So it's come to this. Two teams of three. Each with a strong and varied backstory. At this point, Team Elias is now the underdog against the powerhouse trio of TrevorA, KingMickey, and Mater, who have pretty much been outed as a voting block. It just makes things all the more interesting. If the Treacherous Trio (Sorry guys, we HAD to give you a name, haha) makes the merge (Which by the way...happens at the end of this project...But you didn't hear that from me) intact, they'll be a SERIOUS force to be reckoned with, more than any other combination of players the game has ever seen. But if they are forced to vote off one of their own...then things could get interesting. Then again, maybe they'll make the merge intact and then start targeting each other. To hell with it, this is just a COMPLETELY unpredictable season. I'm literally waiting on the edge of my seat for the projects to get turned in so we can get close and close to that elusive final project. Who will go on to claim the title of Winner of So, You Want to be an Imagineer Season Seven? Well, we'll find out in exactly three projects...not counting the current one. In the meantime, I guess I should start doing what I came here to do in the first place, which is to give my thoughts about the previous project. Well, let's get started I guess.
First of all, let me just say that I really appreciate the effort you guys put in to making these things unique. I do kind of think the win was kind of a landslide victory, but each project I enjoyed in their own separate way. This project was MEANT to be challenging. We gave you guys a break with the water slide, but trust me, the next project after this is something you will NEVER see coming. Back to this though...the point of this challenge was basically to keep you guys on your toes. I know it was difficult coming up with a completely new form of transportation at a Disney park, and I think despite this challenge, you guys handled yourselves really well.
Team Technicolor, I think you guys maybe got a little dysfunctional this round. I mean let's face it, there was a distinct lack of communication between the four of you. The alliance works well as an alliance, but when there's another person involved in the operation, they seem to crumble. Look at how difficult it was for them to work with MouseketeerCole, who was the Fans' secret weapon back in the early projects. Hack unfortunately never really stood a chance. Now, about the project itself. I, unlike MEW, actually liked that there were only two stops. It's a small park, and I could see how having a transportation system going to opposite ends of the park would be really convenient. Now, the thing I didn't like about the project was...well...there's no other way to put this...The show scenes simply seemed out of place. I didn't really understand what the point of having Roger and Jessica just waving at you would be, and gangsters firing at your car just seems more Universal than Disney. I don't know...I liked the method of transportation itself a lot, but the show scenes were just kind of a misfire.
Now, on to Team Elias. Well..Once again, all I can say is WOW. You guys REALLY went above and beyond with this project. First of all, I felt the narration REALLY captured DCA in a great way that actually makes me WANT to explore it, which I think is an element that's direly missing from the park in general. I also found your show scenes A LOT more interesting and natural than the ones found in the other project. The flight over Hollywood, in particular, sounds absolutely breathtaking. You guys REALLY outdid yourself, though, when it came to including the audio tour at the end. That's like...Some of the biggest devotion I've ever seen to a project in this game. You guys are definitely a class act.
Alas though, it is still anyone's game. With two teams of three still in the contest, and a merge looming, the big question will be which team will go into the merge with the majority. The game is almost over folks, but the real competition is just getting started. Friday REALLY can't come soon enough!
-Tiki
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Official Commentary: Projects Four Through Six
Okay, seriously, does anyone have a paper bag I could breath into? Is it just me, or was that one of the most intense eliminations the game has ever seen? Well done guys, you really are living up to the promise of this season, even more than my wildest imagination could have imagined it. Season Seven really is a slam dunk, and even though it's me and MEW putting it all together behind the scenes, it's you guys who really make this happen. Seriously, you can't WRITE drama this crazy.
Well, I guess we have to start off with the carnival project. As expected, KingMickey swapping over to the Fans team really helped them gain the upper hand. With basically the middle man of the Favorites suddenly slipped out from under their feet, they really didn't know what to do. In the end though, it WAS a tough decision. Favorites, I really did like your Yo Yo idea. It really seems like something I would TOTALLY be into riding, unlike the Flying Trapeze, which honestly, sounds terrifying. But terrifying in a good way. Let's just say, last weekend I went to the Petaluma (Well, Sonoma Marin) Fair, and did the Zipper for the first time. I spent the whole three minutes begging for my life and wanting to get off. The first half was terrifying because I was WAY paranoid about our basket flipping when we were stopped in the loading process (Oh god, to be at the top of a Zipper when it's loading. Seriously, there's no stronger adrenaline rush I've ever felt...Besides maybe the Sun Wheel. I'm sorry, but the flipping side of that ride is just NOT for me.)
Well, yeah, The Flying Trapeze felt like that. Kudos to whoever did the ride description, because it was some really good writing that legitimately "took me there." Both projects were really very impressive, and in the end, I think it really did come down to presentation. That is basically KingMickey's specialty, so like I said, that was what gave the Fans the upper hand. Overall, I found Project Four to be a really enjoyable project, because it was something we've never experimented with before in the game, and because the projects themselves were really dynamic.
...But nothing could of prepared us for what happened next.
The Three Team Swap was the idea that trademarked all of me and MEWs brainstorming sessions when it came to coming up with the overall gameplay layout and twists that went into season seven. It was an idea that was hatched in my head as basically the first thing I came up with, way back when Season Six was JUST getting started. Oh god, guys, there's SO much to say about your Blue Sky Projects, but I really just need to get this blog post over with, so let's just say, I basically agree with everything MEW said. You guys ALL did an AMAZING job. I think it basically came down to participation, and let's face it, Team WestCot was really a distant third when it came to that, even if you guys did manage to pull it together at the last minute. It's interesting to note that Team WestCot is still completely in tact in the game, with Hack now joining TrevorA on Team Technicolor and Jessiestudio fighting strong on Team Elias as this current round's PoMVP holder, Team WestCot is still a strong presence in this season's storyline. The team dynamics this season have just been incredible. There's no other way to put it. I mean, for better or for worse, we've seen some of the most controversial inner personal relationships develop this season that I honestly think it's going to take an encyclopedia to record it all. The issue of MouseketeerCole might even be a little touchy, since, in essence what happened this round, and I don't think anyone can really deny it, is an alliance was formed. I mean let's face it, King, Mater, and Trevor have always been close in the game, and now I really think they have control. This isn't a bad thing though. This is EXACTLY what I wanted to see happen. You have to understand, even though there's a social structure to this game, it just means that the game is evolving. One of Cole's biggest issues was that he simply could not "gel" with his other team members, despite his many contributions in the projects. I am very saddened by Cole's elimination, but at the same time, I feel like that's the way the game works. Anyways, here we go. We find ourselves with two teams of eight. It truly is ANYONE'S game at this point. Mark my words folks, EVERY project from here on out will have some kind of twist to it. Speaking of which, because the numbers didn't technically go down this project due to Hack coming back into the game, I think it might be time for another double elimination....Just saying. Oh, and by the way...Cole is the first member of the jury. More details on that later. Alright guys, keep up the good work. This season is really, truly, groundbreaking. And it's only going to get more intense from here!
-Tiki
Well, I guess we have to start off with the carnival project. As expected, KingMickey swapping over to the Fans team really helped them gain the upper hand. With basically the middle man of the Favorites suddenly slipped out from under their feet, they really didn't know what to do. In the end though, it WAS a tough decision. Favorites, I really did like your Yo Yo idea. It really seems like something I would TOTALLY be into riding, unlike the Flying Trapeze, which honestly, sounds terrifying. But terrifying in a good way. Let's just say, last weekend I went to the Petaluma (Well, Sonoma Marin) Fair, and did the Zipper for the first time. I spent the whole three minutes begging for my life and wanting to get off. The first half was terrifying because I was WAY paranoid about our basket flipping when we were stopped in the loading process (Oh god, to be at the top of a Zipper when it's loading. Seriously, there's no stronger adrenaline rush I've ever felt...Besides maybe the Sun Wheel. I'm sorry, but the flipping side of that ride is just NOT for me.)
Well, yeah, The Flying Trapeze felt like that. Kudos to whoever did the ride description, because it was some really good writing that legitimately "took me there." Both projects were really very impressive, and in the end, I think it really did come down to presentation. That is basically KingMickey's specialty, so like I said, that was what gave the Fans the upper hand. Overall, I found Project Four to be a really enjoyable project, because it was something we've never experimented with before in the game, and because the projects themselves were really dynamic.
...But nothing could of prepared us for what happened next.
The Three Team Swap was the idea that trademarked all of me and MEWs brainstorming sessions when it came to coming up with the overall gameplay layout and twists that went into season seven. It was an idea that was hatched in my head as basically the first thing I came up with, way back when Season Six was JUST getting started. Oh god, guys, there's SO much to say about your Blue Sky Projects, but I really just need to get this blog post over with, so let's just say, I basically agree with everything MEW said. You guys ALL did an AMAZING job. I think it basically came down to participation, and let's face it, Team WestCot was really a distant third when it came to that, even if you guys did manage to pull it together at the last minute. It's interesting to note that Team WestCot is still completely in tact in the game, with Hack now joining TrevorA on Team Technicolor and Jessiestudio fighting strong on Team Elias as this current round's PoMVP holder, Team WestCot is still a strong presence in this season's storyline. The team dynamics this season have just been incredible. There's no other way to put it. I mean, for better or for worse, we've seen some of the most controversial inner personal relationships develop this season that I honestly think it's going to take an encyclopedia to record it all. The issue of MouseketeerCole might even be a little touchy, since, in essence what happened this round, and I don't think anyone can really deny it, is an alliance was formed. I mean let's face it, King, Mater, and Trevor have always been close in the game, and now I really think they have control. This isn't a bad thing though. This is EXACTLY what I wanted to see happen. You have to understand, even though there's a social structure to this game, it just means that the game is evolving. One of Cole's biggest issues was that he simply could not "gel" with his other team members, despite his many contributions in the projects. I am very saddened by Cole's elimination, but at the same time, I feel like that's the way the game works. Anyways, here we go. We find ourselves with two teams of eight. It truly is ANYONE'S game at this point. Mark my words folks, EVERY project from here on out will have some kind of twist to it. Speaking of which, because the numbers didn't technically go down this project due to Hack coming back into the game, I think it might be time for another double elimination....Just saying. Oh, and by the way...Cole is the first member of the jury. More details on that later. Alright guys, keep up the good work. This season is really, truly, groundbreaking. And it's only going to get more intense from here!
-Tiki
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Sky Blue Imagineering: Aquatopia
Hello folks. The reason why you haven't seen a blog post for the past project is because, like last time, these two projects kind of run together. I'm saving it for a big commentary where I'll talk about the final outcome of the first half of the season, Fans vs. Favorites, and move on to the second half, where we are now split into three teams. The storyline could go anywhere from here.
Keep in mind, in a way, this is still very much Fans vs. Favorites. Team Elias is made up of all Fans, while Team WestCot is made up of a trio of Favorites. Team Technicolor, on the other hand, kind of fits its namesake well, because we have two HUGE characters on the former Favorites Team (That would be Mater and KingMickey, for anyone whose not keeping score) are teamed up with former Fan MouseketeerCole, who had previously established himself as a power player on his previous team. Like I said people, ANYTHING can happen.
Anyways, enough commentary, the real reason I'm here is to introduce a new series into the So, You Want to be an Imagineer Blog (Along with other series Top 10 and Project Commentary) called Sky Blue Imagineering. Sky Blue Imagineering is basically me just throwing any and all ideas out in the air. Now that we've got that concept established, let's move on to the actual attraction I want to show you today.
The attraction is called AquaTopia. It's a brand new Autopia/Water Coaster hybrid, built for Team Communicore's Tomorrowland for the League of Dreamers competition. This is the redesigned attraction challenge.
So anyways, the concept of AquaTopia is this: World famous Car Manufacturer/Deep Sea Explore Pete Siden (Get it...Posiden?) has invented a new kind of car that has the ability to travel underwater. To demonstrate this new technology, he's invited you to the Tomorrowland Living Seas Laboratories. The name an obvious homage to the famous Epcot pavilion. So basically, here's the general idea for the ride. Yes, I think a technology would be possible to travel rides through underwater through scenes in PeopleMover like (AquaMobiles) that are basically PeopleMovers with glass domes instead of open awnings. Add a Steampunk element, and the fact that guests control how fast they go down the track, and I hope you get the idea. Sorry I couldn't draw something up...I'm really bad at art.
Anyways, here we go...
Exterior:
The exterior of the ride will be a huge, three story watchtower, painted in pure gold. The watchtower will be looming on a cliff, with gaping holes on both sides. Every 90 seconds or so, a wave from the back of the exterior crashes down the holes, creating a waterfall like effect. The watchtower is in a Steampunk style and shaped kind of like a smaller scale Carousel theater. The queue begins with guests winding their way up a ramp on the street level of Tomorrowland, and traveling three stories into the actual watchtower.
Queue:
When we get inside the tower, we discover almost immediately that the whole thing is a front for the top secret Living Seas Labs. The rest of the queue winds its way past various experiments in water of various consistencies, regions, and temperature. The room with the safety video, which also serves to set up the plot, is a Steampunk garage, with an AquaMobile front and center, and screens on the four corners of the room.
The video lays out the story of Dr. Pete Siden, who believed that a great way to solve man's reliance on fossil fuels would be to develop automobiles that could actually travel underwater. The result is the AquaMobile.
Okay, here's the story with the Aquamobile. It doesn't actually travel underwater. Much like the proposed Little Mermaid dark ride, this ride will feature a Dry/Wet effect. Simulating being underwater without ACTUALLY being underwater. Of course, the vehicle will have to have a domed top to complete the effect, after all people would obviously know they weren't really underwater if they were exposed to the effect. But fear not, the glass dome will actually increase the enjoyment of the ride. Basically, each car is a four person vehicle. In the middle of the car, there is a joystick, push it forward to speed up, backwards to slow down. There will be four tracks. Each track will essentially have the same route. The reason why there are so many is to increase capacity. Basically, were looking at four tracks with 12 Aquamobiles a piece. Each getting launched 90 seconds apart from each other. Obviously, there will be a strict no bumping rule.
Sorry I can't get into more detail about the following show scenes. This is a Blue Sky concept after all though, so what can I say. As of now, this idea is kind of up in the air, but I do have a general idea of the show scenes. Basically, first of all they will all be relatively large in scale. Let's say, each show scene will be AT LEAST as big as the Burning Village set of Pirates. The four rooms will each be themed to one of the four oceans, and the entire ride will be described as a Test Track style simulation of the various underwater climates these AquaMobiles will have to face.
Anyways, in order of appearance, we have.
Pacific Ocean:
The Pacific Ocean will be highlighted by two things, underwater volcanoes and an underwater earthquake. The first part of the scene will be a valley of underwater volcanoes. Beautiful, potentially deadly, and bubbling. We round a corner, and suddenly, the room is shaking. We then see the ocean floor literally getting torn in half. We round a corner and go on towards the next ocean.
Atlantic Ocean:
Much like the West Coast has to deal with earthquakes, the East Coast has to deal with hurricanes. So, to start off the Atlantic Ocean set piece, we'll have a showcase of all the exotic sea life of places such as the Caribbean and the Florida Keys. Highlights including giant turtles and jellyfish. These will all be presented as Audio Animatronics, but in a very realistic way. The second half of the building finds your entire car spinning. This is because your AquaMobile actually includes technology that spins the cars body at certain points along the route. Anyways, the spinning of course is meant to simulate a hurricane. Quickly, we escape amidst an effect of bubbles swirling all around us and head into the next track.
Indian Ocean:
This is the part of the ride I have the roughest idea about. Basically, I want to have some kind of a scene involving a cave and a dangerous sea creature, then something about a tsunami or tidal wave which will involve the AquaMobile shaking due to more EMV technology. (Really, the AquaMobile will perhaps be the most technologically advanced ride vehicle Disney has ever done.) Finally, we enter our fourth and final show scene.
Arctic Ocean:
The Arctic Ocean set piece takes place in the icy depths surrounding Antarctica. First of all, the temperature in this room will be FREEZING to give the scene a startling sense of urgency. In yet another moment of playing around with the AquaMobile, at one point your AquaMobile will become stalled, and even eventually start to freeze over. You are saved at the last minute by the AquaMobile's "Built in state of the art emergency defrost technology." The grand finale of the ride takes place in an erupting underwater volcano. Amidst all the ice, the lava will give the scene a startling dangerous beauty. After Rounding one last corner, you find yourself back in the garage. You then exit down another ramp, back through the front cliffs and watchtower, and into the futuristic world of Tomorrowland, after having experienced a little piece of what the future of automobiles might have in store.
AquaTopia is a mix of classic Disney E Ticket dark ride, Autopia car rides, and just a dash of Steampunk. It also fits perfectly into the realm of Tomorrowland by delivering an optimistic view of what the future of automobile technology might be like. I hope you guys liked it. Remember, this is my submission for Team Communicore's Autopia re-imagining for the League of Dreamers contest.
Keep in mind, in a way, this is still very much Fans vs. Favorites. Team Elias is made up of all Fans, while Team WestCot is made up of a trio of Favorites. Team Technicolor, on the other hand, kind of fits its namesake well, because we have two HUGE characters on the former Favorites Team (That would be Mater and KingMickey, for anyone whose not keeping score) are teamed up with former Fan MouseketeerCole, who had previously established himself as a power player on his previous team. Like I said people, ANYTHING can happen.
Anyways, enough commentary, the real reason I'm here is to introduce a new series into the So, You Want to be an Imagineer Blog (Along with other series Top 10 and Project Commentary) called Sky Blue Imagineering. Sky Blue Imagineering is basically me just throwing any and all ideas out in the air. Now that we've got that concept established, let's move on to the actual attraction I want to show you today.
The attraction is called AquaTopia. It's a brand new Autopia/Water Coaster hybrid, built for Team Communicore's Tomorrowland for the League of Dreamers competition. This is the redesigned attraction challenge.
So anyways, the concept of AquaTopia is this: World famous Car Manufacturer/Deep Sea Explore Pete Siden (Get it...Posiden?) has invented a new kind of car that has the ability to travel underwater. To demonstrate this new technology, he's invited you to the Tomorrowland Living Seas Laboratories. The name an obvious homage to the famous Epcot pavilion. So basically, here's the general idea for the ride. Yes, I think a technology would be possible to travel rides through underwater through scenes in PeopleMover like (AquaMobiles) that are basically PeopleMovers with glass domes instead of open awnings. Add a Steampunk element, and the fact that guests control how fast they go down the track, and I hope you get the idea. Sorry I couldn't draw something up...I'm really bad at art.
Anyways, here we go...
Exterior:
The exterior of the ride will be a huge, three story watchtower, painted in pure gold. The watchtower will be looming on a cliff, with gaping holes on both sides. Every 90 seconds or so, a wave from the back of the exterior crashes down the holes, creating a waterfall like effect. The watchtower is in a Steampunk style and shaped kind of like a smaller scale Carousel theater. The queue begins with guests winding their way up a ramp on the street level of Tomorrowland, and traveling three stories into the actual watchtower.
Queue:
When we get inside the tower, we discover almost immediately that the whole thing is a front for the top secret Living Seas Labs. The rest of the queue winds its way past various experiments in water of various consistencies, regions, and temperature. The room with the safety video, which also serves to set up the plot, is a Steampunk garage, with an AquaMobile front and center, and screens on the four corners of the room.
The video lays out the story of Dr. Pete Siden, who believed that a great way to solve man's reliance on fossil fuels would be to develop automobiles that could actually travel underwater. The result is the AquaMobile.
Okay, here's the story with the Aquamobile. It doesn't actually travel underwater. Much like the proposed Little Mermaid dark ride, this ride will feature a Dry/Wet effect. Simulating being underwater without ACTUALLY being underwater. Of course, the vehicle will have to have a domed top to complete the effect, after all people would obviously know they weren't really underwater if they were exposed to the effect. But fear not, the glass dome will actually increase the enjoyment of the ride. Basically, each car is a four person vehicle. In the middle of the car, there is a joystick, push it forward to speed up, backwards to slow down. There will be four tracks. Each track will essentially have the same route. The reason why there are so many is to increase capacity. Basically, were looking at four tracks with 12 Aquamobiles a piece. Each getting launched 90 seconds apart from each other. Obviously, there will be a strict no bumping rule.
Sorry I can't get into more detail about the following show scenes. This is a Blue Sky concept after all though, so what can I say. As of now, this idea is kind of up in the air, but I do have a general idea of the show scenes. Basically, first of all they will all be relatively large in scale. Let's say, each show scene will be AT LEAST as big as the Burning Village set of Pirates. The four rooms will each be themed to one of the four oceans, and the entire ride will be described as a Test Track style simulation of the various underwater climates these AquaMobiles will have to face.
Anyways, in order of appearance, we have.
Pacific Ocean:
The Pacific Ocean will be highlighted by two things, underwater volcanoes and an underwater earthquake. The first part of the scene will be a valley of underwater volcanoes. Beautiful, potentially deadly, and bubbling. We round a corner, and suddenly, the room is shaking. We then see the ocean floor literally getting torn in half. We round a corner and go on towards the next ocean.
Atlantic Ocean:
Much like the West Coast has to deal with earthquakes, the East Coast has to deal with hurricanes. So, to start off the Atlantic Ocean set piece, we'll have a showcase of all the exotic sea life of places such as the Caribbean and the Florida Keys. Highlights including giant turtles and jellyfish. These will all be presented as Audio Animatronics, but in a very realistic way. The second half of the building finds your entire car spinning. This is because your AquaMobile actually includes technology that spins the cars body at certain points along the route. Anyways, the spinning of course is meant to simulate a hurricane. Quickly, we escape amidst an effect of bubbles swirling all around us and head into the next track.
Indian Ocean:
This is the part of the ride I have the roughest idea about. Basically, I want to have some kind of a scene involving a cave and a dangerous sea creature, then something about a tsunami or tidal wave which will involve the AquaMobile shaking due to more EMV technology. (Really, the AquaMobile will perhaps be the most technologically advanced ride vehicle Disney has ever done.) Finally, we enter our fourth and final show scene.
Arctic Ocean:
The Arctic Ocean set piece takes place in the icy depths surrounding Antarctica. First of all, the temperature in this room will be FREEZING to give the scene a startling sense of urgency. In yet another moment of playing around with the AquaMobile, at one point your AquaMobile will become stalled, and even eventually start to freeze over. You are saved at the last minute by the AquaMobile's "Built in state of the art emergency defrost technology." The grand finale of the ride takes place in an erupting underwater volcano. Amidst all the ice, the lava will give the scene a startling dangerous beauty. After Rounding one last corner, you find yourself back in the garage. You then exit down another ramp, back through the front cliffs and watchtower, and into the futuristic world of Tomorrowland, after having experienced a little piece of what the future of automobiles might have in store.
AquaTopia is a mix of classic Disney E Ticket dark ride, Autopia car rides, and just a dash of Steampunk. It also fits perfectly into the realm of Tomorrowland by delivering an optimistic view of what the future of automobile technology might be like. I hope you guys liked it. Remember, this is my submission for Team Communicore's Autopia re-imagining for the League of Dreamers contest.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Projects Two and Three: Official Commentary
If any players are around from the days of the first few seasons, you'll remember that it would sometimes take almost a month or at least several weeks to go from project to project. Did you ever think we'd see two complete projects play out within the course of a week? I've got to say, that's one of the things that's improved with the game, well along with pretty much everything, is how much more efficient and on top of things we were now. Anyways, the last two projects basically could be viewed as one big project, which I why I decided to write just one blog post about the two.
The basic theme of the projects was essentially getting to the root of what Disney does best, what sets them above the competition, which of course is the detail and immerse quality of all their parks. Hidden Mickeys and off the beaten path areas really aren't found anywhere else in the world, are they? I mean sure, other theme parks have quiet areas that are away from the hustle and bustle, but they don't immerse yourself in it quiet like Disney. As for Hidden Mickeys...Well, I'd say it's safe to say that they are simply a breed all their own.
The team interaction these two projects were great. It doesn't matter that the Favorites came out winning both of them, pretty much everyone did a great job in brainstorming this time around, and the people that didn't really contribute are now eliminated. That's one of the only things I didn't really care for about this particular set of projects was the stagnancy of the eliminations. Then again, when a player disappears, it really can't be helped. Now that were down to this particular group of ten, I really feel that things will competitively get really intense form here on out. There's really no fat to trim off of either of the teams anymore. Each person is pretty much essential to how the teams work as a whole. It will be a pretty riveting experience now that everyone left is a pretty big player.
I think the projects themselves were easily some of the better ones I've seen in the early stages of the game in any season, especially from the Favorites side. I must say, in this situation, it really reminds me of how Team Ansem won the first two projects in Season Six. They had the presentation aspect of the game down, something Team Yensid didn't possess. I think that's where the Fans' shortcoming is as well. To be honest, the Fans come up with some really clever ideas...It's their selling of their ideas that they have to work on. It's not that their projects aren't well written or anything, it's just that they could use a little bit more of a "wow" factor to them, that the Favorites have. I can't really explain it, it's something you guys will have to find for yourselves. In my opinion, the Off the Beaten Path project was a blowout in favor of the Favorites, but the Hidden Mickeys project was actually very close, and both teams presented really interesting ideas.
I really don't know what happened regarding the pair of eliminations these past projects, Twilight Roxas and Disneyman88. With Roxas, I really think it comes down to him simply not being invested in the game. I really don't think he ever contributed much of anything in his run. It's a shame, considering how out of the box he's been when I've worked with him. Hopefully he'll shine in this competition yet. As for Disneyman88, again, I think this is really a shame. I think it's basically a case of some kind of personal or computer related difficulty keeping the person from posting. Why else would someone so dedicated seem to drop off the face of the earth like that? With that being said, I think eliminating these two really eliminated the only "dead weights" left in the cast.
Now were on to the real competition. I'm hoping KingMickey on the Fans team can bring them some victory. Remember, KingMickey was the Team Leader of Team Ansem, the very same team that won the first two projects in Season Six. He knows about presentation. And like I said, things are about to get REALLY intense from here on out. I won't get into details, but prepare for a major game changing twist at the end of this project...In the meantime, get to work on your carnival rides, and here's to Season Seven's continued success!
-Tiki
The basic theme of the projects was essentially getting to the root of what Disney does best, what sets them above the competition, which of course is the detail and immerse quality of all their parks. Hidden Mickeys and off the beaten path areas really aren't found anywhere else in the world, are they? I mean sure, other theme parks have quiet areas that are away from the hustle and bustle, but they don't immerse yourself in it quiet like Disney. As for Hidden Mickeys...Well, I'd say it's safe to say that they are simply a breed all their own.
The team interaction these two projects were great. It doesn't matter that the Favorites came out winning both of them, pretty much everyone did a great job in brainstorming this time around, and the people that didn't really contribute are now eliminated. That's one of the only things I didn't really care for about this particular set of projects was the stagnancy of the eliminations. Then again, when a player disappears, it really can't be helped. Now that were down to this particular group of ten, I really feel that things will competitively get really intense form here on out. There's really no fat to trim off of either of the teams anymore. Each person is pretty much essential to how the teams work as a whole. It will be a pretty riveting experience now that everyone left is a pretty big player.
I think the projects themselves were easily some of the better ones I've seen in the early stages of the game in any season, especially from the Favorites side. I must say, in this situation, it really reminds me of how Team Ansem won the first two projects in Season Six. They had the presentation aspect of the game down, something Team Yensid didn't possess. I think that's where the Fans' shortcoming is as well. To be honest, the Fans come up with some really clever ideas...It's their selling of their ideas that they have to work on. It's not that their projects aren't well written or anything, it's just that they could use a little bit more of a "wow" factor to them, that the Favorites have. I can't really explain it, it's something you guys will have to find for yourselves. In my opinion, the Off the Beaten Path project was a blowout in favor of the Favorites, but the Hidden Mickeys project was actually very close, and both teams presented really interesting ideas.
I really don't know what happened regarding the pair of eliminations these past projects, Twilight Roxas and Disneyman88. With Roxas, I really think it comes down to him simply not being invested in the game. I really don't think he ever contributed much of anything in his run. It's a shame, considering how out of the box he's been when I've worked with him. Hopefully he'll shine in this competition yet. As for Disneyman88, again, I think this is really a shame. I think it's basically a case of some kind of personal or computer related difficulty keeping the person from posting. Why else would someone so dedicated seem to drop off the face of the earth like that? With that being said, I think eliminating these two really eliminated the only "dead weights" left in the cast.
Now were on to the real competition. I'm hoping KingMickey on the Fans team can bring them some victory. Remember, KingMickey was the Team Leader of Team Ansem, the very same team that won the first two projects in Season Six. He knows about presentation. And like I said, things are about to get REALLY intense from here on out. I won't get into details, but prepare for a major game changing twist at the end of this project...In the meantime, get to work on your carnival rides, and here's to Season Seven's continued success!
-Tiki
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Project One Official Commentary
Wow. All I can say, is what a project. More than that, what a grand, epic start to what is going shaping out to be by far the most engaging, controversial, and competitive season we've ever had. And were only one project in! There's just no other way to say this. Season Seven is turning out to be a grand slam. With that in mind, let's examine the actual project.
Things started out with a bang as soon as the projects got underway. The two teams, the Fans and the Favorites, headed by Monkey4057 and JPhelps, respectively, got to work on their Blue Sky Project, one project designed by both teams working together. A quick word about the Blue Sky Project concept. I do remember back when Season Six ended, I said that the first project of Season Seven would be a game pushing idea that would have the game be played in a whole new way. Well...wasn't I right? I love the idea of Blue Sky Projects, as it gives the teams so much creative freedom to just let their imaginations run wild. I'll talk about the actual product the teams came up with a bit later on. There will be two more Blue Sky Projects throughout the course of the season. Both played in different ways, both at critical points in the competition. Stay tuned...
The amount of actual brainstorming going on this project was just...ridiculous. I really wasn't sure how this fourteen people working on one project thing was going to turn out, but really, for the most part, you guys really ran with it. I love the cast this season because in addition to playing well off of their individual team members, they also play well off of members of their opposing teams. Things will get really interesting when we get to the Team Swap. Oops, did I just say that? Nevermind...Moving on.
Now, let's get to the final project. First of all, I want to say that the technology you guys came up with for this E Ticket really was very impressive. I really do find it curious that Disney has never dabbled in water coaster technology. The queue was also really impressive. Yes, it combined various elements of other Disney queues, but I think that's exactly what made it work. Now, the problem I had was with the actual ride. To be quiet frank here, I found it to be a bit disjointed. The scenes themselves were all exciting, but honestly to me it just didn't really flow very well. It all felt really episodic without any sort of an established OVERALL setting or overall goal. It just seemed like one random adventure after another, and really it went on for two scenes too long. I thought the whirlpool was the climax, and pacing wise it was just kind of awkward having two other scenes after a scene that big and exciting. There were some really good ideas at play here, I think pacing was by far the biggest issue I had with the overall package.
Let me just say that I really did appreciate all the hard work and determination put into this project. I'm not going to name names, but each and everyone one of you contributed something. Okay fine, I will name one name. Twilight Roxas, you seriously need to step up to the plate, because you've been contributing next to nothing. I know you've got a really creative imagination. Run with it. You could do great in this competition if you just gave it a little bit of an effort. I hope you're reading this.
I guess I should also say a few words about the three victims this first project. First, we have MickeyFan5534. There's not a lot to say about him. He just got caught up in other Imagineering project. Alyx92 was a person I really did have my eye on. Unfortunately, he is having computer troubles, and that's really something that can't be helped. Sucky situation, but it happens. Lastly we have JPhelps, eliminated in thirteenth place. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that JPhelps' performance this project was perhaps the most memorable of any first project elimination in the history of the game. You've got to admit, he was trying to get a grasp on the Team Leader thing. Finals are what kills a lot of people's games, and JPhelps was just the latest victim of this. The big move on his run, however, was targeting MaterA113 and TrevorA for elimination. It's funny, because Mater and Trevor really are kind of a team, being the two masterminds behind WDWMagic's "The Imagineer" and "Leauge of Dreamers". I think basically, JPhelps just targeted the wrong people, because that really is kind of a power duo right there, and after dropping the ball by not turning in his project, he really didn't have a chance. Like I said though, he really did have a hell of a storyline this season, even if it did only last one project.
As for the rest of you, while admit-ably some of you have done more work than others, I'd say overall this is the most solid cast we've ever had, bar none. As if that wasn't obvious already. Remember, there's a secret power lurking. One on the Fans team, one on the Favorites team, held by the winners of the Favorite Project contest and Personal Blue Sky contest. One last notes. The Favorites need to chose a new Team Leader. I've been thinking this over, and Mater, I know you really want to do it, but the more I think about it, you had half a season as a Team Leader in Season Six, and I really want some fresh blood. I'm really sorry, and hope you understand. So with that in mind guys, get me a name. Sometime today would be preferable. You guys are off to a killer start. Keep up the good work.
Things started out with a bang as soon as the projects got underway. The two teams, the Fans and the Favorites, headed by Monkey4057 and JPhelps, respectively, got to work on their Blue Sky Project, one project designed by both teams working together. A quick word about the Blue Sky Project concept. I do remember back when Season Six ended, I said that the first project of Season Seven would be a game pushing idea that would have the game be played in a whole new way. Well...wasn't I right? I love the idea of Blue Sky Projects, as it gives the teams so much creative freedom to just let their imaginations run wild. I'll talk about the actual product the teams came up with a bit later on. There will be two more Blue Sky Projects throughout the course of the season. Both played in different ways, both at critical points in the competition. Stay tuned...
The amount of actual brainstorming going on this project was just...ridiculous. I really wasn't sure how this fourteen people working on one project thing was going to turn out, but really, for the most part, you guys really ran with it. I love the cast this season because in addition to playing well off of their individual team members, they also play well off of members of their opposing teams. Things will get really interesting when we get to the Team Swap. Oops, did I just say that? Nevermind...Moving on.
Now, let's get to the final project. First of all, I want to say that the technology you guys came up with for this E Ticket really was very impressive. I really do find it curious that Disney has never dabbled in water coaster technology. The queue was also really impressive. Yes, it combined various elements of other Disney queues, but I think that's exactly what made it work. Now, the problem I had was with the actual ride. To be quiet frank here, I found it to be a bit disjointed. The scenes themselves were all exciting, but honestly to me it just didn't really flow very well. It all felt really episodic without any sort of an established OVERALL setting or overall goal. It just seemed like one random adventure after another, and really it went on for two scenes too long. I thought the whirlpool was the climax, and pacing wise it was just kind of awkward having two other scenes after a scene that big and exciting. There were some really good ideas at play here, I think pacing was by far the biggest issue I had with the overall package.
Let me just say that I really did appreciate all the hard work and determination put into this project. I'm not going to name names, but each and everyone one of you contributed something. Okay fine, I will name one name. Twilight Roxas, you seriously need to step up to the plate, because you've been contributing next to nothing. I know you've got a really creative imagination. Run with it. You could do great in this competition if you just gave it a little bit of an effort. I hope you're reading this.
I guess I should also say a few words about the three victims this first project. First, we have MickeyFan5534. There's not a lot to say about him. He just got caught up in other Imagineering project. Alyx92 was a person I really did have my eye on. Unfortunately, he is having computer troubles, and that's really something that can't be helped. Sucky situation, but it happens. Lastly we have JPhelps, eliminated in thirteenth place. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that JPhelps' performance this project was perhaps the most memorable of any first project elimination in the history of the game. You've got to admit, he was trying to get a grasp on the Team Leader thing. Finals are what kills a lot of people's games, and JPhelps was just the latest victim of this. The big move on his run, however, was targeting MaterA113 and TrevorA for elimination. It's funny, because Mater and Trevor really are kind of a team, being the two masterminds behind WDWMagic's "The Imagineer" and "Leauge of Dreamers". I think basically, JPhelps just targeted the wrong people, because that really is kind of a power duo right there, and after dropping the ball by not turning in his project, he really didn't have a chance. Like I said though, he really did have a hell of a storyline this season, even if it did only last one project.
As for the rest of you, while admit-ably some of you have done more work than others, I'd say overall this is the most solid cast we've ever had, bar none. As if that wasn't obvious already. Remember, there's a secret power lurking. One on the Fans team, one on the Favorites team, held by the winners of the Favorite Project contest and Personal Blue Sky contest. One last notes. The Favorites need to chose a new Team Leader. I've been thinking this over, and Mater, I know you really want to do it, but the more I think about it, you had half a season as a Team Leader in Season Six, and I really want some fresh blood. I'm really sorry, and hope you understand. So with that in mind guys, get me a name. Sometime today would be preferable. You guys are off to a killer start. Keep up the good work.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Various Anouncements and Tidbits
Hello again, folks.
Well, this just hasn't been my morning now, hasn't it! Haha, I won't get into personal issues
( :grumbles about loosing job: ) but let's just say...UGH. Well, I think in the end, when it comes to the game, we are basically sailing smoothly, but I have a couple of announcements regarding that. So, let's get right down to the nitty gritty then, shall we.
Well, today I received the unfortunate news, via PM, that Alyx92, a member of the Fans team, had to drop out due to computer issues. It's a really frustrating circumstance, on both ends, but fortunately, I believe I've made a few minor tweaks that I believe sets everything back on course. I just wanted to make sure everyone was aware of them.
First of all, this round was going to be a Double Elimination Round to begin with, so the fact that two people dropped out means we still end up with the same number of contestants we would of had otherwise going into Project Two. The thing is, this leaves the Fans outnumbered five to seven. So, to even that out, I have switched Hack2112, a member of the Favorites team who was basically a special guest star, being a judge on the popular The Imagineer competition over at WDWMagic.com. So, the teams as of now are.
Fans
-Monkey4057 (Team Leader)
-DisneySea Fan
-Twilight Roxas
-Adv Blue Dude
-MouseketeerCole
-Hack2112
Favorites
-JPhelps (Team Leader)
-Jessiestudio
-Disneylover4ever
-KingMickey
-MaterA113
-TrevorA
So, congratulations you guys. You now get to compete against each other. I'll let you finish up this last project, but please try to hurry. This thing runs on a schedule, and the sooner we can move on to Project Two, the better. I'm really hoping to get this season wrapped up by early August as to avoid any kind of school. So like I said, if you can get the project in tomorrow, that'd be killer, but don't feel rushed. Just keep in mind that you can turn it in as early as you want, and like I said, the earlier the better. One last thing, any last minute personal Blue Sky Projects that wish to be submitted must be in my PM box BEFORE the official project is turned in. Might I just say, I really like everything that's been submitted to me thus far, and I'll be sure to PM everyone my thoughts on their personal projects. I don't want to reveal who gave me a project publicly, because I don't want to narrow down who has the secret power that will be awarded to the winner after the project is turned in. So get to it guys, and let the competition REALLY begin!
-Tiki
Well, this just hasn't been my morning now, hasn't it! Haha, I won't get into personal issues
( :grumbles about loosing job: ) but let's just say...UGH. Well, I think in the end, when it comes to the game, we are basically sailing smoothly, but I have a couple of announcements regarding that. So, let's get right down to the nitty gritty then, shall we.
Well, today I received the unfortunate news, via PM, that Alyx92, a member of the Fans team, had to drop out due to computer issues. It's a really frustrating circumstance, on both ends, but fortunately, I believe I've made a few minor tweaks that I believe sets everything back on course. I just wanted to make sure everyone was aware of them.
First of all, this round was going to be a Double Elimination Round to begin with, so the fact that two people dropped out means we still end up with the same number of contestants we would of had otherwise going into Project Two. The thing is, this leaves the Fans outnumbered five to seven. So, to even that out, I have switched Hack2112, a member of the Favorites team who was basically a special guest star, being a judge on the popular The Imagineer competition over at WDWMagic.com. So, the teams as of now are.
Fans
-Monkey4057 (Team Leader)
-DisneySea Fan
-Twilight Roxas
-Adv Blue Dude
-MouseketeerCole
-Hack2112
Favorites
-JPhelps (Team Leader)
-Jessiestudio
-Disneylover4ever
-KingMickey
-MaterA113
-TrevorA
So, congratulations you guys. You now get to compete against each other. I'll let you finish up this last project, but please try to hurry. This thing runs on a schedule, and the sooner we can move on to Project Two, the better. I'm really hoping to get this season wrapped up by early August as to avoid any kind of school. So like I said, if you can get the project in tomorrow, that'd be killer, but don't feel rushed. Just keep in mind that you can turn it in as early as you want, and like I said, the earlier the better. One last thing, any last minute personal Blue Sky Projects that wish to be submitted must be in my PM box BEFORE the official project is turned in. Might I just say, I really like everything that's been submitted to me thus far, and I'll be sure to PM everyone my thoughts on their personal projects. I don't want to reveal who gave me a project publicly, because I don't want to narrow down who has the secret power that will be awarded to the winner after the project is turned in. So get to it guys, and let the competition REALLY begin!
-Tiki
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Season Seven Cast Assessment
Well, helllllllooooooooo.....NURSE!
Sorry, Animaniacs humor. So, here we are again. A new season on the horizon. Fourteen people, but only one winner. It's going to be a really interesting ride. This is what I always love about starting off a new season, the not knowing. Who would of thought at the launch of Season Six that it would be an all Team Yensid final three, or that when Season Four started, JPhelps would make it all the way to fourth place. With that being said, it has to be noted that this is, in fact, our largest cast ever. I'm very excited for the opportunity to watch all you guys compete. It's going to be pretty crazy. Believe me, with all the twists we have planned, you guys really don't know the half of it. Well, enough with my ramblings, let's get to what I came here to do in the first place, do a full assessment on every single one of the fourteen personalities we have this season. Let's get to it, shall we?
I'll start with the Fans.
Monkey4057: This is a guy that we've been trying to get for quiet a while now. Now that he's finally in the cast, I think he'll be a force to be reckoned with. He's the perfect person to lead the Fans team. Even though he's not played the game before, he has plenty of experience in the forums. I believe it was Monkey who started the famous Disneyland Germany thread, probably the biggest open brainstorming session in the site's history. With that in mind, you KNOW this guy knows what he's doing. A potential All Star in the making!
DisneySea Fan: I don't really know what to make of this guy just yet. He's another familiar face around VF, but I don't believe he's ventured into the So, You Want to be an Imagineer forum very much, though I could be wrong. At any rate, the fact that he's a regular makes me more confident that he'll deliver.
Twilight Roxas: Oh yes, Twilight Roxas. This guy might be just a little bit on the crazy side. Haha. And I'm not saying that in a bad way. I worked with Roxas closely on his Toronto Disneyland open brainstorming thread. It was from there that I knew that this guy had some potential. He's not exactly the most reliable person in the world, but he's got a head swimming with interesting ideas. I'm excited to see if he will step up to the plate and realize his potential this season.
MickeyFan5534: Probably the biggest question mark in the whole cast, just because I really don't know anything about him. He's new, I believe he signed up just for the game. Only time will tell how he ends up fairing.
AdvBlueDude: This is someone I really have my eye on. Back in Season Six, there was one person in particular who applied, someone who kind of came out of the blue, that I really had a strong feeling would go a long way. That person was PL7764. I'm getting similar vibes with this guy. I don't know, maybe it's just the fact that he listed John Lennon as his favorite non Disney artistic inspiration (big brownie points in my book, haha) or the fact that he's already contributing a lot of interesting ideas, but I really think he's one to look out for.
MouseketeerCole: He was the last piece of the puzzle. When we were down to seven favorites, and six fans, he applied and made this a complete cast. What do I make of him so far? He seems to be yet another bright, energetic up and comer. I really think the Favorites have their work cut out for them this season, because all these fans really do seem to be extremely "into it". It's just a day into the game, and already he's stepping up to the plate in a lot of ways. Looking forward to seeing how far he can go.
And now, the Favorites team...
JPhelps: Controversy is his middle name. As has already been established, he basically tore through Season Four like a whirlwind, ending up way further than anyone initially thought. What's there to say about JPhelps? He's just a really interesting, complex personality. When it came down to casting Season Six, we had thirteen applications total, which means I had to cut one person. I ended up going with JPhelps just based on the fact that his application was the least compelling of the returning players. I promised him a Team Leader position next season, though, and, well, here we are. It'll be very interesting to see what kind of leadership qualities he may or may not possess.
Jessiestudio: Jessie is a case of a really hard worker who came *this* close to being an All Star. Unfortunately, due to the fact that his season, Season Four, was so chock full of huge personalities, he kind of has been forgotten a little bit. When I gave one of his projects a slot in the Top 10 Projects list, however, his interest sky rocketed. I'm really excited to see if Jessie can really shine this season. He's one I'm rooting for.
Disneylover4ever: He's a cannon contestant at this point, having appeared three times. Season two, his original season, and then seasons four and six. He's the first successor to CostaFreak when it comes to underdogs. He's still in the underdog position this season. Unfortunately, I did promise him a Team Leader position after he ended his run in season six. This was because before the Fans vs. Favorites concept was developed, our idea for an opening twist involved the Team Leaders being underdogs. Disneylover4ever's got a lot of competition this season. I really hope he can make an impression again. In Season Six, he did have the shining moment of getting Team Ansem's lemonade stand project in on time single handed. He's always been an underdog, and he's always been endearing. Looking forward to seeing what he can do this season.
KingMickey: Ah yes, one of the most prolific contestants in the game's history. He started life as one of those out of nowhere contestants that came close to winning. In Season Four, it was an epic battle between him and long time near-champion BasketBuddy101, in which BasketBuddy barely beat him out. Since then, his two performances have been less than stellar. He quit in season five, and in season six, he was out Pre Jury. This time though, it seems to me like he's really in it to win it. He's yet another huge force to be reckoned with.
MaterA113: I'd say Mater, in two seasons, has created one of the most memorable and personal storylines the game has ever seen. Season Five practically REVOLVED around him. Even though he was eliminated second that season, that elimination turned everything on its head. It's still to this day the most controversial elimination in the history of the game. In Season Six, he more than came back with a vengeance. He was arguably Team Ansem's secret weapon, and made it all the way to the semi finals, where (we all know this story by now) he was barely beaten out by eventual winner PL7764 for a spot in the final three in THE hardest decision I've ever had to make. Can he make the finals this time? We shall see. At any rate, he's one of THE most memorable contestants the game has ever seen, so I'm sure he'll bring SOMETHING to the table.
TrevorA: Speaking of players being out for vengeance, now we come to Trevor. It's a classic story. A person of considerable talent going out WAY before their time, returning to undo that injustice. Well, in Trevor's case, the one flaw that killed his game last season was simply that he forgot to let his team know he was going on vacation. At the end of project one, everyone thought he was in it for the long haul, which is why it was such a shock that he was eliminated the very next project. I have extreme confidence in Trevor. I really think he'll contribute a lot to the game and be a worthy adversary. It's interesting to note that Mater and Trevor, both players who were eliminated way too early and returned, are the two hosts of the other popular Imagineering game, The Imagineer at WDWMagic.
Hack2112: And this is the other personality associated with the game. Okay, I'll admit that placing Hack in the Favorites team was a bit of stunt casting, considering we had a ratio of six returning players to eight new players, but in reality, having a judge from another contest come in really does put a very interesting twist on the mostly tried and true personalities of the rest of the Favorites. Already I can see that he is contributing a lot of interesting ideas. Hack's a wild card, I'll give him that much. It will be really interesting to see how he interacts with the rest of his team throughout the season.
Well folks, there's your Season Seven cast for you in a nutshell. Some Power Players, some underdogs, and all kinds of question marks. The game has been going on for barely even 24 hours, and yet you guys have managed to get six pages worth of brainstorming in. As I said in the brainstorming thread, this is going to be a season for the record books!
Oh yeah, and one last twist to add to Project One! Remember the contest during the Top 10 Projects where you could send me a write up for a chance to earn a secret power? Well, we already have one in play. (The person in question knows of his power and has been given instructions on how to use it) Let's put another one in play, shall we. For the remainder of Project One, all contestants have the opportunity to PM me their own Blue Sky Project (Again, just pitch me ANYTHING having to do with Disney parks) for a chance to win a secret power that they will be notified about via PM. Team Leaders need not apply. You guys have until the deadline (June 5th) to PM me your own personal Blue Sky Project for a chance at that elusive secret power. Good luck!
Sorry, Animaniacs humor. So, here we are again. A new season on the horizon. Fourteen people, but only one winner. It's going to be a really interesting ride. This is what I always love about starting off a new season, the not knowing. Who would of thought at the launch of Season Six that it would be an all Team Yensid final three, or that when Season Four started, JPhelps would make it all the way to fourth place. With that being said, it has to be noted that this is, in fact, our largest cast ever. I'm very excited for the opportunity to watch all you guys compete. It's going to be pretty crazy. Believe me, with all the twists we have planned, you guys really don't know the half of it. Well, enough with my ramblings, let's get to what I came here to do in the first place, do a full assessment on every single one of the fourteen personalities we have this season. Let's get to it, shall we?
I'll start with the Fans.
Monkey4057: This is a guy that we've been trying to get for quiet a while now. Now that he's finally in the cast, I think he'll be a force to be reckoned with. He's the perfect person to lead the Fans team. Even though he's not played the game before, he has plenty of experience in the forums. I believe it was Monkey who started the famous Disneyland Germany thread, probably the biggest open brainstorming session in the site's history. With that in mind, you KNOW this guy knows what he's doing. A potential All Star in the making!
DisneySea Fan: I don't really know what to make of this guy just yet. He's another familiar face around VF, but I don't believe he's ventured into the So, You Want to be an Imagineer forum very much, though I could be wrong. At any rate, the fact that he's a regular makes me more confident that he'll deliver.
Twilight Roxas: Oh yes, Twilight Roxas. This guy might be just a little bit on the crazy side. Haha. And I'm not saying that in a bad way. I worked with Roxas closely on his Toronto Disneyland open brainstorming thread. It was from there that I knew that this guy had some potential. He's not exactly the most reliable person in the world, but he's got a head swimming with interesting ideas. I'm excited to see if he will step up to the plate and realize his potential this season.
MickeyFan5534: Probably the biggest question mark in the whole cast, just because I really don't know anything about him. He's new, I believe he signed up just for the game. Only time will tell how he ends up fairing.
AdvBlueDude: This is someone I really have my eye on. Back in Season Six, there was one person in particular who applied, someone who kind of came out of the blue, that I really had a strong feeling would go a long way. That person was PL7764. I'm getting similar vibes with this guy. I don't know, maybe it's just the fact that he listed John Lennon as his favorite non Disney artistic inspiration (big brownie points in my book, haha) or the fact that he's already contributing a lot of interesting ideas, but I really think he's one to look out for.
MouseketeerCole: He was the last piece of the puzzle. When we were down to seven favorites, and six fans, he applied and made this a complete cast. What do I make of him so far? He seems to be yet another bright, energetic up and comer. I really think the Favorites have their work cut out for them this season, because all these fans really do seem to be extremely "into it". It's just a day into the game, and already he's stepping up to the plate in a lot of ways. Looking forward to seeing how far he can go.
And now, the Favorites team...
JPhelps: Controversy is his middle name. As has already been established, he basically tore through Season Four like a whirlwind, ending up way further than anyone initially thought. What's there to say about JPhelps? He's just a really interesting, complex personality. When it came down to casting Season Six, we had thirteen applications total, which means I had to cut one person. I ended up going with JPhelps just based on the fact that his application was the least compelling of the returning players. I promised him a Team Leader position next season, though, and, well, here we are. It'll be very interesting to see what kind of leadership qualities he may or may not possess.
Jessiestudio: Jessie is a case of a really hard worker who came *this* close to being an All Star. Unfortunately, due to the fact that his season, Season Four, was so chock full of huge personalities, he kind of has been forgotten a little bit. When I gave one of his projects a slot in the Top 10 Projects list, however, his interest sky rocketed. I'm really excited to see if Jessie can really shine this season. He's one I'm rooting for.
Disneylover4ever: He's a cannon contestant at this point, having appeared three times. Season two, his original season, and then seasons four and six. He's the first successor to CostaFreak when it comes to underdogs. He's still in the underdog position this season. Unfortunately, I did promise him a Team Leader position after he ended his run in season six. This was because before the Fans vs. Favorites concept was developed, our idea for an opening twist involved the Team Leaders being underdogs. Disneylover4ever's got a lot of competition this season. I really hope he can make an impression again. In Season Six, he did have the shining moment of getting Team Ansem's lemonade stand project in on time single handed. He's always been an underdog, and he's always been endearing. Looking forward to seeing what he can do this season.
KingMickey: Ah yes, one of the most prolific contestants in the game's history. He started life as one of those out of nowhere contestants that came close to winning. In Season Four, it was an epic battle between him and long time near-champion BasketBuddy101, in which BasketBuddy barely beat him out. Since then, his two performances have been less than stellar. He quit in season five, and in season six, he was out Pre Jury. This time though, it seems to me like he's really in it to win it. He's yet another huge force to be reckoned with.
MaterA113: I'd say Mater, in two seasons, has created one of the most memorable and personal storylines the game has ever seen. Season Five practically REVOLVED around him. Even though he was eliminated second that season, that elimination turned everything on its head. It's still to this day the most controversial elimination in the history of the game. In Season Six, he more than came back with a vengeance. He was arguably Team Ansem's secret weapon, and made it all the way to the semi finals, where (we all know this story by now) he was barely beaten out by eventual winner PL7764 for a spot in the final three in THE hardest decision I've ever had to make. Can he make the finals this time? We shall see. At any rate, he's one of THE most memorable contestants the game has ever seen, so I'm sure he'll bring SOMETHING to the table.
TrevorA: Speaking of players being out for vengeance, now we come to Trevor. It's a classic story. A person of considerable talent going out WAY before their time, returning to undo that injustice. Well, in Trevor's case, the one flaw that killed his game last season was simply that he forgot to let his team know he was going on vacation. At the end of project one, everyone thought he was in it for the long haul, which is why it was such a shock that he was eliminated the very next project. I have extreme confidence in Trevor. I really think he'll contribute a lot to the game and be a worthy adversary. It's interesting to note that Mater and Trevor, both players who were eliminated way too early and returned, are the two hosts of the other popular Imagineering game, The Imagineer at WDWMagic.
Hack2112: And this is the other personality associated with the game. Okay, I'll admit that placing Hack in the Favorites team was a bit of stunt casting, considering we had a ratio of six returning players to eight new players, but in reality, having a judge from another contest come in really does put a very interesting twist on the mostly tried and true personalities of the rest of the Favorites. Already I can see that he is contributing a lot of interesting ideas. Hack's a wild card, I'll give him that much. It will be really interesting to see how he interacts with the rest of his team throughout the season.
Well folks, there's your Season Seven cast for you in a nutshell. Some Power Players, some underdogs, and all kinds of question marks. The game has been going on for barely even 24 hours, and yet you guys have managed to get six pages worth of brainstorming in. As I said in the brainstorming thread, this is going to be a season for the record books!
Oh yeah, and one last twist to add to Project One! Remember the contest during the Top 10 Projects where you could send me a write up for a chance to earn a secret power? Well, we already have one in play. (The person in question knows of his power and has been given instructions on how to use it) Let's put another one in play, shall we. For the remainder of Project One, all contestants have the opportunity to PM me their own Blue Sky Project (Again, just pitch me ANYTHING having to do with Disney parks) for a chance to win a secret power that they will be notified about via PM. Team Leaders need not apply. You guys have until the deadline (June 5th) to PM me your own personal Blue Sky Project for a chance at that elusive secret power. Good luck!
Monday, May 24, 2010
Top 10 Projects: The Epic Finale (Part Two)
Ugh. Well, I feel physically, emotionally, and spiritually absolutely drained. Lost is over, summer is starting, and quiet frankly I have no idea how to feel about either of those two things. Well, regardless, I figured since I have been building this countdown up, I might as well finish it. Sorry if I'm not my usual enthusiastic self today. It's one of "those" days, if you know what I mean. Well, anyways, there's one thing that I am absolutely sure of at this point, and that is that season seven is going to be EPIC. What's the best way to prepare for season seven, which launches tomorrow? By finally revealing my choice for Top Project of All Time. Everybody ready? Then here we go...
1. Legend of the Lost Army, DisneyFreak59 (Season One, Project Four)
It has to be noted that not only did this particular project, season one, project four, deliver us THE greatest project in the history of the game, it was also the project that featured the most famous event in the history of the game, which (as has already been discussed previously in the blog) was the moment when front runner BasketBuddy101 was eliminated over underdog CostaFreak. Setting the stage for six seasons worth of events to follow. It's hard to put into words exactly how huge that eventual decision wound up becoming. It basically set forth the idea that ANYONE can win the game. In the early days, a big problem in the core design of the game was that it had the potential for the big power players to just coast all the way to the end with very little trouble. That's more or less been settled in the more recent seasons, because of the fact that you have to be a good team leader as well as a creative force if you hope to win.
Now, enough about the game at large, and more about this project. As I stated in Part One of the epic finale, this project is indeed NOT as detailed, throughout, and intricate as Jag's Sleeping Beauty Musical project from season two. Why exactly is this number one, then, you ask? One reason and one reason only. This particular project has a legacy unlike no other. DisneyFreak58 (Who eventually went on to win Season One, as we all know) even went on to team up with Darth Boomer to create a version of the attraction in RCT3, which became one of the most popular roller coaster simulator projects ever posted on this site.
But really, the project just speaks for itself. I know that's kind of a cop out thing to say, but honestly, what more needs to be said? I think overall, what makes this project stand out the most, in my opinion, is how realistic and feasible an idea it is to see Disney doing sometime in the future. It basically delivered on all fronts. It was fun and exciting from beginning to end, was rooted in real mythology, and gave the World Showcase its own signature mega E Ticket. Not to mention the fact that the thing is pretty much the perfect length to sit down and read in one sitting. The presentation is engaging, and all throughout reading it, even to this day, I can't help but think "Why hasn't Disney made this by now?". In six seasons of the game, it's ironic that after all this time, the original is STILL the best. Well done, DisneyFreak!
So, here's the Top 10 Projects, in order.
10. All That Jazz Shop/Hungry Bear Refurb, Jessiestudio (Season Four, Project Six)
9. Wall*E Experience, BasketBuddy101 (Season Three, Project Four)
8. Middle Earth River Adventure, Romanarms (Season Five, Semi-Finals)
7. Timber Mountain Adventure, Team Ansem (Season Six, Project Two)
6. Main Street Court House Tower of Terror, BasketBuddy101 (Season Four, Project Eight)
5. Storybookland Canal Boats Refurb, Elisokool (Season Three, Project Three)
4. Paradise Pier Hotel Pool Refurb, Team Merlin (Season Six, Project Six)
3. Disney's Twin Peaks Wilderness Adventure Park, PL7764 (Season Six, Final Project)
2. Sleeping Beauty Musical, Jagfkb (Season Two, Final Project)
1. Legend of the Lost Army, Disneyfreak58 (Season One, Project Four)
Did your favorite make the list? Any you disagree with? What would you pick? I'd love to hear what people have to say regarding the matter. If you were disappointed that you weren't on the list, fear not. After Fans vs. Favorites and All Stars (the next two seasons) play out, I will have another, completely refined list of the Top 25 Projects. So you might have a chance to shine yet. In the meantime, the moment of truth is almost upon us. Tomorrow, bright and early, I will reveal season seven's cast, get to the first project, and post a FULL cast assessment on the blog. It will be an exciting day!
-Tiki
1. Legend of the Lost Army, DisneyFreak59 (Season One, Project Four)
It has to be noted that not only did this particular project, season one, project four, deliver us THE greatest project in the history of the game, it was also the project that featured the most famous event in the history of the game, which (as has already been discussed previously in the blog) was the moment when front runner BasketBuddy101 was eliminated over underdog CostaFreak. Setting the stage for six seasons worth of events to follow. It's hard to put into words exactly how huge that eventual decision wound up becoming. It basically set forth the idea that ANYONE can win the game. In the early days, a big problem in the core design of the game was that it had the potential for the big power players to just coast all the way to the end with very little trouble. That's more or less been settled in the more recent seasons, because of the fact that you have to be a good team leader as well as a creative force if you hope to win.
Now, enough about the game at large, and more about this project. As I stated in Part One of the epic finale, this project is indeed NOT as detailed, throughout, and intricate as Jag's Sleeping Beauty Musical project from season two. Why exactly is this number one, then, you ask? One reason and one reason only. This particular project has a legacy unlike no other. DisneyFreak58 (Who eventually went on to win Season One, as we all know) even went on to team up with Darth Boomer to create a version of the attraction in RCT3, which became one of the most popular roller coaster simulator projects ever posted on this site.
But really, the project just speaks for itself. I know that's kind of a cop out thing to say, but honestly, what more needs to be said? I think overall, what makes this project stand out the most, in my opinion, is how realistic and feasible an idea it is to see Disney doing sometime in the future. It basically delivered on all fronts. It was fun and exciting from beginning to end, was rooted in real mythology, and gave the World Showcase its own signature mega E Ticket. Not to mention the fact that the thing is pretty much the perfect length to sit down and read in one sitting. The presentation is engaging, and all throughout reading it, even to this day, I can't help but think "Why hasn't Disney made this by now?". In six seasons of the game, it's ironic that after all this time, the original is STILL the best. Well done, DisneyFreak!
So, here's the Top 10 Projects, in order.
10. All That Jazz Shop/Hungry Bear Refurb, Jessiestudio (Season Four, Project Six)
9. Wall*E Experience, BasketBuddy101 (Season Three, Project Four)
8. Middle Earth River Adventure, Romanarms (Season Five, Semi-Finals)
7. Timber Mountain Adventure, Team Ansem (Season Six, Project Two)
6. Main Street Court House Tower of Terror, BasketBuddy101 (Season Four, Project Eight)
5. Storybookland Canal Boats Refurb, Elisokool (Season Three, Project Three)
4. Paradise Pier Hotel Pool Refurb, Team Merlin (Season Six, Project Six)
3. Disney's Twin Peaks Wilderness Adventure Park, PL7764 (Season Six, Final Project)
2. Sleeping Beauty Musical, Jagfkb (Season Two, Final Project)
1. Legend of the Lost Army, Disneyfreak58 (Season One, Project Four)
Did your favorite make the list? Any you disagree with? What would you pick? I'd love to hear what people have to say regarding the matter. If you were disappointed that you weren't on the list, fear not. After Fans vs. Favorites and All Stars (the next two seasons) play out, I will have another, completely refined list of the Top 25 Projects. So you might have a chance to shine yet. In the meantime, the moment of truth is almost upon us. Tomorrow, bright and early, I will reveal season seven's cast, get to the first project, and post a FULL cast assessment on the blog. It will be an exciting day!
-Tiki
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Top 10 Projects: The Epic Finale (Part One)
Hello, everyone!
What a week, what a week, what a week. That's all I can say. This week, a lot of things just randomly kind of fell into place in terms of season seven. As has already been discussed, there was a bit of a scare back when there was a dead period of about a week and a half of no activity. For a second there, I thought we were going to be looking at an eight or nine person season, which, quiet frankly, would of been anti climatic. The "A-ha!" moment came to me early in the week, when I realized that out of the people who had signed up before, it was an even split of new and returning players. Thus, a new concept was born. I'm sure you're all familiar with it by now...Fans vs. Favorites (Yes, we did take a page from Survivor. It's a non profit contest, sue me)
What's really exciting about this particular cast (I'll have a FULL cast assessment on every single contestant on Tuesday) is that the Favorites team isn't JUST made up of All Stars. In fact, there's a few familiar faces who you will recognize, but know that they didn't make the finals. This is because "Favorites" doesn't neccisarily have to mean "All Star". Now, come All Star season, that will be a different story. But for now, "Favorite" just means those familiar with the game.
The Fans cast is a different story. To be honest with you, a lot of it kind of rests on how well the new people perform. I'm worried that they won't be able to beat the Favorites team which does have a few Power Players on it, but at the same time, I see more potential for them to come together as a team whereas the Favorites team (Especially with their controversial Team Leader, who will be revealed Tuesday) will have to overcome a lot of personal dynamics if they hope to work together. One thing's for sure, it's going to be a fun ride! Anyways, all that is coming in a couple days. In the meantime, I figured now would be a good as time as any to get down to it and post the remaining two projects on my countdown. As I said last blog, the last two really go above and beyond the call of duty, and kind of stand on their own as the "Citizen Kane/Godfather" combo of "So, You Want to be an Imagineer", if that makes ANY kind of sense. Haha .Well, let's get to it, shall we!
2. Sleeping Beauty Musical, Jagfkb. (Season Two, Final Project)
Ah yes, this is probably one A LOT of you have been waiting for. Indeed, this is a classic for a reason. Before I get started on why this project is such a mind blower (which, really, should be pretty self evident), I think a little personal history on Jag might be in order. Jag started out on this board long before I did. (Remember, I was basically the last minute third judge. I didn't officially take over as host until season four) His main claim to fame is the "Imagination: The Musical" thread, which was basically his idea for an epic, Fantasmic! style show on Broadway, except on an even bigger scale than Fantasmic! Jag always had an eye in the theatrical world.
In terms of the game itself, he started life like me, as a fellow judge. He watched the game develop with me, witnessed the iconic moments that would come to define the game such as BasketBuddy getting eliminated over CostaFreak in the final four. When season two came a long, it was no surprise that he wanted to compete after witnessing the birth of a game firsthand. The funny thing about Jag was that for quiet a while in season two, he was a very under the radar personality. That season, most of the big theatrics were being done by either BasketBuddy (Who was absolutely out for revenge that season) or the controversial underdog Disneylover4ever. Jag always had good projects, but he never made a big deal out of his presence like the people surrounding him did. Eventually, he squeezed all the way into the final two.
For the final project that season, we wanted to do something nobody was expecting. That's why he hatched VERY early on, before Jag was even in the cast, that the final project be a big budget stage production. It would be something challenging and with A LOT of areas to cover. It's no surprise that Jag ended up hitting a grand slam here. I mean really, what needs to be said? This is probably the most well rounded, comprehensive, detailed, and best laid out project in the game's history. Page after page of detailed info, all chronicling a stage play that would be really fantastic to see happen. It's just a fantastic project every step of the way. You may be wondering why it's not number one. Well, make no mistake, this project is, by all means, a masterpiece of the game. The next project, however, is number one for a variety of reasons. It's probably the project that defined exactly how the game would aim to be played from that point project. It's probably the most well known project in the history of the game. You'll have to wait until tomorrow to find out what it is, if you haven't guessed it already!
-Tiki
What a week, what a week, what a week. That's all I can say. This week, a lot of things just randomly kind of fell into place in terms of season seven. As has already been discussed, there was a bit of a scare back when there was a dead period of about a week and a half of no activity. For a second there, I thought we were going to be looking at an eight or nine person season, which, quiet frankly, would of been anti climatic. The "A-ha!" moment came to me early in the week, when I realized that out of the people who had signed up before, it was an even split of new and returning players. Thus, a new concept was born. I'm sure you're all familiar with it by now...Fans vs. Favorites (Yes, we did take a page from Survivor. It's a non profit contest, sue me)
What's really exciting about this particular cast (I'll have a FULL cast assessment on every single contestant on Tuesday) is that the Favorites team isn't JUST made up of All Stars. In fact, there's a few familiar faces who you will recognize, but know that they didn't make the finals. This is because "Favorites" doesn't neccisarily have to mean "All Star". Now, come All Star season, that will be a different story. But for now, "Favorite" just means those familiar with the game.
The Fans cast is a different story. To be honest with you, a lot of it kind of rests on how well the new people perform. I'm worried that they won't be able to beat the Favorites team which does have a few Power Players on it, but at the same time, I see more potential for them to come together as a team whereas the Favorites team (Especially with their controversial Team Leader, who will be revealed Tuesday) will have to overcome a lot of personal dynamics if they hope to work together. One thing's for sure, it's going to be a fun ride! Anyways, all that is coming in a couple days. In the meantime, I figured now would be a good as time as any to get down to it and post the remaining two projects on my countdown. As I said last blog, the last two really go above and beyond the call of duty, and kind of stand on their own as the "Citizen Kane/Godfather" combo of "So, You Want to be an Imagineer", if that makes ANY kind of sense. Haha .Well, let's get to it, shall we!
2. Sleeping Beauty Musical, Jagfkb. (Season Two, Final Project)
Ah yes, this is probably one A LOT of you have been waiting for. Indeed, this is a classic for a reason. Before I get started on why this project is such a mind blower (which, really, should be pretty self evident), I think a little personal history on Jag might be in order. Jag started out on this board long before I did. (Remember, I was basically the last minute third judge. I didn't officially take over as host until season four) His main claim to fame is the "Imagination: The Musical" thread, which was basically his idea for an epic, Fantasmic! style show on Broadway, except on an even bigger scale than Fantasmic! Jag always had an eye in the theatrical world.
In terms of the game itself, he started life like me, as a fellow judge. He watched the game develop with me, witnessed the iconic moments that would come to define the game such as BasketBuddy getting eliminated over CostaFreak in the final four. When season two came a long, it was no surprise that he wanted to compete after witnessing the birth of a game firsthand. The funny thing about Jag was that for quiet a while in season two, he was a very under the radar personality. That season, most of the big theatrics were being done by either BasketBuddy (Who was absolutely out for revenge that season) or the controversial underdog Disneylover4ever. Jag always had good projects, but he never made a big deal out of his presence like the people surrounding him did. Eventually, he squeezed all the way into the final two.
For the final project that season, we wanted to do something nobody was expecting. That's why he hatched VERY early on, before Jag was even in the cast, that the final project be a big budget stage production. It would be something challenging and with A LOT of areas to cover. It's no surprise that Jag ended up hitting a grand slam here. I mean really, what needs to be said? This is probably the most well rounded, comprehensive, detailed, and best laid out project in the game's history. Page after page of detailed info, all chronicling a stage play that would be really fantastic to see happen. It's just a fantastic project every step of the way. You may be wondering why it's not number one. Well, make no mistake, this project is, by all means, a masterpiece of the game. The next project, however, is number one for a variety of reasons. It's probably the project that defined exactly how the game would aim to be played from that point project. It's probably the most well known project in the history of the game. You'll have to wait until tomorrow to find out what it is, if you haven't guessed it already!
-Tiki
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Top 10 Projects: Number Three
Hello folks. I think today were going to take a bit of a break from the drama of trying to cast season seven (all I can do is cross my fingers that we get as many people as possible at this point.) because the final three projects are really something special. I think in various ways, they have come to define the game as we know it and how it has come to be played. All three of these are EASILY some of the finest pieces of online Imagineering I've ever seen, and I've been around the community a long time. In regards to season seven, like I said, currently there is some drama regarding rather or not we'll get a large number of people cast. Let me get you guys up to date. So far, we have the two team leaders, the Favorite Project Write Up Contest winner, and two applicants. and I believe two people currently confirmed to be working on applications. This brings our total number of confirmed contestants up to seven. On the bright side, this means that anyone who comes after that will rise it above the status quot so far in the game, which is seven (four seasons of seven people, two seasons of eleven and twelve people, respectively) In this respect, no matter what happens, me and MEW will work hard to try and make this season as fresh and exciting as possible, in spite of a possibly limited cast. Make no mistake, no matter how many people we get, season seven WILL happen. Now that that's out of the way, let's get to the countdown, already!
Number Three: Disney's Twin Peaks Wilderness Adventure Park. PL7764, Season Six, Final Project
This is one for the record books. In all my years of being a part of the online Imagineering community, I've never seen a prospect quiet so original. The remaining two projects on the countdown are just a slight bit better in sheer "wow" factor (Trust me, they're worth it), but this truly is probably the best I've seen based purely on originality.
Season Six is probably my all time favorite season for this reason alone. It was great storytelling. The story kind of played itself out to really turn out to be something really interesting. Basically, it's a story of underdogs. Those underdogs being Team Yensid. Early on in the game, Team Ansem, who had more returning players, was dominating. Before the tribe swap, Team Yensid dissolved into three players. The underdog Fantasmic!, the leader HereWeGo (who took up leadership after initial Team Leader Romanarms' schedule got the better of him) and of course, the wild card PL7764. They were outnumbered eight to three in the final eight. (Evams123 had been eliminated in a double elimination where the two teams worked together to create a new attraction for Universal Studios) Disneyland DHI got swapped over to Team Yensid to even out the numbers, and the rest is history. The remaining three members of Team Yensid went on to outlast all five Team Ansem members. MaterA113, the season's projected "One to Beat", was ousted at final four in what I still to this day consider the toughest decision I've ever had to make in six seasons of the game, choosing PL7764 over him as the third person to take to the final three. (HereWeGo had won PoMVP at final six, and Mater, the merged team's Team Leader, gave Fantasmic! PoMVP that project.) I knew I was taking a risk, as at that point PL7764 was STILL very much a wild card, but when it came down to it, I saw PL7764 come up with a huge amount of interesting ideas at final five, where I basically saw Mater run around like a chicken with his head caught off. (Haha, sorry Cody. You know it's true ;) )
My hunch paid off. The final project was interesting for a lot of reasons. It was the most open ended, do whatever you want project we had ever done. (Basically, pitch SOMETHING for the patch of land Disney owns on Katalina) In addition to this, it also had the distinction of being the first final project to have a final three, not two. Just to clarify this right now, in the future, it will ALWAYS be a surprise rather or not the final project is a final two or three. While Fantasmic! and HereWeGo both contributed interesting ideas, let's face it, PL7764's unique vision towered over everything in the finals.
Basically, the concept was, well, a huge adventure park. With lots of trails, waterfalls, redwoods, a lake, basically everything any good national park would have, except Disney-fied, which basically means, epically themed. While it might not be a 100 percent natural environment, I could really see Disney pulling this off. Look how natural all of Animal Kingdom looks for the most part. If they concentrated all their budget on trails and such, I could really see this being something special. PL outlines all this perfectly, and I especially like the nice touch of the (honestly rather predictable) mickey shaped lake to not be a perfect Mickey, but instead have a natural feel to it in the helpful images he provided. All in all, like I said, I don't think I've ever seen something quiet so unique be pulled off so well in this game. Serious props to PL, who is high on my pedestal when it comes to the top winners. He basically came out of nowhere to become one of the most imaginative players we've ever seen.
Alright folks. Like I said, the next two are probably the most famous projects ever to come out of the game, so be prepared for some top quality. In the meantime, I have a couple short announcements. One, I will be taking PL's advice and putting together an epic, all there is to know about the game thread. This thread will cover all the seasons, all the projects, all the rules, twists, characters, and storylines. It might take me a couple days to type out all the information, but once I get it all together, it will be a really convenient source for everything you need to know off the top of your head about the game. Expect that sometime soon. I'm not going to give an exact date, as I don't work well under deadlines and usually end up blowing them anyways. The second announcement I have to make is at this point, we are absolutely accepting ANYONE who wants to be in Season Seven. Send me an application, you're automatically in. No questions asked. So returning players and All Stars, don't hesitate to send in your applications. Alright folks, I hope you are still enjoying the countdown. The next blog post will be an epic write up of the top two projects. Stay tuned...
-Tiki
Number Three: Disney's Twin Peaks Wilderness Adventure Park. PL7764, Season Six, Final Project
This is one for the record books. In all my years of being a part of the online Imagineering community, I've never seen a prospect quiet so original. The remaining two projects on the countdown are just a slight bit better in sheer "wow" factor (Trust me, they're worth it), but this truly is probably the best I've seen based purely on originality.
Season Six is probably my all time favorite season for this reason alone. It was great storytelling. The story kind of played itself out to really turn out to be something really interesting. Basically, it's a story of underdogs. Those underdogs being Team Yensid. Early on in the game, Team Ansem, who had more returning players, was dominating. Before the tribe swap, Team Yensid dissolved into three players. The underdog Fantasmic!, the leader HereWeGo (who took up leadership after initial Team Leader Romanarms' schedule got the better of him) and of course, the wild card PL7764. They were outnumbered eight to three in the final eight. (Evams123 had been eliminated in a double elimination where the two teams worked together to create a new attraction for Universal Studios) Disneyland DHI got swapped over to Team Yensid to even out the numbers, and the rest is history. The remaining three members of Team Yensid went on to outlast all five Team Ansem members. MaterA113, the season's projected "One to Beat", was ousted at final four in what I still to this day consider the toughest decision I've ever had to make in six seasons of the game, choosing PL7764 over him as the third person to take to the final three. (HereWeGo had won PoMVP at final six, and Mater, the merged team's Team Leader, gave Fantasmic! PoMVP that project.) I knew I was taking a risk, as at that point PL7764 was STILL very much a wild card, but when it came down to it, I saw PL7764 come up with a huge amount of interesting ideas at final five, where I basically saw Mater run around like a chicken with his head caught off. (Haha, sorry Cody. You know it's true ;) )
My hunch paid off. The final project was interesting for a lot of reasons. It was the most open ended, do whatever you want project we had ever done. (Basically, pitch SOMETHING for the patch of land Disney owns on Katalina) In addition to this, it also had the distinction of being the first final project to have a final three, not two. Just to clarify this right now, in the future, it will ALWAYS be a surprise rather or not the final project is a final two or three. While Fantasmic! and HereWeGo both contributed interesting ideas, let's face it, PL7764's unique vision towered over everything in the finals.
Basically, the concept was, well, a huge adventure park. With lots of trails, waterfalls, redwoods, a lake, basically everything any good national park would have, except Disney-fied, which basically means, epically themed. While it might not be a 100 percent natural environment, I could really see Disney pulling this off. Look how natural all of Animal Kingdom looks for the most part. If they concentrated all their budget on trails and such, I could really see this being something special. PL outlines all this perfectly, and I especially like the nice touch of the (honestly rather predictable) mickey shaped lake to not be a perfect Mickey, but instead have a natural feel to it in the helpful images he provided. All in all, like I said, I don't think I've ever seen something quiet so unique be pulled off so well in this game. Serious props to PL, who is high on my pedestal when it comes to the top winners. He basically came out of nowhere to become one of the most imaginative players we've ever seen.
Alright folks. Like I said, the next two are probably the most famous projects ever to come out of the game, so be prepared for some top quality. In the meantime, I have a couple short announcements. One, I will be taking PL's advice and putting together an epic, all there is to know about the game thread. This thread will cover all the seasons, all the projects, all the rules, twists, characters, and storylines. It might take me a couple days to type out all the information, but once I get it all together, it will be a really convenient source for everything you need to know off the top of your head about the game. Expect that sometime soon. I'm not going to give an exact date, as I don't work well under deadlines and usually end up blowing them anyways. The second announcement I have to make is at this point, we are absolutely accepting ANYONE who wants to be in Season Seven. Send me an application, you're automatically in. No questions asked. So returning players and All Stars, don't hesitate to send in your applications. Alright folks, I hope you are still enjoying the countdown. The next blog post will be an epic write up of the top two projects. Stay tuned...
-Tiki
Friday, May 7, 2010
Top 10 Projects: Number Four
Hello all. There's no way around it, the blog and top ten list was kind of put on the backburner the past week due to finals and the rush of starting the actual game. Now that both are kind of out of the way, I think I can finally squeeze another write up into my schedule. Before we get to number four, I have a couple of things to say regarding the game.
One, just in case anyone missed it, the due date for the applications has been pushed back to June 5th. This is to give everyone who wants to participate a chance to get any sort of finals out of the way. I know the end of May is always a REALLY stressful time for anybody who is in school, which is a wide percent of our typical audience. So far, we have the two team leaders, the winner of the Favorite Project Contest, and two applications. This means so far, we have a cast of five out of the aimed sixteen. There's still plenty of spots left for ANYONE, probably including All Stars, who want to participate to do so. All you have to do is fill out an application. Keep in mind that there's plenty of time to get your application as professional looking as possible. June 5th is the absolute final deadline.
Alright, with these things being said, let's get back to the countdown!
Number Four: Paradise Pier Hotel Refurbishment. Team Merlin (MaterA113, Disneylover4ever, BigDisneyFan, HereWeGo, Fantasmic!, PL7764) Season Six, Project Six
In all of Imagineering, one of the things that is constantly glossed over is hotel pools. Alright, I'm going to admit, I don't even know if Imagineers are specifically the people to give credit to designing the pools, but whoever did deserves props. Just like everything else Disney does, they take the concept of pools, and "plus" them. This project was a bit personal to me. The Paradise Pier Hotel is my family's hotel of choice simply because it's convenient, affordable, and does have some pretty nifty Disney touches. The pool is no exception. While not really up to the standard of the other two pools at the resort, the Third Floor Pool nevertheless managed to conjure up a pretty decent beach atmosphere.
For this project, we asked the freshly merged Team Merlin (three Ansems, Three Yensids. This is where the season really started to get interesting) to take the already in place pool, and plus it. And boy did they do just that. There's not really much I can say about this project besides it was just a masterfully executed take on exactly what I pictured this project to be like. Trust me, I am very familiar with that pool when it comes to size, where everything is, etc. so reading this project was a delight to me. It was a delight because Team Merlin perfectly pulled it off. Not only did they have innovative ideas for the pool, they had ideas that pushed the whole concept of theme park pools to a new level. This is something I WASN'T expecting. Hotel pools may not have the same significance as attractions, or really anything in the parks, but for hotel visitors, they ARE an important part of their trip, so to see innovative ideas come out of the woodwork in regards to something that no one ever really thinks about was quiet the pleasant surprise. One of my personal favorites.
-Tiki
One, just in case anyone missed it, the due date for the applications has been pushed back to June 5th. This is to give everyone who wants to participate a chance to get any sort of finals out of the way. I know the end of May is always a REALLY stressful time for anybody who is in school, which is a wide percent of our typical audience. So far, we have the two team leaders, the winner of the Favorite Project Contest, and two applications. This means so far, we have a cast of five out of the aimed sixteen. There's still plenty of spots left for ANYONE, probably including All Stars, who want to participate to do so. All you have to do is fill out an application. Keep in mind that there's plenty of time to get your application as professional looking as possible. June 5th is the absolute final deadline.
Alright, with these things being said, let's get back to the countdown!
Number Four: Paradise Pier Hotel Refurbishment. Team Merlin (MaterA113, Disneylover4ever, BigDisneyFan, HereWeGo, Fantasmic!, PL7764) Season Six, Project Six
In all of Imagineering, one of the things that is constantly glossed over is hotel pools. Alright, I'm going to admit, I don't even know if Imagineers are specifically the people to give credit to designing the pools, but whoever did deserves props. Just like everything else Disney does, they take the concept of pools, and "plus" them. This project was a bit personal to me. The Paradise Pier Hotel is my family's hotel of choice simply because it's convenient, affordable, and does have some pretty nifty Disney touches. The pool is no exception. While not really up to the standard of the other two pools at the resort, the Third Floor Pool nevertheless managed to conjure up a pretty decent beach atmosphere.
For this project, we asked the freshly merged Team Merlin (three Ansems, Three Yensids. This is where the season really started to get interesting) to take the already in place pool, and plus it. And boy did they do just that. There's not really much I can say about this project besides it was just a masterfully executed take on exactly what I pictured this project to be like. Trust me, I am very familiar with that pool when it comes to size, where everything is, etc. so reading this project was a delight to me. It was a delight because Team Merlin perfectly pulled it off. Not only did they have innovative ideas for the pool, they had ideas that pushed the whole concept of theme park pools to a new level. This is something I WASN'T expecting. Hotel pools may not have the same significance as attractions, or really anything in the parks, but for hotel visitors, they ARE an important part of their trip, so to see innovative ideas come out of the woodwork in regards to something that no one ever really thinks about was quiet the pleasant surprise. One of my personal favorites.
-Tiki
Friday, April 30, 2010
Top 10 Projects: Number Five
Hello, one and all. The clock is really ticking down, and believe it or not, I am excited to announce that the applications will be posted EXTREMELY SOON. That's right. Just because the top five in the countdown are so easy to write about, it will make it easy to breeze through tomorrow. Expect numbers four and three sometime early tomorrow, and finally numbers two and three sometime either late tomorrow or Sunday. Applications will be posted Monday. In the meantime, let's get to the countdown.
5. Storybookland Canal Book Rehab. Elisokool. Season Three, Project Three
http://www.visionsfantastic.com/forum/f60/so-you-want-imagineer-season-2-project-3-a-21238/index3.html#post249527
A gem from season three. If there was ever a textbook example of a "dark horse" player in this game, it would probably be Eli. A three timer, getting deep into each of his seasons, but each time just getting short of the final rounds. Eli is actually one of the most interesting personalities we've ever seen for my money in the game, in spite of him never placing better than fifth. In a lot of ways, his eliminations really did seem like victims of either too busy a schedule (as is the case with his eventual season three performance) or just plain bad luck. (Crosses fingers for an All Stars appearance, if they're around and up for it.)
What makes this project really interesting is how open ended the initial assignment was. I love when we do these kinds of challenges. The basic concept here was to temp players with bonus points. Would they go the more adventurous rout and chose more complicated rides to refurbish, or would you take the safer route by getting less bonus points but refurbishing something more in your comfort zone? I'd say picking Storybookland was a pretty gutsy decision, and one that played out greatly.
In my opinion, I consider Storybookland a dark horse unto itself in Disneyland. I really, really have a soft spot for that particular attraction. In all honesty, when it all comes down to it, it might actually be my favorite. Why? Simply because Walt's fingerprints are just all over that ride. There's so many nooks and crannies and details. One of the interesting things about it is seeing over the years how Imagineers have slightly changed the waterways. The cave of wonders, for example, was a step up from the old diamond mine, but I think the Aladdin stuff in general, especially the cheesy "Whole New World" sequence, could be replaced by something a little less....90's. Well, I don't want to get on a tirade about the ride. What it really comes down to is this is exactly what Eli did in this project that gets a, yes admit-ably sentimental, spot on the countdown, was capture my vision of how the attraction could be upgraded to a T. Dark horses always make for the most interesting characters, and projects.
-Tiki
5. Storybookland Canal Book Rehab. Elisokool. Season Three, Project Three
http://www.visionsfantastic.com/forum/f60/so-you-want-imagineer-season-2-project-3-a-21238/index3.html#post249527
A gem from season three. If there was ever a textbook example of a "dark horse" player in this game, it would probably be Eli. A three timer, getting deep into each of his seasons, but each time just getting short of the final rounds. Eli is actually one of the most interesting personalities we've ever seen for my money in the game, in spite of him never placing better than fifth. In a lot of ways, his eliminations really did seem like victims of either too busy a schedule (as is the case with his eventual season three performance) or just plain bad luck. (Crosses fingers for an All Stars appearance, if they're around and up for it.)
What makes this project really interesting is how open ended the initial assignment was. I love when we do these kinds of challenges. The basic concept here was to temp players with bonus points. Would they go the more adventurous rout and chose more complicated rides to refurbish, or would you take the safer route by getting less bonus points but refurbishing something more in your comfort zone? I'd say picking Storybookland was a pretty gutsy decision, and one that played out greatly.
In my opinion, I consider Storybookland a dark horse unto itself in Disneyland. I really, really have a soft spot for that particular attraction. In all honesty, when it all comes down to it, it might actually be my favorite. Why? Simply because Walt's fingerprints are just all over that ride. There's so many nooks and crannies and details. One of the interesting things about it is seeing over the years how Imagineers have slightly changed the waterways. The cave of wonders, for example, was a step up from the old diamond mine, but I think the Aladdin stuff in general, especially the cheesy "Whole New World" sequence, could be replaced by something a little less....90's. Well, I don't want to get on a tirade about the ride. What it really comes down to is this is exactly what Eli did in this project that gets a, yes admit-ably sentimental, spot on the countdown, was capture my vision of how the attraction could be upgraded to a T. Dark horses always make for the most interesting characters, and projects.
-Tiki
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Top Ten Projects: Number Six
Well, at this point, were half way there. Let's get to it.
Number Six: Main Street Courthouse Tower of Terror. Basketbuddy101, Season Four, Project Eight
This project, just in general, was probably one of THE most high quality in the game's history. Hell, historically speaking, I'd say that's pretty much statistically accurate. In the high competition of season four, it all came down to this. Three huge competitors, two spots in the final two. Basketbuddy came along and blew both KingMickey and Enlight out of the water. The funny thing is, both KM and Enlight had fantastic projects to begin with. This project was JUST that good.
To be perfectly honest with you, I'm kind of having a hard time summarizing this one. I mean, just read it, and it speaks for itself. The idea of having a Tower of Terror on Main Street is one that has long since fascinated me, and it was a project that was fitting of season four semi finals. What BasketBuddy did was manage to back up all my personal expectations regarding what the project should be, and amplify them even further. This project just oozes quality. It's just another masterpiece in BB's vast collection. Hopefully BasketBuddy will resurface before All Stars at the end of the year, because an All Star season without Basketbuddy would be like a trip to Disneyland without a ride on Space Mountain.
Number Six: Main Street Courthouse Tower of Terror. Basketbuddy101, Season Four, Project Eight
This project, just in general, was probably one of THE most high quality in the game's history. Hell, historically speaking, I'd say that's pretty much statistically accurate. In the high competition of season four, it all came down to this. Three huge competitors, two spots in the final two. Basketbuddy came along and blew both KingMickey and Enlight out of the water. The funny thing is, both KM and Enlight had fantastic projects to begin with. This project was JUST that good.
To be perfectly honest with you, I'm kind of having a hard time summarizing this one. I mean, just read it, and it speaks for itself. The idea of having a Tower of Terror on Main Street is one that has long since fascinated me, and it was a project that was fitting of season four semi finals. What BasketBuddy did was manage to back up all my personal expectations regarding what the project should be, and amplify them even further. This project just oozes quality. It's just another masterpiece in BB's vast collection. Hopefully BasketBuddy will resurface before All Stars at the end of the year, because an All Star season without Basketbuddy would be like a trip to Disneyland without a ride on Space Mountain.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Top 10 Projects: Number Seven
Hello, all. Wow, kind of took a little longer to get this countdown back and running again than I said, huh? Well, regardless, let me just say, FINALS. If you have yet experienced the joy of close-to-end-of-semester-crunch time, let me just tell you, basically anything that doesn't have to do with school goes out the window. That being said, like it or not, I've got a schedule to maintain. I figured, instead of trying to do two projects each post, it'd be A LOT easier and manageable to just concentrate on getting this damn thing done project by project. Here's the thing though, April has kind of passed us by, and May is literally right around the corner. That's why, for the remainder of the countdown, I'll simply be doing these daily. When it's all over, I'll post the applications and season seven can officially get started! With that being said, let's get to the actual countdown already.
7. Timber Mountain Adventure. Team Ansem (KingMickey, MaterA113, BigDisneyFan, Evams123, Disneyland DHI, Disneylover4ever) Season Six, Project Two
http://www.visionsfantastic.com/forum/f60/season-six-project-two-27872/#post375640
Season Six was the game changer. That's all there is to it. It feels kind of funny to talk about something that JUST ended a couple months ago in historical perspective like that, but hey, it's the truth. If season six had been season five: part two, we might not be looking forward to a season seven right now. Season six did a lot of things. It gave us our first really, for real, COMPLETE cast, it gave us the most competitive, unpredictable gameplay yet, but most importantly, it paved the way for elements that in one short season, have become staple of the game.
The most important element of this is the team gameplay. I had experimented with this style in seasons four and five, as one project offshoot twists, but up until season six, we never had enough people to do anything team based for the long term. In season six, that all changed. Right out of the gate, we challenged both teams, (the dominant team, Team Ansem, who ruled the pre-merge, and the underdog team, Team Yensid, who would go on to all be in the final three) to do one of the most controversial things asked of in the entire game: Design something outside of the realm of Disney.
At this point, this idea was still relatively new. Remember, the big twist in season five switching over to Universal for the final three projects was the first time it had ever been done. If building a Six Flags coaster in project one wasn't bad enough, now the Season Six teams had to do something VERY specific. I think this is going to be repeated quiet a lot in the countdown, but what I love about Team Ansem's project is that they did exactly what I envisioned when I first designed the project. The goal was to re design the Knotts Berry Farm log ride for the next generation. Team Ansem did this in spades.
An issue in the early days of season six was how to make an attraction not a Tower of Terror clone. Team Yensid learned this the hard way in the first project when that was the main criticism of their Six Flags Coaster. Basically same plot, different setting. I'm not going to lie when I say that Team Ansem's project bordered on this realm. Whenever you've got a gruesome accident that leads to investigations years later as the initial backstory, you're just setting yourself up to be prepared to the modern day king of the E Ticket. Team Ansem countered this brilliantly, however, just in sheer quality. Like it or not, quality of the presentation is a BIG factor in success in this game. Team Ansem not only had a quality idea, they had a very professional looking write up to go a long with it. What I love most about this project is that it showed a level of quality usually not seen until late season projects. Season six actually holds the record for most projects on the top 10 list. Who else will make it? Find out.
Alright guys, that's today's entry. Remember, hopefully if I stick to the schedule, we should be looking at one write up a day. Speaking of write ups, time is running out for the special contest. As already established, the rules are simple. Just PM me a write up on your personal favorite project throughout the game's six seasons. The strongest write up will not only be granted a guaranteed spot in the final Season Seven line up, they'll also receive a secret power that will grant them an advantage in the actual game. Get to it people!
-Tiki
7. Timber Mountain Adventure. Team Ansem (KingMickey, MaterA113, BigDisneyFan, Evams123, Disneyland DHI, Disneylover4ever) Season Six, Project Two
http://www.visionsfantastic.com/forum/f60/season-six-project-two-27872/#post375640
Season Six was the game changer. That's all there is to it. It feels kind of funny to talk about something that JUST ended a couple months ago in historical perspective like that, but hey, it's the truth. If season six had been season five: part two, we might not be looking forward to a season seven right now. Season six did a lot of things. It gave us our first really, for real, COMPLETE cast, it gave us the most competitive, unpredictable gameplay yet, but most importantly, it paved the way for elements that in one short season, have become staple of the game.
The most important element of this is the team gameplay. I had experimented with this style in seasons four and five, as one project offshoot twists, but up until season six, we never had enough people to do anything team based for the long term. In season six, that all changed. Right out of the gate, we challenged both teams, (the dominant team, Team Ansem, who ruled the pre-merge, and the underdog team, Team Yensid, who would go on to all be in the final three) to do one of the most controversial things asked of in the entire game: Design something outside of the realm of Disney.
At this point, this idea was still relatively new. Remember, the big twist in season five switching over to Universal for the final three projects was the first time it had ever been done. If building a Six Flags coaster in project one wasn't bad enough, now the Season Six teams had to do something VERY specific. I think this is going to be repeated quiet a lot in the countdown, but what I love about Team Ansem's project is that they did exactly what I envisioned when I first designed the project. The goal was to re design the Knotts Berry Farm log ride for the next generation. Team Ansem did this in spades.
An issue in the early days of season six was how to make an attraction not a Tower of Terror clone. Team Yensid learned this the hard way in the first project when that was the main criticism of their Six Flags Coaster. Basically same plot, different setting. I'm not going to lie when I say that Team Ansem's project bordered on this realm. Whenever you've got a gruesome accident that leads to investigations years later as the initial backstory, you're just setting yourself up to be prepared to the modern day king of the E Ticket. Team Ansem countered this brilliantly, however, just in sheer quality. Like it or not, quality of the presentation is a BIG factor in success in this game. Team Ansem not only had a quality idea, they had a very professional looking write up to go a long with it. What I love most about this project is that it showed a level of quality usually not seen until late season projects. Season six actually holds the record for most projects on the top 10 list. Who else will make it? Find out.
Alright guys, that's today's entry. Remember, hopefully if I stick to the schedule, we should be looking at one write up a day. Speaking of write ups, time is running out for the special contest. As already established, the rules are simple. Just PM me a write up on your personal favorite project throughout the game's six seasons. The strongest write up will not only be granted a guaranteed spot in the final Season Seven line up, they'll also receive a secret power that will grant them an advantage in the actual game. Get to it people!
-Tiki
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Top 10 Projects: Part Two
Hello all. First of all, might I say I am very glad you guys are enjoying this blog and this countdown. I'm always looking for ways to branch the game out, and I think this blog is an important step in the right direction. Remember, you have until early May to turn in a write up of your personal favorite project for a chance to get a guaranteed spot in season seven. This is especially important for any current All Stars looking to play this round. Basically, All Stars are back ups. There might be a chance we might cast one or two, but demand for this season is going to be intense, and there's only 14 spots. It is very likely to turn into a true casting process. Along with the guaranteed spot, the winner will also receive a special mystery power. Details will be provided over PM. With that out of the way, let's get to the countdown!
8. Middle Earth River Adventure (Romanarms. Season Five, Semi Finals)
You know, for all the flack Season Five gets overall (Basically for being the season that Mater got screwed and eliminated second on a stupid grading technicality.) season five did have many controversial events. It might not of been the smoothest or most competitive season ever, but it WAS probably the most controversial.
Perhaps one of the most controversial twists the game has ever seen occurred around the time of the final five. It was a twist that was both anticipated and dreaded. That's right, I'm talking about working on non Disney parks. Not only were they working on non Disney parks, the entire last THREE projects were ALL going to be outside of their comfort zone, in Universal Studios. KingMickey, a frontrunner after his near victory in Season Four, actually quit over the controversy regarding the twist and regarding Mater's outing. Just thinking about how outside of the comfort zone everything got in those chaotic last three projects, I've got to hand it to Romanarms, because he managed to REALLY pull out a gem here. What makes this project so impressive is how it really managed to shine in perhaps the most shaky time in the game's entire history.
First of all, let me just say the the greatest strength of the project is what I was looking for all a long, and that was a faithful adaptation of PETER JACKSON'S Middle Earth. This was, after all, Universal Studios. For my record, Jurassic Park is just a much a theme park masterpiece as Pirates of the Caribbean. Blasphemy you might say? Well, say what you will, but honestly the way that ride is put together, it really feels like a complete and utter adventure in five minutes. A journey into another world. Not to mention the scary parts are actually pretty intense, and the drop is one of the most gut wrenching in history. I don't know, I just have a real soft spot for it. Maybe it's because the first time I went to Disneyland, my family stopped by Universal on the way. I think as an eleven year old, the five minute adventure with the giant reptiles captivated me just as much as the sixteen minute, more subtle journey with the pirates. (But seriously...Johnny Depp detracts points from the ride as a whole. I'm sorry, it just has to be said.)
Anyways, my point is that this was the type of thing I wanted to see in this project, except using Middle Earth instead of Jurassic Park. Romanarms, an underdog from season three who would later go on to win season five, easily nailed this concept. I love how he squeezes so much into so little time. Also, HUGE bonus points for having different variations of the ride at the various parks. I've had my own idea for Middle Earth River Adventure, one that I might just unleash one day. Until then, I think Romarms with this project more than perfectly captures the excitement of a theme park journey to Middle Earth.
Alright Folks. Well, I wanted to get two projects into this part, but rest assured, tomorrow morning I will be unveiling number seven. It's just seriously my bed time, and I haven't even eaten dinner yet. Haha. Well, look for number seven tomorrow, and I hope you are enjoying the countdown. Remember, applications for Season Seven will be posted in early May. Keep your eyes peeled.
-Tiki
8. Middle Earth River Adventure (Romanarms. Season Five, Semi Finals)
You know, for all the flack Season Five gets overall (Basically for being the season that Mater got screwed and eliminated second on a stupid grading technicality.) season five did have many controversial events. It might not of been the smoothest or most competitive season ever, but it WAS probably the most controversial.
Perhaps one of the most controversial twists the game has ever seen occurred around the time of the final five. It was a twist that was both anticipated and dreaded. That's right, I'm talking about working on non Disney parks. Not only were they working on non Disney parks, the entire last THREE projects were ALL going to be outside of their comfort zone, in Universal Studios. KingMickey, a frontrunner after his near victory in Season Four, actually quit over the controversy regarding the twist and regarding Mater's outing. Just thinking about how outside of the comfort zone everything got in those chaotic last three projects, I've got to hand it to Romanarms, because he managed to REALLY pull out a gem here. What makes this project so impressive is how it really managed to shine in perhaps the most shaky time in the game's entire history.
First of all, let me just say the the greatest strength of the project is what I was looking for all a long, and that was a faithful adaptation of PETER JACKSON'S Middle Earth. This was, after all, Universal Studios. For my record, Jurassic Park is just a much a theme park masterpiece as Pirates of the Caribbean. Blasphemy you might say? Well, say what you will, but honestly the way that ride is put together, it really feels like a complete and utter adventure in five minutes. A journey into another world. Not to mention the scary parts are actually pretty intense, and the drop is one of the most gut wrenching in history. I don't know, I just have a real soft spot for it. Maybe it's because the first time I went to Disneyland, my family stopped by Universal on the way. I think as an eleven year old, the five minute adventure with the giant reptiles captivated me just as much as the sixteen minute, more subtle journey with the pirates. (But seriously...Johnny Depp detracts points from the ride as a whole. I'm sorry, it just has to be said.)
Anyways, my point is that this was the type of thing I wanted to see in this project, except using Middle Earth instead of Jurassic Park. Romanarms, an underdog from season three who would later go on to win season five, easily nailed this concept. I love how he squeezes so much into so little time. Also, HUGE bonus points for having different variations of the ride at the various parks. I've had my own idea for Middle Earth River Adventure, one that I might just unleash one day. Until then, I think Romarms with this project more than perfectly captures the excitement of a theme park journey to Middle Earth.
Alright Folks. Well, I wanted to get two projects into this part, but rest assured, tomorrow morning I will be unveiling number seven. It's just seriously my bed time, and I haven't even eaten dinner yet. Haha. Well, look for number seven tomorrow, and I hope you are enjoying the countdown. Remember, applications for Season Seven will be posted in early May. Keep your eyes peeled.
-Tiki
Friday, April 9, 2010
Top 10 Projects: Part One
Hello everyone. Tiki here. Well, for the past week or so, I've been looking over all the past projects, compiling the best of the best, and slavishly working on getting the best Top 10 Projects list possible. I think I've come to a satisfactory list. A few guidelines before we get started. One, this isn't really 100% accurate, as there are some players that dominate the game in a way that, pretty much every project they did would statistically belong in a top 10 list. This list is a little different. I've tried hard not to have so many repeats (though with one contestant in particular, that was simply impossible due to his vast back catalog of impressive projects) and above anything I've striven to acknowledge originality. So, without further ado, here's the first two on the list. This list will be five parts, each containing two projects.
10. All That Jazz Shop/Hungry Bear Refurb (Jessiestudio. Season Six, Project Six)
http://www.visionsfantastic.com/forum/325028-post31.html
This project is not particularly memorable, legendary, or game changing. The reason I put it on the list was for one reason and one reason only. I acknowledge the creativity. This is one of those projects that I've simply forgotten about in the vast library of overall projects, but one that, upon me scanning the past seasons, really popped out to me.
Season four, in general, was top quality. One could even argue that perhaps it was even the best season ever, though it faces SERIOUS competition from season six in that regard. Regardless, in the first five seasons, it was the only one to feature a cast I'd comfortably call "complete". Those early seasons were rocky, but this one, for some reason, ended up being a slam dunk. I love this project simply because it's not really flashy, but the ideas at work just seem to run off the page. I especially love the inspired idea of putting a waterfall in the Hungry Bear. Jessiestudio was just one of the many faces of season four, but like I said, for some reason looking back on that season, this project pops out to me as something special, and a great way to start our countdown.
9. Wall*Experience (Basketbuddy101. Season Three, Project Four)
http://www.visionsfantastic.com/forum/f60/season-3-project-4-a-22978/index3.html#post280752
Survivor had Richard Hatch. Big Brother had Dr. Will. The Amazing Race had Team Guido. These are all players who, in one way or another, more or less defined the way their respective games have been played. If So, You Want to be an Imagineer had one of those players, I'd have to give the honor to BasketBuddy. A big force from literally day one, BasketBuddy is more or less a towering figure when it comes to the game. Four seasons, one making the final four, two making the final two, and finally, in season four, a win. How's that for a track record?
Season three was...not as good as season four. As a matter of fact, for my money, it was easily the least enjoyable season. I don't know what it was. Perhaps it was the fact that MadAboutMickey was obviously going to win from the very beginning. Perhaps it's the fact that the competition that season just...didn't seem to be there. Whatever it was, season three kind of just seems like this uneventful bump in the road when it comes to the grand scheme of things. Anyone who was on that season, take no offense. It wasn't any one cast member who caused this, it was just the fact that the season itself was uneventful.
Regardless, I felt the need to include at least one project from every season, so I just decided to pick out the individual one I felt was the strongest upon re-reading for season three, and well...here we go. There's not really much to talk about in terms of the actual project. It's classic BasketBuddy brand perfection. First of all, I love the way the whole thing is so unified. It doesn't even feel like just an attraction as much as it does more an extension of Tomorrowland. When we assign multi-part projects, more often than not the projects that we get will feel like separate entities. This project, however, feels like one complete product, and that's what I love about it.
Alright folks, there you have it, your first two projects on our list. To close things out, I'd like to announce the official first twist of season seven. This will be open to everyone, including returning players and all stars. I will be doing this list throughout April. Probably on a weekly basis. Throughout April, you guys have the chance to not only score a guaranteed spot in the season seven cast, but also score a secret power that you can use in the game. How do you get this? Simple, send me a PM, doing a write up on your personal favorite project. The best write up will be notified via PM. Again I must emphasize, All Stars, if any of you are dying to play in season seven, this is perhaps your best chance. You guys will have until sign ups start to PM your write ups to me.
Alright. I hope you enjoyed the start of this list. Part two coming soon.
-Tiki
10. All That Jazz Shop/Hungry Bear Refurb (Jessiestudio. Season Six, Project Six)
http://www.visionsfantastic.com/forum/325028-post31.html
This project is not particularly memorable, legendary, or game changing. The reason I put it on the list was for one reason and one reason only. I acknowledge the creativity. This is one of those projects that I've simply forgotten about in the vast library of overall projects, but one that, upon me scanning the past seasons, really popped out to me.
Season four, in general, was top quality. One could even argue that perhaps it was even the best season ever, though it faces SERIOUS competition from season six in that regard. Regardless, in the first five seasons, it was the only one to feature a cast I'd comfortably call "complete". Those early seasons were rocky, but this one, for some reason, ended up being a slam dunk. I love this project simply because it's not really flashy, but the ideas at work just seem to run off the page. I especially love the inspired idea of putting a waterfall in the Hungry Bear. Jessiestudio was just one of the many faces of season four, but like I said, for some reason looking back on that season, this project pops out to me as something special, and a great way to start our countdown.
9. Wall*Experience (Basketbuddy101. Season Three, Project Four)
http://www.visionsfantastic.com/forum/f60/season-3-project-4-a-22978/index3.html#post280752
Survivor had Richard Hatch. Big Brother had Dr. Will. The Amazing Race had Team Guido. These are all players who, in one way or another, more or less defined the way their respective games have been played. If So, You Want to be an Imagineer had one of those players, I'd have to give the honor to BasketBuddy. A big force from literally day one, BasketBuddy is more or less a towering figure when it comes to the game. Four seasons, one making the final four, two making the final two, and finally, in season four, a win. How's that for a track record?
Season three was...not as good as season four. As a matter of fact, for my money, it was easily the least enjoyable season. I don't know what it was. Perhaps it was the fact that MadAboutMickey was obviously going to win from the very beginning. Perhaps it's the fact that the competition that season just...didn't seem to be there. Whatever it was, season three kind of just seems like this uneventful bump in the road when it comes to the grand scheme of things. Anyone who was on that season, take no offense. It wasn't any one cast member who caused this, it was just the fact that the season itself was uneventful.
Regardless, I felt the need to include at least one project from every season, so I just decided to pick out the individual one I felt was the strongest upon re-reading for season three, and well...here we go. There's not really much to talk about in terms of the actual project. It's classic BasketBuddy brand perfection. First of all, I love the way the whole thing is so unified. It doesn't even feel like just an attraction as much as it does more an extension of Tomorrowland. When we assign multi-part projects, more often than not the projects that we get will feel like separate entities. This project, however, feels like one complete product, and that's what I love about it.
Alright folks, there you have it, your first two projects on our list. To close things out, I'd like to announce the official first twist of season seven. This will be open to everyone, including returning players and all stars. I will be doing this list throughout April. Probably on a weekly basis. Throughout April, you guys have the chance to not only score a guaranteed spot in the season seven cast, but also score a secret power that you can use in the game. How do you get this? Simple, send me a PM, doing a write up on your personal favorite project. The best write up will be notified via PM. Again I must emphasize, All Stars, if any of you are dying to play in season seven, this is perhaps your best chance. You guys will have until sign ups start to PM your write ups to me.
Alright. I hope you enjoyed the start of this list. Part two coming soon.
-Tiki
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
A New Era Begins
Hello, everyone, and welcome to a new era of the So, You Want to be an Imagineer game on the VF Forums. Tiki here. I guess I'll use this first blog to just announce a few things and address one particular issue.
First of all, I just have to thank everyone involved in season six. That season was the first season to have no quits, which is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of how smooth that season ran. PL7764 ended up being one of the most satisfying winners of all time because the whole time he was an underdog.
Now, on to the future. Season seven is really going to change everything. Here's the gist of things. Basically, we already have the team leaders mapped out. That leaves 14 spots open. We've got a boat load of twists coming your way in season seven, but we'll get to those when the time comes. Anyways, applications are just a few short weeks away. It's worth noting, again, that season eight will be the All Star season. This means, this is your last season to earn your All Star status for the rest of the year. Season nine will return to having new players in summer 2011, but season eight is going to be...basically, the period at the end of the sentence that is the first real "era" of this game. To be honest with you, I really don't know what the second era has in store, all I can say is that the best of the best, the heroes, the villains, the underdogs, and the unstoppable frontrunners, coming together for the ultimate battle sounds like a fitting ending to a great era. In terms of casting, were basically looking first and foremost for people new to the game. After that, were looking for non All Star returning players. Sorry All Stars. If you guys want to play, you'll probably have to wait until winter. Rest assured, if you have All Star status, as of now you're automatically guaranteed a spot in season eight.
There's one other issue I wish to discuss that seems to be of concern to a few people. The issue of team based game play versus the every man for themselves game play that dominated the first few seasons. To be perfectly honest with you guys, there's no easy way to put it for those striving for "every man for themselves" style, but Team play is here to stay. It's now a mainstay in the game, simply because it makes the game play more interesting. There might be some twists in the future where we'll return to "Every Man for Themselves" for a while, but Team Gameplay is pretty much a very important part of the overall way the game is going to be played in the future.
Well, that's all I have to say for the time being. Throughout April, I'll be posting my Top 10 Projects list. For those season seven players anxious to get a spot on a list, have no fear. Come the end of All Stars, I'll be recomposing that list into a Top 25, including All Star and Season Seven projects. Come actual season time, me and ManEatingWreath will be using blog to give extensive commentary and analysis about the game. We hope in this way, you guys get more connected in the game. Well, enjoy the new blog, and here's to season seven!
-Tiki
First of all, I just have to thank everyone involved in season six. That season was the first season to have no quits, which is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of how smooth that season ran. PL7764 ended up being one of the most satisfying winners of all time because the whole time he was an underdog.
Now, on to the future. Season seven is really going to change everything. Here's the gist of things. Basically, we already have the team leaders mapped out. That leaves 14 spots open. We've got a boat load of twists coming your way in season seven, but we'll get to those when the time comes. Anyways, applications are just a few short weeks away. It's worth noting, again, that season eight will be the All Star season. This means, this is your last season to earn your All Star status for the rest of the year. Season nine will return to having new players in summer 2011, but season eight is going to be...basically, the period at the end of the sentence that is the first real "era" of this game. To be honest with you, I really don't know what the second era has in store, all I can say is that the best of the best, the heroes, the villains, the underdogs, and the unstoppable frontrunners, coming together for the ultimate battle sounds like a fitting ending to a great era. In terms of casting, were basically looking first and foremost for people new to the game. After that, were looking for non All Star returning players. Sorry All Stars. If you guys want to play, you'll probably have to wait until winter. Rest assured, if you have All Star status, as of now you're automatically guaranteed a spot in season eight.
There's one other issue I wish to discuss that seems to be of concern to a few people. The issue of team based game play versus the every man for themselves game play that dominated the first few seasons. To be perfectly honest with you guys, there's no easy way to put it for those striving for "every man for themselves" style, but Team play is here to stay. It's now a mainstay in the game, simply because it makes the game play more interesting. There might be some twists in the future where we'll return to "Every Man for Themselves" for a while, but Team Gameplay is pretty much a very important part of the overall way the game is going to be played in the future.
Well, that's all I have to say for the time being. Throughout April, I'll be posting my Top 10 Projects list. For those season seven players anxious to get a spot on a list, have no fear. Come the end of All Stars, I'll be recomposing that list into a Top 25, including All Star and Season Seven projects. Come actual season time, me and ManEatingWreath will be using blog to give extensive commentary and analysis about the game. We hope in this way, you guys get more connected in the game. Well, enjoy the new blog, and here's to season seven!
-Tiki
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