(RCT3) The Wedge

[Thx1138]

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Something new has been added to The Plaza build skyline: The Wedge.

 

In the next few posts I'll cover the process of putting this latest building together, I think it's been more than a week, maybe ten days from beginning concept to placement in the park, so here goes...

 

I wanted a condominium for permanent residence as opposed to another resort, something under 2000 sg. feet, here is the beginning...

 

 

Modern, split-level, the wedge shape was bold, but would prove challenging to lay out a workable interior...

 

 

Fortunately I can save structures and lay out a bunch to mess around with, here is a typical if not neat and organized build site, this building took two separate ones...

 

 

Finally you have the floor plan all figured out and set the windows and lighting and maybe a few ornaments...

 

 

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I still don't have much in the way of custom interior scenery like furniture so I have to improvise as much as possible. (And that can be of one of the fun aspects if you look at it that way, there will always be some scenery you need but don't have, lol.)

 

Here I tried to build from the "inside-out" as much as possible to include a kitchen, mock furnished living room, master bedroom/bath floorplan with room to add another bedroom and bath over the kitchen...

 

 

While the wedge shape was selected with the exterior foremost in mind, I knew that the large angled glass would afford for breathtaking views from every room...

 

Two of these units would be joined together in pairs and then a number of pairs stacked upon a lobby...

 

 

Inside there is room for the resident elevator and two enormous Lexan truss rods depicted here in red...

 

 

The truss rods are sunk deep into bedrock, two enormous bolts at the top of the building put tension on the Lexan rods and keep the whole building rigid and not just sitting on top of a foundation, but firmly fastened to bedrock.

 

Now we are ready for a platform to build the stack upon, here is a shot of the lobby with the roof off...

 

 

Inside we have a couple fountains, some plants, a few vases a lobby desk and a full buffett, coffee and soda bar, compliments of the house.

 

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Here is the finished lobby, ready to start stacking...

 

 

But wait a second there Hoss, we're not quite ready yet... what's going to go on the very top of the skyscraper?

 

I could have just capped off a pair of condos at the top of the central joining member and put a red light on that, but I really wanted a structure at the top and considered several shapes including a star-like pointed structure, a lightning bolt shape, but finally settled for... another wedge.

 

The Skybar...

 

 

A semi-glass roof and stratospheric view do more to put you in the clouds than even the generous drinks they pour. Don't worry, a sheet of that armor glass could easily support two elephants jumping up and down on it as though it were a trampoline. (Even pink elephants...:wink )

 

Here is the Skybar with the roof off...

 

 

Another buffet table for happy hour, some tables without chairs, (no good chairs yet :/ ) plants, the same ol' large vases and a small bar with the best view around.

 

 

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So, we put the Skybar on the top and start stacking pairs of condos... (the bar is not depicted in this screen, so you are not going crazy, lol)

 

 

After a number of levels you finally put the whole thing on top of the lobby...

 

 

Instead of building from the ground floor up, in RCT3 you build from the top level, save it, then put down another level, what will end up the next lower level and stack what you have saved on top of that... then save again and repeat as often as you need, with this technique you can build much higher than the old method of 5 or 6 stories, I can go 100 if I want.

 

All the way into the sky...

 

 

It almost resembles a vertical windmill and one idea is that the winds can rotate the entire structure on an enormous thrust bearing and turn a maximum of onece every 15 minutes or whatever is most comfortable. In times of calm a motor could drive the building... but, this particular one is pretty much stationary.

 

I decided seven levels and the Skybar would be tall enough, I had originally planned on ten levels but thought that was too tall for this park in the end...

 

 

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Even though there are only seven levels of condos, remember they are two-story and spaced twenty feet, so altogether you are about 300 feet up at the Skybar...

 

 

And of course we have a wedge-shaped swimming pool in the back built over steep cliffs...

 

 

I really wondered where I could put this tall structure, I sure didn't want it in the front blocking our view of other buildings like the Trocadero, so I flattened a hill and put the Wedge building among the steep hills in the back of the park.

 

 

So there we have it, from concept to finished building...

 

 

Thx

[mwoods244]

Amazing architecture! This is exactly the type of building I would want to live in. Plus, its a condo tower that gets rid of the neighbor noises. Too perfect!

[sammmmmy]

This is really brilliant. The only thing that looks really out of place are those mountains, maybe tone them down or just get rid of them.

[Thx1138]

Amazing architecture! This is exactly the type of building I would want to live in. Plus, its a condo tower that gets rid of the neighbor noises. Too perfect!

 

Thanks guy! A big part of my thinking was that your ceiling would not be someone else's floor, lol. Since video games are becoming more physically active I wondered how some would tolerate the kids upstairs playing their wii track and field game all day and night.

 

Another thing, with all that glass I wanted to put them in such a position you would still get unobstructed views (constantly changing with the "windmill" mod) and also maintain a sense of privacy ie: you are not looking directly into your neighbor's livingroom.

 

The one thing about these condos are their costs, I would imagine they would have to be several million apiece, even though they were manufactured in a factory and only assembled on site.

 

Thx

[Thx1138]

This is really brilliant. The only thing that looks really out of place are those mountains, maybe tone them down or just get rid of them.

 

 

Thanks a bunch! But, I don't know, personally I think the mountains fit right in, one of the reasons I chose to place the building where I did.

 

I also have a new condo that takes advantage of steep mountains I am almost ready to try out.

 

Here are some more pics of the Wedge building folks...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thx

[CorkscrewFoley]

Holy sh!t this is incredible! I cannot think of anything else to say other than wow...

[89James89]

I like the architecture and the look of the park but can't help but feel that the landscaping ruins it a bit.

 

Everything seems to be green with exception to the very tops of the mountains which just doesn't seem to realistic to me. The rock work however around the lake looks nice but I'm not sure about the water edges an the sides of the steep mountains being all green. Maybe try mud or rock to line the bodies of water and give the sides of the mountains a rocky texture rather than grass.

 

Also the foliage looks very random and bare. I mean the stuff at the bottom of the mountains looks alrgiht but then on the areas around the condo and park there's nothing there or just what seems to be random bushes and trees placed around. Try layering the foliage to create a sense of depth to it to go with the magnificent buildings you've created, from small bushes and flowers at the front to larger palms and bushes as you move back. The sunken large ferns make for some really nice foliage and can be placed under the trees to create undergrowth or dl some cs foliage sets for their added variety (and zero collision bonus).

 

Hope that didn't seem to critical and helps you.

 

Cheers

 

89James89

[Thx1138]

I like the architecture and the look of the park but can't help but feel that the landscaping ruins it a bit.

 

Everything seems to be green with exception to the very tops of the mountains which just doesn't seem to realistic to me. The rock work however around the lake looks nice but I'm not sure about the water edges an the sides of the steep mountains being all green. Maybe try mud or rock to line the bodies of water and give the sides of the mountains a rocky texture rather than grass.

 

Also the foliage looks very random and bare. I mean the stuff at the bottom of the mountains looks alrgiht but then on the areas around the condo and park there's nothing there or just what seems to be random bushes and trees placed around. Try layering the foliage to create a sense of depth to it to go with the magnificent buildings you've created, from small bushes and flowers at the front to larger palms and bushes as you move back. The sunken large ferns make for some really nice foliage and can be placed under the trees to create undergrowth or dl some cs foliage sets for their added variety (and zero collision bonus).

 

Hope that didn't seem to critical and helps you.

 

Cheers

 

89James89

 

 

It is pretty bare, but that's because it is not finished...

 

I tend to put all the buildings in place first along with the sidewalks and everything else with only limited and suggestive greenery.

 

I guess I tend to build differently than a lot of others.

 

I see a lot of folks lay down a bunch of trees (few mountains or much terrain work at all,) then clear out spaces to put coasters etc... I build my little city first, then the rides, shops, lighting, then in the end the trash cans, benches and last of all the shrubbery and spend a few weeks going around making finishing touches before I commit it to a scenario.

 

As far as the mountains... it's supposed to be a tropical setting, hence the pointy mountains, so I am going to keep them covered in grass with a tree line at the bottom and just put in sprigs of shallow brush here and there, the rock part at the top is rock.. lol, so that will remain bare.

 

But shrubbery is not my strongest suit I will admit and I could use some more custom shrubbery than what I have. I have the mega tree pack and what was in the boulder pack and some non-tropical custom trees as well.

 

What would you guys do, cover the mountains completely with trees maybe?

 

Thank you for your detailed response, I am happy to hear some detailed input, I get very few posts on my threads. I will probably put more patches of dirt around, I don't like to get too heavy with it in a tropical setting and usually just dab a single tile in critical places and it's only faintly visible, maybe I will try some two-tile dabbing around the base of the reservour and hills.

 

I have been trying to spend more time upfront on the terrain, here is what I have so far for the next build with some really tall skyscrapers in it...

 

 

This one might get more vegetation up front as well, but it's hard to put in planters before the buildings are in...

 

I've been tinkering with this one now on and off for a month...

 

 

I still have a long ways to go before I get to the final details, many parts of this park are still rough, I am putting in what will be a Chinese restaurant right now...

 

 

 

Here is the section it's going in, lots of work still to be done over there...

 

 

I'm hoping I can get it opened by this spring.

 

Thanks for the input guys I really appreciate it!

 

Thx

[89James89]

It is pretty bare, but that's because it is not finished...

 

I tend to put all the buildings in place first along with the sidewalks and everything else with only limited and suggestive greenery.

 

I guess I tend to build differently than a lot of others.

 

I see a lot of folks lay down a bunch of trees (few mountains or much terrain work at all,) then clear out spaces to put coasters etc... I build my little city first, then the rides, shops, lighting, then in the end the trash cans, benches and last of all the shrubbery and spend a few weeks going around making finishing touches before I commit it to a scenario.

 

That's cool I understand if you don't like the foliage side of the game as your architecture and park skills are very high and above all else you should be building for yourself not others. You also mentioned that you do the shrubbery last which is fine and may mean that a number of my points are irrelevant as you haven't reached that stage yet. That said however I hope that some of my words may help when you do get to that stage.

 

 

As far as the mountains... it's supposed to be a tropical setting, hence the pointy mountains, so I am going to keep them covered in grass with a tree line at the bottom and just put in sprigs of shallow brush here and there, the rock part at the top is rock.. lol, so that will remain bare.

 

No that's fine I don't think you should cover the whole mountain in trees just make the rock go further down the mountain side. Looking at google pictures shows that tropical mountains are either mostly rock or covered in trees so your rocky sides and trees at the bottom ideas sounds absolutely fine.

 

But shrubbery is not my strongest suit I will admit and I could use some more custom shrubbery than what I have. I have the mega tree pack and what was in the boulder pack and some non-tropical custom trees as well.

 

What would you guys do, cover the mountains completely with trees maybe?

 

Yer I think Old Spice has made a tropical tree set that sees a lot of use. Just play around with what you've got and find something that works for you.

 

As for the mountain, no I wouldn't cover it in trees as they seem to steep to support trees all over them.

 

 

Thank you for your detailed response, I am happy to hear some detailed input, I get very few posts on my threads. I will probably put more patches of dirt around, I don't like to get too heavy with it in a tropical setting and usually just dab a single tile in critical places and it's only faintly visible, maybe I will try some two-tile dabbing around the base of the reservoir and hills.

 

No problem with the detailed response and I' hope you find some bits in my comments useful. As for the very few comments I think the few responses is not just to do with your project but rather this and other RCT forums. Some places are more popular than others and some people just prefer to view parks rather than leave comments. Still its a nice looking project and I enjoy seeing the updates so I hope you continue.

 

As for the terrain painting it can be difficult to get right. I personally just play around until I find something that I think works.

 

 

Now onto the new pictures. I actually find your terrain style very compelling and intriguing with all the stepped affects. The bodies of water look like they will produce some interesting layouts which I'm looking forward to seeing and the beginnings of the rock work look nice.

 

The Park also seems to be coming together and I look forward to progress on it all.

 

 

Cheers

 

James

[Thx1138]

Holy sh!t this is incredible! I cannot think of anything else to say other than wow...

 

 

Glad you like it and more scrapers to come foks and eventually I'll get around to putting more than just one coaster in the park, lol.

 

Thanks again!

 

Thx

[Thx1138]

It is pretty bare, but that's because it is not finished...

 

I tend to put all the buildings in place first along with the sidewalks and everything else with only limited and suggestive greenery.

 

I guess I tend to build differently than a lot of others.

 

I see a lot of folks lay down a bunch of trees (few mountains or much terrain work at all,) then clear out spaces to put coasters etc... I build my little city first, then the rides, shops, lighting, then in the end the trash cans, benches and last of all the shrubbery and spend a few weeks going around making finishing touches before I commit it to a scenario.

 

That's cool I understand if you don't like the foliage side of the game as your architecture and park skills are very high and above all else you should be building for yourself not others. You also mentioned that you do the shrubbery last which is fine and may mean that a number of my points are irrelevant as you haven't reached that stage yet. That said however I hope that some of my words may help when you do get to that stage.

 

 

As far as the mountains... it's supposed to be a tropical setting, hence the pointy mountains, so I am going to keep them covered in grass with a tree line at the bottom and just put in sprigs of shallow brush here and there, the rock part at the top is rock.. lol, so that will remain bare.

 

No that's fine I don't think you should cover the whole mountain in trees just make the rock go further down the mountain side. Looking at google pictures shows that tropical mountains are either mostly rock or covered in trees so your rocky sides and trees at the bottom ideas sounds absolutely fine.

 

But shrubbery is not my strongest suit I will admit and I could use some more custom shrubbery than what I have. I have the mega tree pack and what was in the boulder pack and some non-tropical custom trees as well.

 

What would you guys do, cover the mountains completely with trees maybe?

 

Yer I think Old Spice has made a tropical tree set that sees a lot of use. Just play around with what you've got and find something that works for you.

 

As for the mountain, no I wouldn't cover it in trees as they seem to steep to support trees all over them.

 

 

Thank you for your detailed response, I am happy to hear some detailed input, I get very few posts on my threads. I will probably put more patches of dirt around, I don't like to get too heavy with it in a tropical setting and usually just dab a single tile in critical places and it's only faintly visible, maybe I will try some two-tile dabbing around the base of the reservoir and hills.

 

No problem with the detailed response and I' hope you find some bits in my comments useful. As for the very few comments I think the few responses is not just to do with your project but rather this and other RCT forums. Some places are more popular than others and some people just prefer to view parks rather than leave comments. Still its a nice looking project and I enjoy seeing the updates so I hope you continue.

 

As for the terrain painting it can be difficult to get right. I personally just play around until I find something that I think works.

 

 

Now onto the new pictures. I actually find your terrain style very compelling and intriguing with all the stepped affects. The bodies of water look like they will produce some interesting layouts which I'm looking forward to seeing and the beginnings of the rock work look nice.

 

The Park also seems to be coming together and I look forward to progress on it all.

 

 

Cheers

 

James

 

Oh, I'm very happy for suggstions and comments James, thanks again!

 

That next park there with the stepped terrain, I have a few ideas for buildings, one very tall skyscraper where we see that grey triangular footprint, but I am at a loss for some other ideas on how to bridge some of those little reservours, there are more than what we see there, maybe you guys would have some ideas.

 

My parks take a lot of time and build slowly, but look at a place like Disneyland, they put in a whole infrastructure before they set a merry-go-round, lol.

 

There is another board where I post my stuff, a skyscraper board and those guys build some pretty far out stuff.

 

I am stuck sort of, I don't build a lot of coasters to show here, but don't have any 100 story buildings to get a response from those guys, lol.

 

(They shun RCT, but luuuuv that Minecraft, lol.)

 

Something I like to try and do as much as possible is illuminate my trees... you can't have any other lights around them, but you put one of Vodihn's "medium" angled lights under and most trees will illuminate.

 

Thanks again each!

 

Tx

[Thx1138]

Here is a Chinese restaurant I finished more than a month ago...

 

It's named "Pink Panda": Pink Panda Chinese Restaurants.

 

Thanks to Ralfvieh for their East Asia custom scenery pack and Vodhin and several others!

 

 

Every Chinese restaurant I've been to seemed to have pink tablecloths and I guess I just extended it throughout the build, lol

 

 

A glass-walled octagon shape which just begged for a pink glass stripe and I was committed to the pink theme.

 

 

Black accents to make it pop...

 

 

I used to build a lot of glass enclosures like this for thrill rides back in RCT2, make 'em look like giant wrapped presents or something.

 

And the awesome rooves...

 

 

A pink panda mascot out in front, natch'.

 

 

A shallow pond for the swimming coy in the back, I might put an overhanging patio extension if I get ambitious...

 

 

 

 

 

There is a bit more to do to the restaurant, a billboard sign, some more shrubbery and maybe some pink neon accents...

 

Much of the space you see here will have thrill rides, so I don't have too awful much more to go. lol

 

The park is coming along fine overall, here are some more screens

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had to put a side additon on to accomodate three large swimming pools...

 

 

 

 

The park has done pretty well so far with test openings and has won several awards early on...

 

 

 

 

And the very latest addition, a Farrell's Ice Cream parlor...here is a shot with the roof off...

 

 

Again, trying to build from the inside-out.

 

 

Here we have a nice ample kitchen...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks again guys!

 

 

 

 

 

Thx