The Smiler - Speculation

Smile always. New for 2013.
Locked
Dormiens-Dave

Welcome to the SW7 Ride Speculation and Discussion topic

This is your main topic to discuss everything related to the ride itself, whether you have a great idea about what could happen during the ride or your in-depth study of the plans have highlighted something we haven't realised then here is the place to post! To help you along don't forget to check out our Roundup and FAQ Topic to see what has already been confirmed and our SW7 FAQ's.

Also don't forget to check out Area Speculation and Discussion to discuss any ideas or observations about how SW7 will affect X-Sector. And once the Alton Towers Marketing machine gets into full swing we also have our Marketing and Viral Campaigns Discussion and a Construction Topic (which will become active when construction starts on site).

If you want to check out the plans or see TT's own updates as they come along check out the TowersTimes SW7 Mini Site where we aim to be the number 1 source for everything SW7 related, with regularly updated news and features coming online as they are available.

Finally, we also ask you take a quick look at our Community Guidelines in addition to our Forum Post Quality Guide before getting stuck in - and most importantly, have fun! :)
Last edited by Dormiens-Dave on Thu Oct 31, 2013 11:57 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Coaster_Dude
Member
Member
Posts: 160
Joined: Mon Sep 06, 2010 1:32 am
Location: Cheshire

To mention something I tried to post in the General Discussion thread before it was locked, I notice the queue line fence is made of steel like Air and Nemesis, so hopefully there won't be the issue of graffiti like on Th13teen and Rita.

EDIT: This post may belong more in the Area Discussion topic. Awkward.
Last edited by Coaster_Dude on Thu Jan 05, 2012 8:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Javs
Member
Member
Posts: 717
Joined: Sun Apr 25, 2004 10:56 am
Location: Southern UK

Wow, it does not take long to get the no limits models going!!  Good work! Looks fantastic.

As for the name, 'Oblivion - Invertigo' anyone? No? Dust. ;-)
User avatar
haydn!
Member
Member
Posts: 2191
Joined: Tue Mar 30, 2004 8:41 pm

Are two separate topics, a ride, and area discussion thread really necessary? Considering they all form part of the same development, so will naturally overlap, especially considering how the ride will interact with the landscaping (the central plaza area) it all seems un-necessarily complicated.


With that said, this ride looks pretty awesome. I'm not convinced yet it would be a launched vertical lift. Whilst there is a suitable straight stretch before it, the curve in the track up to the vertical seems a little too sharp to be taken at speed.
Image
User avatar
The Crab of Nemesis
Member
Member
Posts: 121
Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2011 12:21 pm
Location: Beneath the crabs tentacles

I was in the middle of posting this in the other thread when it was locked, so I'll add it here instead!

My opinion of this ride has completely changed from when I first saw it to now (but I guess that's because I viewed the plans on my phone which didn't really give it it's full clout!).

I saw the words Eurofighter and groaned, but as I got home and saw more of the plans and now these fantastic No Limits creations, I am really very excited.

Eight inversions?! This will more than double what the park currently has and is much needed.

Based in X Sector, a chance to finally rejuvenate the area.

An insane track design in a compact area. In fact, I would go as far as to say that it's like a mini version of Dragon Khan.

Plus there's the fact that the cars will probably 'duel' a bit and how great do those interlocking cobra roll like sections look?

Finally with this and Nemesis Sub Terra, I think the park are giving us what we want. It may not be a B+M, but I actually don't care because all I wanted was a new 'proper' no gimmick rollercoaster and that's exactly what we're getting .

Having said that, I'm sure I heard a rumour that a 'worlds first' gimmick would probably be part of this... :D
Image
ImageSince 2008
User avatar
Stern John
Member
Member
Posts: 265
Joined: Wed Oct 25, 2006 12:31 pm
Location: West Yorkshire

haydn! wrote: With that said, this ride looks pretty awesome. I'm not convinced yet it would be a launched vertical lift. Whilst there is a suitable straight stretch before it, the curve in the track up to the vertical seems a little too sharp to be taken at speed.
Some have speculated that the ride will come to a stop at the bottom of the vertical lift and then be launched to the top.
Whether this will be the case or if this would be a worlds first is unknown (to me at least)
Image
Blaze

Stern John wrote:
haydn! wrote: With that said, this ride looks pretty awesome. I'm not convinced yet it would be a launched vertical lift. Whilst there is a suitable straight stretch before it, the curve in the track up to the vertical seems a little too sharp to be taken at speed.
Some have speculated that the ride will come to a stop at the bottom of the vertical lift and then be launched to the top.
Whether this will be the case or if this would be a worlds first is unknown (to me at least)
The Zierer coaster 'Wicked' has a vertical launch, so it woulsn't be a first.
User avatar
BigAl
Member
Member
Posts: 1762
Joined: Mon Jun 21, 2010 11:00 am
Location: South East Cheshire
Contact:

Yes, however, what about the coaster stopping on the vertical piece of track and then getting launched upwards rather than Wicked where you're launched along horizontally before sweeping up and continuing the launch vertically. That would be the world's first full vertical launch, wouldn't it?
User avatar
CoasterCrazyChris
Member
Member
Posts: 2758
Joined: Sun Jul 20, 2008 8:31 pm
Location: Bristol

BigAl wrote: . That would be the world's first full vertical launch, wouldn't it?
AKA...a gimmick.  :roll:
User avatar
SIMR
Member
Member
Posts: 357
Joined: Tue Oct 13, 2009 7:13 pm
Location: Manchester

I hate to be the party pooper here, but is anyone else worried that this might end up looking like a Vekoma LSM - i.e. a mess of track. The plan that is looking from Enterprise worries me the most, all I see is a great big jumble of metal, not a good look. Whether this is just the use of thick brown lines in the plans remains to be seen, but at the minute, I'm not so sure on that front.

Despite that, this is definitely what Alton need at the minute. 18 years without a fully inverting coaster is too long, and this has them a plenty - makes up for what we've been missing on! I can't see them trying for an inversion record though. Doesn't the dueling aspect make this a world's first? I know there are already Mobius coasters around, but none duel at different intervals, e.g. the trains start at different times, surely they can market it as that? (Providing the ride does duel).
Last edited by SIMR on Thu Jan 05, 2012 8:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Image
User avatar
CoasterCrazyChris
Member
Member
Posts: 2758
Joined: Sun Jul 20, 2008 8:31 pm
Location: Bristol

CoasterCrazyChris wrote:
BigAl wrote: . That would be the world's first full vertical launch, wouldn't it?
AKA...the world's biggest gimmick ever.  :roll:
User avatar
BigAl
Member
Member
Posts: 1762
Joined: Mon Jun 21, 2010 11:00 am
Location: South East Cheshire
Contact:

CoasterCrazyChris wrote:
BigAl wrote: . That would be the world's first full vertical launch, wouldn't it?
AKA...a gimmick.  :roll:
Yes, I get the picture. But aren't most world first concepts gimmicky nowadays? :|
Last edited by BigAl on Thu Jan 05, 2012 9:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Blaze

They couldn't claim that as a first. Doesn't matter that Wicked starts flat. Even if this rolled into the vertical and paused there, rather than on the mid-course, it's still no different.
AstroDan

With a track layout as proposed, it doesn't really matter if they add a random World First gimmick.

If it's gimmicky + great coaster fine.

If it's gimmicky + poor coaster, then less fine (a la Th13teen).
Blaze

I still don't see how the drop on Thirteen is a gimmick. It's the centre piece of the whole ride. The whole thing is built around it. if anything, the preceding track is the gimmick, not the drop.
User avatar
BigAl
Member
Member
Posts: 1762
Joined: Mon Jun 21, 2010 11:00 am
Location: South East Cheshire
Contact:

Th13teen relies on the drop though. The rest of the coaster isn't anything worth raving about. If it weren't for the drop that made people want to see the world first... well...

That's where this could be different. We can see that the outside section has a good length and offers a new white knuckle experience that currently isn't found at Alton Towers. If the ride also has a world first to add to the experience or play out a story (i.e an explosion sending your car flying out of a laboratory) then I see nothing wrong with that as we can see that the rest of the coaster actually looks fun.
User avatar
Coaster_Dude
Member
Member
Posts: 160
Joined: Mon Sep 06, 2010 1:32 am
Location: Cheshire

Blaze wrote: I still don't see how the drop on Thirteen is a gimmick. It's the centre piece of the whole ride. The whole thing is built around it. if anything, the preceding track is the gimmick, not the drop.
Gimmick: An innovative stratagem or scheme employed especially to promote a project

I think it's hard to argue that the drop on Thirteen is a gimmick, but I wouldn't say that necessarily makes it bad. I personally quite like the drop but the coaster leading up to it is pretty disappointing.
Blaze

Coaster_Dude wrote:
Blaze wrote: I still don't see how the drop on Thirteen is a gimmick. It's the centre piece of the whole ride. The whole thing is built around it. if anything, the preceding track is the gimmick, not the drop.
Gimmick: An innovative stratagem or scheme employed especially to promote a project

I think it's hard to argue that the drop on Thirteen is a gimmick, but I wouldn't say that necessarily makes it bad. I personally quite like the drop but the coaster leading up to it is pretty disappointing.
Exactly. While the drop was what they used to sell the ride, it wasn't tacked on for the sole purpose of having something to sell. The outdoor section, if anything, is the tacked on, substanceless part.

Although with tree growth, it will become less and less that and start to be a much better experience.
User avatar
BigAl
Member
Member
Posts: 1762
Joined: Mon Jun 21, 2010 11:00 am
Location: South East Cheshire
Contact:

As long as the actual roller coaster section is good, as well as the theming, I really don't mind about it getting a world first. It would create interest without being too tacky like stating something needs signing before riding or a celebrity has been on it first and has come off in one piece so it's perfectly safe. I can persuade my friends to make a trip if it sounds interesting enough to them. :P
Blaze

We could all do worse than get to know this pov quite well over the next year:

Features a Saw-style dark ride section with inversion, then a layout pretty similar but larger layout that packs in elements and inversions, with a lift in the middle.

Still think a Gerstlaur is a retarded choice, but on current form, at least it should be a great ride.
Locked