Thanks for that james i appreciate it, quite time consuming trying to add photos on here especially when i dont no what iam doing lol. yes the themeing looks unreal, and on a day like yesterday dull and raining the whole dark forrest is damn freaky witht he look of the castle/church and all that amazing themeing and then to top it off that music they play is scary as hell
Somone said that that wraith on the bottom floor of the crypt is supposed to come at you, i dont no how true this is but it wasnt yesterday, the whole inside section was rather dull to be honest nothing happend exept some cold breeze and loud cracking floor boards, a little green lighting and vines on the wall. I hope this is the case and its improved on for my next visit, theres just so much more that could of happend in that crypt than what actually does happen, and been chased out by that wraith thats sat on the bottom floor facing you before you reverse would add to the ride so much more !
I seriously love the soundtrack, very nemesis!
Queuing through the forest is pretty eerie, especially with that girl whispering things every now and again, and the building's theming is brilliant, I in particular love the writing on the wall and the darkness, definitely adds to the effect.
the ride lacks in the thrills department, and at times it feels a bit slow. However, this seems due to the trims, as you can really feel them. But the indoor and backwards section make up for it and the switches happen really quickly. Still, I love the ride and I can see once it's been at the park a few years and the hype has died down, it will be seen as a brilliant addition and is sure to please families for a while to come.
Guys , with photos , just go to [url=http://www.filesmelt.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;]http://www.filesmelt.com[/url] , go on simple , and from there you should be able to upload a bunch of images. Then , when they are downloaded, highlight the link , copy , and post the link here with [img]and[/img] wrapped around it.
[spoiler:1k8fc80v]just after the first drop[/spoiler:1k8fc80v]
Alton have not got it right though because i was sitting nearest it (on the right) and i took all of the light and my friend sitting next to me - you couldn't see him! I hope they either get a more powerful flash or two cameras.
The flash inside the secret section is a strobe not a camera, hope that helps!
Ah well, you would expect some minor difficulties first day.
[quote=""RUBIX-KUBE""]well..from what ive seen it looks amazing from the pov's, but besides the ride, is there any story line, or is it just.. well.. just that [/quote]
Simply no, maybe if they include a screen (like oblivion) telling you what had happened however besides that the throughput and how fast they dispatched was amazing! People will be thinking 'what are the people in costumes doing? Why is there trees on the wall etc.
Massive thanks to adzy for the signature and avatar!
Xbox Live - Blanddak1ller LFD2,FIFA10 and MW2 expert; feel free to add me!
managed 2 rides on 13 yesterday, and im not convinced still.
The queue is yet again a cramped cattle pen, the only hint of theming is the old van covered in branches. And thats it.
Wheres the blood falls? The unique elements? You know the SW standard of things?
The station is actually superb, excellent attention to detail. Its dark, cramped and very atmospheric.
The coaster element is ok, abit too family for 'the ultimate coaster' its not particularly fast or thrilling. Its does make good use of the space though and im sure when the trees grow closer it will add more - currently its rather barren.
'the crypt' seriously thats it?
The 'drop' element may be a worlds first on a coaster but its just borrowed from drop towers and tower of terror etc.
The wraiths and lighting is meadiocre at best, and i thought they would move or do something, but they didnt. Boo. Half arsed effort, it had great potential.
The backwards section is rather good, longer than anticipated and the speed has a good bit of kick to it.
Then you make it to the transfer where suddenly there is theming! It mite look borrowed from the haunted hallow but its the first bit of outdoor theming!
Basically its a decent enough ride but sadly the reputation is buggered by the overhype and stupid marketing stories.
And it is certainly not a SW!
Its no where near the originality of nemesis, oblivion and air. The theming is sparodic and inconsistant and a let down.
The queue is a disaster too.
Secret Weapon? No?
John Wardleys pension fund? Yep.
You can REALLY feel those brake trims on the ride unfortunately
imo not as good as i though.. best bit was the backwards launch.. the drop in my opinion was tame although i was one of the first on so maybe it wasnt working to full capacity?
^^^ Exactly what i thought, beside bit is nothing helix is getting better, themeing is great nevertheless the rollercoaster bit is way to short. New marketing ad speech: '13 the ride for the little kids who are not big enough yet to try The Beastie! Be careful though the trees are so far away you will have to jump out to touch them! This is one hell of a 15m pound waste! We could of fed millions of starving people in africa but no we have spent it on entertaining the little kids! Hope you enjoy it! Worlds first ride which means nothing only here at Alton Towers! 13! Come try it out alone so you can't tell anyone else how bad it actually is!'
Such a dissapointment...
Massive thanks to adzy for the signature and avatar!
Xbox Live - Blanddak1ller LFD2,FIFA10 and MW2 expert; feel free to add me!
What I want to know is where are the psychological aspects of the ride we were promised?
As far as I can see the only real thing is the smaller 'teaser' freefall drop before the bigger one, but that would hardly take the "world's leading thrill consultants" to accomplish. I can't personally see where this whole 'phsycoaster' thing comes into the mix..
[quote=""Gax""]What I want to know is where are the psychological aspects of the ride we were promised?
As far as I can see the only real thing is the smaller 'teaser' freefall drop before the bigger one, but that would hardly take the "world's leading thrill consultants" to accomplish. I can't personally see where this whole 'phsycoaster' thing comes into the mix..[/quote]
^A very good point. Is there really anything at all that could qualify the term 'psycoaster'?
Also, a couple of people have mentioned that the theming on the final switchback is very good. Bearing in mind that is was non-existent for the GMTV clip, anyone got any pictures? Or could anyone describe it?
If anyone would like a certain area or feature of thi3teen or the dark forest i will be happy to get thease for you on request just make a list of certain elements of theming ect (like ive had a request for different angles of the shop) it would be no problem. (Just not a long list haha)
Sadly after yesterday it was very heard to get decent pics with the rain been on and off all day
But as im there all next weekend i will have plenty of time to match as many photo requests as possible.
[quote=""Fabregased""][quote=""andymw""]I've got to wait till may before i can ride 13, but I'm looking forward to it.
I had a idea earlier today, after finding the adverts.
During scarefest this year the girl will be on the ride or in the indoor section, along with some live wraiths?[/quote]
Th13teen: Live is a must for scarefest surely, even if it's just some wraiths and that wandering around!
[/quote]
Those with keen eyes will have spotted the paving slabs dotted around the queue line for the wraiths to stand on during Scarefest!
So yeah, the ride...
In a nutshell, a very fun coaster!
The outside part isn't anything special which was expected, but extremely smooth. I'm sure it will feel a little faster once the trees have all grown their leaves back too as it races through the forest.
The crypt however, my word, EPIC! The theming is superb, which is very nicely complimented with some good eerie lighting. The first weenie drop catches people out, and feels a little bigger than it is with the air guns firing down at you. Second drop is awesome, absolute freefall that lifts you out your seat and down into another amazingly themed room.
Backwards launch is another really fun element that leads into a somewhat weird helix! Little bumps and twists give off a somewhat swaying sensation which goes with the collapsing track experience I guess!
A fun ride all round if you review it on the fact it is a family coaster!
Queues - I actually thought the layout of the queue is one thing they've got about as right as they can. I know nobody likes cattle pens, but seriously how else can you arrange a queue that needs to hold 2000 people? I actually got a long way through the queue before having to wait, so maybe the worst sections are near the start. On the whole I think they've arranged the queue in fairly long zig-zags and wound different parts together so that you aren't constantly passing the same people. Just my two-pennies worth.
If you've read back posts from the last two days, you'll already know that the biggest criticism anyone can really make of the ride is the marketing hype. It's over hyped, but it's a great addition to the park and a lot more people were openly enjoying than not.
Psychocoster - nope.
Ultimate coaster - nope.
World's first - hmm, it just about qualifies.
I'm seeing so many little details in people's description of the ride that I'm pretty sure that during the day some effects were on for some rides and not others. For example, I don't remember seeing a lot of theming or landscaping around the final switchback... More rides required so that I have my own frame of reference, I definitely won't feel like I'll be wasting my time queuing to ride again.
I wonder if the trims are only on at the moment as a precaution to help "run in" the coaster. I really hope so anyway.
Never quite understood trims, surely the designers would have calculated speeds and forces well before the ride was constructed, so why install trims to make it slower when it was never designed to be slow?
Should be getting to ride in a few weeks, otherwise it will be in September
2 Rides on it Saturday 3 rides Sunday and it keeps getting better and better.
I will agree with the above statements it was hyped up too much and even management conceded this. The ride in the woods part is okay, nice and floaty at the back but not particularly fast due to the breaks and short layout.
The inside part is where this ride goes from being average to superb. I LOVE the inside section it's just fantastic the drops (when working correctly) are superb and the theming is just gorgeous absolutely love it.
The backwards tunnel is in need of theming and it will be eventually but it's all the more reason to ride it more and more. The area and station is themed brilliantly, Dark Forest is superb as a re-theme.
The thing that baffled even John Wardley today was the sheer capacity that ride actually has compared to it's reported capacity. It eats queues like i've never seen before. The queue around 11pm was about 15mins and by the time we had come off and gone on again the queue was empty and a bemused Wardley stunned at how fast it can get through. This ride is a godsend for through-put.
A superb edition to the park and something new and exciting, outdoor section is okay, Indoor section is amazing, big thumbs up from me Alton and happily takes my number 2 spot in the parks best rides.
This ride is a grower. At first, I hated it. The coaster element is, well, not a coaster, the "world's first" element is Frog Hopper in the dark, and the thrill facter = zero. The themeing however, is.. nice. It's comparable to some European parks, but it doesn't give Towers the leading edge. Inside the crypt, it is faultless and quite immersive, and the station itself is rather lovely looking. But the story? There is none.
OK, so the idea is, "during excavation work..." Corky's removal uncovered this crypt that seemed to be hiding some evil spirits inside a dark forest... But TH13TEEN? Big mistake, and has no link whatsoever to what the coaster is trying to demonstrate. Also, the themeing is rather lacking in parts. The outside element is rather barren, as Ben said, and there is nothing 'dark' about the 'forest'. Inside, is loveley. After the backwards section, the outside contains some lovely pieces, but rather haphazardly placed and could do with something more to be a bit more immersive.
I then spent half the day feeling angry at being promised a Secret Weapon. A world's first. A Psychocaster. A thrill ride. A coaster that the toughest of enthusiasts would be unable to handle, the ultimate ride of your life, a coaster comparable to that of the world headlining coaster. We have none of that.
What we do have, is a lovely family addition to the park that allows young children a chance to experience some fun coastering and challenge them to experience what would be a thrill for them to build them up to the larger coasters. After riding it again 3 times (once getting stuck in the crypt so we were gently lowered down...) this confirmed that the ride is actually a unique attraction in terms of what it does offer, and Towers can be praised for that.
Ultimately, themeing is fantastic but inconsistent with story; ride itself is a wonderful attraction, but poor in terms of a coaster. And the marketing has been apaulling for what the ride is. And that comes down to how the Marketing Director believes she can get away with marketing poo for the sake of bringing punters in. I guess that's her role. But a bit more thought should go in before allowing realisation to dawn on your guests and allowing them to be let down...
I think it's a shame that people are comparing Th13teen to the coaster they built in their heads thanks to the marketing.
Most people seem unable to criticize without mentioning the words 'Ultimate Coaster', 'Psycoaster' etc.
Of course, a few people I can see here comparing Th13teen to this ultimate coaster that has been built up in their minds are also people who have slated the marketing department for bullsh**...but then fall for it themselves.
The thing is, the marketing department are not experience makers, they are there to sell the ride, and get people through the gates. Once guests are inside they aren't 'in their jurisdiction' as it were. The crazy build up probably hasn't been so evident for the average guest, unlike Oblivion Th13teen hasn't been in everyones face 24/7.
As many people know with films, a lot of trailers and hype can conflict with the film itself.
It's a constant struggle between artist and businessman. the artist (Wardley & Towers development) wanted a product that would thrill the family in a unique way, with a great theming and a simple storyline played out visually rather then a straight narrative...marketing evidently thought this wouldn't sell so took matters into their own hands!
Take Saw (the first film) for example, it's not a horror, or a gore film. It's supposed to be a psychological thriller, the horror is in the sick mind of jigsaw...however the focus of the pre-release hype was on gore and guts...gore-seekers were disappointed and psychological thrill-seekers missed out. From that point on Saw became a bit of a joke, focusing on the traps themselves as opposed to the effects they have on people, or indeed any real explanation of their purpose!
It's a real shame - the marketers have done a brilliant job, as have the designers, but they both end up getting abuse!
EDIT -
I do agree with Satch though, the marketing department have ignored reality to sell, so there is disappointment factor involved, but hopefully soon people will appreciate the coaster for what it is, not what they thought it would be!
Last edited by Skumfidus on Sun Mar 21, 2010 3:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Good news about the throughput, does anyone know who has been how often a train is leaving the station ie every 60 seconds? to get the reported capacity of 1200 a train would need to leave every 60 seconds.
Also people have said that some of the effects & theming is unfinished do we know if this is the case and not just hoping more will be added? If more is to be added has their been any indication on when we will see these effects/theming finished?
Also although only been a day and half it good to see there hasn't been too many break downs so far unlike the openings of saw, rita, stealth and air.
