IJoe public doesn't care the hex Is has been sprinkled with fairly dust, or nemesis has been painted. We do. Mr. and Mrs bloggs can live with pot holes on the car park. We do.
They certainly do. They won't go out of their way to vocalise it or even think about it once they're out the park, but it's all a part of their day. If you could put two experiences side by side, a broken lame Hex with worn out effects and a general passé feel, next to Hex as it was on opening day, any Joe public would react much better to the latter one and the ride would really give a fun experience.
Put driving along a massively potholed road next to a properly maintained road, and they would be left with a much less bitter taste in their mouths if it was the latter too, especially considering how much theyve paid.
And clearly, stick any old person next to Nemesis looking stained and dirty, their imagination isn't going to spark. They're just going to want to get on the ride and wonder what the heck this monster thing is. There's no point even having the creature if its going to look such a mess, might as well have a tin shed for all they care.
But then stick them next to Nemesis looking beastly and vivid again, as it was intended, and most would be given a far better impression - the creature actually has a presence in the area, even if just subconsciously to every guest - and brilliantly for the more observant (most children are often underestimated for their imagination and how impressionable they are to these things).
I don't totally agree with "just be grateful they are doing stuff" because - as far as the industry is concerned - they're still not doing the right stuff. They've just found a way to make it look like they are, while making it a different department's responsibility. Still not spending the money properly on the whole and are just relying on the enthusiasm of their in house teams to make do with the money they can get together. More money is being spent on these things than before, so it's a start, but its still something of a lie.
They've been doing piecemeal projects like these for years before the 'TLC' idea anyway. Oblivion's buildings being re-clad (not very well), and X Sector paint jobs (also poor quality), Duel's endless tweaks by a revolving door of in-house people, buildings often being painted, signs cleaned and all that. The only difference is, it's now being branded and is better skilled. I'm very grateful that by luck it is now much better co-ordinated, thanks to the instinct of the people in charge, but it shouldnt have to be this piecemeal in-house system.
