• ℹ️ Heads up...

    This is a popular topic that is fast moving Guest - before posting, please ensure that you check out the first post in the topic for a quick reminder of guidelines, and importantly a summary of the known facts and information so far. Thanks.

Duel Improvements 2012

It's great to hear that a few of the Haunted House original effects are being installed by stealth. I'm a Haunted House purist, and never really warmed to Duel. I am not a fan of "interactive" dark-rides like this, but I do feel if they are necessary, then they should be for a new attraction and not a rehash of a previously brilliant dark ride.

The retheme never sat with me either. Zombies have been discovered, so we shoot at lights on a wall? I always find the zombies are in the wrong place throughout the circuit, and detract from the atmosphere HH provided - particularly in the spider nest, when you are meant to slowly approach the gigantic spider in near darkness. A zombie and strobe light ruins this for me.

Still, the improvements are warmly welcomed
 
Ian said:
Yes, back when it was made. I'd hope we've found better ways of making theming work since 1992 :p

As far as I know all the mechanisms are still in place for it, it just needs a themed object to go on it, and setting back up to run with the ride system :)
Click to expand...

The lift hill is still there but the track for the flying ghost has long gone unfortunately :(

Still they could surprise us :)
 
After being on it today I have to say im rarther disapointed! I still feels theres alot of 'blank' spots, im sure they know about it and im glad the smoke has made a somewhat return.

Also today there was alot of pauses on the ride aswell as very blank audio spots, hopefully they are aware of this issue and long live Duel!
 
I think the we should see the removal of the lasers and targets, maybe if you have to go and investigate on the happenings in the house. Without the lasers and targets the themeing and detail would be appreciated much more.
 
Jake... said:
I think the we should see the removal of the lasers and targets, maybe if you have to go and investigate on the happenings in the house. Without the lasers and targets the themeing and detail would be appreciated much more.
Click to expand...
Although if things weren't dramatically changed from what they are now people would ride it and say 'eh? Isn't this just that shooty ride but without the shooting? Where's my guns?!'
 
Perhaps add some large scale video effects like in Harry Potter. Great opportunity for ghostly effects there!

Or if they took out the guns they could make everything 3D and hand out glasses before you ride, like spiderman - Haunted House NOW IN 3D - ok so it's a gimmick but Alton love gimmicks don't they.
 
The team behind the operations on Duel are passionate about it and reverting it to some extent back to the former glory of the Haunted House - without anything so drastic as to 'de-Duel' it and remove the blasters/LEDs. Touches like bringing back some of the old music/effects/audio have really brought back a magic to the ride. :)
 
Kaycee said:
The team behind the operations on Duel are passionate about it and reverting it to some extent back to the former glory of the Haunted House - without anything so drastic as to 'de-Duel' it and remove the blasters/LEDs. Touches like bringing back some of the old music/effects/audio have really brought back a magic to the ride. :)
Click to expand...
Indeed! And all on a budget of zero... Imagine what they could achieve if Merlin gave them the cash!
 
I really do think removing all of the interactive element without performing a total overhaul of the ride would be a mistake at this time. Duel is my favourite dark ride of its kind. However, it is far from my favourite interactive dark ride. Before going to Europe last week I would have said that interactive dark rides of this kind are awful, and the whole idea is a bit naff.

However, after now riding Buzz Lightyear's Laser Blast and Maus Au Chocolat I am willing to believe that the concept can be made to work. The problem with Duel I think is that it was a rushed and haphazard refit of a perfectly fine ride. They just went through and stuck targets everywhere with little or no thought. What these rides need is planning!

One of the biggest bugbears of the system is that there are so many targets and all in the wrong place. Part of the fun should be looking for the targets, and their zoning should be made so as not to interfere with the atmosphere and feel of the ride. With Due, thought a lot of the targets mean that some of the large scare props are seen long before they are triggered.

The way forward for Duel would be to drastically cut back on the number of targets (Already in progress) so there aren't so many. One target for each prop is plenty sufficient. Buzz only has targets on the important areas of each scene, and very few which are placed at random. I mean in Duel why on Earth do we spend half the time shooting window frames and pillars?! Granted, if something happened as a result it'd make more sense, but it doesn't!

Just take one target, maybe add some sort of theming to it like a target symbol at the centre, and stick one to each large prop. There are some instances when they could leave a few in. I.E. one on each leg of the giant spider. Or the two in the grim reaper's eyes. Ones like that work. But don't cake everything in them for the sake of it.

Next, if possible reverse the colours. The green is very bright and obvious. Maybe have the targets red and turn green when hit. Or even better disable to LED, place it in a crosshair as said earlier, and make the target glow in the dark. UV paints and acrylic is cheap enough to buy - £8 a can in B&Q. Then when it's hit it can flash red or green or yellow. This would make them much less obvious and more subtle. It would also add to the fun. The way riders have to look for targets to earn points, rather than being given them all.

Then, reposition the targets so they are only visible when an effect is triggered, and rearrange the new props slightly. For example, the zombie on the entrance to the spider room, drape a sliced black cloth between the two pillars. Then when he is triggered he bursts out from behind the cloth, giving riders more of a scare, and also hiding him until needed. The Haunted House worked well as this was how it was designed. But the Duel props were just plonked here and there, spoiling that.

Finally, though it would be more complex how about having a few effects triggered by the targets. For example, in the skeleton corridor add a lid to the coffin. Then when you shoot the coffin the lid burst open revealing the vampire inside, who also has a target. Then when she is hit the lid closes (It would also do this on its own after each scene, ready for the next vehicle) similararly maybe add an air cannon to the giant spider's mouth. When you hit the target on his head (Positioned so he can only be hit when in the right area) it fires off a few times, blasting the riders with short sharp bursts of air. It's a little change which would really emerse riders in the ride better.

There's lots of changes Towers and the ride team could make to Duel to revive the ride while retaining the interactive quality. As for marketing Towers could simply readvertise it as Duel - The Haunted House Strikes Back - Now scarier than ever. Simple, but effective. It gets the message to the public that there have been changes, and invites them to try it out. It could be a good project to run on a low investment year where money is tight. A cheap way to bring people back.

Once you have the winning ride the public will keep coming back to it, so Towers can continue with change year on year, without ever needing to market it again. Word of mouth spreads. How do you think Disney can keep updating their Phantom Manor rides without needing to advertise every change? The ride hit the nail on the head first time, so people keep returning. They then see the changes like the new Hitchhiking Ghosts in Florida, so come back next time to see if anything else has changed, while also telling their friends about this "awesome new part", which in turn draws in fresh custom.

If Towers are willing to fork out a bit of money now they can secure the ride's future for years to come :)
 
On top of everything Ian has just said, I think it would also be wise to change the 'story' told in the queue line videos. The whole zombie thing has never made sense when the zombie props are outnumbered by the ghouls/monsters/demons/etc... They should alter it so that you have been enlisted to some kind of 'ghost busting' team and you are going in to rid the house of the curse.

There's no reason for them to make such a big deal out of the zombies.
 
Was very impressed again with Duel yesterday. New LED's are scatter in new places and on areas that weren't working before which is good. Undertaker's new audio has sadly gona and the blank noise there really ruins the tension of the ride. Lady with crucifix's new audio scared me but I'm still hoping that the blasters can be not as clicky as they were last season.
 
Agreed with above, it was amazing today, the best I'd ever rode it, and it was coping with all the people well, hardly any cars went around with a space or moreleft!
 
Theming wise the ride was spot on the other day! Yet more old audio returning, effects fixed, lighting repaired. I think the only thing on the whole ride not working was the popup for the POV. It was stuck in the up position.

With regards to the ride system the techies do seem to be making some progress, but it's still having issues with some vehicles falling out of sync and needing to be inched along at offload :(
 
Blaze said:
Are the guns still cutting out way before the end of the ride?
Click to expand...

They did when I was there just over a week ago. I assume its still the same now.
 
Blaze said:
Are the guns still cutting out way before the end of the ride?
Click to expand...

I went last Mon/Tues and they were cutting out.

I am impressed with Duel. The last time I went on it, a couple of years ago, some of the effects weren't working. But it was nice to see all effects working and I found the ride much more enjoyable. Have to admit I think I'm getting a soft spot for dark rides :)
 
Undertakers laugh took a brief hiatus last week but is back, as well as some LED's being fixed but the photo's was down from 1pm till I went on it again later on where it was still down. But some more LED's and clicking guns still need to be fixed, as well as changing some audio options. And yes the guns are cutting out just before the photo still.
 
Not sure if it's been mentioned, but when I was on park today, but in the indoor queueline, a sinister laughter has been added that goes off at random.. I'm not sure how I feel about it, I like new additions, but I think it sounds a bit 'fairground-ish'...

:)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top