Alton Towers | The Smiler | Gerstlauer Infinity

[AlienSpeedFiend]

Re: New "world's first" coaster at Alton Towers 2013

I don't really mind who builds the damn thing, so long as it's exciting!
13 was a massive let down, as was Saw & numerous other coasters recently built. B&M have created some brilliant rides, but some it has to be said, leave me cold & thinking 'was that it'
Having left Merlin some 4 years ago, I didn't really get a chance to know how they work, what drives them & what they are trying to achieve.
I may be speaking out of turn here but I think for many people, enthusiasts too, a new ride is a draw but a good collection of rides is more likely to make you want to go back.

Alton Towers can be a 4 hour drive for me & their next coaster will make me curious enough to make the trip. However, a truly great new ride will have me (& others) going back for more in the same season.

The last ride that made me do that was Oblivion. Since then, Air, Rita, Spinball & 13 have all been a 1 trip draw for me & those who travel with me. If AT create another masterpiece, then I'm sure many of us will be happy to make that trip several times over the next few years but with the price of petrol, it will have to be sensational!

 

[blivvies biggest fan]

Re: New "world's first" coaster at Alton Towers 2013

Thinking about it there were a few... air being a prime example but it was a concept and possibly wanted a less intense layout to try out that concept, but the majority certainly are not forceless.

 

[AlienSpeedFiend]

Re: New "world's first" coaster at Alton Towers 2013

I agree with you BBV, relatively few B&Ms I'd consider forceless, but there have been a good few that are a yawn fest. Seen it, done it, next...

 

[T0M]

Re: New "world's first" coaster at Alton Towers 2013

It's a high bar to set I know, but Nemesis' helix is the benchmark for me, they need to return to such forces.

I'm not as well travelled as many of you, but I do think many of their more recent rides lack guts. But as someone has suggested to me, how much of that could be down to the parks requesting less intensity? Certainly Nemesis Inferno is pathetic compared to its namesake, and while Air was designed to be graceful, Raptor's lumbering does not befit its branding. Let's see if they take a step forward with The Swarm, but I'm not optimistic at all.

 

[blivvies biggest fan]

Re: New "world's first" coaster at Alton Towers 2013

Hmm. i think the 2002/3/4 was the least force b&m ever did because in 2005 what came out? sheikra, the bottom of the hill is 5g i think

 

[dominoes]

Re: New "world's first" coaster at Alton Towers 2013

^Hmm, that doesn't sound right. The max should really be 4.5, but maybe I'm wrong...

 

[Ben]

Re: New "world's first" coaster at Alton Towers 2013

I kind of think Raptor's a little bit down to the fact they put the first drop into that valley and then the rest of the ride higher up on that plateau. What did they EXPECT? And then the three they're building at the moment all look like they'll be great.

And then obviously Leviathan is a good step in the right direction. And the new Asterix coaster is different if it does look a bit forceless...

I dunno, I'm happy with the way B&M are going and I wouldn't sniff at them doing another World's first at Alton!

 

[marc]

New "world's first" coaster at Alton Towers 2013

Raptor does not creep round the track though Tom. Please do not judge the ride by a pov, a pov makes Mamba look really slow and for example Scorpion and neither are.

 

[blivvies biggest fan]

Re: New "world's first" coaster at Alton Towers 2013

http://rollercoaster.wikia.com/wiki/SheiKra

Rcdb has no g ratings so this is the most valid site I could find

 

[marc]

New "world's first" coaster at Alton Towers 2013

I am not really sure what your trying to show tbh. I have been on b&m's in the uk, Spain, USA, Denmark all over Europe etc and some are forceless and boring.

 

[T0M]

New "world's first" coaster at Alton Towers 2013

Ian described it as forceless although changed his mind a bit after a back seat ride if I'm not mistaken. They need to show balls again (or a park does). Contrary to ridiculous rumours, Nemesis' helix has not been replaced so they should incorporate similar forces into their rides more regularly. Surely Thorpe Park would have wanted something more intense than what Inferno is?

 

[blivvies biggest fan]

Re: New "world's first" coaster at Alton Towers 2013

It doesn't matter, I think Tom was right to be honest, some parks may request lesser forces and I was just responding to dominoes with the SheiKra thing. Back to the topic, what exactly have Alton told about sw7?

 

[marc]

New "world's first" coaster at Alton Towers 2013

Ian described it as forceless although changed his mind a bit after a back seat ride if I'm not mistaken. They need to show balls again (or a park does). Contrary to ridiculous rumours, Nemesis' helix has not been replaced so they should incorporate similar forces into their rides more regularly. Surely Thorpe Park would have wanted something more intense than what Inferno is?

Our 1st ride of the day was 1st thing in the morning, some found it forceless others did not. The 2 rides at the end of the day were not forceless. I like high g in rides so yeah lol, it's not high g but the drop was great as we're some turns etc.

I like the helix at both Thorpe and Alton. Inferno is great at the end off a day, our last go on it at ghosterforce was fantastic it flew round the track.

I would rather a b&m than a trimmed drop Intamin put it that way. I really went off b&m but after Raptor and seeing Swarm I am getting my faith back in them again.

 

[T0M]

Re: New "world's first" coaster at Alton Towers 2013

Back to the topic, what exactly have Alton told about sw7?

Nothing apart from it will be a world's first as usual.

 

[furie]

Re: New "world's first" coaster at Alton Towers 2013

It's such a difficult thing to actually work out though - forces.

I know Ben and others (a lot) really rave about Talon. I thought it was "pretty good". It didn't feel forceful to me though in the way Nemesis does late at night, late in the season.

But Nemesis only feels like that, late at night, late in the season. Early morning, early season in the middle, Nemesis is really force-less and dull. Inferno can absolutely fly at times, but at others, it's merely "pretty good actually". Great Bear didn't have a lot of force, but it's a really fun coaster.

I hated Superman at SFGAdv because it was TOO forceful, I think Ben did too, but he loves Tatsu. I love Kahn for the odd forces, rather than the OMG THE POO WAS JUST SQUEEZED FROM ME forces. The B&M Hypers too, they don't have the forces, but I find are really fun rides.

It's so much more complex than "B&M only produce force-less coasters these days". Maybe Raptor is one of the most forceful coasters ever, late in the season, late at night? We don't know as we have a limited experience on it. Maybe with too much force, it shakes, rattles and is more unpleasant than Furius Baco?

So even a modern B&M may not be a bad thing, even force-less. It may be a ride that is instead good fun, highly re-ridable or just has something that we've never before experienced.

Though at Alton, the chances of that are very slim. Gimmick for the win! I mean, loss...

 

[blivvies biggest fan]

Re: New "world's first" coaster at Alton Towers 2013

It's fact it will be over hyped nonsense which if just built would be a pleasant surprise (see 'Th13teen') but I remember reading the statement 'worlds first from Switzerland' so its probabally a variation of an existing B&M ride type, a new B&M ride type (unlikely) or a new Intamin ride type. That or they are diverting us and its a pinfari 3 foot high kiddie coaster made of kevlar and pummagne or something like that and then marketed as a 'Phsycoaster' which was an awful teqnique used on th13424teens marketing.

 

[marc]

New "world's first" coaster at Alton Towers 2013

My money is still on a B&M 4d coaster

 

[blivvies biggest fan]

Re: New "world's first" coaster at Alton Towers 2013

But it isnt really a worlds first is it. thinking about it though, air wasnt the worlds first flyer, vekoma had their flying dutchmans out, its a tricky one, they could word it to make it seem like a worlds first

 

[marc]

Re: New "world's first" coaster at Alton Towers 2013

^13 was never a worlds 1st either as there are other coasters that do a small drop.

Oblivion is not even vertical yet they claimed it was the worlds 1st vertical drop coaster, to the eye it looks it but its not.

It all depends how they use the word "Worlds First". Air was the worlds first B&M flyer and thats how they got away with it.

 

[blivvies biggest fan]

Re: New "world's first" coaster at Alton Towers 2013

True but thirteen was a first 'freefall' ie not controlled, however for a milisecond only. it is in the wording i think, but as i said in a thirteen thread, step away from the hype they are all good and unique in their own ways, thirteen is a good family coaster that isnt woody woodpecker, air is in my opinion the worlds first smooth comfortable flyer, oblivion the worlds first rather very quite steep coaster and brought the dive machine to the world which is a majestic beast in all of its incarnations, but then we have rita...