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With the release of a superb park called Glasshouse Gardens coming up, there will be a lot of people who will be amazed at what can be done with color and texture in a RCT park. Those who view this park for the first time will say these words, "wow, who made that incredible park"? The name KaiBueno Coasters will show up and those that know him will go "ahhh, Kai's new park"! Those that don't know him will certainly want to know more about this impressive park maker after they have gone through some of his creations and wonders and eye-candy, like Glasshouse Gardens. I wanted to do this E-View to get a well-known RCT park makers slant on the upcoming release of RCT2. As we approach the verge of the release of this now finished, polished, park I thought it would be a good time to release this E-View with my next guest, the Glasshouse Garden park maker himself.
KaiBueno Coasters isn't the real name of my next guest, so I'd like to introduce you to Kai Reichman - park builder, moderator, coaster thrill rider and more! Living the quiet life in Maryland with his wife Di Linh, their pair of miniature schnauzers, and a million fish, Kai is mad for anything to do with roller coasters. Having ridden 58 thrilling scream machines in his 25 years, he yearns for more each day and settles in for some RCT time in between to alleviate his hunger for the next coaster to challenge.
While not thinking about coasters, Kai spends his time reading fantasy novels, listening to music, and watching or playing various sports. A graduate of Florida State University, Kai is a wild and crazy Seminole right down to the tomahawk chop and the war chant. Maybe he even puts on the war paint! But, the only way to know is to ask him, so let's build some steam up in the boiler, give the whistle a big HOOT…. and get this showboat out on the river!
| Boomer |
It is really good to finally get to do this E-View with you Kai! I wanted to do this long before now but "things" kept getting in my way. I really appreciate your patience and understanding. That being said, let's go ahead with my first question and see where it goes. You have become a quite popular staff member over at RCT Station. Red runs a great site there and in a recent RCT Station Awards YOUR name came up a lot for various nominations. For those who don't know, can you tell us what you do there as a staff member? |
| Kai |
"I was hired on by Jim (Red Phoenix to most) to help alleviate the backlog of saved games that had not been reviewed and put up on the site. I'm one of many reviewers at this point, especially with recent staff additions. I love to check out what other park makers are constructing, and seeing the different development levels and themeing concepts out there. Some are breathtaking, and others remind me of the good old days when I first started! It really is a wonderful opportunity. The forum moderation aspect is a bonus I guess, which I'm glad to partake in as there are always many new visitors to the RCT Station Forums, and we all need a bit of guidance in the beginning of something new. I know I did"! |
| Boomer |
I know I did also.... huge! In my opinion, besides making kickin'-wicked parks, you are one of the best (even-tempered) and fair, forum moderator that I know of and that opinion is echoed by many. But besides your many RCT interest and talents, what do you consider to be your "real" job? |
| Kai |
"Real job? Oh, yea. I have one of those. Maybe I'm lucky I found out about RCT after college, for who knows what would have happened with the RCT/college combo. Note which I listed first! I ended up working in accounting for Marriott International at the headquarters here in Maryland. It's a decent job and a nice company to work for, but I don't see myself working in this field forever. It can be a bit slow at times, and something more mentally stimulating would be nice now and again. Simple math is simple math after all and eventually 1+2 doesn't equal 3, but La-dee-da-dee-da. LOL". |
| Boomer |
Yes! I know what you mean, I worked for a major Airline company for many years and sometimes the routine of it all seemed almost to make time stand still. But time is not standing still for the release of Chris Sawyers new, soon to be released, RollerCoaster Tycoon 2! Are you going to purchase it as soon as it is released? |
| Kai |
"There's a distinct possibility. I guess it depends if I finish playing RCT!
To be honest, I am very much looking forward to the new game, though it will be sad to put away the old version. Having played the game for almost three years or so (which is very long for any computer game in my opinion, and a record for me), I've grown very attached to it. At least I won't have to flush it down a toilet like a fish that has passed. Oh wait, not another one". |
| Boomer |
(laughing) Oh, you are like me, when I get used to something and attached to it I hate to give it up, even if it IS better. Besides what we already know we are going to get, what are you hoping to see in RCT 2? |
| Kai |
"What do you know? Do you have spies working for you"? (Kai's hand reaches for his light saber momentarily, then slowly he relaxes and continues), "If you mean what I've already stated that I'm looking forward to, you'll have to remind me! I've got similar aspirations to most of the public probably, including larger maps and new coasters for example. My desires probably consist of four main things:
- The compatibility issue. I'm hoping that all of these old parks we're making now will still be compatible in October. If that's the case, there won't be the need to keep both the original RCT 1 and RCT 2 on the PC at once, which will be a blessing for everyone. It'd also be nice to enhance some of the older parks I've created with a bit of new themeing thrown in.
- Another is flat rides. New coasters are great, and there is no doubt that the more of them that are added, the more realistic (or eccentric) we can get with the new parks we are destined to construct. This doesn't mean we can forget about the little guys, the rides that used to hold the old-school amusement parks together like glue along those midways of dazzling lights and noisy games, before the monsters arrived. I'd like to see some classics like the Tilt-A-Whirl and the Whip, as well as traditional favorites such as the giant swings and the teacups. I'm sure there are countless others I'm forgetting, but I think my point is fairly clear and I'm not alone on this issue.
- Playability is also a big concern. I hope the game play engine is not changed considerably. While new features and improvements are always a bonus, and I must confess the more advanced looking park map is very enticing, the fundamentals still need to be there. The lack of 3-D will help the game maintain the fun and easy playing atmosphere that is what we all expect from RCT, and not become a tragedy like Sim Theme Park or Sim Coaster. An on-ride view would be interesting, as long as it is only for custom rides and not for general game play. However, I must say I don't anticipate this by any means, and recent efforts like RCTGL and RCR have made the need for in game 3-D less necessary.
- Finally, how is the built-in scenario editor going to function? If this idea pans out like we all hope, the need for many new trainers and patches will be considerably less. It would be wonderful to see that we can go straight on to creating fantastic mega & mini parks from scratch without having install patches on the drivers and then use trainers to aid in the development of the park, or defeat 18 scenarios either. From the early screenshots, some of the options look promising, but we'll all have to wait another month (to October) it seems".
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| Boomer |
Yeah I guess so, but at times, October seems so far away! If I may I'd like to switch tracks, so to speak, and turn to another matter that I've wanted to ask you about. You are involved with the RCT Masters club, what is the RCT Masters club and how does it work? |
| Kai |
"Ah, the RCT Masters Club. A very curious creation I must say. The club was started back in October, 2001 by the founder Brian Hopkins. It was intended as an organization where some of the better park makers at RCT Station could join together to make group parks with each other, by blending all of our unique styles together. Many of us asked to join, although Brian recruited some of the original members. I joined in early November, offered to create a simple website to showcase our work, and I must tell you that RCT life hasn't been the same since. What once started as a simple maintenance of the site to track group parks we had completed turned quickly into a situation where I was uploading individual parks for members' pages, and solely maintaining a log on what the club was up to. Unintentionally, I became the one that was running the show in the founder's absence, albeit unofficially for a long time. We are currently 20 members strong, and despite recent member transitions, still plugging away on at least six or seven group projects under construction. Let me tell you that it is not easy to track down 19 other busy individuals, their individual efforts, and their current status on group parks! With six completed group parks under our belt, a fine crew of members and numerous projects under development, I am very happy with the direction we are headed at this point. I am proud to be part of a fine team and having fun doing it! Check us out at our new site (which is still under construction, so bring your hard hat) at http://www.rctm.kaibueno.com". |
| Boomer |
I had a request from a member on our site to interview you, and one of the things he wanted to know about you is, what other games do you play. Besides RCT, so on his behalf, what other games DO you play? |
| Kai |
"If you mean on the PC, I've played many computer games over the years, ranging from sports titles to real-time strategy to the arcade variety. Some of my past favorites are Red Alert, X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter, and a good old game of Hockey or Football by EA Sports. The only game to stick with me lately (to divert my attention from RCT) has been STAR WARS Battlegrounds, an Age of Empires II clone (no pun intended) set in the STAR WARS Universe. There's nothing like taking full legions of troopers and a battalion of AT-AT's to take to the enemy with guns blazing! I don't own a console unit, and never have had one except the IntelliVision unit my parents had when I was a kid. Does anyone remember that? Guys? Gals? I suppose not, as it is older than most of you reading this right now. It was in the age of Atari, for those that are wondering. I also enjoy classic strategy games you'll find on a table such as Chess and Backgammon, the occasional game of Othello, Sorry or Monopoly. Card games are also very enthralling, like Mille Bores, Guillotine, and Uno. Risk, as well as Axis and Allies are excellent strategy games better left on the table, not on the PC. I highly recommend them, but you have been warned you'll be up all night"! |
| Boomer |
Your RCT creations are always very colorful and truly spectacular, what are some parks you've made and where can we find them? |
| Kai |
"You're too kind. I've put a lot of time and effort into each unique creation, and while I'll admit many of my creations (especially the older ones) have a considerable amount of flaws, I love all of my "children", if you will. I don't know if I can pick out any favorites, what about you"? |
| Boomer |
I love what you are doing with Glasshouse Gardens! Although at this time you aren't quite through with it, I have seen enough progressing screenshots to say that "Glasshouse" is MY favorite.... so far! |
| Kai |
"Ah, but it is almost done, and I must confess it is now my favorite park I've completed! (Just don't tell the others). Yes, as we're chatting now I can honestly state that the park is almost ready to be released, and it should be my best yet. The colors aren't for everyone, and you won't find a lot of coaster hacking, as I prefer to stick with scenery hacks, but I believe it does offer an interesting view of what you can do in RCT to say the least. Colors aside, Glass should be better than my mini parks, of which the popular consensus is that Holly Dale Village and Die Kathedrale Des Zweigs Di Linhians are my two best parks period. The latter I'm proud to say was awarded 1st Place in an Inverted Mini park contest at RCT Station. I'm also fond of my Oak Hill Fun Park historical project, and while the park has its issues and themeing redundancies (the 2001 inverted was horrible), it was something I didn't think anyone had done, trying to chronicle a park on 9 maps over 60 years. All of my parks will be available at my new little website, http://coasters.kaibueno.com, and are currently in the staff parks saved games area at RCT Station under my name. Other sites might have them or not, but these are your best bets. They haven't been widely distributed, so I wonder how many people actually know of them"? |
| Boomer |
Well it seems like there are quite a few RCT sites where your name is mentioned often with regards to your park making skills. In fact the name "Glasshouse Gardens" has been coming up a lot recently. I am curious though, to make parks of this high caliber, do you use and promote the use of RCT trainers and other utilities? |
| Kai |
"Trainers, yeah as I said above, I can't say I'm too different in that aspect, as most of us that craft mega and mini parks find the need for a bit of help every once in a while to create something new. There are a lot of people out there that don't like them, which is fine, because most of them are playing the scenarios. Those don't cut it for me, so I've started using them more and more. The issue of which trainer I like the most is a toss up, as it depends on what I'm using it for. For general maintenance (watering gardens, resetting calendar, adding money, etc), I'm a big fan of the TRG Swiss Army Knife Trainer. I'm not sure how many people still use this anymore, but at the time (Corkscrew Follies days) it had more features than the original Techno, and is still more stable than either Beast or the Dragons 5.0 & 6.0 in my opinion. I do use those also, but for more complicated things like moving entrances (Dragons 6.0) and the stacking/build-through options of Beast". |
| Boomer |
I sure like the different trainers and what you can do with them. I also prefer to create, rather then just play the scenarios. Now this next question should qualify for the all time, most stupid question ever asked by an interviewer, but do you think other areas of your life will possibly suffer or be put on hold when RCT 2 rolls out on the shelves? |
| Kai |
"Funny question! I'm beginning to wonder which is suffering from what! Between playing RCT, trying to maintain the two websites (one a club as I said before), and helping out at RCT Station, it can all get muddled very quickly. Especially when life rightly wants to intrude and remind you what needs to get done in regards to family, the house, whatever. I'm sure that RCT 2 will pick up where RCT is taking me right now, which means it will indeed take up a considerable amount of my time. Di Linh is very understanding of my little hobby/addiction, and I am thankful to her for that. In the future we hope to have other "projects" at home that will make juggling all of these RCT issues look easy. Only time will tell". |
| Boomer |
Now those "projects" sound VERY interesting, I hope you will keep us all informed as to what those projects are as they develop. |
| Kai |
"Ah, but those projects already have started developing! I recently just (informally) announced that Di Linh and I are expecting our first child, a son (to be named Gavin) in early January, which places us at about 22 weeks now. As you can expect, we are quite excited". |
| Boomer |
Hey! That is really great news Kai! Congratulations from the whole RCT community to you and Di Linh and Gavin! What with the new release coming up of both RCT2 AND a new baby, your future's so bright... Guess you'll have to wear shades! Speaking of the future, do you have any future RCT projects in the works? |
| Kai |
"Future RCT projects? Technically I guess I'm about done with Glasshouse, and it is my number one priority until the park is finally available to everyone. It certainly has taken long enough to build, and even I am eager to see how the colorful monster ends up. Get you sunglasses ready; you'll need 'em! I'm working on a few group projects with RCTM, one of which is entitled Toxic Terra, and is quite the opposite of the brightly decorated Glasshouse. Hard to believe I started it right after Glass and you don't know how weird it is to switch from the ultra-bright to the dingy dark. Decidedly evil, dark and twisted, you'll have to see it to know what I mean. Trust me". |
| Boomer |
I am looking forward to seeing Toxic Terra when it's done. But in the meantime, I have seen screenshots of Glasshouse Gardens and this park is kickin wicked! One of the most dazzling displays of texture and color I have ever seen in a RCT park! With all you have on your plate, I know I have to let you go. I do want you to know Kai that I not only consider you to be an excellent park maker (world class) and an excellent park reviewer, not to mention a great forum moderator, but I consider you a good friend as well! THAT is why I am honored to have this E-View with you and I thank you for your time. |
| Kai |
"Thanks Boomer, it means a lot to me the support you and other members of the RCT community have given me. I feel like I try to be just another guy hanging around the place, and here you go putting me up in the list with legends and truly great contributors like Doctor J, Henry Winkelstein, Chocobogo and Red Phoenix. I don't know if I fit in that list, but thanks, it is truly an honor". |
Kai has left da house! Kai is an artist. His paints are the tools available to him in RCT. His canvass is the computer screen and the perimeters of his RCT park boundaries. In Glasshouse Garden a masterpiece is born, an explosion of texture and color that truly earns the name "eye candy".
I have been invited to a special sneak preview of Glasshouse Gardens Park! The Park will be open and running for a certain select "few" members of the press for preview, review and enjoyment purposes. I have the unique honor of doing the first pre-release park review for Kai and that means I get to play in Glasshouse Gardens and then try to paint in words what Kai Reichman so elegantly painted in this dazzling display for our RCT enjoyment. Wish me luck with that endeavor! As for this endeavor, this E-View is over, But in my RCT dreams tonight... The Glasshouse fun will just be starting!
---Boomer--- |