Oblivion: General Discussion

[rob666]

It's funny that Oblivion's audio was apparently problematic, but yet The Smiler’s obnoxiously loud music and sound effects were not (this is the one time where I would actually agree with the Ropers if they had complained about it*)

I think the Smiler music volume was turned down during COVID (to prevent people from having to shout over it, which shows how loud it was), but it was unfortunately turned back up again afterwards, I think

(*I think the Ropers may have left Alton by the time that The Smiler was built? Somebody please correct me if I am wrong)

All loud music in public places was banned during early covid.

Sound travels best in straight lines...
High speakers travel much further.
Sound from the smiler is blocked by the terrain shape and tree cover.
Trees are the best thing there is in nature for muffling sound...all those flat surfaces to mop up the sound waves.

 

[VerticalLoop123]

A bit late to the party on this one but this is excellent news!

Next stop- bring back the fart noises in the towers street loos!

 

[Secret Weapon]

Next stop- bring back the fart noises in the towers street loos!

Was this really a thing??

 

[GooseOnTheLoose]

Was this really a thing??

Seriously? This is the thing that finally flips your skeptic switch?

 

[Steve74]

Was this really a thing??

Yes it was, I remember hearing it on one visit years ago. The looks and smirks on us guys faces at the urinals and sinks were priceless as - without sounding crude - the sounds were very realistic!

 

[Matt N]

Didn’t the Towers Street loos also formerly have vinyl themed doors, if I remember rightly, showing doors such as the door to No 10 on the cubicle door?

Or did I make that up completely?

 

[Bowser]

Fair enough. I rode Apocalypse before Oblivion (even though Oblivion opened first), and I'd always assumed that drop towers had been around for a while, as Drayton Manor never marketed it as a first-of-its-kind (aside from the stand-up element)

They had but not so much in the UK.

In the US they started churning them out at places like the Six Flags parks in the mid 90s. I remember being too scared to ride one somewhere!

I think the experience of Oblivion is different enough for them not to be in the same category (beyond the obvious reasons).

 

[Secret Weapon]

I think the experience of Oblivion is different enough for them not to be in the same category (beyond the obvious reasons).

I personally prefer drop towers, although the one thing that I prefer about Oblivion is the fact that it's a complete circuit, and so the drop is separate from the lift.

The problem with Apocalypse (from a theming standpoint) is that it sent you down into an abyss*, but it doesn't carry the same intimidation factor that Oblivion does (for first-time riders of Oblivion, at least) because Apocalypse simply sends you down into the same station that you just departed (and thus you realise that it isn't anything especially dangerous or scary down there), whereas Oblivion is literally sending you into the unknown!

* "The Abyss" is a alternative name that I had thought of for Oblivion, although I think 'Oblivion' is a better name anyway.

 

[Benjsh]

Is there a reason the hold time over the drop is now shorter? The holding is the best bit.

 

[Secret Weapon]

Is there a reason the hold time over the drop is now shorter? The holding is the best bit.

I asked this same question a while ago

I think the reason is that the clutch has worn out? (somebody please correct me if I am wrong)

I mistakenly assumed that it was either due to the noise abatement order from 2004, or to increase throughput

(Throughput is probably unlikely, as you wait for ages on the brake run anyway and thus it wouldn't make any difference)

 

[AltonLover123]

I asked this same question a while ago

I think the reason is that the clutch has worn out? (somebody please correct me if I am wrong)

I was told on the track walk year before last it’s mostly due to this. Though lighter trains will often hold for longer. I’ve seen on quieter days with less people that holds true sometimes.

 

[Secret Weapon]

I was told on the track walk year before last it’s mostly due to this. Though lighter trains will often hold for longer. I’ve seen on quieter days with less people that holds true sometimes.

Can't they repair it?

Also - how does the ride know when the train is light enough?

Or does it always aim to hold for a certain period of time regardless, and gravity simply takes over if it's unable to hold it?

P.S. I'm surprised that AT admitted this to the public!

 

[AltonLover123]

Or does it always aim to hold for a certain period of time regardless, and gravity simply takes over if it's unable to hold it?

The way it was explained to me was it was essentially a chain that moves very slowly and once it reaches a certain point gravity takes over.

So I assume it’s a case that the chain just can’t slow the train down as much as it used to so it reaches the drop off point quicker than before.

So if the train has less guests, it’s got less weight to hold back.

 

[Hid]

Can't they repair it?

Also - how does the ride know when the train is light enough?

Or does it always aim to hold for a certain period of time regardless, and gravity simply takes over if it's unable to hold it?

P.S. I'm surprised that AT admitted this to the public!

Your talking about replacing a 28 year old clutch from a Dive that has completely differeny design to a modern Dive Coaster wouldn't be cheap

 

[flyingguitar]

Can't they repair it?

Also - how does the ride know when the train is light enough?

Or does it always aim to hold for a certain period of time regardless, and gravity simply takes over if it's unable to hold it?

P.S. I'm surprised that AT admitted this to the public!

They can, but it is an expensive job, the gearbox (and thus clutch) are at the top of the drop, requiring a crane, etc

From what I can recall (it has been a while) the chain moves very slow and then releases the brake, the ride systems don't care about how long you are holding for, to the block zones the drop hold and drop are the same block, thus you will never be stuck on the drop.

From what i recall the drop is also engineered to ensure a train can always drop to prevent a difficult evacuation

 

[Secret Weapon]

Your talking about replacing a 28 year old clutch from a Dive that has completely differeny design to a modern Dive Coaster wouldn't be cheap

For some reason (that I cannot understand*), the 2015 B&M dive coaster in Italy uses a similar 87-degree drop to Oblivion from Alton Towers, rather than the spring-loaded 90 degree angle of newer dive coasters

I assume that B&M must therefore still be manufacturing and/or supporting older dive coaster types?

(*My guess is that it's because Merlin wanted it to remain true to the Alton Towers ride that is based on, although I still disagree with the decision not to make it 90 degrees - especially as the ride already contains other improvements, such as 3 rows instead of 2)

 

[Hid]

For some reason (that I cannot understand*), the 2015 B&M dive coaster in Italy uses a similar 87-degree drop to Oblivion from Alton Towers, rather than the spring-loaded 90 degree angle of newer dive coasters

I assume that B&M must therefore still be manufacturing and/or supporting older dive coaster types?

(*My guess is that it's because Merlin wanted it to remain true to the Alton Towers ride that is based on, although I still disagree with the decision not to make it 90 degrees - especially as the ride already contains other improvements, such as 3 rows instead of 2)

The one in Italy is called Oblivion the Black Hole a very good Dive Coaster

 

[Secret Weapon]

Random fact: the recent video from Kip Hakes (former member of the AT Content Creator Programme) features the wrong "Don't Look Down" audio clip (it uses the guy from the TV advert rather than Renny Ruprinski) - link below

I e-mailed him and he said it was deliberate!

(For what it's worth: until I saw a video of it last year, I had always assumed that it was the guy from the TV advert who made the announcement on the ride itself)


From: https://youtube.com/shorts/dJ5KzBYFzQM

 

[Steve74]

Random fact: the recent video from Kip Hakes (former member of the AT Content Creator Programme) features the wrong "Don't Look Down" audio clip (it uses the guy from the TV advert rather than Renny Ruprinski) - link below

I e-mailed him and he said it was deliberate!

(For what it's worth: until I saw a video of it last year, I had always assumed that it was the guy from the TV advert who made the announcement on the ride itself)


From: https://youtube.com/shorts/dJ5KzBYFzQM

Without going off topic too much, I would take anything he (and some other vloggers) says with a pinch of salt; ever since he quit the creator programme (for what I thought were some valid reasons), he seems to have it in for Towers and Merlin (you only have to see some of his tweets and Facebook posts to see that). Another influencer who appears to have it in for them lately too seems to be obsessed with [wanting] Merlin to sell Towers and has posted a couple of videos about it I think. All very bizarre in my opinion.

So unless Towers issue anything official about the return of the sound effect and/or you hear it for yourself with your own ears, go very careful with what you see online unless it's from a source you trust - like Towers Street or Towers Times.

Back on topic...

I think it's great that it's back, just a shame that the hold hasn't been fixed. But if the reasons are mechanical as others have said above, you can understand why they haven't repaired it yet if it needs cranes etc to do it. I guess its a balance of cost vs reward. Not ideal, but there we go. Maybe a refurb is on the way in the next few years and the clutch will get fixed then. We can live in hope!!