• 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.

[The Smiler] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation

Status
This topic has been locked. No further replies can be posted.
Dagan said:
Oblivion was the first use of the phrase, and rightly so. It feels that the phrase worked as a marketing phrase they decided to use it as much as they can.

Okay, so the phrase has technically only been used to promote 4 products.

Oblivion - Okay, I'll give you that one. It was very much a first.

Air - Was the "worlds first" by a specific manufacturer, but for the general public with no knowledge of rides outside of the UK, it was used to make them think it was the first ride like this ever.

Th13teen - Yes it did feature the worlds first piece of track that dropped. And yes, I agree it was a technical marvel. But I felt they overused the "Worlds First" phrase and had included the element purely so they could use those buzz words in marketing.

The Smiler - Well, we shall see. This ride might shoot me down. I personally feel there won't be any special track elements, but rather will just have a few more inversions that were hidden from the plan. So it will be the WORLDS FIRST ride with X amount of inversions.

But we shall see. I truely feel that Oblvion was the only true Worlds First and the other uses of the saying were just marketing buzz.

Maybe it's because the whole 13 marketing left a sour taste with all of us.
Click to expand...

From memory, I don't think AT ever marketed Air to the general public as being a world first. It certainly wasn't mentioned in the TV adverts.

Oblivion and Thirteen were most definitely world firsts, so were quite rightly marketed as being so - it'd be strange if the park didn't shout to the public that there's a unique ride for them to try out. Problem with Thirteen is that rather than keeping it simple, they went with the whole "psychoaster" crap! And the public quite rightly had a bit of a backlash against it.

As for The Smiler. I've got full faith that if AT are claiming it's a world first / world beater then that's what it'll be. The inversion record looks likely at the moment, but they may just surprise us!
 
They could easily get away with 'worlds first' being used for the record of inversions. "Worlds first ride with 11 inversions" or "The worlds first 11 inverter roller coaster" - can easily be done.

I still doubt there will be a trick track of any description. Worlds first can easily fit any element on the ride.
 
Re: Re: [The Smiler] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation

cotda said:
In that picture, it looks like we may be getting some floorless Eurofighter trains?
Click to expand...

If we are looking at the picture, looks like we are getting some floorless B&M trains. ;)
 
Right, I'll post in this topic first then the marketing topic and try not to overlap too much! :p

That concept is amazing, I love the mess of steel it portrays. For me it cofirms OTSRs which is a shame but completely expected from my point of view. I hope the trains are similar to those on the concept, they look nice and exposed. They could well just be photoshopped B&M Floorless trains though.

And now for the confusion, we are back to worlds first. It could be agrued that there is not much difference between world first and world beating, but I do find it strange that they've not been able to decide which exactly it is. I persoanally think it will relate to the number of inversions though regardless of the terminology.

:)
 
Also, I know they are behind schedule and need to work but credit to Towers and the construction team; they seem to be doing as much as they can in these snowy conditions. You can see the the photo that they have both cranes up doing work. It does look like track work is at a standstill for the time being though which is unfortunate.

:)
 
Probably just me looking into things a bit too much. But the promotional image has 14 inversions which I find quite interesting... although I know some promotional images can be highly over-exaggerated so it might not be noteworthy.
 
cotda said:
In that picture, it looks like we may be getting some floorless Eurofighter trains?
Click to expand...

Well they wouldn't be Eurofighter trains then would they!

Looks like a photoshop job though so I dont think too much can be taken from the image but it wouldn't suprise me if they are simular.
 
On the promotional image the spider arms almost look like the arm on the back of a JCB. I wonder if that was deliberate to invoke some sense of industrialism?
 
I think there will be a lot of TV elements on this, definitely (IMO) a pre-show element, but I also think on the spider itself. Not only does it look so on the Concept, but after reading this article on TT...

"Inoculation theory states that to prevent persuasion it is necessary to strengthen preexisting attitudes, beliefs, or opinions. First, the receiver must be warned of an impending attack. This establishes threat (or a recognition of vulnerability) and initiates defenses to future attacks."

This idea was present within the sanctuary, You were told that you were going to meet your fellow patients, there was no turning back and you would be trapped, This partnered with being told you would be 'marmalised'. Your brain would naturally fight back and you would fight your beliefs when you saw what was displayed on the screens.

An interesting idea, what's more is that this theory was developed in 1961, the time period in which the The Sanctuary was set, Fascinating stuff...

That's not all though, Lewis97 has done some more digging and found that someone named Herbert C. Kelman was researching into this Inoculation Theory, He also wrote a book regarding his studies called 'Crimes of Obedience' which notes something labeled 'The Sanctuary movement'
Click to expand...

http://old.towerstimes.co.uk/news/news.php?subaction=showfull&id=1358641437&archive=&start_from=&ucat=1,10,11&
 
Alastair said:
On the promotional image the spider arms almost look like the arm on the back of a JCB. I wonder if that was deliberate to invoke some sense of industrialism?
Click to expand...

That's interesting, as on the back of a JCB you are talking about the hydraulic pistons which control movement. Perhaps the Inoculator will be animated.
 
Tom said:
Alastair said:
On the promotional image the spider arms almost look like the arm on the back of a JCB. I wonder if that was deliberate to invoke some sense of industrialism?
Click to expand...

That's interesting, as on the back of a JCB you are talking about the hydraulic pistons which control movement. Perhaps the Inoculator will be animated.
Click to expand...

Yeah it is the pistons, atop each arm of the spider. It does look as though they should move with that kind of design, although surely the practicalities of it would make it near impossible to do?
 
Alastair said:
Tom said:
Alastair said:
On the promotional image the spider arms almost look like the arm on the back of a JCB. I wonder if that was deliberate to invoke some sense of industrialism?
Click to expand...

That's interesting, as on the back of a JCB you are talking about the hydraulic pistons which control movement. Perhaps the Inoculator will be animated.
Click to expand...

Yeah it is the pistons, atop each arm of the spider. It does look as though they should move with that kind of design, although surely the practicalities of it would make it near impossible to do?
Click to expand...

Far from impossible, but it would be expensive to operate and maintain I feel.

I'm not expecting it to be animated, but you raised an interesting possibility.

Again, the conventional rollercoaster track and layout is incredibly expensive, even if it is custom. I cannot see ANY expensive hardware along the lines of Thirteen or a washing machine. This sort of element would take up too much time as it is.

I feel concealed inversions or some gimmicky interaction with the spider are the only realistic possibilities of world first claims.
 
I am pretty sure on the planning documentation it states that the 'spider' is a static theming piece.

Although, if it moved... WOW!
 
I think legs lifting up and down would be the most you'd get, if it were able to walk that would be extraordinary but would probably take half the £18m budget!

I can see interaction with it in some way. Maybe it will blast the cars with green laser beams, but you'd need smoke or darkness for that to be visible.
 
The only truly "worlds first" they can claim is thirteen, as technically oblivion isn't vertical, it was however the steepest drop on a coaster at that time, so they could claim it was "the worlds steepest rollercoaster" ;)
 
RustyRider said:
The only truly "worlds first" they can claim is thirteen, as technically oblivion isn't vertical, it was however the steepest drop on a coaster at that time, so they could claim it was "the worlds steepest rollercoaster" ;)
Click to expand...

I'm sure they marketed it as 'worlds first vertical drop roller coaster' in commercials and stuff? It was also the worlds first dive machine.
 
Oblivion was a genuine world first, there was no other ride to have that angle of drop before.

I think they area gearing towards genuine world first ones now, even if they are gimmicky and complex to explain.
 
Imagine if it kind of moved its legs up and down whilst also moving seemingly randomly in a circle. It would obviously be sequenced so that the ride would always go through the gaps in the legs but always by different amounts and at different angles. That would be truly amazing, the first interactive scenery perhaps?
 
Status
This topic has been locked. No further replies can be posted.
Top