• 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.

Galactica: General Discussion

First ride today, was pretty cool - very different. Wait was supposed to be around 45 mins (2 trains, 1 station). That sounded like a long time so called in a favour and entered via unofficial means.

It was pretty much what I expected, but massively more disorientating than I thought. I'm not a big fan of Air but I certainly know it back to front, we were in the brakes much quicker than I thought - couldn't work out where I was! I do wonder if in five years time we'll talk about how Galactica was compared to the technology of the day.

I'm not entirely convinced by the cleaning regime, either. But something new - always good.
 
I seem to remember someone saying the team behind Galactica were annoyed with Europa Park for getting a VR coaster first, hence why they tried claiming the ride is the only one dedicated to VR. If that's true it had to be in development for at least 2 years, given that Europa first unveiled it in 2014!

Why they didn't just say UKs first and except there are Theme Parks out there that are better than them is beyond me. Not to mention that the Roller Coaster Restraunt is directly copied from EPs Food Loop, and as such I expect it to be a great addition.
 
Tim said:
I seem to remember someone saying the team behind Galactica were annoyed with Europa Park for getting a VR coaster first, hence why they tried claiming the ride is the only one dedicated to VR. If that's true it had to be in development for at least 2 years, given that Europa first unveiled it in 2014!

Why they didn't just say UKs first and except there are Theme Parks out there that are better than them is beyond me. Not to mention that the Roller Coaster Restraunt is directly copied from EPs Food Loop, and as such I expect it to be a great addition.
Click to expand...

Yes, I believe Towers had hoped to market it simply as a world's first but EP beat them. Well EP beat them, as did Universal, Six Flags, EP again and Erlebnispark Schloss Thurn (yeah I didn't know about that one either).

The latest issue of Park World claims that Galactica was only Europe's first coaster fully dedicated to VR, as the VR on Dare Devil Dive is in use on all seats/rows. Meanwhile VR on Kyary Pamyu Pamyu XR Ride (Space Fantasy) is not optional and that also opened before Galactica.

Alton Towers claims are really pushing it. In fact I would agrue they are plain wrong.

:)
 
I think towers really need to give up the "world's first fully dedicated VR coaster, and just accept that they were beaten to it by several other parks. No one cares about the world's first park to plan to implement VR on a coaster, though at least they might be right (even then, I'd doubt it, but at least they wouldn't be blatantly proven wrong by several coasters opening months or more before)
 
Danny said:
I suspect it'll be Figment working on their Vector VR for three years, rather than Towers working on Galactica for that duration. They'll have simply looked around for VR providers in 2015, found Figment and stuck with them.
Click to expand...

My thoughts exactly. I reckon Figment will have been showing off the tech at IAAPA and similar for a while and when The Smiler incident happened, Towers will have popped down to the nearest coaster supermarket and picked up a packet of VR upgrades.

Once the technology had already been developed it wouldn't have taken them very long to create a new "virtual universe" tailored to Air. The whole thing probably only took 2 or 3 months, including thinking up the name Galactica and designing a bit of new theming.
 
From what I understand, this definitely hasn't been in development for two years, and Alton, which was Merlin's current golden child until The Smiler accident, was initially due to receive actual new ride(s) in 2016.
 
I don't understand why if they really wanted to give it a 'World's First' record, they didn't just say 'World's First Virtual Reality Flying Coaster'. Surely that would be better than 'Fully Dedicated to VR'?
 
PeteB said:
My thoughts exactly. I reckon Figment will have been showing off the tech at IAAPA and similar for a while and when The Smiler incident happened, Towers will have popped down to the nearest coaster supermarket and picked up a packet of VR upgrades.

Once the technology had already been developed it wouldn't have taken them very long to create a new "virtual universe" tailored to Air. The whole thing probably only took 2 or 3 months, including thinking up the name Galactica and designing a bit of new theming.
Click to expand...

This isn't the case, as VR was being tested on Air as early as Jan/February last year, meaning this was always in the pipeline for 2016 whether the Smiler had crashed or not.
 
I love Galactica's theme and style. I love the music. I think it all looks really neat. However I've now given up on the VR.

The first couple of times it was good fun and I enjoyed it. That has now worn off and I was far from impressed today. We did the back row which is slightly out of sync, however just being slightly out is quite noticeable. I also could not get the headset to focus well today. Finally on numerous occasions throughout the ride I go big blocks of black appearing towards the edge of the screen, not ideal really.

I took my VR headset off and took a look at it - considering the ride has only been open a few weeks and this was early in the morning the headset was filthy. Lots of dirt in there and the lenses you look into were covered in smudges. The headset also had a not so lovely smell to it. Certainly doesn't seem as hygienic as hoped for.

Then there is the throughput. It was getting around 430pph today when operating with two trains on one station. The fact that Alton Towers have no flexibility this year when it comes to operations is poor. Galactica had a 90 minute queue most of the day and nothing could be done about it.

:)
 
It does seem Galactica will be on one station for the forceable future (unless management change their mind). Which is quite frankly stupid during the weekend. It had a constant 90 minute queue all day yesterday. Even by ride close it was still 90 minutes. All because it's on one station.
 
It remains truly astounding that Alton Towers management authorised the conversion of Air into Galactica, when it would need 20+ staff to run properly. This is surely an irresponsible move at a time when the resort is tightening purse strings following the dire year in 2015.

The staff required on Galactica, when fully operational, could pretty much have run all the closed rides combined...

I am at a loss to understand the decision and think it is somewhat hilarious that they can't afford to staff the newest attraction.

Is Galactica the most staff-intensive rollercoaster on Earth?
 
I would have happily had them retheme it and focus marketing on the rollercoaster restaurant, and ignore the VR as everything is great until you sit down on a top quality coaster and are told to wear a headset, ruining the point of the coaster, you get off and the shops good, you exit the shop and look at the rollercoaster restaurant which looks great, then you turn around and see forbidden sweep.. Basically its good, but it would have been much better without the new VR "Experience" which is the thing which ruins it. As a package it is better than Air but I'd much rather ride without the headset.
 
muN2eNf.png

WZDKdmn.png

I cant even tho, what, words fail me o_O
 
bluesonichd said:
muN2eNf.png

WZDKdmn.png

I cant even tho, what, words fail me o_O
Click to expand...

Wait until the summer and when all the Sun free ticket holders start turning up in more numbers. The wait time could be very frightening. Glad I've had a few rides already and won't be forced to wait in that madness later on :)
 
Another day with most rides under 20 minutes, and Galactica over an hour.

Logic.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top