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[The Smiler] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation

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Remember the poster with all the fake news articles that made us all think this was going where The Flume is? One of them did say X Sector had just been taken over by 'new ownership'.

Why can't MOJ run Oblivion (if they didn't to start with)? Everything in the area comes under scientific testing. The Smiler just has a different slant because it's about reprogramming people's minds.

Think of The Smiler as the MOJ putting into practise what they've learnt from Oblivion, Enterprise, Submission and any other 'experiments' they've done.
 
The theme might not follow on perfectly from x-sectors previous backstory (not that it really had one, that was the whole point) but this is a theme park not a movie. If an area can be a Stone Age race track one year and a creepy forest the next, why can't a story be given a slightly different slant for a new season. I like it anyway, I don't think it doesn't make sense, it's just like finally being let in on the secret...too late.
 
Earthwürm said:
The theme might not follow on perfectly from x-sectors previous backstory (not that it really had one, that was the whole point) but this is a theme park not a movie. If an area can be a Stone Age race track one year and a creepy forest the next, why can't a story be given a slightly different slant for a new season.
Click to expand...
There are so many reasons why I disagree. In fact Ug Land is the most clear example of how NOT to do an area retheme/update. It went from one of the most fully realised, uniquely themed areas to a confused, clashing mess of ideas as soon as they plonked Rita on top of it. Unlike with The Smiler, they did not consider the area's existing theme to make Rita blend in; they didn't even consider a theme at all until it had already been built. Stone Age racecourse? Do people really believe that? At no point did anybody think "Hey let's build a prehistoric racecourse-themed ride, people love that"; the whole "Thunder Rock Ralley" thing was obviously a vague attempt at 'explaining' why Rita was in an area where it didn't belong.

Even today as Dark Forest the ignorance for theme in Rita's design shows, and the area barely feels like a forest because of that big red track swallowing up all most of the area. At least they redecorated the station to settle with the forest colours, but it still feels incongruent. And many guests pick up on this, meaning they are not engaging in the theme, so it's not just me being picky. ("Why is it called Rita?", "If this is a forest where are the trees?", etc)

So… yes. That is exactly how NOT to adapt an areas theme. It can't feel like a patchwork of old and new ideas. A guest has to be able to walk into an area and think "Wow, I am in a sinister, possessed forest." Not "I am in a generically decorated area of a theme park, within a theme park, with a racecourse being taken over by overgrown plants from the adjacent haunted forest" or whatever the Dark Forest backstory is supposed to be.

It's really not that hard to get area rethemes or expansions right, it's just British theme parks are so lazy recently that they mess up. The Smiler looks to be a successful (and most importantly ENJOYABLE) expansion of an existing area without undermining Oblivion's strong theme. They have created a thematic concept that suits the X-Sector relatively well and contained the ride in its own space rather than plonking it in the middle. But some people are worried the tone will be too insane to suit the area, which I understand.

It's like when they make a great film but produce a rubbish sequel sometime later which undermines your enjoyment of the original. Fortunately The Smiler looks far from rubbish in this case.
 
Can't we just accept Oblivion has its queue line theme and Smiler will have its queue line theme and they are loosely tied with reference to fear, psychology and (illigal, secret) human experimentation.
 
I think the key here is some people are ok with it, others are not.

I am not. I do not want to find the parks most iconic ride on a global scale sucked into a mish mash of theme that are at opposite ends of the psychological spectrum.

If these were political ideologies - you are talking far left, and far right. Both with disastrous consequences, but going about it in completely different ways.

The ride looks fantastic, the theme is pretty far removed from The Sanctuary as it is, it is like a 1000 year old distant relative compared to Oblivion.

Yes, they are on the same loose scale - but they are at the total opposing ends of it!

I have enjoyed Oblivion and X-sectors theme since it opened, it is very special and unique, and what is more exceptionally rare in this country so I am not happy that all of sudden the MOJ owned it, and experimentally plunging you into a hole in the ground is somehow now aligned to behaviour correction?

What?

Psychology 101 folks: This has none.

If they touch Oblivion other than the repaint, for all that it matters or anyone else seems to give a crap about it, I will be seething.

That is the best themed/concept coaster in this country - it has no place with MOJ! Everything they have done thus far is "come in, let us help you" with a smile and a welcome. It is based on an asylum! Oblivion is nothing like that.

What makes me really annoyed, is there was just no need - it could easily have been assimilated into the story - goodness, even a hostile take over of the facility by the MOJ would have irked me but made more sense!

Sense? This makes none.

EDIT:

What is more, up until a week ago, I was praising this theme, concept and idea to the absolute max. I LOVED it. For once, it was credible, it had provenance, it was well balanced, it was marketed brilliantly, it had an understandable story, it actually had merits psychologically in being loosely based around ideals that have actually been tested! Those press releases made sense in relation to that, in terms of New Scientist etc - they could sit down and discuss it without having to make a ton of stuff up, or marketing hype.

Now it is a dumbed down, out of place, over the top, bereft of any psychological merit theme, that clashes with the existing very outwardly sinister and dark theme that X-Sector HAD.

Crazy. Absolutely crazy. If you like it, that is different, I respect your taste and preference - that is an entirely different matter.

But to make out like this makes any sense, thus degrading the opinions of those whom have very honest and legitimate reasons for not liking it - that is not on.
 
But it does make sense. And is was blatantly obvious from the start that the MOJ would own/run the whole of X-Sector. It's merely some additional back story to help The Smiler fit in, I really wouldn't lose sleep over it. They have not changed the theme of Oblivion, well not to our knowledge anyway. If they have, then fair enough it's a risk, but for now we know nothing of the sort.

:)
 
1998: Open Oblivion to conduct test on the effects of fear and high g-force on the human mind ad body.

2013: Research allows them to create The Smiler, to use what they learnt from Oblivion and apply it to brainwash and control the public.

That's all it seems to be saying. It won't affect Oblivion really. I won't be bothered knowing it's ran by MOJ. They're a secretive and sinister government agency. Oblivion has always been run by a secretive and sinister government agency. Knowing their name won't really affect it.

If they balls it up, fair enough, but they've not really said anything new here.

And at the end of the day, it is just a theme park.
 
Another photo from Towers:

BEsYe9dCEAEiz93.jpg


Caution? You don't say! :p

:)
 
I'm curious if that's for theme sakes or a legitimate warning sign :p

Very good picture that. Bit of a tease to, putting that piece of track that's about to be added right in the centre of the shot.
 
Wow, people really do take a slight bit of change extremely seriously. It's really not that important to be honest. Gone are the days when people could just go to a theme park and enjoy the rides and atmosphere. Now people have to spend countless hours looking for things to get upset about because they aren't 100% to their personal satisfaction. Count me OUT of that!
 
I'm confused as to the problem, Oblivion has no backstory. It's got a mild hint towards human experimentation.

Makes sense to me to have X-sector run by the MoJ, and most people won't give a monkeys.
 
I'm not really fussed by how others perceive it. Also, if I fancy getting passionate about something that annoys me about the park, I will, likewise when I stood up for the theme or ideas when other people were wanting something far more obvious, were bashing the marketing, or screaming out that they wanted it in line with X-Sector - hating the name, wanting words to "fit in" like "Inoculater" etc etc.

Wow, some very short memories round here I tell you!

The reason so many wanted those names, was because it was obviously x-sector and it to be more obvious. Now, all of sudden it has a nonsensical back story and a way over the top central piece everyone shouts WHOOPEE!

Except those who felt they were actually doing brilliantly before, and right on course to create another cult classic...

Beginning to understand one or two members referencing of "Fanboys" are dare not criticise.

I felt people were a bit more open minded.

These are my opinions of the ride and theme, based on an inherent and long standing interest in this field - making the addition of "psychologists" and "New Scientist" with this flakey back story pointless and inferior to what they could have made.

As for no back story - it didn't need one, the theme and characters around it are obvious and always have been - that is its brilliance.

I am protective over one of the best rides this country has, and probably will, ever produce - I don't want it fiddled with, drawn into something else, or having the idea of its theme and concept warped by some crazy over the top car wash rocking up next door as an "ADVANCEMENT" of Oblivion, from all the things they "learned"... stretch that story any further and it will snap like an elastic band.

This is the best? Really?

I love the ride and theme idea in and of itself, I do not like the OTT smiler in relation to The Sanctuary, and I certainly do not like the idea the X-Sector was run by MOJ.

SMH.
 
I'm now starting to remember why I stopped reading the SW6 threads back on TTF after a while. I'm starting to give up with this now.

:)
 
TheMan said:
I am protective over one of the best rides this country has, and probably will, ever produce - I don't want it fiddled with, drawn into something else, or having the idea of its theme and concept warped by some crazy over the top car wash rocking up next door
Click to expand...

TheMan, the Oblivion theme has been largely ruined anyway since it was built to the point where asides from the queue videos and the drop itself, there is very little of merit left of the original theme.
 
Lets face it, if there is one area to complain about then its Forbidden Valley with Air next to Nemesis. Hardly go together! I think Oblivion and The Smiler if anything will compliment each other - well, lets face it, both of them are black ;)

Anyway, im not too bothered about the theme of the general area, its all down to what the ride is like for me.
 
I don't even know what the problem is.

Nothing is being changed on Oblivion - it is keeping it's current theme entirely. The Smiler is being cleverly integrated into the area and a loose back story involving the Ministry of Joy has been created, which strengthens the link between The Smiler, Oblivion, Enterprise and Submission. The whole loose story is also highly related to Oblivion, not affecting the perceivement of the ride.

Alton Towers have taken everything enthusiasts moaned about Th13teen/Rita/Dark Forest and done the complete opposite. This is BRILLIANT!

People nitpicking and moaning is just beyond me.
 
I really couldn't care all that much about the story-line created for how The Smiler fits into X-Sector, as long as there is a visual theming link between the ride and the rest of X-Sector which we know there will be.

So there isn't really a problem.
 
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