hong Kong Disneyland.
, can’t really think of anything. Not really in love with mystic manor even tho it is a good ride, I don’t like marvel so that discounts that, and well frozen is something (why does the castle look so small). (Small note here, sorry if I keep on talking about you know who. Every time I read through it, it just makes be angrier, a lot of annoyance and anger boiled over. Again, sorry for keeping on bringing it up).
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- In the Parks
- Yes
Thanks for that, was gonna say the same thing
I like how to this day the most unique feature of their Fantasyland is STILL just a series of gazebos that characters meet in. Everything else there is done (and generally done better) in other parks
TheOriginalTiki
Well-Known Member
Sooooo I totally didn't miss anything while I was in Vegas, right??