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X-Sector's Future (including Oblivion and The Smiler)

I know I mentioned about my ideas of an updated looking X-Sector, but what would everyone else think would be a good idea for updating X-Sector's theme other than the elephant in the room being new flat rides and maybe converting the X-Cite building into a mirror maze attraction? Yes, I'm sure that MMM are aware of the comparisons being made between it and new look Forbidden Valley and that they would never had done the work to Forbidden Valley unless they have long planed for X-Sector to get major work next. Just wished they put Dark Forrest out of its misery and stop the comparisons between it and Gloomy Wood but that's another story.
 
QTXAdsy said:
I know I mentioned about my ideas of an updated looking X-Sector, but what would everyone else think would be a good idea for updating X-Sector's theme other than the elephant in the room being new flat rides and maybe converting the X-Cite building into a mirror maze attraction? Yes, I'm sure that MMM are aware of the comparisons being made between it and new look Forbidden Valley and that they would never had done the work to Forbidden Valley unless they have long planed for X-Sector to get major work next. Just wished they put Dark Forrest out of its misery and stop the comparisons between it and Gloomy Wood but that's another story.
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To be honest on the ground FV doesn’t really feel too similar to X-Sector so I don’t think they will go for a theme change, just a refresh.

FV is more post apocalyptic military and X-Sector if refreshed would be secret government facility.

Close but not that close.
 
djtruefitt said:
I would quite like to X-Sector to be rethemed into more of a Ministry of Joy theme. Make the area a bit more wacky and less industrial looking. We’ve got the smiler with its crazy theme, I would make oblivion similar, with more of the yellow and black theme which they seem to have done with recently, get some new videos for the queue and station and then add a couple of flat rides and theme them to ministry of joy.

Then I would re do just chicken to make it fit the area.
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Honestly, I think if they did retheme X-sector into a more MoJ themed area, I'd like the 'Figure of Darkness' seen during the queuing of Oblivion get mentioned a lot more within the area, maybe seeing this 'Figure of Darkness' could be a side effect of being Marmalise by Smiler.

I mean, look at the old Smiler Always series AT made years ago, it does mention that Miles kept on 'Looking down' to try (And ultimately fail) at resisting. I mean, I'm not sure how AT could properly connect Oblivion and Smiler via a storyline properly, but I think my suggest could work if expanded upon.

After all, one of the queue-line videos for Oblivion does mention that "We should point out, that hypnosis is not available at Alton Towers..." So, who knows what AT/Merlin would do with Oblivion come time for it to be retrofitted and have its own 'rebirth' similar to Nemesis.
 
Merlin do seem to like borrowing ideas these days, I wouldnt be mad if they refreshed Oblivion to be more like its Italian sister in theme.

An X-Sector themed to a load of crazy experiments would be quite unique, inject a little less gloom into the park and differentiate it a bit more from Forbidden Valley. Stick in a flat or 2 and it would be nicely well rounded.

Lets face it, after a lot of gradual decline in the area, aside from The Smiler there is very little to the theme anymore anyway, it is just very weakly stylised.


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I have no doubt about the fact the smiler has a killer theme - on paper. An x sector project could probably link oblivion and the smiler. for myself, not sure how - but I think if either oblivions or smilers theme took over the entire area, that would be a loss, because both themes are really cool
 
The_bup said:
I have no doubt about the fact the smiler has a killer theme - on paper. An x sector project could probably link oblivion and the smiler. for myself, not sure how - but I think if either oblivions or smilers theme took over the entire area, that would be a loss, because both themes are really cool
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The link already exists, it just wasn’t implemented correctly but was stated in some of the teaser videos for Smiler as well as the Sanctuary:

Long time ago ministry of joy created the Sanctuary to explore mind control through happiness but it failed.

They then explored using fear to control people with oblivion, then pain with submission, and disorientation through Enterprise.

They then returned to the use of happiness by perfecting marmalisation with the Smiler.

So basically the ministry of joy is an Orwellian organisation looking to control people and X-Sector is where they test that.
 
Dave said:
The link already exists, it just wasn’t implemented correctly but was stated in some of the teaser videos for Smiler as well as the Sanctuary:

Long time ago ministry of joy created the Sanctuary to explore mind control through happiness but it failed.

They then explored using fear to control people with oblivion, then pain with submission, and disorientation through Enterprise.

They then returned to the use of happiness by perfecting marmalisation with the Smiler.

So basically the ministry of joy is an Orwellian organisation looking to control people and X-Sector is where they test that.
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yeah it is only on the website though: https://www.altontowers.com/explore/theme-park/rides-attractions/oblivion/

"Oblivion, Alton Towers’ Secret Weapon 4, was the fourth of the Ministry of Joy’s experiments in X-Sector. Following The Black Hole, Enterprise and Energizer, Oblivion was designed to surpass its neighboring thrill rides.


In an attempt to make the world smile, the Lord of Darkness oversaw his most extreme of experiments, pushing candidates to their mental and physical limits. A near 90-degree drop sees this steel roller coaster giant plummet deep into the ground below."
 
QTXAdsy said:
I know I mentioned about my ideas of an updated looking X-Sector, but what would everyone else think would be a good idea for updating X-Sector's theme other than the elephant in the room being new flat rides and maybe converting the X-Cite building into a mirror maze attraction?
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If there's enough room in that building, a modern funhouse style attraction would be great to see. They carry tacky associations, but the one at Phantasialand proves that you can do one with sleek style. You could take all the usual elements - trommel, jumping floorboards, spinning panels etc. and easily theme them around "experiments". It wouldn't be groundbreaking stuff, but it wouldn't neeed to be. It'd be a cute little side attraction that the park lacks nowadays.
 
mo237 said:
If there's enough room in that building, a modern funhouse style attraction would be great to see. They carry tacky associations, but the one at Phantasialand proves that you can do one with sleek style. You could take all the usual elements - trommel, jumping floorboards, spinning panels etc. and easily theme them around "experiments". It wouldn't be groundbreaking stuff, but it wouldn't neeed to be. It'd be a cute little side attraction that the park lacks nowadays.
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Would be cool but I'm not sure H&S would allow it these days. Merlin's insurer would probably have a panic attack just thinking about it.
 
I recll a huss breack dance being wanted at the park, if it could fit (I am unsure of the size) could be themed to hypnotizing via spinning, if the theming was done well it could work well, but I am not sure it would fit.
 
jibbsie said:
yeah it is only on the website though: https://www.altontowers.com/explore/theme-park/rides-attractions/oblivion/

"Oblivion, Alton Towers’ Secret Weapon 4, was the fourth of the Ministry of Joy’s experiments in X-Sector. Following The Black Hole, Enterprise and Energizer, Oblivion was designed to surpass its neighboring thrill rides.


In an attempt to make the world smile, the Lord of Darkness oversaw his most extreme of experiments, pushing candidates to their mental and physical limits. A near 90-degree drop sees this steel roller coaster giant plummet deep into the ground below."
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I find sometimes this has been the problem with Towers. Their themes and ideas can be quite outlandish and convoluted, to the point where it is quite difficult to understand what they are trying to communicate without some sort of explanation beforehand. Sometimes I think we mix up the branding and creating a marketable identity (which they are very, very good at) with the theming. The latter of which they seem to be doing a much better job of lately with The Curse and Nemesis.


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rob666 said:
See the old gits discussion, nearly went off topic.
X sector, nothing will change for years apart from a spruce up and a minor flat at the bottom.
Bring back the bar by the Oblivion hole...most I ever spent on a pint, adjusted for inflation!
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Agreed all that's needed and all that *should* be done is a god clean and spruce-up.

It needs taking back to its original, more serious "government facility" theme. Apart from The Smiler, the rest of the area should have a philosophy of "less is more", especial in regard to Oblivion's colour scheme. Far too much orange at present, it's as if it's morphing into The Smiler's theme. The park rightly dropped the dreaded 2011 Fanta sponsorship accents as it went against the ride/area's theme, the funky orange pipework over the doughnuts outlet is by far the most offensive, but the park appear to have now added to the theme degradation further, by painting a thick band of orange around the hole, and overbearing orange/black stripes on the X-Cite structure.

On floorless trains, personally whilst I prefer the aesthetic of the present trains, it does seem a no-brainer if the park wanted to do an "Oblivion Reborn" type thing with it to give a new novelty for guests, but everything else about the ride should be taken back to it's late 90s early 00s glory.

-Paint the track & supports in the original dark grey/charcoal matte.
-Jetwash all the concrete in the area.
-Replace the entrance with a concrete structure (put "Oblivion" back inside the arrow!)
-Remove the pipework on top of the doughnuts outlet & paint the roof black.
-Remove the orange paintwork from the embossed logos around the drop area along with the rest of the overbearing orange-ness.
-Add in two well-themed (but not overbearingly so) flat rides where Submission/Enterprise were.
-Reopen the bar with those over-priced pints!

Marshy.
 
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