The Smiler - Speculation

Wed Apr 11, 2012 3:27 pm

Well the shiny chrome effect and polished silver text has given me new hope. Hoepfully we may see the station not looking as tatty and worn out as was shown in the first plans. It's quite a contrast, and I can't see how the two can be matched...

This looks much more X-Sectorish and much more like the existing rides, so here's hoping!

Wed Apr 11, 2012 3:44 pm

I think that the idea of the ride will be that you have been chosen to try and infect the dna of that spider thngy to help the earth but it fights back against you and its arms grab you and spin you around and when your in the inside areas like could be like a station where you can be breifed about what you are doing

Wed Apr 11, 2012 3:46 pm

the son on the hole wrote: I think that the idea of the ride will be that you have been chosen to try and infect the dna of that spider thngy to help the earth but it fights back against you and its arms grab you and spin you around and when your inside it is like a station where you can be breifed about what you are doing

Unfortunately, while interaction directly with the "spider" element would be lovely, it has been stated in the plans that it is static and will not move. It also made no mention of being able to go inside it when not on the ride either.

Blaze · Wed Apr 11, 2012 4:45 pm

DNA. Ooh, the wonderful possibilities are endless!

Genetically engineering humans? - Taking Oblivion further and the ride is modifying you in some way?

Or will it be meaningless like pretty much everything in Thirteen's marketing up until the name was revealed? :P

Wed Apr 11, 2012 5:02 pm

Blaze wrote: Or will it be meaningless like pretty much everything in Thirteen's marketing up until the name was revealed? :P

It will be this... Story will be essentially the usual "unearthed something, have a look, oh wait it's gone wrong" formula that just seems to work so well at theme parks worldwide...

That's if it has a story...

Blaze · Wed Apr 11, 2012 5:06 pm

I hope it doesn't have a story. Just leave it as simple as Oblivion.

Secret experiment, you're the subjects.

Wed Apr 11, 2012 5:07 pm

Can someone help me understand the dueling thing. Will it be two separate tracks like Dueling Dragons at Islands Of Adventure?

Blaze · Wed Apr 11, 2012 5:09 pm

scubahood wrote: Can someone help me understand the dueling thing. Will it be two separate tracks like Dueling Dragons at Islands Of Adventure?

Nope, it's one long ride split into two sections that go around each other. On the first part, you'll duel with the riders dispatched one car ahead of you, then after the second lift you'll duel with the people dispatched behind you.

Wed Apr 11, 2012 5:47 pm

mrbrightside wrote:
Nightfall wrote:What I didn’t expect is that they are actually advertising it as SW7 ... At the very least this suggests that like Oblivion the ride will be true to the Secret Weapon theme.
Agreed.

It's incredibly exciting that it is being referred to as "SW7" right from the very start. It gives it a code name that will be mysterious to the GP and renowned to enthusiasts. Two letters and a number. It's surprisingly imposing.

So, just to throw it out there, what if the final name of the ride is 'SW7'? I'm sure an X-Sectoresque theme could have a ride with that name? The graphic looks very final and impressive and as fans were on the development board (or whatever it was called), someone might have said it'd be nice to finally actually have a ride called SW Something? And much like the adverts blatantly told us to 'Ride Rita' in 2004, maybe this is another double-bluff that we're actually seeing the ride name from the start?

But it'll probably be called 'Herbert The Spider-Like Thing' or something.

Wed Apr 11, 2012 5:53 pm

Come to thin of it, this is the first time the words 'Secret Weapon' have appeared on park promotional material.

Blaze · Wed Apr 11, 2012 6:14 pm

Pretty sure SW6 was used during Thirteen? Less strongly, but the tag has been used more publicly each time, hasn't it?

I doubt it's the name. Maybe they could settle for Secret Weapon, but we all thought Thirteen would be called 'The Unknown' and then 'Surrender'.

Wed Apr 11, 2012 6:16 pm

My bet for a name: Gemini.

Website · Wed Apr 11, 2012 6:44 pm

I would be happy with DNA as the name. The goverment's worst experiment. The grey darkness gives us hope that this ride will fit well into X-Sector.

Now let's see if TTF can get the news faster than the Towers mailing us! :P

Wed Apr 11, 2012 7:04 pm

Blaze wrote: Pretty sure SW6 was used during Thirteen? Less strongly, but the tag has been used more publicly each time, hasn't it?

I doubt it's the name. Maybe they could settle for Secret Weapon, but we all thought Thirteen would be called 'The Unknown' and then 'Surrender'.

Yeah, but they would have been dire names, to be fair. SW7 would actually sound quite cool. Not saying it will be, but as I said, I was just throwing it out there.

Wed Apr 11, 2012 7:20 pm

I don't know, Unknown would have been a more appropriate name for Thirteen. It tells us more about the ride than the current name and would have seriously mucked up the RCDB's filing system :P

On a more serious note the ride won't be called SW7. Too many guests wouldn't get it and it's hardly memorable as a name. The Secret Weapon is a possibility but that sounds very dated now compared to when it was suggested in the 90's.

But at this stage it's not really worth discussing the name. I doubt it will be released until later in the season and for all we know it’ll be another Thirteen or Saw and have no relation to any of the marketing seen up to that point. If you start speculating about names now you’re only going to come up with something that’s better than what it turns out to be.

Wed Apr 11, 2012 7:27 pm

It'll probably be called Helix or something along the lines of genetic manipulation if there a bunch of Double Helixes on their minisite...

Wed Apr 11, 2012 7:27 pm

mrbrightside wrote:
Nightfall wrote:What I didn’t expect is that they are actually advertising it as SW7 ... At the very least this suggests that like Oblivion the ride will be true to the Secret Weapon theme.
Agreed.

It's incredibly exciting that it is being referred to as "SW7" right from the very start. It gives it a code name that will be mysterious to the GP and renowned to enthusiasts. Two letters and a number. It's surprisingly imposing.

Agree with all of this. What we often forget is that the 'SW' tag is unknown to the majority of the public - and Alton Towers have never so outwardly used it in advertising for past SW projects. The fact that it is being initially used to market the ride points towards this playing out in a similar vein to Oblivion with regards to secrecy and taking out the 'Secret Weapon' tag in the more literal way it was used for Oblivion. Exciting stuff.

Wed Apr 11, 2012 7:28 pm

Nightfall wrote: On a more serious note the ride won't be called SW7. Too many guests wouldn't get it...

They would if it's explained via some (probably vague, knowing AT) backstory. And as you say, Th13teen doesn't exactly tell people what it's all about.

Whatever the name, I hope it's something original and dynamic. I thought Th13teen was a little cliché, especially with the numbers used in the word; that's been done many times before, even with the word Thirteen.

Blaze · Wed Apr 11, 2012 7:33 pm

They won't get the 7.

The Secret Weapon would have been a decent name back in the 90s, but now it sounds a bit cheesy, to be honest, if we ignore the meaning of it to Alton.

Wed Apr 11, 2012 7:41 pm

Mini- website and poster already in April?! We knew it was coming but not this early. Looks awesome anyway. Mysterious chrome black and white and located in the X-Sector gives the hint of a future theme and DNA, well,

OH NO! A FREAK EXPERIEMENT IN AN ABANDONED AND SPOOKY LAB HAS ALL GONE WRONG AND SOMEHOW IT'S A BLOOMING MULTI INVERTING COASTER!