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Hex [2024 Refurb]: General Discussion

tayspru said:
It’s a change in vibe, but that’s the point.

The general public don’t respond well to subtlety, so the refurb leans into spectacle and bombastic, attention grabbing finales.

Is it to my taste as an enthusiast, perhaps not. But I’ve NEVER seen a full ride of guests as engaged in the finale as I did last Saturday
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I agree. Whilst Towers has always been a family park, it’s clear they’re wanting to focus on attractions that the whole family can ride together. Hex has always had the height restrictions that allow this, so they’ve merely made changes to make it as equally as engaging for all ages whilst not fundamentally changing what Hex was.

I think, on that part they’ve been successful.
 
When you look at the changes to the dark ride lineup since Hex reopened, you have the scary and creepy rides already covered by Curse and Sub Terra. The point of Hex is that it’s meant to be slightly unnerving and disorientating but it’s not designed to be a scary ride, it’s about a conflict between magic and science with a simple morality tale.

I think the changes that have been made make it feel more magical, from what I’ve seen online. It fills a niche in the dark ride lineup at Towers and is very on-brand for the branding of the park. I don’t think it’s ill-suited at all, this forum is always saying that Towers needs less dark/horror themes, Merlin of 5-10 years ago would have made it “the most terrifying experience of your life”, if they had to commit the resources this refurb has had.
 
Alphe86 said:
I’m inclined to agree. Everyone in my family who isn’t an enthusiast loves the new HEX.
And because of that, I’m more than ok with the changes.
Trips on the whole are social experiences for families after all
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Yes, for all those who I've known personally including my two friends who aren't enthusiasts, everyone I know loves (prefurb) Hex as it's more of an experience than attraction though many of them have yet to try it in it's new form including me, and the fact it leans heavily on local history rather than some wild fantasy gives it a certain edge to it that is quite hard to say why but it all works.
 
That’s really interesting to hear, because a lot of non-enthusiasts I know haven’t liked Hex. My sister always found it boring, my nan and grandad didn’t like it either, and other people I’ve been on it with seemed a bit non-plussed.

Plenty of people other than enthusiasts clearly like it or else they wouldn’t have spent the money on revamping it and the reopening wouldn’t have generated such interest, but that’s never the impression I’ve had from the people I’ve gone with, interestingly. Perhaps I just go with the wrong people?
 
I haven't been on it since arround 2013, so I can't really remember what it was like, but I really like the new changes bar one. In the cinema rooms they have applied a resin floor (probably makes it more grippy when wet, and reduces wear on the stone floor) but it squeaks really loudly and so far in the 3 rides I have had without a doubt a kid is just constantly squeaking their feet this isn't really a predictable issue and I don't know if they can fix it.
 
Finally saw a pov, Thought the projection was pretty neat (and there were audible "ooooooh's"). The light on the twig are definitely too digital on/off for my taste. I always thought that about the original finale light flashing too tbf. Regardless, I'm sure they'll be listening to all the feedback.
 
Bert2theSpark said:
you have the scary and creepy rides already covered by Curse and Sub Terra. The point of Hex is that it’s meant to be slightly unnerving and disorientating but it’s not designed to be a scary ride, it’s about a conflict between magic and science with a simple morality tale.

I think the changes that have been made make it feel more magical, from what I’ve seen online.
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If you went on the ride I think youd probably see it has been made far more spooky / haunted and is lit for the most part very similar style to the Curse, in fact it and the Curse (both similar themes, cursed houses etc) are now very similar in tone, whereas before Hex was more authentic.

I personally don't think Hex was ever "too subtle". It has gone from feeling Disney esque in the vault to something else. Disney style rides do very well with the British public so I think the idea that people are now more engaged by the vault is projection. For example the guests werent particularly enthused when I went on it, that doesnt mean that's the same reaction from everyone.

Usually vloggers are very positive about shiny new things like this so I'm surprised there's mixed opinion among them too. Though if anyone went in and genuinly enjoyed it, I'd be happy for them.

Hex definitely needed some enhancement and was a little dated, but I actually think the new vault show will make it look a lot more dated in the long run, but that's a future problem.
 
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I’m not all that bothered about the changes they’ve made, aside from moving from CRT TVs (the videos shown now have black borders around them) which I don’t remember the previous version having before.

There was a knocking I would notice pre refurb which has gone now. It sounds great with the upgraded speakers. Most importantly it gives other rides extra capacity now that people will be queuing for Hex.
 
I think something that makes Hex so special is it’s inherit analogue-ness. I know this really wouldn’t be a factor when it opened, but I think my main disappointment in new Hex is that I don’t think there are any CRT televisions anymore. If I was in charge, and I’m not (I mean what do I know?), I would definitely lean into the CRTs and the found footage-ness of it. It’s ingrained in the ride. Even the backup generator feels old school. And yes, that does mean lighting has to fit too.

I like some of the new lighting. It just gets too disco-ey for me. And strobey at times too. First off, when was blue a part of this rides colour pallet? I mean come on! I also really like the idea of the lights in the tubes and stuff. I can see all the bulbs though, and I don’t like that.

I’ve rewatched the 2009 POV that @EuroThemeParkArchive put up (also thank you for your hours at those documentaries, they rock and you are a SAINT) and I realise that I think the branches brown goes with some rich red and oranges. Would love to see that come back. Especially on the face, man, it had a serious presence in that one, it makes it really pop. It’s even a little scary.

That being said, is the original Hex lighting package a little too subtle? A bit too boring dare I say? Yes. I think it is. Seeing all the people go ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ for the new package is a seriously good reaction for a ride, but oh my god do it better. I think what it really needed was a few more gizmos and gimbals happening. Picture in your head the original package, I have some edits I’d make. For example, I’d love to see all the Earls tech have some cool lighting effects. Maybe a make all the zodiac signs on the weird wheel thing glow a mechanical yellow, that would be cool. Maybe have all the mechanical pieces move too. Have the oil pump looking thing rock back and fourth, have a switch flip up and down on its own accord, have actually good and colour palette abiding lights in the tubes (with some LED’s that I can’t tell where each bulb is mind you).

For the end, when upside down (ish), id add some green strobes on the face. I know I hate green lights, they steal all the colour from everything else, and lighting should be used to make details pop, but I think it would be a nice call back to all the green video footage and such throughout the ride. Put a nice little bow on it, linking it back to the projector room. I would also keep the branch fibre optics as a nice surprise at the end, and maybe with some projection mapping, like all the magic and all the curse is getting sucked back into the branch again.

Ultimately, Hex is like our Spookslot. I love Spookslot. People went ‘ooh!’ and ‘aah!’ because something was going on in every corner, and maybe that is what Hex could do with. “Oh why! But it was so subtle!” I hear you cry, but I don’t think my changes would inflict on the atmosphere. We’re here to be entertained, and I think a lot of stuff going on is what causes people to actually vocalise their interest, and there’s a halfway point between the most realistic lighting and the most over the top lighting.

I like seeing stuff moving and changing. I’m stupid and like nice colours. Most people like nice colours. I don’t think the madhouse illusion is enough to entertain modern people for a full 2.5 minutes. That sounds bad, but i think it’s the facts. It needed a re-tooling. But that doesn’t mean turning it into a rave! I think my point is turning into the classic Merlin Marvel-isation of their properties. It all feels a bit heavy handed. It’s complete overstimulation. I think it’s like in some movies I see a person do a backflip off of a motorcycle and land on a semi-truck and I remain unfazed. Then, I watch another movie where perhaps they make a lucky shot and I’m like ‘woah! How did he manage that!’. It just doesn’t feel intimate anymore. And I think Hex has lost that intimacy.

This post has turned from ‘i like CRTs’ to a full blown lighting reconstruction, so apologies, but I think that is how I would ‘fix’ Hex. I just write and then write and write. I think it works better as if you’ve just seen an unexplainable phenomenon and that’s that. Didn’t need to be over dramatic. It’s smallness make it feel personal. Just add a little more going on. I always felt like it’s a bizarre fairytale-fantasy version of Blair Witch.

Also move that spark box behind the generator you numpties.
 
I was also surprised to see there was no projection mapping used anywhere in this recent refurbishment, but assuming that’s an extra costly expense they didn’t want to factor in?

I would assume projection mapping in the vault would need realigning frequently, however I must say they have been on top of the Smiler projections this year so maybe they found a solution to projection vibrations.
 
TBoy535 said:
I was also surprised to see there was no projection mapping used anywhere in this recent refurbishment, but assuming that’s an extra costly expense they didn’t want to factor in?

I would assume projection mapping in the vault would need realigning frequently, however I must say they have been on top of the Smiler projections this year so maybe they found a solution to projection vibrations.
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Projection mapping isn't the be-all-and-end-all. It's a great effect, and has many places, but no reason to use it by default everywhere, or work under the assumption that it must always be included.
 
Islander said:
Projection mapping isn't the be-all-and-end-all. It's a great effect, and has many places, but no reason to use it by default everywhere, or work under the assumption that it must always be included.
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I agree and to be fair Disney does use it everywhere and usually very well! I feel it would have really enhanced the experience especially in the Oxtagon room, The pre show, the branch effect and big finale with still being very subtle, whilst it was closed and they were refurbishing the ride it would have been a good time.

I still think the ride is fantastic and to a very grand and high standard for any dark ride in the UK!
 
TBoy535 said:
I was also surprised to see there was no projection mapping used anywhere in this recent refurbishment, but assuming that’s an extra costly expense they didn’t want to factor in?

I would assume projection mapping in the vault would need realigning frequently, however I must say they have been on top of the Smiler projections this year so maybe they found a solution to projection vibrations.
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Rather they keep projection mapping out of Hex to be honest
 
TBoy535 said:
I agree and to be fair Disney does use it everywhere and usually very well!
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Not really, I am not sure on all of disneys projection mapping, but the have the faces on the frozen boat ride at epcot, which never really worked and are always too bright. The other time they have used it is in Mickie and Minnie's runaway railway, which is mostly just painted walls and projections on the walls and they don't really feel imersive nor do they feel like a disney thing. I can't think of any more projection mapping that Disney uses

Projection mapping is a good effect, but the application has to suit projection mapping, rather than trying to squeeze projection mapping onto a place they don't need to be
 
They always seem to mention projection mapping when they talk about how high tech a ride is. Which is ironic, it’s not very impressive and we’ve been doing it since the 60’s
 
The_bup said:
They always seem to mention projection mapping when they talk about how high tech a ride is. Which is ironic, it’s not very impressive and we’ve been doing it since the 60’s
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It can certainly be impressive when done correctly, especially on buildings.

But it’s very “fake” and all about spectacle, so I don’t think it would fit in with Hex which has always been about traditional, theatrical story telling to me.
 
Hex was pretty much like a Theatre play in terms of execution, but instead of watching a stage, you are ON the stage.

When you go and see a Theatre play, the lighting is never too over the top, it can be stylized but it never distracts the viewers from the actual play itself in terms of what's happening physically and the context itself. It seems like with this refurbishment they value it quite the opposite, making the lighting very 'in your face', and the actual way it lights the set pieces themselves seems to be mostly disregarded. Lighting and Projections should compliment the actual physical set pieces and it's execution, not the other way around.
 
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