The next best thing...

[slappy mcguire]

We are obviously a coaster centric lot here on coaster force, and as such the focus is largely on coasters. What I am curious though, is twofold. Firstly, do you consider rollercoasters as 'technology from the last decade', that will eventually be overtaken by ever more interactive and immersive technology, and to that extent, which rides point the way by being the best of what the world currently has to offer?

Secondly, in the here and now, if a park has no decent rollercoasters, what flat ride's presence best replicates the sensations experienced on a rollercoaster for you?

 

[Snoo]

1. No. Roller coasters will ALWAYS beat a simulated experience because simulation can never beat the real thing.
2. Nothing.

 

[Blaze]

1. Completely agree.

2. Completely agree.

 

[dj-fireball999]

1. No. Roller coasters will ALWAYS beat a simulated experience because simulation can never beat the real thing.
2. Nothing.

Yes, that.

 

[RCF]

1. No. I agree with Snoo. Simulation will never take the place of a traditional roller coaster. In a simulation, you don't get the same type of anticipation and fear you would get on a roller coaster. As long as there are as many roller coaster manufacturers as there is now, they will never stand for simulations and it will never happen.

2. There has never been a flat ride in my life that has been anything close to a roller coaster.

 

[LiveForTheLaunch]

Coasters, as said before, can not take place of the real thing. You don't really get the forces, and just in general, it's more exciting to be on the real thing and KNOW you're up that high, and KNOW you're launching that fast for realzies.

The only flat rides I enjoyed as much as some decent coasters I've been on would be MaXair and Shockwave. They still don't come close to my top five though.

 

[CMonster]

Coasters, as said before, can not take place of the real thing. You don't really get the forces, and just in general, it's more exciting to be on the real thing and KNOW you're up that high, and KNOW you're launching that fast for realzies.

What??? :?

Let me fix that for you.

Coaster simulators, as said before, can not take place of the real thing. You don't really get the forces, and just in general, it's more exciting to be on the real thing and KNOW you're up that high, and KNOW you're launching that fast for realzies.

:wink:

Oh, and I agree with Snoo and everyone else on this.

 

[LiveForTheLaunch]

^ Thanks, haha.. I did mean simulators.

 

[Naemuti]

The only flat rides I enjoyed as much as some decent coasters I've been on would be MaXair and Shockwave. They still don't come close to my top five though.

Well, on that note, I think Screamin' Swings are closer to coasters than Giant Frisbees. Just on the basis that most coasters do not spin in a circle like that. I'm aware that spinning coasters exist, but the vast majority have you go straight up and down hills facing forward (or backward) and SkyHawk seems to replicate that more than maXair, for example. Not that either of them do come close to an actual roller coaster, as everyone else has said.

Other than that, I completely agree. Nothing will take the place of knowing you're on an actual physical roller coaster.

 

[LiveForTheLaunch]

Well, on that note, I think Screamin' Swings are closer to coasters than Giant Frisbees. Just on the basis that most coasters do not spin in a circle like that.

Noo, I didn't mean they were similar to coasters, I just meant the experience of those flat rides was as good as some of my coaster experiences.

Screamin' Swings are crap anyway. I'd rather ride the Lolliswings in Camp Snoopy than Skyhawk.

 

[caffeine_demon]

1 - I'd agree with most others here - until spiderman or test track type rides are more widespread

2 - only thing that gets remotely close to the airtime of a coaster would be a good ole pirate ship.

Then again - I don't know many coasters which match the experience of a good top scan!

 

[Naemuti]

1 - I'd agree with most others here - until spiderman or test track type rides are more widespread

Superman and Test Track are both tracked rides, though. Superman is a little closer to what I think OP was thinking of, in that it's partially simulated, but they're still both actual rides. When I read OP's post, I think of rides like Cyberspace Mountain that simulate the forces of coasters but are just that; simulators.

2 - only thing that gets remotely close to the airtime of a coaster would be a good ole pirate ship.

I don't know, I find a lot of negative Gs on other flat/non-coaster rides, such as the aforementioned Screamin' Swings. Sky Swats have insanely strong POSITIVE Gs. But none of those rides emulate more than one or two single aspects of an actual coaster.

Then again - I don't know many coasters which match the experience of a good top scan!

Well, yeah. That'd be a real insult to some of the world's best coasters. :roll:

 

[andrus]

I don't think a simulator ever can replace a (good) roller coaster. BUT I do think flat rides contributes a lot to theme parks as well. Sky swats, top scans and immense drop towers are among my favourite rides! At Thorpe I like slammer and samurai a lot more than eg collosus. A theme park without a coaster would be boring, and rides like dragon khan can never be replaced by flats or simulators, but flats are a great complement and often eaqual or even better (imo) than many coasters.

 

[theRock-steel]

^ I agree. With their technologies, coasters like TTD, X2, HRRR, and Manta are still symbols of today and maybe the future. Flat rides with new operating systems like Mission Space or Sum of All Thrills at Epcot, will not overtake these. Coasters were, are, and will always be the most important type of ride in the amusement park industry.

 

[Anonymous]

Screamin' Swings are nice, but once you've rode them once or twice. It's just boring... Nothing can replace coasters, never will.