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X-Sector's Future (including Oblivion and The Smiler)
- Thread starter CoastersLeo
- Start date
Jb85
TS Member
I’d like to know at what point you stop being young and become old …..
Skyscraper
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Nemesis
There are heavy rumours that Blivvy's station building is due a rebuild imminently, but if the ride was ever "updated" I do think floorless trains would be a no-brainer.
QTXAdsy
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Black Hole
I know I mentioned about my ideas of an updated looking X-Sector, but what would everyone else think would be a good idea for updating X-Sector's theme other than the elephant in the room being new flat rides and maybe converting the X-Cite building into a mirror maze attraction? Yes, I'm sure that MMM are aware of the comparisons being made between it and new look Forbidden Valley and that they would never had done the work to Forbidden Valley unless they have long planed for X-Sector to get major work next. Just wished they put Dark Forrest out of its misery and stop the comparisons between it and Gloomy Wood but that's another story.
Dave
TS Founding Member
To be honest on the ground FV doesn’t really feel too similar to X-Sector so I don’t think they will go for a theme change, just a refresh.
FV is more post apocalyptic military and X-Sector if refreshed would be secret government facility.
Close but not that close.
EarthlyKnight27
TS Member
Honestly, I think if they did retheme X-sector into a more MoJ themed area, I'd like the 'Figure of Darkness' seen during the queuing of Oblivion get mentioned a lot more within the area, maybe seeing this 'Figure of Darkness' could be a side effect of being Marmalise by Smiler.
I mean, look at the old Smiler Always series AT made years ago, it does mention that Miles kept on 'Looking down' to try (And ultimately fail) at resisting. I mean, I'm not sure how AT could properly connect Oblivion and Smiler via a storyline properly, but I think my suggest could work if expanded upon.
After all, one of the queue-line videos for Oblivion does mention that "We should point out, that hypnosis is not available at Alton Towers..." So, who knows what AT/Merlin would do with Oblivion come time for it to be retrofitted and have its own 'rebirth' similar to Nemesis.
jmc
TS Member
Merlin do seem to like borrowing ideas these days, I wouldnt be mad if they refreshed Oblivion to be more like its Italian sister in theme.
An X-Sector themed to a load of crazy experiments would be quite unique, inject a little less gloom into the park and differentiate it a bit more from Forbidden Valley. Stick in a flat or 2 and it would be nicely well rounded.
Lets face it, after a lot of gradual decline in the area, aside from The Smiler there is very little to the theme anymore anyway, it is just very weakly stylised.
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An X-Sector themed to a load of crazy experiments would be quite unique, inject a little less gloom into the park and differentiate it a bit more from Forbidden Valley. Stick in a flat or 2 and it would be nicely well rounded.
Lets face it, after a lot of gradual decline in the area, aside from The Smiler there is very little to the theme anymore anyway, it is just very weakly stylised.
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The_bup
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Professor Burp’s Bubbleworks
I have no doubt about the fact the smiler has a killer theme - on paper. An x sector project could probably link oblivion and the smiler. for myself, not sure how - but I think if either oblivions or smilers theme took over the entire area, that would be a loss, because both themes are really cool
Dave
TS Founding Member
The link already exists, it just wasn’t implemented correctly but was stated in some of the teaser videos for Smiler as well as the Sanctuary:
Long time ago ministry of joy created the Sanctuary to explore mind control through happiness but it failed.
They then explored using fear to control people with oblivion, then pain with submission, and disorientation through Enterprise.
They then returned to the use of happiness by perfecting marmalisation with the Smiler.
So basically the ministry of joy is an Orwellian organisation looking to control people and X-Sector is where they test that.
yeah it is only on the website though: https://www.altontowers.com/explore/theme-park/rides-attractions/oblivion/
"Oblivion, Alton Towers’ Secret Weapon 4, was the fourth of the Ministry of Joy’s experiments in X-Sector. Following The Black Hole, Enterprise and Energizer, Oblivion was designed to surpass its neighboring thrill rides.
In an attempt to make the world smile, the Lord of Darkness oversaw his most extreme of experiments, pushing candidates to their mental and physical limits. A near 90-degree drop sees this steel roller coaster giant plummet deep into the ground below."
mo237
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Symbolica
If there's enough room in that building, a modern funhouse style attraction would be great to see. They carry tacky associations, but the one at Phantasialand proves that you can do one with sleek style. You could take all the usual elements - trommel, jumping floorboards, spinning panels etc. and easily theme them around "experiments". It wouldn't be groundbreaking stuff, but it wouldn't neeed to be. It'd be a cute little side attraction that the park lacks nowadays.
Skyscraper
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Nemesis
Would be cool but I'm not sure H&S would allow it these days. Merlin's insurer would probably have a panic attack just thinking about it.
jmc
TS Member
I find sometimes this has been the problem with Towers. Their themes and ideas can be quite outlandish and convoluted, to the point where it is quite difficult to understand what they are trying to communicate without some sort of explanation beforehand. Sometimes I think we mix up the branding and creating a marketable identity (which they are very, very good at) with the theming. The latter of which they seem to be doing a much better job of lately with The Curse and Nemesis.
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This makes far too much sense and would fit the area perfectly. They could eclose it as well to reduce maintenance issues.
Themeparksandy1981
TS Member
I still hear from some people say it’s costs an arm or a leg to go to Alton Towers.
See the old gits discussion, nearly went off topic.
X sector, nothing will change for years apart from a spruce up and a minor flat at the bottom.
Bring back the bar by the Oblivion hole...most I ever spent on a pint, adjusted for inflation!
GJMarshy
TS Member
Agreed all that's needed and all that *should* be done is a god clean and spruce-up.
It needs taking back to its original, more serious "government facility" theme. Apart from The Smiler, the rest of the area should have a philosophy of "less is more", especial in regard to Oblivion's colour scheme. Far too much orange at present, it's as if it's morphing into The Smiler's theme. The park rightly dropped the dreaded 2011 Fanta sponsorship accents as it went against the ride/area's theme, the funky orange pipework over the doughnuts outlet is by far the most offensive, but the park appear to have now added to the theme degradation further, by painting a thick band of orange around the hole, and overbearing orange/black stripes on the X-Cite structure.
On floorless trains, personally whilst I prefer the aesthetic of the present trains, it does seem a no-brainer if the park wanted to do an "Oblivion Reborn" type thing with it to give a new novelty for guests, but everything else about the ride should be taken back to it's late 90s early 00s glory.
-Paint the track & supports in the original dark grey/charcoal matte.
-Jetwash all the concrete in the area.
-Replace the entrance with a concrete structure (put "Oblivion" back inside the arrow!)
-Remove the pipework on top of the doughnuts outlet & paint the roof black.
-Remove the orange paintwork from the embossed logos around the drop area along with the rest of the overbearing orange-ness.
-Add in two well-themed (but not overbearingly so) flat rides where Submission/Enterprise were.
-Reopen the bar with those over-priced pints!
Marshy.