The Smiler - Speculation

AstroDan · Fri Jan 06, 2012 11:54 pm

A little more on the "Stafford Knot" (Cobra Roll/Batwing) element:

I think Alton should play on this, and they could name it such - much like the "Thorpe Park Inversion"

Information on the Stafford Knot

"The Knot Unites"

Sat Jan 07, 2012 12:06 am

AstroDan wrote: A little more on the "Stafford Knot" (Cobra Roll/Batwing) element:

I think Alton should play on this, and they could name it such - much like the "Thorpe Park Inversion"

Information on the Stafford Knot

"The Knot Unites"

As good an idea as this is it isn't really a Stafford Knot. The Stafford Knot is more like an upside down Pretzel loop. Still it would be an amazing name for an element. Maybe the Stafford Double Knot?

Blaze · Sat Jan 07, 2012 12:10 am

Staffordshire loop or Staffordshire twist, something that simple.

Don't think I've seen a batwing with the weird shapping like that before, looks almost like a kidney from above, maybe just name that rather than the full interlocking elements?

Sat Jan 07, 2012 12:48 am

I think we must remember that this is Alton towers, we should be expecting a worlds first, i think an interlocking bat wing and cobra loop is a little low standard for Alton towers, hopefully we will get something as exciting as the track drop on thirteen or the first ever verticle drop on oblivion.

barryzola · Sat Jan 07, 2012 1:08 am

Personally, I'd be more interested in having a great ride experience than settling for a gimmicky 'world's first' that compromises rider enjoyment in the long term. Being chucked about and spun around loads of times are what most people want from coasters I would imagine. I'm liking Alton's work here from the couple of bits I've seen.

Sat Jan 07, 2012 1:23 am

minipritch wrote: we should be expecting a worlds first, i think an interlocking bat wing and cobra loop is a little low standard for Alton towers,

Have you SEEN that interlocking bat wing and cobra roll? It looks a thing of beauty, and that's just in 2 dimensions!

Sat Jan 07, 2012 3:07 am

Those No Limits creations are excellent, but the actual ride track isn't going to be anything like that is it?

Sat Jan 07, 2012 8:18 am

Great NL creation thanks.... not sure on the duelling thing though would cut down on the throughput loads surely.

Sat Jan 07, 2012 8:50 am

That ride station looks quite, erm, busy. I love the interesting shape, don't get me wrong, it just looks very thrown together. I'm looking at it completely out of context though (no coaster or theme elements), it will all make more sense in due course.

I'd quite like to see a space theme of some sort, something reminiscent of the Black Hole. The duelling could be some sort of inter-galactic dogfight? I know it would be difficult to pull off a convincing space theme without the aid of an indoor area, but then duelling would be wasted with the lights off.

Sat Jan 07, 2012 9:41 am

I wouldn't want a space theme. It wouldn't really make sense in X-Sector. In my opinion X-Sector is the best theme in the park but has been left to crumble, this new ride is supposedly following the theme of X-Sector and therefore I would hope that it will continue the theme and restore it to its previous glory.

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Sat Jan 07, 2012 10:03 am

When I was younger I felt that X-Sector had a space like feel to it, the shapes of the buildings, doors, pipes and the colours used. I know now it's this secret military testing base or w/e, but as a kid the silver and black colour scheme of the rides screamed 'space'. Green camo was military to me.

I'm not saying this is why we should have a space theme, I just mean I never came off Black Hole and thought 'Well that was a bit out of place'. It just seemed to fit in, which is why I think a space related ride wouldn't be straying too far from the current X-Sector flavour, for want of a better word.

I'm not suggesting in your face space shuttles, astronauts, aliens, planets, asteroids etc, something a little more subtle. I admit the space dogfight was a bit out there, was just a quick suggestion for the duelling element.

Sat Jan 07, 2012 10:12 am

Oh I know, I get what you mean about how it is very 'space' looking in some ways but that's all down to the futuristic feel to the place. I just wouldn't want to see the theme try to expand into space as, although Black
Hole was there, I dont think it would fit.

The other issue is of course because Black Hole was enclosed it made a difference as it could have a more separate theme.

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Sat Jan 07, 2012 11:13 am

CoasterCrazyChris wrote: Those No Limits creations are excellent, but the actual ride track isn't going to be anything like that is it?

No, I'm just using what is available in No Limits. Gerstlauer Tri-Track is the closest I can get. The actual track looks similar to Intamin's new Giga/Mega coaster track, so Gertslauer might just be following the same upgrades. If I have time I might be able to go through and give it a centre tubular spine. This would could look very rough and would be very tedious to do, so it's not high on my priorities.

Sat Jan 07, 2012 11:15 am

merm wrote: Great NL creation thanks.... not sure on the duelling thing though would cut down on the throughput loads surely.

With the lift speeds I am using (10kph) the duelling works based on a car dispatching every 30 seconds. So we're talking around 960pph if it uses the usual 8-seater Furo-Fighter car.

Sat Jan 07, 2012 12:08 pm

AT TeeJay wrote: Anyone else think the themed object could be the worlds first element?

Please do expand. How can a piece of large scale theming be the 'Worlds First Element'? It's usually part f the coaster itself, and not in the surrounding area. Thing of the crashed Plane that the 'Cars' go through in The Swarm at Thorpe Park. hat's a piece of large scale theming, and really, this is pretty much the same as what Alton will get by the looks of it. Theming that interacts with the riders.

We're not even sure if there will be a 'World First' section just yet. :P

Sat Jan 07, 2012 1:05 pm

What we know:

The station needs planning consent, the track is the opposite
Noise pollution is one of the park's biggest hindrances
The track shown on the application is not as important as the potential noise
The park NEEDS to ensure that the noise emitted is acceptable and so would surely not make mistakes by claiming a different manufacturer to that tested.
Also Hollywood Rip Ride Rocket = disaster!

I think it is fair to say a Eurofighter has been developed!

I think the plans look great and adds something the park is missing, a fun reasonable length coaster.

Perhaps the huge theming element in the middle could be some king of water fountains? Especially with the stilted jetty we could be looking at some water elements, and I think its fair to say something will happen inside the station (more inversions to make a world's first?).

Sat Jan 07, 2012 1:21 pm

With regards to the station- it is huge.

Does anyone else think that it is possible to have a duel station (similar to Air) to help increase capacity?

Dormiens-Dave · Sat Jan 07, 2012 1:31 pm

Having ridden Nemesis97 Nolimits creation a thought occured. The ride using typical shuttle cars runs around the track so fast that the ride would be quite uncomfortable (and his recreation looks very accurate). Yet if you change the ride style to a train of cars it runs through the elements at a comfortable but thrilling pace.

Obviously no-limits isn't 100% accurate but linking this in with an observation about the width of the entrance and exit hatches for the building i'm wondering if we are getting a train rather than a shuttle. Would explain the lack of sharp incline drops too.

Sat Jan 07, 2012 1:39 pm

Voke wrote:
AT TeeJay wrote: Anyone else think the themed object could be the worlds first element?
Please do expand. How can a piece of large scale theming be the 'Worlds First Element'? It's usually part f the coaster itself, and not in the surrounding area. Thing of the crashed Plane that the 'Cars' go through in The Swarm at Thorpe Park. hat's a piece of large scale theming, and really, this is pretty much the same as what Alton will get by the looks of it. Theming that interacts with the riders.

We're not even sure if there will be a 'World First' section just yet. :P

It was just a thought as we do presume that it will have a worlds first as it has been mentioned by the resort themselves obviously the interlocking cobra roll could be the worlds first but can see that being hard to market to the general public, and nobody quite understands what the large themed object is, it's a mystery who knows what it could be? just putting the idea out there.

Sat Jan 07, 2012 1:44 pm

Dormiens-Dave wrote:Obviously no-limits isn't 100% accurate but linking this in with an observation about the width of the entrance and exit hatches for the building i'm wondering if we are getting a train rather than a shuttle. Would explain the lack of sharp incline drops too.

I mentioned this before but purely from a capacity point of view. I really hope so because I'm struggling to see how this will eat queues with single cars. If Nemesis94's prediction of 960pph is anything to go by, I find it quite worrying for a ride that could potentially be in the top 4 for most popular rides in the park.