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2016: Air - Re-theme to VR Coaster - Galactica
- Thread starter AT86
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http://www.express.co.uk/life-style...alactica-Review-March-2016-Virtual-Reality-UK
The express hints that the VR does make you feel queasy
The express hints that the VR does make you feel queasy
Cheese
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Helix, Liseberg
Meh. Newspapers of the Daily Express' calibre make me queasy.
Given the way the park's purse strings are being controlled and the resulting cuts to ride availability, how on earth was the idea of adding VR to Air, then enormously increasing its staffing to make the throughput just really terrible instead of completely abysmal deemed to be a good idea? Sub Terra's a staff-heavy attraction, and that hasn't even made it to four years of operation. I'll be very surprised if GalacticAir runs for more than two years, as it seems like when Merlin's big budget axe is inevitably swung again next closed season there won't be much left to actually chop down with it.
Given the way the park's purse strings are being controlled and the resulting cuts to ride availability, how on earth was the idea of adding VR to Air, then enormously increasing its staffing to make the throughput just really terrible instead of completely abysmal deemed to be a good idea? Sub Terra's a staff-heavy attraction, and that hasn't even made it to four years of operation. I'll be very surprised if GalacticAir runs for more than two years, as it seems like when Merlin's big budget axe is inevitably swung again next closed season there won't be much left to actually chop down with it.
Josh
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Nemesis
It will be running 2 stations
It doesn't say the VR makes you queasy, it said that it will be well worth the queues and that they enjoyed the experience. What they said would make you queasy is multiple re-rides, which is the same as any other coaster.
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KingNemesis
TS Member
Stacking is slacking... especially when your wearing a headset so will have literally no idea where you are...With the huge amount of station faff that this will involve, I can't imagine that there would be much, if any, throughput gain of running three crafts as opposed to two.
Throughput apps at the ready boys and girls!
Can't we get given VR headsets as we enter the queue to virtually see it's less busy? Play tricks on the bladder to think we're nearly there now
QTXAdsy
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Black Hole
With the whole concept that Galactica will have a huge staff presence while not so long ago Towers made many staff redundancies, it is probably one of the most ludicrous schemes ever seen in the theme park industry.
It is though a good example that shows that common sense is frankly an alien (mind the pun!) concept to the folks at Merlin. I can see the VR gimmick get old pretty fast and I wouldn't be all that surprised if they eventually say, 'screw it' and re-theme back to Air.
It will very interesting to see whatever happens next.
It is though a good example that shows that common sense is frankly an alien (mind the pun!) concept to the folks at Merlin. I can see the VR gimmick get old pretty fast and I wouldn't be all that surprised if they eventually say, 'screw it' and re-theme back to Air.
It will very interesting to see whatever happens next.
allyallyally47
TS Member
Surely the loading process will come down to the number of people choosing to use the headsets, so while at first it might be an absolute nightmare with everyone riding probably wanting to try it, over time people might just want to go back to the normal experience of Air so won't need the headset faff. You could get lucky and be on a craft with next to no one opting for a headset. I'm ever the optimist of course.
jon81uk
TS Member
They made 98 salaried staff redundant, but the staff who will actually operate the ride would be seasonal hourly-rate staff not salaried.
And because they are regular hourly staff, on quieter days they can operate half the station only and cut the staffing costs.
Bit on ITV News about he ride and a bit about the Smiler:
http://www.itv.com/news/central/upd...amps-ride-into-virtual-reality-rollercoaster/
I bought a VR headset yesterday to try my S6 on. Granted not an expensive headset, but a plastic one with proper lenses. The phone screen as we know is very high quality, the next step up being 4K displays. Overall I wasn't overly impressed with the experience due to the screen quality. It wasn't crystal clear and the movement eventually did make me feel sick. Correct me if I am wrong but isn't Galatica using Samsung screens in the headsets as well? And they are not 4K displays?
Thats my main concern now I have tried a similar thing at home, using a VR rollercoaster app (and a few others)..... I'm sure the likes of Oculous and PlaystationVR will be ok as they have screens within the devices rather than using your phone, unless Galatica uses graphics to compensate for the screens in the headsets..... will be interesting to see.
http://www.itv.com/news/central/upd...amps-ride-into-virtual-reality-rollercoaster/
I bought a VR headset yesterday to try my S6 on. Granted not an expensive headset, but a plastic one with proper lenses. The phone screen as we know is very high quality, the next step up being 4K displays. Overall I wasn't overly impressed with the experience due to the screen quality. It wasn't crystal clear and the movement eventually did make me feel sick. Correct me if I am wrong but isn't Galatica using Samsung screens in the headsets as well? And they are not 4K displays?
Thats my main concern now I have tried a similar thing at home, using a VR rollercoaster app (and a few others)..... I'm sure the likes of Oculous and PlaystationVR will be ok as they have screens within the devices rather than using your phone, unless Galatica uses graphics to compensate for the screens in the headsets..... will be interesting to see.
jon81uk
TS Member
The biggest reason VR makes people feel sick is that the image is moving but the body isn't. Of course on Galatica your body is moving, so as long as it syncs well (which the Mashable article indicates it will) you shouldn't feel any more sick than you would on the coaster anyway.
Alastair
TS Team
- Favourite Ride
- Rise of the Resistance
If you're just sitting still whilst moving within the VR then that's the entire antithesis of Galactica, which is using the coaster as the movement device to sync with the VR.
LiamC
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Hex
Am I right in thinking (sorry I've been out the loop) that the VR headsets are attached to the crafts themselves?
I was reading a TPR (boo) piece earlier about the new VR on Shockwave at SFOT and they are handed out there and collected after every ride and cleaned. Obviously for this to work they need hundreds of sets and it would slow down throughput, but if they are attached to the crafts on Air I can see them getting dirty pretty quickly throughout the day and picking up smudges etc. on the screens. Obviously this is different from what you were saying about blurs, but could still be distracting to people riding and cause them to feel uncomfortable. Plus they'd be pretty grotty as the days go by.
Dar
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Taron
They're attached but they get wiped down after each ride. I can't wait until someone chunders and gets a chunk stuck somewhere the op doesn't see until it comes back after a few cycles reeking.
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