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[The Smiler] Construction Updates / Ride Speculation Part 2 *SPOILER FREE*
D
Deleted member 583
Re: [The Smiler] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation Part 2
AHHHH HALF WAY CONVERTED.
That was the ONE bit of the theme I have been dying to see.
AHHHH HALF WAY CONVERTED.
That was the ONE bit of the theme I have been dying to see.
TheMan
TS Member
Re: [The Smiler] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation Part 2
Whilst I appreciate the pictures and all, I am beginning to wonder if certain members of this site actually live in a cave at Alton Towers somewhere ;D
(Not that I am jealous or anything of course)
Whilst I appreciate the pictures and all, I am beginning to wonder if certain members of this site actually live in a cave at Alton Towers somewhere ;D
(Not that I am jealous or anything of course)
Alastair
TS Team
Re: [The Smiler] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation Part 2
Wait a minute...why would the staff need to be training in vertical evacuation if the fins are supposed to lower the train to the ground slowly to avoid that necessity?
Danny said:
Wait a minute...why would the staff need to be training in vertical evacuation if the fins are supposed to lower the train to the ground slowly to avoid that necessity?
TheMan
TS Member
Re: [The Smiler] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation Part 2
You just know that is going to happen. And if, as it seems, there is a vertical lift that will need to be taken up to fetch them, the delays could be quite bad. This will be made doubly worse if indeed these coasters dual as most of us now believe they will.
They'll need to be strict on this.
It may also be the case that the controls/checks are on the lift hill themselves, which makes sense to me anyway in terms of safety, if not efficiency.
Balb0wa said:
You just know that is going to happen. And if, as it seems, there is a vertical lift that will need to be taken up to fetch them, the delays could be quite bad. This will be made doubly worse if indeed these coasters dual as most of us now believe they will.
They'll need to be strict on this.
It may also be the case that the controls/checks are on the lift hill themselves, which makes sense to me anyway in terms of safety, if not efficiency.
TheMan
TS Member
Re: [The Smiler] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation Part 2
I thought this, though I am trying to avoid being critical but it looks **** on the concrete background too. I hope that changes, that really does remind me of a car park! (Thanks RC4L)
In other news, the picture below courtesy of the ubiquitous Alton Towers Guide
Slow update day, who'd love one of those in the meantime!??? That's rather awesome.
Johno said:
In other news, the picture below courtesy of the ubiquitous Alton Towers Guide
Slow update day, who'd love one of those in the meantime!??? That's rather awesome.
Rollercoasters4Life
TS Member
Re: Re: [The Smiler] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation Part 2
The letters are not blue. They have a protective blue plastic coating which, I believe has since been removed.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
TheMan said:
The letters are not blue. They have a protective blue plastic coating which, I believe has since been removed.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
Scott
Former TS Team Member
[The Smiler] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation Part 2
I very much doubt that they will stay blue. The blue looks like it is a stuck on covering that will be peeled off later on once other work has been completed so that the letters stay protected.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk.
I very much doubt that they will stay blue. The blue looks like it is a stuck on covering that will be peeled off later on once other work has been completed so that the letters stay protected.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk.
TheMan
TS Member
Re: [The Smiler] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation Part 2
Not convinced by the straight onto concrete thing though. I know I sit in a minority (surprise surprise) in not minding the station building, but in this case I think there is just too much concrete. I can't remember if they paint it or not, most things have translated from the game, better, the track, the Marm etc, all look more imposing - this is one of the ones that is the other way around.
Just think it looks pretty terrible.
What I'd do with it mind, is another question.
Not convinced by the straight onto concrete thing though. I know I sit in a minority (surprise surprise) in not minding the station building, but in this case I think there is just too much concrete. I can't remember if they paint it or not, most things have translated from the game, better, the track, the Marm etc, all look more imposing - this is one of the ones that is the other way around.
Just think it looks pretty terrible.
What I'd do with it mind, is another question.
James
TS Founding Member
Re: [The Smiler] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation Part 2
I'm not a fan of the amount of concrete either to be honest.
The station has grown on me, but the rest is just too much. My main niggle is the retaining walls around the whole site, they don't blend in well enough for my liking.
Although, I shall leave my final judgement until the whole thing is open. For now though, the amount of concrete I find a bit OTT. X Sector is a concrete jungle, but even this takes that to a whole new level of which I'm not keen on. Personally I would have done something a bit more creative with the concrete all over the site, particularly the retaining walls.
I'm not a fan of the amount of concrete either to be honest.
The station has grown on me, but the rest is just too much. My main niggle is the retaining walls around the whole site, they don't blend in well enough for my liking.
Although, I shall leave my final judgement until the whole thing is open. For now though, the amount of concrete I find a bit OTT. X Sector is a concrete jungle, but even this takes that to a whole new level of which I'm not keen on. Personally I would have done something a bit more creative with the concrete all over the site, particularly the retaining walls.
Rob
TS Team
Re: [The Smiler] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation Part 2
My main issue with the concrete at the moment is that pretty much all of it, be it on the station or retaining walls, is filthy. I don't expect them to clean it now as construction work is still taking place so it would only get dirty again. But it is essential that they give it all a very good clean once work is finished. The main front wall of the station building is a real mess.
My main issue with the concrete at the moment is that pretty much all of it, be it on the station or retaining walls, is filthy. I don't expect them to clean it now as construction work is still taking place so it would only get dirty again. But it is essential that they give it all a very good clean once work is finished. The main front wall of the station building is a real mess.
TheMan
TS Member
Re: [The Smiler] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation Part 2
Absolutely. It is really only the retaining walls I have an issue with, and only some of them at that which play a more important role in the theme around the ride.
The thing is, it is always hard to judge a ride without in being in situ, I'd build as they have now, and set aside some more budget to add things afterwards once you know exactly how it feels in real life as it were.
It felt fine in the game for example, I quite liked the idea in fact, but now in the cold light of day I really don't like it in certain places. It may be different when effects and screens are around to break it all up of course, but they really need to especially on the vertical lift hill entrance as right now, that does look rather awful.
I could tell the idea with the station even before the art was added, but as Rob pointed out too, this much concrete is now dirty, that will get pretty horrendous over time.
James said:
Absolutely. It is really only the retaining walls I have an issue with, and only some of them at that which play a more important role in the theme around the ride.
The thing is, it is always hard to judge a ride without in being in situ, I'd build as they have now, and set aside some more budget to add things afterwards once you know exactly how it feels in real life as it were.
It felt fine in the game for example, I quite liked the idea in fact, but now in the cold light of day I really don't like it in certain places. It may be different when effects and screens are around to break it all up of course, but they really need to especially on the vertical lift hill entrance as right now, that does look rather awful.
I could tell the idea with the station even before the art was added, but as Rob pointed out too, this much concrete is now dirty, that will get pretty horrendous over time.
E
electricBlll
Re: [The Smiler] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation Part 2
It's also worth noting neither Oblivion or The Smiler were supposed to have as much concrete as what was eventually built.
Most of Oblivion's concept art shows the buildings with more attractive, stylish cladding materials, such as brushed metal. This may have been cut for budget reasons. Also the drop zone was pictured with a chevron trim running along the walls to break up the bare concrete spaces, along with inbuilt lights and just generally more decoration. But this was the only significant part of X Sector where concrete was left totally bare, and even then it has the indented logos.
The plans for the Smiler showed bare rock excavations, similar to the exposed rock walls around Nemesis. This would have looked natural and less ugly. However I believe they were forced to build concrete retaining walls after it turned out there was a different material under the ground than they were expecting. Basically instead of reaching a rock bed they just found more layers of soil, which collapsed several times during construction. I think somebody on here investigated it.
So I guess it was unavoidable, although the totally concrete station doesn't help. At least they are breaking it up with more chevron patterns and probably animated surveillance cameras, as seen in the game.
It's also worth noting neither Oblivion or The Smiler were supposed to have as much concrete as what was eventually built.
Most of Oblivion's concept art shows the buildings with more attractive, stylish cladding materials, such as brushed metal. This may have been cut for budget reasons. Also the drop zone was pictured with a chevron trim running along the walls to break up the bare concrete spaces, along with inbuilt lights and just generally more decoration. But this was the only significant part of X Sector where concrete was left totally bare, and even then it has the indented logos.
The plans for the Smiler showed bare rock excavations, similar to the exposed rock walls around Nemesis. This would have looked natural and less ugly. However I believe they were forced to build concrete retaining walls after it turned out there was a different material under the ground than they were expecting. Basically instead of reaching a rock bed they just found more layers of soil, which collapsed several times during construction. I think somebody on here investigated it.
So I guess it was unavoidable, although the totally concrete station doesn't help. At least they are breaking it up with more chevron patterns and probably animated surveillance cameras, as seen in the game.
DiogoJ42
TS Member
Re: [The Smiler] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation Part 2
So Gerst have finally figgured out that a vertical lift requires an in built evac platform, eh? I just hope they've also figgured out that peope don't like having their brains scrambled by vibration.
So Gerst have finally figgured out that a vertical lift requires an in built evac platform, eh? I just hope they've also figgured out that peope don't like having their brains scrambled by vibration.