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

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I'm still willing to give it a chance, but I can understand why people are so against the idea. Parks like Six Flags could benefit from it as they don't usually spend their budgets on theming to create an immersive experience. Parks like Towers however shouldn't rely so much on the gimmick as people expect them to create immersive environments based on real theming.

It's been said before that VR is unnecessary since coasters already offer a real experience that is actually real and already good enough, which is a fair point. But I think VR will offer something different, whether for better or worse, I'm not totally sure.
 
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I agree. Six flags is coaster after coaster after coaster. And is very concrete jungle.
 
I'm looking at this positively and hoping that it will add to re-rideability, whether that's with the VR or back to runs without opting for the VR for a nice change back to the old days. Could be funny to watch peoples faces who are using the VR when you aren't too (if that's possible). Definitely looking forward to just testing it out to see how it works and performs anyway, if nothing else.
 
I've just had a thought: surely the noise of the lift chain, brakes and the train going around the track will interfere with the VR video and/or distract the riders?
 
Leah said:
Depends if you spent a few years of your life creating a world class dark ride, only to have half the effects and props ripped out, the music lost, and lazer guns added that distract from the ride?
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The haunted house was much better
 
Dar said:
This is a man that has worked for Merlin and will probably be involved in the future with their projects; of course he's said it's good.
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I don't think John Warley is a yes man. He has said in the past that he generally doesn't like the retrofitting of rides and that adding blasters to an existing dark ride can detract from the experience. There is a video on YouTube where he is asked what is his favourite AT ride he rightly chooses Nemesis. He says that the smiler is twice the size and has numerous inversions, but then goes on to say "some people like that sort of thing, but at least Nemesis tells a story".

If he didn't like Galactica I don't think he would slag it off, but I do think he would use faint praise rather than say it ranks amongst the best experiences in the world.

I've been skeptical of a VR SIMULATION on a REAL roller coaster from day 1, but I trust John Wardley.
 
It's not the addition of VR that I dislike - just the rename and naff space retheme (Galactica?!).

I reckon the VR will be great, surely better than grass and paving for on ride scenery.

But they should have kept it as 'Air' and then offered a range of themes for the VR experience.
 
Leah said:
Depends if you spent a few years of your life creating a world class dark ride, only to have half the effects and props ripped out, the music lost, and lazer guns added that distract from the ride?
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It was amazing and it has lost its quality but I still like it - Once got stuck in a cart by myself for half hour - was scary
 
CoasterCrazyChris said:
It's not the addition of VR that I dislike - just the rename and naff space retheme (Galactica?!).

I reckon the VR will be great, surely better than grass and paving for on ride scenery.

But they should have kept it as 'Air' and then offered a range of themes for the VR experience.
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I must be honest, but I don't like the theme and name either. Would have loved it if the original Oasis concept was bought back and implemented again. The VR could have been something else.
 
I wondered why they hadn't done that myself. Would have fitted in much better in forbidden valley that way
 
Tibble said:
It was amazing and it has lost its quality but I still like it - Once got stuck in a cart by myself for half hour - was scary
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Cant deny that its a great ride now, but I've spent most of closed season reading books and watching documentaries about HH (I'm sure some people know which ones I mean) and I know now it was so much more.
 
Don't forget that John Wardley's favourite ride (or one of at least) is Spiderman. A VR experience is quite similar to Spiderman, just on a coaster rather than a moving dark ride. I'm not surprised that he likes it, and I do think he is being totally genuine.

:)
 
It's impossible to say whether he is being 100% genuine or not. Alton Towers knows his opinion counts, and wouldn't surprise me if he was still on the payroll.
 
MaxPower said:
John Wardley is still very much a company man and very respectful to Merlin.

I doubt he would say if he hated this ride, I have never heard him openly slag off Duel despite it being quite clear that he dislikes it.
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Mr W does not remotely strike me as a yes man, he would offer his opinions IMO, and if he didn't like it, I can't imagine he'd come out with actual praise - he's not remotely fickle, and can be quite hard edged about moving on and "GET. A. LIFE." LOL!

I think his praise will be genuine, to suggest otherwise, to me, whilst not being deliberate of course, taints the man's character in terms of suggesting he's not being authentic.

The one thing I will ALWAYS believe Mr Wardley to be, is authentic.

If he says he likes it, he likes it, and I'm MORE than willing to take his opinions on board - he's created enough incredible memories for millions for me to give him the respect of listening & taking him at face value.
 
He really has no reason to defend towers if they ruined his creation. If he says it's an improvement, then I'm not going to doubt him. Of course I might have a different opinion to him, and I've never experienced a be coaster before, so I'll judge for myself weather it is worse or better than air.

Asides from ride closures and not releasing the line up, towers seem to have been criticized a lot so far. I know that a lot of people on here are sceptical about most of towers projects (myself included), but I think this time, they might have got it right... maybe... we'll see...
 
Still doesn't mean it's going to be good. People stop bum licking. Wait to ride it for yourselves.
 
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