2012: Nemesis - What Lies Beneath - Part 1

Tue Oct 04, 2011 1:18 pm

[quote=""Nightfall""]Just thought I'd inform you that it has been confirmed at the Euro Attractions Show but the details have been lost several pages back.[/quote]Good point but I'm not too sure what this actually was confirmation of.

"He confirmed that Alton Towers are installing at least one of their drop tower rides next year." is separate to "We are working on the production of four new Freefall Towers in Europe." They don't necessarily equate to the same thing - I'm sure ABC have other customers other than Merlin. Another thing is that the press release says they "have a similar construction to those of the various Dungeons", which sounds like Extremis clones or rides very similar.

It all depends on what you interpret from the various bits of information that are getting mashed together. You could infer that these four freefall towers are for Alton (as they hopefully wouldn't get just one), that they will be very similar in construction to Extremis, and if indeed the press release is talking about Alton, the rides will be part of an overall dark ride concept.

Again it is speculation over what this "bigger Dark Ride concept" actually is. Is it some incredible theming and effects with the drop towers? Is it the fact that there are lifts before and after? For example, the "dark ride concept" could simply be that there is a lift/pre-show, the towers in the dark as per Extremis, and then the lift/post-show. Either way I would be surprised if the drop rides weren't the ride's central feature. Otherwise what purpose will they serve? It would be strange to have some drop towers in the middle of an attraction that were only filler to something more special. Clearly we can hope that they are dressed up with effects and projections etc like the concept art on the website but we really don't know. The " bigger dark ride concept", again if it is actually for Alton, could be anything.

Tue Oct 04, 2011 1:22 pm

[quote=""Big Dave""]In my eyes, this ride simply doesnt do enough to warrant its place on park.[/quote]

How can you possibly draw that conclusion when, in reality it isnt even offically confirmed.

Tue Oct 04, 2011 1:58 pm

[quote=""DDF14""][quote=""AshleeK""]But its important to note that the drop tower is 'part of a bigger dark ride concept', as said on that factsheet. Chances are the drop could only be a small part of the ride. Heck, the plans may have been read wrong, and the towers could be used instead of lifts. Granted that's just a shot in the dark, but we barely know anything at the moment. Certainly not enough to slate a ride that hasn't even been announced based on one element.[/quote]

Very nice idea dude like it, although highly unlikely because of the space available. But i like the way you are looking at it.

Small drop towers themed as a lift mechanism as a way to transport you to the main ride element would be a neat idea though i'd imagine it would slow through put a lot.
[/quote]
My guess is that in the pre-batch rooms we are divided into teams and given spiked clubs. Then the lifts are drop-towers that take us in to the main chamber (themed like gladiatorial arena at the centre of the earth). Then we must use our clubs to battle for the last remaining escape pod back to the surface. Can't for the life of me work out why there are two lifts out though. Like Tina Turner said in Thunderdome "Two Teams enter, one team leaves"...or something like that.

Man, if I'm right you guys are gonna have to give me props

Tue Oct 04, 2011 7:24 pm

So do we know where this ride is going? Catacomb idea sounds cool to be honest!

Tue Oct 04, 2011 7:59 pm

[quote=""scruffy_""]So do we know where this ride is going? Catacomb idea sounds cool to be honest![/quote]

The Dynamo site in Forbidden Valley - where the Lava Lump was located across from the Edge Games and the Nemesis gun

MinteButtons · Tue Oct 04, 2011 8:43 pm

This thread is full of far too much negativity.
We're getting a heavily themed flat/ dark ride. People are moaning about this like they did about the crabs and the star slush.

Have some faith in Merlin, ok? I'm certainly not a fangirl but I won't slag off every little thing they do.

Big Dave · Tue Oct 04, 2011 9:40 pm

Can I clear something up? I have said that this ride idea is pretty cool and that the ride will make a great addition to some park. They only thing Im not sure about is Merlins choice of putting this at Alton.

If the ride is themed exceptionally well, then I think it will a decent addition to the park, as the theming alone will improve what was a dull area of Forbidden Valley.

.Will · Tue Oct 04, 2011 9:56 pm

[quote=""Big Dave""]Im not saying we dont need something at the park or that we dont need a dark ride. There is just better dark rides out there than this![/quote]

But isn't the ride an ABC prototype. So no one has ever been on one before. No one has any idea how it stack up against anything.

Not sure if that has been said.

Tue Oct 04, 2011 9:59 pm

But we don't know that it will be an ABC prototype! We don't know that it will have amazing theming! We know close to nothing, other than how the outside of the building will look and the interior room layout, as well as the fact it seems very likely (but not officially confirmed) that ABC are making it. I feel like a broken record.

Big Dave · Tue Oct 04, 2011 10:15 pm

To be fair, from rumours going around from various sources and the fact that all the planning looks very much like its going to be a drop towers from ABC, we are fairly confident that it will be. Of course, we may all be wrong!

Blaze · Tue Oct 04, 2011 10:16 pm

Not knowing it's going to be amazing doesn't mean it's going to be crap.

There's a difference between being neutral and being negative. 80% of this topic is negative.

I'm cautiously optimistic about it. Once more info comes out that will change. I'm not understanding why these days the base expectation is one of disapointment and disinterest. Aren't we supposed to start off optimistic but neutral, and then become more or less enthusiastic and hopefull as time goes on and we learn more?

Big Dave · Tue Oct 04, 2011 10:23 pm

Based of previous experience, I have learned to start off low and hope and pray Im wrong :P

Dormiens-Dave · Tue Oct 04, 2011 10:27 pm

Im optimistic about the 2012 ride, of course when the GMTV video of thirteen came out i was one of a few who remained cautiously optimistic about the ride and fought its corner, since then i was proved wrong but im very much hoping this will be something a bit special.

I think this will be more than "just" an ABC drop ride though i will put money on it being a "drop" finale, after all on paper Hex doesn't look much but the ride itself is world renowned.

Open mind maintained until proven wrong (again)

Blaze · Tue Oct 04, 2011 10:29 pm

[quote=""Big Dave""]Based of previous experience, I have learned to start off low and hope and pray Im wrong :P[/quote]
Previous experience? The last new dark ride they built was Hex, and that turned out pretty well, I think you'll agree.

Thirteen isn't a bad ride, it was badly marketed and we fell for it. Not the ride's fault, not Alton or Merlin's fault.

There's nothing so far to say we shouldn't be looking forward to it.

At the end of the day, Alton are building a new ride. We can hardly call ourselves enthusiasts if we somehow convince ourselves it's a bad thing before details are even released.

.Will · Tue Oct 04, 2011 10:37 pm

I can't wait. Really looking forward to March of next year.

Because it's my birthday.

Neh only joking I love developments at Alton Towers everything is exciting I love Th13teen so I have high hopes for the new ride.

Roll on 2012.

Dormiens-Dave · Tue Oct 04, 2011 10:52 pm

[quote=""Blaze""]
Thirteen isn't a bad ride, it was badly marketed and we fell for it. Not the ride's fault, not Alton or Merlin's fault. [/quote]

You already know how much i disagree with you on this, it is a bad ride, it was overhyped but its been badly made and the "ohh its a family ride" excuse thrown in at the last minute is a bit pathetic from a multinational corporation.

However, i will keep the faith, hopefully they will have learned from the mistakes of Thirteen and prove to us that they can pull of a darkride worthy of the UK's number 1 park

Tue Oct 04, 2011 10:53 pm

[quote=""Blaze""]Previous experience?

Thirteen isn't a bad ride, it was badly marketed and we fell for it. Not the ride's fault, not Alton or Merlin's fault.[/quote]I agree, Thirteen isn't a terrible ride, it just could have been so much better. Surely there's no denying that? Disregarding the entire ride hardware - it would have been nice to have some effects in the crypt? Some lasers or projections or animatronic wraith? Would have been better than nothing.

That's the "previous experience" I would cite - how we all hoped for great theming and effects in an area that would really become very very good were it to have them, but instead it got next to nothing. I don't think it's unreasonable to have that feeling about the new ride, although as you say it's nice to be optimistic.

Also, we "fell for" the marketing?! What the balls. So they could advertise something that has twenty inversions when it actually has four, but if we fell for it that's our fault? "Not the ride's fault, not Alton or Merlin's fault?" They made it out to be something it clearly wasn't, yet you're fine with that and are happy for them to do it again? The funny thing about this new ride is that they haven't marketed it at all, yet we have assumptions all over the shop. There are many people assuming it will have "great theming" and super effects. I hope they're right. It would be a pleasant surprise.

Blaze · Tue Oct 04, 2011 11:19 pm

But Thirteen isn't just about the indoor sequence; this is a pure dark ride, so it couldn't just be a drop tower with some lights at the end. It's like saying that is SW7 is a launch coaster it will be unthemed because Rita is.

And yes, we did fall for it. They couldn't market it as a mardcore RMT, they had to advertise it like they did because they spend £15 million on it. They had to push it. And nowhere did it mention anything the ride did. We built up the ideas of all the fancy things that would happen because they used exciting words and the silly bans and PR releases. We shouldn't have fallen for them because they did that sort of thing all the time even without a new ride to promote, but we did.

Assumptions all over the shop? Most of the assumptions in this topic are it's going to be a bog standard drop tower ride with limited theming and a crap version of Thirteen without the coaster sections. Give me blind optimism any day.

Tue Oct 04, 2011 11:26 pm

I love TH13TEEN easily my 2nd favorite ride 1st time I rid it It was amazing you didn't know what to expect and wow that first ride was the best ride experience of my life. I've rid it many times since and still love it. I hope it is something special with the cut backs in this year maybe they've been saving up? I hope it's more than what's being said here.

Big Dave · Tue Oct 04, 2011 11:56 pm

[quote=""Blaze""]a crap version of Thirteen[/quote]
Didnt realise it could get any worse!

Joking aside, I think people are seriously over looking into what I have said (considering Im the only person to say anything overly negitive).

:arrow: Im NOT saying this ride will be rubbish.
:arrow: Im NOT saying it will just be a drop tower (points to my post about worlds first element)
:arrow: Im NOT saying this will offer the SAME ride experience as Th13teen.

Im just saying that this ride doesnt really offer anything that is overly different from what the park already has. I can see it being hard to market as well. Something underground, some kind of force pulling you down. Where have we heard this before?

I also want to stop the over negative comments, but at the same time want to express that Im not overly excited by this ride and think it should have gone to another park and Alton could have had something else.