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2016: Air - Re-theme to VR Coaster - Galactica

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VR would be perfect for Air as it's the most garbage boring coaster on park, and possibly in the UK as it is. More so when you see what can be done with flyers elsewhere in the world.
 
VR would be perfect for Air as it's the most garbage boring coaster on park, and possibly in the UK as it is. More so when you see what can be done with flyers elsewhere in the world.

I disagree strongly. I think Air has a great layout and would even go as far as to say that it's more fun than Manta!
 
I disagree strongly. I think Air has a great layout and would even go as far as to say that it's more fun than Manta!

Each to their own opinion! Personally it has absolutely no effect on me whatsoever, were you to film me sitting in a chair in a blank white room I suspect my reactions would be similar if I was filmed on Air. Realistically it's too small to gain any real speed and it lacks the theming elements to make up for this. That's where the VR could work wonders I would imagine.
 
Don't you think VR would be such a cop out though?

"Oh we can't be arsed to do a real theme, lets create one on a computer and give them headsets."

No upkeep and no expense in maintaining the area... Just allows Meelin to be even more lax when looking after the park.

It sounds just up their street.

I personally think it's lazy as...

And just to add. If this was the plan from the start with a coaster then fine, as the theme would reflect this and the ride layout. But with air it will be just shoehorning a coaster into an idea.
 
I disagree strongly. I think Air has a great layout and would even go as far as to say that it's more fun than Manta!

IMO, I also think air is way too slow. It doesn't do anything for me. I think Tatsu was much better... But at the same time, I don't like the parts in the lie position and that diving loop just didn't do it for me.

I don't think I can give a great review as I just don't think flying coasters are for me. I love the look, I love the design/engineering and appreciate those aspects, I just don't like the feeling. As I've said before, I think Swarm gives a better representation of flying, rather than facing the ground.
 
I'd rather have VR than what we have now. But aren't they placing two large pieces of theming under the track? It would be pointless if VR was not optional.
 
No upkeep and no expense in maintaining the area... Just allows Meelin to be even more lax when looking after the park.

Strongly disagree, a VR system would take way more maintenance than sculpting a beautiful themed environment and keeping it that way.

VR is new technology, it's experimental and whatever they add now will be out of date in several years time. Then consider that technology and roller coasters don't blend well. Take Blue Fire and Space Mountain / R'N'R at Disneyland Paris. If you've ever been on these rides multiple times you'd no doubt have noticed the onboard audio isn't very reliable, and Blue Fire's heart beat monitors are just as likely off then on. This technology isn't complex and the parks running them are world class but even so they are always breaking. Why? Because the PLC controlling them is a very delicate thing. Attach it to a Roller Coaster vibrating its way around many miles of track each day and you have a recipe for disaster.

As you can guess maintenance costs will be through the roof. Not to mentioned they'd need to hire a new team solely to repair them.

But lets consider that one park (Europa Park) is experimenting with this technology. If you watched the article about it on Click you'd have seen that on their first lap the VR failed to sync. Imagine if that happened all the time, which it will if not properly maintained. (Hint: the outcome is motion sickness...)

Having said all that this is just the type of gimmick I could see them latching onto. Personally I love Air, simply giving it the Theme it always deserved would be my ideal improvement.
 
I cannot see this being anything but an IP. Why on earth would Merlin invest in theming a ride so it looks all nice and pretty? IP poorly themed ride with tacky photo op in a MDF box with printed pictures all over and possibly some other gimmick thrown on top that will be outdated in 3 years, that's more what I'm expecting.

I'd love to be proven wrong of course.

I find it strange they are marketing this, from what we all know this is nothing more than a retheme. Why advertise that. I can only guess it's going to be a well known IP. What about Halo? That was planned for The Smiler but never happened so maybe they've switched that over to an existing ride. Will be interesting to see what happens either way, but I cannot say I'm excited for it because I'm not, if anything I'm dreading what might be coming given Merlin's track record.
 
There's no way they would spruce up a mediocre ride for our benefit. They're doing it for themselves, it almost certainly will be a sponsorship deal.

If they cared about giving guests better experiences they would start by refurbishing Nemesis - you know, the park's flagship ride etc. What an awful state that ride is in.
 
TS Facebook have just posted pictures of lots of yellow markings on the ground around air and they seem a bit odd (although I know absolutely nothing about construction :p)

Can't work out how to get the pictures in so if someone would be so kind
 
TS Facebook have just posted pictures of lots of yellow markings on the ground around air and they seem a bit odd (although I know absolutely nothing about construction :p)

Can't work out how to get the pictures in so if someone would be so kind

Here you go.
12038139_946687015401743_5179321609687499981_n.jpg

12143157_946687035401741_5761028324705671448_n.jpg

12049572_946687048735073_203460147859777543_n.jpg

12032094_946687068735071_4866180518537681940_n.jpg
 
Don't the plans include some 'themed queueline features' - the crosses look like they could correspond to their location.
Other crosses - no idea. Buried treasure. Perhaps they've found another hidden crypt...
 
The crosses don't look like usual construction markings, you can see where they have done it in chalk underneath, but the cross itself looks like it has been done with a stencil. Seems strange to go to the trouble of using a stencil when just spraying 2 lines would have been sufficient. I'm thinking the "X" is a possible new logo, like they did with the smiler logo during scarefest 2012.
 
The yellow lines under the lift is where the themed piece around the track is going. I think the X's will just be the new queue features, the other lines which aren't in those pictures will be the other piece of theming that's due to be erected.
 
Buried treasure. Perhaps they've found another hidden crypt...

Seriously, is Alton built on a large chasm that has a thousand million different things lying underground, E.G. Nemesis, Th13teen and now Air?o_O:p

P.S...would Smiler count? Considering it being built on dodgy ground?:tearsofjoy:
 
Have they found a pathway on an old map, that has a curse story attached. And they are marking out the route. :D
 
Strongly disagree, a VR system would take way more maintenance than sculpting a beautiful themed environment and keeping it that way.

VR is new technology, it's experimental and whatever they add now will be out of date in several years time. Then consider that technology and roller coasters don't blend well. Take Blue Fire and Space Mountain / R'N'R at Disneyland Paris. If you've ever been on these rides multiple times you'd no doubt have noticed the onboard audio isn't very reliable, and Blue Fire's heart beat monitors are just as likely off then on. This technology isn't complex and the parks running them are world class but even so they are always breaking. Why? Because the PLC controlling them is a very delicate thing. Attach it to a Roller Coaster vibrating its way around many miles of track each day and you have a recipe for disaster.

As you can guess maintenance costs will be through the roof. Not to mentioned they'd need to hire a new team solely to repair them.

But lets consider that one park (Europa Park) is experimenting with this technology. If you watched the article about it on Click you'd have seen that on their first lap the VR failed to sync. Imagine if that happened all the time, which it will if not properly maintained. (Hint: the outcome is motion sickness...)

Having said all that this is just the type of gimmick I could see them latching onto. Personally I love Air, simply giving it the Theme it always deserved would be my ideal improvement.


I was referring to the actual physical theming when stating no upkeep
 
I'm not saying this isn't an IP but a lot of arguments saying it must be an IP as otherwise Merlin won't fork out the money forget there is a very good reason they would. Budgets have been massively cut since the Smiler crash. It's no secret 2016 was rumoured to bring at least one new flat ride to the park, a roller coaster spruce up and potential gimmick is cheap yet marketable.
 
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