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Thorpe Park: General Discussion

DiogoJ42 said:
Colossus is still very well landscaped. It was just a lot cleaner (and smoother) when it was new. I can't think of any obvious theming that isn't there any more.

Vampire's station used to be a masterpiece of atmostpheric lighting. Pretty much all the theming is still there, it's just flooded by daylight now and isn't as spooky as it used to be.
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Colossus is basically Thorpe Park's equivalent of Nemesis.

Also in my opinion it's proof that landscaping and environment interaction are better than theming/decoration. Colossus has very little theming but the area creates a stunning atmosphere due to it's design with the pathways over the track, lakes and foliage.

Sadly they let the area and ride rot and it's now unbearable in all but a few seats not to mention shoehorning SAW in next door landlocking Colossus. It's still far more pleasurable than being around destructive themes personally. Vampire is much the same but it also has a great sense of theatre and that cool dark contrast with the bavarian village.

The Swarm IS the best themed ride in the country ahead of Nemesis, but it lacks several of the fundamental features that make a great theme park ride that John Wardley used to incorporate. If the coaster was longer, interacted more with the ground and lake, if the area was properly landscaped and provided areas for spectators to watch and relax, the ride queue was stretched around the island (making it seem like an adventure and creating a narrative before riding) rather than being an arduous never ending cattlepen and if the area made more sense thematically as to what it was before the destruction with some use of clever British humorous touches Amity Cove style then it would probably be the best themed ride in the country.

It's good but it's just not inspiring to anyone other than your standard teenage clientèle. Yet, even they're not mad for it. I'm aware my profile picture features the ride's theming which is generally striking but overall it lack details and clever design which is what I appreciate.
 
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I can only imagine how amazing the station COULD have been if they've stuck a roof on it... Could've done a whole dispatch sequence similar to Raptor...

Also I'd say Raptor combines the theming and landscaping a lot better than Swarm does... Though that might be more due to the limitations of Thorpe combined with the lack of imagination seeping through Merlin...

It's a weird one, Swarm has more thematic set pieces as opposed to an actual constant theme going on... It also just stops by the time you get to the entrance due to the lack of anything behind it... Which is probably why it feels slightly unfinished to me... The addition of the giant billboard annoys the hell out of me though... It's cheap, out of place and they bloody ruined the subtle choice of advert by explaining the bloody joke!

Swarm, like pretty much all Merlin rides just lacks that extra something to me... Probably because beyond the vehicular theming there's not actually that much there to combine it all together in a logical fashion... Just vehicles sometimes literally plonked down,which suits the chaos of an alien attack but beyond the vehicles what theming is there? The church?
 
Swarm's theming is good but makes little sense if you think about it - a huge motorway style billboard right next to a church?

As for the coaster itself, in my opinion it's okay but nothing special.
 
I do like the theme of swarm, and it's one of the only areas Merlin have done that does have loads of bits of detailing, such as the phone box, and all the bits of audio around the area.

The ride is good, but it's just far too short and could have done with more near misses. The billboard works well, but doesn't really fit in to the area at all.
 
djtruefitt said:
The billboard works well, but doesn't really fit in to the area at all.
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I like the billboard from an aesthetic point of view and the fact it does what it's suppose to do very well (especially on the left side of the trains!). However, I do agree it seems to be there for the sake of being there and fits in kinda awkwardly. Unless the path between the billboard and church is suppose to act as a road?
 
Actually, none of the theme elements (well, maybe the plane and ambulance do) make sense. The storyline of the ride is that you are at thorpe park, and "the swarm" is attacking you. Why a theme park would have a church is totally beyond me, but it looks good anyway, so I won't complain.
 
Jamie said:
Swarm's theming is good but makes little sense if you think about it - a huge motorway style billboard right next to a church?

As for the coaster itself, in my opinion it's okay but nothing special.
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I thought about this, but those billboards are everywhere, shoved onto the sides of buildings, in urban areas so it does fit where it is.

I do think the church needed a roof, always have, BRITAIN. RAIN.

And the point about it being sparse on the return is also true, and no the ride's not the most thrilling either as many mention, but as an overall package - barring the cattlepen, which should be made illegal, and probably contravenes some UN directive on mental torture - it's decent.
 
TheMan said:
I thought about this, but those billboards are everywhere, shoved onto the sides of buildings, in urban areas so it does fit where it is.

I do think the church needed a roof, always have, BRITAIN. RAIN.

And the point about it being sparse on the return is also true, and no the ride's not the most thrilling either as many mention, but as an overall package - barring the cattlepen, which should be made illegal - it's decent.
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Maybe the roof fell off and they were trying to raise the money to repair it before they had to abandon it. :p
 
Wow, I haven't posted here in ages...

I'm always surprised that people continually talk about Swarm's theming not making sense, or words to that effect. I've always thought it's obvious. The Swarm are this flying alien race who are invading earth; no longer making it safe. So they destroy a public plane, showing that they rule the sky. They destroy an ambulance, a fire engine (well, 2 technically ;) ), a coastguard helicopter, a police van and rip the roof of a church - no where is safe! The emergency services? Useless. The religious safe place? Taken over. The safest place is a makeshift services area made from containers; those who are left are scrabbling to get whatever they can to survive.

As has been said, Swarm is set AT the park, so in theory, the whole island makes no sense story wise. How many theme parks have a real church in them? How many have huge billboard signs advertising headache pills and holidays? None I bet. But most people either forget or ignore that, what with suspension of disbelief and whatnot.

From there, I don't think it's too crazy an idea to be able to accept why everything is there on the island. Okay, it's a bit disjointed since there's no in your face explanation for everything. But does it really need? I've never thought so.
 
JoshC. said:
From there, I don't think it's too crazy an idea to be able to accept why everything is there on the island. Okay, it's a bit disjointed since there's no in your face explanation for everything. But does it really need? I've never thought so.
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I agree that not everything needs an explicit explanation it is much better to have visual cues for individual interpretation. However some more small physical touches and details on the island aside from burn marks on everything would really better illustrate the area visually, spark people's imaginations and really bring the theme to life.

Just a bit more depth and subtlety really around the area in terms of landscaping and detailing that areas like Amity Cove (WWTP radio, gas cannister, water tower, cannery station building, pier, damaged houses etc) and Lost City (dramatic soundtrack, lush landscaping, matching colour palette of rides, signs and pathways etc) demonstrate. The Swarm island is striking but does not demonstrate much evidence of creative thematic work or planning which has resulted in a bold but clumsy theme of destruction.

It appears to be very much the product of management consultation with creative designers and the marketing department with a tick box criteria rather than the vision of an individual with an exciting original concept really trying to create something outstanding because they have invested themselves in it. Mind, having said all this The Swarm is still obviously superior to the poor theming efforts on the likes of Rita, Stealth, Thirteen, The Smiler, Spinball and countless other coasters built across Europe and beyond in the last decade or so.

It is very well themed (only really due to the number of set pieces) arguably the best in the country, but lacks any sense of theatre or showmanship that is essential for an attraction to really capture the public's attention, especially when their is no IP involved like with SAW.

:)
 
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CoasterCrazyChris said:
It is very well themed (only really due to the number of set pieces) arguably the best in the country, but lacks any sense of theatre or showmanship that is essential for an attraction to really capture the public's attention, especially when their is no IP involved like with SAW.

:)
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Actually I do agree with this to a degree, though I think it does have some theatre about it, and showmanship, but it is also based around set pieces rather than total immersion into a thematic environment.

It's nothing like perfect.

From a personal perspective, the first time I saw, er, Saw, (being the first over vertical Gerst I'd also seen, & the first time I'd managed to get to TP), I confess I absolutely crapped it and bottled it at first... very nearly didn't go on it! :tearsofjoy:

The first time you face Thorpe, Colossus, Stealth, Saw etc - and see them all from the car park, it's pretty mind boggling.

Saw was up there in terms of WTF IS THAT & bought back the first Nemesis/Oblivion nerves - but both of those I wanted to ride, Saw I wasn't sure I did & almost gave a free fast track away :tearsofjoy:

Height etc bothers me, big time, hence people wonder why I go on coasters... I loathe hill climbs etc, but the speed and intensity and adrenaline they bring win out. It's why I like launches as well.

Saw though. The initial impact I must say, the theme, the ride, was pretty awesome. Probably that deserves more credit than it gets really. As I say, scared the crappers out of me first time (pre delving properly into "coaster enthusiasm").
 
I don't get the issue really. Theme parks can be built next door to churches and billboards can be constructed next to churches. Don't get what the problem is with that.
 
JoshC. said:
How many theme parks have a real church in them?
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A little off topic, but imagine my surprise when I saw this at Mirabiliandia, Italy... A fully working church which opens for mass. Even more surprising is that its next to the parks horror maze !! :)

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As for Swarm and to bring this back on topic, I personally like the area and it is an immersive area, although the cattle pen is not very enjoyable.
 
Actually, now that you mention it, EP has at least two churches (possibly three?) that I can think of!
 
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