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Alton Towers | The Smiler | Gerstlauer Infinity

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Nemesis Inferno

Strata Poster
Re: Alton Towers | SW7 | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1st

To paraphrase Flanders, "nothing at all, nothing at all, nothing at all..."


As for the helicopter stuff TTF are doing... I don't like this whole desire for information that comes with the internet these days... Why we must know every little bit of the UK coasters (yet don't mind not having knowledge of foreign rides?), right down to revealing secret elements and the like...

Le sigh... Though, it wouldn't go amiss if our parks did more like what does with Swarm, lots of photos taken on site by a professional, rather than some sad kid with a long lens cap...
 

Nic

Strata Poster
Re: Alton Towers | SW7 | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1st

Montario said:
you cannot put down somebody for having a dedication to something, no matter how extreme.
Yeah, that bad reputation that Hitler has is so unfair. He was just really dedicated! :roll:
 

FaceYourNemesis

Hyper Poster
Re: Alton Towers | SW7 | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1st

This whole helicopter business is so ridiculous. Even if Alton Towers do allow TTF to take photographs, I shan't be viewing them. For me, SW7 is akin to a Christmas present - it's a long time coming and it's a surprise. The suspense and excitement just adds to the whole thing.
 

The Grape Wizard

Hyper Poster
Re: Alton Towers | SW7 | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1st

What gets me is that for ages since they announced it, whenever someone said 'you'll ruin it' 'you'll ruin the surpise' etc... Towerstimes' reply every single time was 'you don't have to look at them' adamant they're showing everything.

Suddenly they've been in a meeting and have come out it saying 'We've decided to blur the secret element, this is our decision'
Sure.....
 

SaiyanHajime

CF Legend
Re: Alton Towers | SW7 | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1st

Nic said:
Montario said:
you cannot put down somebody for having a dedication to something, no matter how extreme.
Yeah, that bad reputation that Hitler has is so unfair. He was just really dedicated! :roll:
Wait, coaster enthusiasts are like Hitler?
 

marc

CF Legend
Re: Alton Towers | SW7 | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1st

All that's going to happen is people are going to say "we know what it is and you don't".

I hate all these gimmicks anyway just build a good coaster that does not rely on silly trick things.
 

The Grape Wizard

Hyper Poster
Re: Alton Towers | SW7 | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1st

marc said:
All that's going to happen is people are going to say "we know what it is and you don't".

I hate all these gimmicks anyway just build a good coaster that does not rely on silly trick things.

That's what I dont mind about SW7 though. With Thirteen, it relied on its gimmick, this however, no matter how good or bad the secret element is, there looks a really good/fun layout to back it up.
 

Montario

Roller Poster
Re: Alton Towers | SW7 | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1st

Nic said:
Montario said:
you cannot put down somebody for having a dedication to something, no matter how extreme.
Yeah, that bad reputation that Hitler has is so unfair. He was just really dedicated! :roll:

You know what I meant. That is completely different, not a positive thing. Note how I said it dosen't affect us, Hitler did, so they are not comparable. I class travelling around the world to ride different coasters a bit extreme, so that means coaster enthusiasts are like Hitler, right? :p
 

gavin

Moderator
Staff member
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Social Media Team
Re: Alton Towers | SW7 | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1st

Nemesis of oblivion said:
Hey, I was just wondering, what part does John Wardley have in this coaster?

Here we go, the obligatory Wardley W*nk over anything Alton does, despite the fact that he's a "creative consultant" - or whatever - meaning he basically does **** all anyway, and has been involved in nothing of major note since the 90s.
 

furie

SBOPD
Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
Re: Alton Towers | SW7 | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1st

Nemesis of oblivion said:
Hey, I was just wondering, what part does John Wardley have in this coaster?

He's the third support after the second lift hill and they're using his fingers as bolts in the secret part...

marc said:
All that's going to happen is people are going to say "we know what it is and you don't".

I hate all these gimmicks anyway just build a good coaster that does not rely on silly trick things.

Agreed and agreed. Though we do have a "proper" layout on this thing too.

Actually, I do chuckle. When 13 was being constructed, everyone was sitting there going "that outdoor coaster section could be as good as a megalite", when it was clearly never going to be anything other than what it is.

Now, everyone is all "that layout is going to be hideous as it's a Gerstlauer" Maybe we could be wrong twice? ;)

I doubt it, so they're pushing the secret element again instead. Sigh.
 

Colossus

Giga Poster
Re: Alton Towers | SW7 | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1st

marc said:
All that's going to happen is people are going to say "we know what it is and you don't".

I hate all these gimmicks anyway just build a good coaster that does not rely on silly trick things.

Yeah I agree with this also, it wont be as bad as Thirteen, but still.

I think this is another reason why I`m looking forward to GateKeeper the most from the class of 2013, it doesn't have a stupid gimmicky worlds first or anything like that, its designed to be just a good roller coaster.

Trouble is, just building a good roller coaster, does not appear to be enough half the time these days.
 

furie

SBOPD
Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
Re: Alton Towers | SW7 | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1st

Colossus said:
Trouble is, just building a good roller coaster, does not appear to be enough half the time these days.

It is in the rest of the world though. Look at Europe and you see world class coasters being knocked up almost yearly. The US obviously is constantly pushing out great rides.

All places where there is decent competition though. While we have a lot of coasters per head of population, they're mostly kiddie coasters, or owned by Merlin. There's not enough solid competition and I think that the British park owners see a "good coaster" as a hard sell. Look at Oakwood, Megafobia is a superb ride, but it isn't dragging people to the arse end of nowhere (erm, yeah, no surprise there really I guess).

Thorpe build the universally panned Saw, and visitor numbers leap 10% year on year. Why should a chain like Merlin invest in a "good coaster", and if they're constantly selling "something quirky", how can the likes of Flamingoland or Drayton compete with the slogan "it's a good coaster", or something else entiirely unquantifiable?

Worse than that, the public haven't taken to The Swarm. It's one of those backward things you get where enthusiasts enjoy the ride more than the public. Then again, it's always been the case because the public for years have been panning Nemesis because "it's too short". So again, why make a "good coaster"? If the majority of your visitors don't rate them, then just go with the bloody crap they lap up :roll:

The British public are **** :lol:
 

Martyn B

CF Legend
Re: Alton Towers | SW7 | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1st

Actually, I do chuckle. When 13 was being constructed, everyone was sitting there going "that outdoor coaster section could be as good as a megalite", when it was clearly never going to be anything other than what it is.

To be fair, people were saying it was pretty amazing before they trimmed the ENTIRE first half of the coaster.
 

FaceYourNemesis

Hyper Poster
Re: Alton Towers | SW7 | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1st

The problem with Alton is that they favour quantity over quality. Honestly, I don't think Alton have done anything remotely impressive since Oblivion back in 1998. Don't get me wrong, I love the park to bits.

SW7 looks to be one of the biggest projects they've ever done. This is just what the park needs IMO - another quality white-knuckle coaster.
 

Colossus

Giga Poster
Re: Alton Towers | SW7 | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1st

furie said:
It is in the rest of the world though. Look at Europe and you see world class coasters being knocked up almost yearly. The US obviously is constantly pushing out great rides.

All places where there is decent competition though. While we have a lot of coasters per head of population, they're mostly kiddie coasters, or owned by Merlin. There's not enough solid competition and I think that the British park owners see a "good coaster" as a hard sell. Look at Oakwood, Megafobia is a superb ride, but it isn't dragging people to the arse end of nowhere (erm, yeah, no surprise there really I guess).

Thorpe build the universally panned Saw, and visitor numbers leap 10% year on year. Why should a chain like Merlin invest in a "good coaster", and if they're constantly selling "something quirky", how can the likes of Flamingoland or Drayton compete with the slogan "it's a good coaster", or something else entiirely unquantifiable?

Worse than that, the public haven't taken to The Swarm. It's one of those backward things you get where enthusiasts enjoy the ride more than the public. Then again, it's always been the case because the public for years have been panning Nemesis because "it's too short". So again, why make a "good coaster"? If the majority of your visitors don't rate them, then just go with the bloody crap they lap up :roll:

The British public are **** :lol:


Yeah I mean`t over here.
I have nothing add to what you have just said it`s all completely correct.
There is no competition to Merlin, nobody can compete on the scale that they can, infact when was the last time we had a large construction topic on here that weren't a Merlin installation?

More importantly, what our idea of a great coaster and the public's idea are two completely different things, we probably count for less than 1% of their market, so they will grant the public what they want too see over us. Its the same reason we haven't seen Merlin install a woodie.
People here just don`t know past Merlin either, if I speak to a non-enthusiast friend 95% of the time they have only ever heard of Alton Towers or Thorpe Park.
When I ask them what their favorite rides are its always, SAW, Oblivion Thirteen or Rita?
Whereas, the likes of Nemesis and Air get slated.
But yeah like you said, if they can get away with selling something quirky then they will continue to do so as it`s just good business.
 

furie

SBOPD
Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
Re: Alton Towers | SW7 | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1st

Martyn B said:
Actually, I do chuckle. When 13 was being constructed, everyone was sitting there going "that outdoor coaster section could be as good as a megalite", when it was clearly never going to be anything other than what it is.

To be fair, people were saying it was pretty amazing before they trimmed the ENTIRE first half of the coaster.

Really? Nobody I knew...
 

marc

CF Legend
Re: Alton Towers | SW7 | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1st

13 was trimmed before it opened as it through out dummy's, no one rode it un trimmed.

It is a strange one with Swarm. People at work that went said they prefer stealth and colossus. People who did like Saw 2 years ago now say they don't as its too rough, and that's the public saying that.

They found Swarm boring not long enough, they were the main reasons.

But people that have been on 13 (again at work) hated it so that tells me gimmicks don't work.

Really it seems what a lot of people actually want is a sit down coaster that's tall fast and loops. I even think many in the uk will find a hyper boring.

It's just a shame that's not possible in near enough all uk parks.
 

Montario

Roller Poster
Re: Alton Towers | SW7 | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1st

What? How? Get out.

Calm down...I do it too, so I'm not looking down upon it, since it's what I and many other coaster enthusiasts do. I was simply expanding on what Joey said.
 

marc

CF Legend
Re: Alton Towers | SW7 | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1st

The latest picture of sw7 near enough confirms it will rotate. Always thought they would give it away.

Doing a picture of trains in a 360 layout at angles of climbing etc just confirms it!
 
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