A.J.

Hey Robb - I'm a mechanical engineering freshman aiming for a career in the theme park industry. I'm trying to begin networking around the industry early so I can get my foot in the door. However, I'm having trouble figuring out where to start. Do you have any advice as to how I should begin my networking? I thought you'd be the right guy to ask. Thanks in advance.

Thanks for clearing that up. That's all I was asking about...

Well, that surely means that any worries that they won't correct the bowing-out on some sections of track is unfounded. If the bolts stay, that car has got to be PRECISELY in the right spot on the rails at all times with very little side-to-side variance. That's what I said too, in the IAAPA thread - there can't be any tolerance for error. I'm no expert, but I do have some knowledge of roller coaster engineering - I've been nerding out on the subject for years in preparation for a hopeful career in the amusement park industry after I graduate in Mechanical Engineering. But, I am not knowledgeable on Rocky Mountain's system, and so I have no idea how wide the running wheels are. They've most likely already thought of that though. I really want to see some testing soon...

Ding ding ding! This looks like a great ride for positive Gs.

Actually, I have a question. Robb, did Mack show you guys how that new tea-cup-boat-thing ride worked? It looks really interesting, like it fills up with water or something (because of the grated floor). It looks like a really cool concept.

I just got told. No shame. Yes, I was assuming that the running wheels were the width of the gap between the bolt assemblies. Kind of ignorantly stupid in hindsight, and the micrometer assumption was a huge exaggeration. My apologies if I sounded full of myself. I am no expert, I'm learning, and I've been learning that more than zero tolerance for error in engineering is unacceptable, especially in the design phase.

Welcome to the challenge, and good luck. Both names added.

Okay. First off - use the F10 button to take in-game screenshots. Read the RCT3 user guide. READ IT. The widths of pathways are inconsistent. Think - what would guests think if they had this wide open space, and they had to cram themselves in a narrow space to get to the entrance of their favorite coaster? Like I said to GE - take the time and make your park more detailed. It will look better, and you will feel more accomplished.

Um... You need to really take time and add detail to the park. It's all so plain and flat. You're giving us updates and new parks left and right. Your park would look so much better if you actually took the time and made the park semi-realistic by adding detail to your buildings and rides.

I really hope that system works - shooting in between the bolt assemblies at 60+mph leaves no room for error - not even a micrometer.

Save both of them. They're both pretty compact. I'd go with the diagonal-lift one because the track is longer.

That was quick! The deadline has been set at Thursday, December 23 at 11:59pm Eastern. Check the first post for more information. Remember, if you have not entered yet, you can still enter up until a week before the deadline.

Here we go - yet another NoLimits contest. But, this one will be fun, I swear! NOLIMITS CHALLENGE: Brainstorming Beyond Manufacturers Every coaster geek knows the top manufacturers of steel coasters. Bolliger and Mabillard, Intamin AG, Vekoma, Premier...and it seems as though the budding designers of NoLimits world tries to emulate their styles of design. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, sure. But, what in heaven's name would our budding designers do if they were given a clean slate and ordered to design a roller coaster in their own personal style? The rules are simple. Design a 21st-century steel roller coaster in your own personal style, without holding yourself to the design and style of a manufacturer. Here are the constraints. A. You are able to use any roller coaster type except: Wooden Coaster (Trailered 2-seat) Wooden Coaster (Classic 4-seat) Wooden Coaster (Classic 6-seat) Wooden Coaster (Trailered 4-seat) B. Your coaster must be longer than 1500ft and shorter than 5280ft. C. Your coaster's highest point must be taller than 65ft. D. If your coaster is launched, it must have at least one launch of 40mph or more. E. Your coaster cannot have a moment of force of more than 5.2g or less than -1.5g being tested at 100% time scale. F. Your coaster must pass the following tests: The Emergency Stop Test - Your coaster must be able to come to a complete stop on the mid-course brake run (if there is one), then make it through the rest of its circuit on gravity alone (that means not using any transport sections on the mid-course brake run). The Tunnel Test - A section of your track must be able to have a tunnel and not have the tunnel section touch any supports or any track. If a track section crosses over or under a different block section, then the section of track it crosses over/under must also be able to be tunneled and not touch the other tunnel. Now that you have the constraints, here are some tips! It's okay to use manufacturer's elements! I'm not telling you to come up with all your own elements - manufacturers "borrow" other manufacturers' elements all the time! I'm asking you to mix it up a little. Get creative! This contest is designed to get you to think of what your own personal style of design is. Do you like vertical lifts? Have you ever wondered how Storm Runner's flying snake dive would be like taken in reverse? It's all up to you! Get feedback! Feel free to use this thread as an emotional picker-upper. People can mimic your style all you want - but you're the one that knows it the best. Hand-build? Newton? It doesn't matter! Keep in mind that there are things that hand-building can do and Newton2 can't. All coasters will be judged in the same way. It is possible to make a smooth hand-built ride - just ask Loefet, he knows! How will the coasters be judged? The coasters will be judged in accordance with the NoLimits Exchange ten-point rating system, with the three categories split into five. Technical - is the track smooth? Are there pumps or jolts? 0 to 10 points. Realism - does the ride look and feel like it could be constructed and ridden in a real-life amusement park? 0 to 10 points. Adrenaline - how much would a hand-core coaster guy like Robb (!) enjoy the ride if it were real? 0 to 10 points. Originality - have you clearly made your own style of ride, or does it feel exactly like someone else's? 0 to 10 points. Criteria - does the coaster meet the constraints as stated in the first post of the thread? Either 0 or 10 points, nothing else. TOTAL POSSIBLE POINTS - 50 Keep in mind that while 3DS and custom catwalk buildings add to the overall atmosphere of a ride, the use of them is not heavily weighted in the judging. Now for the deadline. The deadline for this challenge is Thursday December 23 at 11:59pm Eastern. How do I submit my design? To submit your design, please send me a private message with the track or pack attached in a .zip file. If you have already posted your design in this thread with a download, it does not count as a submission. When I receive a private message with your design, I will consider the design in its final form. There are no second chances! If you submit your design to me, that's it! I will not accept a "V2" design if you have already submitted once. No exceptions! Entries will be judged at my earliest convenience after they are submitted. However, all scores will be released at the same time, approximately five days to one week after the deadline. Interested in taking part in this contest? Just plop a post in this thread and you'll be added to the contestant pool! Anyone can enter the contest or drop themselves from the contest until Thursday December 16 - a week before the deadline. The Contenders the ghost CCJared Thelegendarymatthew davisal771 inflameswetrust21 mightbeawannabe coasterlover420 Ace of Spades Jakizle cubsonfire2 coast4airtime Vekoma Fan Boy aceospades1250 Green colored text indicates a successful submission. Remember, you can still enter the contest until a week before the deadline! Feel free to ask any questions about rules, designs, or other related topics in the thread. ~A.J. Don't understand the contest's criteria? Click to download my example track. AJR_Scourge (Complete).nltrack Example track.

It doesn't look like it would spin very much...

Looking good. Although, I wish more B&M Inverted coasters had completely straight drops.

Aaaah! My eyes! Much better. Some of the hills look like they have "un-natural" airtime. Like, having -1.0 for the entire crest.

Fastest. Tallest. Longest. Coming soon, from AJ. Supporting is preliminary, of course. Five Gs in multiple places. Every inversion has hang time.

Big Bad Wolf was Busch Gardens Williamsburg's least intense roller coaster, right? It only makes sense to construct a ride of similar intensity so that the same people who would ride BBW would ride the new coaster.

I don't get out of my region that much. The most intense B&M I've ridden is Alpengeist.

Good point. I was just guessing, honestly.

I'm pretty sure... They chose Intamin for California Screamin' because of the track - it looks like a woodie, doesn't it? If you look from far away, you can't tell a difference between California Screamin' and a woodie because the track blends in so well. The Vekoma track is enormous, and would have stuck out. California Screamin' uses two-tube track for most of its length. Raging Spirits and Temple of Peril are Intamin for the same reason, even though they don't have an onboard audio system. I think.

Older Vekoma rides have hee-uge trains... ...trains that are hee-uge enough to incorporate an audio system without too much modification to the front five or six cars.

I understand Newton's initial difficulty to grasp. I've been hand-building for years, and still do on occasion. A "few" bumps? I can tell where 90% of the nodes are while riding the track - there are bumps in those places! You need to test, retest, and test your coaster again before you even consider uploading it. You need to make sure that the entire ride is smoothed out save for the segments that are intentionally straight. Practice, practice, practice.

Any suggestions welcome? Okay... Shorten the station, put 7 or 8 cars on the train, make a gradual incline to the lift, make the second section of the lift completely straight, and make the peak of the lift more gradual. Smooth your track. EVERYWHERE, except for the second lift section, station, and brake runs, because those should be completely straight. There are lots of bumps and bruises along the track. Check your clearances. The turn behind the loop is the worst - if anyone even tried to put their hands up they would get them cut off. You've got too many sections of straight track. it makes the second half of the layout exceptionally boring. Use the "make straight" tool for the brake runs, and, like I said before, the second section of the lift. Take the extra time to make your supports realistic. Some of the sections don't even have supports at all! I think I'm done. Keep trying...

I'd bet there's not a bad chance of that happening - if Intamin sold the Busch parks a "two-ride package" like B&M did with Alpengeist/Montu and Sheikra/Griffon, we could see an Intamin running through Wolfie's old territory. IMO, a Wingrider would be so much better as a terrain coaster than a flyer.