Nemesis: Sub-Terra Discussion (**contains spoilers**)

AstroDan · Tue May 15, 2012 1:14 pm

Ooh la la!

Quite exciting times for the new attraction!

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Dormiens-Dave · Tue May 15, 2012 1:35 pm

I do love defending the forums negativity to then see people moaning about the ride closing FOR IMPROVEMENTS. Ohh dear lord.

At the end if the day this must be significant to require the ride to close a week. Whether it works is unknown but at least give it the benefit of the doubt.

Tue May 15, 2012 3:14 pm

When we went on ST there were people with clipboards asking our oppinions as we came out! I think thats brilliant to be honest. Lets face it it seem the ride had a bad start, bad comments made by dissapointed people and they have done their market research to try and rectify the problems. I think this is good news, but not for those going on that week.. you will just have to go back again

Tue May 15, 2012 3:31 pm

Like the incredibly exciting person I am, spent about 20 mins by the exit the other week listening to the reactions of people coming off...

The improvement really shows, I'd say consistently about 70% of the group coming out would be giggling and breathing heavily and laughing at each other, end-of-Scaremaze style... The rest seemed disappointed for one key reason: their expectations. Almost every negative comment took the form of "Meh... I thought it would do *this*" or even "I think they should do *this* to it!"

I hope Alton are taking note of these expectations/recommendations people are coming out with, it'd be an invaluable way to find out what would've scared people more

.

Tue May 15, 2012 3:32 pm

I can only assume, upon it's re-opening... Sub-Terra will be a whole new experience!

Tue May 15, 2012 4:25 pm

Where was this confirmed?
Just to prove the proof?

Tue May 15, 2012 4:31 pm

ATJoseph wrote: Confirmed

Please note - Nemesis Sub-Terra will be unavailable from 21st- 25th May 2012 due to essential maintenance - we apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

From Alton Towers

Where is that information? I've had a quick look on their website, Twitter & Facebook page and can't see it.

Tue May 15, 2012 4:46 pm

Dormiens-Dave wrote: I do love defending the forums negativity to then see people moaning about the ride closing FOR IMPROVEMENTS. Ohh dear lord.

At the end if the day this must be significant to require the ride to close a week. Whether it works is unknown but at least give it the benefit of the doubt.

Has anyone complained though? I know that I, James, djtruefitt and Benzin expressed disappointment as we were each planning trips that week but I wouldn't really class that as moaning.

Tue May 15, 2012 5:13 pm

Rollercoasters4Life and King Nemesis

I found it on the Alton Towers website although it was quickly taken down.
Thanks

Tue May 15, 2012 5:41 pm

ATJoseph wrote: Rollercoasters4Life and King Nemesis

I found it on the Alton Towers website although it was quickly taken down.
Thanks

Ahh.. Cool, Looking forward to the changes

Tue May 15, 2012 5:45 pm

I heard on the vine that it could be closing later this month last week so

AstroDan · Tue May 15, 2012 7:53 pm

From TT News, today:

[quote]
May 15th 2012 : Nemesis Sub-Terra set for 5 days of closure

Nemesis Sub-Terra, the new dark ride experience which opened in March to mixed reviews, is set for five days of maintenance next week, as it closes from Monday 21st to Friday 25th May inclusive.

The attraction, which takes guests on a 'psychologically and physically thrilling experience', has yet to be officially finished by Alton Towers, as revealed by Mark Kerrigan, Operations and Development Director, during the TowersTimes birthday event which took place earlier this month. Unique to Alton Towers, the attraction has already seen numerous improvements since March 24th.

Since opening, Sub-Terra has received a mixed response from guests, and it is hoped that the attraction will be beefed up during the upcoming closure. With a high standard of theming, ride staff in custom uniforms, actors and full backstory linked to the original Nemesis rollercoaster, the attraction marks new potential for Alton Towers as a true 'experience'.

Tue May 15, 2012 8:21 pm

Claiming it isn't finished is complete ########, he means they are continuing to add to it to shut people up. They will always do the minimum of what is required to please people, or reach an acceptable level of guest satisfaction. They do not, and will probably never excel in anything again.

They're obviously closing it for a major overhaul or addition of some kind, to try and breathe new life into what has been the biggest disaster since AT LEAST Submission.

It's not a question of getting things right or wrong, it's a question of getting away with the minimum spend or not getting away with it.

Yes, that's negative and it's damned deserved.

AstroDan · Tue May 15, 2012 8:22 pm

Tom G wrote: Claiming it isn't finished is complete ########, he means they are continuing to add to it to shut people up. They will always do the minimum of what is required to please people, or reach an acceptable level of satisfaction. They do not, and will probably never excel in anything again.

They're obviously closing it for a major overhaul or addition of some kind, to try and breath new life into what has been the biggest disaster since AT LEAST Submission.

Yes, that's negative and it's damned deserved.

Harsh.

The ride isn't finished, because what opened in March was not what the doctor ordered, basically. Yes it 'opened' - but from that very moment, Alton knew that they didn't have an attraction of which they could be proud. So they have tinkered and tweaked, and now are set for more changes.

We haven't seen a new attraction go through such significant changes in the months following opening, since... well... since what? Hex possibly?

djtruefitt · Tue May 15, 2012 8:25 pm

Well they should be able to do loads in 5 days, if they managed to do the improvements we have seen already over one night. Its also good news about the actors. I think these will play a much bigger part in the ride, rather than just the staff shouting at you. Hopefully around the exit, to really make you run out scared. Chainsaw anyone? :P

I would personally love to see the downwards lift made to feel much like a proper lift. Then something scary needs to happen inside the ride. EG something to really jump out and scare you in the bottom room, and for a 2nd drop to happen as its telling you to push up your safety bar and get out. Then one final scare at the very end either in the exit lift or as you leave the exit lift.

Tue May 15, 2012 8:28 pm

Tom G wrote: Claiming it isn't finished is complete ########, he means they are continuing to add to it to shut people up. They will always do the minimum of what is required to please people, or reach an acceptable level of guest satisfaction. They do not, and will probably never excel in anything again.

They're obviously closing it for a major overhaul or addition of some kind, to try and breathe new life into what has been the biggest disaster since AT LEAST Submission.

It's not a question of getting things right or wrong, it's a question of getting away with the minimum spend or not getting away with it.

Yes, that's negative and it's damned deserved.

...no it isn't

They tried their level best from the start to create a great experience, and when this hasn't succeeded the fact that they're constantly looking for ways to revive this is brilliant and utterly laudable, and closing it for that long purely to work on the experience is exactly the kind of behaviour I'd expect from a world-class theme park, where rides go through all kinds of changes and tweaks following their opening.

This is the first time since Hex that any ride in the UK has been looked at and had extra investiture put into purely for the sake of experience and satisfaction... I haven't got a clue what the park have done to rub you up the wrong way but there's negativity where it's due and then there's just slating everything completely disproportionately with no justification whatsoever. I don't understand how people think the park can take any of our comments seriously if what is an inherently brilliant move is met with ridiculous criticism

Tue May 15, 2012 8:29 pm

AstroDan wrote:
Tom G wrote: Claiming it isn't finished is complete ########, he means they are continuing to add to it to shut people up. They will always do the minimum of what is required to please people, or reach an acceptable level of satisfaction. They do not, and will probably never excel in anything again.

They're obviously closing it for a major overhaul or addition of some kind, to try and breath new life into what has been the biggest disaster since AT LEAST Submission.

Yes, that's negative and it's damned deserved.
Harsh.

The ride isn't finished, because what opened in March was not what the doctor ordered, basically. Yes it 'opened' - but from that very moment, Alton knew that they didn't have an attraction of which they could be proud. So they have tinkered and tweaked, and now are set for more changes.

We haven't seen a new attraction go through such significant changes in the months following opening, since... well... since what? Hex possibly?

I find that pretty staggering from someone who I usually find to be pretty fair and logical.

You simply cannot defend something that has been planned for months or a year or so in advance of its construction, and is presented in such a pathetic way as what Sub-Terra was.

The fact is they scrimped, saved, rushed and made a major hash of this. When something is opened, it should be completely class product.

Hex failed on artistic direction and that is just about it to be frank, this is considerably different in that it has disappointed thousands of people in more ways than one - its ride system, the extend of that ride system, its duration, its actors, its effects, etc, etc.

All that you are seeing is a process of modifying the attraction until it quells people's complaints. These sort of excuses about getting it wrong are beyond words from people as experienced as those involved with the project.

If any of the many things that get a hammering on this forum truly deserve it, it is this project.

Tue May 15, 2012 8:34 pm

Alton Towers have tried to build an experience which has never been done before, and it didn't work as well as it was planned.

They've realised that it didn't come out as expected and have taken steps to rectify the situation. I can't find any fault with that.

Any major project would have to be signed-off by management before it's classed as completed, clearly management weren't happy so they did not sign the project off. Any large company wouldn't sign a project off until they were happy, especially when they have spent millions of pounds on it.

Tue May 15, 2012 8:39 pm

I've said it before, I'll say it again. Nemesis Sub Terra is a show attraction. Like any other show, in any other market, whether that be pop concert, your local theatre or a west end musical, the production team can only plan so much. The real test is the audience and they don't always get it right first time. West End musicals go through months of 'preview shows' to test and learn ideas, pop concerts have set list and staging tweaks... it happens everyday, everywhere in 'shows' so why can't Alton Towers be any different?

Disney tweaked World of Colour to make it better, they've also just tweaked the Little Mermaid less than a year after it opened and they've had to tweak entire theme parks (Disney California, Hong Kong and Studios Paris) because they got it so wrong. Alton and Merlin are no exception. At least they're making changes!

Blaze · Tue May 15, 2012 8:40 pm

Surely the problems with Hex were the same? An experience ride not being well received because the non-ride parts were poor and the ride part not being what most guests expected/found underwhelming?

They're going back to improve a ride that could have stayed how it was on open day because they want to make it better and know it wasn't up to their standards. It's bad they got it wrong the first time, but surely this is nothing but a good move?