Wabigbear

Sorry I missed this post from ages ago! But RCTMart was a special place indeed, really good memories of that time!

Also saw this late... Closest we were ever in a park near Christmas was at WDW the first week or so after Halloween a few years ago, we usually go before Halloween. The decorations were up but the crowd levels weren't, so it was a nice time to visit. We didn't attend any of the special events. I really loved the decorations and windows on Main Street at the Magic Kingdom. No real favorite Christmas movie. Living in Brazil the selection is far more limited, even with streaming, so it's been years since I've had to wade through the plethora of Hallmark Holiday tearjerkers. Christmas music here includes a few US holiday standards, but just isn't a big thing . The malls have fake snow, trees and some Christmas tunes playing, admittedly I still cant used to seeing those things or hearing lyrics about snow and frosty air when it's in the 90's here. But when I decide to do some holiday baking I'll tune to the Seattle online all-Christmas radio station while pretending the oven heat is coming from a fireplace (the occasional burnt cookies help that illusion...).

Very realistic!

In fact the centerpiece with the giant Wizard face WAS an elegant pipe organ, from the Workshop! The "Grand Organ" by Carnage. I just tweaked it a little... Some of the green marble pieces are Workshop finds, others I made, like the floor/wall tiles. Glad you liked them!

Our appointment time is upon us...time to head towards the Palace of Oz... "An Audience With The Great And Powerful Wizard Of OZ, Ruler Of The Emerald City, Protector Of OZ"... We enter the Great Hall... And are ushered into the presence of the Great and Powerful One himself... "The Great OZ knows why you are here!" "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!" We are dismissed from the Great Oz's presence, so we wander to another palace hall where there is the Horse of a Different Color Carousel... Of course you can count on their being food stalls down a side haul...being Great and Powerful ain't cheap you know! There's yet more to see (Hey!I heard that groan...) in the upper levels of the city behind the Palace. We'll explore there next time... "More to come!" NOTE: Apologies for the poor textures on many of the in-game pieces. While most of the TMTK items look fine, the reduced textures on the Frontier items when a park reaches a certain size sadly kick in, even with textures jacked up to max. That's one thing PC2 seems to handle better based on what I've seen so far anyways...

Really interesting concepts! Looking forward to how you create it as you go along!

It really filled out nicely! Those tall planter 'trees' really look nice there too.

Lighting is quite nice, but then that's an area you always excel at. Nice reflections on things in this game too...

Very nice detail! Those look great...

Yep, I prodded and woke citytrader up from his nap from time to time to ask what he thought about this or that because admittedly he knows far more about OZ than I do (being around when it was first written - in fact I think he visits there often during his naps...as well as during his waking hours if truth be told...). He was busy with the Yellow Brick Country bench, which will be shown soon, but limited to times between his work and real-life things popping up that had his attention while I played around on the Emerald City...one of the advantages of retirement for me! I haven't even seen the completed Yellow Brick Country bench myself! But what I've seen so far looks great! The elevated Chicago lines were certainly the inspiration for the Scalawagon line. That, and they were a late addition after I had already laid out the streets and placed many of the buildings, so I decided to run them elevated, which worked out well, even if in the books they ran at street level. The stable was in fact a Workshop find, just repainted and tweaked slightly. There's some fantastic builds in there - I never feel bad about using them rather than trying to make something myself that's not even half as good! The Wizards Palace is another Workshop find - "European Palace Left" and "European Palace Right" by Bob. There's also a center section available that I didn't use. I had to re-color everything green on both blueprints, which was a task, but I loved the curved facade and the domes. I then just filled in a small section in the middle and added a few things. A really nice blueprint, and I'm a sucker for this style anyways, as you can see in a couple other EC buildings. The Emerald City here mixes a lot of different styles, sort of like an actual city would I think. Beaux Arts, some Medieval, Art Nouveau...all were used in illustrations for the Oz books over the years, and of course Art Deco in the '39 film, so there is a link between them all besides in just my imagination...

And we're back...ain't you lucky??? As we descend to the lower level of the Emerald City, we again pass under the Scalawagons as they exit from their tunnel under the city... There's many residences in this part of the City... Skycars to the Wicked Witch of the West's Castle are to the left...as if anyone really wanted to go there! *shutter* Meanwhile to the right we find the Tarts 'n Torts - a lawyerly bakery, and Eureka's Catonic Tea Shop (specializing in Catnip Tea...). Eureka was Dorothy's pet white kitten than accompanied when she returned to OZ...repeatedly for some strange reason... Across the street are Hotz Dawgs and Tater Sticks shops... The Skycars to the Wicked Witches Castle rise overhead...carrying unsuspecting peeps to their doom no doubt... A side gate allows one to walk to the Wicked Witches Castle (if anyone actually wanted to...), or the other direction meets up with the Yellow Brick Road on the way to the Nome King's Lair and Winkie Town...and of course a cart selling green tinted glasses stands ready. At the Emerald City Stables you'll find Betsy Bobbins and her mule Hank... Victor Columbia Edison's Magical Music Store - what else did you expect from an enchanted talking Victrola? Capt. Bill's Fish Feast. The old seafarer brings his fresh catch to the Emerald City... The Jester's Magic Shop... Which brings us back around to the Emerald City Main Gate and The Palace...just in time for our Audience With The Great And Powerful Wizard Of OZ - Ruler Of The Emerald City - Protector Of OZ... Until next time...there's for to come (but we've made it most of the way so you can wake up now...)!

Yeah, I think there's too many issues unresolved in the base game yet to be focused on DLC. I do however, understand the need to pump out DLC for the income, and I also know that all these new rides have been in the development pipeline for quite a while - likely long before the base game was even released. The DLC price doesn't really bother me as much as it does many people, I'll agree there's not a whole lot of new content for that price, so I can understand why some aren't interested in purchasing it right now. I bought it myself but I haven't even really played PC2 much as of yet. I know there's controversy as well between those who complain about missing content that was in PC1 and PZ not being in PC2, and those who point out that content for both the earlier games came out over a long period of time and wasn't part of the original release. I agree, but my feeling is that PC2 was supposed to be a sequel to PC1, building on it with new content and abilities. To me that doesn't mean that you have to wait while content and features dribble out like they did in the first games. Much of the current controversy reminds me of what went on years ago with Atari, where you had people upset at some of the problems in that game while others were vocal fan-boys dismissing anyone with an alternative opinion as just 'whining and complaining' (while sometimes it was...) while they instead somewhat blindly defended Atari. Meanwhile the majority of the community just wanted issues fixed so they could play. Not much has changed over the years I guess... LOL!

LOL! I wish I had... "Pigasus is a flying, winged pig whose riders are magically compelled to speak only in verse until they dismount." It was found in several OZ books, mostly the later ones by Ruth Plumly Thompson who continued the series after Baum. In the 29th OZ book - The Wishing Horse of Oz - it helps Dorothy Gale discover what's happening when all the different rulers and personalities of OZ start to disappear - Ozma, Glinda, even the Wizard. No, I haven't read 29 different OZ books, only one! I came across the name on a list of OZ characters, and then when I remembered the cute pigs someone shared on the Workshop. I just made it some wings to become Pigasus!

(You should be careful what one wishes for...) We pass under the Grand Staircase, to the right is The Palace Food Court with food shops... Here's another gate...this one leads out to cross the Emerald River and connects with the path to the Northern Kingdom. There's also an information stall located here to direct Emerald City visitors to different locales. On the left the street rises up to the Upper City... But first we'll pass by yet another theater (the Emerald City is known for it's entertainment venues...). The Odeon currently is home to a stage production of Wicked...what else? At the top of the ramp is The Grand Hotel...the Emerald City's finest lodging... Smith & Tinker Watchworks has a shop off the lobby...VERY exclusive watches... Next door is JAM Kites. Jonathan Andrew Manley (J.A.M.) was a young boy from Ohio who flew to OZ with two guinea pigs and a laboratory rat on a large kite... Bangadore Sweets Shop - Bangladore was a young candy giant who resided in a forest in the Winkie Country in the Land of Oz. His body was made of taffy and his eyes were sourballs; he wore a chocolate coat with marshmallow buttons and a peppermint collar... Another Oz Books Store (one can never have enough you know...) Next is the Chow Down Buffet...exotic foods from the far, FAR East... Aquareine...a fine seafood restaurant. Aquareine is the lovely and gracious queen of the mermaids and the first mermaid ever created. On the corner is the Emerald City Hotel... Around the corner is Pigasus - Fine Dining... And then we come to the Emerald City Gift Shop, full of souvenirs... And finally there's Snuffer Bux Boroso's Sleep Hotel, (his full name is Snufforious Buxorious Blundorious Boroso...but that wouldn't fit on the sign...) Now we'll pause before we head back down a ramp to the lower city...our appointed time to see the Wizard is approaching... As that Bard of ParkCrafters always says..."more to come"

Yay! Great to see an update...it's been too long! Seven Dwarfs Mine Ride is well done!

Thanks for the nice comments! We'll pick up where we last left off... Next to the secondary gate leading to Munchkinland, there's Green Whiskers Barber Shop... Just beyond is a small courtyard with one of the Emerald City's famous Hotz Dawgs stands... Next comes Emerald City Photo Studio (only later I discovered that someone else had made a similar but gorgeous camera-front facade...oh well...). There's even a photo cutout to take your own selfies of the kids... Next Shoes To Die For Shop and Green With Envy Fashions... Around the corner past a quiet spot is Cakes Cookies... The Scalawagon tracks pass overhead... And Merry Old Lunch by the Main Gate... On the corner is Ozma's Gowns for the elite of the Emerald City... Button Bright Toy Emporium... Also serves as a Lost & Found for wayward children... Button Bright's real name, as we all of course know, was...Saladin Paracelsus de Lambertine Evagne von Smith... Miss Cutterclip's Paper Crafts shop...along with Green Jeans... Opposite is the Emerald Grill again, along with Jellia Jamb's Housewares Emporium... (Someone asked where all these strange shop names came from. Some are names of shops envisioned in the original Goddard Group park plans, others are from lists with the names of characters found in one of the many OZ books I researched, a few I just plain made up...) Next up is the famous Wash & Brush Up Company. This structure was a Workshop find that I tweaked by adding another floor to, and altered some of the details. It's also one of the few shops in the Emerald City with an actual interior as well as a ride (Hoax...) hidden inside to draw peeps in. The interior is based on still photos from the 1939 movie, but of course is only "based" on them...) Here's our version... Reception area... You too can "Dye your eyes to match your gown!" Making our way inside... First up is Dorothy's station on the left... Lot's of bows and electric curlers mark the spot for the Cowardly Lion... A buffing wheel will help the Tin Man shine... Only the best Super X straw to stuff the Scarecrow! (Note the fire extinguishers are standing by...one can't be too careful around flammable materials!) Back passageway leads to the ride and the exit... The ride is hidden away behind the facade of the Ozma Arms Apartments and it's restaurant below it... We exit out through the Emerald City Finishing School doors... Once again a glimpse of Ugu's Shoes and Nimmie Aimee's Fabulous Frocks next door to the Emerald Gardens... We have some time before our appointment with the Great and Powerful Wizard, so we'll cross back over the main street and catch our breath before ascending to the upper level of the Emerald City... More to Come! (sorry...)

Nice work and very realistic.

Definite bullseye on the Tibetan vibes! I love that Lotus structure...very inventive and fits the theme perfectly. You're another of my kind of players - loads of details and not afraid to use color. JB already beat me to commenting about the screens...all I can say is 'ditto!'.

Oh, I love that gate, and the waterfalls behind it looks perfect.

On with the tour! Next up we come to the Scalawagon Terminal. Scalawagons were intelligent modes of transportation that were elevated above the busy streets of the Emerald City... Scalawagons were powered by Flabber Gas...(personally I blame that on Citytrader...) And while I couldn't make actual working Scalawagons, I did make a set that's parked at the terminal while a 'convertible' model actually circles the track... Someone had a lovely Parisian Kiosk in the Workshop I really admired, took forever to line everything up to make a cover-up with OZ ads to slip over it, but was worth it as it found a nice spot outside of the Emerald Place Apartments... Under the overhead Scalawagon tracks there's a spot for a refreshing little park with a fountain... An Emerald City Delivery cart is parked there... Around the corner we find the gorgeous and well stocked Celebrity Gift Store...where the Emerald City's many Celebrities buy gifts I guess... Next door is the Simply Green Shop, where, surprisingly enough - everything they sell is green! Followed by OZ Books and then Palace Foods - which has the best Green Cheese in town they say... Then The Emerald City Emporium and Jenny Jump's Style Shop... Pastoria Tailors...Pastoria was formerly KING Pastoria, father of Princess Ozma until Wicked forces usurped him from the throne. When rescued he decided to give up the crown and take up his favorite hobby of designing fabulous frocks... It's the Wizard Day Sale! Next is Shaggy Man's Men's Store...for all those rugged he-man types... Just past that is Princess Langwidere Beauty Shoppe. Princess Langwidere was famous for not just changing her hair color from time to time, but for changing her entire head...she boasted having over 50 of them. "Get A Head - Black, Blonde or Red" was her motto... Just in case you missed the pun they repeated it on the side of the building too... Another Green Eyewear cart... That brings us to that side entrance from Munchkinland, so we'll stop here for a nice bowl of Ozcream and return to the tour a bit later... As that Bard of Planet Coaster - Citytrader would say..."More to Come"...

Yep, us old folks like the dark themes...not to infer that you're an old folk Wowman... LOL!

Do the waterfalls and fountains still become almost invisible at night? The might shots are gorgeous!

Ohhh...I likes!

I always have to admire your terrain skills...so very realistic in how you apply the textures...

I think once they work the bugs out given time it likely will be. Still playing PC1 myself for the time being. Nice layout and terra-forming on the coaster, can't wait to see what you do with it!