[The Smiler] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation

[Natalie]

Isn't the whole point of the ride to make you smile? The uniforms certainly makes me smile infact when I first saw them I had a little giggle and sung the oompa loompa song in my head. It fits!

Are we sure this is not Ents trying to pull something together on the cheap? Somehow I can't see this as a ride op uniform, it looks more like something pulled out of the costume cupboard?

And I can assure you this is the uniform.

 

[aru]

Flicking though the ATG photos on Facebook I did laugh out loud when I saw the bloke dressed in the outfit. I'm not sure this is the desired effect though.. :S

 

[TheMan]

Isn't the whole point of the ride to make you smile? The uniforms certainly makes me smile infact when I first saw them I had a little giggle and sung the oompa loompa song in my head. It fits!

Are we sure this is not Ents trying to pull something together on the cheap? Somehow I can't see this as a ride op uniform, it looks more like something pulled out of the costume cupboard?

And I can assure you this is the uniform.

That is exactly why it doesn't fit. It fits The Smiler, but The Smiler doesn't fit it's own theme.

This is my point, X-Sector now has a big ride that no one is taking seriously, plonked next to one of most technologically challenging and imposing rides ever built.

 

[Natalie]

It's nice to have contrast between coasters this is X Sector's Air vs Nemesis. This coaster is the complete opposite of Blivvy and tbh I wouldn't want two coasters exactly next to each other that wasn't ever planned to.

 

[Dar]

Isn't the whole point of the ride to make you smile? The uniforms certainly makes me smile infact when I first saw them I had a little giggle and sung the oompa loompa song in my head. It fits!

Are we sure this is not Ents trying to pull something together on the cheap? Somehow I can't see this as a ride op uniform, it looks more like something pulled out of the costume cupboard?

And I can assure you this is the uniform.

That is exactly why it doesn't fit. It fits The Smiler, but The Smiler doesn't fit it's own theme.

This is my point, X-Sector now has a big ride that no one is taking seriously, plonked next to one of most technologically challenging and imposing rides ever built.

I'm taking Oblivion seriously.

What is The Smiler's theme? Not the Sanctuary's, the Smiler's. They aren't the same thing, one is a progression from the other.

 

[Dobba]

I can assure those who don't get it, it is a wasted chance beyond what you can imagine.

Please educate us oh wise one.

 

[Mi-Nigle]

Not sure I like them at the moment, but I'd want to see them in context i.e. within the station environment. They might look a lot less garish when used in their intended surroundings.

 

[Daniel_F]

With regards to the sensor on the track, I would assume that's got something to do with "The Marmaliser"? In the game that's just before the marmalisation transparency section with smile, joy etc and the giant syringes :twirly: Could be wrong though of course!

 

[aru]

Whatever the link to X Sector, this is going to be a bizarre and original ride. Everything about it has become a talking point and is increasing the hype. I am passed the point of caring about the intricacies of the story and the interplay with the Sanctuary and X Sector. It is pretty clear that a lot of effort is going into the specific Smiler theme, and I a happy to see this despite how bizarre it all seems!

 

[James]

I thought the idea was Oblivion is the big scary experiment. The Smiler is the experiment that 'fixes' you and puts a smile back on your face. Then the subtle sinister style of The Smiler is a way of you questioning the means of which the Ministry of Joy makes you smile - as in the 'processes' to make you smile are questionable.

It's similar to The Sanctuary in my eyes. A rather happy theme with a sinister twist.

Since I have not seen queueline videos, listened to the ride music, seen how the staff act on the ride, seen all the theming etc... I cannot judge the full theme of the Smiler yet - and no one else can really. Unless you have seen every single bit of the ride and 'experience' to make a full judgement of the theme.

---

I like Oblivion and The Smiler being different. Yet they link in a very subtle way. I don't see an issue there.

If The Smiler kept the same style people would be moaning at how unoriginal it is. It's all about t
The Smiler having it's own identity. It is not the same as The Sanctuary, it is not the same as Oblivion, it is not the same as Enterprise or Submission - it is The Smiler, it's own ride with it's own brand and it's own identity. That's what it will sell on - by being unique.

 

[Alastair]

I can't believe people are genuinely complaining about a themed uniform that is aesthetically contiguous with all of the theming and advertising that we've seen so far. People would have complained if there were no uniforms, or apparently from reading this thread even if the uniforms were white or yellow coats?! I think the uniforms serve their purpose perfectly; they look odd and are slightly eccentric which in my mind is exactly what they should be like.

 

[GaryH]

Personally, i'm not a big fan of the uniform, but hey ho, its just a ride, not going to lose any sleep over it.

I have to say (going back to the topic of ride construction) - building the ride from either ends and joining it together in the middle is one hell of a bit of engineering - just a centimetre or so out on the calculations and footers and the whole thing could have been a disaster! Amazing!

 

[Rob]

I've not read through all of the discussion about the uniforms, there are some very long posts and I have other stuff to do. In short, they aren't as good as I was expecting but I don't mind them. I do think they fit the theme well. Those saying they pity the staff that have to wear them, the staff were having a great time today! They were chasing people, surprising people, jumping out at people. Seemed to go down very well with all of the guests they interacted with. I am also led to believe that there will be a second uniform used by some staff members however I'm unsure exactly what this will be like.

Anyway, some good news! I'll have a lovely big photo update later this evening for you all to enjoy!

 

[adsyrah]

I'm not that bothered about the uniform either way, but I wanted to point something out...

Isn't the uniform meant to signify an advocate? The uniform looks to be the same as the outfits the riders are wearing in the game, which is why I see her as an advocate and what we'd become after riding

Basically, ride ops are advocates who have been marmalised and are loading us onto the ride - brainwashed into running the ride. The real doctors and puppetmasters are elsewhere, out of sight.

 

[Maya]

Hi, just seen the forcast for the next few days, and its very heavy snow... hopefully won't make too many delays..

 

[ATSurfer]

Potential for heavy snow tomorrow and Saturday, but it's going to be warmer afterwards so a quick thaw.

 

[Rob]

WARNING: POST VERY PICTURE HEAVY!!

Here's a nice construction update from you all from today! I hope you like!

The completed Sea Serpent Roll:

From some more angles:

The station building now has scaffolding on the outside:

Big mess of track:

They were erecting beams around where the vertical lift will be positioned:

Plus they were putting in more concrete slap walls:

Here comes a support (this support may have collided with another supporting during lifting, creating a rather loud clunging noise! It then went on to scrape some paint off the track when they positioned it wrongly):

A look at where the vertical lift will go, it looks like most of the digging for this is now complete:

A look down the breaks at the end of the first half of the ride:

Where the vertical lift and final turn will be positioned:

A close up view of the final inversion:

And the penultimate inversion:

There we go! Things are coming along nicely, although looking at the weather forecast work may come to an abrupt halt for the next few days. And I still say, if this opens in May then it will be very late May. On the plus side, there isn't that much track left in the car parks now!

As usual, all photos were taken from areas of the park fully accessible to the public. Please do not replicate my photos without permission.

 

[Ian]

So would I be right in saying that aside from the lifts, drops, and that final turn they're nearly finished with track? It's such a tangle I'm finding it hard to distinguish one part from another

 

[Rob]

Here's a list of track that is yet to go up:

-Lift track
-Drops
-Second part of pretzel/dive loops (whatever you want to call them) after the first drop
-Airtime 'bumps' leading into the Batwing and Cobra Roll
-Final turn

So not too much track really, hopefully it will be done sooner rather than later. Then once all the track is up they need to fill all the footers with concrete, as currently the supports are just sitting there with massive gaps around them; pretty sure it's not meant to be like that!

EDIT: Also, in case anyone is interested. There is a proxy sensor in the middle of the Sea Serpent roll. Speculation here but it could be to do with potential use of trims on the airtime 'bump' leading into the Cobra Roll.

 

[siralgenon]

I want to know who's going to clean this thing before it opens