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The Amazing Race: Design Challenge VIII - Final Round Design Show on Page 50!

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Kamineko:


Kamineko's Comments


Design #9: redwings8831 [Ouidah & Abomey, Benin]

Show contentTeams are starting in Luxembourg, where they have to fly to Benin. Arriving in Cotonou, they go directly to Ouidah, to the Temple of Pythons. I would love it if the clue is in the middle of the pythons, but I have to assume that the pythons are safe to be approached as well. Then they have to go to the sacred forest to check in for the next day's departure. The starting time is not bad since they just arrived from the airport, so there won’t be some distance between teams.

The next morning, they have to go to the Point of No Return, which is an iconic location with the history behind it. Once there, they find a Fast Forward, which involves Voodoo. I really like the Fast Forward task since it has that wow factor in it. Even though it's just buying things, when the things they have to buy are some bizarre things, it will look great on TV. For the others, they have to go to a floating village where they find a Detour.

For the first Detour, the fishing task is not that bad since it takes place in a fish farm, where it’s guaranteed that teams will get many fishes. For the log stilts task, this task has good relevance with the location they’re in. Also, will they ride the canoe they just built to the market? Either way, I think both tasks are balanced, so that’s good.

Then, they have to go to the Royal Palaces of Abomey for a Roadblock. I like the Roadblock task since it requires a lot of attention to details. Also if they do something wrong, they may have to start again from the beginning. Finally, they have to go to the Pit Stop located underground, which is a really interesting location for the Pit Stop.

For my final comments, I am impressed with your leg this time. You highlight the locations and the culture of this country really well. Your tasks are good and solid, I don’t really have any issue to that. I think this is one of your best designs until now, so keep up the good work!



Design #10: Lemontail [Praslin, Seychelles]

Show contentI see that you’re picking Seychelles. I really like the leg back in TAR16, so I wonder what else this country can bring.

Starting in Namibia, teams have to fly to Praslin in Seychelles. Once there, they have to go to the nature reserve where they find a Fast Forward. For the Fast Forward task, I think it’s okay. I just want to see the example of the finished art/model, if any. Because I can’t really imagine what it will look like. Also, what do you mean by “shortest time”? I understand if more than one team attempts the Fast Forward, but if there’s only one team, I think they will win the Fast Forward when they’re done decorating it right? This task sounds too simple to be a Fast Forward, but nice idea of highlighting the heritage site in the Fast Forward task.

For the others, they have to go to a beach to find a Detour. For the Arms task, I wonder if the coconuts are in some marked spots or they have to find them in totally random spots. The eating part is okay if it’s spicy (I would’ve liked it if they had to eat more though, lol), but when they have to deliver plates it sounds unnecessary to me. For the Feet task, I really like it. When they have to keep dancing while carrying those heavy coconuts, I think some teams may struggle if they don’t have enough strength to do that.

Then they have to find a museum where a Double U-Turn is waiting. I think because both Detour tasks are pretty challenging, it’s fine to add the U-Turn there, especially if it can give the losing team(s) from the Fast Forward a chance to catch up. They also find a Roadblock here. I like the Roadblock task, and I think if they add other birds chirping sounds to make it harder, it will be better. Overall, this task is a solid one. Finally, they have to go to the Pit Stop, which is located on the Anse Lazio Beach, a picturesque location for me.

For my final comments, I think you have improved from your previous design. This time, you highlight the locations pretty well. I think that the Roadblock is the main highlight of your leg. I hope that you will keep improving in your future legs.



Design #11: MikeDodgers [Lagos & Osogbo, Nigeria]

Show contentI see that you’re designing in Nigeria. Hopefully you can show that you can do better this time. 

Starting in your previous design’s Pit Stop, teams have to fly to Lagos, Nigeria. Arriving in Lagos, they have to go to the Lagos Business School and find a Roadblock. Your Roadblock definitely is a unique one. I don’t know if this task is portraying the country in a negative way, but if not, I actually like this task. Detecting scammers can be difficult to some, but for others, they may fly through this task.

Then teams have to go to a restaurant where they find a Fast Forward. To be honest, I don’t like the placement of the Fast Forward here. A Fast Forward basically is a task where teams can pass ALL tasks and go directly to the Pit Stop. But when you put the Fast Forward after the Roadblock, it’s no longer a Fast Forward since the first team to finish the Roadblock will have the biggest chance of taking and winning the Fast Forward. But anyway, your task is nice when they have to eat cow feet. How long is the preparation anyway?

For the others, they have to go to a garden where one team member has to carry their teammate on a marked path to the altar. I’m not sure how this task will be well received by the locals there if an all-male team is seen doing this task, since I think that Nigeria is not supporting gay marriage or same-sex relationships until now. I think you should have researched more about this before you put it as a task.

After that, they have to make their way to the village of Osogbo to find the sacred grove. Ugh, please avoid using yellow as the text color. It hurts my eye, seriously. For your Detour tasks, I actually like both tasks. I don’t have any issue but I need more explanations for the procession on what they have to do. Finally, they have to go to the Pit Stop, which is weird. Where is the lamp located specifically, anyway? I don’t think that the lamp is a landmark, so it can be placed anywhere.

For my final comments, I like your Roadblock and Detour tasks, but I don’t like your Fast Forward placement. I also don’t like your Active Route Info since I don’t think it’s well researched regarding the country’s legal state. Your Pit Stop location is also weird in my opinion. I would prefer you at least state where the lamp is placed.



Design #12: Nuku [Le Morne, Mauritius]

Show contentI see that you pick Mauritius. It’s been a while since we saw a leg here, so I hope you can do a good job.

Teams are starting from Kathmandu, Nepal. I really like the Pit Stop location, anyway. They have to fly to Mauritius. I guess there’s no need to say a “warning” about an incoming Fast Forward, but it’s also nice so teams can speed up to reach the Fast Forward location first. Their first clue directs them to the Champs de Mars horse-racing club, nice touch of the cryptic clue as well.

Arriving at the Champs de Mars, teams find a Fast Forward. I really like this Fast Forward task. It has its own uniqueness, combined with the beautiful underwater view. Also, teams have to still do something to win the Fast Forward award, so that’s nice. Especially when teams cannot communicate underwater (I believe), locating those letters can be challenging as well. Basically, this task is perfect as a Fast Forward task.

For the others, they have to go to a mansion(?) where they will find a Roadblock. I’m not finding this task really hard to complete if I were doing it, but for those with bad taste, they may struggle. The location of the Roadblock is really beautiful as well, anyway. 

Then, they have to go to Le Morne, which is the UNESCO World Heritage Site that you pick. Teams find their next clue on the Slave Route Monument, a nice touch on the background of the place as well. Once there, they get a Detour. For the dance task, it’s not that new and pretty common task seen in TAR. But, I really like the sailing task. I can imagine some teams struggle in performing this task. Not forgetting that this location is really nice as well. Finally, they have to go to the Pit Stop, on a geopark.

For my final comments, I am really impressed with what you’ve delivered. I really love all the locations you picked, all have its own uniqueness and it will be beautiful on television. Your Fast Forward is the highlight of this leg and you delivered it really well. Basically, this is a really solid leg from you, and I hope you can keep up the good work in the upcoming round.

gamerfan09:
To sum up me talking with a friend while reading this round:



More detailed comments to come when I have time. :)

Kamineko:
The poll is up!

nrh2110:
Idk, I definitely get what you guys are saying about language tasks but I think the hieroglyphs task is a bit different. For one thing, it's more of a code task, whereas most language tasks have to do with pronunciation or something along those lines. I also think that hieroglyphs are SO important to the history of Egypt as a whole. I haven't had the chance to read anybody else's legs yet due to how this last week has been for me, but many African languages are either a) the original language or a dialect/descendent language of the Europeans who colonized them, b) Arabic, or c) one of many tribal languages spoken in their respective country whereas writing hieroglyphs is something that represents Ancient Egypt as a whole. When people think of Egypt, hieroglyphs are one of the first things that comes to people's minds, whereas somewhere like Tanzania, very few people will immediately think of Swahili. It also doesn't use any of the same skills needed for a regular language task, such as pronunciation or memory, it's just requires time, patience, and attention to detail to make sure you don't get any of the symbols wrong.

I understand what gamer is saying, as someone who has designed three races and literally just did a language task on my most recent wave (lol), language tasks can really be the easy cop out when you can't think of ideas, and maybe that is the case for some people here, maybe it's the case for none, I can't say. I just think that just because everyone did it doesn't make it completely unoriginal/bland/whatever. Let's say there's a cooking show like Iron Chef where everyone has to make some dishes based on a secret ingredient and one of dishes that everyone makes is the same dish. Sure it may be unoriginal, but who actually made use of that secret ingredient in the best way in the dish, and who made it as sort of an afterthought? That's what I'm saying here. Some people may have just put a language task because they couldn't think of anything and it was more of an afterthought, whereas some of us put in a language task (and I use that term loosely with mine bc hieroglyphs aren't a language, nobody in Ancient Egypt talked in hieroglyphs) because it's so important to the theme of the leg, like how the theme of my leg was Ancient Thebes, and it really helped showcase that theme.

Just my thoughts.

nrh2110:
Also another thought to add onto that, something to consider with all these language tasks is who did the language task in an original way? Back in TAR NRH 2, the language I did (and turned into a delayed mess) was in Odessa, Ukraine. One of Odessa's festivals is Humorina, which is a festival of humor that takes place annually around April Fools Day, and the language task was an intersection in which the intersected team had to play telephone by learning a Ukrainian joke, walking to the theater, and reciting the joke to the other team member, who had to then go recite the joke to a judge. Should this be scored the same way as a basic, learn how to properly pronounce something and then you'll get your clue kind of task? If you were judging TARUS legs, should the TAR31 Laos classroom language task be treated the same as the TAR24 Welsh poem + aqueduct task?

What I'm really getting at is that context matters, and just because some us put a lot of thought into a language-related task shouldn't mean we should get punished just because everyone else threw language tasks in because they couldn't think of anything better.

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